The Cid wrote:Greg Schiano's coaching philosophy:
“Great defense. Win the special teams battle. Be a physical offensive team that takes shot down the field. That formula works."

Yes. Sold. That's the kind of football I want.

Well no shit. "Dominate in every phase of the game" is what every fan wants. A chicken in every pot is a great campaign message, too.

Deacon wrote:Well no shit. "Dominate in every phase of the game" is what every fan wants.

It wasn't just that, but the way Schiano plans to do it. He could have said something more in line with the Patriots, Packers, and Saints of the world: "we're going to put a lot of points on the board and keep the other guys guessing all day long." (The Manning Colts were that way as well.)

What I got out of that statement was something along the lines of: "the team you all used to love is coming back. Big defense. Lots of turnovers. A power running game. Turning the game clock into an important teammate. Those are the Bucs you knew and loved, right? Well, sure, maybe we won't be able to find one of the greatest outside linebackers the game has ever seen this time around, and maybe there aren't a lot of strong safeties on John Lynch's astonishing level, but this time we've got a quarterback. A real one. And we won't hire a Gramatica or anything, I swear, so you can rest easier on special teams."

I do like that you're glad he isn't going down the road of the Patriots, Packers, Saints, and Colts. Those are some winning teams. As far as Dallas is concerned I'd be happy with any of it.

Deacon wrote:Those are some winning teams.

Drew Brees has exactly as many Super Bowl rings as Ronde Barber. The same is true of Peyton Manning.

Throwing the ball deep and forgetting about defense entirely might work for some teams, but that's not the only way to win games. I think San Francisco's deep run (and Baltimore's for that matter, and the fact that the Denver Broncos won the AFC West) showed that there are other ways. I'm partial to power running and tremendous defense. I appreciate a team that can turn the game clock into a teammate. These are things that, for all their phenomenal offensive prowess, you don't get from the Packers, Pats or Saints.

Watched two people stream online play of a full-length Madden 12 simulation of Super Bowl XLVI last night. It was a very tight affair with both teams trading sacks through out the game, and only allowing one touchdown through three quarters. Then the Patriots intercept a Manning pass midway through the fourth quarter, and despite the Giant's defensive's best effort, the Patriot's kicker make a field goal from the Giants 45, not an easy feat. The Giants tie it up moments later and then with under two minutes to go, a fumble from Brady while trying to scramble out of getting sacked, allowed the Giants to score the winning Field Goal with one second left in the game. I'm going to go with this simulation and say that the Giants squeak out a winner 13 - 10 and win.

One last prediction: the Hall of Fame nominees. They will be haggled about and voted on Saturday, and here are my predictions of who is going in, in no particular order:

• Jerome Bettis
• Bill Parcells
• Edward DeBartolo, Jr.
• Jack Butler
• Tim Brown
• Andre Reed

Curtis Martin?! In the Hall of Fame?! Does this mean that there's hope for Warrick Dunn to get in?

My pick: Patriots 38, Giants 35 (The line is 3 points, so I'm picking a "push.") Tom Brady gets MVP. There will be a rumor before the end of next week about Bill Belichick considering retirement, but he won't.

First of all, I'd like to thank The Patriots for a thrilling Superbowl.
Second, I'd like to thank Eli Manning for coming through.
Third, I'd like to thank Archie Manning for making sure that neither of his sons ended up a mediocre team that would let them languish like he did with the Saints.

GOO BIG BLUE!

It's funny, I ran a second Madden simulation myself, and while the final score was 44 - 41, it did feature...

• Giants causing a safety.
• Poor use of timeouts.
• Belichick losing a coach's challenge.
• Eli being named MVP (but that one wasn't too hard to figure out).

I think it's clear that New England has got to find a first round caliber wide receiver. It's clear that 75% of Gronk is not very effective.

ampersand wrote:I think it's clear that New England has got to find a first round caliber wide receiver.

Or, you know, anything besides a passing game, since their one and only strong suit has been the ability to throw the pass, and when they're put off of that game plan they have nothing left.

A little defense would have changed that game. A solid running game would have changed that game. But the Patriots decided years ago to go all in on the pass, since they have an excellent quarterback. A championship team needs to be truly great at more than one thing, no matter how great they are at that one thing. If New England doesn't add something besides their passing attack, this will not change.

Five Things I think I Learned From The Super Bowl:

1. Take the decision of playing a player with an injury away from the player. Gronk said that he will determine whether he's fit to play. He was only maybe half of his usual self, and his injury easily cost the Patriots at least the lone interception and a chance for the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter alone. I also think unless that player isn't 90% of his usual self, don't even use him as a decoy. And to say that he was 100% healthy in the post-game press conference? Please!
2. Don't be too cruel. I thought it was rather interesting that Underwood was cut the night before the Super Bowl, and the karma from decision seems to really have an impact. Now, it could very well be that Underwood was cut for some unspecified offense from Belichick we have no idea that happened. Even so, I still think cutting him is going a little too far. And it turned out that maybe you needed another offensive weapon.
3. Brady should divorce Gisele. I know that since his marriage, he's lost two Super Bowls and hasn't really been the same. I also heard that Wes Welker hasn't been the same since he got engaged after Week 13 or something like that. Maybe that's true, but I sort of think that after her outburst about who to blame for the loss, I think Brady should employ a little bro before ho mantra and cut her like Belichick cut Underwood. (Oh, and by the way, it's rare, but yes, you can throw and catch to your self, and hell, you can even do that and eventually score a touchdown. So there, Gisele.)
   Also, also, let someone who is going into the Hall of Fame deliver the Lombardi trophy instead of some old Hall of Famer who didn't know what the hell was going on as he made that walk. It was kind of cool when Len Dawson did it a few years ago, but it's just gotten a lot more awkward ever since. Or if you're not going to do that, let some of the newer, perhaps more relevant Hall of Famers have the honor next time. Like say, Willie Roaf.
4. Stop gambling on washed up players like Ocho. He had one catch for 21 yards and they never really threw to him. They couldn't even use him as decoy because the Giants all knew he was just there as a potential decoy and after the 9-0 loss it was sort of all hands on deck for the rest of the game. And this the latest in a line of once-good players who never have won a Super Bowl ring that the Pats picked up. You would think the Patriots would have figured it out that it doesn't work.
5. Sure, Eli is elite, but so is Weatherford. Yeah, he's a punter, but Weatherford also turned to be an elite punter, if there was ever such a case. He had four punts and two of them were inside the 10 and another was inside the 20. The first punt lead to the Brady Safety, and really changed the game. (Because, if it wasn't for the 2 points, then on the penultimate drive, the Giants would have to score a touchdown and thus the "Let the Wookie Win" strategy wouldn't be employed.)

