- On December 16th, I wrote a column defending Eli. If I may immodestly quote myself:
Do Giants fans remember that game-tying playoff drive last year? 2nd & 30, down 7 points, in the 4th quarter, in a playoff game, at Philadelphia of all places – and Eli completed consecutive passes of 18, 14 and 11 yards to Plaxico Burress, the last one in the end zone. How can you watch that and not think this kid has what it takes?That was not his first, or last, 4th quarter
comeback. His first win, against the Cowboys, in 04. The Cowboys again in 05 (blown by the D). The Broncos in 05. The Bears in 07.
- On December 26 I wrote a piece called "The Fate of the Pats", that talked about how how-flying offensive teams tend to fall in January. Key line..."And yet...I think they're going down in January."
- I refused to outright pick the Giants to win, but outlined the reasons they could here.
6. This is the best thing that could happen to The Sports Guy's writing. The source of his greatness - besides the fact that he's a deceptively talented writer - is that he's a fan. Most sportswriters seem, after a while, to hate sports. Too much time spent in locker rooms with guys that are bigger, stronger, richer, and more beloved than they are...and are often jerks. So they turn on these guys, and the whole stench of professional sports. But The Sports Guy has kept his fan's perspective.
But being a Boston guy, he has had an unnatural amount of winning the past few years. And his writing suffered. Read - or try to read - this interminably boring piece predicting the Patriots will crush the Giants. No way he writes something this turgid about a team he cares about that is playing poorly.
This one should put his writing back in order. Welcome back, Bill.
7. I went to 4 Giants game this year, including the debacle against the Vikings. Everybody talks about how at 0-2, down 17-3 at halftime to the Redskins, you wouldn't have picked the Giants to do this. But more importantly, go to that Vikings game. Giants lost 42-17. At home. In late November. To the Vikings.
11. I know...I've rambled on for hundreds of words and haven't even mentioned the real reason they won - pressure on the QB. What can I tell you, it's late. Good night.
1 comment:
Let’s put aside for a moment that this year’s Patriot team had a potent offense. If you look at the Brady/Belichick team over the years, there is a long history of winning close games with a come-from-behind, knockout punch late in the fourth quarter. Going into Super Bowl 42, New England was one win away from a perfect season. Pats fans clearly intended to stake a claim as greatest team of all time. I only placed one demand on the Patriots going into the Super Bowl: win big. (Of course, this is not what I was rooting for.) No more last second field goals, no more late fumble recoveries, no more fourth quarter comebacks. If you want to be the best ever, you must dominate. You must be without peer. This was the angle I took when arguing with the fans from my Boston office. Prove that my Giants don’t even belong on the same field as New England. Blow us out. Win the game big, pulling away. They were confident that they would.
Concentrating on this theme of greatness, I wondered if Belichick is capable of a blowout victory in a big game. The last time they were on their way to a blowout victory in the postseason, the Colts came back from a huge halftime deficit to win by 4 in a shootout. Belichick/Brady seem to be at their best in close games, when they can count on their preparation and discipline to prevail in the end. If that is the Belichick/Brady M.O., wasn’t it just a matter of time that in a close game, just for once, New England wouldn’t force the big turnover in the closing seconds, or wouldn’t kick the winning field goal as time expires, or-most important-the opponent wouldn’t panic as the mighty patriots tried to deliver the knockout blow.
The day after the Super Bowl, I talked to my buddy in Boston. (He still thinks that New England is the greatest team of all time.) Here’s his analysis of the game: If Asante Samuel intercepts that Manning pass, the Pats are the champs.
Finally, the ball didn’t bounce Belichick’s way when he needed it most. The other team didn’t panic in the final minutes. Amen.
Pats fans will try to brush off the Giant’s Super Bowl win as a fluke. Don’t let them. The week 17 performance by Big Blue combined with the Super Bowl win proves that the Patriots had an equal competitor in the 2007 season. Even if New England had somehow pulled out a Super Bowl win, it would have been absurd to call them the greatest team ever. Greatness requires you to have no equal. Tiger Woods is great. The Patriots are really, really good.
Freetime is right about Bill Simons. He is at his best when he is suffering. And I love the fact that despite all his analysis, he can’t help being a homer. Here are a few of my favorite comments from his post-Super Bowl blog:
Only on the last drive did the Patriots look like the Patriots. I will never understand what took so long. Ever. I will never understand it. (Um, could it be that the Giants prevented them from following their game plan?)
The Giants played well enough to win, they were tougher, they were luckier and they wanted it just a little bit more. (Translation: The Patriots are a much better team.)
I don't think we'll ever see a 19-0 team. If this particular Patriots team couldn't pull it off, nobody's doing it. (Do you think maybe, just maybe a team needs a running game to fall back on if the situation calls for it).
And, my favorite:
[The Giants] …out of nowhere, rallied for a miracle drive to steal the championship. (out of nowhere? Steal? Welcome back, Bill!
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