Water Cooler Recap: Championship Edition
Patriots 21, Chargers 12
Laurence Maroney (25 carries, 122 yards, 1 TD) saved this game for the Patriots in the second half, because before he found running room in the third quarter, Tom Brady and the rest of the offense looked rather ordinary. In fact, Brady looked uncharacteristically bad, throwing three interceptions including one in the red zone. Was it just me or did Major Tom look out of it for most of this game? San Diego’s defense did a great job of getting just enough pressure on Brady to get him out of sync and dare I say it, rattled. Unfortunately for them, however, they just couldn’t stop Maroney and Kevin Faulk (he made two spectacular catches in the fourth quarter) in the second half…San Diego’s offense did nothing in the red zone despite having success against NE’s defense. And when they managed to get three points, their ensuing kickoffs were ridiculously short and often gave the Pats solid field position. It didn’t help that Philip Rivers could barely walk, either, but he deserves major credit for gutting it out. In the end, with a gimpy Rivers and no LT, the Chargers just didn’t have enough firepower offensively to keep up. If they did, they might have won because the Pats certainly weren’t at their best.
Giants 23, Packers 20 OT
As much as Lawrence Tynes tried to give the game away, Eli freaking Manning is going to the Super Bowl. Holy crap. Give the Giants credit; not many people gave them a chance to go into Green Bay and beat everybody’s darling, Brett Favre, but that’s exactly what they did. They were physical, didn’t make a ton of mistakes and made plays in crucial situations. This was a well deserved win and football fans everywhere need to give Eli his due, because he’s played very good football over the past month. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is going to have a chance to possibly earn a head coaching (Atlanta?) job if he can contain the Patriots’ high-powered attack in two weeks. His game plan was outstanding and his play calling in the second half is what won this game for the G-Men…As for the Pack, they shot themselves in the foot multiple times in the second half. You just can’t give a team multiple opportunities to sustain drives after you already had them stopped on third down. How many stupid penalties did Green Bay’s defense commit to give the Giants new life? Offensively, what essentially doomed the Packers is what many people worried about in the beginning of the year: The lack of a running game. NY shut Ryan Grant down, took away the deep pass and flustered Brett Favre. Also, why the Pack kept calling screen passes was beyond me; clearly the Giants had those plays sniffed out. It seemed after Favre threw the fourth quarter interception, GB got ultra conservative with the play calling. I know this doesn’t mean much after a loss like this, but Packer fans, you had a great run this season.
NYG were the better team tonight. I still detest Eli Manning, but they outplayed us.
We had our chances even very late in the game. Three of them actually, Twice at the end of the fourth, if we could have moved the ball, we had them. Again in OT. move the ball and win. Didn’t happen. I think we got outcoached and I think the O-line got WAY outplayed.
For a supposedly messed up secondary, they sure seemed to cover better than we did tonight. Good job tonight, Giants. That is all.
It would have been nice to see both teams play well, but Green Bay just didn’t show up. The offense couldn’t move the ball and the defense struggled to stop the Giants. The Packers squandered multiple chances to take control of the game and simply didn’t deserve to go to the Super Bowl.
Regarding the O-line, I thought they did a fine job in pass protection, but they just didn’t open up any holes for Grant in the running game. That has always been their weakness and it really hurt the Pack tonight.
It’s not often that you get a shot to go to the Super Bowl, and I would hate it if that were Favre’s last opportunity. That said, he made a few mistakes as well tonight, and if he had played a clean game, GB might have won.
Great football game but I think the Packer’s inability to move the ball was more a result of the Giants D than the Packers not playing well. The Giants took away the run and the screen pass and begged for Favre to try and make the big strike. It was a great, physical, slug-fest that was easily the best game of the entire playoffs.
Congrats to Packers fans…regardless of the outcome, that game was everything the NFC championship game should be.
Was it me, or did the weather look like it had more of an effect on Favre than it did on Eli? Favre just did NOT look like he wanted to be out there in the second half, and it showed in his numbers.
