Repeat, Story…

Jan 16, 2012

Blue Cheese

Yesterday I witnessed a repeat from my team and honestly it wasn’t what I had envisioned. Watching this team all year their destiny seemed to be back-to-back Super Bowl victories, not a repeat of the last playoff appearance for Brett Favre in a Packers uniform during the 2007 campaign. Where the NY Giants defeated the Packers on their way to a surprising Super Bowl victory, ending New England’s dreams of an undefeated season.

When I started this article I was comfortable in what I wanted to say, even how I’d phrase it, but as I sat at my computer the frustration and hurt began to creep in and all I could think of was excuse’s why Green Bay had lost. To much time off, an offensive line that wasn’t completely healthy, even thinking that having the worst defense in the league was the downfall of a team that lead the league in wins. So I shut it down till today, and with a clearer and calmer head I can truthfully say that the Giants beat up my Packers. Dominating an offense that averaged 40 points at home, holding them to half that total, forcing them into mistakes that Green Bay had avoided all season long, like dropped passes, and multiple turnovers, pressuring Aaron Rodger into hurried throws and uncharacteristic mistakes. Exposing what all the experts knew and said was the Achilles heal of this championship team, a DEFENSE that dreadfully lived up to it’s season long reputation.

Don’t get me wrong the first half was enjoyable, looking as if the teams were evenly matched, trading first field goals, then touchdowns and finally turnovers, before what I deem as the play that turned the tide swinging the momentum in New York’s favor with the Hail Mary pass caught by Hakeem Nicks for a touchdown, giving the Giants a lead they would never relinquish.

Now, so that those Packer’s fans such as myself don’t think that I’m just bashing our team, there were several instances giving a glimmer of hope that Green Bay with the regular seasons best record of 15 and 1 could either pull this one out or make it much closer than the 37 to 20 final. There was Aaron Rodgers who impressively displayed the timing on throws to all his receivers that helped him set the single season quarterback rating of 122.5, but Rodgers was the only reason Green Bay was able to move the ball up the field, scrambling multiple times for first downs, moving out of the pocket allowing the receiving corp time to get open and delivering sharp, precise passes throughout the contest. Thus solidifying his place in this writer’s mind, as MVP.

I had some resentment towards some comments made by Jason Pierre-Paul when he guaranteed a win against the Packer’s, well he and his fellow G-men backed it up by causing mayhem all day for Green Bay’s O-line and QB, sacking Rodgers 4 times, knocking the ball out of his hand on one possession stopping a drive that may have been the turning point for my team, regaining the confidence that carried NY to this victory. And what about Eli Manning, how many times does this young man have to lead his team to big wins before we as fans and the so called experts consider him an elite player, in the same class with Rodgers, Brady, and his own brother Peyton.

So it may not have been the repeat that I pictured before the game started, it may be a repeat of that 07 post season when the New York Giant’s went on to win the NFL’s championship. My hat’s off to NY and I wish them the best going forward.