Divisional Round Gamethread

8slim

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That's the thing though. Watch the replay. He's not even close to out of control. He basically jogs up to where Diggs is, comes almost to a complete stop, and then launches himself two feet to the left of Diggs. I can't even wrap my head around it.
He was roaring up the field at him before he slowed though. The overhead shot captures it.
 

DanoooME

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I'm just going to assume Jimmie Johnson was right and that he was going too fast to avoid contact any other way and that he was avoiding a PI into a game winning field goal but yeah that's just...ugh.

Why do I feel like a better defensive coach would have told their FS to roam near the back just in case this happened...
I thought I saw two deep safeties on one of the replays and wondered where the other one was on that play.
 

Soxy

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It is really neat. That feeling of your team winning a Super Bowl for the first time is special and two of these franchises are tortured cities and the third is freaking Jacksonville.

It's also kind of fun we have three teams of the same archetype (beastly defense, talented skill guys, questionable QB) and...NE. Never more of a "big bad guy" situation.
It's a different feeling because the Pats' legacy has already been cemented. Brady is the best QB of all time and Belichick is the best coach of all time. The only people who argue against that are crazy lunatics that nobody with half a brain takes seriously. In previous seasons, it was about them pouring down that cement. Their legacy, for one reason or another, was still in question. It's not anymore.

It's a weird feeling of playing with house money, even though we're the favorites. We're looking to hang additional medals onto the (very large) trophy. But even if the Pats were to stumble, does any sane person think it would "tarnish" their legacy? I don't think so. Again, house money. We're sewing more and more patches onto our Cub Scouts sash. Everyone already knows we're the best, regardless of how it ends.
 

DanoooME

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The other sideline, I’d assume. Makes sense.
There was a corner about 20 yards off of Thielen on that side at the start of the play, so that's where the other safety should have started, but when Keenum lined up and threw the pass, wouldn't he automatically head over to the other side of the field?
 

Ed Hillel

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There was a corner about 20 yards off of Thielen on that side at the start of the play, so that's where the other safety should have started, but when Keenum lined up and threw the pass, wouldn't he automatically head over to the other side of the field?
Possibly, but it’s so far he wouldn’t catch him. And he was probably just watching the play dumbfounded.
 

Kull

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Yeah, no ... I doubt the whole universe thought the Saints were going to go into Minny against that Minny defense and win
Let me rephrase - "the universe of people who believe top tier quarterbacks are more dangerous than top tier defenses"
 

Spelunker

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He was roaring up the field at him before he slowed though. The overhead shot captures it.
If he hit him it should have been an easy flag: he was way early. He closed too fast, and then it was a series of unfortunate events.
 

Stitch01

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Did the NFL change the defensive penalty rules at the end of the game, recently?

I was wondering why all the NO defenders didn't just hold the Minn. receivers at the line of scrimmage on the last play (SF did it to them a few years ago in a similar situation). Sure - Minn. gets to advance the ball 5 yards on the holding penalty, but some time would've run off the clock and likely made the next play the last play - out of FG range.
Yes this was likely correct strategy

And yes line closed 5.5 if you did any line shopping so a dramatic last few minutes. Pete Carroll ran for two to cover in the terry glenn/PI game in 1998 in a similar scenario.
 

Mystic Merlin

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Yes this was likely correct strategy

And yes line closed 5.5 if you did any line shopping so a dramatic last few minutes. Pete Carroll ran for two to cover in the terry glenn/PI game in 1998 in a similar scenario.
This strategy was banned last offseason by the Competition Committee:

'A team may not commit multiple fouls during the same down in an attempt to manipulate the game clock.

Penalty: For multiple fouls to run off time from the game clock: Loss of 15 yards, and the game clock will be reset to where it was at the snap. After the penalty is enforced, the game clock will start on the next snap.'

The last straw was last year with BAL taking like 10 holding penalties while running out the clock vs. CIN.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Eh. They lost at home to the Lions.

