NFL

[Macca 17,058]

Yeah tough break JV ... that's just devastating.

[JV7 2,361]

I honestly am lost for words.... I just don't see how you give up a 28-3 lead. As good as Ryan has been all year & for the first 3 quarters, he had to throw that ball away when he got sacked when in FG range... This game is litreally a game of inches, Edelmans catch just sums it up.

[Macca 17,058]

You've got to hand it to the Pats ... they're just never beaten.  

Down 3 - 28 and they win ... unbelievable.

[JV7 2,361]

I just don't get it... You have the ball on your own 20 yard line, you call 3 run plays and kick the field goal!! Why get fancy & call pass plays. Just run 3 times, take time off the clock & make it a 11 point lead with 4 minutes to go.. Baffling 

[Gorgoroth 13,069]

Yup. Just like seahawks throwing.

I don't understand it. 

[Macca 17,058]

The game obviously hasn't finished being discussed yet but I'll get the following formalities out of the way 

Gorgo, you've won another tipping competition but this time you'll have to share the honours with myself

Well done! 

And thanks to all for your participation

 

       Final Tally (Post Season Tipping Competition)

                            10 - Gorgoroth,  Macca

                             9- JV7

                             6 - Clintosaurus

                             5 - DeeSpencer

 

 

                              Regular Season Tipping Competition

 

Year               Winner                           Runners up                     3rd place

2013              cowboy_from_hell/       pantaloons/                     Gorgoroth

                      Strafford                         Macca

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2014              Dappa Dan                     DeeSpencer                    Gorgoroth

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2015              Gorgoroth                      cowboy_from_hell,         Macca

                                                             JV7,

                                                             DeeSpencer

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2016              Gorgoroth                     cowboy_from_hell          Clintosaurus/

                                                                                                       DeeSpencer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                 

                                    Post Season Tipping Competition

 

Year              Winner                            Runners up                     3rd place

2013              titan_uranus                  DemonDave                    cowboy_from_hell/

                                                                                                       Macca

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2014              JV7/                                pantaloons                      Gorgoroth/

                      Go the Biff                                                               Macca

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2015             JV7/                                cowboy_from_hell,          Gorgoroth/

                     Macca                                                                       DeeSpencer

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2016             Gorgoroth,                    JV7                                     Clintosaurus

                     Macca  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                   

                                                                 Overall Medal Tally

                                                            Gold        Silver     Bronze

                         Gorgoroth                    3               0              4                        

                         JV7                                2              2              0

                         Macca                           2               1             3

                         -------------------------------------------------------------

                         cowboy_from_hell         1               3              1

                         Dappa Dan                    1               0              0

                         Strafford                        1               0              0

                         titan_uranus                  1               0              0

                         Go the Biff                     1               0              0

                         DeeSpencer                 0               2              2    

                         pantaloons                    0               2              0

                         DemonDave                 0               1              0

                         Clintosaurus                  0               0              2

[Macca 17,058]

48 minutes ago, Gorgoroth said:

Yup. Just like seahawks throwing.

I don't understand it. 

Yeah, it's not like the Falcons don't have a decent running game ... as it was, Freeman had 11 carries for 75 yards complimented by Coleman with 7 carries for 29 yards.  Considering the lead that Atlanta had, that's not enough carries.

We discussed it here at half time in terms of using clock time as well but the outcome is going to haunt the coaching staff of Atlanta ... if it was GB I'd be furious (McCarthy blew that playoff game in Seattle 2 years ago with poor play calling near the goal line)

New England make an artform about doing the 'obvious thing' extremely well even though it does look sometimes like they take risks.  Belichick knows when to pull the trigger and when not to.

Edited February 6, 2017 by Macca

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

Sorry JV that is awful. I finished re watching the second half and I'm still dumb founded at the turn around by the Pats. Brady will get a lot of accolades but I think belichick is the MVP. To adjust the way they did being down 28-3 is huge. Atlanta had done enough on defense but we're on the field a lot on in the first half and the more plays you have the more belichick can uncover a weakness. 

[JV7 2,361]

Thanks again for running the tipping comp Macca... With 10 minutes to go & a 19 point lead I thought to myself "We're actually going to win this & the I'll take out the post season tipping comp" haha... 

I feel like I don't even want to go back & follow next year (I know I will) everything fell into place this year for us & it was all there to be taken with a 28-3 lead. I look back at week 16 when Seattle miss a 30 odd yard FG against Arizona to open the #2 seed for us & I had this feeling from there things were going to go our way & they did right up until the last quarter. 

It's a hell of a long way back to the Superbowl, not sure what the stats say but I couldn't imagine too many losing sides writing the wrong the following year. Shannahan will take the 49ers job so we will be with a new OC, who knows how that will pan out, will we learn a new scheme after what worked so well for us this year ? 

All I know today was a missed opportunity, on the surface you say we are a young defense & in year 2 of Quinn..We were ahead of schedule & going up against Brady & Bellicheck we had a free hit at a superbowl but that all went out the window with a 28-3 lead, we chocked... Plan & simple & it was probably the offense in the end that cost us, the defense was hot all game but was too gassed in the end to make a stop. This will hurt for a long time... Thanks for letting me vent... 

Go Dees!

Edited February 6, 2017 by JV7

[Gorgoroth 13,069]

Cheers macca. Happy to share.

NFL can be the easiest to shut down at times but it seems that the play callers try and trick and trick and trick until they trick themselves out of the easiest and best option.

