CSU-Pueblo Head Coach John Wristen always stresses to me or anybody else who will listen that winning big football games comes down to executing on a half dozen or so plays that ultimately will make the difference in the outcome of the game. This was never more clear than in Super Bowl XLVI between the New York Giants and New England Patriots. Many times these plays in question dont seem that pivotal at the moment they are happening but when you look back and reflect on a game you realize just how important they were. We all know how it did end up but take a look back with me and try and imagine just how different the outcome might have been if these plays had gone a different way.
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4-19-NE42 (9:10) S.Weatherford punts 36 yards to NE 6, Center-Z.DeOssie, downed by NYG-Z.DeOssie.
A punter in a low scoring game can have a dramatic effect on it's outcome especially early on if he come up with a big play tilting field position.
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1-10-NE6 (9:00) (Run formation) T.Brady pass incomplete deep middle [J.Tuck]. PENALTY on NE-T.Brady, Intentional Grounding, 6 yards, enforced in End Zone, SAFETY.
Obviously this play shaped this game early on. I have no problem with it being called but I must admit I was astonished that it was called. So many times we have seen quarterbacks throw away a ball deep most times toward the sideline. But the key here was Tom Brady was under imminent pressure and the referee had a clear view of it.
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3-3-NE11
(4:23) E.Manning pass short right to V.Cruz to NE 7 for 4 yards (S.Moore). FUMBLES (S.Moore), RECOVERED by NE-B.Spikes at NE 9. B.Spikes to NE 9 for no gain (H.Nicks). PENALTY on NE, Defensive 12 On-field, 5 yards, enforced at NE 11 - No Play.
It is highly ironic the only fumble New England recovered during the game was nullified by a no brainer too many men on the field call.
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3-1-NE46
(4:40) (Run formation) B.Jacobs left guard to NE 36 for 10 yards (B.Spikes). PENALTY on NYG-K.Boothe, Offensive Holding, 9 yards, enforced at NE 46 - No Play.
My knee jerk reaction to any holding penalty called on short yardage plays is usually filled with flowery language aimed at the men in stripes. But the replay of this play clearly showed the infraction and paved the way for what would have been a big run. I had the feeling the Giants were on the verge of going up 16-3 in mere moments.
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4-10-NYG45 (4:11) S.Weatherford punts 51 yards to NE 4, Center-Z.DeOssie, out of bounds.
I can hear all of you now....a punt again Brooks? Really? Well this play was huge because it would set up one of the greatest drives in Super Bowl history. Brady was magnificent in leading the Patriots to the go ahead touchdown.
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3-8-NE19 (6:12) (Shotgun) T.Brady sacked at NE 15 for -4 yards (J.Tuck).
Brady was never quite the same after this sack. He has been battling a left shoulder injury pretty much all season long and it was obvious by his flexing and the training staff's attention paid to it that is was bothering him. Plus no matter how great you are the thought of a little pain has to take a little off your accuracy.
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1-10-NE43 (14:31) (No Huddle, Shotgun) T.Brady pass deep left intended for R.Gronkowski INTERCEPTED by C.Blackburn [J.Pierre-Paul] at NYG 8. C.Blackburn to NYG 8 for no gain (R.Gronkowski).
Two things stood out to me on this play. Once again Brady was starting to feel the heat of the Giants pass rush. He did make a great move to avoid the sack but didn't get as much on the deep ball as he wanted. The other was Gronkowski's inability to get position on a free agent linebacker to at very least break up the pass. If you didn't know it already this confirmed just how bad his health was during this game.
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2-10-NYG8 (14:12) (Run formation) A.Bradshaw right end to NYG 13 for 5 yards (B.Spikes). FUMBLES (B.Spikes), recovered by NYG-C.Snee at NYG 11. C.Snee to NYG 11 for no gain (V.Wilfork).
At this point I was wondering if I was watching Minnesota-Duluth instead of the Giants. The bounces were definitely going Gotham's way. How ironic it was Head Coach Tom Coughlin's son Chris Snee recovering the fumble at the Giants 11 to avoid disaster.
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3-7-NYG11
(13:23) (Shotgun) E.Manning pass incomplete short left to V.Cruz. PENALTY on NE-R.Ninkovich, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced at NYG 11 - No Play.
Even though this penalty didn't lead to points it allowed the Giants to flip the field position in their favor. New England was bottled up in it's own end to start every possession it seemed. I could hear the voice of Dan Reeves ringing in my ears "go out and get some field position boys!"
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2-11-NYG44 (4:06) (Shotgun) T.Brady pass incomplete deep left to W.Welker.
Everyone it seems wants to lay the blame for this play and the eventual outcome on Wes Welker for not making this catch. Sure it is one he probably should have made but an argument can be made Brady threw this ball high and behind making it a much tougher catch than it had to be. Brady did get a mulligan on the next play and misfired again to Branch.
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1-10-NYG12 (3:46) (Shotgun) E.Manning pass deep left to M.Manningham pushed ob at 50 for 38 yards (P.Chung). New England challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Timeout #1.)
Of course this is the play of the game and will go down as one of the top 10 Super Bowl catches of all time. However Manningham should have never been in position to make the catch if the cornerback doesn't whiff on the jam attempt on the line of scrimmage. Manning did make an absolute perfect throw and it was a circus catch. One of the key things about the play is the "Hoody" had to challenge the play and thus lose a timeout that became very crucial in the final minutes.
