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Weekly review of the previous game (Mondays)
See also: Ostend's Awards and Modi's Doghouse
The outcry is about Patriots cheating by taking pictures of the Jets signal callers during the game. While signal caller is a euphemism for the Quarterback this is about the actual Jets coaching signal callers who call the defense into the Jets defensive players. While teams have a strategy for dealing with this open communication, league rules expressly forbid the use of cameras for this and the Jets are sure they have the Pats red-handed. Certainly there is no pride in cheating and if the Pats are guilty the league will sanction them and the message may get to other teams though reports are that all teams are attempting it and the punishable part is getting caught. Like speeding on the highway or traveling in the NBA this seems to be a rule everyone breaks when nobody is looking but the Pats were sloppy. Either way this franchise bills itself on integrity and this is the second hit in two weeks. So while we'll learn eventually what the tale of the camera tells us, the tale of the game says that no camera work was responsible for the jets being soundly managed, this was simply a better team on this day putting it to an inferior team in high fashion.
Tom Brady may be the best quarterback in the NFL though Manning and his advertising frenzy certainly have him topped in commercialism and marketing. This year, though, Brady has tools that rival Manning and he put that arsenal on display as Welker and especially Moss were capturing the limelight. This is certainly sufficiently dangerous but more damaging was the impressive protection afforded Brady so that he had time to make a cell phone to check on health updates of his young son JET Moynihan before finding a receiver. Giving Tom all the weapons and a running game is a serious enough offense but the Jets couldn't get pressure on him (1 knockdown and 0 hurries) despite sending from 3 to 7 rushers on various times. In fact on the three man blitzes Tom torched them all four times for significant gainers to Moss who amassed 183 yards on 9 receptions with none finer than the 51 yard TD toss over three lagging Jet defenders.
As if that wasn't enough for the Pats offense, Maroney started strong and while he slowed at the end, Morris actually outran the kid late in the game and both were able to amass 136 yards on the New York Jets line. This and Tom's 146 passer rating with 3 touchdowns was too much for the Jet defense.
Defensively the Pats were a bit less in synch with some of that being no doubt due to the late arrival and low practice time of Assante Samuels and Ty Warren (my vote for last year's MVP). This of course also includes the absence of Rodney Harrison (suspended for HGH use) and Richard Seymour (at least six weeks of IR). The Pats do have an impressive front 7 despite these challenges and Jets prime time free agent acquisition, Thomas Jones, was held to just 42 yards on 14 carries. With the run effectively snuffed and Pennington finding out that the new plethora of talented linebackers means New England can turn up the heat from anywhere at any time; Chad found himself often pressured or sacked and his passing offense struggling despite his uncanny accuracy. The Jets most significant highlight was in fact a worthy trick play in which Coles lined up in the backfield and kept bent to conceal his identity for as long as possible. A late read by the defense and an instant snap at the line by the Jet offense prevented adjustments and put Coles on an overmatched Colvin and potentially Bruschi. This notched a touchdown on the Jets strongest drive.. Their next strongest drive followed the Moss touchdown which made the score 28-7 as Pennington returned from an injury to conduct a 9 play 70 yard score in which Coles barely beat the swat of Assante Samuel for a 1 yard Touchdown toss. That was impressive given that on the previous drive Pennington's high accuracy was exploiting the short passing game a bit until Jarvis Green unloaded an impressive sack (one of two) which gave the Jets a 3rd and 20 with Pennington badly hobbled and the NY 'faithful' giving a cheer at his removal. Despite those drives the Jets could manage less than half of the Patriots offensive output in yards and considerably shy of that in scoring. Their defense seemed to give up after the Hobbes score and New England drove up and down the field with relative ease while the Jets offense had that last gasp and sputtered out to a Pats defense that was playing Prevent.
So what does all this mean in analyzing the Patriots or Jets? Well both teams were disciplined committing a total of 6 penalties (4 on the Pats). Both teams played without a turnover though Cassel's fumble did cost a field goal and the Jets did recover both of their muffs. It showed a Jets team with too little speed, too little pass rush, too little secondary coverage and too little OL drive blocking for their run game. It showed some flashes for the Jet offense but not enough to really be certain of the promise. New England was a vastly better team this day but how good won't be clear until they've faced a few more foes. For while the Jets cold not hide from the Pats dominance they were able to cry foul to the league on a camera man taking pictures of a big secret in plain view. The Pats if guilty will be properly sanctrioned and should be stopped though the truth is that it had little impact on this game. Similarly the Jets took time to have conversations with a pair of Patriot cuts perhaps to pick their brains about the Pats schemes. I think both sides need to put their efforts to making their teams better and properly prepared rather than gamesmanship against each other's peripherals. The best team will and did win as will happen most of the time and this time it was clearly New England.
Pats 38 - Jets 14
(Quinn you are the Swami this week)
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LT says the Chargers would win 9 of 10 games against the Patriots and that means he's planning on 18 straight or doing a little time travelling. It might have been true that last years Patriots would require a bit of luck to beat the Chargers but more probably LT couldn't factor in the intangibles then just as he feels to understand the true nature of this team. Tedy Bruschi grasped this fact in the latter half of the 1990s and by 2001 they had crafted a team in Foxboro. A team which had considerable talent but had as it's central premise the notion of one team working together with everyone just doing their job to contribute to that win. They didn't have Merriman dancing while down 17-0, they didn't have LT taunting the other team and back then they didn't have a nation expressing astounding outrage for a very misunderstood and overly dramatized vedeo-'gate.' They did have Tom Brady which certainly went a long way on that road to victory but most of all they had a team full of leaders and character players who cared about winning enough to put themselves second and demand that the rest of the team learn this lesson. Now that lesson is the cool-aid that is handed otu to draft picks and free agents all of whom seem eager to drink deeply of the cup of Bellichick.. So as time has moved forward to now, the Pats have Randy Moss, a seemingly unstoppable wideout. They have Adelius Thomas, perhaps the fastest 270 pound player in the league. They have Wes Welker, that fearless Labradour who matched Moss catch for catch. This year's Patriots team is a powerful force and while most of the league is distractedly and erroneously worrying about whether they win because they cheat, the players had a statement to make. In back to back games with a pair of AFC Playoff teams from last year the Patriots have notched consecutive 38-14 victories but this one was particularly convincing. The Patriots are more motivated than any prognosticator's pre-season Superbowl Champions have ever been motivated. If you haven't grasped it yet, this team wins because they have tremendous talent, outstanding coaching, fantastic preparation and a desire to rally around each other and put the team first. If you think it still has something to do with microphones in helmets or cameras on sidelines then line up to be the next victim because you've missed a lot of lessons on reality.
