# NFL Wild-Card Weekend **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 6, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-wild-card-weekend/523904 "2010-01-06T15:15:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-wild-card-weekend/523904/261 "2010-01-11T16:24:11Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > The same could definitely not be said about the 86 Broncos, whose defense absolutely came to play against the Giants. Didn’t much matter, though, as Phil Simms was a man among boys that day. > > Warner had more numbers, though not particularly better. When given two virtually identical passer ratings, though, more **is** better. > > 22-25 for 268 yards, 3 TDs 0 Ints > > But you can’t say the Broncos didn’t show up for Simms. Their defense was infinitely better than the Pack was yesterday. Speaking as a Giants fan, who was ecstatic that day… The Broncos were very good in the first half, and their defense gave the Giants everything they could handle. It was in the second half that things fell apart for the Broncos. In their prime, there was absolutely nobody better than Parcells and Belichick at making halftime adjustments. They’d done it in their big Monday night game against the 49ers earlier that year, and they did it in the Super Bowl. I really believe the biggest advantage the Giants had over the Broncos was Parcells’ and Belichick’s ability to adapt on the fly. Dan Reeves, an excellent coach in his own right, was never very good at that. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-wild-card-weekend/523904/262 "2010-01-11T16:28:14Z")
Yes, exactly. **Omni** claimed that all great QB performances are by definition against shitty defensive showings. The Broncos were not a shitty defense that day. (Way, way, way better than the Packers were yesterday. It seemed like half of Warner’s completions were to guys so wide open that no Packer was even in the frame, at least on my low-def feed.) You’re right about making great adjustments, but I don’t think that’s the whole story. I’m not sure how much I would credit that second half to halftime adjustments and how much I would credit the fact that the Broncos defense was just beaten down in the first half. Almost certainly a combination of the two, and the exact ratio doesn’t much matter. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-wild-card-weekend/523904/263 "2010-01-11T16:38:10Z")
It was obvious that the Cardinals discovered a fatal flaw in the Packers coverage schmes (or lack thereof). Everything seemed to be betweentht enumbers, a majority of crossing routes. The announcers said the Cardinals picked up on something and it showed. The Cards did not actually get any deep throws, that I recall, but they got a helluva a lot of 10 yarders that turned into 20 yarders with the YAC. Plus the Packers got zero pressure which is also gonna get you killed against Kurt Warner. The former, the scheme problem, with hopefully a helthy Packers seconday, can be fixed, the lack of pressure might be a bigger problem. And I completely understand Dio’s smack talking schtick. Especially when it comes to Aaron Rodgers. One other thing, Greg Jennings had two of the most amazing catches yesterday. Too bad it they will probably be forgotten. ---
**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 11, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-wild-card-weekend/523904/264 "2010-01-11T23:10:51Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > How about the halftime score of both games: > > 10 Broncos > 9 Giants (1 TD, 1 Safety) > > 24 Cardinals (3 TDs, 1 FG) > 10 Packers You’re missing a couple key details. Super Bowl XXI, zero turnovers for the Broncos in the first half (safety excepted), NY average starting position 22 yard line, and Denver’s 15:05 TOP. The Packers offense had 2 turnovers, AZ average starting position was the 49 yard line and Packer TOP 12:04. The Denver defense got quite a bit of help from a reliable offense, the Packers defense was basically strung up by it’s balls by the offense and special teams. > [@VarlosZ](#): > > Warner may have done it against a tougher defense, but he did it in a much easier environment. This year the average completion percentage across the league was 60.9%, and passer rating was 81.2. In 1986, those numbers were 55.4% and 71.5. It was a lot harder to complete 88% of your passes in 1986 then it is in 2010. The league numbers aren’t really relevant. The Packers defense’s stats were much better than the Broncos. The Giants were a run first play action team which lends itself to higher efficiency numbers, the Broncos defense was a stout run defense but a poor-to-average pass defense that schemed to stuff the run. The Cards are a throw first, downfield spread offense team and the Packers schemed to stop the pass. Comparing eras is a tricky proposition at best. But when comparing the Broncos defense to the Packers defense’s own contemporaries it’s clear who was better. > [@EllisDee](#): > > Yes, exactly. **Omni** claimed that all great QB performances are by definition against shitty defensive showings. The Broncos were not a shitty defense that day. (Way, way, way better than the Packers were yesterday. It seemed like half of Warner’s completions were to guys so wide open that no Packer was even in the frame, at least on my low-def feed.) That’s not exactly what I was saying. I made an offhand comment that you _could_ make a case that any team that gives up an 88% completion percentage had a crappy day and a crappy scheme. It wasn’t a central part of my argument. You’re nitpicking a qualifier that was not an assertion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-wild-card-weekend/523904.md?page=13)