I finally did it. I watched the AFC Championship Game again

[Dragda]

I can't even read this thread.
I was in FL and hosted a Pats TV party for NE friends.
That game cost me thousand$ as I then changed my plans and stayed longer in FL just to avoid attending a SuperBowl party in the back home neighborhood that I'd previously been invited to.
I just TRIED to pretend there was no such thing as football for a while.

HMM. I just shrugged it off. If you can't stop the run, you can't win a playoff game. It wasn't our night. I have it TIVO'd, but must admit I have not made the time to re-watch it. Maybe I'm only pretending it wasn't painful.

I do remember wondering aloud who the hell Baker was. My family was shocked that there was player on the roster I didn't know.

 

[Warren94]

I was in New Orleans on business. first half was great ( I was drunk) second half sobered up. wish I was still drunk

 

[italian pat patriot]

i have not yet seen the game and i think i will never see it again...

one time was enough...infortunately...

i was so happy and excited and then...ok...we know...

 

[Coast2CoastPatsFan]

The 12 men in the huddle penalty stands out the most. I mean crappy defense and dropped balls can happen, but c'mon 11 on 11 guys.

In January in a Conference Championship game, no less........VERY uncharacteristic of a Belichick-coached team..........inexcusable! That penalty probably cost us one more score before the half, which may have put Indy in too deep of a hole to climb out of.

 

[richpats]

In January in a Conference Championship game, no less........VERY uncharacteristic of a Belichick-coached team..........inexcusable! That penalty probably cost us one more score before the half, which may have put Indy in too deep of a hole to climb out of.

That actually happened in the 4th quarter with a little over 3 minutes to play while we were up 34-31.

I believe the penalty you're referring to is the PI on Brown.

 

[Warren94]

too true. that 12 man in the huddle penalty doesn't happen. It's a first down and the clock most likely goes down to the 2:00 minute warning.

 

[DW Toys]

That actually happened in the 4th quarter with a little over 3 minutes to play while we were up 34-31.

I believe the penalty you're referring to is the PI on Brown.

Cousins,
I wasn't that penalty that croaked us. Watch the tape. It was the non-call again on Caldwell, with three minutes left in the game that was the most obvious non-call. We had to settle for a FG.

If that same exact play was on Harrison or Wayne, It would have looked like the Cub Scout bandana company was air dropping samples. A sure penalty! If
that call wasn't made and it was the Colts who were violated, Pollian strangles NFL supervisor Ferrara on the spot, or at least he has the rule changed again to the Colts favor.

By far the most game changing play to prevent the Pats from reaching the SB with under three minutes. The ball is on the Colts one. No Super bowl for Peyton, period! I can see it now:
Corey for a quarter of a yard.
Time out Colts
Corey For a quarter of a Yard
2 minute warning
Corey for an eighth of a Yard
Clock down to 1:20
Time out Colts
Corey TD
PATS AHEAD BY MORE THAN A FG

Peyton must go field with about one minute remaining and no time outs (familiar? Brady had some T.O's though!)
Now the D can play back to not give up the long one (see Fletcher). A little different scenario. I'd say we would have won.
Anybody out there disagree?

The announcers were shocked at this no-call. Not in a big game like this when the SB is at stake. This was no little mugging. This was a rape!

Colts you won the game. Maybe you deserved to by the way you came back, but the win was tainted. The refs tried to give it to you in the 2005 Pittsburgh game with the Palomalu interception, check that, Non-interception. IMO it's "Let's make sure Peyton gets his ring in 2006 cause we screwed up in 2005".

DW Toys

 

[He Ban Me]

Cousins,
I wasn't that penalty that croaked us. Watch the tape. It was the non-call again on Caldwell, with three minutes left in the game that was the most obvious non-call. We had to settle for a FG.

If that same exact play was on Harrison or Wayne, It would have looked like the Cub Scout bandana company was air dropping samples. A sure penalty! If
that call wasn't made and it was the Colts who were violated, Pollian strangles NFL supervisor Ferrara on the spot, or at least he has the rule changed again to the Colts favor.

