I decided to wait a few days on my Super Bowl recap because it's always good to give major sports moments a chance to sink in. As we know, many so-called experts jumped the gun Sunday night and started touting this as the greatest Super Bowl of all time, something that a first reaction might lead one to believe. But upon further examination, what I found is that this game was a great fourth quarter to end a decent game. Granted, the great fourth quarter was enough to qualify the game as a whole as great, but it hurts the game from the historic standpoint because there have been other, more complete Super Bowls played and there have also been many other great finishes, even in the last decade.
The first half of XLIII was actually rather dull. The Steelers dominated possession, receiving the opening kickoff and taking their first two drives for points and allowing the Cardinals' offense just one possession in the first quarter. As I said in my last post, you can count me among those that believe that the Steelers should have gone for the TD on fourth and inches on their opening drive. My reasoning for this is that, even if they had failed to score, the Cardinals, a team with no real running threat, would have been forced to take the franchise's first ever Super Bowl snap from inside their own 1 yard line. Oh, and the Steelers have the league's best defense, to boot! If the Steelers coaches had more time to think about the decision, I think they would have come to the same conclusion. Worst case scenario, you fail, and you force your #1-ranked defense to stop the opponent 99 yards from your goal line. Seems feasible. Even if you fail and the Cards pick up a couple first downs, you'll still have pretty good field position on your next drive.
So after taking the 3-0 lead the first real theme of the night came up. On the Cardinals first drive, they moved the ball fairly well until holding was called on left tackle Mike Gandy that created a first and 20. Arizona still hadn't settled in with their passing game yet, so the holding call was the kiss of death and they eventually punted. The Steelers then scored a TD on their next drive. Gandy was called for holding three times in the game, and every one of them proved to be a drive killer as the Cards did not get one first down after any of them. This also was the first in a series of questionable calls that all seemed to go against the Cardinals for the first three quarters.
One could argue that the game was decided as time expired in the first half. With the Cardinals trailing 10-7 and driving, they faced a first and goal inside the Steelers' 5 with roughly 20 seconds to play. On the play, the Cardinals lined up spread in the shotgun, holding no timeouts, knowing that a sack likely ends the half so they either have to score or throw incomplete. The Steelers showed blitz, with all four of their linebackers creeping towards the line prior to the snap, causing the Cardinals to audible to a slant pattern for Anquan Boldin, lined up in the left slot. The Steelers did not blitz, however, as only 4 rushers came and the others dropped into coverage, including linebacker James Harrison who dropped into the slant lane and was rewarded with a perfect strike from Warner. He was then escorted 100 yards down the field for the back-breaking touchdown. It looked like there was a block in the back on Harrison's return that would have brought the play back to around the Arizona 40, but no flag was thrown. It also appeared that Harrison failed to break the plane of the endzone on the play, but the review evidence was inconclusive and the play stood as called, giving the Steelers a 17-7 halftime lead.
The Halftime Show was fine. I'm not a Springsteen fan, nor do I dislike him, so as usual I was rather indifferent toward the show. All I know is that the entire halftime took almost a full half hour, which is a lot longer than the normal 12 minutes of an NFL halftime. The layoff didn't seem to impact the game, however.
On a side note, I just have to question the NBC executive that thought it was a good idea to include Matt Millen on the pre-game and halftime shows. I've said before, no person outside of OJ Simpson and Isiah Thomas has done more to sully a stellar playing career after retiring than has Millen. This is the man that completely destroyed a football franchise with incompetence over 8 years, and was directly involved in the first 0-16 season ever, and that happened THIS YEAR, and he's getting a broadcasting gig? Really!?! I'm not saying he has to go hideout somewhere and never be heard from again (not that I don't support this idea fully), but I think you should at least wait until an offseason has passed. Then again, maybe NBC hates Detroit. Who knows?
Back to the game, the third quarter had roughly the same feel and results of the first quarter. Pittsburgh dominated possession while the Cards had yet to fully give up on the run. The Steelers really had numerous chances to put the game away in this quarter, but blew them badly. They even had the ball inside of the Cardinals' 10 yard line with a first down twice (thanks to the running into the holder call), and came away with just 3 points. It turns out that these holds by Arizona would be crucial as it kept the game at just two scores at 20-7 instead of possibly 24-7. And then the fourth quarter started...
