****The Official Fiveheads vs Brady Bill's AFC Championship Thread****

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Don't expect many Denver fans in this one. Away we go!

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

It's too bad the Patriots couldn't beat Denver, but I honestly didn't really expect them to. Patriots need to get some offensive weapons, especially on the perimeter, and just as important keep the playmakers they have HEALTHY, to have any shot at beating elite teams deep in the playoffs.

Go Seattle! (throwing up in my mouth a little -- that Richard Sherman guy. Ugh).

Look how far you got with what was more of a patch-work quilt than you normally have. That's no insult either, BB has always had Tom Terrific as his #1 guy, and perhaps a few other long term investment players, but the rest of the team has always been short term(er) folks, and he inspires them to play at levels that only BB can do.

So I'm sorry you didn't make the SB because the best NFL coach in modern times (perhaps ever) won't be in the SB and that kind of sucks.

BB will be back next year, I think you can count on him doing his thing to put the Pats in the hunt next Dec/Jan too. If he can do it with Matt Cassel, he can do it with anybody. Not sure if Tom Terrific is even thinking about retiring, but just in case he is, you'll be fine - you have BB...

[Amnorix]

Wow, Belichick had some tough words for the pick play by Welker that took out Talib. About as tough as it ever gets from BB.



Bill Belichick: " It was a deliberate play by the receiver to take out Aqib. No attempt to get open. ...

Bill Belichick: "I’ll let the league handle the discipline on that play, whatever they decide. It’s one of the worst plays I’ve seen. ..."

Bill Belichick: "That’sall I’ll say about that.”

https://twitter.com/MikeReiss

[Amnorix]

One interesting point I saw raised by former NFL ref Perreira is that because the Welker hit is nearly simultaneous with the ball hitting the receiver (how did he drop that btw??), it is probably legal as a block. If the ball hadn't been there, then it's probably a pick.

That does seem to make sense. What is clear is that Welker deliberately runs into Talib. Whether that should've resulted in a penalty being called, however, isn't so clear.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Wow, Belichick had some tough words for the pick play by Welker that took out Talib. About as tough as it ever gets from BB.



Bill Belichick: " It was a deliberate play by the receiver to take out Aqib. No attempt to get open. ...

Bill Belichick: "I’ll let the league handle the discipline on that play, whatever they decide. It’s one of the worst plays I’ve seen. ..."

Bill Belichick: "That’sall I’ll say about that.”

https://twitter.com/MikeReiss

I think I said that I thought BB would challenge the Rub WR, and this is one form of doing that. It's sad that the NFL let this happen all year but I suspect they'll fix it now because more teams will master it and a lot (more) players are going to get hurt. If nothing else they'll explain how it was OK.

Unfortunately too few teams mastered the skill once it was determined that it wasn't going to be called as a pick. Or they just didn't have the right player mix to make it work.

But all credit to Manning and the Broncos for swimming in that gray area long enough to figure out that the NFL wasn't going to call it for what it really is and using it to their advantage to help get them to the super bowl. Good things come to creative people who are willing with test the rules.

Just like the cut blocks that so many of us hate, the Broncos were the masters of it, incorporated it into the design of there one-cut-and-go design, and didn't really care what the rest of us thought about its effect on the lives of the players being cut, it worked for them and the league defended them no matter what the rest of the world thought of the tactic. And the truth is, nobody did anything about it so they had little incentive to stop doing it. Again, credit to the Broncos franchise.

[A Salt Weapon]

I didn't watch the game, but seeing the GIF above, holy shit is that blatant, you can see the denver receiver adjust his angle and lower his shoulder to take out the defender. There is no way that is trying to run a route, the footwork tells the story. That is nothing more than cheap.

[notorious]

It is a joke.

Denver rarely gets called on it, but the opposition gets nailed often.

Makes a person wonder.

[notorious]

Suspend him for the SB.

That might drive home the point.

[Mecca]

It'll be fun to watch them try to do that to Seattle who is a team full of defenders looking to kill guys. Might not be so anxious to pick if you think it'll result in being knocked the **** out.

[manchambo]

Originally Posted by A Salt Weapon

I didn't watch the game, but seeing the GIF above, holy shit is that blatant, you can see the denver receiver adjust his angle and lower his shoulder to take out the defender. There is no way that is trying to run a route, the footwork tells the story. That is nothing more than cheap.

I get the argument that it is a penalty because the ball arrived at or slightly before the hit. Cheap, though? It's a block above the waist. Many of the better teams are using those now.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by manchambo

I get the argument that it is a penalty because the ball arrived at or slightly before the hit. Cheap, though? It's a block above the waist. Many of the better teams are using those now.

It's cheap in the fact that he had no intention of running a pass route he literally altered how he was running to go get the defender as if he were a defender going for a tackle.

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by A Salt Weapon

I didn't watch the game, but seeing the GIF above, holy shit is that blatant, you can see the denver receiver adjust his angle and lower his shoulder to take out the defender. There is no way that is trying to run a route, the footwork tells the story. That is nothing more than cheap.

If a DB hits a WR just as the ball gets there and forces an incomplete, guess what? You call it a great play. If a complimentary WR blocks a DB out of the play just as the primary WR gets the ball, guess what? It's also a great play. It doesn't matter how bitter BB is. It doesn't matter how biased against Denver you guys are. That play by Welker wasn't flagged because it's not illegal. Deal with it.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Mecca

It'll be fun to watch them try to do that to Seattle who is a team full of defenders looking to kill guys. Might not be so anxious to pick if you think it'll result in being knocked the **** out.

Well, if Pete Carroll's kids wait too long to set the tone with some kind of dramatic un-pick play, they won't know where the official's stand on rub routes, they won't have time to make up for whatever a penalty might cost them, and they won't have "the conversation" talking/defending what happened. So the half-time official's conference they have with NFL-HQ won't be there to help the Seahawks and their plight.

I say they need to blow-up a rub early and get the conversation going "in the light of day."

The worst that could happen is the NFL look like fools as the replay, like the gif we've all now seen, is aired over and over again.

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

Well, if Pete Carroll's kids wait too long to set the tone with some kind of dramatic un-pick play, they won't know where the official's stand on rub routes, they won't have time to make up for whatever a penalty might cost them, and they won't have "the conversation" talking/defending what happened. So the half-time official's conference they have with NFL-HQ won't be there to help the Seahawks and their plight.

I say they need to blow-up a rub early and get the conversation going "in the light of day."

The worst that could happen is the NFL look like fools as the replay, like the gif we've all now seen, is aired over and over again.

The same thing happens with pass interference, on both sides of the ball, by both teams. It happened yesterday in the DEN/NE game.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by notorious

It is a joke.

Denver rarely gets called on it, but the opposition gets nailed often.

Makes a person wonder.

Anything to ensure Manning is in the Super Bowl to drive up hype and ratings.

Denver fans will be amazed to see those obvious penalties get called when Brock Osweiler is behind center.

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Anything to ensure Manning is in the Super Bowl to drive up hype and ratings.

Denver fans will be amazed to see those obvious penalties get called when Brock Osweiler is behind center.

It's a hard play to pull off. It requires timing and skill. I have no idea if Os is up to it because he barely plays. We'll see.