Pats-Broncos Playoff Game

[RDF]

A few quick thoughts on this game

1. Talk of the definition of "losing the game" and not forcing your opponent to beat you--Patriots GAVE this game away and everything is set up for Dungy and Manning to get to Detroit and win the Super Bowl now. So expect weeks of hearing about the dead kid and Manning bullcrap.

2. I'd have given New England the ball on the Champ Bailey return simply for the effort that Ben Watson gave and for Champ Bailey letting up and having ball in wrong hand to allow the strip to even be reviewable. If it's in his outside hand, he fumbles out of bounds but he should've scored easily anyway and it was great show of effort by Watson and wish it was rewarded.

3. Shanahan is an evil leperchaun.

4. Indy beats Broncos by at least 3 TD's next weekend. I'm hoping for Pittsburgh to win but bet on Colts and expect to hear about Dungy and the dead kid for entire time frame of tomorrow to Super Bowl Sunday. It's a terrible tragedy whenever suicide occurs but somehow it's only happened to Tony Dungy from media's point of view. I don't blame Dungy at all as he's a classy man and handled this situation with respect and privacy, but media is sickening and will annoy the country with this crap.

5. How does Jeff Tripplett and his crew get a Playoff Assignment?? There is always chaos and lack of control in games he officiates. This was a bad sign for both teams tonight and shameful of NFL to award this crew any game in Playoffs--let alone a Conference Semifinal.

6. Corey Dillon is done-he needs to be cut and replaced by a better RB.

7. Great run by Pats and only thing that has to frustrate them is how it ended--when you beat yourself with careless mistakes and the opposing team didn't do a thing on offense if it wasn't for your mistakes, you feel worse then if you were dominated.

8. Still not impressed by anything that Jake Plummer does as a QB.

9. Nice game by old man John Lynch tonight--he played solid and really moved like a player 10 years his age tonight.

10. Rod Smith is one of the most underrated WR's I've seen. All he does is produce and help his team and he's been at it a long time. Tough guy and just a symbol what being a Professional is about.

All in all, pretty bad football being played so far in Playoffs. Terrible offense, sloppy play, turnovers, and not one team that makes you really want to watch outside of Colts and to me Seattle is the shakiest #1 seed I've seen in a while. You get impression they need other team to help them win a game and even then they'll keep you in the game.

If I didn't enjoy football, I'd not be watching but I can guarantee you that next weekend's likely Colts-Broncos meeting will NOT be watched. I don't need to see this slaughter again---Plummer playing like a HS JV QB and Broncos defense get ripped for 40+ isn't what I call "Must See TV" but enjoy if you are a Colts fan. I've got to root for Bears/Panthers winner now because I despise the Seattle Seahawks and Holmgren and Manning makes me want to puke.

Besides, what's a guy to do when he had his dreams of a Portis Press Conference at Super Bowl Media day crushed?? ;D

[SFHoya99]

Congrats to Indy.

I can't believe I am going to root for them (or even the Steelers) when they play the Broncos. Uggh. Shanahan and his entire coaching staff should've been kicked out of the league years ago. Dirtiest team EVER. They don't cheat to win; they cheat to injure.

[Joe Hoya]

First of all RDF, I don't care how you qualified/rationalized it, your remarks referring to "the dead kid" are incredibly classless.

As for #7...isn't that how it usually ends for great streaks and such? Even undefeated seasons frequently come crashing to the ground (Oklahoma football last year, UCLA this year, St. Joe's basketball getting destroyed by Xavier in the 2004 A-10 tournament, and the Eagles run of NFC East dominance this year all come to mind). To paraphrase Bill Simmons, this was a "No F------ Way" Game for the Patriots.

(For those who don't know, the "No F------ Way" Game occurs in video games, when the computer seemingly decides, "You know what, there is no effing way you are winning this game." We've all had them. That's all I thought about as Champ Bailey rumbled bumbled and stumbled down the sideline."

[RDF]

Hey, call me numb to stuff like this but I am a person who sees death as an EVERYDAY occurrance and just because it happens to a friggin public figure doesn't warrant it anymore remorse or respect. It happens, will happen, and probably happened as I typed this response. So forgive me for not crying about Dungy's loss---I lost a 13 year old cousin to Cancer earlier this year and she fought hard to live while Dungy's kid committed suicide, so forgive me for not feeling like that kid's loss is more important as the MEDIA (not Dungy Familiy) has made it seem.