The Cardinals finally remembered who they are. They are not a running team, they are a top-5 passing offense and they've gotten to the Super Bowl because their spread attack with a skilled QB is one of the best offenses in football. And they also finally showed a little urgency, getting into the hurry up for the first time since their TD drive in the second quarter. As one would expect, Warner got hot with the game on the line and started picking apart the Steelers secondary. The Steelers struggled to get pressure on Warner and he made precise throw after precise throw, leading the Cards down to the Pitt 1. And somehow, on third and goal from the 1, the Steelers didn't know that Warner was going to throw a fade to Larry Fitzgerald, the best fade-catcher in football. Despite being thoroughly molested by Ike Taylor, Larry Jr. made the great leaping catch and suddenly the Cardinals were within one score.
The teams would then trade punts before the Cards got the ball and made a couple plays to get down to the Steelers' 26. Once again, though, Gandy would be called for a hold on first down and the Cardinals faced a fourth and 20 from the 36. Now, Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers has been a fantasy machine for the last 3-4 years, and anyone that's followed the Cards at all knows that 53 yards (which is roughly what this attempt would have been) is within his range. We also knew that the wind was a non-factor Sunday night in Tampa. Yet despite this, Arizona elected to play the field position game and punt, and fortunately it worked out as the ball was downed perfectly at the Steeler 2, and then moved back a yard thanks to James Harrison's (yes the same guy with the TD earlier) personal foul as he basically assaulted an Arizona player on the play. John Madden even commented during the broadcast that he would have tossed Harrison from the game for what he did, and I've heard others that agree. Cardinals fans would say that this was another sign of the partisan officiating, but I think there's enough grey area there to argue against that.
What was partisan officiating was the following second down play, from the Pittsburgh 1. Willie Parker was given the ball on a run up the middle (this after an inexplicable first down pass that fell incomplete and stopped the clock) and was stopped clearly inside the goal line. Parker lunged back to about the one, but the replay seemed to show his knee down before the ball had left the endzone. Either way, the officials gave a very generous spot, and the Steelers faced a critical third and 10. I was thinking at the time, and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin evidently later said after the game he was thinking the same, that if the Steelers get stopped, they should just take the safety as they would still be up by more than a field goal. Turns out this was moot, as the Steelers completed a 19 yard pass on third down, only to be called for holding in the endzone (perhaps a make-up call?) giving the Cards the safety.
Arizona would score just two plays later when Fitzgerald made the Steelers defense appear to be in slow motion on a 65-yard slant touchdown right over the middle of the field. The score is now 23-20, and Ben Roethlisberger, who has had a remarkable knack for coming up with clutch late-game drives early on in his career, was put to the test once more.
The drive started from the Steelers 22 (I never understood, and still don't understand, the Steelers' decision to make 250+ pound tailback Gary Russell their kick returner; every game of theirs I've seen, this has led to poor field position after kickoffs). The first Steelers play is called back for holding, putting them at their own 12 with first and 20 and 2:24 to play. Then Roethlisberger goes into "I'm NOT going to lose this game" mode (Madden video game players know this as "the drive" which usually comes near the end of a half and the computer quarterback refuses to throw incomplete or get sacked) and starts dancing around the pocket, dodging defenders while always looking downfield to make the play. After completions to Santonio "Don't call me San Antonio ever again!" Holmes on first and third down, the Steelers have a first at their 39 with the two minute warning now gone. A quick pass is completed to Nate Washington (who quietly did nothing in the game, much like Hines Ward) but he's caught in bounds. The Steelers hurry up and Ben scrambles for 4 yards, but again stays in bounds and the Steelers use their 2nd timeout. 1:02 to play.
This is when the game is finally decided. On 2nd and 6 from the Arizona 46, Roethlisberger moves around in the pocket before finding Holmes wide open on an in-route, and Holmes spins outside and sprints passed the defense, weaving his way to the Cardinals 6. Suddenly, the Steelers aren't looking for 3 and a tie (and our first ever overtime Super Bowl), but instead have 50 seconds and 3 chances (3 downs before a field goal) to take the lead. On first down, Roethlisberger throws an excellent pass to Holmes in the left corner, and despite being the only real receiving threat for the Steelers in the game, he is uncovered. But the ball goes just through Holmes's arms, incomplete. So there's no possible way the Cardinals will leave Holmes uncovered on second down, right? Wrong. Holmes again slides through the defense unchecked, this time heading to the right back pylon where Roethlisberger finds him for one of the greatest throws and catches in football history.
