Now that the gastrointestinal ruckus caused by all of that terribly unhealthy yet wonderfully delicious Super Bowl food has ceased, I can now look back on last night's happenings with a sound mind and body. Super Bowl XLIII had some great storylines: a storied franchise seeking unrivaled excellence (Steelers going for a record 6 championships), a comparatively lackluster one trying to secure its first championship since the 40s, a quarterback seeking a signature Super Bowl performance (Ben Roethlisberger turned in a less-than-convincing effort in Super Bowl XL), and another trying to recapture Super Bowl greatness (Kurt Warner was MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV). The game itself produced some remarkable moments as well - two impressive Larry Fitzgerald touchdown catches, an improbable and record setting 100 yard interception returned for a touchdown, and several shrewdly challenged and overturned calls. A lot of talk today has centered around if it was the best Super Bowl of all time. A case can be made, to be sure. Santonio Holmes' catch for the winning touchdown was incredibly clutch. The Cardinals rally that set up that dramatic play was also great to watch. Through the win, a franchise staked an enhanced claim at greatness. But was it the best? No. Not by a long shot. It can't even be considered one of the best in recent memory when it is so clearly overshadowed by its immediate predecessor - Super Bowl XLII.
Circumstances:
XLIII (43): Those mentioned above... in brief, Roethlisberger had a roflsberger of a super bowl and wanted to prove himself, Warner wanted to regain SBMVP status, Steelers a storied franchise looking to one-up the Cowboys and the Niners, and the Cards were looking to break the 60 year championship drought.
XLII (42): In yet another sports proxy war between east coast rival cities Boston and New York, the undefeated Patriots longed for immortality in the form of a perfect 19-0 season while the plucky Giants, riding high after 3 consecutive road wins, looked to stop the seemingly unstoppable New England juggernaut. Despite having been tempered by a latter day ice bowl against Brett Favre and the Packers and a harrowing victory over the rival Cowboys, the Giants were still given little chance of pulling off the upset. Seeing his brother shrug off the Dan Marino comparisons just the year before, Eli Manning knew the pressure was on to prove himself as an equally capable quarterback who justified the 2004 draft shenangians that brought him to New York. The record-setting Patriots were under no less pressure to seal the deal and become the only team in history to go 19-0 and look every bit the part in the process.
Advantage: XLII (42) in a landslide.
The Catch:
XLIII (43): Santonio Holmes' 6 yard touchdown reception will go down in history as one of the most clutch catches in any Super Bowl. The tremendous nature of the moment cannot be denied... the Steelers needed the touchdown to win, a field goal would not have cut it. Roethlisberger placed the ball just where it needed to be in order for Holmes to catch it in triple coverage, and before he did he managed to evade the pressure. All in all, its hard to argue against this catch being epic to say the least.
XLII (42): Unheralded David Tyree's 32-yard catch was immediately recognized to be one of the biggest in Super Bowl history (as recognized on SportsCenter the day following the Super Bowl). The fact that Manning evaded the sack so improbably and that Tyree managed to catch and hold on to the ball AGAINST HIS HELMET sets this catch apart from most others. It loses some credibility as Manning's throw was admittedly "a little high" and not perfectly placed as Roethlisberger's was.
Advantage: none, its a push.
Overall Quality of Game:
XLIII (43): Featuring an interception returned for touchdown, a safety, and some impressive displays from Messrs. Fitzgerald and Holmes it is impossible to argue that this was not an entertaining game in the end.
XLII (42): With lead changes and spectacular grabs of its own, forty-two was an exciting game in its own right, and there was no blasted tuck rule to awkwardly end the game.
Advantage: XLIII (43) by a smidge.
Better Super Bowl: XLII
With the combination of the circumstances, the Catch, and the overall quality of the game, forty-two beats out forty-three (sorry Steelers fans). Football fans will be long in waiting to see a game match the sheer epic-ness of forty-two.
Showing posts with label ny giants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ny giants. Show all posts
02 February 2009
11 January 2009
post-game reaction
Well...
I am not sure what to say right now. Disappointed isn't quite the word to describe the way I feel. I think there is more anger than anything else right now. I am angry because the offense utterly shat the bed. Eli was less Super Bowl MVP and more Eli ver. 2006. That is, the Eli that was godawful in the playoffs and not quite the quarterback we all thought he could be. I think there is also a good deal of blame to be assigned to some Jim Zorn-esque playcalling from Tom Coughlin down the stretch there. 4th down is not a down you need to go for that agressively when your defense is playing well and keeping the other team to mostly field goals. The fact that the running game wasn't very effective was confusing to me, as they had been effective for most of the year to this point.
