Posted on 01/16/2006 6:48:08 AM PST by beyond the sea
Manning blamed his teammates ("we had protection problems"). I didn't see any muscle man pose, but I'll take your word for it. I doubt Belichick would do it, Mr Sweats and messy hair is pre-ocupied with the next game once the final whistle blows, and given how out of shape Holmgren is I sure hope he wouldn't do it cause it would be sad.
Absolutely not. Going for it on 4th was exactly the right call. Check out Tuesday Mornning Quarterback some time. He regularly complains about wussy punts in what he calls "the maroon zone", a punt won't gain you many yards and sends a message of wimpiness to your team, going for it sends a positive message to your team and if you make it keeps the ball which in the case of this game meant taking another 2 1/2 minutes off the clock and helping to secure your lead. Both those 4th and short attempts were the right call.
Network execs freak out all the time. It's not gonna happen. The ratings were fine for Pats and Carolina, fine for Rams and Pats, fine for Bucs and Raiders, they'll be fine for any combo of the 4 surviving teams. Just because you're not planning an SB party means nothing, the plural of annecdote isn't fact. The SB is still the biggest game of the year and most of the audience isn't even traditional football fans.
I agree with your take on this discostu. In my opinion you go for the jugular. Too many teams come back, no matter how improbable when you dont go for the kill. Bus fumbling was such a low probabilty vs Bus scoring.
Finish the opponent off and put them out of their misery every chance you get is my football motto.
I think it's safe to say that the networks have no influence over the outcome of NFL games. If they did, you never would have seen so many bad ratings-generating teams make it to the Super Bowl in recent years (Carolina, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, etc.).
That's only because NBC hasn't been in the mix the last few years. Now that they're there, expect a heavy dose of teams with "New" in their name, especially in years that NBC broadcasts the Super Bowl.
"Push the envelope" is a euphmism for mugging receivers. congratulations to the Steelers.
That tackle will be a defining moment for Big Ben. If things go well for them the rest of the postseason, they'll still be talking about it in Pittsburgh bars in 50 years.
And it will remain there until it benefits Al Davis.
We certainly appreciate your accurate analysis of any and all situations.
I understand what you are saying, but there has to rules to determine was is a catch and what isn't. I know it seems simple and the majority of the plays it is black and white. With some plays, however, it can get complicated.
Let's say a receiver jumps in the air, catches the ball and is immediately hit by a defender, lands on his back and the ball pops out. Is that a catch or not?
I'm a big fan of Roethlisberger. Good Ohio roots and a terrific player. His style of play fits in perfectly with the Steelers. And Bettis is a class-act, and I'm happy he doesn't have that debacle as the final moment in his career.
Hold on a minute. If Polamalu would've just lied there on his back, and waited for a Colts' player to touch him down, would it not have been an interception? What kind of "football move" would lying down be?
Let's say a receiver jumps in the air, catches the ball and is immediately hit by a defender, lands on his back and the ball pops out. Is that a catch or not?
That happens in just about every game I ever watch. It's not a catch because he never "had contol".
So, all that said, I told Mrs. kevkrom at the time that the Colts will challenge the call, and lose the challenge, but there was a small chance that it would be overturned. The refs have been extremely strict on the ruling of going to the ground when catching the ball, that the ball cannot come loose at all. I still think it was a bad reversal, but based on the way the Redskins lucked out over Tamp Bay the previous week, it's not exactly that different than other calls made during the playoffs.
There was a similar reversal during the Bears/Panthers game that took away a legitimate TD from Peppers after a fumble recovery.
Exactly. And what kind of football move is "lying on the ground?"
No, it is not a catch because he didn't make a football move. The receiver had control - the back is the same thing as two feet.
See what I mean, it's not as simple as it seems.
No catch because the player has to maintain control of the ball through contact with the ground. Indeed, that rule was changed a couple years ago to make that specific (before, it had been a judgement call of whether the contact with the defender-incomplete or contact with the ground after contact with the defender-typically complete had caused the ball to pop out).
It would have been a catch since the play would have been over.
I know the rules sometimes result in counterintuitive situations - they do work most of the time though. Maybe the whole "football move" rule needs to be polished a bit.
You said "immediately". If the ball is "caught" and he's immediately hit and it pops out...it's not a catch. I see it every single weekend and just about every single game.
I suppose if he had dragged his right knee for 5 yards (like a drunken Ted Kennedy) and then fumbled and recovered his fumble it would have still been an incomplete pass according to the "Football Move" rule.
My wife asked, "What happened?" and I said the refs just made one up to keep the Colts in the game.
- A former Colts fan - Baltimore Colts that is.
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