Conference Championships are Poop

It's Better To Be Lucky Than Good
The Helmet Catch. The Tuck Rule. The Hail Mary last week. Now the Miss and the Fumble. The Giants and Patriots have gotten this far because they have a lot of good players and they are playing well. But over the years these two teams have also gotten incredibly lucky. At least the Patriots have had exceptional records and home games in the years they’ve made the playoffs. This is the second straight Super Bowl run by the Giants during a season in which they lost at least 6 games and then got hot (lucky!) during the playoffs.



Defense Wins Championships, Turnovers Lose Games
I still stand by the premise that good defense is required to win during the playoffs. Though both winning teams are better on offense than their vanquished foes, both sides played strong defense, especially when it mattered. Vince Wilfork was an absolute beast for the Patriots in the middle, with a sack and 3 tackles for loss. And the Giants stoned the 49ers on 3 crucial late game possessions each of which could have resulted in a game-winning field goal.



Patriots Killer, Literally
If there is one name that strikes fear in the hearts of the New England Patriots it is Bernard Pollard. Pollard, then on the Kanas City Chiefs, is the guy whose hit tore Tom Brady’s ACL on the first play of the 2008 season. A year later while playing for the Texans, Pollard dragged down Wes Welker, injuring his knee. Now on the Baltimore Ravens, Pollard tackled Rob Gronkowski and rolled over his ankle. Gronk was able to return, though he didn’t catch any passes after the injury, and he is expected to play in the Super Bowl.
But maybe the biggest atrocity committed by Pollard is his famous locker room dance from Hard Knocks.



I Want Winners
In 2008 Vernon Davis caught a short pass and then slapped the defender, Rhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifeissberg’s roommate Brian Russell in the facemask. For that he was given a 15-yard penalty. When Coach Mike Singletary yelled at him on the sidelines, Davis’s reaction was “nonchalant.” That led Singletary to banish him to the locker room and unleash this postgame tirade.



Four years later we’ve heard tons of stories about how Singletary’s tough love actually helped Davis, grow and mature into a great teammate, to match his substantial physical abilities. Evidently that didn’t happen. First, Davis got a 15-yard penalty for excessive celebration for climbing up on the TV camera stand after a touchdown. And later he got 15 more yards for hitting someone from behind and shoving someone during a scuffle.

I am always saying that I would rather have talented individuals with bad attitudes as opposed to tightasses who lack skill. But at a certain point, a player like Davis has to learn to control himself or he really does become a detriment to his team.



A Year Too Late
Eli Manning threw for 4,933 yards this season. If he had done that last year, it would have been 3rd all-time. Instead he was 4th. This season! Regardless of how this turns out Eli has established himself as an elite quarterback this season. And it goes beyond numbers. He is a guy you want to have the ball in the 4th quarter with the game on the line, maybe more so than his brother. He will never pass Peyton in terms of statistical excellence. But he can play Joe Montana to Manning’s Marino if he gets another Super Bowl ring.

Picture of the Week
I like the composition of this photo. A wide shot, ball floating in air, right between two defenders. The lighting is perfect too.



If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
New England Patriots 34 New York Giants 27
How long can the Giants keep getting this lucky? Yes, I know they are playing well, but they've now won 5 elimination games in a row. Eventually something has to go against them. Plus the Patriots are a very strong team whose defense is peaking at the right time. I understand the Giants and Eli Manning are worlds ahead of Flacco and the Ravens and especially Tebow and the Broncos. But the luck stops here. Patriots get revenge and win Super Bowl XLVI.