Super Bowl

[PurpleMustReign]

How do we not have a Super Bowl thread???

Skol Patriots. Anyone who doesn't agree that Tom Brady is the best QB ever needs to get their head checked. And for the Falcon fans in Atlanta that gave me crap about the Vikings when I was down there for work, I have one thing to say to you: How many rings you got? That's what I thought.

[Mothman]

How do we not have a Super Bowl thread???

Skol Patriots. Anyone who doesn't agree that Tom Brady is the best QB ever needs to get their head checked

Wait: Aaron Rodgers isn't the best?

Brady's amazing and that comeback win by the Patriots yesterday was amazing. What an incredible game! I couldn't help feeling bad for Falcons. It must have felt like their team's destiny was snatched away from them. Then again, that's how we felt after they won the NFCC game in '98.

What the Patriots have accomplished over the past 15 years or so is simply amazing.

[IrishViking]

Tom Brady has 33% of the trophy's given out this century 0.0

[Texas Vike]

Wait: Aaron Rodgers isn't the best?

Brady's amazing and that comeback win by the Patriots yesterday was amazing. What an incredible game! I couldn't help feeling bad for Falcons. It must have felt like their team's destiny was snatched away from them. Then again, that's how we felt after they won the NFCC game in '98.

What the Patriots have accomplished over the past 15 years or so is simply amazing.

Even when they were winning, perhaps because of their early dominance, I found myself repeatedly saying, "Poor Falcons fans," knowing that the Patriots would come back and steal the day from them. Classic heartache loss--it was easy to empathize with the Falcons.

Huge respect for Brady. After throwing that early pick six he stayed the course and showed vast mental toughness.

[Mothman]

Even when they were winning, perhaps because of their early dominance, I found myself repeatedly saying, "Poor Falcons fans," knowing that the Patriots would come back and steal the day from them. Classic heartache loss--it was easy to empathize with the Falcons.

"Classic heartache loss" is a great way to describe it.

Huge respect for Brady. After throwing that early pick six he stayed the course and showed vast mental toughness.

I agree. His ability to remain confident and keep pushing forward is impressive. He not only threw that pick, he missed some open receivers on potentially big plays and was taking some brutal hits from the Atlanta defense. None of that seemed to phase him. He just kept his head in the game and directed TD drive after TD drive late in the game to help bring his team back.

The way the Patriots defense kept coming up big in key moments was impressive too.

It was a very memorable Super Bowl!

[VikingLord]

I've got to give credit where credit is due and the Patriots played amazing on offense in the 4th to come back and steal the game, while the Falcons made the sort of uncharacteristic mistakes typical of our beloved Vikings.

However, I did use the word "steal" there because there was one particular play that ended up leading to a key 1st down in that 4th quarter that I'm almost certain would have been overturned on review.

On the Patriots 2nd-to-last TD drive of the 4th quarter there was a throw where the receiver (I think #19 although don't quote me on that) looked like he fell down after making the catch right at the sticks on a 3rd-and-long near the sideline. The defender also fell down on the play. It looked like the Patriot WR fell and then rapidly turned over and slammed the ball on the turf, which I originally thought was frustration over having fallen when making the catch and not being able to continue running for a bigger play since the defender had fallen and, had he been able to stay on his feet, could have kept going and gotten extra yardage and maybe even scored.

The replay showed the play from an up-the-field angle one time and I'm almost certain that angle show the ball squirting between the receiver's arms to the turf, which of course would not be a catch. If that were the case the receiver didn't slam the ball on the ground because he blew an opportunity to make a bigger play - he slammed it down because he knew he didn't make the play at all. The game camera was from the sideline looking down on the field, so the catch couldn't really be viewed from that angle and obviously no ref saw it either, but the single replay that caught it up the field did show it, and pretty clearly at that.

This was a huge play that, if it were ruled incomplete, would have either forced the Pats to take a big chance on a 4th-and-long or take a field goal. Granted, they still might have scored, but I was stunned that the Falcons didn't contest that and the booth announcers and replay folks didn't seem to have noticed it. It seemed pretty obvious on the brief (and aborted) replay they did show, though.

