Kyle Arrington has already returned back to his native Maryland to start his offseason - and help his fiancee put the finishing touches on their March 17 wedding - but he is back in Massachusetts today to help raise money for the family of fallen Peabody firefighter James Rice.

Almost a week removed from Super Bowl XLVI, Arrington said he hasn't "been thinking about it; you can't think about the past."

He did admit, however, that he replayed the Patriots' loss to the Giants over in his head last Sunday and Monday, thinking about what he could have done better in the game.

After finishing the regular season tied with two other players for the league lead in interceptions with 7, Arrington wishes "I could have had one when it mattered...We had opportunities. We'll have a good shot next year."

The Hofstra product did not take solace in his team advancing to the last game of the season - even though it seemed like that might be a longshot midway through the year.

"That's our goal every year. It's always one step at a time: win our division, get a spot in the playoffs. Anything short of not winning it all - I won't say it wasn't a successful season, but our goal wasn't reached. It wasn't attained."

Arrington is under contract with New England for the coming season.

Had a chance to sit down with Kevin Faulk this afternoon at the NESN studios, for an interview that will be shown on tonight's NESN Daily and throughout the weekend.

The first question, since it's the one on many folks' minds when it comes to the 13-year veteran: have you made a decision on your playing future?

"That’s probably one of the hardest decisions I’ve made in a long time – a very long time. It’s what’s been taking care of me and my family for a long time and I have to make a decision based upon what’s best for me and my family. Right now and with the emotions that are going on and with the game that just happened last week, I know everyone was speculating that I was going to make a decision, probably today or what not; it’s kind of early. I don’t want to tie my emotions into exactly what went on Sunday that passed, what went on the course of the season, I just think it’s something that I have to sit down and talk with my family and my agent, teammates, former teammates that I’ve talked to, people that I really trust, for me to base my decision off of," Faulk said.

During our conversation, which lasted over 20 minutes, there were times when Faulk sounded like a man who has made up his mind - but he stopped short of saying he's retiring, leaving the door open, however slightly, for a possible return with New England for the 2012 season.

"The love of the game," is what makes it so difficult to say he's done, Faulk said. "The love of where I am. It might not have been the best of times this year, but I still love where I am. It’s given me a lot of great memories; a lot of great times. I grew as a person. I grew as a football player. I grew as a father, husband – just because of football. It’s great for me; awesome."

Faulk was told the morning of Super Bowl Sunday by running backs coach Ivan Fears that he wouldn't be active for the game. He went back to his hotel room and cried a bit, then read his Bible until it was time to head to Lucas Oil Stadium. Once he was there, he turned his focus to his teammates and getting them ready for the game they had all spent so much time and effort preparing for.

After returning home from Indianapolis - Randy Moss was waiting for him in his driveway on Monday evening, wanting to give some support to his friend and talk about the game - Faulk was asked about not being in uniform, and spotted a picture of Troy Brown as he answered.

"And I said to myself, ‘if he can do it, I can do it.’ [in terms of being inactive for what was the last game of his career]. Why not? I look up to him. Everything he’s done. And why couldn’t I do it?," Faulk said.

"That morning, when I got the word that I wasn’t going to dress...wow. I went in the room, cried a little bit, because 75 percent of me knew that this could be my last game playing, not playing, just dressing. If I dress there could be that chance that I could play. So that really crushed me a whole lot...

"(I took) my exit physical after the game and the trainers give me a big hug and that’s when I knew, like 'wow, that might be it.' Going through that evening after the game and worrying about the loss and being like, wow, guys have another opportunity to come back next year and do it again. Mine is very slim, and it’s not by my choice this time."

Faulk is slated to be a free agent, so any talk of a 14th season starts with the Patriots offering him a deal.

If he has played his last snap, Faulk retires as the Patriots' all-time leader in all-purpose yards, the leader in receptions by a running back, the leader in kickoff returns and kickoff return yardage, and as a member of the franchise's 50th anniversary team.

