AMAZING GAME. Post-Game Thoughts

[maverick4]

What an exhilarating game; a heavyweight match that will go down in history. The Chargers were much more talented, and I am in still in shock that we pulled it out. It was a WAR, and we won ugly, but a win is a win.

Thoughts:
- The Patriots CLAWED for everything in this game. How about all those forced fumbles to stay in the game!?
- Tom Brady didn't have a great game, but he came through in the clutch once again.
- Gaffney and Caldwell proved they are true Pats 'gamers'.
- Old reliables Faulk and Troy Brown made game-changing plays.

Major plays in the game:
- Dave Thomas' fumble recovery off the Pats punt
- Kevin Faulk's huge role in the 2-minute offense at the end of the first half
- Troy Brown's forced fumble after Brady's interception
- Colvin's tip and interception
- Caldwell's improvised route for TD on 4th quarter play-action, to get within 2 points
- Faulk's direct snap to tie the game
- 4th quarter bomb to Caldwell on 3rd and 10 to eventually take the lead
- Ellis Hobbs' multiple heavy hits to force incompletions against much taller receivers

Questionable Schottenheimer decisions:
- Going for 4th and 11 in the 1st quarter on the 30 yard line.
- The challenge of the Cromartie fumble in the 4th quarter. The Chargers could have used that timeout at the end with Rivers driving.

(Small) beefs that don't matter since the Pats won:
- Ben Watson has hands of stone and runs poor routes in playoffs
- Logan Mankins needs to stop holding four times a game
- This is the 2nd year in a row Larry Izzo was beaten on a goal line run in the playoffs
- Josh McDaniels was shaky and was bailed out of this one; he made multiple horrible calls in the game, IMO.

 

[Coltsfan100]

I watched the game and I just wanted to say congrats on the victory coming from a Colts fan. See ya guys in Indy next week and GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[DaBruinz]

What an exhilarating game; a heavyweight match that will go down in history. The Chargers were much more talented, and I am in still in shock that we pulled it out. It was a WAR, and we won ugly, but a win is a win.

Thoughts:
- The Patriots CLAWED for everything in this game. How about all those forced fumbles to stay in the game!?
- Tom Brady didn't have a great game, but he came through in the clutch once again.
- Gaffney and Caldwell proved they are true Pats 'gamers'.
- Old reliables Faulk and Troy Brown made game-changing plays.

Major plays in the game:
- Dave Thomas' fumble recovery off the Pats punt
- Kevin Faulk's huge role in the 2-minute offense at the end of the first half
- Troy Brown's forced fumble after Brady's interception
- Caldwell's improvised route for TD on 4th quarter play-action, to get within 2 points
- Faulk's direct snap to tie the game
- 4th quarter bomb to Caldwell on 3rd and 10 to eventually take the lead
- Colvin's tip and interception
- Ellis Hobbs' multiple heavy hits to force incompletions

Questionable Schottenheimer decisions:
- Going for 4th and 11 in the 1st quarter on the 30 yard line.
- The challenge of the Cromartie fumble in the 4th quarter. The Chargers could have used that timeout at the end with Rivers driving.

(Small) beefs that don't matter since the Pats won:
- Ben Watson has hands of stone and runs poor routes in playoffs
- Logan Mankins needs to stop holding four times a game
- This is the 2nd year in a row Larry Izzo was beaten on a goal line run in the playoffs
- Josh McDaniels was shaky and was bailed out of this one; he made multiple horrible calls in the game, IMO.

Umm... a few things. What passes did Watson drop that were actually too his HANDS and not his feet?

Mankins shouldn't have been called on the holding since they weren't calling it on San Diego and San Diego was doing in a lot WORSE than Mankins was.

I'm not sure that McDaniels made MULTIPLE horrible calls. Yes, there was a couple, but I saw poor execution by the Pats players and great play by San Diego.

 

[PatsSteve1]

I'm not sure that McDaniels made MULTIPLE horrible calls. Yes, there was a couple, but I saw poor execution by the Pats players and great play by San Diego.[/QUOTE]

* I agree. I don't know that there have been any games where every play was a call everyone is going to agree with. The Patriots didn't out physical the Chargers. Won some, lost some and most were kinda stalemates. The Chargers are a good team and probably have more overall talent than the Patriots. It's not the 1st time the Patriots have beaten a team that had better overall talent. Every play isn't going to gain yards against a team that good. They weren't going to march up and down the field.