It does all start with preparation and execution but the aforementioned Tom Brady doesn't hurt either. Brady came out focused and poised as usual. He fired six completions and one virtual spike as he was under pressure to give a 7 play opening drive Touchdown. He hit Watson first, second and last on that drive as the no huddle three wide receiver set made a quick statement and emphasized a powerful weapon that hadn't been fully exploited in the previous week. Randy was there for a pair as well and Welker put the bulk of the yardage on the board when Kevin Faulk picked up the blitz fantastically and gave Tom the time to hit the route adjusting Welker. The great pressure of the Chargers was neutralized considerably on the first drive by spreading them out, forcing them to respect the Tight End and the Wideouts while the Receivers, Backs and most particularly the lineman managed the pressure. With all due respect to the recently departed Robert Jordan, the Wheels of Time were turning and this was a demonstration the Chargers were facing an entirely enhanced Patriot offense than the one which had done just enough to defeat them in last year's playoff match.
How would the Chargers respond with their own offense? To their strength in the form of a run by LT or a pass to Gates? No, they faked such as they attempted a short pass in the flat but Rivers is not the strength of their team and Rosey Colvin is a talented paret of this Patriot team. He grabbed the interception immediately and the Chargers where reeling quickly. Perhaps it was too quickly because the offense responded with a delay of game on the first play? Penalties kill drives and while the first play hardly defines a drive, the first penalty can kill it. Faulk let a ball go through his fingers and Welker missed one as well which set the stage for Gostkowski to miss a 41 yard field goal. Perhaps things would not go so badly after all for the team many were hailing as the class of the AFC. Certainly the Chargers did return their 11 Pro-Bowlers but they did not return their coaching staff and they have not yet shown they are ready to compete. This team is talented though and by the playoffs they too will have moved along in the Wheel of Time and likely will be a vastly improved and far more worthy opponent. This time they too began with a penalty, False start, and thus managed only a three and out. LT's first run managed just two yards before Warren and Vrabel welcomed him to Foxboro along with a chorus of raucous cheers from the Frenzied Foxboro Faithful who had come to a playoff atmosphere and were eager to greet that "Classy Guy."
This time the Pats offense was back on Track and ready to forge full steam ahead. Bringing Maroney solidly and effectively into the mix, the Pats put up a 10 play and 93 yard drive which was capped with a 24 yard touchdown to none other than Randy Moss. The game was nearly over though the contest would battle a bit on occasion.
Despite Adelius Thomas picking off Rivers for a 65 yard Interception returned for a touchdown, despite Colvin forcing two fumbles to go along with his interception, despite Tom Brady finding Moss for another touchdown, despite Brady bouncing a ball behind Moss in the endzone and thus into a Charger interception; the Chargers had mounted an opening drive for the second half and while realizing that LT wasn't going anywhere against New England today, Lorenzo Neal could catch a brilliant play action fake on 4th down at the goal line. Their next drive they road Antonio Gates for first down after first down until he grabbed the touchdown that still had the score at only 31-14. When Ellis Hobbes thus fumbled the following kickoff, San Diego had a chance to get back into the game by repeating their last two drives.
The Patriot defense had other plans as they intended to put the Lights Out on the Chargers and any Merriman dancing. Vrabel sacked Rivers for a ten yard loss. Keeping with the team approach, Colvin then sacked Rivers for another ten yard loss and forced a fumble which SD was fortunate to recover. Now facing 3rd and 30, the Chargers were out of field goal range and in deep trouble. They laughably ran play action which must make wonder who they thought would buy a run fake in that situation. Perhaps that fake delayed enough or perhaps the Pats defense is simply that prepared but Jarvis Green blew up the screen pass attempt to Tomlinsen and New England had the ball back again.
When it's time to put away a game, the Pats were prepared to do it just as they had begun the game. Brady put together a 15 play, 91 yard drive which consumed 10 minutes and was capped with a Sammy Morris Touchdown placing the margin of victory at 38-14 identical to last week's score.
The Patriots had made their statement game. Fans in New England had come out in full support of their beleagured coach and he had responded appreciatively to that support. The team had rallied around themselves, their coach and most of all their talent and preparation. LT was still spouting that the Patriots had a problem if they took his comments as motivation but the Patriots were no longer listening to LT. He had a chance to talk on the field but his actions were so silent there's nobody willing to listen to him after the game. Meanwhile the Patriots have already turned their ears and plans towards the Buffalo Bills. One Game at a Time means something to this team and that is why they continually know more about winning than most of their rivals.
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Jimmy Buffett crooned those lyrics in Gillette Stadium during the Labor Day Weekend Show. It was an interesting portent for the team calling the stadium home. “It’s my job, to be better than the rest and that’s enough reason to go for me” echoes through the stadium still. The Patriots hosted the Buffalo Bills for their 54th victory over the Bills on a warm sunny day to begin Autumn officially in New England. The Patriots had the vastly superior talent, better coaching, better execution and a host of good reasons for why they dominated the game 38-7 for their third consecutive week scoring two shy of forty. The Bills are not without talent, the Bills are not without the potential to beat New England on ‘any given Sunday.” However, as long as the Patriots retain focus and health (knocking knuckles raw on oak), they are going to win the vast majority of these types of battles. They are better than the rest, so far, and will have to show up doing their job each week to continue this streak of wins. Fortunately the motto in New England is “Do Your Job” and the Patriot Players and coaches take that very seriously.
