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Atamasama · 02-04-2019, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitetho

In yesterday's game, did the Patriots miss the first field goal attempt because their team property staff accidently provided one of their deflated footballs instead of a regular one?

*rimshot*

I think it’s because Nantz jinxed the kick.
https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/02/03/to...eld-goal-video

I prefer to take that superstition as fact.

Chronos · 02-04-2019, 02:40 PM

The only good play I saw was the one where the Patriot player (I don't know who he was) stopped what would have been the Rams' touchdown. For the rest of it, though, it looked a lot more like bad offense than good defense. Good defense doesn't account, for instance, for quarterbacks throwing the ball to nowhere when the nearest defender is still ten feet away.

ElvisL1ves · 02-04-2019, 02:45 PM

That was Stephon Gilmore, if you're referring to his interception with 4 minutes left. Goff was pressured by the pass rush and floated the ball right to him, not to Cooks.

Telemark · 02-04-2019, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chronos

Good defense doesn't account, for instance, for quarterbacks throwing the ball to nowhere when the nearest defender is still ten feet away.

It does when the defense is up in the QB's face forcing him to throw before he's ready or making him unable to set his feet. The defenses on both sides were playing excellent today, and not giving the offense the time or open receivers to even attempt many throws. Neither QB was particularly sharp, Brady less sharp than normal for sure, but it was mainly because the defenses were playing so well.

McCourtey's breakup in the endzone was a great play, but most of the time the Pat's defense was playing so well that Goff didn't have anyone open enough or didn't have enough time to even attempt that pass.

nightshadea · 02-04-2019, 02:54 PM

its being considered the worst ever..https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl...ayF?li=BBnba9I

ElvisL1ves · 02-04-2019, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightshadea

its being considered the worst ever.

By people who equate high scoring with high quality.

That other play was by Jason McCourty, who had a great game all around, not his twin brother Devin. Before Jason signed with the Pats in the offseason, he had never before been to the playoffs, while Devin had never missed them.

Chronos · 03:05 PM

But the ones I'm thinking of, there weren't any defenders "up in the quarterback's face".

EDIT: Oh, and the good defensive play I was referring to was the one where a Ram was near the back of the endzone when a perfect pass came in to him, and then a Patriot defender came out of nowhere and knocked him out the back of the zone before he could get control. It sounds like that was the McCourty one.

Atamasama · 02-04-2019, 03:35 PM

I agree that the defense wasn’t great. I know offense/defense is kind of a glass half full/empty scenario (a bad offense can make a mediocre defense look good and vice versa) but I saw some pretty sloppy play from both offenses (most especially the Rams), yet not that many turnovers and sacks overall. So I’m definitely inclined to say it was awful offense vs an okay defensive effort on both sides.

Rysto · 02-04-2019, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chronos

EDIT: Oh, and the good defensive play I was referring to was the one where a Ram was near the back of the endzone when a perfect pass came in to him, and then a Patriot defender came out of nowhere and knocked him out the back of the zone before he could get control. It sounds like that was the McCourty one.

That was a very good play by McCourty, but wasn't it also a big mistake by Goff? It seems to me that a player that wide open shouldn't have to wait so long for the ball to arrive. Was Goff slow to recognize this and get the throw off?

robby · 02-04-2019, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightshadea

its being considered the worst ever..https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl...ayF?li=BBnba9I

Those bleating that this was "The Worst Super Bowl Ever" are either out of their minds or are simply blinded by some combination of hate and envy of the New England Patriots. (Or more charitably, maybe they just don't recognize good defensive play when they see it.)

Have people forgotten the years of Super Blow blowouts, when the game was essentially over by the end of the first half? How about the NFC winning streak in which the NFC won 16 out of 20 Super Bowls in the '80s and '90s, including 13 straight from Super Bowl XIX to Super Bowl XXXI?

At least Super Bowl LIII was competitive, like all of the Super Bowls that the Pats have won -- tied until halfway through the fourth quarter, and still a one-score game until the Pats field goal with 1:12 to play.

Granted, it certainly wasn't an offensive shootout, but both defenses played amazingly well...until the Patriots finally figured out a way to fool the Rams defense, and ran the same play three times in a row to move the ball down the field for the game's only TD.

Here's a good take on the game: You just witnessed the greatest defensive performance in Super Bowl history: Here's how the Patriots did it.

