Super Bowl 51

[Glengoyne]

Edelman's interview after the game. Loosely paraphrased... I knew I had it, but really didn't know if it was a catch. I don't know the rule. Nobody knows the rule. What's a catch?

Given my hatred for the rule...that comment is almost as great as the comeback.

[Groundhog]

Not the result I wanted - had money on either a Falcons win, or a Patriots blowout (20+) - but an entertaining game none the less.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

Incidently the bizarre half-commercial for Lumber 84 was forced to be edited by FOX because it was "too controversial"

All it had was the mother and child blocked by "the wall" and then found "a door" through. That's it.

Yet we have to be subjected to Godaddy's wretched oversex commercials and a million others with people shooting each other whee.

I thought that was easily the best commercial of the night, even completely ignoring the political aspect of it. Till the end, at which point I threw my cat at the TV for the bait and switch. Stupid that FOX would force them to edit it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Local media take, for those who enjoy that sort of thing.

A new low for Falcons, a new low for Atlanta

[wustin]

Who snaps the ball with a 3 possession lead 20 seconds left on the playclock? The Falcons!

[JPhillips]

I missed the part of Trump's interview where he said Brady and Belichik got a lot of popularity because of his friendship.

[ISiddiqui]

This is probably the quietest I've ever seen the city. Everyone has been gut punched.

[jeff061]

While I think it's ridiculous to put it all on that horrible sequence given what the Pats had to do to take advantage on it....I was certainly screaming the game was going to be over becuase they were going to run it and kick the field goal. And then they didn't. Fail.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

This is probably the quietest I've ever seen the city. Everyone has been gut punched.

Welcome to the past 10 years for AFC teams.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

This is probably the quietest I've ever seen the city. Everyone has been gut punched.

Welcome to Seattle after the goalline pass.

[wustin]

The only thing annoying about this Patriots win are the idiots on Facebook you try very hard to ignore but can't.

Beating my head against a brick wall right now with a Pats fan. This is him defending that 1st and 10 at NE 22 drive. Apparently no reason for Atlanta to run 3 times because Matt Bryant missed two field goals warming up before the game.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

Welcome to Seattle after the goalline pass.

Well, kinda, except Seattle got to fall back on the title from the year before. Might make a difference.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by jeff061

While I think it's ridiculous to put it all on that horrible sequence given what the Pats had to do to take advantage on it....I was certainly screaming the game was going to be over becuase they were going to run it and kick the field goal. And then they didn't. Fail.

I was at a poker tournament where they were watching the game too. When they didn't run down the clock properly, someone screamed "Andy Reid must be on the Falcons' sideline!"

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Well, kinda, except Seattle got to fall back on the title from the year before. Might make a difference.

Yep. It's extra crushing when there was hope to crawl out of the "Loserville, USA" moniker as SI called the city in the late 80s.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by wustin

The only thing annoying about this Patriots win are the idiots on Facebook you try very hard to ignore but can't.

Beating my head against a brick wall right now with a Pats fan. This is him defending that 1st and 10 at NE 22 drive. Apparently no reason for Atlanta to run 3 times because Matt Bryant missed two field goals warming up before the game.

A coach has to believe in his kicker, missing two FG in practice means absolutely zero. That whole sequence underscores the importance of coaching experience in big games. I had people at the party I was at harp about Bellicheck trying a field goal down 28-9 instead of going for it. I was like, why it's a two score game now. You fail you still need three TD's instead of two. The counter there is that you have to make two 2 point conversions. Well, you know NE is going to have 2-3 plays they feel pretty good about in that situation and they did, both were unconventional plays that were executed perfectly.

Two things on the Falcons drive really struck me. One, Bellichek would have assuredly run on down that resulted in a sack and two, Brady probably would have thrown that ball away and not held it like Ryan did. Again, just experience and poise in a big game moment.

[hollmt]

Originally Posted by wustin

The only thing annoying about this Patriots win are the idiots on Facebook you try very hard to ignore but can't.

Beating my head against a brick wall right now with a Pats fan. This is him defending that 1st and 10 at NE 22 drive. Apparently no reason for Atlanta to run 3 times because Matt Bryant missed two field goals warming up before the game.

Arguing with facespace nerds is pointless, really. Save yourself the hassle and don't do it

I don't understand the play calling decision either BUT one point he does have (or was maybe trying to hint at) is everyone did automatically grant the FG being made had they made better play calling decisions and that has been an annoyance of mine for years. You can assume all you want, but you do not know what is going to happen.