It was not entirely a sluggish start as is often suggested of this game. The opening kickoff was Gustkowski’s statement that he was back booming his kickoffs which he sustained throughout the game. On the first play, Vince Wilfork burst through the line and while seemingly pushed or tripped from behind (a flaggable offense mind you) he fell late into JP Loseman and injured the knee of the Bill’s struggling Quarterback. There will be talk of intent to injure for some time and Wilfork didn’t precisely help his cause with his defensive mindset in post-game interviews. It did knock Loseman from the game though he lasted another two plays by handing off to Lynch and then taking a high speed corner blitz sack, strip and fumble from Ellis Hobbes. The defensive intensity was definitely high on the very first series.. The offense even marched to the six yard line with relative ease before stalling on a pair of missed passes to Gafney and Moss which the Bills defended well. Not such a slow start overall but the next drive would be what captivated everyone’s attention. The Bills put together a 12 play drive which included converting a 1st and 20 along the way to the eight yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch. They used designed cutbacks which caught the Patriots and their Coach by surprise and resulted in an impressive start for the Bills. They held onto that 7-3 lead through the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Pats were driving in response when faced with a 4th and 7 from the 29 yard they opted not to take the lengthy 47 yard field goal and chose the high risk going for it option. The pass to Faulk netted six yards and no first down but a vote of no confidence for the kicker and a bit of an impact to the Patriots psyche. The defense had made the adjustments, however, and Buffalo would net only a single first down for two full quarters of play. The three and out forced upon the Bills and their rookie QB set up the Pats offense again. This time it drove to a first and goal from the 3 yard line and Brady tried a QB sneak but lost the handle on the play though there was some controversy as to whether his knee was down. New England challenged and lost which gave the Bills the ball on the 1. An inspired Pats defense thought they had earned a safety with rookie QB Edwards having stepped out of bounds. Another replay challenge also fell against the Pats and they were out of replay challenges and fired up emotionally. The game almost ended on that play despite a brilliant punt. Mormon from eight yards deep punted a 75 yarder over Welker’s head. Welker made a fantastic play in getting back to field it never mind the 29 yard punt return. That ball left to bounce would have broken Randall Cunningham’s 91 yard record holder and might have kept the Bills alive longer but the fact is New England’s offense was poised on a great return and drove down to score with relative ease. After Watson collected his third TD in three games, the defense again held and Brady led the Patriots down for a second consecutive score and full control of the game at 17-7.
The Patriots notched 485 offensive yards. They added more than 100 more in return yardage while Buffalo could not break the 200 mark. Impressive rookie Marshawn Lynch found the going hard after his first major drive and managed only 74 yards for the rest of the game. Still a solid 3.7 yards per gain the going was toughest on early downs and the Bills could not convert first downs. The Patriots rotated many bodies and kept fresh while gaining steady experience even though 18 year vet Junior Seau probably needs little of that experience. Meanwhile Tom Brady continued his dominance in the league by marking his highest QB Passer rating ever: 150.9. Missing on only six passes he had 311 yards and four touchdowns to give him 10 touchdowns and 1 interception on the season thus far.
Not every team the Pats play will be as offensively challenged as the Bills. Some teams will be more balanced than the Jets and Bills or even the new coaching struggles of the once thought mighty Chargers. Until that point we can only judge the Patriots on whom they have played and right now they have only played teams against whom they were vastly superior. This game allowed Lawrence Maroney to run for 103 yards (5.4 average per carry) which only enhances the threats and challenges of the New England Patriots. The League has taken notice, the fans have taken notice; there are teams who may be close but this team is right now the best in the NFL and angry enough to focus in and do their jobs – better than anyone in their path so far. Certainly much better than the Buffalo Bills.
New England 38 - Buffalo Bills 7
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The potent offense of the Bengals did lack Rudy Johnson and some will explain away that miscue for why a Pats defense held them to 13 points. The fact is the Pats defense employed six men i in the box and still managed to thwart the Bengals offensive ground attack. That put good pressure on Wilfork, Green, Warren and a pair of fluctuating linebackers to make the right reads and not allow explosive runs from a rather speedy Kenny Watson. They succeeded fully and held him to just 56 yards. They were particularly potent on first down which is why the unit could also boast an 0-7 third down conversion rate. The Patriots defense put it to Palmer and his many weapons despite those weapons being used steadily. Palmer's numbers were good except for a pair of interceptions (Samuels and Gay) one of which halted a likely half ending scoring drive. TJ Houshmandzadeh did collect ten passes for one hundred yards but these yards were limited in effectiveness which is why the offense only found the end zone once all game and that came when Tom Brady made his worst mistake in handing an interception to give the Bengals their best field position. Assante put shackles on Chad Johnson and the youthful safety mix of Sanders, Wilson and Merriweather were enough to ensure few yards after catch and few deep options. it was a well developed and executed game plan which gives the defense, deservedly, the tiger's share of credit for this victory.
Once again the offense marched down the field rather effectively and put points on the board. While they did settle for a field goal they were making adjustments to the Bengals defense and Brady missed three of his season high 7 incompletions for a game. The Bengals lost Marshall and left a depleted LB corp virtually without life, which the Pats offense would exploit on the ground and via slants all game long. Still the 11 play drive had set the tone and given New England an early lead. Playing with a lead is very valuable to this defense but not required. It does however intimidate opposing defenses who are by now all too aware of just how hard it will be to stop the Pats offense. An offense that needed only one punt all game long and which has the high efficiency of Tom Brady completing better than 75% of his passes every week. This time it was done with fewer deep balls and more running emphasis but it was none the less the efficiency to steadily dismantle a foe. Moss was involved early and often with his 9 catches for 102 yards continuing to re-write the record books. He did have double coverage and thus did not get the call on the final set of downs when the Pats were forced to settle for the field goal.
After the defense did allow a first down, they fired up the engines a bit and on third down introduced the speed rush of Adelius Thomas who put Palmer to the turf powerfully.
The offense had it's next to worst struggle in one of only two drives that went completely awry for the Pats. Mankins and Watson added 5 yard penalties to make the drive a little too much and the Pats gave a three and out effort. The defense held a three and out which enabled the Pats to try again and here is where Morris exploded his game changing 49 yard run to set up the goal line offense. The unit includes Vrabel and Seau which is a bit of a concern given the past injuries to Seymour and Klecko but more of a concern since in two tries to punch it in on the ground the unit had to settle for a touchdown pass to Mike Vrabel. Nine times he has done this in his Patriot career and yet announcers and opposition still seem surprised when he showcases his impressive hands and quality work at catching touchdowns. Perhaps Moss feels he's back with Chris Carter - as all he does is "just catch touchdowns!"
When given a chance by the defense to make the score worst the offense had their second and worst "poor series" of the game. A holding penalty on Light negated a big gain and then a trio of incompletions included the final one actually being an interception to set up the Bengals lone touchdown of the game. Brady's worst throw and decision of he season but it would end his sloppy play for the day as he'd complete all but one of his passes after this and that one would be a deliberate throw away. Add to this the seventeen plays involved in this drive and the Bengals were mentally and physically beaten.
Thus when the first Pats drive of the second quarter followed a Bengal opening drive punt, the Pats pounded it to the seven and faced fourth and one. They went for it and Morris burst out for a touchdown to help earn him top dog of the day and start the early exit from Paul Brown Stadium where the Pats now lead 24-7. The confidence to go for it on such plays is a sign of the team confidence in their offense and their awareness of their defense control over the Bengals as well. Likely they hoped to get the first down and continue a drive but they got more than they wished due to the hard work of Morris and a very talented offensive line which is still somehow being under rated around the league. Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork have each stated their toughest battle is against their own offensive line in practice.
