Super Bowl XLIV Gameday Thread: Saints vs. Colts

NFL Network is now anointing the Saints "America's Team" with none other than Michael Irvin leading the charge. Is he forgetting that team he used to play for or what?

I'm really happy for the Saints, but it's amazing the things people will say after a big win like yesterday, praise comes from everywhere from some of the most unlikely sources. I too give it up for the Saints, no team more deserving.
Well it could be easy to call them America's Team because over half the citizens live of our tax dollars.

The Saints made another "bold move" toward the end of the 1st half by going for it on 4th down and the Colts D stuffed them. Indy blew it by going 3 and out deep in their own territory right after that. Colts had a huge chance to make something to end the first half after a 4th down goal-line stand and then start the 2nd half with the ball. That seems to have been forgotten

Yeah that 3 and out was big, no doubt. I guess they just didn't want to risk a turnover but it was odd to not see the Colts come out in attack mode like they usually do.

I think if someone said that onside kick was the gutsiest call they had ever seen in their entire lifetime I don't think I would be interested in arguing with them. It is just insane how much of a risk/reward calculation that play call was.It was insanely ballzy, but it's more insane that it hadn't been used in any of the prior 43 super bowls. A surprise onside kick, so long as it hasn't been used so often as that it is not surprise, offers a chance to risk 30 yards of field position (expected point value of 1.4) for what is essentially a turnover (expected point value of 3.0) at a near even rate. That's a great play to take the risk on.

I'd imagine that coaches shy away from it only because of media criticism and the fear that the other team might be well coached enough as to be prepared for it. But Payton is clearly oblivious to what people think about him, which is one of the primary qualifications of a great head coach.

Very happy for the Saints well deserved, a little jealous to when will the SKINS get back there hopefully soon.

I call "bullshit" on this post. Only because it's absurd to suggest that Manning is in Tom Brady's league in playoff performance.

He absolutely is not.Says who?

Tom Brady Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BradTo00/gamelog/)

Peyton Manning Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MannPe00/gamelog/)

Each has 18 playoff starts. Manning has a QB rating 87.6, Brady has one of 85.5. QB rating is not a nearly accurate enough statistic to judge anything conclusive from that, or to say one is better than the other, but 18 football games is a lot of data, and that's a nearly identical performance--generally speaking.

I know a lot of Brees' playoff starts have been in warm weather/indoors, in fact, his worst playoff start is his only game played outdoors, in cold weather, in January,

but these playoff numbers (see bottom of page) are cartoonish.

Drew Brees Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BreeDr00/gamelog/)

He officially has my support for the hall of fame, whatever it's worth to him.

Saints' Super Bowl win nips 'MASH' finale for most-watched show ever | Company Town | Los Angeles Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/02/saints-super-bowl-win-is-.html)

Says who?

Tom Brady Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BradTo00/gamelog/)

Peyton Manning Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MannPe00/gamelog/)

Each has 18 playoff starts. Manning has a QB rating 87.6, Brady has one of 85.5. QB rating is not a nearly accurate enough statistic to judge anything conclusive from that, or to say one is better than the other, but 18 football games is a lot of data, and that's a nearly identical performance--generally speaking.

Because unlike you Greg, I don't place such a high value on statistics.

Stats are very telling and useful and all, but they are far from the whole the story.

Says who?

Tom Brady Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BradTo00/gamelog/)

Peyton Manning Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MannPe00/gamelog/)

Each has 18 playoff starts. Manning has a QB rating 87.6, Brady has one of 85.5. QB rating is not a nearly accurate enough statistic to judge anything conclusive from that, or to say one is better than the other, but 18 football games is a lot of data, and that's a nearly identical performance--generally speaking.


This was before this year's playoffs:

Brady vs. Manning - CBSSports.com (http://wbzfmmichael.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/16563767/18228320)

Joe Montana Tom Brady (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/playerpage/187741) Peyton Manning (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/playerpage/12531)
Playoff Record: 16-7 14-3 7-8
Playoff TD-INT: 45-21 26-12 22-17
Playoff Passer Rating: 95.6 93.4 84.6
Super Bowl Record: 4-0 3-1 1-0
Super Bowl TD-INT: 11-0 7-1 1-1
Super Bowl Passer Rating: 127.8 99.88 81.80
Super Bowl MVP’s: 3 2 1

Because unlike you Greg, I don't place such a high value on statistics.

Stats are very telling and useful and all, but they are far from the whole the story.That's fine and all, but I'm thinking that the alternative to the gross statistical totals (which are--as you pointed out--far from the whole story) is stuff that happened more than five years ago, when a 26 year old Brady was thought to be, if nothing else, more "clutch" than a 28 year old Manning.

Which is, in my opinion, not more inclusive than the statistics show, but far less.

I don't wish to make a conclusive argument that Manning and Brady are playoff equals, I just wish to show that there's no noticeable difference between what one has done and what the other has. And if there's not a noticeable difference, then unsupported quips that suggest that EVERYONE should know that the statistics are wrong are just that- unsupported.

Not wrong. Not by any means. Just unsupported.