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1-10-NE20 (:57) (Shotgun) T.Brady pass incomplete deep middle to D.Branch (K.Phillips).
This one is perhaps a reach but if Brady had been able to thread the needle this play was destined to gain at least 50 yards if not a touchdown down the left sideline. Again it was pressure by the Giants line that forced Brady to pull the trigger on this one just before he wanted to.
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There you have it. The plays that I look back on being the difference makers in the game. In the finaly analysis New York made or benefited from the outcome on a majority of these pivotal plays.
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----------MESSAGE HEARD-----The New York Giants are the kings of football this year but the true message sent the past couple of seasons is the Lombardi Trophy is there for the taking by any number of teams at the start of next season and beyond for that matter. One must remember the Giants were reportedly on the verge of firing Coughlin after losing to the Redskins of all people. Speaking of the Redskins they had New England on the ropes late in the season and probably should have won the game if not for an offensive pass interference penalty. This is one huge advantage the NFL has on all other major sports. I can make a logical argument at least 20 teams having a chance to win it all. In the other majors we all can name the handful that have a legitimate chance of winning it all.
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----------PART OF THE FAMILY-----When the crawl went across the bottom of the screen announcing the death of KOAA Sports Director Lee Douglass my heart sank as if a family member had passed. My history with "Boog" goes back to the early 80s when he was just starting weekends with Mike Daniels and Lisa Lyden up on Big Hill. I was doing my internship for my mass communications degree at then USC. I spent every weekend for a semester learning the ropes of television. More importantly it was a chance for some good "guy time" watching and talking about the games being played that weekend. All we have heard is just how nice and accommodating the big man was. He had a booming laugh and always made everybody feel at ease. Now I will admit I did see him get angry one time at the Pueblo Country Club while on a golf outing with your's truly, Mike Salardino and Gary Woodside. Somebody brought up the subject of a recent appearance by "The Boss" Bruce Springsteen on Saturday Night Live. I chimed in immediately how bad I thought it was. I recall Mike saying something like uh oh here we go and on cue Lee rose to his defense saying he was the greatest rocker of all time. I didn't argue that point but stood by my opinion. I learned right then you dont mess with Lee's heroes of rock! I always admired his ability to still sqeeze in some coverage of Pueblo sports after Channel Five "abandoned" the Pueblo market for the greener pastures of Colorado Springs. I as well as all of Pueblo will miss him. R.I.P. my friend.
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----------CLOSE CALL-----A huge sigh of relief was felt when news came down it was the DeRose Family jet that crashed on takeoff at Pueblo Memorial Airport last Thursday evening. One can only imagine what the consequences would have been should the plane had reached top speed a bit futher down the runway before skidding off. They say when you fall off a horse you gotta get right back on and that's exactly what they did taking off the next morning on a different Leer Jet for their 15th annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas to watch the Super Bowl. You have to admire that!
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----------SEASON ENDING INJURIES-----Earlier this season CSU-Pueblo's mens team lost leading scorer Arden Dennis to a season ending knee injury. As if not to be outdone the Pack women had the same hand dealt them as leading scorer Jennelle Branting was lost for the season against New Mexico Highlands when she ruptured an achilles tendon. Unlike Dennis who has a year of eligibility left, Branting's career ended with the injury. The senior winger was having by far her best season for coach Kip Drown. Over the past three weeks or so she had been battling it before it finally ruptured on one of her patented drives to the hoop. Drown has nothing but admiration for her since she toiled in relative obscurity her first three seasons in Belmont before breaking out this year.
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----------STRETCH DRIVE-----Only six regular season games remain for CSU-Pueblo basketball this season with the women and men on different tracks and agendas going into this final stretch. The women suddenly find themselves tied for second place with Metro State just a game behind front running Fort Lewis College who just happen to be the opponent Friday night at Massari Arena. The Skyhawks blew out the Pack in the earlier meeting this season in Durango. Should the Thunderwolves win it will still be an uphill battle to win the league outright having already played and lost to Metro State. Win Friday night then we will start running the scenarios. As for the men they find themselves on the outside looking in at a playoff berth right now. The top eight in the RMAC make the tournament and currently the Pack sit at 7-9 in 11th place. The good news is they are even in the loss column with four teams just ahead of them and control their own destiny. My gut feeling tells me they will have to win four of six with one of those wins coming over Chadron State who they play a week from Saturday. Stay tuned.
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----------HONORABLE MENTION-----Erica Hicks pouring in 27 points vs UCCS including six three pointers......Bryse Velasquez scoring 19 including a perfect 8 for 8 from the line in the Pack's huge win over UCCS. Bryse will also welcome a son into the world anytime now.......Kip Drown has joined the 4oo win club with the victory over Western New Mexico. Make it 401 after beating UCCS.....
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----------DISHONORABLE MENTION-----Pueblo City Schools for jamming in the the three trophy games into the first three weeks of the schedule. Here's to playing the Bell Game with sun right in the eyes of Hornets, Bulldogs and Eagles fans as they take in the big game at Dutch Clark........Colorado Rockies for using phrases like innings eater and solid pitcher to describe aquisitions that haven't sniffed a .500 record. Only in big league baseball can an 8-15 record get you a raise to eight million a year for former Oriole Jeremy Guthrie......Nuggets 14-5 start a distant memory as recent string of five losses in six games has brought them back to the pack. Add to that four fifths of your starting lineup now injured. Next two weeks will be painful in more ways than one.