Ultimately... this loss was not entirely unpredictable. The Giants ended the season very weakly and only impressed against the also-eliminated Panthers. Going 1-3 down the stretch is no way to get to the playoffs. Now I know the Cardinals are looking good right now, but they have actually changed strategies in the playoffs, which has sort of made them into a new-team. Adding the run game has been a sort of offensive stimulus package for them that has helped balance out the loss of Anquan Boldin. The Giants came into the game with a very predictable gameplan that has been their mother's milk for the whole season. Pound the ball with Jacobs+Ward and let Eli get some throws in where he can. That worked when they were 11-1. Then they went 1-3... what happened then and now?
The loss of Plaxico Burress ultimately doomed this team. Many thought that after the Redskins win that his absence wouldn't be as important as once thought. "The impressive defending Super Bowl champs aren't even letting the Plaxico situation get to them... they are a team to be reckoned with," the sports pundits claimed. I was guilty of a similar line of thought. This loss an the other 3 highlight the fallacy of this logic, though. Without the big play threat of Burress, the Giants were a neutered team. Without Plaxico, Eli was without his go-to receiver. No matter how valuable his catches can be, Amani Toomer is no Burress. You can put Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon together and they don't add up to a Plaxico. Plainly put, the Giants were not a Super Bowl caliber team without him.
Now what? Well for the immediate future I will root with all of my soul against the Eagles. I hate them so. I am officially endorsing the Cards as Super Bowl champs. I know its a long shot, but that will only add to the spice.
In the long term, its clear that the Giants need to replace Burress. I am not sure how they are going to do this, as it took a few years for Eli and Plaxico to build their valuable repoire. What I do know, though, is that the road back to the Super Bowl will be long and arduous for the Burress-less Giants.
Immediate post-loss prediction for next year: Giants finish 9-7 and out of the playoffs next year.
Sigh.
I am not sure what to say right now. Disappointed isn't quite the word to describe the way I feel. I think there is more anger than anything else right now. I am angry because the offense utterly shat the bed. Eli was less Super Bowl MVP and more Eli ver. 2006. That is, the Eli that was godawful in the playoffs and not quite the quarterback we all thought he could be. I think there is also a good deal of blame to be assigned to some Jim Zorn-esque playcalling from Tom Coughlin down the stretch there. 4th down is not a down you need to go for that agressively when your defense is playing well and keeping the other team to mostly field goals. The fact that the running game wasn't very effective was confusing to me, as they had been effective for most of the year to this point.
Ultimately... this loss was not entirely unpredictable. The Giants ended the season very weakly and only impressed against the also-eliminated Panthers. Going 1-3 down the stretch is no way to get to the playoffs. Now I know the Cardinals are looking good right now, but they have actually changed strategies in the playoffs, which has sort of made them into a new-team. Adding the run game has been a sort of offensive stimulus package for them that has helped balance out the loss of Anquan Boldin. The Giants came into the game with a very predictable gameplan that has been their mother's milk for the whole season. Pound the ball with Jacobs+Ward and let Eli get some throws in where he can. That worked when they were 11-1. Then they went 1-3... what happened then and now?
The loss of Plaxico Burress ultimately doomed this team. Many thought that after the Redskins win that his absence wouldn't be as important as once thought. "The impressive defending Super Bowl champs aren't even letting the Plaxico situation get to them... they are a team to be reckoned with," the sports pundits claimed. I was guilty of a similar line of thought. This loss an the other 3 highlight the fallacy of this logic, though. Without the big play threat of Burress, the Giants were a neutered team. Without Plaxico, Eli was without his go-to receiver. No matter how valuable his catches can be, Amani Toomer is no Burress. You can put Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon together and they don't add up to a Plaxico. Plainly put, the Giants were not a Super Bowl caliber team without him.
Now what? Well for the immediate future I will root with all of my soul against the Eagles. I hate them so. I am officially endorsing the Cards as Super Bowl champs. I know its a long shot, but that will only add to the spice.
In the long term, its clear that the Giants need to replace Burress. I am not sure how they are going to do this, as it took a few years for Eli and Plaxico to build their valuable repoire. What I do know, though, is that the road back to the Super Bowl will be long and arduous for the Burress-less Giants.
Immediate post-loss prediction for next year: Giants finish 9-7 and out of the playoffs next year.
Sigh.
big game
Short but sweet:
If the Eagles win today, it will be a loss for civilization as we know it. The universe nearly collapsed on itself when a Philadelphia team won a championship, and to have another take one step closer is simply a risk we can't afford.
Go G-Men.
If the Eagles win today, it will be a loss for civilization as we know it. The universe nearly collapsed on itself when a Philadelphia team won a championship, and to have another take one step closer is simply a risk we can't afford.
Go G-Men.
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