By far the most game changing play to prevent the Pats from reaching the SB with under three minutes. The ball is on the Colts one. No Super bowl for Peyton, period! I can see it now:
Corey for a quarter of a yard.
Time out Colts
Corey For a quarter of a Yard
2 minute warning
Corey for an eighth of a Yard
Clock down to 1:20
Time out Colts
Corey TD
PATS AHEAD BY MORE THAN A FG

Peyton must go field with about one minute remaining and no time outs (familiar? Brady had some T.O's though!)
Now the D can play back to not give up the long one (see Fletcher). A little different scenario. I'd say we would have won.
Anybody out there disagree?

The announcers were shocked at this no-call. Not in a big game like this when the SB is at stake. This was no little mugging. This was a rape!

Colts you won the game. Maybe you deserved to by the way you came back, but the win was tainted. The refs tried to give it to you in the 2005 Pittsburgh game with the Palomalu interception, check that, Non-interception. IMO it's "Let's make sure Peyton gets his ring in 2006 cause we screwed up in 2005".

DW Toys

Wahhhhhh!!!

69 yards, 3 plays, 24 seconds

Caldwell's ball was overthrown. No way officials let NE benefit from that poorly thrown ball.

 

[QB12]

Cousins,
I wasn't that penalty that croaked us. Watch the tape. It was the non-call again on Caldwell, with three minutes left in the game that was the most obvious non-call. We had to settle for a FG.

If that same exact play was on Harrison or Wayne, It would have looked like the Cub Scout bandana company was air dropping samples. A sure penalty! If
that call wasn't made and it was the Colts who were violated, Pollian strangles NFL supervisor Ferrara on the spot, or at least he has the rule changed again to the Colts favor.

By far the most game changing play to prevent the Pats from reaching the SB with under three minutes. The ball is on the Colts one. No Super bowl for Peyton, period! I can see it now:
Corey for a quarter of a yard.
Time out Colts
Corey For a quarter of a Yard
2 minute warning
Corey for an eighth of a Yard
Clock down to 1:20
Time out Colts
Corey TD
PATS AHEAD BY MORE THAN A FG

Peyton must go field with about one minute remaining and no time outs (familiar? Brady had some T.O's though!)
Now the D can play back to not give up the long one (see Fletcher). A little different scenario. I'd say we would have won.
Anybody out there disagree?

The announcers were shocked at this no-call. Not in a big game like this when the SB is at stake. This was no little mugging. This was a rape!

Colts you won the game. Maybe you deserved to by the way you came back, but the win was tainted. The refs tried to give it to you in the 2005 Pittsburgh game with the Palomalu interception, check that, Non-interception. IMO it's "Let's make sure Peyton gets his ring in 2006 cause we screwed up in 2005".

DW Toys

I agree with you, it was certainly defensive holding if not pass interference. Even then, Caldwell almost made a spectacular one-handed grab in the right corner of the end zone for a TD. Ironically, the defender was the rookie Hayden who, after the release of Nick Harper, the Colts are hoping will start. You usually don't see rookies, especially nickel-backs like Hayden, get that kind of respect from officials, particularly in the playoffs.

QB12

 

[richpats]

Wahhhhhh!!!

69 yards, 3 plays, 24 seconds

Caldwell's ball was overthrown. No way officials let NE benefit from that poorly thrown ball.

Overthrown as in, almost made the catch with the one hand that wasn't being interfered with?

 

[He Ban Me]

Overthrown as in, almost made the catch with the one hand that wasn't being interfered with?

His "one hand" was already beyond the end line, momentum carries him out regardless. HAD the throw been more on target (like Manning to Wayne, opposite side, same end zone) you get the call.

 

[richpats]

His "one hand" was already beyond the end line, momentum carries him out regardless. HAD the throw been more on target (like Manning to Wayne, opposite side, same end zone) you get the call.

So a catch can't be made if a hand goes beyond the 'end line'? Did you even watch Harrison's catch in the reg season game?

BTW- the throw was fine and the ball was entirely catchable. Watch the replay.

 

[Fixit]

His "one hand" was already beyond the end line, momentum carries him out regardless. HAD the throw been more on target (like Manning to Wayne, opposite side, same end zone) you get the call.

Oh, shut it. The throw was on-target, and he would have come down in-bounds.

Debating on whether or not that call means the Pats win is one thing. Disputing that Caldwell was mugged is another. Defending that non-call is just ridiculous.