As the article states, the Rams scored an average of 32.9 points per game through the regular season, and Patriots allowed just 3 points last night! An offense that made it to the red zone a league-high 80 times during the regular season failed to make it inside the Patriots' 20-yard line even once Sunday. It was truly an amazing performance by the Pats defense, and an argument could certainly be made that a defensive player was actually more deserving of the MVP award.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightshadea

I think a lot of the patriots mystique faded after that game …….

Yes, that often happens when a team wins their sixth Super Bowl in 18 years.

The thing to keep in mind is that the Patriot's goal is always the same: win the game. They're not interested in impressive stats or any other secondary considerations.

For example, I was struck by what Stephon Gilmore did when he intercepted Goff's pass late in the game at the goal line. A more inexperienced or more poorly coached player might have risked trying to run the ball back after the pick (possibly risking a subsequent fumble). Instead, Gilmore secured the ball and fell on it...essentially sealing the game for the Patriots. Like all of the Patriots players, he did his job.

Slow Moving Vehicle · 02-04-2019, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telemark

It does when the defense is up in the QB's face forcing him to throw before he's ready or making him unable to set his feet. The defenses on both sides were playing excellent today, and not giving the offense the time or open receivers to even attempt many throws. Neither QB was particularly sharp, Brady less sharp than normal for sure, but it was mainly because the defenses were playing so well.

McCourtey's breakup in the endzone was a great play, but most of the time the Pat's defense was playing so well that Goff didn't have anyone open enough or didn't have enough time to even attempt that pass.

The one thing I can fault the Ram's defense for is taking so long to double team Edelman. In the first quarter, he was the only spark firing on the Pats' offense. Shut that bearded fool down, guys!

(Okay, I'm not knowledgeable enough to really judge; maybe LA was using good schemes on him, and he's just so good he can bust coverages. But it seemed the Rams were too often allowing him a 5-8 yard cushion, and he was running in open space.)

jaycat · 02-04-2019, 05:44 PM

ISTM that the 1975 Super Bowl was the boringest ever. Steelers 16, Vikings 6. It probably didn't help that I didn't have a TV and had to listen on the radio.

BTW, a blowout doesn't necessarily equal boring. Doug Williams throwing 4 touchdown passes in one quarter wasn't boring.

robby · 02-04-2019, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaycat

...BTW, a blowout doesn't necessarily equal boring. Doug Williams throwing 4 touchdown passes in one quarter wasn't boring.

Blowouts aren't boring so long as you are rooting for the team conducting the blowout.

For example, my favorite Patriots game of all time was probably their 59-0 win over the Tennessee Titans back in 2009. It wasn't exactly a competitive game though, and with the score at 45-0 at halftime, there was little doubt who was going to win. A Titan fan would likely have turned off the game by then (unless they are a masochist), and anyone interested in watching a competitive game would likely have switched the channel as well.

The audience for the Super Bowl necessarily includes the fans of 30 teams who are NOT playing in the big game. Unless they really like (or dislike) one of the remaining teams, what makes the game interesting is not knowing who's going to win. Watching one team blow the other one out negates that.

Atamasama · 02-04-2019, 06:16 PM

My favorite SB was XLVIII when the Seahawks as underdogs beat the Broncos 43-8, but I’m a Hawks fan. If I wasn’t I’d probably hate the game. Seattle got a lead 12 seconds into the game (a safety on the first offensive snap of the game) and maintained that lead for the other 59 minutes and 48 seconds (they only gave up points when the game was a foregone conclusion). That would definitely be undesirable for anyone who wasn’t a Hawks fan or Denver hater.

jaycat · 02-04-2019, 06:30 PM

I disagree. If I watch a baseball game between two teams I don't care about, and one of them hits three grand slams, steals 5 bases, and their pitcher throws a one-hitter, I would call that exciting. That's just being a fan of the game. Maybe football is different?

Atamasama · 02-04-2019, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaycat

I disagree. If I watch a baseball game between two teams I don't care about, and one of them hits three grand slams, steals 5 bases, and their pitcher throws a one-hitter, I would call that exciting. That's just being a fan of the game. Maybe football is different?

I don’t think it’s a matter of the sports being different, I think it’s a philosophical difference, or even just a matter of different tastes.

Maserschmidt · 02-04-2019, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaycat

ISTM that the 1975 Super Bowl was the boringest ever. Steelers 16, Vikings 6. It probably didn't help that I didn't have a TV and had to listen on the radio.

BTW, a blowout doesn't necessarily equal boring. Doug Williams throwing 4 touchdown passes in one quarter wasn't boring.