I have more fear of Brees in a dome.
And it’s hardly a given that they go into Philly and win. They just held a more talented (if troubled) offense to 10, with 7 coming on an 18 yard drive. Seeing a slugfest next week.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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I did get a little tired of his standing around, arms crossed with a scowl on his face pose, like he's the baddest dude around. Excitement is awesome, posing not so much.
You did see him at the end, right? He started laughing and told all the media surrounding him, "Alright, alright."

He was hamming it up. Enjoy life a little bit.
 

Marciano490

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It is really neat. That feeling of your team winning a Super Bowl for the first time is special and two of these franchises are tortured cities and the third is freaking Jacksonville.

It's also kind of fun we have three teams of the same archetype (beastly defense, talented skill guys, questionable QB) and...NE. Never more of a "big bad guy" situation.
Obviously I want the Pats to win, but Khan giving free tickets to 1,000 refugees for last weeks game made me a fan of his and the team.
 

brandonchristensen

Loves Aaron Judge
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I can’t believe they have to kick the XP.

That would be like a home team player hitting a game winning home run and then they still have to finish out the inning.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Apr 12, 2005
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He was roaring up the field at him before he slowed though. The overhead shot captures it.


Watch the replay from behind Williams at the 46 second mark. At no time would I describe what he did as "roaring up the field..." In fact, I don't think he ever got close to full speed. I mean, he almost comes to a complete stop and then kind of dives forward. He barely even rolled when he hit the ground.

I don't necessarily disagree with you guys that he probably had thoughts of DPI or trying to keep Diggs from going out of bounds on his mind, but I honestly think the guy went blank for a second. An NFL defensive back doesn't completely whiff like that ever, forget the situation. He literally did not make any contact with Diggs and IMO, he could have easily slowed down or stopped and kept the play in front of him. Why he dove where he did with his head down is beyond me.
 

mulluysavage

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Williams needs to just stay between his man and the endzone, obviously.

Look at Harmon in the last Steelers game vs this play. Which safety is better trained in situational football, who wins the game on the last play? Seahawks SB, XLIX, etc, who is better prepared, who wins the endgame?

Also, Brees deserves better.
 

BigSoxFan

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This is an amazing sideline view. Watch the whole thing

The best part of that was the ref calmly throwing the flag for removing the helmet.

This is a great view of the play and really shows just how badly Williams screwed that up. With that said, #20 should be getting a ton of shit as well for pulling up like he did. Just a weird play all around.
 

brandonchristensen

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For anyone wondering why it's running almost in fast forward, it was shot in high speed (probably 60fps) to be slowed down later.
 

In Vino Vinatieri

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The best part of that was the ref calmly throwing the flag for removing the helmet.

This is a great view of the play and really shows just how badly Williams screwed that up. With that said, #20 should be getting a ton of shit as well for pulling up like he did. Just a weird play all around.
That's an incredible shot and angle, especially with the big screen up in the background. NOLA defense already penned in the W. Half the team watches the play as soon as the ball is thrown (around :07), especially the other safety #48 who pulls up from coverage and stands still for 3-4 seconds. Considering he was at the 10 yard line when the football crosses the plane he easily had an opportunity to make a play and make MIN kick the FG.

Hard to say what Williams was thinking in that view. It's like one of those airplane crashes caused by the pilot having to make the worst possible choice and worst possible execution for it for a series of like 20 decisions in a row. One of the best sports moments I've ever seen and a great contrast to the "but was it a catch?" replayomania that goes on so often nowadays
 
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InstaFace

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It's a different feeling because the Pats' legacy has already been cemented. Brady is the best QB of all time and Belichick is the best coach of all time. ... Again, house money. We're sewing more and more patches onto our Cub Scouts sash. Everyone already knows we're the best, regardless of how it ends.
You know what those best-of-all-times would say to this?

This team hasn't won anything yet.

Eh. They lost at home to the Lions. I have more fear of Brees in a dome.
Need we remind people that the juggernaut Patriots lost to Kansas City, Carolina, and to a 6-10 Miami team who had nothing to play for but pride? Nobody's perfect, any given sunday, but week in and week out the Vikings were the best team in the NFC. They beat "Brees in a dome" twice this year, beat the Falcons, beat the Rams soundly, and led the NFL in points allowed. You want a pretender riding a hot streak, go look at the 2003 Panthers - these Vikings, in stark contrast, have absolutely earned their rep.