Oh, and by the way, I'm going to predict right now that the 2013 Halftime Show will be Up With People, because the NFL had yet another offensive controversy with some skanky ho flipping everyone off before the seven second delay could be employed, and thus doesn't want anyone even remotely controversial at all. And really, from what I heard, Madonna really sucked. (I was the designated halftime beer runner, so I didn't see the halftime show at all. Good decision.)

The halftime show was useless. It was like a lifeless rip-off of a tamed-down Lady Gaga show or something. You know, like recent Madonna trying to be more modern but just rehashing her hits. You had to be a die-hard Madonna fan to give two shits in the first place, much less to think it was great.

Give me a great rock band who can employ some pyrotechnics and get everyone pumped for the second half. Not some horseshit dancers with throw-away pop stars like Nicki Minaj, LMFAO, and apparently the attention whore flipper-offer who calls herself M.I.A. and was hoping for a big break off this. 10 years from now, nobody will care, Madonna. People only care about you anymore because a lot of people were growing up in the 80's, and you were a phenom.

ampersand wrote:Brady should divorce Gisele.

You, and the New England area, have got to be kidding me.

A) Tom Brady has access to supermodels and millions of dollars, which are said to be a distraction. However, he only has access to these things because he's an excellent quarterback playing in a sports-insane area. So someone explain to me how tasting the benefits of being an awesome quarterback will make Tom Brady less of an awesome quarterback.

B) If you want a stupid "curse" idea, here's a much better one: The New England Patriots won three Super Bowls when Adam Vinatieri was their placekicker. Since letting go of the greatest kicker in NFL history, the Patriots have lost two Super Bowls: one by exactly the value of a field goal, the other in Vinatieri's new home stadium in Indianapolis. How am I the only person who noticed that Vinatieri was kind of a major part of the Patriots' success?

ampersand wrote:You would think the Patriots would have figured it out that it doesn't work.

One good season out of Randy Moss convinced Bill Belichick that taking chances on punks was really the way to go.

ampersand wrote:Yeah, he's a punter, but Weatherford also turned to be an elite punter, if there was ever such a case. He had four punts and two of them were inside the 10 and another was inside the 20. The first punt lead to the Brady Safety, and really changed the game. (Because, if it wasn't for the 2 points, then on the penultimate drive, the Giants would have to score a touchdown and thus the "Let the Wookie Win" strategy wouldn't be employed.)

Fixed. You're not allowed to praise punters. You're only allowed to groan when one comes onto a football field. There are no punters in the Hall of Fame and nobody ever takes the time to appreciate a good punter.

So, apparently, Peyton "hasn't played for a year due to major surgery on his neck and released from a five year contract with an obviously suffering team" Manning is heading to the Broncos. And they are trading Tebow so they can get him. Because who needs the QB who basically salvaged last season into something workable when you can have a guy who spent a year on the bench watching his team get demolished. Manning was good before his surgery. There is no guarantee he will be now - and the Colts, who need help, obviously don't think he is worth it anymore.

Fuck that. I'll be back when I find what team I will be supporting next season. (Because Tebow will be traded to it.)

collegestudent22 wrote: Because who needs the QB who basically salvaged last season into something workable

Von Miller? Oh, wait, I forgot that we're not allowed to give defensive players credit for anything anymore. Even though the Broncos' turnaround this year was as much about their stellar defense as it was about an explosive improviser of a quarterback.

I like Tebow, and I think the Broncos are giving him a raw deal (because John Elway can't stop kissing his own ass for ten seconds), but he didn't do it alone last year.

---In other news...---
-The real loser in the aforementioned deal? The Indianapolis Colts. They just let one of the greatest quarterbacks the league has ever seen walk away for, more or less, what's behind door number one. I'm going out on a limb and saying that won't end well.

-So the Saints turned out to be dirty. Kind of funny that they're also the team that seemed to get the benefit of every borderline call over the past few seasons, isn't it?

-Woo hoo! The Bucs spent some free agent money! Now go draft a halfback, turn LeGarrette Blount into a fullback (and thus an evolutionary Mike Alstott), convince Ronde Barber to stay for one more year and everything's set for a less terrible 2012!

The Cid wrote:I like Tebow, and I think the Broncos are giving him a raw deal (because John Elway can't stop kissing his own ass for ten seconds), but he didn't do it alone last year.

Yeah, but it will be hilarious when the Broncos bomb next year as the defense is going through the same shuffling (many of their defensive players are going to other teams as free agents). Oh, and I bet post-surgery Manning is a shadow of his former self.