And Timmy Smith running for a fifth touchdown! That was the best quarter of Super Bowl football ever.

DSYoungEsq · 02-05-2019, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElvisL1ves

That was Stephon Gilmore, if you're referring to his interception with 4 minutes left. Goff was pressured by the pass rush and floated the ball right to him, not to Cooks.

No, he's talking about the play where Jason McCourty broke up the late post-pattern pass by Goff to Cooks.

DSYoungEsq · 02-05-2019, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaycat

ISTM that the 1975 Super Bowl was the boringest ever. Steelers 16, Vikings 6. It probably didn't help that I didn't have a TV and had to listen on the radio.

BTW, a blowout doesn't necessarily equal boring. Doug Williams throwing 4 touchdown passes in one quarter wasn't boring.

I actually think that the Dolphins' "perfect" Super Bowl win was as boring as it got. No real indication that anyone other than the Dolphins would win, Garo Ypremian's attempt at athleticism aside.

asahi · 08:05 AM

I can't see how anyone would say the game itself was the 'worst' SB ever, but I can see how people regard this SB as one of the least interesting SB's ever in terms of the entire event, as we've come to know it.

The match-up itself didn't really generate interest because a) the Patriots are there almost every year, and after nearly a decade of being in the NFL final four, even great teams get 'old' in the eyes of viewers; and b) it didn't generate interest because the Rams don't have a real fan base. That's what happens when you move a city away from a very large city that doesn't care about sports to one that does but is too small, and then back to the same very large city that doesn't care about sports.

In addition that, the Super Bowl halftime is crap - like every year. And the "try hard" commercials aren't that funny and they're not even memorable anymore. The Super Bowl is becoming too cliche.

But the game itself was actually quite interesting if you can appreciate football.

Dinsdale · 02-05-2019, 08:44 AM

Yeah - I'm not a football fan myself, but if I were, I would say that was an interesting game. Even tho NE seemed to be dominating in terms of offense, the Rams' defense kept it close enough that any single play coulda made the difference. Was disappointing that the Rams' offense never did anything more - yeah, NE's defense was tough, but it seemed like there were openings that were not exploited.

Definitely a better SB than some of the blowouts I vaguely remember - but again, like I said, I'm not a fan. When I WAS a fan, I was a young Vikings fan. Now THOSE were some unenjoyable SBs!

ElvisL1ves · 02-05-2019, 11:29 AM

A very interesting breakdown here about the Patriots' defensive game plan, focused on rattling Goff with rush pressure from people he didn't expect to rush, and zone coverages he didn't expect to see.

muldoonthief · 02-05-2019, 11:50 AM

Pointless hijack - my oldest daughter is currently at the parade, and just caught a T-shirt thrown by Julian Edelman.

Telemark · 02-05-2019, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muldoonthief

Pointless hijack - my oldest daughter is currently at the parade, and just caught a T-shirt thrown by Julian Edelman.

I went to the first parade, back in 2002. It's been a good 17 years.

Maserschmidt · 02-05-2019, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telemark

I went to the first parade, back in 2002. It's been a good 17 years.

I went to several, but now I just avoid the city on parade days. Chaos.

DSYoungEsq · 02-05-2019, 01:12 PM

The game was not interesting in the least. It was filled with sloppy playing, which is why the score was so low. It was interesting only in that the tactics were a bit fun to see at first, to figure out what each team was going to do to disrupt the other team's offense. But unless you had a rooting interest in the game, nothing exciting was happening, with only one or two exceptions (the missed post pattern by the Rams for example). And when the game finally turned into something potentially interesting (after the Patriot TD), the Rams never managed to make it interesting again; inevitablilty reigned.

Railer13 · 02-05-2019, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElvisL1ves

A very interesting breakdown here about the Patriots' defensive game plan, focused on rattling Goff with rush pressure from people he didn't expect to rush, and zone coverages he didn't expect to see.

Thanks for the link. Interesting that the Pats played zone for the first time all year, albeit with new wrinkles in blitzing and coverage. Also interesting in the fact that the Rams didn't ever really adjust to the Pats defense.

The article also gives kudos to Wade Phillips, whose own adjustments held the Pats to only 13 points. That should have been enough to win the game.

ElvisL1ves · 02-05-2019, 02:15 PM

Incredible that there was only one play inside the red zone for either team in the entire game (Michel's TD after Gronk's catch at the 2).

