Super Bowl XLI

[Guest Oedipus Rex]

I see that naiwf has changed his avatar from Dwayne Wade winning, which rips on Lebron James, to Peyton Manning winning, which rips on the Chicago Bears. Why do you celebrate teams that aren't yours? Truly the mark of a wretched cunt.

[Brett Favre 0]

Because he hates the teams he roots for. If that makes sense.

[Guest Oedipus Rex]

Hurricanes won and not the Red Wings! UP YAWS DETROIT!

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Wow, I'm surprised how hard people are coming down on Grossman (well not surprised because he was getting shit all year). He didn't play well, but he wasn't going to make a difference because nothing was clicking yesterday for the Bears. The defense was horrible. Sure they weren't giving up big plays, but the Colts were picking up yards in bunches (Addai should not have ten catches). Grossman didn't really start looking bad until the two picks, one of which was entirely his fault and the other being just a hail mary type play when the game was already out of hand. Horrible execuation all around.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

You're ignoring the fact he forgot how to take a snap from center.

[naiwf 0]

People are still trying to defend the Bears' defense? Wow. If they could have made ANY key stops on 3rd down, or not dropped their safeties back 20 yards on every snap Addai, Clark and Harrison wouldn't have been able to make all of those wide open underneath catches that extended drives. The Colts repeatedly punched them in the mouth on both sides of the ball (Rhodes ran straight up the gut for at least 3 or 4 1st downs in the second half against 8 in the box) and if not for a huge gap in special teams play (a kick return TD versus 4 points left on the field by the Colts' kicking game, and allowing said TD) the Bears wouldn't have been in the game at all. Grossman didn't win the game but he wasn't supposed to. The Bears defense was supposed to be their calling card, but they couldn't stop the run OR the pass, and even with a lackluster game Manning got his ring.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

The strangest thing about the Bears D is that they refused to go to a nickel to cover the slot. Inevitably, every time the Colts went three wide or put Dallas Clark in the slot, they'd drop their OLB to cover him or bring the safety up, which would open the flat for Addai to get a medium/large gainer. It was frustrating to watch, because their scheme completely did them in. Once Indy got to the 2Q, the Bears D was already playing passive and catching tackles. It was an overall poor effort by an inferior team.

 

In retrospect, it was reminiscent of how they tried to cover Steve Smith in the NFC Divisional loss last year. Instead of adjusting to what was going on around them, they continued to single cover him and play a straight cover two. That worked real well last time; why not try it again?!

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Thoughts:

 

1) Hester's return was great. Vinatieri was down the dirt a ton this game, between that and the muffed XP.

 

2) Addai and Rhodes really made a big, great argument for the fact that you don't need to spend a lot on a runner in free agency.

 

3) I really liked Fumblepalooza '07, as well as the Colts' clock-killing death drive in the third quarter. It was a mediocre game all things considered, but I enjoyed its parts plenty.

 

4) I obviously thought the halftime show was pretty fuckin' rad. "All Along the Watchtower" and a mediocre Foo Fighters song somehow sounded great together with the rain and the purple guitar.

 

5) I watched the game with Bears fans, and the frustration every time the playcall was something other than "hand off to Jones" was palpable.

[Guest Oedipus Rex]

You're ignoring the fact he forgot how to take a snap from center.

Twice, and two sacks in a row. That can't be defended. I really tried to give Rex a chance, but he stepped up and blew it spectacularly. This isn't the first time he's fumbled a snap, either. He did against the Packers on New Year's. Wow. Poor Olin Kreutz.

[Guest Grossman=Fag]

. Grossman was pathetic. How do you fumble two snaps in the biggest game of your life? I mean, really! It's not that hard to receive the ball from center...

 

From a consistent veteran perennial all-pro C, even.

[Guest Grossman=Fag]

The retard sacked himself. Neil O'Donnell might conceivably be the only worse QB superbowl performance I've ever seen.

 

Say what you will about the Bears D giving away the underneath passing game and struggling on 3rd down, NO ONE is going to look good with the Colts offense on the field that much. Rex Grossman lost that game, and lost ugly. Thank god this next season is the last year on his current contract.

