Cowboys Postgame: ON TO SEATTLE

[DigitalFool]

I could watch that all day!

[emunney]

I just don't see why the guidelines for making a catch and going to the ground should be more rigorous than those for making a catch and then going out of bounds. If the guy gets two feet down and the ball isn't moving before it hits the ground, it should be a catch. It's not that hard to make that ruling. They do it on sideline catches and fumbles, and the process rule has this football move thing in it which has its share of ambiguity anyway. This is just a very counterintuitive rule and doesn't seem to be in accord with the way the game handles similar situations.

If a receiver caught a ball next to the sidelines while being hit, was knocked out of bounds and then dropped the ball as he slammed into the turf I am pretty sure that it would be an incomplete pass as well.

On sidelines catches, I'm not talking about also going to the ground. My point is that you're asking the refs to make a judgment call on whether and when the receiver has control of the ball stepping out of bounds. I don't know why you couldn't apply the same principles to going to the ground. You're already asking them to make this call w/r/t whether he has control during and after the ball hits the ground.

Getting back to specifically the Bryant play, though, the more I watch it the more it looked to me like he never had control of it until just before he hit the ground. I kind of doubt that would have been ruled complete even if he had stayed upright and gone out of bounds just because Shields really disturbed the catch and the ball was moving so much right up until he moved it into his left hand. I don't think he established possession by any of the standards we're discussing. The Calvin Johnson catch, on the other hand.

[El Duderino]

The way i see it, i can get the argument from both sides on the Dez play. When the ref came back with his ruling, i thought it was roughly a 50/50 coin flip on whether he'd reverse the call.

The week prior though, Dallas got a massive gift when that PI flag was picked up which very well saved them from losing the game. So Dallas fans have no reason to overly complain about a close call in a crucial situation going against them because odds are pretty high that had the refs not so badly blown that PI call vs Detroit, Dallas wouldn't even have been playing in Green Bay yesterday.

[rilamann]

Great win,proud of this team.

It was looking like the same old playoff Packers in the first half but the 2nd half was all bout being clutch and mental toughness.I'll be eating my crow tonight and no one is happier about that than me.

Pretty sure you said the same thing after the Super Bowl. Maybe you can learn from the error in your ways this time around.

I did but then over the next 3 seasons the Packers proceeded to be one and done twice and and were humiliated in the playoffs twice.Obviously I didn't necessarily expect the Packers to make it to the Super Bowl all of those seasons but I thought they were better than they showed and not so much that they lost but how they lost that Giants game in '11 and the game 49ers in '12 was a big factor to me.Even last season with Lacy not being on the field late vs the 49ers when the Packers really needed a TD and then the defense,Hyde and Bush in particular completely **** the bed on the 49ers game winning FG drive left me pretty disgusted.

Bottomline the Packers we seen in the regular season the past 3 seasons for whatever reason simply didn't show up in the playoffs.

With that said Sunday's game now renders the past 3 seasons irrelevent going forward,at least how I see it.The defense did their job aginast a really good offense in the 2nd half holding them to 7pts and Rodgers had a performance in the 2nd half that showed everyone why he'll be a first ballot Hall of Famer.Even if the Packers lose this Sunday in Seattle I think it will be case where it's because Seattle is the better team and you tip your hat and not an issue of mental toughness or the Packers being ''soft''.

I don't think Sunday's win erases the past if you want to talk in the past tense but after this season and in particular the last 2 games,if you question this team's toughess in big games or question them being soft going forward you don't have a leg to stand on..

So even while I did pick the Packers to win Sunday I will still eat my crow because after the Bills game I still had this team pegged as the same Packer team we seen post 2010 that wouldn't show up in the big games,they're not that team anymore.

[Godgers]

Packers just squeaked by in this game. Cowboys were not that good. The NFC might be the weakest its been in the last 5 years for playoffs. You always have a shot at a super bowl with Rodgers at QB. I am not sure you have a shot with Rodgers with one leg.

Anything can happen in the NFL for one game that is why the NFL is awesome and not boring like the MLB or NBA.

I don't think the Packers could hang with the Seahawks with a healthy Rodgers. They lose this game against the Hawks 9/10 times with Rodgers and one leg.

[chuckleslove]

Great win,proud of this team.

It was looking like the same old playoff Packers in the first half but the 2nd half was all bout being clutch and mental toughness.I'll be eating my crow tonight and no one is happier about that than me.

Pretty sure you said the same thing after the Super Bowl. Maybe you can learn from the error in your ways this time around.

I did but then over the next 3 seasons the Packers proceeded to be one and done twice and and were humiliated in the playoffs twice.Obviously I didn't necessarily expect the Packers to make it to the Super Bowl all of those seasons but I thought they were better than they showed and not so much that they lost but how they lost that Giants game in '11 and the game 49ers in '12 was a big factor to me.Even last season with Lacy not being on the field late vs the 49ers when the Packers really needed a TD and then the defense,Hyde and Bush in particular completely **** the bed on the 49ers game winning FG drive left me pretty disgusted.

Bottomline the Packers we seen in the regular season the past 3 seasons for whatever reason simply didn't show up in the playoffs.

With that said Sunday's game now renders the past 3 seasons irrelevent going forward,at least how I see it.The defense did their job aginast a really good offense in the 2nd half holding them to 7pts and Rodgers had a performance in the 2nd half that showed everyone why he'll be a first ballot Hall of Famer.Even if the Packers lose this Sunday in Seattle I think it will be case where it's because Seattle is the better team and you tip your hat and not an issue of mental toughness or the Packers being ''soft''.