 

[AirForcePatFan]

How did you feel about the Colts Pats regular season game? While the Colts didn't put up 32 in the game, let alone a half, I think Manning completed 5 pass plays of 25 yards or more (I cannot remember specifics, but it was something like that, maybe 6 plays). Anyway, when is the last time you saw a BB defense do that? IMO, Colts were on their way to that again, but the Pats corners/safties made MANY clutch plays to break up some big plays. Plus the Colts just missed on a few. Case in point was Colts first series when Addai gets by Tedy, and almost comes down with the ball and a 25-30 yarder.

Funny thing about their regular season game, I kept getting the feeling that the Pats were going to come from behind and win it. Defense was doing okay to the point of not letting the Colts walk over them, but it was like a preview of what was to come. The middle was wide open, and Dallas Clark and Co were able to run up and down the middle of the field although not as bad as in the championship game... Brady's tipped passes for INT on offense didn't help at all either... I figured if Brady's passes wouldn't get tipped in the Championship, the CB's stayed competitive with the Colts WRs, and the middle of the field stayed protected, the Pats would win the game. The Pats defense never adjusted to protecting the middle and that's what lost the game in both games... I think AD will help ALOT in that area, he's the type of player who will be able to stick to the TEs and slot receivers, so hopefully that won't be a issue next year...

 

[oldrover]

For me, that game is the football equivalent of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Up 21-3... can't hold the lead. Up 2 runs in the bottom of the 10th... ditto.

Argh.

 

[He Ban Me]

Funny thing about their regular season game, I kept getting the feeling that the Pats were going to come from behind and win it. Defense was doing okay to the point of not letting the Colts walk over them, but it was like a preview of what was to come. The middle was wide open, and Dallas Clark and Co were able to run up and down the middle of the field although not as bad as in the championship game... Brady's tipped passes for INT on offense didn't help at all either... I figured if Brady's passes wouldn't get tipped in the Championship, the CB's stayed competitive with the Colts WRs, and the middle of the field stayed protected, the Pats would win the game. The Pats defense never adjusted to protecting the middle and that's what lost the game in both games... I think AD will help ALOT in that area, he's the type of player who will be able to stick to the TEs and slot receivers, so hopefully that won't be a issue next year...

The development of AD within the scope of the Pats defense will be interesting to see. As a Colt fan, obviously I do scoreboard watching to see how the Pats are doing. This year, I will be more inclined to make an effort to actually see them play as much as possible. I think he'll definately have a huge impact. That said, the Raven D last year was absolutely scary. Seemed like they had a ProBowler at every position. Even though Colts only got FG, they DID get 5 of them. Next year, IMO, red zone TD's for Colts will be imperitive against the likes of NE, Balt, and SD.

 

[He Ban Me]

Any of you guys watch the Raven game, where Wayne was clearly held up, the crew threw the flag, then decided there "wasn't enough contact" so they picked it up!

Both teams were the beneficiaries of no calls. For the most part, well officiated, many Pats fans have agreed. I will tell you this, it comes nowhere near the Pitt/Seattle SB atrocities.

BTW, one game I could never watch again is IU/Duke, final four in Minneapolis, 1992. Second half was as bad as it gets in terms of officiating determining the outcome of a game.

 

[salty]

HMM. I just shrugged it off. If you can't stop the run, you can't win a playoff game. It wasn't our night. I have it TIVO'd, but must admit I have not made the time to re-watch it. Maybe I'm only pretending it wasn't painful.

I do remember wondering aloud who the hell Baker was. My family was shocked that there was player on the roster I didn't know.

Same thing happened to me. I was watching the game with three friends, all of them pretty knowledgeable about football, although I was the only Pats fan. Anyway, they show "Baker" out there and one of my buddies goes "who is Baker." I looked down and muttered "I don't know." All my friends gave me a sorry glance, as though my dog had just died or something. At that point, we all knew a loss was imminent.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Oh jeez. You are brave. I skipped the Broncos game coverage on the SBXL DVD and I will probably never watch that game.. well not for a decade anyway.

What interested you in the SBXL DVD anyway? I thought only fans of the SB winner bought those.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

For me, that game is the football equivalent of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Up 21-3... can't hold the lead. Up 2 runs in the bottom of the 10th... ditto.

Argh.

I don't know. Game 6 is still in a whole league of its own, to me.