Brady or Manning?

[bucksfan2]

I take Brady, and its not really close.

I think, although it is Monday, that Brady hasn't won a Super Bowl with the help of Moss. I believe all his other SB's were won with their best WR being Deion Branch and a RB core of a bunch of no names. I think while Manning is a great QB, puts up great numbers, has great pocket awareness, but I think Brady has that "it" quality. He used to be a tough as nails QB, who knew what had to happen in order to get the job done. He always reminded me of a QB who took it one step at a time.

FWIW I take the old Brady, the pre-uber celebrity QB.

[Razor Shines]

My biggest problem with Belicheck's strategy at the end was that he used up all of their timeouts, and I don't think he had to. I'm pretty sure that the 4th down play wouldn't have been overturned, but I'm sure Pats fans would have liked for the refs to at least take a look.

[Roy Tucker]

I thought Belichick's move was gutsy. He thought the best chance they had to win that game was to keep Manning off the field. I guess he thought that no matter how far Manning had to go, 30 yards or 70 yards, he was going to score.

It was kinda weird for me to watch that game. We spent Thursday night and then all day Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium at high school marching band Grand Nationals. Like 16 hours in the stadium. Mason HS came in 20th out of 102 bands. A good showing. They must turn that stadium over quickly because the competition didn't end till well after midnight on Sat. Indy really uses that stadium a lot unlike PBS.

[blumj]

I think the decision by Belicheck was one of fear of given the ball back to Manning. I think he decided that if Manning got the ball back at all, they couldn't stop him. The Belicheck of just a few years ago would have not been afraid of that situation because he knew he could stop him. That wasn't a bold decision, it was a scared one. He had no confidence in his defense.

I don't think he makes the same decision with Cassel instead of Brady at QB AND I don't think he makes it if he has more DEs and/or OLBs available. I guess that means I think it's both: too much confidence in his O to do something a bit too extraordinary and not enough confidence in his depleted and tired D to do something more ordinary. Honestly, I feel like he was more between a rock and a hard place than either right or wrong.

[blumj]

Oh, FWIW, I didn't vote in the poll. I think they're as close to interchangeable as you're going to get. And Matt Cassel could probably QB this Colts team to 11 wins with the schedule the Pats played last year, after all, the Dolphins did it with Pennington and the wildcat.

[George Anderson]

My biggest problem with Belicheck's strategy at the end was that he used up all of their timeouts, and I don't think he had to. I'm pretty sure that the 4th down play wouldn't have been overturned, but I'm sure Pats fans would have liked for the refs to at least take a look.

It's Manning and it isn't even close. People talk about Manning having great recievers as the reason for his success, but like Tony Dungy said last night, Manning made those receivers great.

On the subject of the Pats not having enough timeouts to challenge the 4th down play. Remember Belichick had to waste a timeout to have the pass to Reggie Wayne reviewed in the 3rd Qtr. It was Mannings heads up play to rush the offense up to the line of scrimmage so quick that the Pats up in the box didn't have enough time to see if the play warranted a review. Belichick had to flip a coin because Manning didn't give them enough time to review the play and see if a review was warranted. Belichick ended up being wrong which cost him a timeout and pretty much the game. I just don't see Brady as being anywhere near as smart as Manning in that regard.

[Razor Shines]

It's Manning and it isn't even close. People talk about Manning having great recievers as the reason for his success, but like Tony Dungy said last night, Manning made those receivers great.

On the subject of the Pats not having enough timeouts to challenge the 4th down play. Remember Belichick had to waste a timeout to have the pass to Reggie Wayne reviewed in the 3rd Qtr. It was Mannings heads up play to rush the offense up to the line of scrimmage so quick that the Pats up in the box didn't have enough time to see if the play warranted a review. Belichick had to flip a coin because Manning didn't give them enough time to review the play and see if a review was warranted. Belichick ended up being wrong which cost him a timeout and pretty much the game. I just don't see Brady as being anywhere near as smart as Manning in that regard.

