As an observer of Super Bowl XLVI, all 111.3 million viewers out there, you might have wondered how the players on the field thought Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski’s ankle was perceived from a competitive standpoint Sunday. On the NFL Network’s replay of the game that debuted Wednesday night, Sound FX provided the answer insiders were looking for.
“Hey, 87 is a [expletive] decoy,” Giants linebacker Michael Boley can be heard saying on the sideline in the second half of the Super Bowl. “He [sic] a decoy. You see him try and run that route? He about to be outta here.”
The game’s replay offered several gems, including reaction from Tom Brady’s safety, some Vince Wilfork banter with NFL umpire Carl Paganelli, and coach Bill Belichick telling his defense to focus on Giants receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.
On the latter, Belichick said in the fourth quarter: “This is still a Cruz and Nicks game. I mean, I know we’re right on ‘em, it’s tight. But those are still the guys. Make ‘em go to [Mario] Manningham, make ‘em go to [Bear] Pascoe.”
On the Giants’ first possession after Belichick’s speech, Eli Manning hit Mario Manningham for a 38-yard reception that led to the game-winning touchdown.
Brady, who was miked up during the game, found himself trying to explain away his first quarter intentional grounding on the sideline after the play resulted in a safety.
“I looked at Gronk, I looked to Wes [Welker], he dropped, then I felt [Justin Tuck],” Brady said to his teammates and coaches. “I had no place to throw it away. I threw it over his head, I didn’t want to throw an interception.”
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