So went the game with new England once again putting together a time devouring drive in the fourth quarter as they used thirteen plays to put the game at an intimidating 34-13 lead with just over three minutes remaining. These long ball control fourth quarter drives are becoming standard and a well rested Pats defense closes things out with ease such that the backup can take a knee to end the game.
The best offense in the league has the best defense in the league and both are using each other to exploit their opposition. It is no secret the Pats opponents thus far are a combined 4-12 which means each team is 1-3 and can readily be evaluated as not very good. They may improve and both the Bengals and Chargers may still make a late season move towards the playoffs but each has had to endure the new England domination as well as their foibles with other teams. They are not good teams and the real tests are not the ones predicted to have come already but the ones maybe just ahead. Cleveland is looking like a bit better a team than most realized despite being manhandled by the Steelers. Dallas is definitely out there in two weeks and likely ready to prove they are the better team but for now the Patriots can only play the teams on their roster and fine tune their own performances. They are steady and spectacular up to this point and their 4-0 record is still a correct indication they have been by far the best team in all their contests to date. A telling post game question showed why this is likely to continue: having just bested a talented unit on Monday Night Football and within an hour of the celebrations of Victory each patriot brought to the podium had already turned their attentions towards the short week ahead before battling a talented Browns team. That's why many in New England and elsewhere predict a good chance the team could celebrate from February until July because of attitudes like this.
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The Cleveland Browns did what no other team has done this season: they vastly nullified Randy Moss. Moss, however, may have played his finest game as a Patriot and passed the final test to earn his way into the hearts of many doubting fans who didn't just leap onto his bandwagon by virtue of his phenomenal play. What made Moss' performance special? He ran out all his routes convincingly as a general decoy. He blocked steadily even scoring a double block on one Morris running play. He didn't let up and it wasn't all about him getting the ball and yards as he had his lowest output as a Patriot. He didn't come unwrapped when breaking deep he was overthrown by a Brady who experienced his worst day of the season. Moss has become assimilated.
Two weeks ago, another team from Ohio had a podcast about Bengals being assimilated into the Borg mentality of Bengal failure and miscue. The term assimilation probably fits much more appropriately onto the Patriots culture. Moss took the double and let Watson and Stalworth carry the load while ultimately being happy the team continued winning.
The Patriots won yet another coin toss and went to the Shotgun no huddle directly. They let Willie McGinest have the first tackle for the Browns and McGinest had already received a warm welcome from the Foxboro Faithful who well recall his many contributions to this team. Moss had a pair of catches and a penalty but the team marched down to a first and goal from the three. Here Josh McDaniels earns some attention as a clear chance to eat clock and power into the end zone was bypassed as a pair of incompletions surrounded the one running play which gained a yard. Less clock consumed and less demonstration of a power running game which this line and Sammy Morris need to develop for the critical games and late season need. The early lead is important and the field goal a step but this offense should be running not walking into their leads.
Cleveland then retaliated with an impressive drive of their own. Cribbs had a 31 yard return in which special teams aces Mitchel and Washington made the stop but the special teams danger of Cleveland was made clear. Jamal Lewis pounded out 11 yards but was lost for the game on their first play in a game that would host many injuries as teams hit each other hard all game long. Jarvis Green and Rosey Colvin were exploited on the play as they would be a bit all game long. Braylon Edwards showed is danger with a long pass reception and Wright set up Cleveland with a first and goal on the 1 as he ran up left for another 11 yard gain. The Browns were poised to take a lead and had done so with remarkable ease on a flat Patriot defense. Samuel would change the tone quickly as he tipped a pass on third down which Seau collected for he interception that would mark the first red zone stand by this Patriot defense. No points was huge for the momentum and the style of play which scores can dictate. Unfortunately Brady would remain off target on the second drive and the Pats would commit their first offensive three and out of the game - fortunately it was also the best punt of a woeful day from Hanson and some field position was saved. Samuel made his second stellar play consecutively as he picked off a pass tipped by Adelius Thomas and this set up the Pats offense in excellent position. They would need only one pass as Brady hit Stalworth and the Captain of Run after the Catch for this team made it a 34 yard touchdown and a 10-0 lead for the hometown team.
Stalworth would get more attention but between Brady missing him and a few drops, the team looked off target. The defense fortunately played generally inspired after that first Cleveland drive and set up the offense enough to take a 20-0 half time lead when Vrabel hit Anderson as he threw and Junior Seau capitalized for his second interception of the day. Brady to Watson a few times set up another touchdown and the opportunistic Pats offense scored off turnovers for a lead that seemed large at 20-0.Cleveland tried for a last minute drive but a sack, one of two, by Tedy Bruschi ended that attempt and the Browns took a knee to close the second quarter. The Browns had done enough to limit the Pats but overconfidence was high as fans and the team seemed to emerge flat for the third quarter.
Gustkowski kicked off out of bounds which was an awful start and things would get worse for the Patriots. Brady would lead three and outs while Anderson would drive the Browns for a field goal and an eventual touchdown. The Pats hadn't scored in the third quarter to end a streak of 39 scoring quarters. Worse their lead was cut in half and Rodney Harrison's primary contribution on his debut from suspension was a 15 yard face mask penalty. Several passing plays of more than 20 yards including a touchdown of 21 had the Browns matching the Pats for yards and first downs.
The Pats offense woke with their lead cut in half and mounted an impressive drive. Welker gave his all to come up just short and set up fourth and short but the Pats pounded it from their goal line formation with Morris making 4 yards instead of the needed one. It hopefully reminded McDaniels of how he should have handed the first and goal earlier in the game. One play later Brady hit Watson for a 25 yard touchdown and the 27-10 lead that effectively iced the game. Cleveland was not done, however and after they put another touchdown on the board and the offense gave them the ball back, it took a defensive play by Randall Gay who hit Kellon Winslow to force a fumble, recovered the fumble and returned it for a touchdown. The play should have earned Gay Ostend's attention but Gay had struggled in coverage while filling in for a briefly injured Assante Samuels and the play stands as significant, especially to bettors with a 16.5 line.
The Patriots played flat for much of the game but had too much talent for the Browns. Playing with a lead impacted the Browns ability to run and that may have saved New England who showed a little run weakness in this game. There are no bad wins and fewer than no (is that possible - even in sports clichés) bad wins by 17 points. New England is 5-0 but still has much to prove and many likely tougher matches ahead. There is no time to rest on the laurels but rather to correct the many mistakes they made in this game. They have many weapons offensively but when Moss was taken away put too much emphasis on just Stalworth even though Watson and Gaffney are viable and valuable options. Watson proved that with his opportunities but a model has been given for limiting Moss and Welker and challenging the Pats to accommodate for such. How they respond will tell us much in future games.
