For all of you out there who love to rip me, you've got a good chance now, cause I picked wrong on the Super Bowl. I told you that somehow the whimsy of fate would favor the Patriots. I went with the Patriots, and alas, Eli Manning and the Giants won the game, and the 2011 football season has come to an end.
There is one more thing I would like to add to this Super Bowl wrap up, if you don't mind. If you have followed me and my blog over the last couple of years, if you have seen me write it once, I've written it a hundred times. When dealing with the Lions and their problems winning games, I've talked about them making plays. Every game comes down to a couple of plays here and there that you can point to that had a major impact on winning and losing. The Lions couldn't make a play to save their lives a few years ago, but last year they started making the big play that made the difference in winning and losing. I commented about this quite a bit.
Well, in this Super Bowl it was the same thing. The Giants made the play they had to make, the catch by Mario Manningham in their final drive that led to their score. Manningham made a play. Eli Manning took a risk and threw him the ball, he made a tough catch. He made the big play that made the difference.
On the other hand, New England's Wes Welker had the game in his hands too. In the previous Patriots possession, Welker was open, Brady threw the ball a little wide and behind him, but a very catchable ball. Certainly we've seen Welker catch tougher throws than that one, and clearly it was not as tough as the Manningham catch, but Welker didn't make the catch. He did not make the play. The Patriots lost.
I'm not saying that these two plays were the sole reason for losing or winning. A lot happens during the game, but, these two plays were as big as any in determining the outcome. If Welker makes his catch, the Pats most likely are the toast of the football world. He didn't. Manningham did make his catch, and Eli Manning is in Disney World while the scribes are debating whether he's a first ballot Hall of Famer.
So, remember, it's not just the Lions that bemoan this phenomenon in the NFL. It's everybody. The rule applies even in Super Bowls. And, it even applies to teams like the Patriots. Make more plays than the other guy and you win. Fail to make those plays, and you go home wondering what happened to your dreams.
Great year everyone....give me your feed back when you get a chance..what would you like to see?