[Macca 17,058]

What often isn't mentioned is how other teams go at the SB runner-up really hard.  All we ever seem to hear about are the teams who go after the SB winner.  So Atlanta can expect stronger opposition next season - in any given game.  They'll need to be ready. 

However, Atlanta have got a really good roster and they're a high scoring team but, that NFC South division could be on for young & old.  The Panthers will be dirty about how they played this season and the Saints & Tampa are both very capable on any given Sunday.

Rather than stewing on the loss the focus has to go onto simply winning the division next season - as it should always be.  It's as simple as that.  These sort of losses can galvanise or fragment.  Strong leadership will be needed and if that happens, the Falcons will bounce back.

[Gorgoroth 13,069]

The best thing in the Falcons favour is how bloody young they are. 

They have it in front of them. 

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

That's a good point Macca. Perfect example is your boys. For most of the year the talk was Rogers is cooked. Then it was Rogers is the MVP. They found a way to win the division and when it mattered for most part they threatened. Jus gotta win the division. Seeds and home field don't matter too much.

[Macca 17,058]

James White ... drafted as a running back at pick #130 a few years back

Today runs for 29 with 2 TD's plus ... 14 receptions as a receiver for 110 yards and another TD.  I wouldn't be alone in saying I knew very little about him before today. 

Belichick consistently brings these types of players before us in big games.  Easily the greatest coach in the modern era.

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

There was a good read on Atlanta's GM who traded up for Julio Jones. Belichick rang him and said don't do it. If Belichick rang me and told me to change my fish n chip order I would. I think it worked out well for Atlanta.

[Macca 17,058]

One day on and I'm convinced that no other team other than the Patriots could have won that game ... certainly no team in the AFC could have come back from a 28-3 deficit.

I can't see any of Dallas,  Green Bay,  Seattle or the Giants getting back either ... it took a great team like New England to do it ... Atlanta should have played more conservative (ran the ball on occasions) but it was like Belichick read their minds.  And that's a skill.

The Pats made more errors in the first half (including a pick 6 - Brady was also sacked 5 times) than Atlanta made in the entire game but it was as if the Pats simply erased those errors and just got on with it. 

The remarkable all-time best comeback shouldn't be played down.

[JV7 2,361]

Been feeling down all day today... I can't imagine how those lifelong Atlanta fans who've waited 51 years must be feeling or the players for that matter.

I saw a stat last night, since 2001.. 394 teams have trailed by 25+ points in games & only 3 including the Pats yesterday have gone on to win. Also at the 11 minute mark of the 4th quarter with Atlanta leading 28-12 & the having the ball, they were rated a 99.6% chance to win!!! How in the world does a side have a 0.4% chance to win a game & actually do it.. Unbelievable. 

I knew, I just knew when they got the score back to 16 points & it was a 2 score game it was over... I could see it coming... 

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

Being NFC Champs isn't an easy task JV. You have beaten some very good and experienced playoff teams to be Champs. Teams like Green Bay, Seattle and Carolina are used to playoffs. If your boys can take that into next year a playoff game anywhere against Atlanta is going to be a tough assignment. You could've been the only undefeated team in the NFL after 5 rounds and have your defense being compared to the greatest of all time and then go 3-8 for the rest of the year.

[JV7 2,361]

1 minute ago, cowboy_from_hell said:

Being NFC Champs isn't an easy task JV. You have beaten some very good and experienced playoff teams to be Champs. Teams like Green Bay, Seattle and Carolina are used to playoffs. If your boys can take that into next year a playoff game anywhere against Atlanta is going to be a tough assignment. You could've been the only undefeated team in the NFL after 5 rounds and have your defense being compared to the greatest of all time and then go 3-8 for the rest of the year.

That's the thing I'm most disappointed about, beating sides like Green Bay, Seattle isn't easy & you've got sides like Dallas who will improve again. If your Vikes get healthy & have a good run their going to be a good side.. It's going to be so hard to get back there & so so many things have to go your way & we blew a golden opportunity...

[Gorgoroth 13,069]

on the plus side mate,... You don't follow the Rams...

[Macca 17,058]

I hadn't realised that Coleman had gone off injured so it was down to Freeman or another player (who hadn't made a run all night)  New England had stopped Atlanta's run in the 2nd half which signified that Belichick was daring Atlanta to throw it - the challenge was taken up and they fell short.  Jones was double-teamed all night so others had to create separation.

If Shanahan was solely responsible for the call not to run the ball (1st & 10 on the Patriots 22 yard line), he's off to the 49ers anyway.  On the surface of it, a possible convenient outcome?

And I agree with cfh's sentiments ... winning the NFC was a mighty effort.  The Packers, who had done well to beat Dallas, were thoroughly outpointed in the NFC Championship game.

 

 

 

 

.

Edited February 7, 2017 by Macca

[Gorgoroth 13,069]

Falcons QB coach looks like being the Rams new OC. 

[JV7 2,361]

2 hours ago, Gorgoroth said:

Falcons QB coach looks like being the Rams new OC. 

Good get... He was my preferred choice to replace Shanahan

[Gorgoroth 13,069]

35 minutes ago, JV7 said:

Good get... He was my preferred choice to replace Shanahan

Not official yet, but if we get him out seems a good get. 

[Gorgoroth 13,069]

Just reading that they believe Kenny Britt will leave the Rams. He is a free agent. So our one half decent reciever is going... sigh...