Case in point, Pats down 28-3 and the game was OVER, right? History was written and the trophy was all but handed to the Falcons. Then it wasn't. So, why do we collectively think that had plays been called differently, something for sure is going to happen? Why do we try and rewrite what could/would have happened had this/that occurred? What if they had ran the ball and fumbled? What if the FG was missed...it happens. What if cows flew on the field?

But that facespace post you showed is silly. Warmups in practice don't really mean anything. Maybe he tried making a FG with his eyes closed and wanted to practice that.

[bhlloy]

It also ignores the fact that even with a missed field goal, if the Falcons had just run a couple more times, not kept running plays with 20 seconds on the play clock and taken another minute and a half off at any point in the fourth they probably would have won anyway

[wustin]

You think if I set all of my defensive plays to be cover-1, no blitz in FOF against an 80 overall QB I'd get picked apart by the CPU QB?

Tempted to find out.

[OldGiants]

The world feels today as it would have if Hitler's 'Come from behind plan' at The Battle of the Bulge had worked.

[Arles]

What a win by the Pats (and loss by Atlanta). I know this won't get much sympathy from the diehard Falcons fans on the board, but I somehow found a way to lose a fairly decent bet that (at one point) was impossible to lose on. Here's my gambling day yesterday:

Put a sizeable amount on the moneyline for Atlanta, tease Atlanta with the over and make some prop bets. Five were uninteresting losers (long shots for MVP and 1st TD), but three were James White scoring the first NE touchdown (12-1),Freeman at 15-1 for MVP and White for MVP at 50-1.

Fast forward to the middle of the 3rd and Freeman has nearly 100 total yards and TD and, when Coleman gets hurt, has an outside shot the MVP. I could have gotten the NE moneyline at a 10-1 underdog clip on live betting as well. I looked at it, nearly bet it, but decided that I'd let the moneyline for ATL ride. So, NE does the unthinkable and wins with James White getting 140 yards and 3 TDs, setting the record for receptions and should be the MVP. Instead, Brady gets it and I lose my 50-1 bet. So, to recap: I lost a moneyline bet when the team had a 25-point lead in the 3rd, passed on betting the winning team at 10-1 as a hedge and lost a 50-1 MVP pick who had 140 yards and 3 TDs for the winning team.

Even with that unmitigated disaster, I still nearly broke even with the tease winning and the White to score the first NE TD coming through. But, had Atlanta won, I taken the hedge or White gotten the MVP and that would have been probably my best Super Bowl betting day ever. Gotta love gambling....

[Butter]

Yeah, I saw a "Will this game go to OT" sometime late in the 3rd quarter at 100-1 and briefly considered it... Also put a small bet on Vic Beasley to win MVP at 25-1, and wished I had put it on "the field" as Grady Jarrett was certainly in the running until the 4th quarter with his 3 sacks.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Butter

Two sacks on that drive, that's a good recipe for success.

Interior pressure is the key vs the Pats. Brady has great awareness of edge rushers but ever since his knee injury in 2008 he's really skittish about pressure up the middle. Grady Jarrett was the MVP of that game for thw first half.

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Didn't the guy jumping over the lineman hit the lineman on the way down? Thought the call was initially going to be for that, which I think is 15 yards.

We were debating this last night - is it illegal to hit any offensive lineman or just the center? Ping Dr Sak!

Originally Posted by Carman Bulldog

So why no fair catch kick there? I would think the kick would run out the clock still with only 3 seconds, no? Maybe 75 yards was just too long.

Even before this year when he lost faith in him Belichick's never really let Gostkowski attempt long FG's. Drives me crazy when he runs Brady out for a hail mary from the 45 instead of letting Gostkowski try a 60+ yarder at the end of the 2nd quarter.QUOTE=TroyF;3144749]Nothing you can say outside of Atlanta lost the game. Now maybe I can hear less whining from NE fans about the Giants catch. [/quote]That was the greatest and luckiest catch of all time. (Circumstances push it ahead of the Immaculate Reception) Now, I might argue that Eli should've been called in the grasp . But every Pats fan I know gives that catch its proper due.

Originally Posted by bob

Do you think the OT rules will be discussed any after this game?

I think they should be modified for the regular season (both teams getting FG's leads to short time & too many ties), but I have no problem with playoff games ending on the first touchdown.

