TUESDAY TIDBITS: "You're Gonna Get What's Coming"

By TJ Troup 

Gonna stay with music lyric quotes again this week. Yesterday was Robert Palmer's birthday and always enjoyed the power chord structure to his song, which is the title for today's column. Down to the final four teams, and have a stat for you folks, what is the win% since the merger in '70 for the team that scores the first touchdown on Championship Sunday? 

Since both the Chiefs & Eagles last year scored the first touchdowns in their respective games just added to the fact that the team that finds the "promised land" first wins 74.8% of the time (40-14 historically in the AFC & 40-13 in the NFC)! 

Read online that with Stroud throwing errant passes all over the field in Foxboro, quarterbacks who have thrown four interceptions in a game have a record of 3-35 since the merger. Why did the writer not go back and research the games from 1933 through 1969? Eleven times a quarterback or tailback "achieved" this, starting with Frankie Filchock in 1940. 

Frankie Filchock

Though could detail most of those games, the game that intrigued me the most was former Packer Arnie Herber in '44 as he attempted to beat his former team now as a New York Giant. The excellent game plan conceived by Lambeau has the Packers ahead 14-0 at the half. The Giants ran the ball with former Fullerton Junior College star Howie Livingston (he gained 14 yards on 10 carries)in the first half! Herber threw just one pass; which was intercepted by Joe Laws. 

The second half has Arnie pitching the pigskin 21 times, completing eight with three more of them interceptions. Herber's long completion to Frank Liebel on the last play of the third quarter set up Ward Cuff's one-yard run to begin the 4th quarter. Herber ended the game with four consecutive pass plays from their own side of the fifty, gaining only six yards (thank you, Mr. Eric Goska, for the play-by-play). 

Arnie Herber

Returning to the upcoming games, let's start with the Rams in Seattle playing a team that they have struggled to beat on the road. Seattle ranked fourth in the defensive passer rating category, and no doubt, coach McDonald is devising a defensive game play to stop? Well, at least limit future Hall of Famer Matt Stafford. 

Okay, folks, who is the key for the Rams offense? Can the Ram defense pressure Darnold and take the ball away? 

Will end my column with Denver having twice played on January 18th in the past. Though leading at the half the Broncos were outscored by the Giants 30 to 10 in the second half as Phil Simms continued his unerring accuracy, completing all then of his second-half passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the victory in the Rose Bowl. 

Eleven years later, in San Diego, a different story as the "underdog" Broncos pounded the Packer defense as TD rambled for 157 yards on the ground due to the punishing blocking of the Denver offensive line. Was in attendance at that game, and boy, oh boy, was it exciting to watch! 

Can Denver win again on a January 18th Sunday? 

Since their quarterback is not John Elway or even Bo Nix is sure looking like coach Vrabel will take his Patriots to the "Silver Trophy" game in his first season in Foxboro. If some of you believe Denver will win, hopefully you will share how the Broncos can win this game? 

See you next week.