NFL 2018

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

Well, very happy NE is moving on to 8th-straight AFC title game; I like close games, but a blowout was welcome this time around. Looked like vintage Pats in all phases, with the best performances coming from BB, Josh and the other coaches...a stellar game plan. We'll be underdogs at KC next week, and I'm fine with that...

When will it end?  

How does a team win 10-straight AFC-East titles, then go on to eight-straight Conference titles?
Even the G.O.A.T. has to have a bad season once in a while. Well, I'm hoping Sunday they'll get their comeuppance. The bad thing is going to be the weather. It's suppose to be single-digit temperatures at Arrowhead Stadium. But, why should that matter to the New England Patriots. I still believe football franchises should be required to have domed stadiums.

I was almost caught in a rain-shower at the Cowboys game this past Saturday. It rained that whole morning, and was suppose to start-up again during the game. We brought rain-slickers and wore boots. but thank God the rain didn't return.
Oh, and I saw "King James" when he entered the stadium. We had the worse seats in the house until that happened.

And Peggy, I thought Foles was going to win that game too. When HRD's kicker missed that FG to make it a two-score game, I thought of you Mr Mo.
I pictured you holding a sharp knife to your jugular waiting for the clock to show 0:00!  Thank God for the turnover!

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

...Sorry for your season's end, Hodge. Should Garrett go...

Peggy, I'm beginning to believe your exactly right.
If Garrett doesn't go, at least hire a new OC. Linehan (spl) doesn't have enough creativity for the current-day Offense.

Hodgepodge wrote:

How does a team win 10-straight AFC-East titles, then go on to eight-straight Conference titles?

Winning ten straight divisional titles is definitely impressive, but it's worth noting that no other team in the league has had a worse combined set of divisional opponents. And they haven't won 8 straight conference titles, they've been to the conference championship game 8 straight years, which is also pretty impressive, in fact considering the divisional opposition they face, going to the conference title game 8 straight years is actually a bit more impressive than 10 straight divisional titles.

I think the home teams will win on Sunday. Just a feeling.

Looking ahead to next season, talking about the Cowboys, although this should probably go in the Cowboys thread, they will have bigger issues than just Garrett. They are going to have to pony up big bucks for both offensive stars. Dak is going to be asking for around $25M/yr, but after the season he just had, leading the league in total offense, Zeke is also going to be wanting a sizable chunk of money. Where is that going to come from? Lee will probably retire, the emergence of Vander Esch makes him surplus goods anyway, but that will only account for a fraction of the money which the two-headed cap-buster is coming for.

davidalan wrote:

I think the home teams will win on Sunday. Just a feeling.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind this Super Bowl match-up at all, BA. Just as long as Brady and the Patriots aren't in it. I'm so tired of looking at their uniforms every Super Bowl.  

TBC wrote:

Looking ahead to next season, talking about the Cowboys, although this should probably go in the Cowboys thread, they will have bigger issues than just Garrett. They are going to have to pony up big bucks for both offensive stars. Dak is going to be asking for around $25M/yr, but after the season he just had, leading the league in total offense, Zeke is also going to be wanting a sizable chunk of money. Where is that going to come from...

Don't forget Demarcus Lawrence, our Pro Bowl DE. He played on the franchise-tag last season. Do the 'Boys want to use that tag again?

Doesn't Amari Cooper get a long-term contract next season? I'm  trying to recall his status. Isn't he still playing under his draft contract?

But, you're right, TBC. How do you pay all of these players when they're entering the final year of their contract.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Winning ten straight divisional titles is definitely impressive, but it's worth noting that no other team in the league has had a worse combined set of divisional opponents.

It's not that the Pats have succeeded due to poor divisional opponents, but that their divisional opponents are poor because they must regularly play the Pats.

Hodgepodge wrote:

davidalan wrote:

I think the home teams will win on Sunday. Just a feeling.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind this Super Bowl match-up at all, BA. Just as long as Brady and the Patriots aren't in it. I'm so tired of looking at their uniforms every Super Bowl.  

TBC wrote:

Looking ahead to next season, talking about the Cowboys, although this should probably go in the Cowboys thread, they will have bigger issues than just Garrett. They are going to have to pony up big bucks for both offensive stars. Dak is going to be asking for around $25M/yr, but after the season he just had, leading the league in total offense, Zeke is also going to be wanting a sizable chunk of money. Where is that going to come from...

