Championship Sunday was possibly the best in my memory, with two games coming down to the wire. The Ravens managed to lose it with a poor field goal attempt in the closing seconds of the 4th, which would have tied the game and sent it to overtime. The game was close throughout, making for a great game for football fans to watch. Except at the end, if you are a Ravens fan. Congratulations to the Patriots.
Then there was the Giants – Niners game, one for the ages. Two stout defenses (note, the Giants had a low ranked defense for the season, but was playing lights out starting with the Jets game) doing what needed to be done. Eli showing that he is an elite QB, throwing almost 60 times in the cold and rain, hitting 9 different receivers. If you were a Giants fan (I am) or a SF fan, you needed some serious Pepto watching this game as it went into overtime. Or a Valium.
The Giants defense were monsters on 3rd down, limiting SF to 1-13 for conversions. That 1 was in the dying seconds of the 4th on what was essentially a prevent type defensive play.
(Clark Judge) I see where New England is an early 3½-point favorite in Super Bowl XLVI, and I’m not sure why. The Giants won their past two vs. the Patriots. In fact, the last team to beat New England, period, was the Giants. OK, so they ranked 27th in overall defense during the season. Big deal. In the playoffs, they’ve been outstanding, stopping San Francisco on 12 of 13 third downs and not allowing the 49ers more than three plays on their last four offensive series. Plus, they can do what they did to Brady the last time these two met in a Super Bowl — pressure him with their front four.
D will be the key. Giants have to stop Wes Welker and the Patriots’ tight ends. This starts with the front 4 making Tom Brady uncomfortable in the pocket, make him move his feet and disrupt his timing.
Patriots have to keep Eli from hitting the deep pass to Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham, and keep running back Ahmad Bradshaw in check.
And, just to take a little dig at Mr. “Best Team In NY”
Who will Jets coach Rex Ryan be rooting for? – Ryan’s annual boast that his team will win the Super Bowl once again fell flat — and the Jets’ championship drought earlier this month celebrated its 43rd anniversary. For Ryan — same goes for Fireman Ed and any other Jets fan — who picked the Giants and Ravens to advance to the big game, this Super Bowl pits his two most-hated rivals against one another. No matter who wins, the Jets will lose.
I was rooting for the Ravens for two reasons: first, it would have been interesting to see all the Raven purple in Indy, the city that took their Colts. Second, I wanted a rematch from the last time the Giants played, and lost, to the Ravens. Also, a different team than the Patriots (who I do like, but, it gets tiresome seeing them there). But, on the down side, I always think the Ravens are wearing Yoga pants when they have those black ones one. Rather unmanly. Though I wouldn’t tell Ray Lewis that to his face.
Anyhow, congratulations to Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin, both of whom were getting killed by Giants fans throughout the season. Eli caught loads of crap early on, when he was not looking so good. From me included. Coughlin when they were losing, and fans wanted him gone. Tom always seems to find a way to put us in our place.
Prediction: Giants 24 – Patriots 20 in a game guaranteed to give the fans of both teams massive heartburn throughout.
I should be more upset by the loss than I was, but, really, we’d been lost in the Land of Suck for so long, I’m still thrilled with the 49ers’ turnaround.
Good luck against the Patsies, and just wait until next year.
Thanks, Phineas.
The 49ers have a bright future ahead. Strong D, great running, I think Alex Smith will continue to improve now that he has a coach that believes in him and stable O-coordinators. Need a few more receivers, and they will be tops in the West and NFC yearly. Great turnaround for them.
We need a real #1 receiver; Crabtree isn’t it. For whatever reason (either he can’t get separation or he runs weak routes), his production is way too low, and secondaries focus on stopping Davis. Crabtree should be more of a possession receiver.
Meanwhile, the Patsies’ big defensive weakness is their secondary. I’ll be very interested to see how the Giants exploit that. Cruz’s slant routes were killing us in the first half.