Freddy the Pig · 02-05-2019, 05:13 PM

I thought that the game was gripping. I love defensive battles. Those 51-48 shootouts where every receiver is wide open, and you know that whoever has the ball last is going to win, bore the hell out of me.

Chronos · 02-05-2019, 05:42 PM

I don't know enough about Superbowl history to say that this game was the worst of all time. I will say, though, that it was the worst one I've seen.

At least the officiating was fairly clean.

Velocity · 02-05-2019, 05:47 PM

Patriots are the first NFL dynasty to span two decades.

1960s = Packers
1970s = Steelers
1980s = Niners
1990s = Cowboys
2000s = Patriots
2010s = Patriots

robby · 02-05-2019, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chronos

I don't know enough about Superbowl history to say that this game was the worst of all time. I will say, though, that it was the worst one I've seen.

At least the officiating was fairly clean.

To each their own. I spent the game on the edge of my seat watching two of the best defenses I've ever seen, and plays like Jason McCourty sprinting halfway across the field to break up a >40-yard wide-open bomb to Brandin Cooks, one that should have been the go-ahead touchdown pass for the Rams after a blown coverage.

Atamasama · 02-05-2019, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chronos

At least the officiating was fairly clean.

Few controversies (I only recall one “hitting a defenseless player” penalty being questioned) and few penalties at all (especially by New England). It certainly had that going for it.

I can’t say it was too boring because I pretty much watched the whole thing despite having no emotional investment in the result (aside from enjoying the loss of either team). But I can’t say it was thrilling either.

Contrast that with last year’s game which I’d planned to completely avoid, started watching anyway, and got sucked into enjoying as I became a Nick Foles fan for a couple of hours.

Telemark · 02-05-2019, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robby

To each their own. I spent the game on the edge of my seat watching two of the best defenses I've ever seen, and plays like Jason McCourty sprinting halfway across the field to break up a >40-yard wide-open bomb to Brandin Cooks, one that should have been the go-ahead touchdown pass for the Rams after a blown coverage.

Granted, I'm a Pats fan, but I felt that was a very entertaining game as well. But then again, I like a pitcher's duel.

Bullitt · 02-05-2019, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telemark

Granted, I'm a Pats fan, but I felt that was a very entertaining game as well. But then again, I like a pitcher's duel.

I think if one is a fan of either the Pats, or the Rams, then they likely think it was a nervous nail-biter of a game. I initially thought it was a game of two great defensive game plans that shut down two top-5 offenses. Brady at times was off, accuracy wise, and he looked old. Goff looked off, plain and simple. And Todd Gurley was mostly a non-entity besides a couple of decent runs. On local sports talk radio, former 49er tight end Brent Jones was wondering if there might be psychological / mental issues with him.

I’m actually thinking of watching it again this weekend, to see if it really was two great defensive performances, or if it really just was a Stupor Bowl. Because I got nothing else going, this weekend.

Hamlet · 02-05-2019, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muldoonthief

Pointless hijack - my oldest daughter is currently at the parade, and just caught a T-shirt thrown by Julian Edelman.

Make sure she throws it in the laundry before wearing it. I'd hate for her to lose hair and get acne from any PED's on it.

Atamasama · 02-05-2019, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullitt

And Todd Gurley was mostly a non-entity besides a couple of decent runs. On local sports talk radio, former 49er tight end Brent Jones was wondering if there might be psychological / mental issues with him.

It wouldn’t be unprecedented. The Seahawks signed undrafted rookie Thomas Rawls in 2015 as a backup for Marshawn Lynch. When Lynch got hurt that year, Rawls was thrust into the role of a starter and was incredible, racking up massive yards and risked eclipsing the man he replaced, with his best game against the Bengals getting 169 yards (including a 69 yard TD). He seemed like the answer to the question Seattle fans had been asking for a while, which was what to do after Marshawn inevitably left someday. He had talent and a crazy drive that had him seeking out defenders to run over, and it worked.

Then he broke his leg, cutting his rookie season short. He completely physically recovered but was never the same, playing with hesitation and without discipline, and he was finally let go in 2017. He has bounced around between a few teams since, never staying long, and I don’t like his chances of ever being a starter again in the NFL.

It seems like being a successful running back has a lot to do with what’s between the ears, and you need confidence and patience (waiting for holes to open and/or for blockers to get in place) and all your physical skills are useless if you can’t employ them properly. That role is physically and mentally demanding, and just having one won’t make up for lacking the other.

LoneRhino · 02-06-2019, 12:05 AM

I'm glad to see that other people besides me enjoyed the game. I love defensive struggles and pitcher's duels. Low scoring games make each score more important and adds tension to the game.

