Monday, January 22, 2007
Good thing we only bet Pride ...
In the interest of full disclosure, I missed most of the Bears-Saints game, so most of my notes there are via highlights and articles, but I did catch the vast majority of the Pats-Colts game. With that in mind, here are my Championship Day notes Larry King-style:
-) I should probably start by congratulating Budds, who essentially wrapped up the Football Season Pride Point Challenge for 2006-07. He piggybacked his 4-0 Divisional weekend with the Meat’s only 2-0 Championship Sunday to give him a 14-point lead over the field, with only 15 points still up for grabs. Sadly, the Meat went a combined 3-15 this weekend, with Budds being the only person to pick the Bears.
-) For that, we can all thank Sean Payton, who inexplicably gave up on the ground game yesterday. Deuce McAllister ran the ball just six times against a defense that gave up 108 to Shaun Alexander last week. And really, the Saints could have stuck with the run until they were down 16-0, and then tried to re-establish it after they clawed within 16-14. Odd choice for a guy (Payton) who seemingly has pushed all the right buttons this year.
-) Tidbit I wish I had heard before I picked the Saints: Until yesterday, the coolest weather the Saints had played in this season was 52 degrees. Weather was definitely a factor yesterday—that was four turnovers, three fumbles, for the Saints and none for the Bears. It was unequivocally the difference in the game. On a related note, you would have won a lot of pride points betting that Rex Grossman would be the only QB not to throw an interception on Sunday.
-) As to the Pats-Colts, Tony Dungy should be feeling a lot more relief than Peyton Manning. If the Colts had lost yesterday, Manning certainly would not have been to blame. Yeah, he threw the pick to Asante Samuel (who would make a great Jet, by the way), but he played a great game otherwise. Dungy, meanwhile, looked like he had no game plan in the first half, and people would have begun to question why he always flops in big games (don’t forget, the Bucs won the Super Bowl the year after Gruden replaced Dungy).
All that said, Dungy seems like one of the really good guys in football, as does Lovie Smith. It’s nice to see them get their due, and an important step for the NFL that two black head coaches will be facing each other in the Super Bowl.
-) Speaking of, three stories you will be very sick of very soon:
1) Colts’ Offense vs. Bears’ Defense
2) Redemption for either Manning or Grossman
3) The friendship between Dungy and Smith
-) Budds said to me yesterday how impressive it would be if the Colts won the Super Bowl by topping the three best defenses in football in succession—Ravens, Pats, Bears—and I agreed. Then the Colts went out and laid 32 points on the Pats in the second half, which is more than New England had given up in a single game all year. That is VERY impressive stuff.
-) If I’m a Pats’ fan, I have some gripes about yesterday’s game. There was a missed pass interference call on the Colts in the end zone late in the game that cost the Pats four points, and that was a pretty lame roughing the passer penalty on the last drive. They really need to lighten up on the roughing the passer stuff. Some of the calls this season have been absurd.
-) Also, I thought it was interesting that, despite have two very good running backs and no good wide receivers (Caldwell killed Brady yesterday), Belichick still emptied the backfield and put the game in Brady’s hands in the fourth quarter. It shows how highly he thinks of Brady, and rightfully so. Now Scott Pioli has to get Brady some wideouts for next year.
-) I should probably start by congratulating Budds, who essentially wrapped up the Football Season Pride Point Challenge for 2006-07. He piggybacked his 4-0 Divisional weekend with the Meat’s only 2-0 Championship Sunday to give him a 14-point lead over the field, with only 15 points still up for grabs. Sadly, the Meat went a combined 3-15 this weekend, with Budds being the only person to pick the Bears.
-) For that, we can all thank Sean Payton, who inexplicably gave up on the ground game yesterday. Deuce McAllister ran the ball just six times against a defense that gave up 108 to Shaun Alexander last week. And really, the Saints could have stuck with the run until they were down 16-0, and then tried to re-establish it after they clawed within 16-14. Odd choice for a guy (Payton) who seemingly has pushed all the right buttons this year.
-) Tidbit I wish I had heard before I picked the Saints: Until yesterday, the coolest weather the Saints had played in this season was 52 degrees. Weather was definitely a factor yesterday—that was four turnovers, three fumbles, for the Saints and none for the Bears. It was unequivocally the difference in the game. On a related note, you would have won a lot of pride points betting that Rex Grossman would be the only QB not to throw an interception on Sunday.
-) As to the Pats-Colts, Tony Dungy should be feeling a lot more relief than Peyton Manning. If the Colts had lost yesterday, Manning certainly would not have been to blame. Yeah, he threw the pick to Asante Samuel (who would make a great Jet, by the way), but he played a great game otherwise. Dungy, meanwhile, looked like he had no game plan in the first half, and people would have begun to question why he always flops in big games (don’t forget, the Bucs won the Super Bowl the year after Gruden replaced Dungy).
All that said, Dungy seems like one of the really good guys in football, as does Lovie Smith. It’s nice to see them get their due, and an important step for the NFL that two black head coaches will be facing each other in the Super Bowl.
