being aired on NFL Network right now. I had forgotten how we had a chance to put the foot down in 2011 when we had a bad holding call. One that Wilfork actually admitted was bad and the refs questioned at the time.
Also was interesting listening to the explanation of the Brady grounding for a Safety to BB. The ref said he wished the rule would change but they called the play to what the rule is.
And I have to admit, I teared up in the previous game when Plax caught the TD.
Glad to see Eli have his day today!
game would have been over
Even better was listening to BB tell the D to focus on Cruz. "Let Manningham beat us".
Absolutely. Couldn't agree more.
You can point to a bunch of stuff that could have gone the Patriots' way in these games too. The missed connection from Brady to Welker late in XLVI. Cruz fumbling in the red zone, but the Pats getting penalized for 12 men on the field. Bradshaw fumbling inside the 20 but Snee getting to the ball despite three other Pats being right there.
I know, if if if. But just goes to show you how tightly contested and classic those games were, when you can point to single plays that could have completely changed momentum or outcome.
McQuarters punt return fumble in GB
Bradshaw forward progress/fumble in SF
Asante Samuel dropped INT in SB42
Hicks fumble & Hynoski Fumble recovery in SB46
I thank God and those NYG Ghosts for the outcomes on every one of them
Little Bill was saying that a receiver cut off his route.
That Samuel play still sticks in my craw. He struggles to get a fingertip on it, yet a few posters like KWALL and JoeMP used to point to that play as a reason to knock Eli.
As if it diminished the win because it was an easy INT dropped. Meanwhile, it was neither easy nor dropped, since there was hardly any contact with the hand.
I also thought the Steve Smith INT in 2007 changed the complexion of that game, as well. We were driving for another score and it bounced right out of Smith's hands and in to the defender's.
It was Eli's ONLY INT of that entire playoffs.
The Samuel stuff was nonsense - everyone gets lucky. It would have been an incredible play if he caught that.
Also, our OL were getting mauled. In the one play where Eli connects with Plax, the Patriots defender had his hand inside the facemask of our player raking the face.