There will be more from Faulk in tomorrow's Globe.

By Globe Staff

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had arthroscopic surgery on his injured left ankle today, the Globe has confirmed.

Gronkowski underwent surgery earlier today on his left ankle to repair multiple torn ligaments, a team source confirmed. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. George Theodore performed the operation at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal first reported Gronkowski had ankle surgery.

Gronkowski suffered a high ankle sprain in the AFC Championship game. He played in the Super Bowl, but was limited to two receptions for 26 yards.

Getty Images

Patriots coach Bill Belichick is unwinding after the Super Bowl by playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament in California. Shown above on the Spyglass Hill course, Belichick and PGA Tour partner Ricky Barnes got off to a solid start, shooting a 6-under par 66 in the first round on Thursday.

They are one shot behind the other marquee pairing involving a PGA pro and NFL star, Tiger Woods and Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Leaders Danny Lee/Steve Green and Padraig Harrington/J.P. McManus are at 13-under.

Thanks to our very thorough friends at profootballfocus.com, which is worth the money for those of you into a Sabremetrics-type look at football, here's a look at how many snaps each player played for the Patriots on defense in the 2011 season (count includes all three postseason games).

PFF counted a total of 1,362 defensive snaps for the season

CB Kyle Arrington - 1,177 snaps
DT Vince Wilfork - 1,173
CB Devin McCourty - 1,142
LB Rob Ninkovich - 1,126
LB Jerod Mayo - 1,126
S James Ihedigbo - 917
S Patrick Chung - 773
DL Andre Carter - 753
DT Kyle Love - 697
DL Mark Anderson - 640
LB Brandon Spikes - 542
DL Shaun Ellis - 421
LB Gary Guyton - 405
DL Brandon Deaderick - 383
DL Gerard Warren - 370
DB Sterling Moore - 261
CB Antwaun Molden - 355
S Sergio Brown - 349
LB Dane Fletcher - 304
LB Tracy White - 250
DB Nate Jones - 242
CB Leigh Bodden - 222
S Josh Barrett - 221
DB Phillip Adams - 180
DT Albert Haynesworth - 134
DB/WR Matthew Slater - 111
CB Ras-I Dowling - 93
DL Ron Brace - 62
DB/WR Julian Edelman - 60
LB Jermaine Cunningham - 48
LB Niko Koutouvides - 46
DL Myron Pryor - 36
DB Ross Ventrone - 30
LB Jeff Tarpinian - 22
DL Landon Cohen - 18
DL Mike Wright - 15
DE Alex Silvestro - 12
DL Eric Moore - 11
LB A.J. Edds - 10

What's interesting here is how many players New England tried on defense this year: the 39 listed is by far the most the team has used since 2008, the first year PFF began tracking stats. In 2010, the Pats used 30 players; in 2009 and '08, it was just 27.

And in case you're wondering how that compares to other teams around the league, of the five other teams who made the playoffs in the AFC, the Ravens played 27 players on defense, while the Bengals, Steelers, Texans and Broncos each played 26.

The Giants played 28.

By Zuri Berry, Globe Staff

As an observer of Super Bowl XLVI, all 111.3 million viewers out there, you might have wondered how the players on the field thought Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski's ankle was perceived from a competitive standpoint Sunday. On the NFL Network's replay of the game that debuted Wednesday night, Sound FX provided the answer insiders were looking for.

"Hey, 87 is a [expletive] decoy," Giants linebacker Michael Boley can be heard saying on the sideline in the second half of the Super Bowl. "He [sic] a decoy. You see him try and run that route? He about to be outta here."

The game's replay offered several gems, including reaction from Tom Brady's safety, some Vince Wilfork banter with NFL umpire Carl Paganelli, and coach Bill Belichick telling his defense to focus on Giants receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.