Don't forget Demarcus Lawrence, our Pro Bowl DE. He played on the franchise-tag last season. Do the 'Boys want to use that tag again?

Doesn't Amari Cooper get a long-term contract next season? I'm  trying to recall his status. Isn't he still playing under his draft contract?

But, you're right, TBC. How do you pay all of these players when they're entering the final year of their contract.

Cooper was a heck of a pick-up, but tell me again what pick the Raiders got in return for him. The Raiders exercised the fifth year of the contract he signed as a rookie before last season, his fourth, started, so he's an FA as of...well...soon-ish. Jerry is going to have the "Damned if..." choice of either adding his name to the Cap Buster List or looking a damned fool for trading away a first round pick to get a guy who played half a season. As for Lawrence, you can probably kiss him goodbye.

TBC wrote:

Cooper was a heck of a pick-up, but tell me again what pick the Raiders got in return for him. The Raiders exercised the fifth year of the contract he signed as a rookie before last season, his fourth, started, so he's an FA as of...well...soon-ish. Jerry is going to have the "Damned if..." choice of either adding his name to the Cap Buster List or looking a damned fool for trading away a first round pick to get a guy who played half a season. As for Lawrence, you can probably kiss him goodbye.

After the 'Boys lost in the Divisional stage of the playoffs, it's been determined that the Raiders will get Dallas' 28th pick in the 2019 draft.

TBC, I can't imagine Jerry not signing Cooper to a long-term contract. He's meant so much to this team this season. The Dallas Cowboys were awful until Amari came into the foll. It became hard for teams to bring that eighth player down into the box to stop Elliott.

I'm glad you brought up DeMarcus Lawrence. Remember when the Redskins kept using their franchise-tag on Cousins? What, didn't they use it two or three times? So, why can't Jerry use the same tactic on D. Lawrence? Granted, the tag will probably be in the ballpark of $14-$16Mil.      

Did I fail math somewhere or are you seriously suggesting franchising a DL for $15M when the QB will probably be making $25M?

The whole reason the franchise tag was created was so that teams could slap it on their most expensive player, hence the name "Franchise", but teams messed it up by trying to get creative or keep prima donna linebackers and sack specialist down linemen happy. A $10M one-year contract with a Super Bowl contender is the same deal with or without the franchise tag, Jared.

I'm starting to get nervous. The Saints are going to be at home, and their injury report is considerably better than it was in week 9. I feel like i shouldn't be nervous.

But. It's SO hard to beat a good team when you meet them for second time in the playoffs. I would feel so much more confident if it was the Cowboys (no offense, Hodge), the Eagles, heck even the Bears.

TBC wrote:

Did I fail math somewhere or are you seriously suggesting franchising a DL for $15M when the QB will probably be making $25M...

TBC, I was just reading an article at Dallascowboys.xom that mentioned the 'Boys have a lot of cap space.
I truly believe they'll be able to get the personnel priorities in order.

TBC wrote:

...The whole reason the franchise tag was created was so that teams could slap it on their most expensive player, hence the name "Franchise", but teams messed it up by trying to get creative or keep prima donna linebackers and sack specialist down linemen happy. A $10M one-year contract with a Super Bowl contender is the same deal with or without the franchise tag, Jared.

I found this online. NFL 2019 Franchise Values I definitely want to discuss it.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

I'm starting to get nervous. The Saints are going to be at home, and their injury report is considerably better than it was in week 9. I feel like i shouldn't be nervous...

Welcome to my world, HRD. My glass is always half-empty instead of half-full.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...It's SO hard to beat a good team when you meet them for second time in the playoffs. I would feel so much more confident if it was the Cowboys (no offense, Hodge), the Eagles, heck even the Bears.

None taken!
Speaking of the Cowboys...you're aware we beat the Eagles twice this season.
Mr Mo, I'm pretty sure the Saints have this game well-in-hand.

From your post to God's ears, Hodge! :pray1:


We're in the 4th quarter and this is anybody's game yet.

Um.

That was bar none the most blatantly one-sided officiating i've seen in a professional sports competition since.... i don't even know. Lakers-Kings?

The season is over as far as i'm concerned. That was horrible. I'd have been fine if the Saints got beat.

davidalan wrote:

I think the home teams will win on Sunday. Just a feeling.

