Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: In Review

You just can't make this stuff up.

 In case you missed my post yesterday, let me give you the important details.  Aside from a sick Ndamukong Suh relic, I also pulled two base cards for the Giants.  Those two cards were the game winner for the Giants.  Who were the two Giants players:

Eli Manning and Mario Manningham.  

Are you freaking kidding me?

So, the cards predicted the Giants in a back-and-forth close game, with Manning and Manningham coming through in the clutch.

I predicted the Patriots by just under a touchdown. 

Cards win.


Just for a couple of notes on the game:

If Brady's receivers' hands don't fall off in, we may be talking about his 4th SB victory.

Brady's interception was a good idea.  Gronkowski 1-on-1 against a linebacker all the way down field.  I'm throwing it all day long.  An interception is the least likely turnout. I know Gronk had a bum ankle, but I still like it. 

I love that Bradshaw scored the touchdown.  The game was not tied, the Giants were not winning.  They were losing.  Sitting back, running the clock and taking a field goal is loser football.  I'm a VT fan, I'm well versed in field goals as loser football.  You make a touchdown and take a more-than-a-field-goal lead.  You trust your defense (THE reason you won your last Super Bowl and had a chance in this one) to make a stop.  Yes, even against Tom Brady. 

Now, on to Eli.

There is no doubting that he had an outstanding season, at times.  But let's not get ahead of ourselves.  Any talk of Eli and Peyton in the same sentence should only be spoken by their parents when meeting new people. "We have two children, Peyton and Eli."  That's it.  Eli does have 2 rings.  Peyton has 1.  So what?  Eli's first was thanks to defense and a miraculous bail-out catch on a terrible decision.  His second was on an above-average performance with yet another very good defense. Rings are a team prize, not a player prize.  When talking about all-time QB's, Peyton has an argument for Top 5.  Eli might have an argument for top 100, but I'm not really certain about that.  Eli barely has an argument for Top 5 this year. It's amazing how much we forget when one brother sits a single season out, and the other wins a Super Bowl.

If Eli had not been a little baby, and he stayed with the Chargers after the draft, he would be a backup QB right now.  Mark Sanchez is on pace with Eli's career, but I seriously doubt the Jets are going to give him another 2-4 more years.  Eli was bailed out by his defense winning a Super Bowl early in his career.  That is the only reason the Giants stuck with him so long.

I heard some say that Eli may be HOF-bound now that he has 2 rings.  Those people should have their speaking priveleges revoked.

Rant done.


I would like to note one player's performance that isn't being talked about as it should:

Jason Pierre-Paul

The man is a freak.  I seriously feel like he is unstoppable whenever he feels like being unstoppable.  If you haven't been watching him lately, you are missing out.  I honestly think he has potential to be one of the greatest players to ever play the game.    The rate at which he is progressing is astonishing.  He played two years of high school football, two years of JuCo, one year of D1, and this is is second season in the NFL.  His impact in the game last night was enormous. 


I'm still amazed that the cards were right.  As was A&G Nostradamus.