Wow. I'm not used to getting that tense over a game. But there is something really exhilirating about watching the team scrape out a win against an opposition *that* good...
Apparently if you can get Tom Brady to quit hitting his snooze alarm about three times in a game, the Pats have a chance (well, that and the other team making lots of fumbles). Seriously, was it just me (and watching roughly 3/4ths of the game) or was Brady pretty much a binary entity who was either totally ineffective OR masterful for a few two minute or so periods in the game?
It's entirely a matter of mood and focus, as far as I can tell. When Brady really focuses properly, he can get really scary -- nobody organizes and runs a two-minute drive down the field better than he does. But the Chargers defense was really effective at *frustrating* him for much of the game, and that showed.
There are games when the Pats simply hamstring themselves. This wasn't one of those: the Chargers simply played like a 14-2 team, with a remarkably tight game. For most of the first half, there is no question that they outplayed the Patriots, although the second half was a lot more even. The Pats wound up having to pull out every trick in their book (including one of those classic Belichick trick plays for the 2-point conversion) in order to squeak this one out. And ultimately, it boiled down to us having the better placekicker. (Which, of course, isn't comforting going into next week's game...)
it boiled down to us having the better placekicker. (Which, of course, isn't comforting going into next week's game...)
gaaaaaaaah. Even the commentators were saying they didn't know why the Pats let him walk away. I hope it doesn't bite them in the butt, but it just might.
There was an interesting (and possibly telling) bit in the Boston Globe yesterday with Brady saying he didn't know how hard it was the first time he did it (Superbowl):
The first time left him incredulous, his hands atop his head in boyish disbelief. If only, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady realizes now, all Super Bowl seasons could align themselves as seamlessly as in the 2001 campaign, when he was 24 years old and crowned the prince of the National Football League after only his first full season as a starter.
"I was so naive at that point," Brady said. "I was young, man. There was so much excitement going on, and I didn't really know what was up.
"And now, it's just so hard. You don't realize how difficult it is. I'm not saying the first time we won was easy. It was tough that first year, too. But at that point I just had no idea."
My take on Brady's on-and-off performance on Sunday...
San Diego led the league in sacks this year and both of Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips had _very_ good defensinve numbers (Merriman led the league with 17.5 sacks and Phillips had 11). However, both Merriman and Phillips sustained injuries during the game (leg and groin, respectively) which meant that they weren't working in tandem and certainly weren't at full strength when they were on the field.
It's would be interesting to see how Tom's periods of effectivness matched up to when when both Merriman and Phillips were on the field.
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Date: 2007-01-15 04:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-15 02:04 pm (UTC)There are games when the Pats simply hamstring themselves. This wasn't one of those: the Chargers simply played like a 14-2 team, with a remarkably tight game. For most of the first half, there is no question that they outplayed the Patriots, although the second half was a lot more even. The Pats wound up having to pull out every trick in their book (including one of those classic Belichick trick plays for the 2-point conversion) in order to squeak this one out. And ultimately, it boiled down to us having the better placekicker. (Which, of course, isn't comforting going into next week's game...)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-15 02:11 pm (UTC)gaaaaaaaah. Even the commentators were saying they didn't know why the Pats let him walk away. I hope it doesn't bite them in the butt, but it just might.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-15 02:07 pm (UTC)The first time left him incredulous, his hands atop his head in boyish disbelief. If only, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady realizes now, all Super Bowl seasons could align themselves as seamlessly as in the 2001 campaign, when he was 24 years old and crowned the prince of the National Football League after only his first full season as a starter.
"I was so naive at that point," Brady said. "I was young, man. There was so much excitement going on, and I didn't really know what was up.
"And now, it's just so hard. You don't realize how difficult it is. I'm not saying the first time we won was easy. It was tough that first year, too. But at that point I just had no idea."
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/14/charged_up_for_the_playoffs/
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 07:12 pm (UTC)San Diego led the league in sacks this year and both of Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips had _very_ good defensinve numbers (Merriman led the league with 17.5 sacks and Phillips had 11). However, both Merriman and Phillips sustained injuries during the game (leg and groin, respectively) which meant that they weren't working in tandem and certainly weren't at full strength when they were on the field.
It's would be interesting to see how Tom's periods of effectivness matched up to when when both Merriman and Phillips were on the field.