I've spoken to a number of people about this catch, and after hearing the announcers on the game, it seems most people doubted on first glance that Holmes had gotten both feet down. Not me. My gut reaction was that he was in. As it affected my Super Bowl pick, I was rooting for him to be out, but indeed he was not. It was a sensational catch, and the throw deserves a ton of credit, too, as it had to clear three defenders and still be low enough for Holmes to catch it and get both feet down, which he did. The review confirms it, and the Steelers stun the Cardinals with the score. Is this better than David Tyree's "Helmet Catch" from last year's Super Bowl? Again, I say no, but the more I see it the more impressed I am with it. It definitely rivals Dwight Clark's famous Super Bowl catch from Joe Montana, and may even be better.
The game ends unceremoniously with Warner being sacked and stripped (story of his life, I suppose), although this was really the final blow by the refs as the play should have at least been reviewed as to whether Warner's arm was going forward. I would say it was, and I think it should have been ruled an incomplete pass (as was one of Warner's earlier passes that I think was less obvious than this one) leaving 5 seconds on the clock and one more chance at a miracle, but alas, it was not meant to be.
So my final impression is that we saw a fantastic game with an all-time great finish, but this will not make my top 5 Super Bowls of all time list. What we did see, though, is a great game between a Hall of Famer (Warner) and a guy that could be on his way (Roethlisberger).
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Super Sunday Wrap-up
Before I get to an in-depth Super Bowl wrap-up (which I will get to later on this week), I wanted to do a somewhat brief look at the two historic events that unfolded yesterday on Super Sunday.
Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oy! Oy! Oy!
First things first, yesterday's men's final in the Australian Open will go down as one of the greatest tennis matches that I've ever watched. Although it isn't quite on par with the sensational Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal Wimbledon final from last summer, it is still a worthy chapter in the great brewing Federer-Nadal rivalry. In case you missed it, world's #1 Nadal won his first career hard court major title with a thrilling 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-2 (that's five sets) victory over world's #2 Federer. It was another brilliant match between the two best players in the world.
As for this being a rivalry, some would argue that in order for a rivalry to exist, both sides must win roughly half the time, and Nadal has basically dominated Federer in their meetings, but I would say that this easily still qualifies as a rivalry. When you have the greatest player of his generation (Federer) involved in a series of matches against the greatest player of the next generation (Nadal), then it seems clear-cut to me. Especially as incredible as these matches have been.
The more these two players clash, the more I can't help but feel like we're not getting the best of Federer in their matches. The way Roger is able to absolutely annihilate his competition when he faces anyone else, and yet struggles with some of the most basic aspects of his game against Nadal, I have to wonder just what we're getting out of him. For example, yesterday Federer struggled immensely with his serve, even though he had been having one of his best serving tournaments of his career in this year's Aussie. It was very strange how it seemed Federer, a man that's never seemed to be the victim of his own emotions, had problems maintaining focus in yesterday's match. I don't know if this is the effect of playing against the best opponent in the world, or if Federer is developing a mental block specifically due to Nadal. Either way, I hope he figures it out so we can see him push back in this rivalry down the road. It definitely doesn't seem like he's over the hill (he's only 27, and even the all-time best Pete Sampras didn't run out of gas until he was 29 or 30).
As for Nadal, there's not much else to say than he is simply the best in the world right now. This guy's mental fortitude is unmatched, and he plays every point as loose as if it were the first point of the match, yet as aggressively and frantically as if it were match point. He almost never seems rattled, and his motor never seems to run down no matter how much his opponents make him run. I know that, being 24, my frame of reference isn't the best, but I have to wonder if he will go down as the greatest pure athlete to play the game. Yesterday during the coverage, two comments stood out to me in this vein: first, he was a superstar soccer player when he was a kid, and even as a pre-teen, and easily could have become a professional soccer player had he not chosen tennis; and second, he used to use two hands on all of his tennis strokes and actually chose to be a southpaw! Most people are lucky if they can be passable with one hand; he could choose between two!
Super Bowl XLIII
As I said, I will do a full breakdown of the game later on this week, so here I'll just give you some of my first impressions. First and foremost, this was a sensational game. It was interesting throughout, even if the Steelers did seem to dominate for the first three quarters. It was rather funny: many people at the party I attended to watch the game made comments that it seemed like the Cardinals were getting killed early on, and I even heard Chris Berman mention this on the post-game report on ESPN, but I didn't feel that way. In the first quarter and a half, while it seemed like the Steelers were in control, I couldn't help but keep thinking that Pittsburgh was actually unable to take full advantage of their control of the game and that the Cardinals did a good job of hanging around. Count me among those that thought coach Mike Tomlin should have had the Steelers go for it on fourth and inches on the opening drive. Of course that James Harrison TAINT was probably the biggest play in the entire game, changing a potential 14-10 Cards lead or 10-10 haftime score to a 17-7 Steeler lead.
