So I reached back into my memory to the movie Casablanca with Hunphrey Bogart and came up with the inspiration to comment on this week ends Divisional play-off round in the NFL. Like the song says, "the fundamental things apply as time goes by." Football has evolved and changed and gotten better as the years have passed. With the development of players strength, their speed, and more specialized skills than ever before, it is almost unrecognizable from the game of 30 years ago. The formations and pre snap positions alone make it look so much different, both on offense and defense. But, even with all of that, it's the fundamentals that can ultimately make the difference.
This isn't exciting stuff. It's rather mundane, but you know what? The more things change the more you must stress and execute the fundamentals to allow yourself to utilize the exceptional talent that exists today.
The fundamental things apply as time goes by. The Packers did not tackle well at all, a fundamental of the game long before they ran the spread or the shot gun. The Packers fumbled the ball 3 times, (should have been four) and threw an interception. Ball security is a fundamental you can see Knute Rockne stress in old black and white kinescopes from back in the day. The Packers dropped nine passes. Throwing and catching is a given. It's a fundamental. It's almost taken for granted at the NFL level. Heck, hard catches are the norm these days with these athletes. The Pack dropped the easy ones. The Packers got beat by the Giants. Don't get me wrong, the Giants deserved to win. The Packers did not execute the fundamentals. Even as time goes by, man, the fundamentals still apply.
The 49ers won in the same fashion. They tackled well. While they did turn it over, their opponents, the New Orleans Saints turned it over a lot more, and the Saints paid for it with a loss. I also must give Alex Smith a big pat on the back for his play. I dont think anybody felt he had it in him to get in a shoot out with Drew Brees, but he did and won. Smith came from nowhere in a career that many thought was over when Jim Harbaugh drafted quarterback Colin Kaepernick from Nevada last April. Think he wants that pick back now? Anyway, Alex Smith, of all the players in this years tournament to me, is the feel good story. Hopefully it will get played up as big as Tim Tebow was. To me it's a better story than Tebow.
Anyway, I digress. In my estimation, the two teams who should be playing for the NFC title are not because they forgot that the fundamentals apply no matter how good you think you are. The Giants and 49ers deserve to play for a Super Bowl berth because they remembered the rules of fundamentals. Never beat yourself! I give full credit to the Giants and 49ers for creating some of their own good fortune, but, I'm a hard critic. It probably comes from my background. I tend to feel that 90 percent of fumbles are a function of the guy carrying the ball and not protecting it.
New York and San Francisco are playing on the big stage because of their good play, and their good fortune. Their opponents forgot about the fundamentals.
It was similar in the AFC. The Patriots just swamped the Denver Bronco's. They were by far the superior team. But, early on in that game, Denver got to within a touchdown of New England because of a Patriot turnover. Tom Brady's only interception was turned into a score, and for a time it was a 14-7 game, and the Bronco's thought they were in it. They weren't in it because Brady and that New England offense was a buzz saw. Did you notice how Brady's receivers caught just about everything. Aaron Rodgers receivers didn't. There is a blunt reminder of how executing the fundamentals can take you over the top. When you are humming along, and your guys are catching everything, as a quarterback, your confidence soars. Tom Brady looked like an orchestra leader pointing here and there, and getting the right response at every point of his baton. Aaron Rodger pointed at the trombones and got the french horns. It sounded bad, and looked worse. New England wins big, the Packers lose.
Baltimore moves on because they can tackle and play defense. Houston turned the ball over. Their 3rd string quarterback, T. J. Yates, is game, but he's inexperienced, and wasted precious possessions against the Ravens, and you just cannot do that against that defense. I don't think the Ravens offense can move the ball across the street, but, they normally don't beat themselves. They play clean games. By that, I mean they don't hurt themselves too much with penalties and turnovers. Joe Flacco isn't asked to do too much, and they base there game plan on defense and field position. They play to their defense. It's smart. It is who they are, and they don't try to be something they are not. The key for them is that they are fundamentally very sound. There is that word again...fundamental.
The fundamental things apply, as time goes by. And by the way, a kiss is still a kiss, and a fumble still stinks.
Enjoy the final four.