I guess I jinxed things.


I didn't watch either game. I heard there were officiating problems with Rams vs Saints. What's the solution? Review every play? More challenges? A greater scope on what can be challenged?


Anyway, The Patriots are in again. I'll root for The Rams.

davidalan wrote:

What's the solution? Review every play? More challenges? A greater scope on what can be challenged?

The answer is assuredly to make PI calls/non-calls challengeable. With only two challenges per team, there wouldn't be abuse. PI is the foremost unsolved problem of the NFL.

I am naturally extremely happy that the Pats are going back to the SB. It can't last forever, and it's just a great ride to enjoy while it's still here. While I can understand non-fans' frustration with the team, I think there must also be an argument for enjoying greatness. The Patriots dynasty is a sports phenomenon of the here and now. I am not a Yankee fan, but I can look back at the '20s Yankees and think--that must have been cool to see. And the Pats have done it with drama; so many classic, nail-biting games like Sunday's. I'm really lucky to have been able to enjoy it for so long.

I just tip my hat to old hands Gronk and Edelman, the go-to guys whose catches on 3rd-and-10 in OT kept us moving down the field. They, and of course Tom Brady, showed us that the vets still have something in the tank, even after this unpredictable season.
Hey Soup and Map and Brdmom--we're going back to the Super Bowl!

Peggy, for you and all the Patriot fans here, it is another fun ride. As it should be. I had no investment in any of the four remaining teams. And still don't really. It's more like the Patriots could have won, and based on their history were expected to win. The Rams I think were maybe the genuine underdogs, I guess. So they're just slightly more interesting to me.

What an exciting game between Pats and Chiefs! I told my family that whoever won the coin toss would win the game (which kind of stinks for the Chiefs). Really impressive play by both teams. And it was nice seeing the Pats not wait until the fourth quarter to come alive like they did so many times last year.
Honestly, I wasn't sure they would have it in them to dig deep for one more run at the Big Game, but they sure proved me wrong!

See y'all in two weeks in Atlanta!

Gratters to the Patriots.

Mo, I always kinda root for the Saints bc I like New Orleans and bc Sean Payton attended the same small, very obscure state school I did (and that Tony Romo and Jimmy Garappolo did -- also Mike Shanahan but nvm that. Go Big Blue.) I left the room never to return after the bad call -- it just looked like bad voodoo at that point.

I married into a St. Louis family, and the Rams owner is viewed there as a grifter and in the same circle of hell as Dan Snyder.

So, go Patriots.

*Sticking my head in the door, hoping there's something left of the thread*

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Um.

That was bar none the most blatantly one-sided officiating i've seen in a professional sports competition since.... i don't even know. Lakers-Kings?

The season is over as far as i'm concerned. That was horrible. I'd have been fine if the Saints got beat.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

davidalan wrote:

What's the solution? Review every play? More challenges? A greater scope on what can be challenged?

The answer is assuredly to make PI calls/non-calls challengeable. With only two challenges per team, there wouldn't be abuse. PI is the foremost unsolved problem of the NFL...

We're watching the game, well, I'm actually watching TPTB (Mrs. Hodgepodge) nervously watch the game.
She can't sit in one-place. She's continuously pacing. I'm curious what we're going to eat for dinner, because she's eaten everything in the refrigerator.

Then the play! "Can he do that?", she asks me. "No! they're going to throw a flag for Interference (PI). Why in the world did I say that. Because they didn't throw a flag. Which meant, I was the reason they didn't throw a flag. Now granted, she doesn't really mean it, she's just so frustrated.

HRD, if I was close to you, I'd put my arm around your shoulder and cry with you. It was the most blatant miss call in NFL history.
I know you've since heard the League's Head of Officiating called Patton and told him it was a missed call. My question! That doesn't do anything for me now.

There's this saying while watching football: One call doesn't make a an outcome of a game. Well, this one certainly does.
It would've been first and ten and the Rams 15 yard line. The Saints should've run the ball three straight downs, forcing the Rams to use their one remaining time-out. That would've left 40+/- seconds remaining, after New Orleans kicked the FG. Game over!

