8
Dec
Posted by Tim in Unabated to the Quarterback. Tagged: atlanta is the worst sports town in america, brett favre, bruce gradkowski's mvp credentials, carlos beltran, historical hyperbole, indianapolis colts, mark sanchez, new orleans saints, robert meachem, saints as a college team, san diego chargers, the race for the top draft pick, washington redskins. 1 Comment
“In truth the way matters but little; the will to arrive suffices.”
—Albert Camus
It took me awhile, but I knew I had already made this comparison. And I did it only three weeks ago:
The Saints remind me of a really good college football team at this point. They score a lot of points, so it’s no big deal if they come out flat and fall behind early. They play down to competition. Reggie Bush played well for them. Eventually, though, they’re gonna drop one of these.
Yes, on the final weekend of the college football regular season, with Texas and Cincinnati using last-minute scores to each win by a point and maintain undefeated seasons, I couldn’t help but think of New Orleans in college terms. If anything, the Saints have looked more and more like a college team as the season has progressed: They have a quarterback who is preternaturally accurate—one that makes several throws per game that simply cannot be defended. They have three running backs, none of whom are particularly good, but all of whom are good enough given the system they play in. They have a half-dozen viable wide receivers, all capable of making big plays at any time, even if they’re playing defense. Their offense relies more on speed than any other in the NFL; given adequate time, Drew Brees will find an open man.
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8
Dec
Posted by Tim in Aught Lang Syne, Rankings, Sports. Tagged: 18-1, 2006 afc championship, 3rd and five, adam vinatieri, best nfl games of the decade, colts 38 patriots 34, david tyree, eli manning, giants 17 patriots 14, giants niners, giants patriots, golden age of the nfl, greatest comeback in nfl playoff history, greatest upset ever, home run throwback, jeff fisher, jets 40 dolphins 37, jets dolphins, kurt warner, midnight miracle, monday night miracle, music city miracle, niners 39 giants 38, patriots 16 raiders 13, patriots 20 rams 17, patriots 32 panthers 29, patriots colts, patriots panthers, patriots raiders, patriots rams, rams 23 titans 16, santonio holmes, snow game, steelers 27 cardinals 23, steelers cardinals, Steve McNair, super bowl xlii, super bowl xliii, super bowl xxxiv, super bowl xxxvi, super bowl xxxviii, titans 22 bills 16, titans bills, titans rams, Tom Brady, top 10 games, tuck rule, walt coleman. 3 Comments
Opposite the NBA and MLB, the NFL had an amazing decade. Whereas those sports combined to produce three Game 7s in 20 championship series, the NFL saw five Super Bowls come down to the final two minutes. It avoided major scandals while providing us with a likable upstart turned detestable villain, one of the best rivalries the sport has ever seen, featuring two historically transcendent players at the game’s most important position. Oh, and it cleaned up its logo.
It might even be the Golden Age of the NFL.
As for my list, you’ll notice that the common theme uniting all 10 games is fourth-quarter drama. And not like, one-team-drives-for-one-late-TD-to-win drama, but back-and-forth-for-all-15-minutes-with-multiple-scores drama. And even having that high standard and far fewer games to choose from than in the other sports, I had to make some tough cuts. The final ones included the Steelers’ comeback win over the Browns on Wild Card Weekend in 2002 (the same day as a game that made our countdown), the Steelers’ upset of the Colts in the 2005 Divisional Playoffs, and the Colts’ incredible fourth-quarter comeback on Monday Night against the Buccaneers in 2003.
On the other end of the spectrum, the worst game of the decade was Super Bowl XXXVII, the Buccaneers’ 48-21 romp over the Raiders. If you don’t know why, you’re a Bucs’ fan.
10. 2000 Regular Season: New York Jets 40, Miami Dolphins 37 (OT)
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