This may be good news for all of us Patriots haters out there, though. Perhaps the Giants, who nearly upset the Pats in Week 17, have a better shot at beating NE in the Super Bowl than the Pack would have because they have a blueprint and confidence that they can play with them.
I couldn’t agree more on both points…the weather and the Giants having a better chance to beat the Pats. I just hope the media keeps picking against the Giants…PLEASE!!
Funny JEC mentioned that about Favre, but I thought the same thing.
I think Eli was tremendous, as were his wide receivers. It might be wishful thinking but I think the Giants have a chance. Of course they have to play mistake free, but they have the talent to compete.
I was wallowing and watched the game again. I don’t see any weather issues with Favre or Manning. Sorry. I think y’all are projecting. We played the run pretty well all night, but we couldn’t cover Buress at all and made too many mistakes.
Even so, what I saw was a tie game with 6:50 to go and the Packers in good field position. They got four seperate chances to change the game – 2 possessions in regulation, a fumbled punt and a possession in OT.
They missed the potential fumble recovery and didn’t so much as notch a first down. As has been the bugaboo in all our losses, we couldn’t move the ball steadily against a tough defense. (29 yards all night from Grant?) Whether Favre is outta gas, the line needs help, the skill players are still too young, or the coaching staff isn’t as good as they might be, if you can’t even get a first down on three possessions when a trip to the Super Bowl is on the line, the other squad is just plain better.
I’d still like to see some development on O-line, but we’re a good young team and will be around a long time. I’d be shocked if Favre doesn’t have one more shot left in him. We were pretty damn good this year – I’m interested to see what the guys have in store for the off season.
We were 4-12 two years ago and in the top 4 this year. I’m disappointed but excited for the future.
I am optimistic as well for the Pack, but I can’t help but feel that this was Favre’s last real shot. Not because GB won’t be good again next year, but I don’t see the team having such good fortune again with a relative lack of injuries to get another NFC Championship Game at Lambeau while he’s still under center. I hope I’m wrong and realize that there’s no real basis to these feelings, but nonetheless, there they are sitting in my stomach, rotting away.
Met a fellow Packer fan (a young woman, actually) in the parking lot of Fashion Island here in Newport Beach. Here’s how the conversation went:
Me: (Noticing Packer license player holder) “Are you a Packer fan?”
Her: “Yes.”
Me: “Brutal game.”
Her: “I don’t like to talk about it. I got into a fight with my friend about it.”
Me: (shaking head in disgust)
Her: “Brutal.”
Who will Packer fans root for in the Superbowl? It seems most Cowboy fans are rooting for the Patriots.
I’ve confessed before that I’m less a football fan than a Packer fan. Since I have no connection to either NE or NY, I just don’t care that much. I’ll watch the game and hope for a very competitive event. That’s about all.
So the 19-0 aspect means nothing to you? Interesting.
My opinion only.
Football outside of Packer Nation is strictly entertainment. Competition in entertaining. A blowout on the way to 19-0? Not so much. I think it would just as entertaining to see the Giants stop 19-0 in a competitve and hard-contested game as it would be for NE to win. I don’t much care who wins – just looking for a great spectacle.
It’s historically interesting – there’s no doubt that the Patriots are among the finest teams ever assembled. So in an intellectual way, sure it piques the interest. Do I care? Not really. Snipe at it if you like – perhaps it is a travesty here on what’s called a “National Sports Blog”
I won’t attempt to excuse it – this is also the reason I’m not a very good fantasy manager. I follow my team passionately and the NFC North closely – the rest of the NFL is of only passing interest. But that’s just me.
I’m sick of the Pats and would like to see them lose. I generally root for the underdog if I don’t have ties to either team. I don’t want to see Belicheat finish with a perfect record.
No need to excuse anything. I was just wondering what the average Packer fan was thinking. I didn’t think you’d be like the whining, spiteful Cowboys fan whose team never loses a game, they only beat themselves.
Good stuff guys…I hope it’s a good game.