- Before we get started, I think it’s important to acknowledge my mistake. I was sure that the Patriots were going to bludgeon the Giants. I am very happy that I was wrong. With two weeks to prepare, I assumed that Bill Belichick would come up with a game plan that would confuse the Giants on both sides of the ball. It didn’t happen. Instead, it was New York’s defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo who formulated a brilliant game plan that stymied the Patriots high-powered offense.
- To the winner go the accolades I suppose. And Eli Manning certainly deserves credit for his efforts in Super Bowl XLII. But did anyone else notice that on the final drive, he was throwing off his back foot almost exclusively? The Patriots had two very good opportunities for interceptions during the final drive and the throw to David Tyree was hardly what I’d call a good decision with the football. Manning's throws had people like me, rooting for an upset, screaming, “How ‘bout something safe…like a draw play??!!
- It’s real easy to second guess Bill Belichick right now for not kicking the field goal on 4th and 13, but my questions might go to Josh McDaniels. All week, the Giants talked about the need to pressure Tom Brady. McDaniels tried to exploit that aggressiveness early on with screen passes but without much success. I expected more delays and draws to RB Laurence Maroney. Furthermore, as the game went on and Brady continued to get hit, why didn’t the Patriots go to a no-huddle or hurry up offense? A more up tempo strategy would have worn out the Giants front seven, which is what I saw on the Patriots fourth quarter scoring drive.
- My first memory of the Super Bowl was the event’s twenty-fifth edition, featuring the Bills Scott Norwood missing a last second field goal that would have given the Bills a victory over the Giants. I still remember the sheer drama of that moment. As a young Bills fan (I was obsessed with their run-and-shoot offense), my sister chose the wrong time to walk into the room and declare, “I am rooting for the Giants.” Following Norwood’s miss, I gave her the silent treatment for about six weeks. In this Super Bowl, with the Pats having an opportunity to make history, the sheer drama of XXV reappeared. On two separate plays, it stood out. The first was a play midway through the fourth quarter when Eli Manning scrambled to his left and overthrew a wide-open Plaxico Burress. It had fans from both sides screaming in excitement and dismay and back again. The second play was the catch by David Tyree, a fabulous catch at such a pivotal moment on the game’s biggest stage. For me, it was the best game since Super Bowl XXV.
- A Quick Look to January 2009? Last night, I had a dream about the AFC Divisional playoff round. I was watching the second game, Titans at Patriots, a defensive struggle when I had to run out for some Barbecue chips. I returned home just in time to see the postgame. Strange that I would run out for chips in the fourth quarter, no? Although, I also think it peculiar, having vivid dreams of the AFC Divisional playoff round. Anyway, the Patriots beat the Titans 19-12 to set up a Colts/Patriots AFC Championship game in Foxboro. The Colts won their game 10-3. It was on the Sportsticker at the bottom of the screen as I was watching the postgame. Oddly, the Colts were playing the Chiefs. So, there you have it. If you think that means anything, buck up Pats fans, you’ll have another shot at a Manning in January ’09.
