The Bounces

[Nav22]

As much as everyone wants to crown the Giants and say the Cowboys need to be more like them and blah blah blah, let's take a look at the bounces that have gone the Giants' way, and especially Eli Manning's.

This isn't excuse-making, this is reality. The football is shaped funny, and sometimes the bounces go your way. Sometimes they don't. For the Giants and Eli, the bounces have gone their way at some very opportune times, and that is the difference between sitting at home watching the Super Bowl and playing in it. It's the difference between being labeled as legendary and being average.

Without further ado...

Super Bowl, Giants-Patriots

- Two dropped INTs right to the hands of Patriots defenders on Eli's final "legendary" drive. If one of them makes the play, Eli is the goat/choker/you name it, and the Giants likely CUT HIM in the offseason. Remember, he was being labeled a bust during the 2007 season, and Giants fans were calling for his head.
- Terrible pass to a scrub WR (David Tyree) into coverage, caught against the scrub's helmet. Need I say more?
- 17 points somehow being enough to beat arguably the best offense in NFL history. Outstanding job by the Giants' D, dumb luck for Eli Manning. His specialty. Dallas played New England that same year, our O scored more than the Giants O scored, but our D allowed 48 points instead of the 14 allowed by the Giants. I guess that means Romo's simply "not a winner" like Eli is, right?

Week 14, Giants-Cowboys

- Terence Newman drops the pick 6 in the 1st quarter that would've changed the entire complexion of the game.
- Miles Austin loses the ball in the lights late that would've iced the game.

We make either of those plays, and the Giants are sitting at home watching the playoffs.

Week 17, Cowboys-Giants

- Three Giants fumbles, none recovered by the Cowboys. Alan Ball, Gerald Sensabaugh, and DeMarcus Ware blew it. Ware did it with the offsides penalty after we recovered an Ahmad Bradshaw fumble. If we make these plays, we win. But we didn't, so we lost. Simple as that. No, we weren't perfect the rest of the game, but neither were the Giants. A swing of 3 turnovers in this game completely changes the outcome, period.

Divisional Playoffs, Giants-Packers

- Hail Mary TD to end the 1st half. Nice play by Hakeem Nicks, completely lucky play for Eli, but where the heck were the Packer DBs? These guys aren't scrubs... they're among the best ball-hawkers in football, and the main reason the Packers were tied for the NFL lead in turnovers forced.
- Three Packers fumbles, all recovered by the Giants.

NFC Championship, Giants-49ers

- Kyle Williams' 2 fumbles, both recovered by the Giants. No skill needed on the first one, it simply bounced off the young man's leg. Led to 10 Giants points and were clearly the difference in the game.
- Ahmad Bradshaw's fumble being ruled as down by forward progress. Complete bull. Would've given the 49ers the ball deep in Giants territory with 2:30 left in a tie game.
- Countless near INTs by Eli that the 49ers didn't capitalize on. At least 2 drops where 2 49ers DBs crashed into each other to knock the ball loose. Another where Eli threw a duck to nobody in particular and would've been easily picked off had #98 not slipped and fallen. And at least 2 other awful passes into coverage that I counted which could've easily been picked off. Bailed out by the bounces.

Eli's average, period. His overall numbers speak for themselves, and they're far more indicative of his worth than a couple of luck-filled playoff runs are. We're talking about a guy with a career 82.1 QB rating!

The media will do everything in its power to convince you that he is "clutch" and "elite" and that's why he won a Super Bowl and is playing for another, but don't be fooled. It's the bounces, people. Even Rex Grossman got to a Super Bowl. These are the same clowns who made Tim Tebow out to be the chosen one after the Broncos went on a win streak with tremendous D and putrid QB play.

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

The Giants are the luckiest team of all time. I've never seen a team get so many bounces to go their way.

 

[Ring Leader]

Two years from now, when memories are fuzzy, Eli will be revered right here on the CZ for his game winning drive against the 9ers - even though he never threw a single pass or ran the ball himself. His overtime heroics will soon become universally know as clutch, elite, and legendary. The "better than Peyton" rhetoric is in the works if not already started.

 

[DasTex]

There was an article earlier where it was asking if Eli is the better Manning...

 

[ufcrules1]

Denial is an ugly thing. Eli is Elite... get over it.

 

[Nav22]

Denial is an ugly thing. Eli is Elite... get over it.

And Trent Dilfer was better than Dan Marino. Numbers be damned.

 

[DasTex]

Denial is an ugly thing. Eli is Elite... get over it.

Elite as being lucky - yes

Elite as being a QB - that can be argued. Yes, I know the W-L in the playoffs, on the road, blah blah blah. Is he a number based Elite QB if you just were to look at those - No doubt, he gets wins somehow.

Maybe it's the man upstairs feeling bad for him that he looks like an idiot, who knows

Yesterday, he was not elite. His team won, but Eli was not the reason. The ball bounced the Giants way...

 

[CutMeMick]

As much as everyone wants to crown the Giants and say the Cowboys need to be more like them and blah blah blah, let's take a look at the bounces that have gone the Giants' way, and especially Eli Manning's.