The fourth quarter of this game, much like last year, made it an all-time great. Although the Steelers held a 13 point lead, the Cardinals were still very much alive and had shown that they could move the ball all game, as long as they could avoid penalties. You can also count me as one that had numerous complaints about the officiating, but I thought it evened out a bit by the end. Unfortunately, I still think it's disappointing that the officials would let the game end on a controversial play without reviewing it, even if the review officials believed that it was clear. Just the gesture of the review would have made disappointed Cardinals fans feel like they got a fair shake.
The one thing that has been going through my mind for the past 20 hours or so since the game ended was the question of where I'd place Ben Roethlisberger on a list of the most clutch QBs in the NFL right now. After a little thought (this is something I may write about in more detail at a later date), this is my top 5 quarterbacks I'd want to have with the ball with the game on the line:
1. Tom Brady - When healthy, Brady is still the most clutch QB in the league and will likely go down as a top 5 clutch QB of all time.
2. Ben Roethlisberger - His ability to avoid the pass rush and create plays when the pocket breaks down is second to none. The man is almost impossible for a single player to take down.
3. Peyton Manning - Manning's postseason struggles cost him a spot on this list. From quarter 1 through 3, there's no QB I'd rather have (except maybe Tom Brady circa 2007). But in the fourth quarter, Manning is only third.
4. Kurt Warner - You don't have an 8-3 postseason record on accident. When Warner is at his best, he's a machine in the hurry-up offense and he kills tired defenses.
5. Philip Rivers - It's weird, but it was surprisingly tough to think of a solid #5. The top four are all quite a bit better than anyone I could put here. Some other options: Drew Brees, Donovan McNabb (regular season only), Matt Hasselbeck (when healthy), possibly Jay Cutler (just not yet). I just don't know how much I trust any of these guys compared to those listed above.
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention the fantastic catch by Santonio Holmes to give the Steelers the lead for good. There has been some argument that this could be better than The Helmet Catch last year by David Tyree, but I think that's kind of silly. The throw was better, yes, as Roethlisberger had a minuscule window to put the ball in, but the acrobaticism (that's right, I made up a word!) of the Tyree catch is what made it so magnificent. Both are roughly equal is meaningfulness, as Holmes catch gave the team the lead and Tyree's catch came on a third and long that, had it failed, likely would have meant the game. Regardless, I thought from the first moment I saw the play that Holmes had gotten both feet in (I know many have said they thought otherwise), but I hoped (being that I picked the Cards to win) that the replay would prove my first reaction wrong. Alas, it did not.
In the end, we were robbed of our first ever overtime Super Bowl (yet again) but we were given another historic game that cemented the legacy of two Hall of Fame quarterbacks and one all-time great franchise.
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oy! Oy! Oy!
First things first, yesterday's men's final in the Australian Open will go down as one of the greatest tennis matches that I've ever watched. Although it isn't quite on par with the sensational Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal Wimbledon final from last summer, it is still a worthy chapter in the great brewing Federer-Nadal rivalry. In case you missed it, world's #1 Nadal won his first career hard court major title with a thrilling 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-2 (that's five sets) victory over world's #2 Federer. It was another brilliant match between the two best players in the world.
As for this being a rivalry, some would argue that in order for a rivalry to exist, both sides must win roughly half the time, and Nadal has basically dominated Federer in their meetings, but I would say that this easily still qualifies as a rivalry. When you have the greatest player of his generation (Federer) involved in a series of matches against the greatest player of the next generation (Nadal), then it seems clear-cut to me. Especially as incredible as these matches have been.
The more these two players clash, the more I can't help but feel like we're not getting the best of Federer in their matches. The way Roger is able to absolutely annihilate his competition when he faces anyone else, and yet struggles with some of the most basic aspects of his game against Nadal, I have to wonder just what we're getting out of him. For example, yesterday Federer struggled immensely with his serve, even though he had been having one of his best serving tournaments of his career in this year's Aussie. It was very strange how it seemed Federer, a man that's never seemed to be the victim of his own emotions, had problems maintaining focus in yesterday's match. I don't know if this is the effect of playing against the best opponent in the world, or if Federer is developing a mental block specifically due to Nadal. Either way, I hope he figures it out so we can see him push back in this rivalry down the road. It definitely doesn't seem like he's over the hill (he's only 27, and even the all-time best Pete Sampras didn't run out of gas until he was 29 or 30).
