First Name Mo..Last Name Mentum
Knute Rockne said "The essence of football is was blocking, tackling, and execution based on timing, rhythm, and deception." More recently, and more aptly, Gloria Estefan said "The rhythm is gonna get you." Momentum and rhythm are a huge part of football, and any other sport for that matter, turning the tide of games and even entire seasons. This has been on full display over the past several years in the NFL playoffs.
This year's Super Bowl will be played by the AFC's #1 seeded New England Patriots, and the NFC's #4 seeded New York Giants. The Patriots were one of the best teams in football all year long, and they are where most people thought they would wind up. Tom Brady leads one of the best offenses in the NFL, and with a head coach that pushes all the right buttons, they consistently are among the contenders for a championship.
The Giants, however, did not have a great season. After starting 6-2, they lost four straight, along with a loss to a bad Redskins team, and had to beat the Cowboys twice, including a win or go home game in week 17, to make the playoffs at all. Once in, though, they seem to have carried over the momentum at the end of the season to the playoffs and have knocked off the #1 and #2 seeds in the NFC over the past two weekends, both on the road.
This leads me to my point. Superior teams tend to find themselves in championship positions more often than not as a whole. The Patriots were the AFC's best team, and they're the ones playing for a ring. The Giants represent a different trend. In six of the last seven Super Bowls, one of the two teams did not have an opening week bye. Three of those six had wild card teams. That wild card team won the big game three times. This seems to suggest that momentum going into the playoffs can play just as big a part of winning as superior talent. The Packers rode a huge wave of momentum into the playoffs and all the way to a championship. This year, the Packers went 15-1, but didn't play as well at the end of the season, and lost to the Giants.
What's the point of all of this? Sometimes, timing really is everything. The Giants are hot at the right time, just like the Packers were last season, and these same Giants were four years ago when they beat the undefeated Pats. Brady is the best QB in the business, and that offense can put up a ton of points in a hurry. The defense has played well in the playoffs, and they are on a roll. However, I never count out momentum. The Giants have it in a big way. Rhythm isn't everything, but it can be the difference, so watch out New England, or you'll have a certain Gloria Estefan song stuck in your head.
This year's Super Bowl will be played by the AFC's #1 seeded New England Patriots, and the NFC's #4 seeded New York Giants. The Patriots were one of the best teams in football all year long, and they are where most people thought they would wind up. Tom Brady leads one of the best offenses in the NFL, and with a head coach that pushes all the right buttons, they consistently are among the contenders for a championship.
The Giants, however, did not have a great season. After starting 6-2, they lost four straight, along with a loss to a bad Redskins team, and had to beat the Cowboys twice, including a win or go home game in week 17, to make the playoffs at all. Once in, though, they seem to have carried over the momentum at the end of the season to the playoffs and have knocked off the #1 and #2 seeds in the NFC over the past two weekends, both on the road.
This leads me to my point. Superior teams tend to find themselves in championship positions more often than not as a whole. The Patriots were the AFC's best team, and they're the ones playing for a ring. The Giants represent a different trend. In six of the last seven Super Bowls, one of the two teams did not have an opening week bye. Three of those six had wild card teams. That wild card team won the big game three times. This seems to suggest that momentum going into the playoffs can play just as big a part of winning as superior talent. The Packers rode a huge wave of momentum into the playoffs and all the way to a championship. This year, the Packers went 15-1, but didn't play as well at the end of the season, and lost to the Giants.
What's the point of all of this? Sometimes, timing really is everything. The Giants are hot at the right time, just like the Packers were last season, and these same Giants were four years ago when they beat the undefeated Pats. Brady is the best QB in the business, and that offense can put up a ton of points in a hurry. The defense has played well in the playoffs, and they are on a roll. However, I never count out momentum. The Giants have it in a big way. Rhythm isn't everything, but it can be the difference, so watch out New England, or you'll have a certain Gloria Estefan song stuck in your head.
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