There’s no such thing as a biased Bears fan
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TIL there has never been a punt returned for a TD in SB history. Two of the NFL’s best punt returners are playing on Sunday? Is this the year?
There should be a lot of punts, at least!
Will watch the halftime show this year for a change.
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/opinion-morgan-campbell-bad-bunny-super-bowl-halftime-show-9.7074838
Pregame will be even better, with Green Day.
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I didn’t even care about Bad Bunny but will watch now due to all the attention. Funny how that works
“They told me not to, so I will!”
How is the pregame show already on?
On for an hour already, right?
Probably. Just turned on the TV for the first time today and saw it was on.
Puppy Bowl starts in 5 minutes!
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I’m out doing a few errands and got a laugh. There’s a Wing Stop close to my house and there’s rarely even a car in their parking lot. But right now there’s a line of cars backing up out onto the street and blocking traffic.
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I didn’t read this until afterward, but this is from a world renowned poor predictor and jackass:
On Sunday night, the dominance of the Patriots will be obvious.
Start with the momentum. The Patriots are the hottest of the two teams, having won 16 of their last 17 games. Despite all the criticism of a soft schedule, this includes three consecutive playoff victories against teams with 11-plus wins
Fun fact: two teams that the SEA lost to they also beat twice. So, really, 16-1.
By finally choosing substance over style, stats over sentiment, the best team over the best story, I was right.
So I’m doing it that way again.
No you aren’t.
Darnold is a great story. He is this game’s best story. But is he a championship quarterback? The eye test says no. And in this new era for The Worst Super Bowl Predictor In America, the eye test matters.
Get some glasses!
It is as if he didn’t bother to read the best analysis:
Now, maybe, just maybe, he chose the NE because he is so all-powerful that they will lose because of his prediction. That’s some 1D checkers, right there.
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From today, Barnwell:
Just when Maye thought he had the answers, Seattle coach Mike Macdonald changed the questions. The Seahawks brought a devastating wrinkle into their defensive game plan. And while Seattle probably would have been good enough to win the game without it, the unexpected look saved for the biggest game of the year tormented the Patriots, producing chaotic moments for New England’s offense before topping things off with a defensive touchdown.
Um, which coach is gonna outsmart the other?
But the dude gives the ball away. He led the league with 20 turnovers — 14 interceptions and six lost fumbles — and it doesn’t matter that he has been nearly perfect in the playoffs. The stats don’t lie. The sample size is not small. Darnold is long overdue for another stinker, and it will happen here against a Mike Vrabel-coached defense that simply will outsmart him and defensive-minded Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald.
Let’s check the turnover stats…
2 INT, 1 a Pick-6 for NE.
0 turnovers for SEA.
Barnwell:
Darnold should be credited under those circumstances for protecting the football. He didn’t turn it over against a desperate Patriots defense – meaning he went four critical games (two against the 49ers, one against the Rams and here in the Super Bowl) without any turnovers. It’s just the second time in Darnold’s career that he has started four consecutive games in a single season without turning the ball over at least once, and he pulled it off during his most important stretch ever.
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Plaschke discovers “explosive plays” like Columbus discovered America:
I also love the Patriots’ offense and its ability to create this important stat called “explosive plays,” which are defined by TruMedia as runs of 12-plus yards and passes of 16-plus yards. In an era when one needs only to get to midfield to give these big-legged kickers a chance, these plays are huge. And in this game, the Patriots are bigger, ranking fourth in the league in this stat while the Seahawks rank eighth.
Meanwhile, here is what actually happened:
The only way to get in scoring range before the turnovers came was by producing explosive plays. Through three quarters, there were seven of those plays, and six of them were by Seattle. Walker was responsible for three of those six. Having a player like that in your pocket can be really useful, even if he’s running a middling success rate or dropping the occasional pass. Whether he re-signs in Seattle or heads somewhere else, Walker will have a market as a playmaker this offseason.
Lastly, from barnwell:
For a quarterback who was branded as a bust through hopeless situations with the Jets and Panthers, Darnold is going to be a generational reminder to not count quarterbacks out before they end up in the right place.
“The right place” is more often behind a top-level O-Line. To me, it seems that even an average QB can succeed behind a top-level O-Line.
A dominant defense helps too
My takes on the game
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I discovered I dislike both teams and wanted them both to lose, which really killed my interest in the game. I spent much of it in Best Buy, which, even with all their TVs, didn’t have the game on.
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I didn’t see the half-time show, but heard it on the radio. The mix over the radio sounded bad to me - too vocal-heavy and a little distorted.
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I couldn’t help but think that Caleb would have done at least as well as Drake, which is kind of a big deal here for 2nd-guessing-the-draft purposes.
True. If the QB and Offense don’t have to score 50 a week, that helps.
that’s coincidently my job title