# March to Super Bowl XXXX!! (Predictions and Trash Talk Galore!) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 3, 2006, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185 "2006-01-03T04:37:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/221 "2006-01-22T19:31:05Z")
Steelers to win; Seahawks to win and cover. Nothing else to add; just wanted to get my picks in before kickoff. ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/222 "2006-01-22T20:43:23Z")
Realized I hadn’t made a pick on the NFC game, so I’ll take **Carolina** - albeit in the interest of having a halfway decent Super Bowl more than any actual feeling about this particular game. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/223 "2006-01-22T23:24:39Z")
I believe we can put the Roethlisberger-Plummer debate to bed. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/224 "2006-01-22T23:28:28Z")
Agh. I suppose so. I’m as happy for the Bus as the next guy, and I should’ve known that Plummer hadn’t really changed that much. But 1-6? Watch me lose this next one, after Carolina beating my picks twice in a row. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/225 "2006-01-22T23:33:28Z")
It’s okay, **Omniscient**. As you watch more football over the years and come to understand it a bit better, you’ll be able to provide more insightful analyses. Mike Anderson: 9 carries, 36 yards. Tatum Bell: 5 carries, 31 yards. Jake Plummer: 18/30, 223 yards, 1 TD, 2 picks. Steelers D: 3 sacks, 2 QB fumbles recovered. ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/226 "2006-01-23T00:33:04Z")
> [@lonesome loser](#): > > It don’t matter people! > > **The Road Warriors** will prevail. … One quarter in and it’s looking like it’s the end of the road. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/227 "2006-01-23T00:36:49Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > It’s okay, **Omniscient**. As you watch more football over the years and come to understand it a bit better, you’ll be able to provide more insightful analyses. > > Mike Anderson: 9 carries, 36 yards. Tatum Bell: 5 carries, 31 yards. > > Jake Plummer: 18/30, 223 yards, 1 TD, 2 picks. > > Steelers D: 3 sacks, 2 QB fumbles recovered. So he picked against your team, there’s no need to be so abrasive. The pre-game show I watched had all three professional analysts picking Denver to win also… would you like their email addresses? I look forward to **Omni** ’s threads each week, and I’m not the only one. He’s not always right, but he’s out there every week putting in the time and effort to create the thread and break things down as he sees them. Some of us appreciate the effort and would appreciate it if you learned the distinction between trash talking and jerkdom. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/228 "2006-01-23T00:54:29Z")
> [@soulmurk](#): > > Some of us appreciate the effort and would appreciate it if you learned the distinction between trash talking and jerkdom. He was obviously joking, dude. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/229 "2006-01-23T01:03:22Z")
> [@soulmurk](#): > > So he picked against your team, there’s no need to be so abrasive. The pre-game show I watched had all three professional analysts picking Denver to win also… would you like their email addresses? Sure, they were pretty much wrong too. Although, not having watched, I don’t know if they broke it down into being wrong in almost every specific category also. > [@](#): > > […] Some of us appreciate the effort and would appreciate it if you learned the distinction between trash talking and jerkdom. If that was too abrasive for you, I would hate to see what you would do with real trash talking! Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/230 "2006-01-23T01:07:50Z")
> [@soulmurk](#): > > I look forward to **Omni** ’s threads each week, and I’m not the only one. He’s not always right, but he’s out there every week putting in the time and effort to create the thread and break things down as he sees them. Some of us appreciate the effort and would appreciate it if you learned the distinction between trash talking and jerkdom. He also accused people who disagreed with his assessment of the Bears game last week of not watching the game. Trash talking inevitably dips into jerk-dom on all sides (for example, I implied without meaning to that Hentor was a whining pussy), and jokes don’t always come across that way on a message board - everybody needs to have a thick skin in a thread like this. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/231 "2006-01-23T01:41:34Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > If that was too abrasive for you, I would hate to see what you would do with real trash talking! Yikes. I’m from Jersey, I’ve got as thick a skin as they come; I’m not offended in the least. But there’s a difference between condescension and trash talking. “Jake Plummer is aptly named because he stunk it up like a septic tank” is trash talking; “As you watch more football over the years and come to understand it a bit better, you’ll be able to provide more insightful analyses” is just a patronizing attack on someone whose opinion you disagree with. ---
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/232 "2006-01-23T01:59:28Z")
I know the games not over. But I like my crow warm with gravy. Congrats to Seattle. ---
**Author:** ![Agnostic\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Agnostic\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agnostic_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/233 "2006-01-23T03:21:23Z")
> [@lonesome loser](#): > > It don’t matter people! > > **The Road Warriors** will prevail. > > Denver, Pittsburg, Seattle…It don’t matter. > > Why debate who finishes second? > \*\* > No one remembers who finishes second.\*\* Oh, man, who did the Seahawks play tonight… its on the tip of my tongue. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/234 "2006-01-23T03:33:51Z")
Well, that made my two weeks. **WE’RE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!** ---
**Author:** ![Agnostic\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Agnostic\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agnostic_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/235 "2006-01-23T03:35:16Z")
> [@lonesome loser](#): > > I know the games not over. But I like my crow warm with gravy. > > Congrats to Seattle. I missed this in preview. Thank you from this Hawks fan at least… That says alot coming from you. I feel bad you had to live up to your name. Agnostic Pagan So does it taste like chicken? ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/236 "2006-01-23T18:45:10Z")