Originally Posted by bhlloy

It also ignores the fact that even with a missed field goal, if the Falcons had just run a couple more times, not kept running plays with 20 seconds on the play clock and taken another minute and a half off at any point in the fourth they probably would have won anyway

Pats got the ball back with 3:30 left. Would've just played a little bit faster if the clock was more of an issue.

For the same reason it wouldn't quite have been game over if Ryan didn't take a sack & they kicked a successful FG. They absolutely should've run the ball there, but we would've altered strategy and they likely would still have had to recover an onside kick & make a first down.

[stevew]

Fwiw I don't like the OT changes in the regular season. Makes the games too long and an exchange of Field goals is a good recipe for a tie.

As far as the playoffs go, I don't mind the changes. Maybe you play the full 15 minutes out or you play 2 10 minute halves. At least they fixed the 1 big problem which was a big play and a chipshot fieldgoal for the OT win.

I still haven't read any explanation as to why the Pats didn't try the fair catch kick. I'm assuming the spot and distance were unfavorable. I will assume that if Justin Tucker was on the team, they would have tried it.

[BYU 14]

That rule only affects the center

[MizzouRah]

I fell asleep with a smile then woke up at 2 AM and swore I was dreaming when the TV was showing the final score.. are you freaking kidding me???

I'm still in shock...

[EagleFan]

Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(s)—“running forward and leaping in an obvious attempt to block” a kick “and landing on players” would result in a 15-yard penalty.

Says nothing about just centers.

[sabotai]

Just making contact isn't enough to fulfill the "landing on players" part of the rule.

The Seahawks weren’t called for leaping after blocking a field goal. This is why - SBNation.com

[molson]

0 celebration arrests in Boston last night. Obviously they're used to winning but zero is still impressive.

[Carman Bulldog]

Here is my issue with shitting all over the play calling at the end (and I understand the sentiment to play conservative and "take" the 40 yard field goal)...

Firstly, since we are already playing the what-if game, what if they ran the ball three times and got stuffed and the kicker missed the field goal, or if they ran and got backed up, or if the running back fumbled?

The narrative then becomes, why did the Falcons get so conservative? Why did they go against what had worked all year for them? They have the league MVP at quarterback, who I believe was about 15-for-18 at the time of the sack/penalty and the Patriots had shown no ability to stop him. They have the best receiver in the NFL and what some say is the best passing attack in recent years. They were just coming off completions of 39 and 27 yards, intertwined with runs of 2 and -1.

Secondly, the only reason they were in position for a potential field goal is because of the aggressive play calling to begin with. 1st and 10 play action from their own 10 yard line up 8 points with less than six minutes to play. Conventional wisdom says you should run there and eat some clock. That play goes for 39 yards. 2nd and 8 from the NE 49 with less than 5 minutes to play and they throw the ball deep. And it goes for 27 yards.

Perhaps there is something to be said about knowing when to be aggressive and when to dial it back. Honestly though, I would trust Kyle Shanahan a lot more than most other people on this planet as an offensive play caller. Did he get it wrong here? In hindsight, perhaps. But I think we could be having this same conversation with the narrative reversed if he had decided to play it safe.

[EagleFan]

Go against what was working for them? They were averaging about six yards a carry, that was working for them.

[CrescentMoonie]

Yep, they were around 80 yards rushing at halftime and Shanahan went away from it in the second half.

[cthomer5000]

Unfortunately my belief that the Patriots would win never wavered. I could show you text exchanges from halftime, at 28-3, etc saying I still thought New England would come back. That's not because I like them. In fact I hate them and hope Belicheck burns in some sort of sporting hell. It felt like it had to happen because the narrative demanded it. Tom Brady is football Jesus or something. I have a feeling he's going to play until he's 45 and win 3 more Super Bowls.

I'm sure they've been talked to death but the fumble on 3rd and 1 was a huge turning point - but i dont know why they didnt run there. They had a 2nd and 1, should have ran it twice and milked maximum clock. That doesn't have to be "going conservative," you just mix some practical decision making in with your general game-planning.

Aikman also hit the nail on the head about the fact that you just cannot take that sack on the later posession that moved them out of field goal range. I've ranted a million times over the years about how I think the overwhelming majority of athletes have almost zero situational awareness.

It takes two - and Atlanta more than played there part in giving the game away. It will haunt them for a the rest of their lives most likely.

[Carman Bulldog]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Go against what was working for them? They were averaging about six yards a carry, that was working for them.

I think context is important here. These were Freeman's runs in the second half at the time of the play call...

