Instant Classic

[Runscott]

.......

[arc2q]

I'm way late on joining this thread. Not sure how I missed it. I agree with Scott. Luck is a factor on every play - maybe multiple times a play. Success in sports can never be attributed simply to luck. Sure there were a couple of plays that were pivotal and could have changed the course of the outcome. But those kind of plays go both direction. By the same argument that the Packers "gave the game away" one could easy argue the Seahawks poor play in the first half gave the lead to the Packers in the first place.

The Seahawks won because they were the better team. When it mattered most they made the plays. The final score shows they were the better team that deserved to win.

I've rewatched the game now several times. Why did Buck and Aikman (not to mention most of the media afterwards) not even mention that Clay Matthews sat out the entire 4th quarter? Their best defensive player was on the sideline when it mattered most. If that had been a player like Jay Cutler he would have been eviscerated by the media. The cameramen were even trying to prompt the announcers to say something about Matthews watching as Marshawn Lynch ran all over the Packers defense.

Seahawks 24 - Patriots 12

[the 'stache]

The Seahawks won because their defense was healthy, and Aaron Rodgers was not. That's what it boils down to.

A big part of what makes Rodgers so dangerous is that he's a great pocket passer, AND he's the best quarterback in the NFL at creating when the play breaks down. He can go off script, and his receivers are outstanding at doing that with him. He couldn't do that at all on that Sunday. Almost half of his game as a quarterback was taken away, so all the secondary had to do was sit back in pass coverage. They weren't forced to chase the Packer receivers around like they would have been because Rodgers couldn't get outside the pocket . They never had to worry about Rodgers taking off. A healthy Rodgers forces those corner backs and safeties to make decisions--to I stay in coverage, and let Rodgers run for 20 yards, or do I come up on him, and hope he crosses the line of scrimmage, so he can't stop, and throw the ball over my head.

If Rodgers is healthy, he doesn't force a throw into the back of the endzone for a pick. That throw was made out of frustration, not because Seattle was doing anything exceptional, but because his body couldn't do what he wanted to do. Tell Russell Wilson "you can't run today", and how do you think he does? He had his legs for that game, and was playing against a defense that everybody else said was so vastly inferior to Seattle's defense. And he got smacked down.

And I love Russell Wilson to death, but all the fawning over him needs to stop. He showed in that game that he is very mortal, that he can be rattled. A healthy Rodgers hits Randall Cobb in stride on that pass play over the middle of the field, and Cobb would have been gone. Nobody in the Seahawk secondary was going to catch him at full speed. And that would have put Seattle away, because their offense was not only doing nothing, but they were dejected.

[Runscott]

Yeah, Rodgers is flawless when perfectly healthy :roll eyes:

I think most people realize that a defense adjusts to what they are up against. This game they were up against a throwing Rodgers and Rodgers still threw great - he had several receivers drop balls that hit them right in the hands. In addition, Rodgers was able to pick up good yardage on runs, especially a critical one that got them into position for the tying field goal, possibly because Seattle didn't show his legs enough respect.

Rodgers did fine. Seattle did better and beat him and the Packers. If Wilson had been playing at anything above the +10 passer rating he took into the last 5 minutes, Seattle would have slaughtered Green Bay.

But go ahead and continue your fantasy.