 

[A.C Vegas]

your right I sawa t leat 4 -5 holding calls including one where the guy what hugging Bruschi from Behind and a blcok in the bakc on LDT's last TD run and some bad fumble/no fumble calls but hey the ref usually have a few bad ones per game

 

[The-Beast]

It was a great game, the chargers have possibly the worst 2 minute defense in the NFL that TD at the end of the half was a train wreck.

I counted 7-9 dropped balls by Chargers receivers very uncharacteristic of them.

Mcree is a fool for interception then not going down afterwards.

While the chargers got a couple calls, they had precedent from the Marques Colston halftime catch where it wasn't a completion and where he had it longer then either Gates, Parker, or Watson.

There were also a couple times where I thought Light was holding, but one play certainly comes to mind 3-10, and Light practically has Merriman's in a Shoulder lock.

Marty's job was to manage the game and he did a horrible job, 4-11/ the Mcree challege.

In the end this will now be written down in history as either The Fumble v2.0 or the The Interception.

Now go beat the **** out of Manning, I hate that family.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

The Chargers ran out of gas and I think it was a product of the first half more and throwing so much by the Pats.

It's ironic that the team with a bye week had to go to the locker room more(The 2 shawne's)

This was an overall great victory becuase of so many factors.

The rb's should be relatively fresh for next week like last time they pplayed the colts ebcuase i think they played the vikes the week before.

A long plane ride for the pats home.

 

[maverick4]

Completely forgot about that McCree personal foul to keep the drive alive. Also, I wanted to note that Troy's forced fumble was on fourth and 5, down 21-13, after Brady threw an interception. Amazing.

 

[BradyManny]

That game was amazing, I'm not going to bother trying to break it down, it was just purely amazing to watch. It's the reason why we watch sports - to yell and scream at a TV set. Does it get better than that?

 

[maverick4]

In the end this will now be written down in history as either The Fumble v2.0 or the The Interception.

When all is said and done, Troy's forced fumble will be remembered forever. He played offense AND defense on the same play!

 

[BelichickFan]

I'm not about to pick on McDaniels, Brady himself said that they were just desperately trying to find something that would work. It was a tough game against a tough defense and they just had to batte through.

 

[PhilD]

Did anyone else call the direct snap to Faulk for the 2 point conversion? I said to my friend, "watch Faulk, he's going to get the direct snap here".

Am I right in thinking that we ran that play for the 2pt against Philly in Superbowl 39?

 

[40yrpatsfan]

That game was amazing, I'm not going to bother trying to break it down, it was just purely amazing to watch. It's the reason why we watch sports - to yell and scream at a TV set. Does it get better than that?

I could just picture people screaming at their sets all over the world last night. An epic game.

 

[maverick4]

PhilD, I called the direct snap to Faulk, as well as play action for TD. I also called the huge Asante tip late in the game.

As for McDaniels, yes the Chargers D was stout, but there were some calls that were inexcusable (such as calling a draw play right into Donnie Edwards, forget when it was in the game).

 

[1BoltFan Here4Fun]

Completely forgot about that McCree personal foul to keep the drive alive. Also, I wanted to note that Troy's forced fumble was on fourth and 5, down 21-13, after Brady threw an interception. Amazing.

It wasn't McCree, it was Drayton Florence, the guy who shot is mouth off in NE and gave you last weeks bulletin board material.

...just pathetic. It was a great game in spite of the outcome.

 

[edzo44]

Did anyone else call the direct snap to Faulk for the 2 point conversion? I said to my friend, "watch Faulk, he's going to get the direct snap here".

Am I right in thinking that we ran that play for the 2pt against Philly in Superbowl 39?

No , they ran it against Carolina in Superbowl 38.

 

[maverick4]

Also, this hasn't been brought up yet, but:

Marty lost AGAIN in the playoffs! He had a vastly superior team, but small mistakes here and there by him during the course of the game (like wasting timeouts), tipped the balance. His Chargers should have won the game.

 

[PhilD]

No , they ran it against Carolina in Superbowl 38.

Ah, thank you for correcting me. Forgetting in which superbowl a play was run truly is a luxury to have.