On the latter, Belichick said in the fourth quarter: "This is still a Cruz and Nicks game. I mean, I know we're right on 'em, it's tight. But those are still the guys. Make 'em go to [Mario] Manningham, make 'em go to [Bear] Pascoe."

On the Giants' first possession after Belichick's speech, Eli Manning hit Mario Manningham for a 38-yard reception that led to the game-winning touchdown.

Brady, who was miked up during the game, found himself trying to explain away his first quarter intentional grounding on the sideline after the play resulted in a safety.

"I looked at Gronk, I looked to Wes [Welker], he dropped, then I felt [Justin Tuck]," Brady said to his teammates and coaches. "I had no place to throw it away. I threw it over his head, I didn't want to throw an interception."

After one of Brady's passes was deflected in the first quarter, he said "it's like throwing it in a forest."

In the second quarter, Giants guard Kevin Boothe was flagged for holding Wilfork. The referees struggled with the call before ultimately asking Wilfork his thoughts about it.

"Did that guy hold you and then spin you to the ground? Or did you flop," asked Paganelli.

Wilfork: "No, that was a bad call."

Paganelli: "That was a bad call on me?"

Wilfork: "Yup."

Paganelli: "Why didn't you tell me that before I threw it?"

Wilfork: "Because, as much as you guys miss, I deserve one. I'll let you know when you miss one too now."

Paganelli: "I'm sure you will."

Brady gave some love to receiver Chad Ochocinco after his 21-yard reception to start the third quarter. The Patriots scored on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez seven plays later.

"Way to get us started. That's what I'm talking about. That's why we got you."

With 9:24 left in the fourth quarter, and the Patriots getting ready to start their first drive of the quarter, Brady was trying to get his teammates revved up for a win.

"Hey, how about a seven minute drive for a touchdown, huh? And end this on our terms."

Patriots backup running back Shane Vereen, who was inactive for the game, can be seen on the sideline saying "this could be the game."

After Welker's drop on on the drive, one referee could be heard saying "oh, that was the game."

On the Giants' last drive, before Ahmad Bradshaw's eventual game-winning touchdown, the Patriots in the defensive huddle called out to let the Giants score.

"We gotta let 'em score, we gotta let 'em score, we gotta let 'em score," Jerod Mayo can be heard saying.

Said Wilfork to his defensive linemates: "Yo, yo, yo, let 'em score."

If you haven't already, check out the Sound FX clips on NFL.com.

Thanks to our very thorough friends at profootballfocus.com, which is worth the money for those of you into a Sabremetrics-type look at football, here's a look at how many snaps each player played for the Patriots on offense in the 2011 season (count includes all three postseason games).

PFF counted a total of 1,362 offensive snaps for the season

QB Tom Brady - 1,350 snaps
RG Brian Waters - 1,340
TE Rob Gronkowski - 1,290
LT Matt Light - 1,260
WR Wes Welker - 1,211
LG Logan Mankins - 1,189
TE Aaron Hernandez - 1,051
OT Nate Solder - 1,044
WR Deion Branch - 1,023
C Dan Connolly - 986
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis - 475
RB Danny Woodhead - 449
RT Sebastian Vollmer - 387
C/G Ryan Wendell - 360
Chad Ochocinco - 354
RB Stevan Ridley - 200
WR Julian Edelman - 188
OL Marcus Cannon - 168
OL Nick McDonald - 106
OL Donald Thomas - 105
WR Tiquan Underwood - 98
RB Kevin Faulk - 90
TE Dan Gronkowski - 56
WR Matthew Slater - 44
OL Thomas Welch - 42
C Dan Koppen - 33
RB Shane Vereen - 26
FB Lousaka Polite - 24
WR Taylor Price - 18
QB Brian Hoyer - 12
FB/LB Dane Fletcher - 3

While Brady played in 99.1 percent of the snaps, ceding late-game snaps to Hoyer in Weeks 12, 13 and 17, it's been a few years since an offensive player was on the field for every snap of the season. Not surprisingly, the last player to do so was Mankins in 2008. In '09 the left guard sat out a handful of snaps at the very end of the finale against Houston, but had played every snap of the season prior to that.