-3, 9, -3, 2, -1

Additionally, he's not an inside runner and I don't think the Falcons felt they could get anything going by trying to pound it up the middle. With a toss or sweep, there is obviously even a greater risk of a significant loss compared to running up the gut. They probably also assumed that the Patriots would be thinking run.

Again, Matt Ryan was 15 for 18 at that time. And the league MVP.

I'd argue that the far worse play call was on 3rd down, rather than the sack on 2nd down. 3rd and 23 from the 35 just screams draw play and you assume the Pats are going to give you 5-6 yards just by sitting back a bit. That would make it a long but makeable 47 yarder for Bryant.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Carman, you have some merit, and I think the narrative of "shitfest" for the whole half is wrong.

But in that specific place, inside of field goal range with clock to burn, you do not have to be aggressive any more. Like cthomer said - a run or two up the middle there isn't even conservative.

[CrimsonFox]

This is a wonderful dream...

https://www.facebook.com/deadspin/vi...8188327470072/

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Carman Bulldog

I think context is important here. These were Freeman's runs in the second half at the time of the play call...

-3, 9, -3, 2, -1

Additionally, he's not an inside runner and I don't think the Falcons felt they could get anything going by trying to pound it up the middle. With a toss or sweep, there is obviously even a greater risk of a significant loss compared to running up the gut. They probably also assumed that the Patriots would be thinking run.

Again, Matt Ryan was 15 for 18 at that time. And the league MVP.

I'd argue that the far worse play call was on 3rd down, rather than the sack on 2nd down. 3rd and 23 from the 35 just screams draw play and you assume the Pats are going to give you 5-6 yards just by sitting back a bit. That would make it a long but makeable 47 yarder for Bryant.

Meh...if ATL was running to get first downs in that situation, you have a point. But they only really needed three things at that point. One, keep the clock running with downs inside the sidelines. Two, no fumbles. Three, stay in easy FG range. Runs up the middle take care of all three needs.

It was a terrible decision to throw once they got to NE's 22.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Meh...if ATL was running to get first downs in that situation, you have a point. But they only really needed three things at that point. One, keep the clock running with downs inside the sidelines. Two, no fumbles. Three, stay in easy FG range. Runs up the middle take care of all three needs.

It was a terrible decision to throw once they got to NE's 22.

Yup. But I will say it is no big surprise. Kyle cost the Falcons some games early in the season because of the same thing. If the team got stopped a couple of times on runs, he abandons the run. The bigger question is not just why he was throwing on 3rd-1 with a big lead, but why did he call a long developing play?

[CrescentMoonie]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Yup. But I will say it is no big surprise. Kyle cost the Falcons some games early in the season because of the same thing. If the team got stopped a couple of times on runs, he abandons the run. The bigger question is not just why he was throwing on 3rd-1 with a big lead, but why did he call a long developing play?

Welcome to Kyle's work in DC as well. There's something about most young OCs/play callers that seems to make them not understand that the run is still often necessary even when it's not getting 4-5 yards a pop.

[albionmoonlight]

Hindsight is 20-20, but with a defense so obviously tired, should Atlanta have started OT with a surprise onside kick?

[Fidatelo]

I think Atlanta should have tried harder to win that coin toss. Looked like they were slacking out there, just watching the Patriots control the whole thing.

[bob]

The Atlanta Falcons have announced former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian as their offensive coordinator, replacing new San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Didn't see that one coming...

[Suicane75]

Yeah, I definitely would have called Hails or Teds in that situation.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by bob

The Atlanta Falcons have announced former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian as their offensive coordinator, replacing new San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Didn't see that one coming...

If we thought about it, we could have. Quinn used to be Pete Carroll's DC. Keep it in the family...

[CrimsonFox]

So like that call that moved the Falcons out of FG range. Do you think it was legit?

Also do you think they totally missed a facemask on I think that same play?

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by molson

0 celebration arrests in Boston last night. Obviously they're used to winning but zero is still impressive.

Plus the weather probably helped

Gotta love Bill's chant today. Though I'm a little surprised he didn't go with Do Your Job.

Bill Belichick Starts a "No Days Off!" Chant During Super Bowl LI Victory Parade | NFL - YouTube

[SirFozzie]

The Falcons dismissed their Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach today. Kinda surprised..

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

The Falcons dismissed their Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach today. Kinda surprised..

For what? Not giving the defense amphetamines at halftime? That D played out of its mind against a great offense until it lost its legs after playing a near-record number of snaps.