NFL playoff thread

[BTExpress]

I'd put Elway on there. Broncos were never in position to win it all early in his career -- he took them to the Super Bowl walloping that was their destiny -- and he did come through when they were. (Exception for 1996 vs. Jags, but everyone has at least one exception, even Montana.)

So when the Broncos were "ready" to win a Super Bowl at last, Elway "came through."

Came through by completing 12 of 22 passes for 123 yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT.

Had 30 fewer yards than his running back --- and this is your definition of "coming through."

What happened --- and what you remember happened --- couldn't be any more different. But that's OK. NOBODY remembers a QB underperforming in games their team happened to win. They were the QB, so they somehow "led" the team to victory. Whatever.

When Manning has fewer yards than his running back in a big game . . . maybe then we can talk about underperforming in big games.

Or is 1998 some different era of football when running backs typically had more yards than QBs?

 

[LongTimeListener]

1) He got there by winning two road games in a row, one with a comeback.

2) In the Super Bowl, he also had the helicopter spin -- which in addition to making a nice highlight reel, was a HUGE play. And, you know what, he didn't throw an interception when it was tied in the final minutes.

3) We are talking about the Super Bowl. We are not talking about opening the playoffs at home against a 10-point underdog.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

The Niners were favored by 12.5 over the Broncos in that Super Bowl, which at the time was the biggest line since the merger. The Giants were a 9.5 point favorite in that game.

The Broncos were actually favored in the Super Bowl against the Redskins.

Also, it should be noted that when the Broncos won their first Super Bowl, it was over a Packers team that was a two-touchdown favorite.

 

[RickStain]

I'm OK with being right while B-R and PF-R are wrong.

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

I'd be interested to learn how many commenters on this thread evaluate starting pitchers by their win-loss records in the regular and post-season.
It was widely recognized that the '80s Broncos had some major weaknesses. I remember interviewing Greg Kragen, their nose tackle, at Super Bowl XXII and thinking "this guy isn't THAT much bigger than I am." But Elway got his share of flak, too. Anybody remember the "Simpsons" episode where Homer daydreams he's Elway scoring a last second touchdown, and the announcer's voice says "thanks to John Elway's last minute magic, the final score of the Super Bowl is San Francisco 55-Denver 6!"

"Denver 7, San Francisco 56" [/Simpsons_Nerd]

 

[RickStain]

Pitcher W-L record is a whole other level of awful, because it's not even really wins and losses. It's a really weird, contrived stat that got named "win" and loss."

 

[Mizzougrad96]

1) He got there by winning two road games in a row, one with a comeback.

2) In the Super Bowl, he also had the helicopter spin -- which in addition to making a nice highlight reel, was a HUGE play. And, you know what, he didn't throw an interception when it was tied in the final minutes.

3) We are talking about the Super Bowl. We are not talking about opening the playoffs at home against a 10-point underdog.

He also rushed for a touchdown, and while Davis was the star of that game, Elway did a lot, most notably the helicopter play to beat the defending champion Packers in a game where nobody gave the Broncos much chance to even keep it close, much less win.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

In Super Bowl XXXVI, when he was named MVP, Tom Brady completed 16 of 27 passes for 145 yards. That'd be about the sixth highest RUSHING total in Super Bowl history. Brady, to his eternal credit, said he shouldn't have been given the award. He earned the next one, though.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I'd be interested to learn how many commenters on this thread evaluate starting pitchers by their win-loss records in the regular and post-season.
It was widely recognized that the '80s Broncos had some major weaknesses. I remember interviewing Greg Kragen, their nose tackle, at Super Bowl XXII and thinking "this guy isn't THAT much bigger than I am." But Elway got his share of flak, too. Anybody remember the "Simpsons" episode where Homer daydreams he's Elway scoring a last second touchdown, and the announcer's voice says "thanks to John Elway's last minute magic, the final score of the Super Bowl is San Francisco 55-Denver 6!"

"Denver 7, San Francisco 56" [/Simpsons_Nerd]

Groening is an unabashed Broncos hater.

There was also the episode where somebody buys Homer the Broncos and he said, "Doh, the Denver Broncos!" and Marge says, "What's wrong with the Broncos?" and he says, "Marge, you just don't understand football..."

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

I'd be interested to learn how many commenters on this thread evaluate starting pitchers by their win-loss records in the regular and post-season.
It was widely recognized that the '80s Broncos had some major weaknesses. I remember interviewing Greg Kragen, their nose tackle, at Super Bowl XXII and thinking "this guy isn't THAT much bigger than I am." But Elway got his share of flak, too. Anybody remember the "Simpsons" episode where Homer daydreams he's Elway scoring a last second touchdown, and the announcer's voice says "thanks to John Elway's last minute magic, the final score of the Super Bowl is San Francisco 55-Denver 6!"

"Denver 7, San Francisco 56" [/Simpsons_Nerd]

Groening is an unabashed Broncos hater.

There was also the episode where somebody buys Homer the Broncos and he said, "Doh, the Denver Broncos!" and Marge says, "What's wrong with the Broncos?" and he says, "Marge, you just don't understand football..."

The two episodes described are two of the greatest in the show's history.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

A baseball made from Secretariat!!!

 

[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?

I'm not saying it is fair, but it is the Super Bowl performances that make Manning's reputation. And that was pretty much two passes. He had no business winning the MVP for the first victory against the Patriots. It should have been somebody on that defense.

Most people won't remember the other playoff games. It's like the folks who insisted Ben Roethlisberger was along for the ride in 2005 because he sucked in Super Bowl XL (and there are plenty of them on this site). Nobody remembers that he was outstanding in all three playoff games to get them there.

People remember all about Eli's playoffs -- maybe you don't, but he has won four road playoff games against teams that had a combined 54 regular-season wins.

People also remember the TD to Plax and the whole TD drive from last year. It wasn't just because Tyree got lucky. And if Tyree hadn't gotten lucky and Eli has everything besides that Super Bowl, he is still looked upon quite fondly.

I remember them just fine, but the Super Bowl performances are what will last.

not entirely true... eli's body of work during BOTH super bowl runs are well-remembered... much like elway, even w/o the super bowl wins, became forever 'clutch' thanks to 'the drive.' no one cconsidered him a 'choker' when denver went on to lose the supe to the giants.

memorable, clutch postseaon moments live on forever and can forever give a qb a reputation for being 'clutch,' whether it's a simple playoff game or the supe.