RugbyRebels

Tom Brady and the Patriots host Ben Roethlisberger's Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC title game, and Aaron Rodgers' Green Bay Packers visit Matt Ryan's Atlanta Falcons in the NFC decider. The 51st Super Bowl will be staged in Houston on February 5. Denver are the defending champions but dipped out this year. The Patriots were the 2015 champions (for the 2014-2015 season), while the Packers last lifted the tropy in 2011, and the Steelers two years earlier. The Falcons' solitary appearance in the Super Bowl was way back in 1998 in resulted in a loss. The Steelers hold the most titles, 6, followed by the Cowboys (who they eliminated in the playoffs) & 49ers with 5 apiece, and the Patriots, Packers & Giants, all with 4. The first Super Bowl I saw personally was the 21st in 87, when the Redskins won, and the last was the 43rd in 2009 when the Steelers just held off the unfancied Cardinals. I'm going with the Patriots. Poll will only run for this week.

A lot of high powered offences left this year and it is fairly open.

Would love to see Atlanta win it for something a bit different. Their game v GBP could be a classic.

Big D wrote:A lot of high powered offences left this year.

Would love to see Atlanta win it for something a bit different. Their game v GBP could be a classic.

I get the highlights on my Yahoo email page for some reason (not complaining) and the quality of the offenses, notably the passing game, looks to be quite outstanding. I watched Super Bowls regularly from 87 through till the end of the century, and even played a little gridiron myself, having attended uni in the States, and the running game was a much bigger factor back then. I can't believe the number of times I'm seeing QBs throwing when they have wide open spaces in front of them, but it seems to come off most of the time, from what I'm seeing. Falcons definitely have a shot in the NFC decider, hosting a Packers outfit who were lucky to get by the Cowboys in the playoffs. But I think the winner of the NFC title will win the Super Bowl, and the Pats have home advantage for that one, which is why I've picked them.

rowan wrote:

Big D wrote:A lot of high powered offences left this year.

Would love to see Atlanta win it for something a bit different. Their game v GBP could be a classic.

I get the highlights on my Yahoo email page for some reason (not complaining) and the quality of the offenses, notably the passing game, looks to be quite outstanding. I watched Super Bowls regularly from 87 through till the end of the century, and even played a little gridiron myself, having attended uni in the States, and the running game was a much bigger factor back then. I can't believe the number of times I'm seeing QBs throwing when they have wide open spaces in front of them, but it seems to come off most of the time, from what I'm seeing. Falcons definitely have a shot in the NFC decider, hosting a Packers outfit who were lucky to get by the Cowboys in the playoffs. But I think the winner of the NFC title will win the Super Bowl, and the Pats have home advantage for that one, which is why I've picked them.

The refereeing has changed. There are a lot more pass interference calls that there used to be which makes it easier to throw. There is also a bit of self preservation/player protection about it. There are a lot more diagnosed concussions and injuries from big hits than there used to be.

Good point. I'd forgotten about the concussion thing. I seem to recall at one point there were some minor alterations to the rules to encourage the passing game and make it easier. Receivers take plenty of big hits, of course, but not generally of the head-on variety like running backs and linebackers - who are usually fairly big guys into the bargain.

Bye bye, Packers. Falcons marching to just their 2nd Super Bowl appearance - 31 - 0 in the 3rd 1/4

44-21 Falcons it finishes, go to their 2nd Bowl, to play the Patriots (my pick ), who will be appearing in a record 9th Bowl, & seeking their fifth championship, which would place them 2nd-equal all-time with the Cowboys and 49ers - and just one behind the Steelers.

Glad the Falcons got through. Great performance.

I didn't see the games personally, too late over here for one thing, but I watched the highlights. Some good football played but it's a shame the games were so one-sided - basically over by halftime - and I think we may well see a one-sided Super Bowl as well . . .

Pats clear favourites but would love a Falcons win.

Nothing against the Pats, 7 superbowl appearances in 16 seasons for Brady is phenomenal but think it would be good for the NFL for another team to win.

Big D wrote:Pats clear favourites but would love a Falcons win.

Nothing against the Pats, 7 superbowl appearances in 16 seasons for Brady is phenomenal but think it would be good for the NFL for another team to win.

Pats are up there with the 50s Browns, 60s Packers, 70s Steelers, 80s 49ers & 90s Cowboys. In fact, they were probably the team of the 2000s as well, so if they win on February 5 and perhaps squeeze one more title in beefore 2020, they might just become the first franchise to have dominated the league over 2 decades. This is quite amazing to me, because I started watching NFL in the mid-80s, and the Pats were the perennial joke of the league (alongside Tampa).I believe their transformation owed to the introduction of free agency some time around the turn of the century.

I met this guy while at college in the US. We were in Kansas City one afternoon and heard on the car radio he was doing a promo for a local bar so zipped down there and had a chat with him. About 25 years ago It's a video, btw...

Patriots win it. I got this one right though they were the favorites, of course. But they had to come from 3-28 down in the 2nd half to win it 34-28 in overtime. Heartbreak for the underdog Falcons who have never won a title. Patriots move to 2nd equal all-time with San Francisco & Dallas on five trophies, one behind the Steelers on six. But they have played in more Super Bowls than any other team in history (9) and the current dynasty is already regarded by some as the best ever. I think it will take another trophy or two to convince everybody, however.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... er-bowl-li

rowan wrote: Patriots win it. I got this one right though they were the favorites, of course. But they had to come from 3-28 down in the 2nd half to win it 34-28 in overtime. Heartbreak for the underdog Falcons who have never won a title. Patriots move to 2nd equal all-time with San Francisco & Dallas on five trophies, one behind the Steelers on six. But they have played in more Super Bowls than any other team in history (9) and the current dynasty is already regarded by some as the best ever. I think it will take another trophy or two to convince everybody, however.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... er-bowl-li

Donald got it right too. Broken clocks eh?