1) Samuel tip to Seau to stop the opening Cleveland drive
2) Stalworth's impressive run after catch to make it a 10 point lead.
3)Samuels pick to make two defensive stops in a row and give the Pats Defense the advantage of playing with a lead.
4) Pats convert on fourth and 1 in fourth enabling the Pats to continue the drive that otherwise would have led to a 20-17 battle and changed much of the game dynamic.
5) Watson's 25 yard catch the next play to ice the game.
5.4) Honorable mention bonus for the singular effort of Randall Gay on his big play, hit - scoop - score!
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All the pre-game hype pointed to the epic battle of two undefeated teams. Two top tier Quarterbacks and two top tier wide receivers to showcase offensive talent. Two top tier defenses to battle it out and the result would no doubt be a well earned title of ‘elite’ for the victor. While the Patriots were that victor at an impressive 48-27 margin, the game held many significant glimpses into the present status of both teams.
The Patriots may reflect upon their mettle when after a 14-0 burst, they fell somewhat apart for a brief bit of the game. With Matt Light on the sideline still likely struggling with the flu symptoms that challenged his week, Brady was victimized by one of the three sacks, this one from behind and producing a sack at the hands of Ellis which was returned 29 yards for a Dallas Touchdown by Hatcher. Dallas was back in the game and it would get worse for the Patriots. On their next possession the Cowboys drove the length of the field in 8 plays and scored a touchdown to Terrell Owens. Halftime had arrived with the Cowboys having withstood the Patriots assault and trailing just 21-17.
New England would open the second half abysmally with a three and out punctuated by the third sack of the game. Dallas meanwhile would shred the Patriot defense in the air and on the ground with the longest runs allowed on the season (25 and 18 yards consecutively). Crayton was the strength of the drive along with a very accurate and poised Romo and the Cowboys had stolen the lead 24-21. The crowd infused with energy from a Michael Irvin half-time as well as their team’s performance; was loud and proud to challenge the Pats and energize the Cowboys. The Prince of Poise is a Patriot and he calmly engineered a ten play, 5:24 drive which put the Patriots back into the lead. Romo responded with a poorly timed three and out which Brady converted into yet another deep ball attempt to Moss. This one was caught and it looked ugly for the Cowboys but replay brought it back and the Patriots had to settle for a lengthier drive which amounted to only three points on the accurate foot of Stephen Gostkowski.
This time Dallas Seemed to rise to the challenge and as the fourth quarter arrived they converted a fourth and one despite a fumble, only to have it called back to holding (correctly) and force a punt. This time Tom Brady and the Patriots iced the game when Brady hit Stalworth for a 69 yard touchdown, Brady’s fifth of the day and 21st on the season. Leadings 38-24 the game was effectively over though after allowing a foolish choice field goal by the Cowboys, seemingly a Wade Phillips coaching blunder, the Pats drove for another field goal and a clock killing final TD drive that made the game seem further out of reach than the rest of the game indicate.
Brady had several opportunities to hit moss Deep from the first trick play of the game with a fake dive, fake end around deep ball, to the flea flicker that preceded by one play the fumble sack of Brady. He had two deep ball touchdowns to Moss called back and did land another as the Patriots asserted their deep ball prowess to Moss as well as Welker, the all purpose Labradour, Stalworth the YAC master and of course even a deep ball to Watson prior to injury. The tools in this arsenal are incredible and helped them sustain despite an anemic running game shut down deliberately by the Cowboys and some injuries to Morris and Watson. Those trick plays will set some future tone as teams must always worry and the middle grows ever more commonly open for Brady to attack. The Patriots offense is explosive scoring five consecutive drives after losing the lead and two of those settled on field goals only after touchdowns were called back.
Defensively the Patriots showed some definite weakness as Cowboys dropping balls happened more often than Patriot coverage thwarted drives. The Cowboys exploded a Jones and Barber running assault and then abandoned it early in the third quarter when it was most effective. Games of this magnitude have much emotion and this one was no exception. What it had more clearly was one team executing seamlessly under pressure while the others crumbled like old popcorn dried and devoid of that special something. The flawed secondary of the Cowboys were attacked with precision while the Cowboys aided the Pats defense at every opportunity either by penalty or failed execution. The battle could have been much closer and the framework for a better battle is still there. The Pats did dominate and ultimately notched a 21 point victory that embarrassed the Dallas franchise but not far beneath the surface was cause for hope in Texas and some small concern in New England. What the Patriots will hopefully find is the method of starting out with three defensive three and outs and a first quarter of negative yards for the Cowboys. Meanwhile their offense piled up 14 first drive points despite missing several times on deep connections that would have blown the game open by an even larger margin. The defense ultimately showed considerable room for improvement, particularly in pass rush and coverage but they did enough to hold Dallas frequently on third downs while their own offensive counterparts notched continuous third down conversions to wear out the Dallas hometown defenders. Make no mistake, the Patriots are presently an offensive force which may need to improve on the ground while the defense is holding their end but not the dominant or defining attribute of this team. This is, of course only week 6 and undefeated teams while more common at this point are more impressive in December when Defenses have come together and true championship teams are forged and ready for presentation. That is many games in the future but the measure of this game shows a Pats team of greater potential and massive offensive Magnitude.
1) Stalworth’s 69 yard Touchdown catch and run in the fourth quarter.
2) Barber’s fourth down conversion to start the fourth is nullified by holding and Boys give Brady ball back rather than recapture the lead and force an old west shoot out.
3) Romo does 104 yard drive to close out the second half with a TO touchdown pass!
4) Brady sacked, fumbles and it is returned for a touchdown.
5) PI called against Cowboys on Moss to setup New England at first and goal on the 1 which becomes a Brady to Brady pass at 5:01 in the third quarter.
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The pallandromic records of the two clubs (6-0 0-6)had many touting this as a non-contest. The Patriots pointed to their many years of woeful results in Miami and players like Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor. Some talked about Trap games and yet the season record shows the Patriot team is playing with a very large chip on their shoulder. They have something to prove and they are going to send a message every week. They will respect their opponent by words and more importantly by deeds. They will execute with an offensive passing efficiency that remains on course to alter the NFL record books. Their defense will follow the game plan to win on the backs of their offense and the merits of that strategy. There’s certainly plenty of room for improvement on many fronts and such is the way of October games but teams can only win the games on their schedule and New England seems to have a plan to keep doing that week by week. This game might have been over when the Pats took the opening kickoff and used a spread formation that dared the Dolphins pressure to reach Brady. They balanced the run and pass early as Brady carved them up to the thirty yard line and Dante Stalworth carved them up for the opening TD in which he ran over and around them after the catch to showcase spins and broken tackles as he plunged into the end zone. It was only nine lays and just over 1/3 of the first quarter but Miami seemed to release the potency of their foe and seemed to be playing scared defensively. Perhaps they were just that overmatched with the plethora of injuries to their already questionable secondary and the prowess of this Patriot foe.