> [@Ellis Dee](#): > > To break it down into per-game efficiency, Plummer threw 38.25% more passes per game, which resulted in only 14.67% more yards per game, 13.97% fewer touchdowns per game, and 36.8% fewer interceptions per game. > > Throwing far more passes resulting in a little bit more yardage and actually fewer touchdowns is better? You have a point with the interceptions, but you’re defending your assessment based on yardage and touchdowns, which are two points that don’t seem to support you. First off, _I never said that one was better than the other_, just that total yards cannot be dismissed out of hand. While true that passing TDs are important, but they don’t wholly illustrate a QBs effect on scoring. A QB who generates more yards per game creates more opportuites for FGs and rushing TDs. Neither of which is reflected in any of the standard QB ratings and passing stats. It’s one of big reasons why QBs, more so than any other position, need to be evaluated beyond the stats. So as I see it, the argument that he had fewer passing TDs is mitaged by the fact that his team had a higher scoring average. As for whether 27 yards is a significant difference or not…lets throw some career per game numbers out there for a pair of QBs: Montana: 211 yards per game Kosar: 185 yards per game I’d say it’s a notable disparity. As always it’s just one stat, but 27 yards is not a negligable amount. You keep doing comparisons based on additional pass attmepts but I’m not convinced that additional pass attempts to achieve the same goal is a bad thing. I know you hate the west coast offense, but it’s founded on the premise that many short passes are as good a fewer long ones. That premise has worked on many occasions (to varying degrees of success) and it blurs the line between runs and passes. Those shorter pass attempts are a key reason why a QB would have fewer INTs. As the Championship games showed this week, INTs might be an even bigger factor than TD passes. Being more cautious with the ball and as a result decreasing your yards per attempt averages by design is not necessarily a less effective strategy. A QB throwing more passes to get the same yards isn’t a strike against him so long as completion percentage and INT rate don’t get worse. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/237 "2006-01-23T19:22:02Z")
So it’s frustrating as hell to see what happened to the Carolina offense when you actually game-plan to stop Steve Smith. Was that really that much of a leap? Apparently Ray Rhodes is a savant since no one on the Bears were smart enough to figure this crap out. The way the Seahawks played we’ve have probably gotten handled too, but damn it would have been nice to play that game. > [@Omniscient](#): > > I think it’s time to give up the prejudice against Plummer. All season long he’s handled tough defenses and all kinds of expectations and hasn’t folded once. :smack: Pittsburgh capitalized on every Denver mistake and Denver missed all it’s opportunities. It’s that simple. I wonder how different the game would have been if Champ Bailey gets that INT or if Parker’s fumble isn’t overturned. It’s going to be an interesting Super Bowl, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/238 "2006-01-23T19:42:58Z")
The only game plan I saw to stop Steve Smith came from Coach Fox. And it was a good one. Never give Smith the ball, and Smith is stopped. That punt return for touchdown was apparently an oversight by the staff. I’m sure they meant to bench Smith. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/239 "2006-01-23T20:01:52Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > One example that emphasizes my point. > > Jerry Rice: Yards Per Catch: 14.8 Yards Per Game: 75.5 > Steve Largent: Yards Per Catch: 16.0 Yards Per Game: 65.5 > > By your rationale Steve Largent is the better WR. My point… Largent is the better receiver. He put up those numbers being slower, shorter, with small hands, and very little supporting quality in the rest of the Seattle offense. He frequently over the years was the _sole_ offensive threat under perpetual double and triple teaming, and still could produce. He made his QBs look good, instead of being made to look good by QBs like Rice. Rice had the support of the greatest QB in history, and supporting WBs and RBs that made sure that the 49ers were never a single-threat offense. He deserves props for his phenomenal longevity and effectiveness, but I think his was a “standing on the shoulders of giants” type of success. …and Jim Zorn is the greatest QB ever 😃 (raving Seahawk fan) ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185/240 "2006-01-23T20:07:36Z")
Quote from [this ESPN article:](http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=gallo/060123) > [@DJ Gallo](#): > > 1. I’m wondering whether Bears head coach Lovie Smith called his defensive coordinator, Ron Rivera, at any point during yesterday’s Seahawks-Panthers game. > > “Hey, Ron. It’s Lovie. You watching this?” > > “Yep. It’s really interesting.” > > “I know. Looks like the Seahawks decided to put their best cornerback on Steve Smith instead of their worst one like we did. Strange approach, but it seems to be working.” > > “Yeah, I noticed. Weird. And not only that, but sometimes they’re using double or even triple coverage on him. I don’t know how they ever conceived of such a wild concept as that, but hats off to them. I guess sometimes even the craziest ideas end up panning out.” > > “Too bad we didn’t think of that, huh?” > > “Yeah, too bad.” > > “Well, I guess I’ll get going. Talk to you later.” > > “OK. I love you, Lovie.” > > “Uh … OK, Ron. I really have to go now. Bye.” **Liberal** , I gotta disagree. The Seahwaks just covered him really well. You saw what happned when they tried to run the WR screen pass. Totally blown up, while the Bears got gouged on it time and time again. There’s numerous highlights of Smith’s catches and in every one he had 3 or more Seahawks all around him. They left Carter and the rest of Panthers in single coverage and those guys simply weren’t good enough to beat them. Carter had a couple nice long plays but that was it. The lack of a running game certainly made it easier for the Seahawks to overwhelmingly key on Smith, but that gameplan was in place all game. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-to-super-bowl-xxxx-predictions-and-trash-talk-galore/338185.md?page=13)