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

...I am naturally extremely happy that the Pats are going back to the SB. It can't last forever, and it's just a great ride to enjoy while it's still here. While I can understand non-fans' frustration with the team, I think there must also be an argument for enjoying greatness. The Patriots dynasty is a sports phenomenon of the here and now. I am not a Yankee fan, but I can look back at the '20s Yankees and think--that must have been cool to see. And the Pats have done it with drama; so many classic, nail-biting games like Sunday's. I'm really lucky to have been able to enjoy it for so long...

I just don't understand how they do it, year-in and year-out. That's probably the most frustrating thing.
Yeah, they've got TB-12 and Belicheck, and apparently, that's all they need.

By the way, I hated the Yankees because they won so many Championships. I hated the Celtics for the same reason.
Please! Some one put me out of my misery.

Honestly, congrats to Peggy Sawyer, Soup and Brdmom. It must be nice.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Um.

That was bar none the most blatantly one-sided officiating i've seen in a professional sports competition since.... i don't even know. Lakers-Kings?

The season is over as far as i'm concerned. That was horrible. I'd have been fine if the Saints got beat.

No penalties were called on these plays either.. 1 of which would have given the Rams 1st and goal at the 2..
The one with :00 on the clock and the Saints having not snapped the ball was also a play that resulted in a Saints TD.



and just for the record, this wasn't called pass interference either..


and for those who think that one play cost New Orleans the game, I offer..


Considering that "Katrina Refs" became a thing the year the Saints won the SB and the infamous high/low
non called roughing the passer against Brett Favre in the NFC championship game that year... from a team with
a GM, a head coach, and a DC suspended from the league for paying bounties to injure players from the opposing team; very few outsideof New Orleans are going to give the Saints a lot of sympathy.

Personally, i wasn't looking for sympathy. I was merely expressing my own opinion.

For whatever it may be worth, i don't support efforts to force the league to change the outcome or replay the game or whatever other nonsense is being floated. The results should be final in my opinion. The refs, the replay booth, and league officials had their chances and blew it again.

I'm also not really interested in going over the individual plays nor talking about much history, with the singular possible exception of the "bounty" suspensions. Not because i think my position is untenable, but rather in spite of the fact that i know what i saw, it just doesn't appeal to me, and it's utterly pointless either way.

I despise the Saints. They were once the lovable losers of the league, but since their SB win their fanbase has become unbearable with their sense of entitlement. Plus their HC is a classless human being... what sort of a coach of a professional sports franchise runs down the field to taunt a player with a choke sign?

The answer is a classless one.

So I will take any opportunity that comes to laugh at the Saints.

I'd have thought that kind of petty hate was beneath you. But perhaps you're exposed to a lot more of the Saints' fanbase. I'm the only Saints fan i know, and if you've followed the NFL threads over the years, i don't think you'd lump me into that categorization.

Either way, i've been rooting for the Saints just as long as i've been rooting for the Yankees, so i won't take it personally.

Do you have a favorite NFL team, WartyOne?

________

Hodge, i do appreciate the sympathy. I honestly didn't shed a tear though. It was still a great season and i had a ton of fun watching it... until the very end. There were questionable calls on both sides, but there's a significant difference between questionable and blatant; it really seemed to me like at a certain point towards the end of the game, the Rams' secondary seemed to somehow just "know" that it was open season. Enh, i'd have felt a lot more satisfied if the Rams had just come out and pwned the Saints. Mostly, i'm more sorry for you that you had to deal TPTB after that.

Petty hate is a strong phrase.

Everything I have said must be taken in the context of sports fandom which isn't day to day reality.

I have however had a deep and close relationship with the Saints fanbase for years, and I do truly believe within the context of sports fandom that they have developed an exhausting sense of entitlement. As of this moment they are reacting in a way that no orher fanbase has ever reacted to getting screwed by bad  calls... no matter what the stakes. There have been calls almost equally egregious that happened multiple times to a single team in the SB, and there were no demands to replay the game or calls from a sitting congressman to open a federal investigation.

Just for the record, I am a Falcons fan... and proud of it. In 2012 the NFC championship game ended for the Falcons with a San Francisco LB anal raping our wide receiver Roddy white at the 5 yard line. There was nothing like this as a reaction... I mean just for compariaons sake. In the 2009 NFC championship game won by the Saints, there was a blatant roughing the passer infraction committed by the Saints on the game ending interception, yet Minnesota didn't have this sort of cosmic meltdown. The NFL admitted the refs blew it as they did with the Falcons.