Streaks don't always end that way at all--the games you described were butt kickings or cases of other teams stepping up--New England gave that game away last night. As I said above, this has been the worst Playoffs I can remember--TERRIBLE FOOTBALL being played by every team involved. I think yesterday's performance by the "MVP" was fitting of Playoffs this year--he looked awful, stunk in his brief time out there, gets a concussion and doesn't show any sign of returning to the game--then acts queer on the bench rest of the game, while remaining in uniform--why? If you are out for the game and injury occurs in 1st Quarter, take the pads off. I highly question Alexander's toughness after today but then again, I never have put him on the same level as those top RB's in league--he has a great OL in front of him and plays in the Worst Division in Football, so let's not get carried away with his season. Sums up the NFL this year and to this point the Playoffs. If Colts dont' WALK to a title, I'll be shocked.

[Deleted]

rdf said:

If Colts dont' WALK to a title, I'll be shocked.

Ain't lookin' good early. My fellow Rust Beltians are taking it to Peyton and the boys.

And I agree with the assessment so far. Washington and Seattle both looked like crap, the Pats looked horrible, and the Broncos didn't do anything special... they just capitalized when they needed to. Pretty average showing that usually gets you beat in the Divisional round.

But I wouldn't say the playoffs as a whole have been marred by poor performances. Yes, NE crushed Jacksonville and the Skins-Bucs game may have been the worst ever, but Carolina looked great in New Jersey... that was fantastic football to watch, and the Steelers-Bengals game kept me watching to the end.

Here's to the Colts-Steelers keeping me interested for the whole game, and the Bears-Panthers providing some entertainment!

[Deleted]

rdf said:

Hey, call me numb to stuff like this but I am a person who sees death as an EVERYDAY occurrance and just because it happens to a friggin public figure doesn't warrant it anymore remorse or respect. It happens, will happen, and probably happened as I typed this response. So forgive me for not crying about Dungy's loss---I lost a 13 year old cousin to Cancer earlier this year and she fought hard to live while Dungy's kid committed suicide, so forgive me for not feeling like that kid's loss is more important as the MEDIA (not Dungy Familiy) has made it seem.

My condolences for your loss, RDF, and I generally agree with you about the media's obsession with certain figures and events of this magnitude. The same annoying media tendencies were seen when we had that "Runaway Bride" and with the missing blonde, white girl in Aruba. Both of those things happen all the time, but for some reason the media MAKE it a story.

But while I do agree with you that people die every day and Dungy's son's death doesn't register for me as "special" or any more worthy of media coverage than anything else, it DID occur within the football-world to a guy the entire football-world respects and reveres.

So when the football and sports media pay it extra attention, I don't necessarily have a problem with it. Like you I don't care for it, I personally don't think its any of our business and think Dungy's story is better fit for an "Outside The Lines" on depression or grief in sports or something like that rather than continuous SportsCenter coverage, but it at least makes sense to me for them to pay some attention to it.

Besides, we're decades past complaining about the media paying attention to stories that don't necessarily have anything to do with the games at hand.

[DanMcQ]

Pats dominated the statistical categories yet gave the game away with their turnovers. Plummer was a non-factor: if you can't score on drives of 5 and 7 yards you have no business being in the NFL. Broncos defense had a lot to do with Brady's inaccuracy, but his throw to Champ Bailey was the turning point where the game was lost.

On a brighter note, I could not be happier to see vandejaght push one WIDE RIGHT when the money was on the line. There is no bigger loudmouth jerk in football than that guy.

[EasyEd]

It's hard to believe how classless some of the posts on this board are.

[Cambridge]

Anyways, Ben Watson made my night. That play somehow summed up my whole evening: resignation that the run was over but happy that the team just never gives up. Watson litterally came from about as far as anyone could (he was lined up on the opposite side of the field from the play) and ran the length and the width of the field to make that tackle. It didn't mean anything in the end...as Denver was able to score on the next play...but it sure put a smile on my face and had me rewinding the TiVo over and over and over. Made my night.