He considers them total winners!


It's a shame he didn't comment on the Falcons effort. I know Twatter is limited by character count but the fucker never shows any class.

Crazy game. Pats got the job done.

Hopefully the Falcons can come back from this.

Big D wrote:Crazy game. Pats got the job done.

Hopefully the Falcons can come back from this.

Just to clarify, I picked the Pats but not because I wanted them to win, and having watched the highlights of this it looked as though it would have been a much nicer ending for the underdog Falcons to have held on. They were unbelievably close a couple of times, to snuffing out the New England fight-back entirely, but the Patriots showed nerves of steel to score the vital points when a single mistake would have cost them the championship.

rowan wrote:

Big D wrote:Crazy game. Pats got the job done.

Hopefully the Falcons can come back from this.

Just to clarify, I picked the Pats but not because I wanted them to win, and having watched the highlights of this it looked as though it would have been a much nicer ending for the underdog Falcons to have held on. They were unbelievably close a couple of times, to snuffing out the New England fight-back entirely, but the Patriots showed nerves of steel to score the vital points when a single mistake would have cost them the championship.

The Pats are a very very well drilled and run team. They always seem to do the right thing. However Dan Quinn and Kyle Shanahan need their balls booted. On one of their last possessions all they had to do was run the ball and kick a field goal rather than call a pass play and let Ryan get sacked (he should have thrown it away). That is exactly the type of thing that the Patriots get right far more than other teams.

Big D wrote:

rowan wrote:

Big D wrote:Crazy game. Pats got the job done.

Hopefully the Falcons can come back from this.

Just to clarify, I picked the Pats but not because I wanted them to win, and having watched the highlights of this it looked as though it would have been a much nicer ending for the underdog Falcons to have held on. They were unbelievably close a couple of times, to snuffing out the New England fight-back entirely, but the Patriots showed nerves of steel to score the vital points when a single mistake would have cost them the championship.

The Pats are a very very well drilled and run team. They always seem to do the right thing. However Dan Quinn and Kyle Shanahan need their balls booted. On one of their last possessions all they had to do was run the ball and kick a field goal rather than call a pass play and let Ryan get sacked (he should have thrown it away). That is exactly the type of thing that the Patriots get right far more than other teams.

Didn't see the whole game but I've watched a fair bit of the replays and it certainly looked as though the Falcons let this one get away to some extent. Put it down to inexperience, I guess. But the city of Atlanta is in shock right now, that's for sure. All sorts of stories on the net about multitudes not showing up to work and school and so on. Hopefully they Falcons will have learnt their lessons and will find a way back, because they're certainly good enough to win the Super Bowl.

4th quarter Falcons were trotting to the line and snapping the ball with 15 secs on play clock. Should have milked the clock and run the ball. Kicked the three and won.

Wow, the Oakland Raiders are moving to Vegas

The NFL gave its approval for the Oakland Raiders to move to Las Vegas, paving the way for the building of a 1.75 billion euro stadium in Nevada.

The plan by Raiders owner Mark Davis, who has been the driving force behind the relocation effort, won the support of 31 of the league’s 32 owners.

It marks the second time Oakland fans will see the Raiders leave the city where they began play in 1960 in the old American Football League. The team, known for its black and silver uniforms, played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 before returning to Oakland.

The Raiders will become the second major professional sports franchise to be based in Las Vegas, following in the footsteps of the NHL’s Golden Knights.

http://www.euronews.com/2017/03/28/nfl- ... -las-vegas

rowan wrote:Wow, the Oakland Raiders are moving to Vegas

The NFL gave its approval for the Oakland Raiders to move to Las Vegas, paving the way for the building of a 1.75 billion euro stadium in Nevada.

The plan by Raiders owner Mark Davis, who has been the driving force behind the relocation effort, won the support of 31 of the league’s 32 owners.

It marks the second time Oakland fans will see the Raiders leave the city where they began play in 1960 in the old American Football League. The team, known for its black and silver uniforms, played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 before returning to Oakland.

The Raiders will become the second major professional sports franchise to be based in Las Vegas, following in the footsteps of the NHL’s Golden Knights.

http://www.euronews.com/2017/03/28/nfl- ... -las-vegas

Was inevitable they'd move really, Raiders have been trying for years to get a new Stadium in Oakland and the owner wans't willing to pay for a large chunk himself. Will sting for the NFL as the bay area is a big market.

I don't expect it to be smooth sailing for them to establish a fan base there.

Well, the Bay area still has the 49ers, at least. What's really bizarre is that the nation's second biggest city has been without an NFL team for more than two decades, since the Raiders & Rams - which had co-existed in LA since early the previous decade - left simultaneously. I understand the Coliseum sustained structural damage in the 94 quake, but surely they'd have repaired that by now. & what's wrong with Anaheim anyway?

Wow

Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez hanged himself in his jail cell early Wednesday morning and was later pronounced dead at a hospital, according to the Associated Press.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/forme ... in-prison/#

Its threads like this that make me worry about ' rounders ' coming across the pond .