Then there is the one last thing with their head coach. He really is classless. In 2017 the year after the Falcons SB loss, Saints coach Sean Payton after a 20-17 loas to thw Falcons ran down the sideline to where Falcons running back Devonta Freeman was and made the choke sign at him and yelled 28-3. One heck of a professional there... from the same guy accused of stealing Vicodin from the Saints doctor by a former security guard... and the same coach banned for an entire year for his part in paying bounties
to his players to injure other teams players.

Ah, the dearly detested divisional rivals! The Falcons and Saints have been divisional rivals longer than i've been alive. I will therefore take routine vitriol as complimentary, so thank you for your hate!

As for replaying the game or any such nonsense - ridiculous! People should be getting an early jump on their Mardi Gras plans instead of obsessing over a lost football game. If there's going to be a federal investigation into the NFL, it should probably start with point shaving in regular season games, and if it leads to fixed playoff games too, so be it - if not, that's even better. Either that or a conspiracy investigation into whether any laws were broken in ownership and the league's refusal to prioritize player safety.

As for bounty-gate, it's been long enough that i can say i hope that picking the Saints to make as an example has worked to eliminate bounty-hunting throughout the league. It was widely reported throughout the league and while i still feel it was unfair to pick on one team, i don't think that the damage done is really relevant to anything going on today - or next season.

You can say what you will about Payton. I still get a thrill every time he draws up some oddball gimmick play and it works.

Payton is a class 1 prick.

Probably the most unprofessional HC in the NFL.

Not only did he run down the field to give the choke sign to Devonta Freeman in reference to SB51 after Freeman had just scored to beat the Saints, he also mocked the Minnesota fans by going over to the stands and doing their SKOL cheer in front of them when he thought the Saints had one... ya know moments before Diggs drove a dagger into their heart in the 2017 playoffs. In addition to that (and everything else already mentioned), there was this prick episode with him and Dirk Koetter:

 

It used to just be a divisional rivalry, but it's much more than that now...



Are you from New Orleans? Been a fan for 40 years? It doesn't seem that way or maybe there would be a deeper understanding of the animosity that has grown mainly since Sean Payton became coach. 
Did you just sort of jump on the bandwagon when they won a SB?

Just to show it's not just a divisional rivalry thing..

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-sports/karma-vikings-fans-erupt-in-joy-as-saints-lose-nfc-championship-game-in-overtime-to-rams

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-sports/vikings-fans-are-really-expletive-making-saints-fans-mad?fbclid=IwAR3WDEOoX7f4nJe97JXIQDFOs95EC1l-VVue90N8FRxAYAQ1Q0_oJGzcEhg

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Hodgepodge wrote:

How does a team win 10-straight AFC-East titles, then go on to eight-straight Conference titles?

Winning ten straight divisional titles is definitely impressive, but it's worth noting that no other team in the league has had a worse combined set of divisional opponents.

They beat the whole league at the same rate as their divisional opponents. I guess the whole league is inferior to the Pats. Damn, the league has been down for a long time, huh?

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/patriots-win-same-rate-vs-rest-nfl-they-do-vs-afc-east

also, Troy Brown tackles some of those "weak AFC fallacies."

Troy Brown on Reddit

Very happy with the Pats run this year, as usual. Love how they have been able to take the underdog position.

It's literally the most undeniable point in sports: Tom Brady is the G.O.A.T.!!!! (NEED THE EMOJII HERE, REALLY!)

Go PATS !!!!!!!!!

But Soup, you got to admit this has been one of the weakest teams Belichick has ever started a season with. Yeah, they've still got TB-12, Gronk and Edelmann, but I can't name another Pro-Bowler.

Now I will admit, this team shines a brighter light on the coaching style of BB. As long as a player has two-arms and legs, Bill can make him into a Super Bowl contender. My hats off to the guy!

Needless to say, I'm going to be praying for an upset by going with the L.A. Rams. And, this has nothing to do with the teams location. I'm just so tired of watching the Patriots competing for another Super Bowl ring.

If I'm not mistaken, they're going for their 6th win, which will tie them with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"Please God, don't let the New England Patriots win another Super Bowl."

Hodgepodge wrote:

Yeah, they've still got TB-12, Gronk and Edelmann, but I can't name another Pro-Bowler.