This isn't excuse-making, this is reality. The football is shaped funny, and sometimes the bounces go your way. Sometimes they don't. For the Giants and Eli, the bounces have gone their way at some very opportune times, and that is the difference between sitting at home watching the Super Bowl and playing in it. It's the difference between being labeled as legendary and being average.

Without further ado...

Super Bowl, Giants-Patriots

- Two dropped INTs right to the hands of Patriots defenders on Eli's final "legendary" drive. If one of them makes the play, Eli is the goat/choker/you name it, and the Giants likely CUT HIM in the offseason. Remember, he was being labeled a bust during the 2007 season, and Giants fans were calling for his head.
- Terrible pass to a scrub WR (David Tyree) into coverage, caught against the scrub's helmet. Need I say more?
- 17 points somehow being enough to beat arguably the best offense in NFL history. Outstanding job by the Giants' D, dumb luck for Eli Manning. His specialty. Dallas played New England that same year, our O scored more than the Giants O scored, but our D allowed 48 points instead of the 14 allowed by the Giants. I guess that means Romo's simply "not a winner" like Eli is, right?

Week 14, Giants-Cowboys

- Terence Newman drops the pick 6 in the 1st quarter that would've changed the entire complexion of the game.
- Miles Austin loses the ball in the lights late that would've iced the game.

We make either of those plays, and the Giants are sitting at home watching the playoffs.

Week 17, Cowboys-Giants

- Three Giants fumbles, none recovered by the Cowboys. Alan Ball, Gerald Sensabaugh, and DeMarcus Ware blew it. Ware did it with the offsides penalty after we recovered an Ahmad Bradshaw fumble. If we make these plays, we win. But we didn't, so we lost. Simple as that. No, we weren't perfect the rest of the game, but neither were the Giants. A swing of 3 turnovers in this game completely changes the outcome, period.

Divisional Playoffs, Giants-Packers

- Hail Mary TD to end the 1st half. Nice play by Hakeem Nicks, completely lucky play for Eli, but where the heck were the Packer DBs? These guys aren't scrubs... they're among the best ball-hawkers in football, and the main reason the Packers were tied for the NFL lead in turnovers forced.
- Three Packers fumbles, all recovered by the Giants.

NFC Championship, Giants-49ers

- Kyle Williams' 2 fumbles, both recovered by the Giants. No skill needed on the first one, it simply bounced off the young man's leg. Led to 10 Giants points and were clearly the difference in the game.
- Ahmad Bradshaw's fumble being ruled as down by forward progress. Complete bull. Would've given the 49ers the ball deep in Giants territory with 2:30 left in a tie game.
- Countless near INTs by Eli that the 49ers didn't capitalize on. At least 2 drops where 2 49ers DBs crashed into each other to knock the ball loose. Another where Eli threw a duck to nobody in particular and would've been easily picked off had #98 not slipped and fallen. And at least 2 other awful passes into coverage that I counted which could've easily been picked off. Bailed out by the bounces.

Eli's average, period. His overall numbers speak for themselves, and they're far more indicative of his worth than a couple of luck-filled playoff runs are. We're talking about a guy with a career 82.1 QB rating!

The media will do everything in its power to convince you that he is "clutch" and "elite" and that's why he won a Super Bowl and is playing for another, but don't be fooled. It's the bounces, people. Even Rex Grossman got to a Super Bowl. These are the same clowns who made Tim Tebow out to be the chosen one after the Broncos went on a win streak with tremendous D and putrid QB play.

Soooo, what you're saying is that sometimes there's an element of luck that comes into play? How insightful of you to point that out.
Thank you, Captain Obvious!
Its threads like this that make one wonder about the perspective, & indeed, the sanity of some Cowboys fans.
Have we become such losers that this is how we rationalize why our rivals are continually successful, while we wallow in mediocrity? Seriously??

Pathetic.:shoot6:

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

Two years from now, when memories are fuzzy, Eli will be revered right here on the CZ for his game winning drive against the 9ers - even though he never threw a single pass or ran the ball himself. His overtime heroics will soon become universally know as clutch, elite, and legendary. The "better than Peyton" rhetoric is in the works if not already started.

Yukon Rich is already sold. He's going off in another thread talking about how he'll take any of the last 4 QBs standing over Romo. Wow!

Now I can see Brady, maybe Eli (and I'm still not sold on him), but the other two? Not at all. No way.

Trent Dilfer's quote on Romo (in my sig) says it all. What Romo does not have that all these other QBs do is a supporting cast from top to bottom of the roster.

So to the Romo-haters, he's a bad QB because Jerry Jones is a bad GM.

Rediculous!

 

[burmafrd]

Soooo, what you're saying is that sometimes there's an element of luck that comes into play? How insightful of you to point that out.
Thank you, Captain Obvious!
Its threads like this that make one wonder about the perspective, & indeed, the sanity of some Cowboys fans.
Have we become such losers that this is how we rationalize why our rivals are continually successful, while we wallow in mediocrity? Seriously??

