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Grogan is a wonderful analyst: why isn't he working for the four-letter network?
http://www.patsfans.com/grogan/grogan_06.php?story_id=3224
Money quotes:
I would have like to have seen the Patriots spread it out and go to that five-wide receiver formation and use that quick passing game that had been so successful for them all year. Maybe they even should have gone no-huddle and let Tom Brady just try and pick them apart. The other thing they could have done is go to two tight ends and let them help block before they got out into their pass routes, but they just didn't seem to try and help the offensive line when you could tell they were struggling.
RRM: Bill Belichick's decision to pass up a field goal attempt and go for it on fourth-and-13 from the Giants 32-yardline in the 1st quarter in retrospect looms large. Those three points could have forced overtime, so did you understand that decision?
SG: That was a strange call, it really was. You have your field kicker in perfect conditions in a domed stadium and apparently Stephen Gostkowski was hitting them from that distance in pregame warm ups. If you miss the kick you end up giving the Giants pretty good field position, but if you don't convert the fourth down you are going to give them pretty good field position regardless so I'm not sure what Belichick was thinking there.
That was far from the only thing I didn't understand. I thought it was strange the way the Patriots handled the last 30 seconds. Just heaving the ball as far as you could down the field three times with three time outs and only needing a field goal surprised me. I thought they would try and get some 15 yard plays, call time out, do it again, call timeout, and try and get themselves into position to possibly tie the game. The sack disrupted things but they still had time, and heaving it down there like they did didn't make sense to me.
RRM: After the Randy Moss touchdown that put the Patriots ahead 14-10 with 2:34 left to play Patriots' Nation had a collective sigh of relief. Unfortunately we all know what happened next, but aren't championship defenses not supposed to allow 83-yard game-winning touchdown drives late in a title game?
SG: The Patriots' defense did everything they needed to do except make plays, and they had chances to make plays. Asante Samuel missed a potential game-winning interception and nine times out of 10 Rodney Harrison knocks that ball out of David Tyree's hands. On that same play they had Manning trapped in the pocket by his jersey with four guys around him and they let him come out of there and make a big play. They were in position to win the game and they just couldn't put it away, which is highly unusual for a Bill Belichick coached team.
RRM: For the superstitious types out there you had to have a bad feeling when Bill Belichick came out wearing a red sweatshirt as opposed to the gray one he usually dons?
SG: I think everyone in New England had the same feeling. I really don't know what that was all about.
http://www.patsfans.com/grogan/grogan_06.php?story_id=3224
Money quotes:
I would have like to have seen the Patriots spread it out and go to that five-wide receiver formation and use that quick passing game that had been so successful for them all year. Maybe they even should have gone no-huddle and let Tom Brady just try and pick them apart. The other thing they could have done is go to two tight ends and let them help block before they got out into their pass routes, but they just didn't seem to try and help the offensive line when you could tell they were struggling.
RRM: Bill Belichick's decision to pass up a field goal attempt and go for it on fourth-and-13 from the Giants 32-yardline in the 1st quarter in retrospect looms large. Those three points could have forced overtime, so did you understand that decision?
SG: That was a strange call, it really was. You have your field kicker in perfect conditions in a domed stadium and apparently Stephen Gostkowski was hitting them from that distance in pregame warm ups. If you miss the kick you end up giving the Giants pretty good field position, but if you don't convert the fourth down you are going to give them pretty good field position regardless so I'm not sure what Belichick was thinking there.
That was far from the only thing I didn't understand. I thought it was strange the way the Patriots handled the last 30 seconds. Just heaving the ball as far as you could down the field three times with three time outs and only needing a field goal surprised me. I thought they would try and get some 15 yard plays, call time out, do it again, call timeout, and try and get themselves into position to possibly tie the game. The sack disrupted things but they still had time, and heaving it down there like they did didn't make sense to me.
RRM: After the Randy Moss touchdown that put the Patriots ahead 14-10 with 2:34 left to play Patriots' Nation had a collective sigh of relief. Unfortunately we all know what happened next, but aren't championship defenses not supposed to allow 83-yard game-winning touchdown drives late in a title game?
SG: The Patriots' defense did everything they needed to do except make plays, and they had chances to make plays. Asante Samuel missed a potential game-winning interception and nine times out of 10 Rodney Harrison knocks that ball out of David Tyree's hands. On that same play they had Manning trapped in the pocket by his jersey with four guys around him and they let him come out of there and make a big play. They were in position to win the game and they just couldn't put it away, which is highly unusual for a Bill Belichick coached team.
RRM: For the superstitious types out there you had to have a bad feeling when Bill Belichick came out wearing a red sweatshirt as opposed to the gray one he usually dons?
SG: I think everyone in New England had the same feeling. I really don't know what that was all about.