Stephon Gilmore this year, Donta Hightower last year, Matthew Slater many years...

Thanks, Soup, for your response to the "Pats are in the weakest division" argument. As you say, their record against the rest of the league is comparable, and when each team in a division can expect to lose two games to one specific divisional rival each year, that will tend to weaken it.

Rethink your Rams support in the SB, Hodge. It's a lot more fun celebrating sustained greatness--try it for a change!

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

Hodgepodge wrote:

Yeah, they've still got TB-12, Gronk and Edelmann, but I can't name another Pro-Bowler.

Stephon Gilmore this year, Donta Hightower last year, Matthew Slater many years...

Thanks, Soup, for your response to the "Pats are in the weakest division" argument. As you say, their record against the rest of the league is comparable, and when each team in a division can expect to lose two games to one specific divisional rival each year, that will tend to weaken it.

Rethink your Rams support in the SB, Hodge. It's a lot more fun celebrating sustained greatness--try it for a change!

Donta Hightower is the only name I recognize, Peggy. And, as I mentioned in my previous post, that goes a long way to prove Belichick's greatness as a HC.

The highlighted portion says a lot about the leadership of the other three AFC-East teams. It's probably been 5+, or longer years, since the Pats have lost more than one game against a Divisional opponent. The other three teams no this, but apparently can't do anything about it.

Yeah, the NFC-East is a poor division as well, but every year there's a good chance the previous Division winner could be living in the cellar.

Oh, and no way am I giving up on my prayer: "Please God, don't let the New England Patriots win another Super Bowl!"


ETA: What have you guys heard about McDaniel's status in New England? He turned down another HC offer and said he isn't interested in any position. Is this the guarantee he's been promised the position in New England when BB retires?

Hodgepodge wrote:

What have you guys heard about McDaniel's status in New England? He turned down another HC offer and said he isn't interested in any position. Is this the guarantee he's been promised the position in New England when BB retires?  

Well, he has officially stated he will be back in NE next year. The Pats will NEVER admit that he will ultimately inherit BB's role, but I believe it is so. The only reason I think he still takes interviews is to get an inside look at the workings of other teams.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

Hodgepodge wrote:

What have you guys heard about McDaniel's status in New England? He turned down another HC offer and said he isn't interested in any position. Is this the guarantee he's been promised the position in New England when BB retires?  

Well, he has officially stated he will be back in NE next year. The Pats will NEVER admit that he will ultimately inherit BB's role, but I believe it is so. The only reason I think he still takes interviews is to get an inside look at the workings of other teams.

I agree, Josh is the heir apparent. I honestly don't know what will happen this off-season with Gronk, Bill, McCourty, etc. I DO know what will happen with Brady, though. 0%!!!

Good luck to everyone's team. I'll be rooting for Tony Romo.

That's actually a good point, soup, about the relative percentages, and one i'd never heard before. I never made a "weak AFC" argument. In fact i'd have been more likely to go the other way.

I still owe WartyOne a response, even though i think i answered most of his questions earlier.

I just want y'all to know that as is my usual, i am rooting for the East Coast team today though in all honesty i probably won't be watching the game.

Didn't watch it. Followed the score. Glad I didn't watch it. Maybe it was better than that. This does give the Patriots 6 championships, so that's fun. Maybe New Orleans would have done better.

Gratters to the Patriots fans here. I miss Map's "Tom Brady's level of focus" sig with George Washington staying cool on the exploding ship.


Tony Romo was totally robbed on the MVP thing.

Oh yeah that sig is so cool.

It was the game of the defenses, but the Pats came through when they needed to.

       
What's amazing is that here, 17 years since the Pats' first SB victory (also against the Rams), they went and won a defense-based Super Bowl, just as they did then. In this era of offense, it was refreshing to see good scheming and aggressive line play produce a championship. I'm terrifically proud of my team, and so glad I've been able to enjoy their run for so long. It was hard to pick an MVP--it could easily have gone to a defensive player, if one had stood out in the unit; however, I'm glad to see Julian Edelman get it. For today's performance and so many performances past, it was well-deserved.

Officiating didn't factor, thankfully, and both teams were able to play aggressively but legally most of the way. Congrats to my fellow Pats fans here, Soup, Map (he looks in, I know) and Brdmom; as well as that closet Pats fan, Hodge. The give-and-take here has been fun ever since the original board's early days, when NE was only halfway to this point.