The Pats defensively responded with a strong surge. Ronnie Brown was ready to make yards but the Pats bore down and forced a third and long. Give the Pats defense a passing situation and you invite trouble. Mike Vrabel blew his man into the Dolphins Lemon of a QB and his fumble was recovered by Ty Warren. Brady barely needed to do much work as Faulk and Evans showed some capable running on the second drive while Welker and the other Brady set themselves up for Kyle Brady to grab a two yard touchdown on a perfectly thrown pass. Before the game was barely underway the Pats had a 14-0 lead and despite the heat had barely broken a sweat.
Unfortunately that became a bit of the defensive Mantra as Miami then passed and ran over New England for several first downs and a potentially telling play. Set up with 4th and 1 on the New England 47 yard line. A prime time for a dominant defense to make the stop but instead they were blown off the ball and Ronnie Brown ran for 19 yards and a first down. It was a setup that would be repeated a few times in the game and is cause for concern at the front 7. Certainly Seymour is missed but at that point there were fresh enough starters to manage the job and they failed significantly. Given a second chance just three plays later they faced a second and goal on the four yard line and gave enough room for Cleo Lemon at Dolphin QB to rush untouched up the middle for the score.
Some will tell you the offense picked up the defense but it was the special teams that particularly notched the first such uplifting. Willie Andrews took a kick that was sent away from Ellis Hobbs and he went 77 yards for a quick back at you score that broke the mental and emotional backs of the Dolphins. It marked a good day for Willie Andrews who would later down a punt inside the five but I suppose it ruins little drama to learn the Pats did punt in this game.
The Dolphins started with an 11 yard running surge on the next play but after a holding call nullified that the Pats defense successfully employed the bend don’t break defense they’ve struggled with a bit this season. The Pats used just three plays to put up another seven points, Maroney for 11 on the ground, Welker for 36 in the air and Moss for 36 in the air. It was Josh McDaniels and Brady not letting the Fins pack in the box but it was also Brady giving way too much trust to Moss’ considerable abilities. It works so they get less grief but it is not the type of pass which a Pats fan wishes to see routine lest it become an interception. Certainly on the third and eighteen that was a worthy pass to Moss later for the fifty yard touchdown but this one came on first down and was a questionable throw made right by phenomenal execution from Randy Moss.
Feeling the pressure Miami attempted to throw deep for quick scores of their own but Assante Samuels was up to the task and made for a quick punt as well as perhaps setting up the second half strategy which would allow many short passes and runs but no big gainers. Miami would be sufficiently patient in the second half but at that point the time for patience had passed with New England up 42-7 at the half. Most meaningful observations cannot be applied to that second half when New England was content to ride out the victory the first half had earned. Brady of course remained sharp and added another 5 of 5 drive for a Wes Welker Touchdown (Brady’s sixth on the day) after Cassel threw an interception for a touchdown to Jason Taylor. Some thought it was a harsh punishment for Cassel, some thought it was Belichick running up the score but the most likely truth is a solid memory of an 18 point lead being too little last January. The coach has a long memory and January isn’t so far, either last nor next. The latter point is why there is some concern in noting Mike Vrabel playing on goal line offensive formations late in the game. Some player protection is warranted and this surely applies to someone playing on offense as a defensive mainstay. Especially when the weary group of New England’s front 7 performed with lesser depth than normal due to injuries and inactives. They had tackled poorly and been run on much for the second half and the more rest for this crew to regroup and prepare for their next battle the better. No doubt New England was willing to concede their own urgency to use Maroney in this game after his solid start helped the team leap to an impressive lead. No doubt they were willing to throttle back and give the Dolphins long slow clock eating drives on their way to victory but similarly there is no doubt they need to improve their tackling and their run performances if this perfect passing offense wants to have company in becoming a perfect team.
Miami will take their seventh straight loss and flee the country. New England was too much for them and losing two starters in Hill and Brown will only make their road longer. It’s already a long road as they head to Old England to play the Giants. New England meanwhile will host the nation’s capitol. Miami and all the Brady records are gone from their memories as they prepare for the next challenge. They probably did manage to at least enjoy the first half of the plane flight home. I’m sure it involved an awareness of where they need to improve which is a fine thought for a 7-0 team.
1) Stalworth breaking tackles and hearts for the 30 yard first score.
2) Willie Andrews (number 23) taking the kickoff from Miami’s first half TD and putting it immediately in the end zone for a 12 second return and a 21-7 score.
3) Randy Moss’ first TD catch for 36 yards which sadly injured Hill for the Dolphins after the best coverage options in the right position couldn’t stop a touchdown toss or the 28-7 game ending lead.
4) Facing 4th and 1 on the 47 Miami showed their O-Line was dominant to New England’s D-line which they’d repeat throughout the game though the score had already made it a non-factor
5) Brady’s 5-5 drive in the second half to quell any uprising after Cassel’s interception and which wrote Tom’s name into New England record books for yet another statistic.
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It is reasonably challenging to focus on a review of the Redskins with all the attention of this week’s Colts game yet a minimalist effort must be made. The Pats meanwhile have excellently managed their role in giving each week the proper attention no matter what chaotic events swirl around them. Offensively and Defensively the Patriots game plans were magnificent and the coaches deserve full credit. McDaniels and Peas are using their talented rosters very capably to scheme victories. This of course is all irrelevant if the players don’t execute and they were doing such to near perfection. Wasn’t it a rather famous redskin Coach who when asked “What do you think of the execution of your offensive line?” responded immediately that “I’m in favor of it.” Well the execution of the plays by Washington was almost that worthy again and some of that was the intensity and talent of the team they were facing.
New England loss a rare coin toss so the defense had the first opportunity to shine and the early adjustment was perhaps the only legitimate threat from Washington on the day . The first play was a pass which Rosevelt Colvin should have made an interception but despite that failing it did foreshadow a later TD by Colvin. Washington did notch four first downs before the Pats defense stiffened and the Redskins punted away their last possession of being in the game.
