You heard it here first

The Baltimore at Denver divisional playoff is already being called an "instant" classic here and there. Then it deserves to have a name. So I nominate: The Tieing Game.

On the other hand, the Seattle at Atlanta game, while good in its own way, should get a longer name like: Getting into the game in the second half and then going all out in the fourth quarter doesn't work unless you a) don't leave any time on the clock after a dramatic last touchdown and b) don't let the other team drive into field goal range; besides, icing the kicker doesn't work (for you).

Quote: Nareed

The Baltimore at Denver divisional playoff is already being called an "instant" classic here and there. Then it deserves to have a name. So I nominate: The Tying Game.

On the other hand, the Seattle at Atlanta game, while good in its own way, should get a longer name like: Getting into the game in the second half and then going all out in the fourth quarter doesn't work unless you a) don't leave any time on the clock after a dramatic last touchsown and b) don't let the other team drive into field goal range; besides, icing the kicker doesn't work (for you).

Denver defense didn't seem to know how to play the end of the game. I'd blame it on the coaching if it was earlier in the season.

Phil Simms in the Pats/Texans game claimed kickers liked to get 'iced' if they are "real pros" or some such statement. Claimed it allows them a free practice kick, checking out the wind and range [I'm not so sure about all that] [& I *think* it was Simms]

AS a native Charlottean and a victim of John Fox's conservative "play not to lose" philosophy at the end of the game, I watched with glee as Fox screwed the pooch again even with Peton Manning rather than Jake Delhomme at QB.

Quote: odiousgambit

Phil Simms in the Pats/Texans game claimed kickers liked to get 'iced' if they are "real pros" or some such statement. Claimed it allows them a free practice kick, checking out the wind and range [I'm not so sure about all that] [& I *think* it was Simms]

I'm obviously not a professional kicker, but I was a kicker in High School, and I will say this:

If you want to give me a, "Free kick," in the exact circumstances in which I will be kicking for the win, same spot, same situation, same wind, same crowd noise, same distance...basically, the same almost everything:

Make it or miss it, I'll take it, and thank you.

If I were to miss it, then I could try to make corrections. If I were to make it, then I know all I really have to do is accomplish the same thing twice.

Getting a decent snap/hold is variable, but again, I think you're just giving those guys that extra opportunity to practice getting that right.

Exception:

The only exception I would make is if I was kicking the ball at or around my maximum distance. I wouldn't want to have to make that one twice (though I'd appreciate having the miss back) because you're talking worse than a 50% kick for me, anyway.

There was a study done on 'icing' and it was inconclusive/ did not support the idea that icing hurt the kicker's chances. However, I don't think there was enough data to make a real conclusion about the issue. The study also seemed to support the idea that the general THREAT of icing messed with a kicker's head, and that overall make % had gone down since icing was introduced--- but mostly on kicks in which there was no timeout.

If I where a coach I would stand there right next to the ref, start to make the T with my hands, then not call the timeout. Try to get any psychological effect you can out of it, but still give the kicker the shorter amount of time and less practice. Pretty quickly people would understand that your 'icing' was an idle threat and ignore you, at which time you would mix in a real timeout of two (in unimportant games) just to keep them on their toes and guessing.

I also hate when people claim that a coach lost it by icing the opposing kicker after that kicker misses the first (non-counting) kick and makes the second one... like Pete Carroll on Saturday. That first kick was done after whistles were blowing and etc, etc... that affected the kick more than anything. We don't know if that kick would have gone in.

Nicknames floating around Baltimore for the Balt/Den game.

Mile High Miracle
Purple Mountain Majesty
Rocky Mountain Rainbow (refers to the tying 70 Yd TD pass)

Discuss

Peyton Manning 2 TO's, nuff said. Fox gonna get a boot and a pink-slip.
Imagine doing that to John Elway... you'd get fired, run outta town, and spit upon.

Quote: 98Clubs

Peyton Manning 2 TO's, nuff said. Fox gonna get a boot and a pink-slip.
Imagine doing that to John Elway... you'd get fired, run outta town, and spit upon.

Are you kidding me? There's no way Fox is getting the boot. He just finished his 2nd year and took his team to the divisional round in both years. I think he's terrible and as a Broncos fan I would love it if he got canned, but it's just not going to happen.

I have a great NFL Trivia Question!

Who was the last Broncos QB to win a Playoff Game?

The answer is obvious, but I think I heard that on SportsCenter and cracked up!

Frank Tripucka

Quote: Mission146

Who was the last Broncos QB to win a Playoff Game?

Really? He won only last year. Now he's so lightly regarded he was passed up for the third-stringer when the coach benched the starting QB.