Soul_Survivor88
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Getting Back to Form (Part 2 of 2)
The Patriots don't talk about it. They don't even mention the sensational start in the official press notes. . .Patriots' crack PR staff will tell you the team's record in games played at 34 degrees or less and it will tell you that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are the winningest coach-QB tandem since 1970 (fairly arcane factoids), but it will not mention the only thing anyone cares about anymore: the unbeaten season.
- Dan Shaunessy. December 11, 2007
They've defeated two teams that already locked up their division (Dallas, Indy), clobbered two teams that current lead their division (San Diego, Pittsburgh), and beat a second-place team (Cleveland) that deserves nothing but respect. The combined record of those five teams, minus their five losses to the Patriots: 48-12. In my usual roundabout way, this is what I'm trying to say: I'm finally convinced that 19-0 is realistic, and perhaps even likely. Imagine that.
- Chad Finn of Boston Globe. December 10, 2007
A few hours before theNew England Patriots became only the fifth team in N.F.L. history to win its first 13 games, a plane trailing a banner flew over Gillette Stadium bearing a none-too-subtle message: Bonds — 756*, Belichick — 3 Super Bowl wins*. But as a chilly night fell over Foxborough on Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Anthony Smith might have offered a rejoinder to whoever paid for the plane: it is best not to show disrespect for the Patriots. Nobody can match New England's ability to take the slightest perceived disrespect and transform it into a major - and personal - injustice. The Patriots relied on this tactic in Super Bowl XXXIX when loudmouth receiver Freddie Mitchell belittled their secondary. They worked themselves into a lather during the 2007 playoffs when San Diego star Shawne Merriman predicted the Chargers would face the Jets, because they would beat the Patriots. And early in the season, opponents received a taste of Patriots vengeance when the veracity of their championships was questioned in the wake of a videotaping scandal.And now, Pittsburgh second-year free safety Anthony Smith would painfully discover in a 34-13 beatdown, “silence might not always be golden,” writes Len Pasquarelli of ESPN, “but it certainly tops the alternative when facing a New England team for which even the most innocuous comments can become a red-flag rallying point.” Indeed, in a season in which the Patriots decided to play with absolutely no regard for down, distance or score – “and in which offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels regards a running game as something only the opposition secondary should do in chasing his talented receiving corps” -- Smith was turned into the latest ember in the Patriots' “scorched earth policy.”
After consecutive 3-point victories against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens, in which their run defense was lacerated and Brady was under unusually stiff pressure, the Patriots returned to their dominating form against the Steelers, the best team remaining on their regular-season schedule and the third seed in the AFC playoffs. The Patriots’ defense had looked shaky in recent weeks and it entered the game with three goals: defend the run, do better on third down and prevent scores in the red zone. On their first drive, the Steelers settled for a field goal after they were held on a first-and-goal at the 7-yard line. Early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots stuffed a sweep by Hines Ward on fourth-and-1 from the 1, a play that essentially ended the game. But as usual this season, it was the Patriots’ offense that dominated the game.
Here, the Patriots had all their parts working in concert, and it started with pass protection. Brady was not sacked and in-game statisticians had him absorbing just four hits. Steelers linebacker Larry Foote agreed the Patriots' ability to handle the blitz was a key to the game. He felt the quick deliveries of Brady to his "hot route" rendered the pressure meaningless. Foote noted Brady "knew that blitz was coming, so he was throwing into it." From late in the second quarter until garbage time at the end of the game, the Patriots did not call a single running play (a stretch of 34 pass plays, unusual for a team playing with a lead). So the Patriots passed. And passed. And passed. If there was a revealing statistic that stood out from the Patriots' performance, it was this: The offense dropped back to throw on its first 26 snaps of the second half, turning a 17-13 halftime score into a 34-13 blowout. Of the 26 straight pass plays, they ran their four-receiver package on 16 second-half snaps, which included a holding penalty drawn by receiver Randy Moss. Their three-receiver package was in for the other 10. At times, the team went with an "empty" package, with running back Kevin Faulk lining up as a receiver. By spreading the field, it allowed Brady to isolate man-to-man matchups against the Steelers. By day's end, the Patriots had both Moss (135) and Gaffney (122) in triple-digits in receiving yards. In all, the Patriots threw 46 passes, and only rushed nine times. "It was a little weird at first," Pittsburgh linebacker James Farrior said. "I thought they would try to run when they had the lead on us, but they kept throwing the ball. Brady is good at reading defenses and our disguise wasn't good enough. He picked up most of our blitzes." “The Steelers might have come with the blitz often,” writes Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe, “but it was the Patriots who blitzed them through the air.”