In this morning's story breaking down the Patriots' roster with respect to each player's contract status, I forgot two players: rookie DE Alex Silvestro and DB Bret Lockett.

Silvestro is currently signed through the 2012 season.

Lockett, who spent the entire season on injured reserve and hasn't played a down since 2009, will be a restricted free agent.

The Patriots announced this evening that they have signed seven players to futures contracts:

WR Tiquan Underwood
DB Ross Ventrone
LB Markell Carter
OL Matt Kopa
DE Aaron Lavarias
WR Britt Davis
LB Mike Rivera

Underwood became known nationally on Saturday night when he was released from the 53-man roster by New England on the eve of the Super Bowl in order for DE Alex Silvestri to be promoted for the game. It was believed that Silvestri might play on special teams against the Giants, but he never got into the game.

Ventrone was part of 21 roster transactions during the season, shuffling between the 53-man roster and practice squad. He played in eight regular-season games, mostly on special teams. Under league rules, had he played in a ninth game, Ventrone would no longer be eligible for practice squad.

Carter, a seventh-round draft pick last spring who spent the entire season on practice squad, received a hefty pay raise from the Pats in December, likely an indication that another team tried to sign Carter away from New England.

Kopa, Lavarias, Davis and Rivera also were members of the practice squad.

Patriots receiver Wes Welker took the blame after the Super Bowl for his “drop.”

Quarterback Tom Brady didn’t help matters when he didn’t say anything about how he should have thrown a better ball. Whether he believed that or not, that’s what Brady usually does.

Combine both things, and you have an avalanche of blame being heaped on Welker.

And in my mind, that is totally wrong.

The pass wasn't good enough.

Welker never should have been put in that position.

Why?

Because he never was during the season.

Welker might have said that’s a catch he’s made a thousand times. And maybe he has in practice or in previous seasons.

But during 2011, Welker did not have to make a leaping back-shoulder catch with the ball way above his head.

Not even close.

I know, because I watched all 195 of Welker’s targets, from the season opener at Miami, until the fateful incompletion in Super Bowl XLVI.

I’ll be writing more about this in tomorrow’s Globe, but here are a few notes on why Brady was more at fault than Welker.

• Difficulty: Brady put a little air under it to give Welker a chance to adjust to the ball. But it’s an incredibly difficult catch to make, going from a full sprint to turning around the other way while trying to make a catch. Even if Welker caught the ball, it’s not even definite that he would have kept possession once he hit the turf hard – which he was going to do because the throw put him so off balance.
• Vertical does not suit Welker: On those 195 routes Welker was targeted on, do you know how many were of the vertical variety on the route tree – a fade, post, corner and a slant-and-go? Twenty eight total. Or 14.3 percent. Only 17 were a version of that fade route (8.7 percent). Those vertical routes are not Welker’s game, which is why the Patriots seldom throw those to him. Welker’s bread-and-butter – 85.7 percent worth – is on the lower end of the route tree: the flat, slant, comeback, curl, out, dig and various quick passes. Vertical receivers have long arms and big hands. Those help when you have to make those circus catches. Welker has neither. The Patriots, better than any team, put their players in the best position to succeed. They know what they have or don’t have. They know Welker is better catching the ball to his body and absorbing contact or running to the boundary.
• Welker is not an acrobatic catcher: Most of the time. He made terrific diving catch to the 1-yard line against the Jets, but he laid out for that ball. Welker was thrown 10 passes before the Super Bowl when he had to leave his feet to make the catch and he caught eight of them. On seven of the passes (six receptions), Welker jumped straight up from a standstill to attempt the catch. Of the other three that were much more difficult, Welker had one against the Eagles that could have been considered a drop (he would have landed on his feet if he did catch it). Against the Steelers, Welker made a tough leaping catch towards the sideline for a minimal, but important 2-yard gain to pick up a first down. Against the Raiders, Welker made perhaps his best catch of the season – the one that probably makes Welker believe he should have caught the ball in the Super Bowl. On third-and-6 late the third quarter, Welker ran a corner route towards the sideline from the right slot. Brady threw a beautiful pass over the trailing cornerback and Welker’s inside shoulder. Welker had to leave his feet and take a brutal shot to the back from the safety. But Welker held on. That was a sensational catch. But it didn’t have to be made running full speed and twisting back over the other shoulder, like Welker was asked to do in the Super Bowl.
• Backshoulder is rare: Brady only threw four back-shoulder throws downfield to Welker all season. Not one was thrown high. They all hit Welker in the stomach, or high in the chest. And receivers don’t expect backshoulder throwns when they’re in space. Back-shoulder is used when the defender is playing tight coverage underneath. The receiver knows the ball is coming, the defender does not. The Packers, with Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings, missed on a very similar play early in their NFC divisional loss to the Giants. The quarterback has to make the right decision. There were a handful of plays that were similar to the Giants play during the season. Almost every time, Brady was fine with exposing Welker to contact and throwing towards a charging safety. We’ll detail those tomorrow.