The Pats started at their own 10 yard line but this, as Pat Curren has so well pointed out, is not a challenge for this year’s Patriots. They score 78 percent of the time on long drives which dominates what most team’s manage in the red zone! New England also scores on every opening drive and that practice has made things very tough on their opposition. This game was not different in that aspect as 14 plays and 7 minutes later te Pats had a seven point lead on Brady’s 3 yard touchdown run. What was different was the opening volley of running plays. The first two plays were first downs behind Maroney’s strong running and ultimately 8 of the 14 plays were on the ground with the Redskin safeties being called to manage it more often than not and thus opening the way for much of the game plan. Draws were the first half solution which eased pressure off Brady and opened up the short routes for Brady. The linebackers were frozen more often than not by the potential draw from the shotgun and this allowed the run and short pass to benefit off each other. New England employed ball control to the fullest and recorded a team record 34 first downs. Especially impressive as it triples the Redskins 12 (almost) and that without taking into account the touchdowns which don’t count as first down conversions and there were six of those on offense. In the second half the Pats tossed out a slight wrinkle adjustment by unleashing the screen assault. This is a second method to take the pressure off the Quarterback and change the dynamics of linebacker and safety play. This was again very effective and the Redskins defense never fully adjusted. Event he few times the Patriots seemed to push too much for Moss downfield, there was still enough success underneath to support those attempts. It’s certainly easier to play with a lead and New England did so even with the loss of Kyle Brady to put their tight end crisis a bit more notably on the surface. That in conjunction with a desire to protect the recently injury recovered Maroney had the Pats passing frequently even as pundits call it running up the score. The redskins seemed determined to play New England for the run late and thereby invite the pass which Belichick obliged and thereby let loose the torrents of whining still questioning the integrity and character of this team. Ridiculous but guaranteed to inspire the team further.
Defensively the Patriots unleashed much pressure on young Jason Campbell. The Mike Vrabel show had him blast Campbell for three sacks all of which caused fumbles and one even a free touchdown for the fortunate Colvin. Calling Vrabel a defensive standout doesn’t properly credit his offensive touchdown or his special teams work which even included a kickoff return with the hands team. Vince Wilfork spent his afternoon in the backfield disrupting the run and opening the lanes for the pressure from others while Assante shut down his man for the most part and the scheme challenged Campbell to stand up to the pressure again and again with short accurate throws. He couldn’t, the backs couldn’t overwhelm the dominant Pats front 7 and the Redskins had virtually half of their first downs on their first and final drives.
At 52-7 this was a near flawless game from a defense wishing to showcase that the 28th offense of the Redskins should have been more clearly noted as a mismatch. Meanwhile the offense took the challenge of the fifth ranked defense and showed they will take what they are given with precision and execution. The tragedy is that the Redskins came away pouting and sulking, most of them, about the mismatch rather than looking at their mistakes and how to improve themselves. This is why the Redskins won’t likely make it out of their division’s playoff battle and why they weren’t as well prepared for the Patriots as the Patriots prepared for them. That is why this 8-0 New England Patriots team has only begun to showcase the promise of this season at the still early midpoint.
1) Vrabel catching a two yard TD while wide open – how do teams not cover him? Pats 14-0 – Game Over.
2) Vrabel strip-sack to Colvin for the fumble return Touchdown!
3) Vrabel’s second strip-sack which ended a Redskin scoring chance just after the two minute warning! Warren recovery of fumble.
4) Fake spike TD to Moss for Brady record in season Touchdowns as well as the 24-0 lead
5) Pats pound a 7:46 clock killing drive to open third quarter and put the score ridiculously out of reach at 31-0
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"Doing a 180” is a reference to 180 degrees and thus turning it around. Certainly there was some of that in the second quarter and especially the final 9:44 of the game. In this instance it is more poignantly a reference to the old adage of sixty minutes of football. While the clock may have only measured four quarters of 15 minutes, the other clock noted a three hour game which is 180 minutes of football. The Pats had to remain focused and work their way through 180 minutes of hostile environs; the same environs which after two quarters (90) minutes in the AFC Championship had been too much for them. This time they still had more reserve to provide Patriotic potency into the final frame.
Anyone who suggests Indianapolis is not in the same league is both not living in Indianapolis and not a very astute student of the game. Indianapolis played with four starters not suited up for the game, two at linebacker, one left tackle and one all world Marvin Harrison. Harrison’s replacement left early with an injury as Gonzalez couldn’t finish the game. Certainly the Colts had plenty of advantages from the home dome noise level (astounding whether real or augmented), a highly talented offense and defense and of course the twelfth player of the crowd was overshadowed by the Thirteenth Warrior wearing zebra stripes. The officials were so horrific in this game that it is challenging to convince most New England fans it wasn’t an anti-Patriot vendetta. There are enough signs to prove fairness was the intent but enough miscue to prove incompetence as a minimum. Ask Ellis Hobbs why he was flagged for being tackled away from an interception. Ask James Sanders why it wasn’t a fumble and why CBS failed to provide a replay until all hope of replay was gone. Ask Kevin Faulk about his mugging on a critical third down pass. Ask many questions and hopefully Mike Perrera will answer a few of them on the NFL network when the head of officiating tries to justify such a poor performance in such a pivotal game. Still the point of this paragraph is that the Colts were far better a team than most expected and that’s an impressive statement when you are the undefeated World Champions at home. Some of that is a credit to how good New England has shown and most will now note that the defeated Indianapolis Colts were worthy of their close rankings with New England. These two teams remain the elite of the NFL although New England greatly enhanced their edge in future battles by taking this pivotal match.
The Patriots defense had yet to allow an opponent to score first and winning the coin toss certainly meant that would be challenged. Speaking of challenges, the Pats would need one early as two officials right on a play made a horrific ruling of a catch by Morehead and fortunately Bellichick under the urging of Samuels had those 11 yards removed from the game logs. Those 11 yards might ultimately have been enormous as four quick first downs rode the strength of Joseph Addai and of Peyton Manning but neither was quite enough as New England upheld that streak by driving the Colts back out of field goal range or at least to the edge of such. When Richard Seymour tipped the attempt to knock it wide, Adam had his first ever miss in Indianapolis and the game remained scoreless. The Pats defense had won the first battle and now the Offensive Juggernaut of New England would take the stage with great field position.
Nick Kaczur would be beaten by Mathis as if he were standing still, which to some extent he was at the time. The RCA dome is notorious for noise and the Pats took the field in a formation very challenged by such. The Shotgun is Brady’s preferred on the season but it means the Offensive Tackles are forced to watch the snap and move on motion much like the defense. This edge is a two part edge to the defender since it also means the Offensive lineman are forced to watch the ball and may not observe all the subtle moved of the defender preparing to beat them. The ten yard loss on the opening sack was a momentum monstrosity for the Colts and ultimately stopped the Pats in three plays since they gained 12 back but needed twenty. The Colts defense had stood as they would for much of the game with constant pressure on Brady from both outside rushers and fantastic coverage of all the receiving options. The Colts had not allowed a gain of 25 yards or more which they ultimately would surrender twice in the final frame but for most of the game they did just enough to limit the Pats and force enough miscues to hold on while their own offense led the way.