I agree with all that, but I don't understand why the Pats called a time out to start their last drive in the 4th quarter, before they even ran one play. That was a waste of a time out IMO.

[George Anderson]

Here are pics of the NBC camera man being thrown to the ground.

God I hope he sues those punks!!

http://photos.indystar.com/galleries/slides/7944?page=1

[blumj]

It's Manning and it isn't even close. People talk about Manning having great recievers as the reason for his success, but like Tony Dungy said last night, Manning made those receivers great.

On the subject of the Pats not having enough timeouts to challenge the 4th down play. Remember Belichick had to waste a timeout to have the pass to Reggie Wayne reviewed in the 3rd Qtr. It was Mannings heads up play to rush the offense up to the line of scrimmage so quick that the Pats up in the box didn't have enough time to see if the play warranted a review. Belichick had to flip a coin because Manning didn't give them enough time to review the play and see if a review was warranted. Belichick ended up being wrong which cost him a timeout and pretty much the game. I just don't see Brady as being anywhere near as smart as Manning in that regard.

Belichick made the mistake, though. After a similar completion for the Pats, Brady did the same thing, who's to say if the Colts HC(forgot his name for a sec)might have just had a better view?

[traderumor]

Here are pics of the NBC camera man being thrown to the ground.

God I hope he sues those punks!!

http://photos.indystar.com/galleries/slides/7944?page=1

Is that Garth (the cameraman)?

[traderumor]

One of the craziest decisions in the history of modern football...really. You don't even take the chance. You play the percentages. You make the Colts go 60-65 yards to win...not 29 yards. The defense got punked .

Yup. That decision is indefensible. Sometimes against the grain decisions are that way because they are stupid.

[DTCromer]

What has the better chance of happening?

Patriots gaining 2 yards on just 1 play

Patriots defense stopping Peyton Manning 4 straight times.

BB made the right call and even I immediately thought he'd go for it after the 3rd down incompletion. BB's gone for it on 4th down numerous times and made it. It just so happened he didnt' make it on this one. Oh well, Indy would've more than likely had the 1st spot locked up anyway which is more important to them than NE. It's the regular season and both teams will more than likely end up playing each other.

[RedsBaron]

I was at Marshall when Moss was there. His QBs were Eric Kresser and Chad Pennington. Both were future NFL QBs, and obviously Chad has had a nice long career. They were both great players, but Moss made them both look like Hall of Famers. He is like a magnet that pulls in anything within 20 feet. I have seen that "lob to Randy" strategy more times than I can count, and it usually works.

Yep. I watched a bunch of Marshall games in 1996-97. In those two seasons Moss often looked as if he was a man playing with boys. The "lob to Randy" in the corner of the end zone was virtually unstoppable.

[traderumor]

What has the better chance of happening?

Patriots gaining 2 yards on just 1 play

Patriots defense stopping Peyton Manning 4 straight times.

BB made the right call and even I immediately thought he'd go for it after the 3rd down incompletion. BB's gone for it on 4th down numerous times and made it. It just so happened he didnt' make it on this one. Oh well, Indy would've more than likely had the 1st spot locked up anyway which is more important to them than NE. It's the regular season and both teams will more than likely end up playing each other.

This should simply be written off as "gambled and lost" rather than trying to defend a stupid decision. The decision defies logic, there is a reason a coach will always punt in that situation. I think he would have had a better gamble to do a fake punt if he just really thought a first down was necessary to win the game. But sometimes, even the best coaches do stupid things. This was one of them.

[George Anderson]

What has the better chance of happening?

Patriots gaining 2 yards on just 1 play

Patriots defense stopping Peyton Manning 4 straight times.

BB made the right call and even I immediately thought he'd go for it after the 3rd down incompletion. BB's gone for it on 4th down numerous times and made it. It just so happened he didnt' make it on this one. Oh well, Indy would've more than likely had the 1st spot locked up anyway which is more important to them than NE. It's the regular season and both teams will more than likely end up playing each other.

I think the ramifications of not making the 2 yard gain when you are on your own 30 yard line far outweighs any other decision that Belicheck could have been thinking.