Superbowl 50 picks!

[Crimson's Ghost]

I have to imagine if I said it was a good game, you would have replied and said it sucked. So I'm not taking it personal.

[konjo78]

No i wouldnt. It was a great game. I dont actually change views to attack people. That tends to be others with names like ghost, hank and jrs. That try and play the cry game.


This game had 2 great defenses playing great. You should apprecriate it and not cry saying it was dull and boring. If thats honestly how you feel thank god you didnt live in the 70s doing NFL.

[12HankQB]

Well typically majority rules. Are you saying you're always right against the majority every time? Nobody on here gets argued with more than you. You don't typically attack others views, you normally just throw out something ridiculous and then defend it to no end. You probably still think the earth is flat.
[hr]
We know this was a great defensive game, but the sloppiness of the offenses helped the defense a lot. I believe that's what Crimson's referring to. The fact that Cam Newton didn't dive on a fumble is enough to quit watching.
[hr]
Konjo, I thought you were done watching football? Remember your big lecture about injuries and how people shouldn't play football?

[Sykotyk]

Here's a critique: go back and watch the game.

Denver's offense is not a stellar offense and was led by their defense all year. Carolina has the #2 defense and was ready to pounce on Manning. They got 5 sacks and tricked him into one bad INT he never should've thrown (a lineman dropping into coverage?!). Where Denver got lucky was with the defensive touchdown (why, I'll get to it). It allowed Manning a 10-0 lead and no need to really drive the ball. Then, a little later, they get the long punt return on a botched special teams coverage that puts them back in the red zone. They only get a FG because Manning is not the old Manning. Later in the game, They get another strip sack when Newton doesn't dive on his own fumble (maybe he held up thinking it was being called incomplete, who knows), that sets Denver up in the redzone again for the touchdown that puts the game out of reach with a few minutes to go.

Now, look at the Carolina offense. Most of their problems were self-inflicted. They didn't protect with 7-8 men on the line knowing how Denver played. Cam's running was 'last resort' and I don't think he had one rush that was pre-planned. From the first drive, Cam was anxious and was skying the ball over receivers. That has nothing to do with defense. He just missed guys, consistently. The nearside sideline throw. Several deep throws. He led Ginn Jr forward on a double-pass, which made Ginn have to race around the far side just to pick up a few yards. It was obvious they were going downfield on that play had Cam's pass been a lateral, which it wasn't). Cam then also held onto the ball too long when options WEREN'T there. Very unlike him. Maybe it was nerves. Which go along with the skying balls over receivers. Both strip sacks were poor understanding of his surroundings and not stepping up into the pocket or just taking the pressure and going down. Also, there was the RB fumble by Carolina when the Denver player put the crown of his helmet on the ball. Good positioning by the defender. But, in this day of 'OMG Head Trauma CTE' you have to figure that style of play of using your head as a weapon are numbered.

Then, there's the times Carolina did drive the ball. Including late when Cam, again, skied his receiver and threw it into the arms of the safety, TJ Ward. He looked like a newborn giraffe trying to walk, and then fumbling and then luckily recovering. That alone would have given Carolina the ball in the redzone. Carolina also had a drive that ended in a clanked field goal off the post.

What I'm getting at. The game came down to a comedy of errors. Not great defense. Great defense? Go back and watch Super Bowl 34 between Rams Titans. Even with the 78yd TD pass that ultimately won it from Warner to Bruce, that game has zero turnovers, very few sacks, and a punishingly slow, methodical chippiness to it all the way until the 2 minute mark when Tennessee had to throw caution to the wind and execute a dramatic drive late to try and tie/win. What happens? Dyson tackled at the half yard line. That was a great defensive game by both sides.

This game? No. Denver doesn't recover that Ward fumble? Carolina is down 6 with the ball inside the redzone in the 4th quarter, the only team up to that point to score an offensive touchdown. Carolina doesn't botch the punt return, Denver probably doesn't drive in for an additional field goal. Cam Newton doesn't turn into a first-day rookie most of the time in the pocket, two strip-sacks don't happen. Which is where 15 of Denver's 24 points came from.

It was sloppy. It won't be remembered as a great game. Just as nobody goes back and crows about the Steelers-Seahawks Super Bowl as a 'great game'. It was sloppy, with bad offenses (lowest QB Rating by a winning team, and it's not close) done in by their own ineptness.

The only thing people will remember from this game is it was probably Manning's last game. And he felt like hawking Budweisers like he just won at Daytona..

[konjo78]

Last night had 2 great defenses. You can try and say otherwise, and i appreciate your point, but mistakes were forced by the defenses.

[Sykotyk]

That didn't make it a great game. I already said both had great defenses. Their offensive problems had little to do with the outcome. Mistakes. Costly mistakes that had nothing to do with the offense led to the end result. Cam Newton forgot how to play football. Manning did everything conceivable not to let the game rest in his hands.

And that's what made it a bad game that ten years from now will be remembered primarily for Manning retiring (I believe) and possibly because of Cam Newton's temper tantrum (assuming he pulls a Marino and never makes it again).

[konjo78]

Cam newton forgot how to play? Im pretty sure no matter what that offense did last night the defense was in the backfield 60% of the time.

Similar can be said of carolina to denver. Offensive mistakes were made because they were under heat so much even when they had time they didnt feel comfortable. It was a great game because of that.

But thats my opinion and you have the right of yours. I do suggest arena football though you'd enjoy it more

[12HankQB]

I find the humor in you telling the guy who sees more football than all of us, to watch arena football

[konjo78]

I mean he is obviously sad a team like denver played a spectacular defensive game and that their offense player smart.... id rate this last superbowl probably 4th or 5th in the last 10, which there was some spectactular games.

[Sykotyk]

If it were a spectacular defensive game, I would've liked it. Instead it was a sloppy game that could've went either way because Denver's only ability to 'shut down' Carolina was Carolina's own ineptness on offense connecting on passes.

Again, go rewatch the game. How many times does Cam Newton sky the ball on one of his receivers. Including when the receiver is wide-open. It's too many. Way too many. A 'great' quarterback doesn't do that. Denver's defense didn't even pressure on a lot of them. Only once did Denver get a true sack. The rest were coverage sacks. Attacking Cam and pushing through the line because he couldn't find an open man fast enough. Not traditional blitz or just the D-line winning the war. And most of it was because Cam never stepped up in the pocket when the end rushers were closing in around the corners. Both his fumbles were from not stepping up. Again, he looked lost out there. Very lost. To the point he didn't dive on a ball to save his shot at a title. Sure, a lot of QBs, especially if they've already winced once when taking a sack because of a shoulder, might not dive,... this was the fourth quarter of a Super Bowl. You can't let that get away.

Greatest thing happened for Denver was their O didn't need to win the game. And it wasn't because Denver's D won it. Carolina's O shot themselves in the foot regularly.