How dumb is it to say that Manning choked?

[ATL96Steeler]

If you want to talk about who choked that game, it was their coaching staff.

They said they didn't prepare well enough the week leading in to the game?

And they weren't prepared for the crowd noise?

If I was a Bronco fan I'd be pissed off at the HC and his staff if that's really what they are saying now. How on earth can you not be prepared for the Super Bowl? How can you keep using the same signals so that an opponent can watch them on film and end up knowing them in a game?

I know Seattle traveled very very well for this game, but have they never played in crowd noise before? Saying they were not ready for it in the SB? I don't even know what that means. How can you not handle what was obviously FAR less than a typical road game noise level?

Manning choked? Well he didn't have his best day for sure, but I'd say the majority of that loss was on a coaching staff that clearly wasn't ready and didn't have their team ready. If you aren't just another Manning hater it is obvious who to blame.

When you strip all of the hype away from the SB build up and you just watched the tape of the game w/o sound...SEA was clearly winning the battle in the trenches and it started from the very 1st snap of the game. The G C G were getting pushed back into Manning, and the OTs naturally give some ground, but combined with the interior push Manning had no pocket he could count on stepping up into and that sped up his clock.

The point is here...the OL just flat out got handled in this game...especially early.

Coaching...breaking tendency early is never a bad idea in the SB because the team has 2 two weeks to study what you do. To hear Sherman say they would've been exposed if DEN had gone out of character, I think proves this point.

One coaching move that I questioned during the game was not kicking the short FG right before the half...okay the drive stalled out, they had regained a little confidence they could move the ball...with an entire half to play knowing SEA would get the ball to start 3Q...22-3 I thought was better than 22-0...turns out it wouldn't have matter as SEA ran the opening kick back for 6.

Manning...he had a really bad 1st half, and a pretty good 2nd half, but the picks killed DEN...the 1st was a choke...the 2nd his arm was hit...not his fault...not a choke job, but his front line got out played badly and it affected his play.

 

[Perpetual_Beast_Mode]

IMO, Peyton played quite well under some VERY tough circumstances. The pocket was collapsing around him a lot but he still usually managed to get the ball away to his underneath WRs. Peyton was very accurate most of the time, too IMO.

 

[Mr. Tacoma]

In the second and third quarters the Broncos were moving the ball quite efficiently. Problem is they'd turn it over as soon as they got into FG range. I wouldn't say manning choked as I'd only put one of those turnovers (the first INT) squarely on him. The rest were forced.

 

[sonnyblack65]

If you want to talk about who choked that game, it was their coaching staff.

They said they didn't prepare well enough the week leading in to the game?

And they weren't prepared for the crowd noise?

If I was a Bronco fan I'd be pissed off at the HC and his staff if that's really what they are saying now. How on earth can you not be prepared for the Super Bowl? How can you keep using the same signals so that an opponent can watch them on film and end up knowing them in a game?

I know Seattle traveled very very well for this game, but have they never played in crowd noise before? Saying they were not ready for it in the SB? I don't even know what that means. How can you not handle what was obviously FAR less than a typical road game noise level?

Manning choked? Well he didn't have his best day for sure, but I'd say the majority of that loss was on a coaching staff that clearly wasn't ready and didn't have their team ready. If you aren't just another Manning hater it is obvious who to blame.

Bottom line is that the coaches coach and the players play. Seattle brought their AAAAAAAAAA game. Tough to prepare for that

 

[WizardHawk]

Interesting post. I definitely agree with your point that Manning didn't play particularly well and to blame the loss on him "choking" is incorrect. As far as the coaching staff's claim that they didn't have the team well prepared in geneneral, and for the crowd noise specifically, that just seems lame. How can experienced NFL players not be sufficiently motivated to play or prepared for noise in the SB? Not sure that those claims are merely attempts to explain the unexplainable, other than to just say we were dominated in every way because we are simply not as good a team as Seattle. That's tough to say for a Broncos fan, so I suspect it is also tough for a coach to say that.

It was the combination of everything they have said after the game that leads me to believe more of this has to be on the coaching staff than what is being talked about both in the media and this thread.

Seattle's defense used the same system of code words and signals to change plays at the line every time Denver did, and like Denver some of the play change calls were fake. Denver was never able to adjust for that. That's coaching.

Seattle was able to figure out some of their play call change signals and used it to jump routes. That's both poor planning in front in not changing signals from what Seattle saw on film, not changing them as the game went on when it seemed obvious Seattle was dialing them up, and not doing any sort of half time changes or attempt to change out signs to get seattle to bite badly and expose them. The coaches let Seattle dictate how their offense was going to work and that's inexcusable coaching.

Denver was able to take away the running game of Seattle up the middle, but never adjusted to what they were doing on the outside and down the sidelines where they have been deadly this season. There was also no real effort to force Wilson to stay in the pocket. They allowed him to scramble all day. Even if your D line isn't great you can scheme to move the ends out to trap a QB and those teams that have done that have been effective at slowing down Seattle. Not sure if that is coaching or just signs of how depleted they really were with defensive injuries, but the game plan that had didn't work well.

You send your kicker out to pooch kick to open the second half and still kick it far enough to be returned? Tells me that's one situation they didn't practice much.

