Super Bowl 32

[Chevelle2]

I hate to bring up a sore subject, but me and a buddy were trying to figure out exactly WHY and HOW they lost. We were both 8 at the time, so our memories are hazy.

A few things Ive heard over the years, maybe you older Rats can confirm or deny.

-Favre was out partying until 5am, and many believe he would have hit Freeman on the last drive had Favre been more "with it"

-When it was 7-0 Packers, after the first drive, Packer players were on the sidelines listening to their walkman, playing Gameboy and celebrating as if they had already won to family members on their cell phones

-The reason the Packers didnt run the ball on the last drive, is because the coaches wanted Favre to get the MVP (I think I heard S Dotson say this on 102.9 in the morning a few years back)

-The last pass to Chewy - the Packers hadn't run that play all year. When Favre received the play in the huddle, and told the team, everyone was like "WTF"

Im 99% sure the last one is true, but the previous 4 I'm not sure. Again, it's only stuff I heard here and their.

All in all, how the hell did we lose? Were not really 13-3 material? After all, we did lose to some pretty bad teams that year (PHI, IND, and DET) Injuries? Over confidence?

Here is the last drive, if you can stomach it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGBlaGbr6Ao&feature=related

[Scott Campbell]

I think we just had a Viking moment.

[cpk1994]

THe defense wasn't as good as thought. They weren't able to get off the field. And then there was the decision to activate Darius Holland over Paul Frase. Frase had shown that he could be counted on earlier in the postseason, while Holland was struggling. You also had Holmgren's mental lapse in not kjnowing what down it was when he allowed the decisive TD. It's really complex axtually.

[Chevelle2]

Was it Holland who refused to reenter the game after injury because he was afraid his FA stock would go down? Asshole.

[mraynrand]

Denver scored more points.

Probably the biggest mistake actually came after the Packers tied it up 24-24 - and got the ball back at about midfield. The Packers D was absolutely gassed. Holmgren really needed to give the Broncos a steady diet of Levens, but the Broncos secondary was banged up and Holmy went with percentages and kept tossing the ball. Favre had a bad overthrow on that drive and, in possibly the biggest overlooked play, Brooks had about three steps on a defender and would have scored easily on a TD toss, had Favre's arm not been hit at the last second on a blitz on that same drive. Woulda been up by a TD, 31-24. Game of inches.

goddammit, now I'm going to be angry all afternoon thinking about horseface winning that game. Bleechhhh!

[Fritz]

I believe, also, that after Denver went up, Freeman flat out dropped a long pass.

But yes, I was furious with Holmgren's play calling. The defense was dead, absolutely dead, and the Packers had shown they could run the ball. But Holmgren took to the air.

[Chevelle2]

I vaguely remember Braxton pulling Freeman's facemask all the way back from behind him with no call, when the ball was in the air, like in the 3rd Q.

[oregonpackfan]

A point not brought up here is that Denver had an outstanding offense led by John Elway. Sure there were mistakes regarding dropped passes, playcalling, etc. The bottom line is the Packers defense couldn't stop the powerful Broncos' offense.

[cheesner]

Packers got out-coached

[Freak Out]

Never should have clicked the link......fuck.

Why no throws to the TE on that drive? Fucking Atwater almost killed two guys on one play....I've never hated players more than I hated Atwater and Romanowski.

[sheepshead]

Two words: Mike Holmgren. Take down the street sign now.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I haven't heard the Favre story. I doubt it's true. As for the game, two things stood: 1) we quit running the ball after really doing well in the first half, and 2) the DL got old on us at the end of that year. Davis tore us up, and you could see that coming near the end of that year.

[mraynrand]

I believe, also, that after Denver went up, Freeman flat out dropped a long pass.

Yes, it was on the final drive on the third down, I believe. Was thrown at his hip, a touch low and behind, but catchable.

I wanted to see if Holmgren would have gone for 2 and not risked OT. That would have been as cool as the Orange Bowl between Miami and Nebraska from 1983. Would the Packers win 32-31, or lose 31-30 like Osborne, in what was the greatest college football game I've ever seen. I WANTED TO SEE THE CONVERSION ATTEMPT!!!

[mraynrand]

P.S. that husker team rolled up 84 points v Minnesota, 63 v Syracuse, 69 v Colorado,72 v Iowa St. and 67 v Kansas. HOLY SCHNIKES!!!

[wist43]

Thankfully I was completely out of it with a bad virus, and don't remember any of it...

I deleted the tape, and have never watched any "highlights"... ignorance is bliss