NFL playoff thread

[Mark2010]

Why does the fact that the Falcons had no choice matter? It was an empirical example that it is possible to move the ball well enough in that matter of time. The risk/reward ratio there was on the side of being aggressive---whoever made the decision to take a knee with 31 seconds left (Fox, McCoy, Manning, Elway, etc.) was wrong.

It matters a LOT. If Matt Ryan throws a pick in that situation, well, guess what? Team was trailing anyway, so you have to take risks.

If Manning throws a pick in a tie game, he gets crucified for taking an unnecessary risk. It's a risk/reward thing.

Tie game, ball at your 20 with 45 seconds left. Chances of something bad happening for the offense outweigh the chances of something good happening.

 

[outofplace]

Is there a difference between simply "underperforming" and "making the key mistake"?

"normal QB" vs. "Favre/Manning", we'll call it.

Could be, but even "key mistakes" can be overcome.

Everybody knows "Havlicek stole the ball!"

But what few know is what happened before that. Bill Russell, trying to inbound the ball, hit the wire holding up the backboard with his inbounds pass. That "key mistake" by the ultimate winner and playoff performer gave the ball to the 76ers with a chance to win the game.

The "key mistake" didn't matter, of course, because "Havlicek stole the ball!"

Jerome Bettis was doing a lot of celebrating after the Steelers' Super Bowl victory over the Seahawks.

Only because his "key mistake" was overcome by Roethlisberger's tackle and Vanderjagt's scud.

He has eight one-and-dones in the playoffs. Certainly not all his fault. But that's TWICE as many as any other quarterback in playoff history.

Can't argue with that. But here's the thing. Perhaps another Manning would have been one-and-done this year. We'll never know, however, because the NFC East favorites didn't even make the playoffs. Can't lose if you don't play. And it keeps that 8-3 playoff record mighty pretty.

I knew the "Eli doesn't always make the playoffs" argument would come in.

Eli plays in the SEC of the NFL. Four owners that give a rip with fan bases that demand wins. It's the only division out of 8 where they are no easy wins.

Peyton has spent 15 years in the NFL, winning the Big Ten and, this year, the Mountain West.

This isn't MLB. Owners demanding wins doesn't carry nearly as much weight as you seem to think it does.

Sure it does. While they have a salary cap league, Jones, Snyder and Lurie take the actual steps to try and win a heck of a lot more than Bidwill, Spanos and Bud Adams.

Not even close to the same impact, not with a cap and floor. The gap from top to bottom in salaries isn't nearly as large.

 

[Mark2010]

Every division has its weak links. This season, the entire AFC West was weak. Coincidence. Give it two years, it'll be some other division that's in a down cycle.

 

[Norrin Radd]

How many late playoff-game winning drives does Peyton have?

The one

Indeed.

 

[BTExpress]

No, the four teams of the NFC East don't all go 12-4 in the same season. But it remains a tough ass division. That's why I think the Giants performed well in the playoffs. They had tough roads in 2007 and 2011 before they even started the playoffs.

Far, far more than lining up against Norv, Romeo and the Raiders six times a year. Or, for ten previous years, the Colts racking up Ws over the Jags, Titans and the expansion Texans.

Good lord, you only play 6 division games out of 16. Redskins have had 3 winning seasons since Eli came into the league (same as the Texans). Cowboys have gone 3 seasons in a row without a winning record and have only won 10+ games 3 times since Eli came into the league.

For the Giants this year, 2 East games were gimmies, leaving 4 "tough" games out of 16 that had anything to do with their division.

And the two "toughies" were 9-7 and 8-8 teams.

My question: Why was making the playoffs unachievable THIS YEAR for the defending Super Bowl champions?

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Give up 41 points, blame the quarterback. I thought Texans were supposed to be born understanding football.

 

[Songbird]

No, the four teams of the NFC East don't all go 12-4 in the same season. But it remains a tough ass division. That's why I think the Giants performed well in the playoffs. They had tough roads in 2007 and 2011 before they even started the playoffs.

Far, far more than lining up against Norv, Romeo and the Raiders six times a year. Or, for ten previous years, the Colts racking up Ws over the Jags, Titans and the expansion Texans.

Good lord, you only play 6 division games out of 16. Redskins have had 3 winning seasons since Eli came into the league (same as the Texans). Cowboys have gone 3 seasons in a row without a winning record and have only won 10+ games 3 times since Eli came into the league.

For the Giants this year, 2 East games were gimmies, leaving 4 "tough" games out of 16 that had anything to do with their division.

And the two "toughies" were 9-7 and 8-8 teams.

My question: Why was making the playoffs unachievable THIS YEAR for the defending Super Bowl champions?

Really was a pish-poor effort by the Giants, who have all the pieces and yet they still (insert verb) themselves.

 

[shockey]

Eli's legacy is mostly built on two passes. One, last year's, was a great throw. The other was a prayer into coverage that got answered.

beg to differ that eli's legacy was mostly built 'on two passes.' while those were the most famous in the super bowls, eli's play in the six other playoff games leading up to those supes was exemplary. and this discussion is an examination of qbs postseason successes and failures, no?

there can be no argument that peyton's postseason play meaures up to his regular season play. it's not even close. while its pretty much inarguable that peyton is the greatest 'in-season' qb in nfl history by any measure (personal stats and team record) it's also impossible to ignore that his postseason results don't come close to measuring up -- and there's a pretty big sample size.

so what? he remains one of the greatest all-time qbs, right?

 

[printit]

Elway's team was losing to the likes of the Giants, Redskins and 49ers. Those were vastly superior teams. Not even the same game.

Manning's teams lose to teams that they easily outpace, both in overall record and head-to-head matchup, in the regular season.

Oh, really?

Elway's sub-200-yard playoff games came against:

Seahawks
Steelers
49ers
Bills
Chiefs
Packers
Dolphins
Jets

And he didn't lose 'em all. That's kind of my point.

His team was able to beat the Patriots despite a 13-of-32, 2 INT performance.
His team was able to beat the Jets despite a 13-of-34, 173-yard performance.

My point, made about 20 pages ago, is that ALL quarterbacks underperform in the playoffs vis a vis the regular season. Every one of them (well, except Flacco, it seems). Many on this board seem to think Manning is somehow unique in this regard.

Is there a difference between simply "underperforming" and "making the key mistake"?

"normal QB" vs. "Favre/Manning", we'll call it.

Is the "key mistake" one that is made in the 4th quarter or OT, when touchdowns are worth double?

 

[printit]

One final point: Most of Manning's teams have come into the playoffs with byes. Manning has played in very few Wild Card games. Wild Card games are easier for teams to win because the competition obviously isn't as tough as in the divisional games. When people criticize Manning for his teams's "one and done", remember that the Colts/Broncos were starting the playoffs in Round 2.

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

Are there really people arguing Peyton Manning is better than John Elway?

Wow, talk about going full-derp.

 

[Boom_70]

Give up 41 points, blame the quarterback. I thought Texans were supposed to be born understanding football.

If you watch the Instant Replay of that game on NFL Network, you will notice how sluggishly that offense ran plays in the late third quarter and fourth quarter. Like they just didn't care.
Schaub is clay-footed in a league trending toward quarterbacks who can make plays with their feet, he makes the same mistakes and he doesn't show much emotion whatsoever.

Love Instant Replay on NFL Network. The endzone shots they don't show you on telecast really give you a better sense of what happened.

Really considering buying the package on NFL.com that shows the games on line with coaches cut ups.