I don't think Sunday's win erases the past if you want to talk in the past tense but after this season and in particular the last 2 games,if you question this team's toughess in big games or question them being soft going forward you don't have a leg to stand on..

So even while I did pick the Packers to win Sunday I will still eat my crow because after the Bills game I still had this team pegged as the same Packer team we seen post 2010 that wouldn't show up in the big games,they're not that team anymore.

The thing is that you want to use the smallest of sample sizes of data to analyze an entire team. In the NFL almost any team is capable of beating another team. Obviously certain teams are very unlikely to beat another team but by the time you get to the playoffs almost always the teams are VERY evenly matched(outside of the Panthers and Cardinals this year). I think the Seahawks are a better team plus they are playing at home, but if the Packers win it wouldn't be the most shocking result ever and the Seahawks shouldn't be called chokers, unprepared and look to gut their entire coaching and front office staff like you often call for the Packers to do. Even if the Packers went out and won by 4 or 5 touchdowns it wouldn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things as it is just one game. Hell if the Seahawks win by 4 touchdowns it doesn't really mean anything in the grand scheme of things though I'm guessing you would disagree which shows the flaw in your logic. I'm willing to bet if the Seahawks got blown out you would be willing to write it off as a one game fluke but if the opposite happens you will start with your mental toughness garbage again.

[Kerb Hohl]

Rilamann,

If you gave the Packers 10 games against mostly good competition, maybe 4 of those teams having elite defenses, 1 being a paper tiger, etc...but good competition.

What do they go, 6-4? Would you not expect Rodgers to still be the best QB of all time but struggle a little bit (like a 90-95 QB rating) against the 49ers defense at full strength in there?

Oh, well look at that! They're 6-4 in that series of games and Rodgers, while not as good as his career where he gets some creampuffs, is the greatest playoff quarterback in NFL history even though he hasn't been "mentally bringing it" or whatever you say. You ever think that both teams are mentally in it and giving it their try-all mental toughness full on effort?

I can imagine a dream game for Rilamann: Both coaches and quarterbacks or each team sitting there with their hands on their heads on their head like Professor X trying to put more mental toughness in for the win over the other for 60 minutes.

I'll give you my boldest Skip Bayless prediction of all time: Rodgers will have his 2011-2013 Rilamann mental playoff struggles this weekend against the Seahawks and will NOT throw 3+ touchdowns. You've heard it here first folks! He's going to cripple under the playoff pressure in Seattle and not bring his mental game like he did at home against Dallas' defense.

[th87]

I don't know why people insist on caricaturizing other people's unpopular arguments in here.

[Ron Swanson]

I thought the "mental toughness" jabs were funny and good natured at first.......but now you're all just being mean to the poor guy

[HKPackFan]

I thought the "mental toughness" jabs were funny and good natured at first.......but now you're all just being mean to the poor guy

I know....its getting mean. Are they trying to test HIS mental toughness?

[El Duderino]

I thought the "mental toughness" jabs were funny and good natured at first.......but now you're all just being mean to the poor guy

I have had my share of disagreements with Rilamann over the years when it comes to the Packers, but i do respect his true deep caring for the team and overall he has struck me as being as a good guy when he posts, even when we've had back and forth situations on various topics.

Unless a poster is really confrontational, i generally try to be avoid being to much of a jerk towards others i disagree with, but i'm sure that i fail at times in that regard. Message boards can rude and especially so when the opinions of the majority come crashing down on the opinions of a minority of folks. That GOS guy on the Bucks board for example. He clearly must have thick skin to handle the barrage of mocking posts he receives on a near daily basis.

Rilamann has been here a long time and has often held opinions i disagree with by quite a lot, along with many others here, so i think it's pretty safe to assume he handles it fine. Whether this annoys him though or he enjoys often being disagreed with is something only he could answer.

[Turk Nowitzki]

I thought the "mental toughness" jabs were funny and good natured at first.......but now you're all just being mean to the poor guy

I know....its getting mean. Are they trying to test HIS mental toughness?

[Kerb Hohl]

Looks as though none of you guys are mentally tough.

[rilamann]

.

[rilamann]

I have had my share of disagreements with Rilamann over the years when it comes to the Packers, but i do respect his true deep caring for the team and overall he has struck me as being as a good guy when he posts, even when we've had back and forth situations on various topics.

Unless a poster is really confrontational, i generally try to be avoid being to much of a jerk towards others i disagree with, but i'm sure that i fail at times in that regard. Message boards can rude and especially so when the opinions of the majority come crashing down on the opinions of a minority of folks. That GOS guy on the Bucks board for example. He clearly must have thick skin to handle the barrage of mocking posts he receives on a near daily basis.

Rilamann has been here a long time and has often held opinions i disagree with by quite a lot, along with many others here, so i think it's pretty safe to assume he handles it fine. Whether this annoys him though or he enjoys often being disagreed with is something only he could answer.

Being disagreed with does not bother me at all,I'm always up for a debate and I'm open to the opinion's and perspective's of others on a topic.

And like you've said,we've disagreed on a lot of topics over the years and you know I've never been one to mock or make personal attacks on someone because they don't share my point of view.I think the people who do that and gang up on posters who they don't agree with bring down the overall quality of the board,but it's an internet message board so of course you're always going to get some people like that.The way I see it,it comes with the territory if you want to post and have your own opinions that might not always be the opinion of the majority.Fortunately it's a pretty small percentage of the posters on this board who resort to that type of stuff.