Looking forward to seeing just how far Brady can push it now, and enjoying the ride while it lasts.

New England Patriots, Super Bowl LIII Champions.

dull game IMO, but yep congrats to the Pats - they have the best adaptable defense I've seen in a long time, which helps Brady immensely - it takes that worrying pressure off him to have to score crazy high points (I'm sure he does anyways - worry - but that part of the pressure isn't there.)

Goff did ok, I think his inexperience just showed compared to Brady.

Only one Clydesdale ad - booooo Bud. The knight theme does zero for me, it's not funny nor clever. You hit gold with the guy who thought up using the horses.

Maturin wrote:

Good luck to everyone's team. I'll be rooting for Tony Romo.

Maturin wrote:

...Tony Romo was totally robbed on the MVP thing.

Maturin, I totally agree. It was complete robbery.

davidalan wrote:

Didn't watch it. Followed the score. Glad I didn't watch it. Maybe it was better than that...

It wasn't much, BA.
It was interesting as a defensive battle during the first-half, but nothing changed in the 3rd-quarter.
It's hard to imagine a Super Bowl with one TD, and that with 4+ minutes remaining in the game.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

...It was hard to pick an MVP--it could easily have gone to a defensive player, if one had stood out in the unit; however, I'm glad to see Julian Edelman get it. For today's performance and so many performances past, it was well-deserved...

I thought it was an easy pick, Peggy. But, bringing up a defensive player got me to remember, Hightower. He was everywhere, all the time.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

...Congrats to my fellow Pats fans here, Soup, Map (he looks in, I know) and Brdmom; as well as that closet Pats fan, Hodge...

And, it's only because I love you guys I can send my congrats to the aforementioned. Oh, and never Peggy Sawyer. Never!

Maturin wrote:

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

Congrats to my fellow Pats fans here [...] as well as that closet Pats fan, Hodge.

Don't egg her on, Maturin.

Zaphod wrote:

...they have the best adaptable defense I've seen in a long time, which helps Brady immensely - it takes that worrying pressure off him to have to score crazy high points (I'm sure he does anyways -  worry - but that part of the pressure isn't there.)

Zaphod, this is the part that gets me.
The Rams were the 2nd-highest scoring offense in the League this season. But, the Pats defense, and lets call it like it is, Belichick's Defense, made them look like the Dallas Cowboys offense. Anemic!

Zaphod wrote:

...Only one Clydesdale ad - booooo Bud. The knight theme does zero for me, it's not funny nor clever. You hit gold with the guy who thought up using the horses.

This was the most disappointing portion of the Super Bowl. Not one memorable commercial.

I didn't watch but i'm mildly happy for the Pats, because after all they are the regional team, and we have a good crew of Pats fans here. I saw the box score (didn't even watch highlights tbh) and it looks like it was a real grind of a game, which i agree is cool in this day & age.

Lost in '85; '01; '03 & '04; lost in '07 & '11; '14; '16; lost in '17; and now '18.

That's six SuperBowl wins, which ties Pittsburgh for most ever, and 10 appearances, which is 2 more than Pittsburgh, Dallas, and Denver. Green Bay still has the most league championships as a franchise with 13, but 9 of those were pre-merger. The NY Giants also still hold the record for most NFL championship game appearances with 19, though 15 of those were pre-merger.

Previous to these last few years, i admitted that the Patriots's run was highly impressive but personally didn't feel that it warranted the coveted "Dynasty" term. There was that ten year stretch with only two SB losses to the Giants. But since then, they've added three more Lombardi trophies and an extra AFC championship as well. Going 6-3 in the Super Bowl over an 18 year stretch is damned impressive. They're 20-10 in postseason games over that stretch, won at least one postseason game in 14 of those years, and made the postseason 16 of those 18 years. They're 9-4 in AFC titles games in that stretch, and 3 of those 4 losses were to Payton Manning. If they didn't already deserve the title before yesterday, i think it can safely be bestowed now. In my book at least, the Patriots are the 21st century's first full-fledged sports dynasty.

Meme of the weekend, courtesy I'm Not Right In The Head dot com.

