Post by kevfromsi on Feb 9, 2017 9:33:00 GMT -5
WOW! What a great Superbowl! The first one to ever go into OT and a champion crowned with legacies confirmed. Congratulations to the New England Patriots who won their 5th championship in seven attempts in the Brady and Belichick era.
The 34-28 OT win now,in my opinion, establishes Brady and Belichick as the best QB and Head coach combination in the history of this great game. Folks being a Steeler fan from the late 70's on, I fought the notion of Brady and Belichick being the best ever for obvious reasons. After all Chuck Noll never lost on Super Sunday. Moreover I am a avid Joe Montana fan. I have been since 1981. I also said that no QB played better than Joe on Super sunday. Yet after this past Super sunday, my eyes have been opened.
Yes the Falcons choked! Yes the Falcons did not put the game away at 28-12 when Hightower caused a fumble, by Matt Ryan,which Alan Branch fell on to set up a Patriot score to close the lead to 28-20. If Atlanta runs the ball and play conservatively then the Pats don't have time for a comeback. Yes even more glaring if at 28-20,after the incredible Julio Jones catch which put the Falcons deep in New England territory.
If the Falcons just played conservatively they would have been able to stretch the lead to 11 because after the Jones catch they were in FG territory.The Pats don't come back because they would have ran out of time. However the Falcons did not and the Pats took advantage in a way only they could! I love the Steelers.However the 2016 Steelers are not making this comeback! The Dallas Cowboys were a great team in 2016, they don't make this comeback! Aaron Rodgers and the 2016 Packers might have made this comeback! Yet keep in mind the Packer defense could not stop teams when they had to in 2016!
The Patriot defense got stronger as the game went on. Matt Patricia adjusted the defense to get pass rush and close down rollout lanes to Matt Ryan to get away from the rush. Further the run game was held and limted more in the 4th quarter than the prior 3 quarters. The Falcons went away from the run more than they should have, however the linebackers of the Patriots moved more up in the gaps to limit the run. Either Atlanta should have forced the run more or thrown safer short passes.
Anyway you look at it New England did something special and extraordinary lead by Brady and Belichick,both of whom never lost faith. Oh yeah let me be crystal clear. Dan Quinn is the head coach of the Falcons. If he wanted to run and play conservative from late in the 3rd quarter thru the 4th quarter,then he OVERRULES Kyle Shanahan. If my director, at my job, wants to OVERRULE my supervisor guess what happens?! How Bryan Cox and the defensive coordinator gets fired is utterly ridiculous?! The defense was one the field for well over 90 plays. They did not have a rest.
Atlanta's offense was awful in the 4th quarter, not the defense's fault! James White had 14 receptions. Under most circumstances he would have been MVP. Yet Tom threw for 466 yards in a major effort to lead the Pats back from a major embrassment. Joe Montana never did this! The comeback by the Patriots just solidifies their place in NFL and sports history. Spygate and the Seahawks' gift in SB XLIX is now part of the distant past because this game, this past Sunday, makes all of that seem irrelevant.
When someone achieves lofty goals in life,then all the "bumps and bruises" along the way are meaningless. What happened on Sunday establishes the greatest ever labels for Tom and Bill in their respective professions. All-time great players and coaches don't go undefeated and perfect in any sport. Magic Johnson lost four finals. Lebron has lost four finals. Parcells lost to the Packers in 1997 in SB XXXI. The next year Mike Holmgren lost to the Broncos in XXXII. Lombardi went 9-0 after losing to the Eagles in the 1960 NFL Championship game. However there was no free agency and rosters could be kept in tack for years. Further Brady makes James White a household name. He wins with Danny Amendola after losing Wes Welker. No Gronk! No problem! Rob is going to be in Canton if he stays healthy. Folks you can't just lose a player like him and flourish unless there is great coaching with a great QB. Could Joe Montana have won without Jerry Rice or earlier without Dwight Clark?! I don't think so.
This is why Tom and Bill are the best ever sans two Giant wins on Super Sundays in the past!