Look, at the end of the day the big story might be that the depleted Denver team was scrappy enough to win against less physical teams in the AFC in the playoffs, but they clearly weren't able to deal with the size, speed, and physicality of the Seattle team and perhaps no amount of coaching would have left them able to win that game. Still, to have all of this stuff coming out about how the team didn't prepare hard enough or in the right way for the fucking Super Bowl is a total embarrassment to their organization and to their fans.

 

[Vadered]

First INT was either Manning sailing it or the receiver screwing up the route, not sure. The second INT was the line not holding up at all (like they failed to do for most of the night) leading to him getting hit as he released.

I won't say Manning choked. He's a great quarterback; he isn't a great quarterback and a great offensive line all in one. Seattle's front won this game; Manning didn't even get a chance to lose it. I'm not sure whether to pin it on the coaching or the line, but the Hawks came to play and Denver didn't.

Pissed me off, too, because as a guy with no horse in the race, all I really wanted was a good game, which this was not.

 

[NEhomer]

Dammit you guys. Stop sullying the discussion with facts and accurate information. Can't we just get back to bashing Manning?!

 

[NinerSickness]

I won't say Manning choked.

If that wasn't choking I'd hate to see what is. There really wasn't much room to get worse.

 

[WizardHawk]

If that wasn't choking I'd hate to see what is. There really wasn't much room to get worse.

Kaepernick's NFCCG was much worse. You don't need to look very far for your example.

 

[NinerSickness]

Kaepernick's NFCCG was much worse. You don't need to look very far for your example.

 

[Jakology]

200+ replies I understand having fun trolling and all, but this is really sad. It pains me to see that fans actually believe that people "choke" and are "horrible." Any of you that have that kind of mindset simply do not understand the game at all.

 

[NEhomer]

200+ replies I understand having fun trolling and all, but this is really sad. It pains me to see that fans actually believe that people "choke" and are "horrible." Any of you that have that kind of mindset simply do not understand the game at all.

It pains some of us that you're a whiny bitch who would actually believe that Belichick has to cheat to keep your pathetic team in the dumpster and you know full well that if Brady had gotten beat down similarly, that's exactly what you'd be going on about. So take your "understanding of football" back to your own board and try to pontificate about how Tanny's gonna get you a ring.

 

[HammerDown]

200+ replies I understand having fun trolling and all, but this is really sad. It pains me to see that fans actually believe that people "choke" and are "horrible." Any of you that have that kind of mindset simply do not understand the game at all.

Dude, you're forgetting something very important: It's Patriots fans we're dealing with here!

 

[NinerSickness]

It pains me to see that fans actually believe that people "choke" and are "horrible." Any of you that have that kind of mindset simply do not understand the game at all.

Wait... What the crap did you just say?

People never choke? Nobody's hoorible???

Dude, you're forgetting something very important: It's Patriots fans we're dealing with here!

Or fans of any other team (me - 49ers) who know a choke job when we see one.

 

[Jakology]

It pains some of us that you're a whiny bitch who would actually believe that Belichick has to cheat to keep your pathetic team in the dumpster and you know full well that if Brady had gotten beat down similarly, that's exactly what you'd be going on about. So take your "understanding of football" back to your own board and try to pontificate about how Tanny's gonna get you a ring.

I guess you don't read my posts where I say I have a lot of respect for Brady? I love watching Brady play the game. Hate that he plays for the Patriots. But oh well. Any "cheating" posts I make are pure trolling. I would be defending Brady just as much I have Peyton if it was the same circumstances. So I don't understand why you just said any of that

 

[WizardHawk]

Wait... What the crap did you just say?

People never choke? Nobody's hoorible???

Yeah right? Guess he has never watched Matt Schaub or Tony Romo or even (cough) Kaepernick

 

[NinerSickness]

Yeah right? Guess he has never watched Matt Schaub or Tony Romo or even (cough) Kaepernick

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

After all the hype Manning & the Broncos OFFENSE recieved they all CHOKED. What I'll never understand is why the Broncos didn't at least try to throw the ball down the field. Watching Manning pass the ball for 2 to 5 yards almost every completion was pathetic for an offense that was supposed to be SPECIAL.

 

[Jakology]

Wait... What the crap did you just say?

People never choke? Nobody's hoorible???



Or fans of any other team (me - 49ers) who know a choke job when we see one.

If somebody was "hoorible" They wouldn't be playing in the NFL. Plain and simple. And yes, there is no such thing as choking. Its just something someone came up with to spin things and create stories and media buzz. Players are unlucky and don't execute well enough. There is no "choking." That's a childish term.

 

[NinerSickness]

If somebody was "hoorible" They wouldn't be playing in the NFL.

Let me explain it to you. There's NFL horrible (Tim Tebow - who was in the NFL by the way) and then there's just plain horrible (me) at football. Everyone but you understands that "horrible" mean NFL-horrible.

And yes, there is no such thing as choking. Its just something someone came up with to spin things and create stories and media buzz. Players are unlucky and don't execute well enough. There is no "choking." That's a childish term.

You're playing word games. Playing like dog crap despite being capable of playing well, in the world of sports, is called choking. Especially when it's a high-pressure situation. Now you know.