On their second drive Joseph Addai looked unstoppable as he reeled off multiple gains of first down yardage. When an early and suspect but not wrong penalty on Samuels set the Colts up inside the ten it seemed a dangerous point but suddenly the Patriot defense stiffened and became unmovable in the short yardage. They in fact took the ball away for what should have ended the drive but some of the classically bad officiating missed the call and CBS, amidst their noise blunders, added a video blunder to leave the Pats unable to call for review. Still it was a stop and Vince Wilfork would help ensure there was another stop as Rodney Harrison shot through and made the play while Wilfork held the line, albeit with some help across the board. Where they had punched it in the AFC Championship, they were stuffed cold this time and now Manning took to the air where Samuels was just able to knock it free from Gonzalez leaving Colts fans to ponder if Harrison makes the catch without his injury keeping him out of the game.
Brady and the offense would answer with a prolific and balanced drive capped with a four yard touchdown to Randy Moss in which he just outjumps and boxes out the competition for the score. Pats lead 7-3 and had given their defense a bit of a rest. Rest it would need as the officials quickly entered into the game again. Manning had driven to the 49 and took a first down pitch to the endzone but Ellis Hobbs was poised for the great coverage interception. Wayne tackled Hobbs and was awarded with Pass Interference incredibly against Hobbs. It was the worst call of the season and the Pats defense would need their rest to make the next stand. They did and Vinatierri made it three more points to narrow the Pats lead to 7-6.
Brady and the Pats stormed back until Matt Light lost his composure with the Pats at the Colts 23 and in field goal range. His 15 yard penalty setup Brady pitching deep to Stalworth and Stalworth didn’t help his quarterback on the mild underthrow and the result was an interception that stopped a quality Patriot drive. It seemed the half might end there but the colts tried to use the short clock to regain the lead. This would pay dividends when with 23 seconds on the clock Manning forced a quick 4 yard dump off that Addai took 73 yards to the end zone and a 13-7 lead that had changed the momentum, resurged the crowd and put the Super Bowl Champions in a good situation for halftime.
The Pats were to receive to start the second half and much is typically gleaned by how the teams emerge from the locker room. The Pats started with a three and out as two runs brought a third and short which Brady and Watson failed to complete. Fortunately punter Chris Hanson was good for a 53 yard with no return punt. Field position had challenged the Colts and benefited New England all game and would continue to do such. In fact when Manning hit Harrison on the ensuing drive it was a Patriot Victory as film study by Rodney had let him jump a route and foil Manning once again. Defense was winning the day between these teams and Rodney had in part atoned for his role in the failure to tackle Addai in the second quarter. Mysteriously the Patriots drive would move backward when a quick hitch to a wide receiver somehow had Dan Koppen ineligible downfield to eradicate the gain and back up out of field goal range. This was made worse when Nick Kaczur once again could not handle Mmathis who sacked Brady. The sides were defensively slugging it out and Manning and Brady were taking the punishment. Jarvis Green would end the next drive when he pulled Addai down for a 9 yard loss and again defenses were holding serve in a 13-7 battle that most predicted would be an offensive slugfest.
The Patriots put together a drive that fell short when their short yardage offense could not account for Bob Sanders and tried to get outside the tackle with Maroney instead of surging the one yard needed for the first down. Stephen Gostkowski was steady and drove the field goal through to narrow the margin to a three point deficit. It seemed the momentum had switched to New England and their following drive had moved into Colt territory when Brady again underthrew just a bit and the ball didn’t fall to Kyle Brady but rather to a tremendous interception by Bracket. Matt Light gave them an additional 15 yards on the return with his second personal foul in the game. A defensive surge had the Colts at 3rd and 15 but Dallas Clark made the only significant play of the day for him and earned the first down. That would be enough for Peyton to put his team on the goal line and sneak it in himself for a lead that would have put the game out of reach for many teams.
These Patriots have a lot of heart and character to augment their tremendous talent and they are not many teams, they are perhaps the team of the decade but certainly the team of the year. Brady seemed to over focus on Moss as six passes were thrown to him in concession and the most significant was a 55 yard pass putting the ball at the three yard line. The next one a touchdown to Moss was incomplete and worse drew an offensive pass interference call which could have gone either way. No worries because Wes Welker grabbed a 10 and then a 3 yard play to cap the drive quickly. The Patriots were within three and had the determined look of the Champions they hope to become.
The defense surged again and the Officials called a rare holding that helped setup third and fifteen. Colvin made his home return to Indianapolis noteworthy with a sack that Indianapolis was fortunate to recover. It meant they would punt to that Tom Brady that all of Indianapolis has unwisely not learned to respect as much as Peyton Manning has learned to respect him. Brady would need three plays, pass to Moss for five, deep pass to Stalworth thrown perfectly for thirty-three and then number thirty-three, Kevin Faulk, would grab a short pass and use all of his heart to juke and dive into the end zone for the go ahead score. It was so crisply efficient that Manning would get another chance.
He would hit Reggie Wayne for a big gainer but that was it as Jarvis Green would stuff Addai for one yard and an incomplete set up the third and nine where Jarvis Green would strip sack Peyton into the hands of Colvin and the game was effectively sealed. New England would try to run out the clock and faced an eerily similar situation to the prior year but this time it was clear that Brady was the Master and Peyton the student. The key play was a Wes Welker conversion for a first down that let New England drop to a knee and win with the knowledge they had been the clear better team in a battle of teams worthy of facing each other again…which they are likely to do in January up in New England.
1) Jarvis Green strip sack to Colvin for the in-air recovery which almost sealed the game.
2) Faulk’s 13 yard catch (3 yard) and run (10 yard) for the 24-20 lead with a fantastic dive and stretch for the score!
3) Wes Welker from Brady for the first down, in-bounds, to make it a kneeldown affair – reminiscent of a play which Bob Sanders tipped away last year.
4) Joseph Addai destroying the defense on a 73 yard run to close out the half with a 13-7 Indianapolis Momentum laden lead.
5) Brady to Moss for 55 yards with 9:00 remaining in the game and the Pats down by 10. It was a drive of six passes to Moss and a touchdown to Welker which followed it.
Go Pats!
Zip
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