For now congrats to the Pats who will be odds on favorites for their 6th title next season to be tied with my Steelers. Go Steelers in 2017 to keep ahead of the Patriots. Take care. Be well and see you next season.
The 34-28 OT win now,in my opinion, establishes Brady and Belichick as the best QB and Head coach combination in the history of this great game. Folks being a Steeler fan from the late 70's on, I fought the notion of Brady and Belichick being the best ever for obvious reasons. After all Chuck Noll never lost on Super Sunday. Moreover I am a avid Joe Montana fan. I have been since 1981. I also said that no QB played better than Joe on Super sunday. Yet after this past Super sunday, my eyes have been opened.
Yes the Falcons choked! Yes the Falcons did not put the game away at 28-12 when Hightower caused a fumble, by Matt Ryan,which Alan Branch fell on to set up a Patriot score to close the lead to 28-20. If Atlanta runs the ball and play conservatively then the Pats don't have time for a comeback. Yes even more glaring if at 28-20,after the incredible Julio Jones catch which put the Falcons deep in New England territory.
If the Falcons just played conservatively they would have been able to stretch the lead to 11 because after the Jones catch they were in FG territory.The Pats don't come back because they would have ran out of time. However the Falcons did not and the Pats took advantage in a way only they could! I love the Steelers.However the 2016 Steelers are not making this comeback! The Dallas Cowboys were a great team in 2016, they don't make this comeback! Aaron Rodgers and the 2016 Packers might have made this comeback! Yet keep in mind the Packer defense could not stop teams when they had to in 2016!
The Patriot defense got stronger as the game went on. Matt Patricia adjusted the defense to get pass rush and close down rollout lanes to Matt Ryan to get away from the rush. Further the run game was held and limted more in the 4th quarter than the prior 3 quarters. The Falcons went away from the run more than they should have, however the linebackers of the Patriots moved more up in the gaps to limit the run. Either Atlanta should have forced the run more or thrown safer short passes.
Anyway you look at it New England did something special and extraordinary lead by Brady and Belichick,both of whom never lost faith. Oh yeah let me be crystal clear. Dan Quinn is the head coach of the Falcons. If he wanted to run and play conservative from late in the 3rd quarter thru the 4th quarter,then he OVERRULES Kyle Shanahan. If my director, at my job, wants to OVERRULE my supervisor guess what happens?! How Bryan Cox and the defensive coordinator gets fired is utterly ridiculous?! The defense was one the field for well over 90 plays. They did not have a rest.
Atlanta's offense was awful in the 4th quarter, not the defense's fault! James White had 14 receptions. Under most circumstances he would have been MVP. Yet Tom threw for 466 yards in a major effort to lead the Pats back from a major embrassment. Joe Montana never did this! The comeback by the Patriots just solidifies their place in NFL and sports history. Spygate and the Seahawks' gift in SB XLIX is now part of the distant past because this game, this past Sunday, makes all of that seem irrelevant.
When someone achieves lofty goals in life,then all the "bumps and bruises" along the way are meaningless. What happened on Sunday establishes the greatest ever labels for Tom and Bill in their respective professions. All-time great players and coaches don't go undefeated and perfect in any sport. Magic Johnson lost four finals. Lebron has lost four finals. Parcells lost to the Packers in 1997 in SB XXXI. The next year Mike Holmgren lost to the Broncos in XXXII. Lombardi went 9-0 after losing to the Eagles in the 1960 NFL Championship game. However there was no free agency and rosters could be kept in tack for years. Further Brady makes James White a household name. He wins with Danny Amendola after losing Wes Welker. No Gronk! No problem! Rob is going to be in Canton if he stays healthy. Folks you can't just lose a player like him and flourish unless there is great coaching with a great QB. Could Joe Montana have won without Jerry Rice or earlier without Dwight Clark?! I don't think so.
This is why Tom and Bill are the best ever sans two Giant wins on Super Sundays in the past!
For now congrats to the Pats who will be odds on favorites for their 6th title next season to be tied with my Steelers. Go Steelers in 2017 to keep ahead of the Patriots. Take care. Be well and see you next season.