2017 NFL Playoffs

[Rupert Patrick]

Super Bowl first half observations:

I think it was the most exciting first half to a Super Bowl I have ever seen. Outstanding game so far.

There were no punts, for one thing (which may be a first), and the one turnover was on a tipped pass.

I also cannot think of a Super Bowl with as many plays in excess of 20 yards as I have seen in the first half of this game.

The pass play to Brady was a call I would not have made, especially with his bad thumb, but it was a little high and he would have picked up a lot of yardage had he pulled it in, he might have scored.

The Foles TD catch on a Wildcat reverse pass to the QB on fourth-and-goal at the one-yard line may turn out to be one of the great plays in pro football history.

To this point it reminds me of the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXXVIII (Patriots-Panthers), where both teams are moving it up and down the field and putting points on the board.

This game has already exceeded more than a few Super Bowls in yards gained by each team for the entire game just in one half so far. I think before this is thru this will shatter all the records for yards and points scored.

MVP so far is between Foles and Blount. The way Brady is going he may shatter Van Brocklin's single game yardage passing record; he's already more than halfway there I believe.

I think the Pats are going to have a difficult time adjusting to handling Foles short passing game, along with Blount and the ability of Foles to air it out just to keep the Pats defense honest. I predicted this should be a classic matchup, and it has been great except for the kicking game. Bring on the second half.

PS - Why didn't I make Philly Cheesesteak subs with the Eagles in the Super Bowl this year?

[JohnH19]

Best SB yet. Great game from start to finish. Happy for the Eagles.

[Reaser]

As 'exciting' as the high school 7on7 games I watch every summer. This was definitely the best pro 7on7 game, though. I prefer running, blocking and tackling though so I'm more excited for and can't wait until this year's Super Bowl starts ...

... cool that Philadelphia finally won a Super Bowl. I'm most happy about Doug Pederson though, part of the WA High School QB club and made one of my favorite plays in WA high school football history. I have the program from when he was in the state all-star game.

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[Rupert Patrick]

Best SB yet. Great game from start to finish. Happy for the Eagles.

I think it was in the top 3-4 Super Bowls definitely. It reminded me of the Panthers-Patriots Super Bowl, but it was the entire game instead of just the end of the first half and the fourth quarter, the entire game was an all-out shootout. We've never really had an all-out shootout in the Super Bowl before. Cleanly played, few penalties, and no controversies except for that touchdown by the Eagles that looked very iffy, but I look at it as Karma as the Patriots have had a lot of iffy calls go their way and for once one went against them. It set the NFL record for most yards in a game (1,151), regular season or postseason, breaking the mark of 1,133 set in 1950 by the Rams and NY Yanks, which the Rams won 45-35. Brady threw for 505 yards, and I think he would have broken Van Brocklin's single game mark of 554 had he not coughed up the ball at the end. The 74 combined points missed by one from being the most points scored by both teams in a Super Bowl; Super Bowl XXIX between San Diego and San Francisco still holds the record with 75. This would be a great night to be in downtown Philly; I was in downtown Detroit when the Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup in 42 years in 1997 (I actually got to kiss the Stanley Cup) and it was a great celebration.

[JohnH19]

Ya, no defense to speak of until the strip sack but it was cleanly played and the offenses deserve full credit for lighting it up.

It would have been an absolute joke if the Ertz TD had been overturned. He caught the ball at the 5 yard line and ran it in. It was clear as day and it was disappointing that Collinsworth, who I thought had a bad night, didn't see it for what it obviously was.

[Rupert Patrick]

Ya, no defense to speak of until the strip sack but it was cleanly played and the offenses deserve full credit for lighting it up.

It would have been an absolute joke if the Ertz TD had been overturned. He caught the ball at the 5 yard line and ran it in. It was clear as day and it was disappointing that Collinsworth, who I thought had a bad night, didn't see it for what it obviously was.

I thought the TD pass to Clement was very iffy, that was the one I was questioning. I thought his foot might have been a little too close to the white area on the back of the end zone. That was the one I thought the NE fans will be complaining about the most. The Ertz TD was clean, it came loose but he pulled it down in the end zone so it was a catch.

I just turned on NFL Network and they had a graphic up saying the 1,151 yards was the most combined yards of any game in Super Bowl history. Most of any game in NFL history.

[Reaser]

I thought the TD pass to Clement was very iffy, that was the one I was questioning. I thought his foot might have been a little too close to the white area on the back of the end zone. That was the one I thought the NE fans will be complaining about the most. The Ertz TD was clean, it came loose but he pulled it down in the end zone so it was a catch

To quote myself when the Clement TD was being reviewed, "in the regular season that's 100% not a catch but I wonder with all the talk this year about the rule and how big of a story it was with Goodell this week if they'll let it stand to avoid any controversy?" ... of course it stood but I'm 99% sure had it been a month ago it would have been overturned.

Ertz was clean, in real football, but under the current rules and how they were applied this season it's still 50/50 -- we've seen similar all year. Though I'm glad they didn't take it away.

There will be controversy though, the Clement TD for sure plus the Foles TD reception it looked to me like there was only 6-men on the LOS, an illegal formation.

[JohnH19]

I agree that the Clement TD was questionable at best but how could they possibly have overturned Ertz's TD? He caught the ball at the five and ran it in. He was clearly a ball carrier so it doesn't matter if the ball touched the ground after he reached it over the goal line (I hate it when players do that). Even with all of the grey area surrounding TD receptions that one was a no-doubter that shouldn't have gone to an extended review. It annoyed me that Michaels and Collinsworth didn't take a stand on the call.

[Reaser]

how could they possibly have overturned Ertz's TD? He caught the ball at the five and ran it in. He was clearly a ball carrier so it doesn't matter if the ball touched the ground after he reached it over the goal line (I hate it when players do that). Even with all of the grey area surrounding TD receptions that one was a no-doubter that shouldn't have gone to an extended review. It annoyed me that Michaels and Collinsworth didn't take a stand on the call.

You're using common sense and thinking about it in terms of "that was obviously a catch" ... That isn't the NFL rule or how it was applied this year or even previous years. Eifert took 4-steps reached over the goalline and it was incomplete. Randle took 3 steps (maybe 2 and a half) after catching the ball in the endzone and it was incomplete. Dez took 3 steps and dove for the endzone and it was incomplete. Freeman caught it, took 2 steps and reached for the endzone and it was incomplete. And numerous other examples. It was even similar to the James TD except James caught it and reached for the endzone without taking steps but we've seen 2, 3, 4 steps ("clearly a ball carrier"/runner) and still it's was called incomplete because "complete the process", especially with any contact.

Definitely not an argument against it being a catch. As I said, in real football that's 100% a catch. In the NFL this season it's a coin-flip on how they would rule that -- and similar to the Clement play I would say the controversy and Goodell's comments this week were in the Eagles favor in letting the call stand. I wasn't surprised at all it went to review and I wouldn't even have been surprised had it been overturned. It would have been stupid but so were all the other ones.

I don't think that's the controversy though. The Clement catch is obviously a much bigger one. The 6-men on the LOS doesn't change anything but it's something that people will point to.

Personally I liked the way this game was officiated. Lot of holding, lot of P.I. that usually would be called was let go and that's fine with me. And review not stealing the Ertz TD. Illegal formation was either a miss or official said it was good (which I've seen worse let go) but the Clement TD is really the only thing that can be debated.

Regardless, in my opinion the officials didn't decide this game or make enough calls against one team to where it would give them a valid excuse for losing.

[Reaser]

I think it might be something that comes out years down the line but I can't wait to find out what was going on with the Malcolm Butler situation.