During the game, the Patriots did not bother to hide their disgust with Smith, andhis comments succeeded only in pinning a bull's-eye on his own uniform. Smith was the second Steeler to take the field when Patriots fans began taunting him with chants of "Guarantee! Guarantee!" as he came through the tunnel. No doubt Tom Brady would remind Smith of his overconfidence, when the Patriots' quarterback torched Pittsburgh for 399 yards and four passing TDs in the 34-13 romp. Smith was covering Randy Moss when Brady found him in the back of the end zone for the first touchdown of the day. As the quarterback ran to congratulate his receiver, he turned and delivered some choice words to the safety. Brady was so far into Smith's grill, Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison felt the need to intervene. Brady exploited Smith again on the very next offensive series. He faked the hand-off to Laurence Maroney and watched with glee as the safety came up to help stop the run, then got burned on Brady's 63-yard bomb to Moss. Asked if he intentionally called a play to embarrass the kid, Brady answered, "No, he just ended up being in the right place at the right time." And then he burst out laughing.
Neither could Belichick resist laughing, "The safety play at that position was pretty inviting. We've played against a lot better safeties than him, I'll tell you.” "Lesson hard learned. Lesson hard learned," said Pats cornerback Ellis Hobbs. "There's nothing wrong with confidence. You have to have a swagger and an arrogance on the field. But there's a fine line and he definitely crossed it and he was definitely knocked down when he crossed it." As offensive tackle Matt Light put it, "The big man upstairs, they say he has a sense of humor." "This is the point in the year when we're going to have to start playing our best football," Light said. "I don't think anyone can say we've been doing that the past couple of weeks. It's good to be back on track." The win ensured the Patriots a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. The game’s touchdown passes gave Brady his 11th game of the season with three or more, breaking a tie with Dan Marino for the single-season record. Brady’s performance in the game— 32-for-46 for 399 yards and a passer rating of 125.2—also earned him a fourth AFC Offensive Player of the Week nod. For the first time in the season, Brady went over 4,000 yards passing and moved within four TD throws of Peyton Manning's single-season record. It was Brady's fifth game this season with four TDs .The Pats were also now at 503 points for the season (53 points behind the single-season record set by the '98 Vikings) and Moss, who was a rookie on that '98 Viking team, moved within three TD catches of Jerry Rice's single-season record with his 18th and 19th of the season. It was the 100th victory of Bill Belichick as head coach of New England (100-39). It was a nice way to rebound after two close calls against the Eagles and Ravens, especially against the No.1 defense in the league.
The Patriots don't talk about it. They don't even mention the sensational start in the official press notes. . .Patriots' crack PR staff will tell you the team's record in games played at 34 degrees or less and it will tell you that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are the winningest coach-QB tandem since 1970 (fairly arcane factoids), but it will not mention the only thing anyone cares about anymore: the unbeaten season.
- Dan Shaunessy. December 11, 2007
They've defeated two teams that already locked up their division (Dallas, Indy), clobbered two teams that current lead their division (San Diego, Pittsburgh), and beat a second-place team (Cleveland) that deserves nothing but respect. The combined record of those five teams, minus their five losses to the Patriots: 48-12. In my usual roundabout way, this is what I'm trying to say: I'm finally convinced that 19-0 is realistic, and perhaps even likely. Imagine that.
- Chad Finn of Boston Globe. December 10, 2007
A few hours before theNew England Patriots became only the fifth team in N.F.L. history to win its first 13 games, a plane trailing a banner flew over Gillette Stadium bearing a none-too-subtle message: Bonds — 756*, Belichick — 3 Super Bowl wins*. But as a chilly night fell over Foxborough on Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Anthony Smith might have offered a rejoinder to whoever paid for the plane: it is best not to show disrespect for the Patriots. Nobody can match New England's ability to take the slightest perceived disrespect and transform it into a major - and personal - injustice. The Patriots relied on this tactic in Super Bowl XXXIX when loudmouth receiver Freddie Mitchell belittled their secondary. They worked themselves into a lather during the 2007 playoffs when San Diego star Shawne Merriman predicted the Chargers would face the Jets, because they would beat the Patriots. And early in the season, opponents received a taste of Patriots vengeance when the veracity of their championships was questioned in the wake of a videotaping scandal.And now, Pittsburgh second-year free safety Anthony Smith would painfully discover in a 34-13 beatdown, “silence might not always be golden,” writes Len Pasquarelli of ESPN, “but it certainly tops the alternative when facing a New England team for which even the most innocuous comments can become a red-flag rallying point.” Indeed, in a season in which the Patriots decided to play with absolutely no regard for down, distance or score – “and in which offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels regards a running game as something only the opposition secondary should do in chasing his talented receiving corps” -- Smith was turned into the latest ember in the Patriots' “scorched earth policy.”
