One of the things that I always try to do with these articles is to keep it real. I do my best to not be a mega-homer (Mmmm. Floor Pie.) who always talks about how great the team is and never sees the problems. This kind of person is routinely hated and loathed by the fans from other teams and I think if truth be told, even by those that REALLY follow their own team. For the Patriots specifically, there is enough hatred aimed at the team from Foxboro without the fans working to increase it. I also do not want to be the doom and gloomer. The person who is always (and only) focusing on the heinously obvious (to them) flaws and crack in the armor that will eventually mean the downfall of the team. Boston area fans have had a strong tendency towards this side of sports arguments. Looking back over the sports history for some years you can kind of understand why. The Sox had gone decades without a WS championship, the Celtics had fallen off the face of the NBA map and the Pats, well they were the Pats. They had never ever won a championship. (I do not mention the NHL team for two reasons. First, being that I have not recognized the sport since the strike that lasted for more than one season and secondly because I believe, as does Stephen Colbert, that bears are a threat.) As such, many Pats fans have, even in this season, THIS season of amazing feats, found comfort in pulling down the team, focusing on only the bad things.

I have been trying to find a happy medium. ( “Hello, < giggle > my name is Cloe’ and I will be you guide to the spirit world this evening.” ) I have tried to point out the amazing things about this team (hard to list them all, as records seem to spawn spontaneously every 30 seconds or so) and to note the things that were a problem.

Looking back over the 16 games of the regular season I find it pretty easy to find that middle ground where there is utter bliss and concern. For as great as the offense has performed the defense has had lapses.

Pressure, pushing down on me, pushing down on you
Now as we enter the playoffs the conflict between these two things, the cheers and the concern is creating a lot of pressure. Because to stop short of 19-0, now after a perfect 16-0 regular season, would be beyond anti-climactic. It would fuel the rest of the NFL in their hope that the Patriots’ dynasty was over and done. It would be a failure that would fuel years and decades of derision. “Yeah, well at least my team did not go 16-0 only to choke in the playoffs. Yes, I think there is a lot of pressure on the team just as there was a lot of pressure on the team to win in New York on the last game of the regular season. Just as that pressure will increase with each passing week.

But the pressure is also creating balance. The 2007 Patriots have come back from enough deep holes that I am sure that there is no panic in them when they are behind in the 4th quarter. They know that they have to play their game and perfume and that they stand a great chance of triumph.

Perfect Circle
Does anyone else find it ironically symbolic that the season ended right where it began, in Giants Stadium. This is the kind go thing that would almost make people accuse the NFL of planning this stuff out.

Passing Fancy
50TDs
4,806 passing yards
Most games with 3 TDs in a season
MVP
So THAT is what it takes.

Persistence
Were you thinking like me that Belichick should just quit messing around with the attempts to run the ball? I mean through the first half the Giants completely stonewalled the Pats efforts to move the ball on the ground. And despite this the coaches never gave up on the run. And in the second half it began to open up a bit and help restore some balance to the offense. Laurence Maroney even had 2 rushing TDs.

Placekicking
For a good part of the season many were clamoring for more chances for Ghost to make field goals. They sighed that he had not really been tested this season. The idea being that he needed to be ready for if and when he was needed in the playoffs. Well, for better or worse he got his reps in this game. After getting stopped 3 times in the first half, the team called upon Gostowski to attempt 3 field goals. And he made all 3.

Peyton Light
One of the things that I counted in the favor of the Patriots was that they were going to be facing the younger Manning. I figured that if he were to be his normal self, the Patriots would be golden. Given that so many of the QBs that have faced the Patriots this season have had career passing games I should have known that things would be weird here. Playing New England has just brought out the best in the other teams. And on this evening it brought out the best in Eli Manning. For the better part of almost 3 quarters he was almost perfect. He had that deep completion on the first throw of the game. More impressive, what the last drive of the 1st half when Eli drove the team down the field with grace and precision. And he gave the Giants the lead. Where was the Eli of weeks gone bye, with the many INTs and the bad decisions? As it turns out he was waiting for the temperature to drop a bit so that he could come out and give the game away.

Plaxico
This man was involved in some interesting endzone events. At the end of the first half with the clock running down, Manning to the left side of the endzone. The pass was incomplete. But Plax got up complaining that he had been held and interfered with. The replay however showed that there was as much of Burress running into Hobbs as it was Hobbs hitting him. Because Hobbs was going after the ball. So a good call by the refs of no call.

Then at the end of the game, down by 10 points, Plax made a spectacular catch. The pass came over his shoulder and he had to tip it to himself. Give props where they are due. Flip side pretty pass catch in the other EZ for the final score of the game.

Possibilities missed or
Playing 59minutes 40 seconds
Time for one last play before the half. Why not take a shot downfield? You are trailing 21-16. You have a super fast receiver. Why not throw it down field and hope for a broken play or a penalty to get a score. Sure it is a long shot but why not go after it. How is a team that preaches playing a full 60 minutes not using this time? This is the third time this season that they took a knee with some dozens of seconds remaining in the 1st half.

Poke In The Eye
Ok, I have seen the Poke. I am disappointed in Wilforks behavior. However I believe that his intention was not to actually gouge Wilfork’s eye. It seems clear to me that he was arguing and just gesturing. He just got too close to Brandon Jacobs and Vince’s finger did in fact go inside the face mask of the Giants RB. Stupid action. He did deserve a fine for crossing the line. Just glad he was not suspended. I do think that for Chris Collinsworth to say that “There is no question what his (Wilfork) intention was” is just idiotic.

It was also reported that after the game that Jacobs and Wilfork shook hands and spoke. So it seems that there were few if any hard feelings.

Perplexed again
This formation happened so many times that there was no way it was an afterthought. But can someone tell me why Heath Evans was being split to the outside as a receiver?
Wha..Who…Why? I just give up on this one.

Pass the Rice Please
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know Jerry Rice set the record of 22 receiving TDs in a season in the span of only 12 games and that Randy Moss took 16 games to tie and then break said record. He is still the king, but one of his records now resides in Foxboro, Mass. Congrats Randy Moss.

Pair of Randy’s
With 23 TDs in this his FIRST season on the team, Randy Moss Tied former WR Randy Vataha as the no. 9 TD catcher in team history. And Moss did that in JUST ONE SEASON!

Passing Pair
In the cavalcade of records to fall this season there are several that seemingly got lost among the major ones. One of the missing is that Brady and Moss connected for 23 TD passes this season. When Rice set the record of 22 TD catches he had several people throwing those balls to him. This gave Brady and Moss the record for most prolific combo in league history.

See you next week for the Divisional round of the playoffs. Season 2 is upon us.

Go Pats!

Erdoboy
Please visit me at the Patriotsarchive.com