This is an amazing sideline view. Watch the whole thing
The family of saints fans at 0:24-0:25 is my favorite part, just for how incongruous it is.
 

MarcSullivaFan

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Hoo-hoo-hoo hoosier land.
I watched the Minnesota game at my neighbor’s house who is a lifelong Vikings fan from Duluth. He had ~40 people at his house and maybe 5 (myself included) were rooting for the Vikes.

Watching him watch the end of that game was a top 5 all times sports viewing experience for me. Incredible.
 

Tokyo Sox

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I watched the Minnesota game at my neighbor’s house who is a lifelong Vikings fan from Duluth. He had ~40 people at his house and maybe 5 (myself included) were rooting for the Vikes.

Watching him watch the end of that game was a top 5 all times sports viewing experience for me. Incredible.
That is awesome. It must have been shock and pure joy for him.
 

m0ckduck

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The interpretation that Williams got there too soon and slowed up to avoid DPI makes complete sense... until you watch the video, where there's no evidence for it at all. I think he simply had it locked into his brain— "Must cut off sideline at all costs"— and it was a failure of imagination to recognize that a TD was a real possibility here and that he was the last guy between Diggs and the end zone.
 

loshjott

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I watched the Minnesota game at my neighbor’s house who is a lifelong Vikings fan from Duluth. He had ~40 people at his house and maybe 5 (myself included) were rooting for the Vikes.

Watching him watch the end of that game was a top 5 all times sports viewing experience for me. Incredible.
A life long Vikings fan hosts 35 Saints or neutral fans for that game? I absolutely could not host a gathering like that unless everyone was a Pats fan.
 

joe dokes

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Williams needs to just stay between his man and the endzone, obviously.

Look at Harmon in the last Steelers game vs this play. Which safety is better trained in situational football, who wins the game on the last play? Seahawks SB, XLIX, etc, who is better prepared, who wins the endgame?

Also, Brees deserves better.
I was thinking that would have been another Harmon game closer, too.
 

Ed Hillel

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The interpretation that Williams got there too soon and slowed up to avoid DPI makes complete sense... until you watch the video, where there's no evidence for it at all. I think he simply had it locked into his brain— "Must cut off sideline at all costs"— and it was a failure of imagination to recognize that a TD was a real possibility here and that he was the last guy between Diggs and the end zone.
I mean, there’s a slow motion video of him getting there early posted in this thread and it shows him getting to Diggs early and veering course to avoid contact at the last second. You might be right, but I have no idea how the video disproves the theory.
 

OCST

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I thought I saw two deep safeties on one of the replays and wondered where the other one was on that play.
This is where I was. My first instinct was "why didn't he get out of bounds for the FG?" Then I was like: "why isn't there another safety closing him down, where the hell is that guy?"
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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I did get a little tired of his standing around, arms crossed with a scowl on his face pose, like he's the baddest dude around. Excitement is awesome, posing not so much.
After that play he could have pulled out his schwontz and smacked the guy in the Brees jersey in the end zone seats in the face with it if he wanted to.

After that play he can do whatever the fuck he wants.
 

mostman

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After that play he could have pulled out his schwontz and smacked the guy in the Brees jersey in the end zone seats in the face with it if he wanted to.

After that play he can do whatever the fuck he wants.
Yeah let’s also not lose sight of the fact that the young man is 24. If he has a long and productive career, that catch will still be the highlight. I say let him enjoy the moment.
 

MarcSullivaFan

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Hoo-hoo-hoo hoosier land.
A life long Vikings fan hosts 35 Saints or neutral fans for that game? I absolutely could not host a gathering like that unless everyone was a Pats fan.
Yeah, it was mostly “neutral” people with a smattering of Purdue people rooting loudly for Saints, including a bunch of punk ass 10 year olds. But he’s Minnesota nice so no one got thrown out.

I’ve been living outside of MA for all the Pats and Sox championships so I’ve had to develop a pretty thick hide. I had a house full of Colts fans for the SB last year, and as painful as the first 3/4 of that game were it made the victory even sweeter if that’s possible.