Steeler's Beat 2-8-08

STEELER'S BEAT

By Richard Briggs
February 8, 2008

It was a great night in America Sunday night, it was a great day in America on Monday, and it has been a great week in America this week. Unless you are a New England Patriots fan, the stars lined up just right and the New York Giants pulled off the upset that most did not see coming, outside of a select few.

Most experts, including the talking heads on television who are deemed the experts because some of them played the game, and my contemporary at the Big Daily, Dale Lolley, all had the Patriots picked to win the Super Bowl on Sunday and finish this alleged perfect run by going 19 – 0 and be declared the greatest team of all time. Hold your horses, everyone!

These alleged experts did not see what I have been seeing for 16 weeks, plus two playoff games. These Patriots were playing mediocre football, at best, and were only winning because their opponents could not finish the job. This includes the New York Giants in the last game of the regular season when they had the Patriots on the ropes, but allowed them to score late and hold on for the win. However, that win gave the Giants the confidence and the momentum to go through the playoffs, much like the Steelers did two years ago, and record one of the biggest upsets in sports history. But the powers that be did not see that.

Everyone was so enamored of this Patriots team, and for what? An average and aging defense that was protected by a supposedly explosive offense. Okay, Tom Brady threw for 50 touchdown passes and Randy Moss caught 23 of those. I could have stood behind that line that Brady has and thrown half those touchdown passes. The Giants had the perfect game plan going into the Super Bowl to create relentless pressure on Brady so that he could not create the rhythm and timing with his receivers.

Throughout the course of the game, I was watching the look in the eyes of Eli Manning and Brady. Manning had the look of a determined leader, ready to do what it took to lead his team to a victory of a lifetime. Brady had the look of a deer in headlights, especially after all of the pressure that was applied to him by the Giants pass rush. You get hit in the mouth enough, you start to question your ability to get rid of the football. The veteran looked like a rookie.

I also believe the pressure got to this team. I looked at the Patriots as they were coming out of their locker room and I saw a team that was very stiff and business like. The Giants looked much looser and relaxed. As a matter of fact, linebacker Michael Strahan was asked in a pregame interview how his Giants were feeling and he said they were very relaxed. That was very encouraging. A team that had nothing to lose going into this game because almost no one expected them to win (except this writer – see last week’s issue). That’s all they needed for a rallying cry.

As I stated last week, five teams had a chance to beat the Patriots in the regular season and did not get it done. They were exposed in the Super Bowl as nothing more than an above average team that, when pressure is applied to a pass happy offense, bad things happen to your quarterback. You can’t pass the ball when you are lying flat on your back after getting sacked by a defensive lineman or linebacker. The Giants did what the Patriots didn’t do – they got to the quarterback.

Despite the fact Wes Walker caught 11 passes for the Patriots, he was never really a threat. The alleged threat, Randy Moss, was silent until he caught the last go ahead touchdown that the Patriots thought would put the icing on their cake of a perfect season. Someone forgot to tell the Giants, especially with much more than two minutes left on the clock.

The look in Eli Manning’s eyes told it all. He was determined to get his team into the end zone and finish off this most exciting and miraculous of all Super Bowls. What he engineered will be remembered as stuff of legend, especially after escaping an almost sure sack by the Patriots defense and firing a pass to little known and little used receiver David Tyree, who pinned the football against his helmet on the way down to the ground while being defended by Rodney Harrison. That play put the stamp on this Super Bowl and gave the Giants all the momentum they needed to put the ball in the end zone and end the perfect season sought by the Patriots.

Eli Manning had his coming out party in this game, watched from above by big brother, Peyton Manning, who won last year’s Super Bowl. Manning silenced all of his critics after spurning the San Diego Chargers in the 2004 draft, forcing the trade to the Giants, and finally reaching the top of the mountain. He is now, and will forever be, a Super Bowl champion.

I believe most of the public grew tired and weary of listening to all of this talk about how dominant the Patriots were going into this game. I just didn’t see it. They were an above average team that won a below average division. Their two playoff opponents, Jacksonville and San Diego, had what it took to knock them off, they just couldn’t close the door. The Giants finished what everyone else attempted to do and will have the rings to prove it.

The better team won this football game. The Patriots went 16 – 0 during the regular season, now that means nothing, despite what many of the Patriots might say, including Tom Brady. No one will remember what they did. Everyone will remember what they didn’t do – win a championship.

I picked against the Giants in their wild card game against Tampa Bay because I wasn’t sure what they had. I picked them against Dallas because I also felt that the Cowboys were a fraudulent team, and the Giants proved me right. I only went against the Giants when they played Green Bay because I felt it would be difficult to beat the Packers and Brett Favre in their home environment. The Giants pulled off the upset there and finished their fabulous playoff run by winning the world championship if professional football. Life is good and all is right with the world. Congratulations to Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Tom Coughlin, and the entire Giants organization! Job well done!