1. SPS Accounts:
    Do you find yourself coming back time after time? Do you appreciate the ongoing hard work to keep this community focused and successful in its mission? Please consider supporting us by upgrading to an SPS Account. Besides the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting a good cause, you'll also get a significant number of ever-expanding perks and benefits on the site and the forums. Click here to find out more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
You are currently viewing Boards o' Magick as a guest, but you can register an account here. Registration is fast, easy and free. Once registered you will have access to search the forums, create and respond to threads, PM other members, upload screenshots and access many other features unavailable to guests.

BoM cultivates a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We have been aiming for quality over quantity with our forums from their inception, and believe that this distinction is truly tangible and valued by our members. We'd love to have you join us today!

(If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you've forgotten your username or password, click here.)

NFL Playoffs

Discussion in 'Colosseum' started by Aldeth the Foppish Idiot, Jan 14, 2009.

  1. Aldeth the Foppish Idiot

    Aldeth the Foppish Idiot Armed with My Mallet O' Thinking Veteran

    Joined:
    May 15, 2003
    Messages:
    12,434
    Media:
    46
    Likes Received:
    250
    Gender:
    Male
    Actually, they didn't run that much at all. A look at the official game stats showed they called just 12 rushing plays, versus 43 pass plays.

    I think the real reason they found success in the second half was that Pittsburgh switched defenses at the start of the 4th quarter to a "2 deep zone" which sounds suspiously like a code word for the never-to-be-mentioned "prevent defense". That defense by whatever name, failed miserably. The mian point of playing a 2 deep zone or a prevent is to prevent a big play. So the defense failed in stopping the one thing it was designed to stop when it gave up the 64-yard TD pass to Fitzgerald. Although to be fair, that was a short pass - Fitz just plain out-ran the entire Steelers defense.
     
  2. iLLusioN' Gems: 16/31
    Latest gem: Shandon


    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2003
    Messages:
    817
    Likes Received:
    3
    It is legal for a runner to stiff arm the face mask as long as he doesn't grab it, Holmes didn't grab it so it was legal. And the roughing the holder one is a rule from peewee football all the way to the NFL, if he didn't know that was a penalty then I would be amazed.Wilson could have avoided hitting the holder (fall down if nothing else) but made no attempt so IMO he earned the penalty. The holder is completely defenseless in that position, would be amazingly easy to injure somebody like that. Apparently every other team knew it was a penalty since it hadn't been called this season until the superbowl.
     
  3. ChickenIsGood Gems: 23/31
    Latest gem: Black Opal


    Veteran

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2006
    Messages:
    1,601
    Likes Received:
    24
    I never said that the roughing the holder penalty was wrong, I just thought it was hilarious mostly... And to me it appeared Holmes had a minor grip on the facemask, but it could have gone either way.

    @Aldeth- A lot of teams use some variation or another of a two-deep zone as their base defense. Usually comes as part of a cover-two with corners laying off to safeties as a WR gets deeper, but some teams do leave the corners in man with safety help overtop. This is especially common against teams with multiple deep threat receivers and Arizona certainly has that (Fitzgerald and Breaston). However, I can agree that it seems to have been a bad decision to switch styles, as their first half defense was doing everything right.

    In the first half Arizona did try to establish the run, but in the second it was not just opening up the passing playbook that allowed them to thrive, it was the no-huddle as well. The defense can't switch players as easy to adjust to a fast paced offense, so you're often matched with a tired and un-specialized defensive unit. Throw in the fact that Arizona has been a good no-huddle team and it left Pittsburgh at a disadvantage.
     
  4. Aldeth the Foppish Idiot

    Aldeth the Foppish Idiot Armed with My Mallet O' Thinking Veteran

    Joined:
    May 15, 2003
    Messages:
    12,434
    Media:
    46
    Likes Received:
    250
    Gender:
    Male
    I agree that a two deep zone is a variation of the cover 2. The main difference is that the safeties play considerably deeper than they normally would otherwise. If you look at the overhead view on Fitzgerald's 60+ yard TD catch, you'll see both safeties are playing over 20 yards away from the line of scrimmage. My issue was I think they switched to that way too early. I even have my doubts about using it when there was still 3 minutes left, as that seems to be a heck of a long time: 3 minutes is enough time to throw underneath routes and take 5-10 yards at a time.
     
  5. ChickenIsGood Gems: 23/31
    Latest gem: Black Opal


    Veteran

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2006
    Messages:
    1,601
    Likes Received:
    24
    OK, I see it now and I definitely agree. I had noticed that on the Fitzgerald catch, and a few other plays as well, but I didn't think they were staying it in... It's also a major surprise that LeBeau would do it in particular.
     
  6. Munchkin Blender Gems: 22/31
    Latest gem: Sphene


    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2007
    Messages:
    1,413
    Likes Received:
    14
    Gender:
    Male
    I hate the Steeler and PATS - and I'm from New England. The refs tend to lean toward these two teams. Watch almost any game of these teams and it seems like the refs will call plays against the other team that should not be called or miss a penalty call that is right in front of the refs face. PATS and Steeler win 1 or 2 more games a year because of how they are called in their favor. Don't believe me... Watch NFL network rewind.
     
  7. Blades of Vanatar

    Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2008
    Messages:
    4,147
    Likes Received:
    224
    Gender:
    Male
    The 49ers and Cowboys were getting those calls in the late 80's and early 90's too. But since those franchises have fallen, the new faces of the NFL are the Pats and Steel Curtain. I'm a huge Eagles fan, bleeding green and everything!:D I really hate the no-calls we get somedays. Especially against the Giants when theya are having a winning season. The Mannings can get the calls as well, just not against the Pats and Steels....
     
  8. Aldeth the Foppish Idiot

    Aldeth the Foppish Idiot Armed with My Mallet O' Thinking Veteran

    Joined:
    May 15, 2003
    Messages:
    12,434
    Media:
    46
    Likes Received:
    250
    Gender:
    Male
    While I will readily concede that refs do on occassion screw up and some teams get the calls, it should also be pointed out that instant replay has reduced the incidence of this. (First, for the sake of full disclosure, I'm a Steelers fan.) The Steelers definitely got some calls in the Super Bowl a few years ago against the Seahawks, but I think this past year was pretty legit. The only bad call that went the Steelers way was Big Ben's "touchdown" run, but that was overturned upon review. And if the Pat's have been getting calls, it certainly hasn't resulted in Super Bowl wins in recent seasons.
     
  9. Blades of Vanatar

    Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2008
    Messages:
    4,147
    Likes Received:
    224
    Gender:
    Male
    I have not been a big fan of Instant Replay. Many calls are still blown, even with it's use. If we have the tech to use it, why not go full with it? Instead we use it only at crunch time, at the end of each half or for challenges. This seems to make more controversy. I think they should just dump it and let the refs call the game. Like baseball. Of course even they are using it to review HRs now, pathetic... what happened to sports?!:wail:
     
Sorcerer's Place is a project run entirely by fans and for fans. Maintaining Sorcerer's Place and a stable environment for all our hosted sites requires a substantial amount of our time and funds on a regular basis, so please consider supporting us to keep the site up & running smoothly. Thank you!

Sorcerers.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.