After consecutive 3-point victories against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens, in which their run defense was lacerated and Brady was under unusually stiff pressure, the Patriots returned to their dominating form against the Steelers, the best team remaining on their regular-season schedule and the third seed in the AFC playoffs. The Patriots’ defense had looked shaky in recent weeks and it entered the game with three goals: defend the run, do better on third down and prevent scores in the red zone. On their first drive, the Steelers settled for a field goal after they were held on a first-and-goal at the 7-yard line. Early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots stuffed a sweep by Hines Ward on fourth-and-1 from the 1, a play that essentially ended the game. But as usual this season, it was the Patriots’ offense that dominated the game.
Here, the Patriots had all their parts working in concert, and it started with pass protection. Brady was not sacked and in-game statisticians had him absorbing just four hits. Steelers linebacker Larry Foote agreed the Patriots' ability to handle the blitz was a key to the game. He felt the quick deliveries of Brady to his "hot route" rendered the pressure meaningless. Foote noted Brady "knew that blitz was coming, so he was throwing into it." From late in the second quarter until garbage time at the end of the game, the Patriots did not call a single running play (a stretch of 34 pass plays, unusual for a team playing with a lead). So the Patriots passed. And passed. And passed. If there was a revealing statistic that stood out from the Patriots' performance, it was this: The offense dropped back to throw on its first 26 snaps of the second half, turning a 17-13 halftime score into a 34-13 blowout. Of the 26 straight pass plays, they ran their four-receiver package on 16 second-half snaps, which included a holding penalty drawn by receiver Randy Moss. Their three-receiver package was in for the other 10. At times, the team went with an "empty" package, with running back Kevin Faulk lining up as a receiver. By spreading the field, it allowed Brady to isolate man-to-man matchups against the Steelers. By day's end, the Patriots had both Moss (135) and Gaffney (122) in triple-digits in receiving yards. In all, the Patriots threw 46 passes, and only rushed nine times. "It was a little weird at first," Pittsburgh linebacker James Farrior said. "I thought they would try to run when they had the lead on us, but they kept throwing the ball. Brady is good at reading defenses and our disguise wasn't good enough. He picked up most of our blitzes." “The Steelers might have come with the blitz often,” writes Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe, “but it was the Patriots who blitzed them through the air.”
During the game, the Patriots did not bother to hide their disgust with Smith, andhis comments succeeded only in pinning a bull's-eye on his own uniform. Smith was the second Steeler to take the field when Patriots fans began taunting him with chants of "Guarantee! Guarantee!" as he came through the tunnel. No doubt Tom Brady would remind Smith of his overconfidence, when the Patriots' quarterback torched Pittsburgh for 399 yards and four passing TDs in the 34-13 romp. Smith was covering Randy Moss when Brady found him in the back of the end zone for the first touchdown of the day. As the quarterback ran to congratulate his receiver, he turned and delivered some choice words to the safety. Brady was so far into Smith's grill, Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison felt the need to intervene. Brady exploited Smith again on the very next offensive series. He faked the hand-off to Laurence Maroney and watched with glee as the safety came up to help stop the run, then got burned on Brady's 63-yard bomb to Moss. Asked if he intentionally called a play to embarrass the kid, Brady answered, "No, he just ended up being in the right place at the right time." And then he burst out laughing.
Neither could Belichick resist laughing, "The safety play at that position was pretty inviting. We've played against a lot better safeties than him, I'll tell you.” "Lesson hard learned. Lesson hard learned," said Pats cornerback Ellis Hobbs. "There's nothing wrong with confidence. You have to have a swagger and an arrogance on the field. But there's a fine line and he definitely crossed it and he was definitely knocked down when he crossed it." As offensive tackle Matt Light put it, "The big man upstairs, they say he has a sense of humor." "This is the point in the year when we're going to have to start playing our best football," Light said. "I don't think anyone can say we've been doing that the past couple of weeks. It's good to be back on track." The win ensured the Patriots a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. The game’s touchdown passes gave Brady his 11th game of the season with three or more, breaking a tie with Dan Marino for the single-season record. Brady’s performance in the game— 32-for-46 for 399 yards and a passer rating of 125.2—also earned him a fourth AFC Offensive Player of the Week nod. For the first time in the season, Brady went over 4,000 yards passing and moved within four TD throws of Peyton Manning's single-season record. It was Brady's fifth game this season with four TDs .The Pats were also now at 503 points for the season (53 points behind the single-season record set by the '98 Vikings) and Moss, who was a rookie on that '98 Viking team, moved within three TD catches of Jerry Rice's single-season record with his 18th and 19th of the season. It was the 100th victory of Bill Belichick as head coach of New England (100-39). It was a nice way to rebound after two close calls against the Eagles and Ravens, especially against the No.1 defense in the league.
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Besides, how many other stadiums get to carry a 16-0 banner, or how many teams besides ours will ever be able to boast about making it to the Super Bowl with 18 consecutive wins! Ever?!