Bullitt · 02-06-2019, 02:30 AM

It was tense and tight. Any score, any mistake, a pick six — changes everything.

Pixel_Dent · 02-06-2019, 10:42 AM

Definitely one of those games where it was a lot of fun to simply ignore where the ball was and watch the line play. All the stunting and adjustments going on back and forth were really interesting.

I really wish that the NFL made the all-22 films of games available somewhere. I think they added them to their streaming package for one year and then took them away again the next year. So much more interesting than just watching a closeup of the QB every play.

asahi · 02-06-2019, 04:08 PM

Some blowouts can be a little interesting, particularly if it's a game that starts out even but then turns into a blowout in the 4th quarter.

I think what qualifies as 'boring' or 'worst' as applied to a SB is a rematch of an earlier blowout, which becomes another blowout - like the 49ers destroying the Chargers in SB 29. Everyone knew what was going to happen because the two teams had played earlier in the year and the 49ers cruised.

ShadowFacts · 02-06-2019, 04:20 PM

I was out of the country and could not watch the game, but I watched the highlights. I wonder if people are considering it boring because of the lack of "big plays." Big plays tend to favor the offense, but there can be some pretty exciting big plays on defense and special teams. But despite the high level of defensive play, there weren't that many superb highlight reel defensive plays. The McCourty break-up was probably the biggest. Even Brady's interception was not much of a deal, coming so early and leading to nothing.

Bullitt · 02-06-2019, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asahi

Some blowouts can be a little interesting, particularly if it's a game that starts out even but then turns into a blowout in the 4th quarter.

I think what qualifies as 'boring' or 'worst' as applied to a SB is a rematch of an earlier blowout, which becomes another blowout - like the 49ers destroying the Chargers in SB 29. Everyone knew what was going to happen because the two teams had played earlier in the year and the 49ers cruised.

Fair enough, but as a 49er fan I loved Super Bowl XXIX and I enjoyed seeing the ass-whupping they laid on the Chargers, and seeing Steve Young (and others like Gary Plummer) get his championship.

asahi · 02-06-2019, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Fair enough, but as a 49er fan I loved Super Bowl XXIX and I enjoyed seeing the ass-whupping they laid on the Chargers, and seeing Steve Young (and others like Gary Plummer) get his championship.

The real Super Bowl was played against Dallas 2 weeks earlier.

Hamlet · 02-07-2019, 08:09 AM

As an aside, the AAF has its inaugural games this weekend.

If you were wondering whatever happened to guys like Trent Richardson, Denard Robinson, Scott Tolzein, Christian Hackenburg, Bishop Sankey, and Trevor Knight, now you know. Hell, they even have Mike Vick (as an offensive coordinator), Mike Martz (as a coach), and Steve Spurrier (who I think is actually a mummy now). Plus they have 3 female assistant coaches and some interesting rules differences (no kickoffs, but you can try a 4th and 10 to keep possession like an onside kick).

If family game night gets cancelled, I may just check out a game this weekend. Or at least the highlights. Who knows who the next Kurt Warner may be.

Atamasama · 09:03 AM

Their PR guy is Troy Polamalu.

ElvisL1ves · 02-07-2019, 10:07 AM

"Orlando is the biggest market in the US without an NFL team. They're gonna love us there!"

- Every startup football league ever, including this one.

Borborygmi · 02-07-2019, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hamlet

As an aside, the AAF has its inaugural games this weekend. [snip]

Plus they have 3 female assistant coaches and some interesting rules differences (no kickoffs, but you can try a 4th and 10 to keep possession like an onside kick).

I had forgotten about the AAF until this post, which prompted me to look at the AAF Wikipedia article. It looks like that 4th and 10 was the original proposal but was revised to be like a 4th and 12.

Wiki also lists CBS and the NFL Network as television partners. So it strikes me as odd that there was no promotion at all for the AAF during the Super Bowl broadcast. At least, none that I remember.

That Don Guy · 02-07-2019, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borborygmi

Wiki also lists CBS and the NFL Network as television partners. So it strikes me as odd that there was no promotion at all for the AAF during the Super Bowl broadcast. At least, none that I remember.

I thought there was - I remember seeing a TV ad for it, and I'm pretty sure it was during the Super Bowl - but it was probably during the postgame show. There was no mention by Nantz or Romo, and they certainly wouldn't waste a "non-plug" commercial spot on it.