Pathetic.:shoot6:

what is pathetic is denying that the Giants have been extremely lucky. You can try and deny it but the listing of bounces going THEIR way is very long.

 

[burmafrd]

Denial is an ugly thing. Eli is Elite... get over it.

you are wrong. Accept it.

 

[burmafrd]

That is the way it goes sometimes; lucky teams are. Such is life. Trying to deny that some people/teams are lucky and some are not is just trying to deny reality.


You happen to board a plane that crashes.

NOT your fault; just bad luck.

But some numbies here are so desperate to find fault with Romo they will use anything to justify it.

Eli is a very good QB. He is also the Luckiest QB I have ever seen.

Brady is close; but his luck seems to even out more then not.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

what is pathetic is denying that the Giants have been extremely lucky. You can try and deny it but the listing of bounces going THEIR way is very long.

I have a friend who's a Giants fand and he's in shock over it. In fact he's telling me that he expects them to be outplayed by the Pats but win. In fact he's more woried if they play well because he fears if they do they'll lose. The lucky play has been their calling card and he trhinks that's when thry're at their best.

 

[Nav22]

Soooo, what you're saying is that sometimes there's an element of luck that comes into play? How insightful of you to point that out.
Thank you, Captain Obvious!
Its threads like this that make one wonder about the perspective, & indeed, the sanity of some Cowboys fans.
Have we become such losers that this is how we rationalize why our rivals are continually successful, while we wallow in mediocrity? Seriously??

Pathetic.:shoot6:

"Continually successful?" Eli's been average his entire career, save for a couple of lucky playoff runs.

Must be geniuses like you that the "Eli or Peyton!?!?" debate is targeted towards. :laugh2:

 

[burmafrd]

I have a friend who's a Giants fand and he's in shock over it. In fact he's telling me that he expects them to be outplayed by the Pats but win. In fact he's more woried if they play well because he fears if they do they'll lose. The lucky play has been their calling card and he trhinks that's when thry're at their best.

there is one fan that lives in Reality. Not dream land as some here do.
Reality is that sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it does not. And sometimes there are teams like the Giants that get a lot more positive bounces then negative ones.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Ah, I got it.

Rather than signing and drafting players and trying to improve their talent, the Cowboys should be collecting rabbit's feet. Good to know!

 

[Future]

Two years from now, when memories are fuzzy, Eli will be revered right here on the CZ for his game winning drive against the 9ers - even though he never threw a single pass or ran the ball himself. His overtime heroics will soon become universally know as clutch, elite, and legendary. The "better than Peyton" rhetoric is in the works if not already started.

Speak for yourself. I will never give Eli credit for either Super Bowl even if they win tmrw. The guy can't make throws into coverage and can't handle pressure. He needs a great run game, receivers, and defense to be effective. Why can't people see that.

Denial is an ugly thing. Eli is Elite... get over it.

Nah bro. Elite quarterbacks make their team great. This team is just as good without Eli.

I think he's a bum, I know that's the minority, but the guy's a slug without all the help he gets. Quite frankly if not for Kyle Williams we don't have this discussion because he couldn't do anything yesterday.

 

[Nav22]

Ah, I got it.

Rather than signing and drafting players and trying to improve their talent, the Cowboys should be collecting rabbit's feet. Good to know!

Thread's not about the Cowboys issues, so this was never implied. Thanks for the worthless contribution.

I wish you luck with the "Eli or Peyton!?!?" conundrum that will surely cost you hours upon hours of sleep for the next 2 weeks.

 

[sacowboysfan513]

Speak for yourself. I will never give Eli credit for either Super Bowl even if they win tmrw. The guy can't make throws into coverage and can't handle pressure. He needs a great run game, receivers, and defense to be effective. Why can't people see that.


Nah bro. Elite quarterbacks make their team great. This team is just as good without Eli.

I think he's a bum, I know that's the minority, but the guy's a slug without all the help he gets. Quite frankly if not for Kyle Williams we don't have this discussion because he couldn't do anything yesterday.

I wouldn't call Eli Elite or a bum. I would say he's a good qb and thats it. He's not bad, he does what he has to do in order for them to win.

I feel like we're experienced in the discussion of bad qb's, seeing the likes of Q.Carter, Leaf, Henson, Etc... but Eli is miles ahead of them. Though he's not in the same category as Brees, Brady, P.Manning, (they are elite). I would say he's right above Rothlesberger, but below Romo.

 

[Nova]

Agree with the OP.

I think Eli is a better QB than most people want to give him credit for because he stunk so bad in the beginning of his career. Admit it, he's better than Romo in certain scenarios-- let's not be blind here.

Good players are sometimes lucky, but really good players take advantage of that luck.

That said, I'm sick and tired of how lucky the Giants are. I wouldn't say they were ridiculously lucky in 2007 (except for the final drive to win it all), but this year. Wow.

Obviously I'm bitter about it, but not because they beat us or anything crazy. It's just been years, if ever, that we've had luck like that. The only team I can remember in recent memory that was as lucky as the Giants were the 09 saints. At least their luck didn't transcend years.