Well, I promised myself I wasn't coming back here until at least the draft...so I failed again at staying away from here. What can I say, I'm clearly a pats addict.
But I had to come back, mainly b/c being away from here for a month hasn't stopped me from obsessing over all the plays that went wrong.
I have several thoughts on this play, and then hopefully I'll never mention the GD play again:
1 - The only reason we're talking about this play a month later is Greg Bedard's ego. Everyone else had let it go (or at the very least, repressed it...). The guy is the most talented analyst we have, without a doubt, but he starting late in the season, he started "Breer-ing", as I like to call it - which is to tweet, write or speak with the intent of pumping one's ego with disregard to content.
2 - The end result of O'Brien's answer to Bedard's question is a good one - taking blame off Welker. He doesn't deserve it.
3 - Why would anyone expect O'Brien to call that a drop? Since when do Patriot coaches throw guys under the bus.
4 - Bedard didn't ask O'Brien about Brady's throw b/c he was afraid the answer would be very similar to what he said about Welker on the play, and that would undermine Bedard's "I told you so" desires.
5 - This play is so painful to watch. And I have watched it since b/c I have absolutely zero self control. It's a fascinating play. Brady & Welker had several decisions and actions to make on that play - and most combinations lead to a completion. Somehow, they both landed on the ones that led to an incomplete pass:
- Brady could've rifled it in there
- Brady could've lofted it as he did, but pulled back on it so Wes could sit down and make a more comfortable catch
- Welker had ample time to run to the spot where that ball was going. The ball was released when he was on the 30, it was in the air about 2 seconds, he slowed down, almost to a stop, turned around and dropped it at the 23.
- If Welker and Brady were on the same page, he could've caught it in stride and probably made it to the 10 yard line, easily.
- The thing is, Welker isn't used to running that kind of route, and making that kind of catch. And Brady's throw opened the possibility for it happening.
The bottom line is - Brady could've made a better pass, and Welker could've made a much better play on the ball. The play had already been botched by the time it hit Welker's hands, so I don't even worry about that part of it, and yes, I still think he should have caught it at that point.
Either way, it's brutally painful to talk about. Given what the Giants defense did on that play, the end result should have been a completion that put us somewhere between the 20 yard line and the end zone. And both Brady and Welker should take blame for it - but like O'Brien said, neither should feel responsible for losing the game. It was one of a dozen or so of poorly executed plays in the game.
The irony is, if the Giants DBs don't blow that play so bad, Welker probably just sits down in that zone for an easy catch within field goal range, and the Pats milk out the clock.
Now, for the love of god, can we please stop talking about this play.