As for Nadal, there's not much else to say than he is simply the best in the world right now. This guy's mental fortitude is unmatched, and he plays every point as loose as if it were the first point of the match, yet as aggressively and frantically as if it were match point. He almost never seems rattled, and his motor never seems to run down no matter how much his opponents make him run. I know that, being 24, my frame of reference isn't the best, but I have to wonder if he will go down as the greatest pure athlete to play the game. Yesterday during the coverage, two comments stood out to me in this vein: first, he was a superstar soccer player when he was a kid, and even as a pre-teen, and easily could have become a professional soccer player had he not chosen tennis; and second, he used to use two hands on all of his tennis strokes and actually chose to be a southpaw! Most people are lucky if they can be passable with one hand; he could choose between two!
Super Bowl XLIII
As I said, I will do a full breakdown of the game later on this week, so here I'll just give you some of my first impressions. First and foremost, this was a sensational game. It was interesting throughout, even if the Steelers did seem to dominate for the first three quarters. It was rather funny: many people at the party I attended to watch the game made comments that it seemed like the Cardinals were getting killed early on, and I even heard Chris Berman mention this on the post-game report on ESPN, but I didn't feel that way. In the first quarter and a half, while it seemed like the Steelers were in control, I couldn't help but keep thinking that Pittsburgh was actually unable to take full advantage of their control of the game and that the Cardinals did a good job of hanging around. Count me among those that thought coach Mike Tomlin should have had the Steelers go for it on fourth and inches on the opening drive. Of course that James Harrison TAINT was probably the biggest play in the entire game, changing a potential 14-10 Cards lead or 10-10 haftime score to a 17-7 Steeler lead.
The fourth quarter of this game, much like last year, made it an all-time great. Although the Steelers held a 13 point lead, the Cardinals were still very much alive and had shown that they could move the ball all game, as long as they could avoid penalties. You can also count me as one that had numerous complaints about the officiating, but I thought it evened out a bit by the end. Unfortunately, I still think it's disappointing that the officials would let the game end on a controversial play without reviewing it, even if the review officials believed that it was clear. Just the gesture of the review would have made disappointed Cardinals fans feel like they got a fair shake.
The one thing that has been going through my mind for the past 20 hours or so since the game ended was the question of where I'd place Ben Roethlisberger on a list of the most clutch QBs in the NFL right now. After a little thought (this is something I may write about in more detail at a later date), this is my top 5 quarterbacks I'd want to have with the ball with the game on the line:
1. Tom Brady - When healthy, Brady is still the most clutch QB in the league and will likely go down as a top 5 clutch QB of all time.
2. Ben Roethlisberger - His ability to avoid the pass rush and create plays when the pocket breaks down is second to none. The man is almost impossible for a single player to take down.
3. Peyton Manning - Manning's postseason struggles cost him a spot on this list. From quarter 1 through 3, there's no QB I'd rather have (except maybe Tom Brady circa 2007). But in the fourth quarter, Manning is only third.
4. Kurt Warner - You don't have an 8-3 postseason record on accident. When Warner is at his best, he's a machine in the hurry-up offense and he kills tired defenses.
5. Philip Rivers - It's weird, but it was surprisingly tough to think of a solid #5. The top four are all quite a bit better than anyone I could put here. Some other options: Drew Brees, Donovan McNabb (regular season only), Matt Hasselbeck (when healthy), possibly Jay Cutler (just not yet). I just don't know how much I trust any of these guys compared to those listed above.
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention the fantastic catch by Santonio Holmes to give the Steelers the lead for good. There has been some argument that this could be better than The Helmet Catch last year by David Tyree, but I think that's kind of silly. The throw was better, yes, as Roethlisberger had a minuscule window to put the ball in, but the acrobaticism (that's right, I made up a word!) of the Tyree catch is what made it so magnificent. Both are roughly equal is meaningfulness, as Holmes catch gave the team the lead and Tyree's catch came on a third and long that, had it failed, likely would have meant the game. Regardless, I thought from the first moment I saw the play that Holmes had gotten both feet in (I know many have said they thought otherwise), but I hoped (being that I picked the Cards to win) that the replay would prove my first reaction wrong. Alas, it did not.
In the end, we were robbed of our first ever overtime Super Bowl (yet again) but we were given another historic game that cemented the legacy of two Hall of Fame quarterbacks and one all-time great franchise.
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