 

Sadly, Lance Briggs will be a FA, and I don't see the Bears retaining him. Those will be big big shoes to fill.

[Matt Young 0]

WWe's Victoria on MySpace again:

 

"Date: Feb 5, 2007 9:41 AM

Subject Superbowl XLI Follow-Up

Body: I'm about to go to the arena for Monday Night RAW, so I will make this short. I wanted to congradulate the Colts on their victory. But really I just wanted to throw four words out regarding the Superbowl...Rex Grossman...Widow's Peak...

 

Later Ice Skaters... "

 

LOL.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The retard sacked himself. Neil O'Donnell might conceivably be the only worse QB superbowl performance I've ever seen.

 

Ben Roethlisberger was worst last year. How soon we forget.

[Failed Bridge 0]

The retard sacked himself. Neil O'Donnell might conceivably be the only worse QB superbowl performance I've ever seen.

I could think of one more recent and about as bad if not worse than O'Donnell and that would be Rich Gannon.

 

Neil O'Donnell in SB XXX : 28-49 for 239 yards with 1 TD and 3 INT

 

Rich Gannon in SB XXXVII: 24-44 for 272 yards with 2 TD and 5 INT

 

Edit: Or the worst all time that I can remember watching and that would be Kerry Collins in Super Bowl XXXV. Of course he was facing arguably the best defense of the salary cap era but his stats were still 15-39 for 112 yards with 0 TD and 4 INT

[Matt Young 0]

The retard sacked himself. Neil O'Donnell might conceivably be the only worse QB superbowl performance I've ever seen.

 

Ben Roethlisberger was worst last year. How soon we forget.

 

 

One huge difference: Roethlisberger WON.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Honestly, I think the coaching staff is more to blame than the D itself for the coverage. It was completely a schematic choice, and it was a poor one. As you saw, Harrison and Wayne were largely bottled up on the outsides. The cover two was working to an extent, but a LB simply cannot cover as much ground as a DB, and when you're hemorrhaging yards like that on D -- ESPECIALLY on third down -- it seems logical to everyone but Ron Rivera that you should lock up the slot in man coverage.

 

Additionally, it's always been the book on Manning that if you get pressure on him, he will suffer. Thus, when he played the Ravens, he was terrible. In the beginning of the Pats game, he was getting pressured and was ineffective. Then, they backed off and he played better. The Bears, meanwhile, were effective when they blitzed him as well! Even the dimbulb announcers could see that. You don't blitz on every play, granted, but you've got to find a way to put pressure on Peyton and their D-Line wasn't getting it done. So, what do you do? Nothing? Sounds brilliant! I can see why Ron Rivera is one of the most sought after assistants in the game; his schemes are so dumb, they're brilliant!

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Roethlisberger also threw at least one good pass. Can't really say the same for Rexie, except maybe in garbage time.

[2GOLD 0]

You could tell even the Bears defensive players were getting pissed. Urlacher and Briggs about four or five times looked at the sideline with the "what the FUCK are we doing?!?! This isn't us!" angry face. Urlacher was begging them to change the defense and the coaches were having none of it.

 

The Bears didn't adjust the whole game. They just let the Colts push them around, do what they wanted and then watched as the Colts would just turn the engine off in the red zone and coast to a field goal. Then by the third quarter, they are blowing tackles and looking like a bunch of idiots.

 

After the first quarter, that Super Bowl was completely worthless.

[NoCalMike 0]

Had it not been for two plays, the kickoff return, and the big run by Thomas Jones, this Superbowl would have been completely unwatchable.

[cabbageboy 0]

I'm amazed anyone is defending Grossman. When he started truly fucking up the score was 22-17. The Bears were miraculously in this game, even though they should have been down more like 38-17. There was no need for Grossman to panic and think "Oh shit! I gotta do something right now!" Probably the worst INT since Vince Ferragamo against the Steelers in 1980, but at least Ferragamo and the Rams played well otherwise.