When you pay $7,000 for a Maroon 5 concert and a punting contest

I understand what folks are saying about the "dullness" of the game. I did not, however, find it to be dull. It was a tight contest and exhibited defenses at their finest.

How the Patriots continue to field competitive teams that can win playoff football is truly a tribute to coaches, ownership, and the quality of the players they bring in (such as Trent Brown). They lost free agents, their 1st rd pick OL blew his knee out, Josh Gordon, a starting safety in-game, and still managed to hold the highest scoring NFC team to ZERO TD's.

Please, let's stop talking about how much better the NFC is.

On second thought, keep it coming, it plays to our advantage.

I don't think the NFC is better. Based on how LA played, I think the four semi-finalists could have beaten the Rams. From what I hear. I didn't watch the game because the match up was dull to begin with. Saints instead please.

Although I enjoyed last year's super bowl because of Philadelphia and the Foles story, I prefer games in the 20's---New England vs. Seattle for instance. Or as a guilty pleasure if a team I favor routs a team I don't---Seattle over Denver. Or way back to Washington vs Denver. I guess the trend suggests I don't like Denver. Nobody in N.E. Ohio does. But back to Philadelphia vs New England, although it was clearly an offense-dominated game, the offenses didn't score all the time, and the defenses resulted, for instance, in a denied Philadelphia scoring opportunity and in a New England attempt to march down the field and probably win the game.


Of the two teams in this Super Bowl, New England deserved to win because they actually managed a touchdown. If LA had scored also, and New England still won, for instance, 13-10, that might have improved the game from a general fan's perspective.


Next season: gotta do something about officiating. Human error and bias are givens; therefore, there should be an extra ability to challenge fouls called or non-fouls called. Maybe one specific opportunity per team per half---without the loss of a time out. There's a difference between a split-second judgment or a we're just going to overlook that foul and whether a receiver is out of bounce and has control of the ball.


Also, I recommend an automatic chance by the team that does not win the coin toss in OT to have a chance to score even after a touchdown. Or do what the colleges do but start at the 50. If someone scores a touchdown, then fine. But give the other team a chance. I have always felt the coin toss and done too abrupt a conclusion.

WartyOne,

I'm sorry it took me so long. Thanks for your patience.

Warthawg1 wrote:

Payton is a class 1 prick.

Probably the most unprofessional HC in the NFL.

Not only did he run down the field to give the choke sign to Devonta Freeman in reference to SB51 after Freeman had just scored to beat the Saints, he also mocked the Minnesota fans by going over to the stands and doing their SKOL cheer in front of them when he thought the Saints had one... ya know moments before Diggs drove a dagger into their heart in the 2017 playoffs. In addition to that (and everything else already mentioned), there was this prick episode with him and Dirk Koetter:

 

It used to just be a divisional rivalry, but it's much more than that now...



Are you from New Orleans? Been a fan for 40 years? It doesn't seem that way or maybe there would be a deeper understanding of the animosity that has grown mainly since Sean Payton became coach. 
Did you just sort of jump on the bandwagon when they won a SB?

Warthawg1 wrote:

Just to show it's not just a divisional rivalry thing..

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-sports/karma-vikings-fans-erupt-in-joy-as-saints-lose-nfc-championship-game-in-overtime-to-rams

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-sports/vikings-fans-are-really-expletive-making-saints-fans-mad?fbclid=IwAR3WDEOoX7f4nJe97JXIQDFOs95EC1l-VVue90N8FRxAYAQ1Q0_oJGzcEhg

I'm not from New Orleans nor have i ever lived anywhere near there.

It actually has been about 40 years now since i started rooting for the Saints. Some of my earliest football memories are of the 79-80 Steelers, a couple of well-spaced Raiders SuperBowl Wins, and Archie F*cking Manning, who played for the worst franchise but nevertheless played his shit into his britches and was a superhero among clay shitbirds to me.

In all those years, i have never reached out to another Saints fans except for the lead singer of China White, who was a close personal friend and who also was never close with any other Saints fan. RIP

It would be difficult for me give less of a shit what any other Saints fan thinks of the most recent NFC Championship game. Trying to imagine giving a puff of gas for what Vikings fans think is only almost beyond the pale. There is, however, only a smidge of playoff history there, and they can all lick the hairiest part of my anal crevice.

But Falcons fans... you already know. Bless your hearts. :)