-) Speaking of, three stories you will be very sick of very soon:
1) Colts’ Offense vs. Bears’ Defense
2) Redemption for either Manning or Grossman
3) The friendship between Dungy and Smith
-) Budds said to me yesterday how impressive it would be if the Colts won the Super Bowl by topping the three best defenses in football in succession—Ravens, Pats, Bears—and I agreed. Then the Colts went out and laid 32 points on the Pats in the second half, which is more than New England had given up in a single game all year. That is VERY impressive stuff.
-) If I’m a Pats’ fan, I have some gripes about yesterday’s game. There was a missed pass interference call on the Colts in the end zone late in the game that cost the Pats four points, and that was a pretty lame roughing the passer penalty on the last drive. They really need to lighten up on the roughing the passer stuff. Some of the calls this season have been absurd.
-) Also, I thought it was interesting that, despite have two very good running backs and no good wide receivers (Caldwell killed Brady yesterday), Belichick still emptied the backfield and put the game in Brady’s hands in the fourth quarter. It shows how highly he thinks of Brady, and rightfully so. Now Scott Pioli has to get Brady some wideouts for next year.
# posted by EJ @ 9:41 AM 
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- Caldwell dropped so many clutch passes (TD all alone, the play where no one was covering him, etc). It was painful.
- I think that the refs were a little intimidated by Indy (really?). They swallowed their whistles when the crowd got back into it. They only called two judgment penalties on Indy - a hold and a facemask (which was somewhat blatant since the Indy player ripped a helmet off a NE player, by the facemask, and then carried it for 10 yards down the field). Indy only had 2 more penalties which were delay of game and illegal motion - both infractions that have to be called.
Meanwhile, the Pats got 2 Neutral Zone infractions, 1 off pass interference, 1 def pass interference, etc. I know that you could call holding or pass interference on every play but still - I think the refs were nervous about being the ones who decided a NE win.
- I know I just did a diatribe about the Pats but I have to say you're completely right with the Roughing the Passer Penalty. There has to be some leeway put into the books for this one. Can't go low, can't go high, can't take them down too hard, have to know that the whistle was blown. Ask the Giants' Defensive linemen if they're nervous about that penalty - it cost them the Tenn game.
- I think that the refs were a little intimidated by Indy (really?). They swallowed their whistles when the crowd got back into it. They only called two judgment penalties on Indy - a hold and a facemask (which was somewhat blatant since the Indy player ripped a helmet off a NE player, by the facemask, and then carried it for 10 yards down the field). Indy only had 2 more penalties which were delay of game and illegal motion - both infractions that have to be called.
Meanwhile, the Pats got 2 Neutral Zone infractions, 1 off pass interference, 1 def pass interference, etc. I know that you could call holding or pass interference on every play but still - I think the refs were nervous about being the ones who decided a NE win.
- I know I just did a diatribe about the Pats but I have to say you're completely right with the Roughing the Passer Penalty. There has to be some leeway put into the books for this one. Can't go low, can't go high, can't take them down too hard, have to know that the whistle was blown. Ask the Giants' Defensive linemen if they're nervous about that penalty - it cost them the Tenn game.
Wow - sorry I lost it there. To make up for it, check out dog beer.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/22/beer.dogs.ap/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/22/beer.dogs.ap/index.html
Good point on Caldwell's eyes -- at first I thought he was trying to shake off a big hit. After that, I just figured his Dad was the dude whose boat gets run over by Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack.
Even my wife noticed his eyes. He looked like a mule going through airport security.
Is anyone else as amazed as I am with how 'the man' in Vegas gets these spreads right? Last night, +3.5 pts/NE loses by 4. Hawks/Dal spread +2.5, Dal loses by 1. I know that this is 2 games out of 10 playoff games but the other ones were pretty close too. With the exception of KC and Balt and I don't think any expected either team to play SO bad.
And yes, I do gamble. And yes, I took the Pats and almost kicked in my TV last night.
Is anyone else as amazed as I am with how 'the man' in Vegas gets these spreads right? Last night, +3.5 pts/NE loses by 4. Hawks/Dal spread +2.5, Dal loses by 1. I know that this is 2 games out of 10 playoff games but the other ones were pretty close too. With the exception of KC and Balt and I don't think any expected either team to play SO bad.
And yes, I do gamble. And yes, I took the Pats and almost kicked in my TV last night.
P.S. Johnathan Joseph DB was arrested for possession. And what team does he play for?
Seriously, this is ridiculous. Doesn't Goodall HAVE to do something at this point? What can that be though?
Seriously, this is ridiculous. Doesn't Goodall HAVE to do something at this point? What can that be though?
They say that DBs who face-guard receivers know when to turn around because as the ball gets closer, the receiver's eyes start to get really big. This could explain Caldwell's ability to slip behind defenders. As my wife said of his eyes, "They're bulbous! They must dry out all the time. Bet he goes through a lot of Visine."
Let's start a pool to guess which Bengal gets arrested next. I've got Doug Johnson.
Let's start a pool to guess which Bengal gets arrested next. I've got Doug Johnson.
Let's see - next Bengal arrested: David Pollack broke his neck, which means he's likely on painkillers, which means he could soon be running a Romanowski-esque pharmacopia out of his garage. And apparently Chad Johnson drives 100 mph through the streets of Miami. Still, I'll go with Chris Henry -- he's due to get arrested again soon. It's been, like, 3 months or so.
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