[VikingLord]

I think it was this play:

3rd and 11 at ATL 26
(7:03 - 4th) (Shotgun) T.Brady pass short left to M.Mitchell to ATL 14 for 12 yards (C.Goodwin).

I think if someone can find the up-field camera angle of that play it will show it was not a catch. I've tried finding it and I can't, so maybe if someone has the game taped even of what was shown on TV a close examination of that would show that Mitchell dropped the ball on that play.

[Laserman]

Why didn't Atlanta take a knee twice then kick the game winning 35 yard fG late in the game? Why even take ANY chance at all? PISS POOR COACHING right there. Atlanta GAVE THE GAME AWAY

[S197]

Unfortunately we had really high winds, which knocked out power for 90% of the game. I did see the overtime drive. I hate that a coin flip determines the game like that, they should really go to the college setup, which is way more fair.

[IrishViking]

I was yelling at Atlanta to take a time out in the overtime. Their Defense was completely overmatched and Brady was clicking. Honestly, I would have taken back to back timeouts and done everything else I could to delay to get Brady out of synch. Its not like he wasn't already humming. I cant believe he just let his defense "play" and giving up all those yards without doing ANYTHING.

[fiestavike]

Falcons blew it big time.

Also, when a team can drop back and pass 60 plus times and win a game, its clear they have ruined the sport of football.

It was a dramatic game, but it was also a terrible game.

[808vikingsfan]

Even when they were winning, perhaps because of their early dominance, I found myself repeatedly saying, "Poor Falcons fans," knowing that the Patriots would come back and steal the day from them. Classic heartache loss--it was easy to empathize with the Falcons.

I got the same feeling once the Falcons were called for 3 defensive holding calls on successive 3rd downs in one drive.

[808vikingsfan]

Falcons blew it big time.

Also, when a team can drop back and pass 60 plus times and win a game, its clear they have ruined the sport of football.

It was a dramatic game, but it was also a terrible game.

The Falcons gave it away. Simple as that. Leading by 16, 3rd and 1 with 8:31 in the 4th. Smart play would be to run, kill some clock, and if they don't convert, punt. Instead, they drop back for a pass, fumble and in a few plays, it's an 8 point game. I can't comment on their next series because I have no idea why they're trying to pass on 2nd down at the NE 22yd line.

[fiestavike]

The Falcons gave it away. Simple as that. Leading by 16, 3rd and 1 with 8:31 in the 4th. Smart play would be to run, kill some clock, and if they don't convert, punt. Instead, they drop back for a pass, fumble and in a few plays, it's an 8 point game. I can't comment on their next series because I have no idea why they're trying to pass on 2nd down at the NE 22yd line.

I agree with all those points. Nonetheless, when the rules protect the QB to such a degree that a team doesn't need to bother about it in the way it gameplans and calls a game, its ruins the game in my eyes. It then changes the way players pass rush, especially against a team that gets the ball out quick. The game is becoming 2 dimensional as a result. I know I'm in the minority...I'm pretty much always in the minority. It just isn't much more compelling than basketball anymore.

[808vikingsfan]

I agree with all those points. Nonetheless, when the rules protect the QB to such a degree that a team doesn't need to bother about it in the way it gameplans and calls a game, its ruins the game in my eyes. It then changes the way players pass rush, especially against a team that gets the ball out quick. The game is becoming 2 dimensional as a result. I know I'm in the minority...I'm pretty much always in the minority. It just isn't much more compelling than basketball anymore.

No, I agree with you somewhat. You can add the "protection" of the WR too. Before, it took guts to catch balls down the middle. Not so much now. PI and holding calls rarely get called on the receivers. Illegal picks too. So common to see receivers push off without getting called. You really don't need a running game anymore.

I still think the NFL is 100 times more exciting than the NBA. But yeah, they NFL needs to start leveling the playing field or it might turn into to another arena league.