 

As far as other turd worthy QB performances I will defend Rich Gannon on the level that he was going against his former coach (Gruden) who knew pretty much everything that was coming. Gannon at least went for 272 yards, it was mostly the disasterous 5 INTs that killed him. O'Donnell had 2 bad picks to Larry Brown but otherwise I don't remember him being THAT awful. Enough to cost the Steelers the game, but he wasn't truly putrid.

 

Kerry Collins. Now that is truly putrid. 112 yards and 4 INTs. Dear god.

 

By the way, what were Manning and Grossman's passer ratings in the Super Bowl? Anyone have that stat?

[The Niggardly King 0]

Lovie Smith and staff do not like changing anything, or adjusting to what's going on. It's horrible to watch when someone is so damn stubborn. Like last year with the whole, "We will not switch the gameplan just because of Steve Smith!". This year was nothing but, "Rex Grossman is OUR guy."

 

Decent enough gameplan, that once the Colts picked up on it... they never made the basic adjustments to stop them... they somehow got even more conservative.

 

It's frighteningly retarded to see a staff Adelman themselves in the game of football.

[KingPK 0]

By the way, what were Manning and Grossman's passer ratings in the Super Bowl? Anyone have that stat?

 

Manning: 81.8

Grossman: 68.3

 

I noticed the place emptied out pretty quickly and it didn't sound like there were a lot of people cheering during the trophy presentation, which baffles the mind. If I'm paying $500 for a ticket, I'm staying until they turn out the lights and toss my ass out of there.

Edited February 5, 2007 by KingPK

[naiwf 0]

By the way, what were Manning and Grossman's passer ratings in the Super Bowl? Anyone have that stat?

 

I used this site (http://www.footballguys.com/qbrating.htm) and just plugged in the numbers and Peyton went for an 81.8, Rex had a 68.3 but if you remove that last meaningless possession where he went 4 for 4 for 46 yards it would have been a 57.5. About what I would have expected considering Manning only threw 1 TD and Rex had multiple picks.

 

Or, you could just look at the post above mine.

[MFer 0]

I'm just now realizing the fact that the Colts won the Super Bowl the season after Edgerrin James went to Arizona. (surprised nobody else has mentioned this) Kinda reminds me how my high school won the state title in football the year after I graduated. (obviously not the exact same thing but still...)

[Guest Princess Leena]

Most of the people who go to the Super Bowl are corporate types... so, it's not surprising they'd leave.

[Red Baron 0]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this, but their running game and their offence was shut down after the injury to the Bears running back.

[naiwf 0]

Eh, they had no offence before or after Benson got hurt. Their running game consisted of 1 long run by Thomas. It wouldn't have mattered.

[cabbageboy 0]

Well, I think on TV they said the crowd was 2/3 Bears supporters, so I would assume they hit the road once the Colts won the game. As in they didn't stick around in miserable weather to see the other team get a trophy.

 

For what it's worth I already see Vegas has the Chargers as the 6-1 favorites to win it all next year, with the Colts at 7-1. I'm amazed at this really, given Schottenheimer is still coaching them.

[Just John 0]

I wouldn't be so quick to give the Colts the best odds, since they looked vulnerable at many points during this post season. KC should really be kicking themselves for not capitalizing on Indy's worst performance. I think you'll have some of the usual suspects back next year in the AFC (Indy, NE, SD), plus Pittsburgh returning to form and a couple surprise teams that you get every year.

 

Though, who knows in today's NFL. We could just as well be watching a Jags/Cards SB next year.

[Justice 0]

Has anyone mentioned the fact that the Bears' D was on the field twice as long as the Colts' D? I mean, I switched channels for about 50 seconds at the start of the Bears drive and only JUST got back in time to see the punt. They got absolutely no rest, and they were playing one of the best offensive machines in the game. Seriously, people have to realize that you can't play good defense if your offense is going 3 and out all the time. Plus the fact that the Defensive Coaching Staff didn't seem to make any adjustments at all doesn't help.

 

If anyone lost the game, it was the Bears' Coaching Staff, followed closely by Rex Grossman. Heck, I can't even blame Grossman that much because I really expected this sort of performance from him.