In closing, it would be foolish to paint Welker as some sort of goat. Brady could have zipped the pass in toward the safety and over Welker’s inside shoulder in stride and connected on perhaps a touchdown.

Instead, Brady lollipopped the throw to the backshoulder while his receiver was in a sprint and made the pass unnecessarily difficult.

Brady should have thrown to Welker’s strength – something he had done all season up until that point.

By Seth Lakso, Globe Correspondent

FOXBOROUGH -- Patriots safety James Ihedigbo came to the defense of wide receiver Wes Welker on Monday, telling reporters at Gillette Stadium that you can't point fingers at anyone for what happened in the Patriots loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl.

“You can never point fingers at anyone," said Ihedigbo. "You look at the plays that [Welker's] made all year long, how hard he played that game, and how hard he prepared for that game. We wanted it just as bad as [the Giants] did. They just made some key plays at the end and came out on top, so hats off to them.”

"If you look across the board, Wes made amazing plays all year long and even yesterday he did," Ihedigbo continued. "As a team, guys made numerous plays for us to even be in the position we were in last night. So you wear it as a team. You win and you lose as a team and we lost to a good football team.”

Ihedigbo, who started 12 of the Patriots 16 regular season games this year, admitted that the plane ride to Boston was a tough one, especially knowing that it was likely the last time he'd get to see some of the members of this year's team.

“It was very difficult ride," he said. "It’s the National Football League. The group of guys that were on that plane, it’s rare that all those guys are going to be back. We were a very special group, we worked hard. We’re a family, and we played like that, so it’s a tough pill to swallow.”

Asked if he thought this team could get back to the Super Bowl next season, Ihedigbo who hails from Northampton, Mass., had this to say:

“Yeah, I think [we're] only going to get better. That’s what should be expected, you know, is this team being back in the Super Bowl. God willing we can get back, but [this loss] makes us have that hunger and desire to get back and bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Boston.”

Patriots owner Robert Kraft addressed the media this afternoon upon the team's return from Indianapolis.

His comments, as provided by the team's media relations staff:

"I want to take this opportunity just to say, first of all, thank you to all the media here who have done such a great job covering us all year and also to the fans. When we dedicated this season to my sweetheart, I met with the players and coaches and asked them to do everything they could do to make this season special in her honor. The fact that we had I believe it was 18 undrafted free agents and we’re changing the team and we started out 5-3. I think our fans were just terrific the way they stayed with us.

I must tell you that the strength of spirit that I saw with this team is unlike any other team I’ve seen in my 18 years in the NFL. I think that that sense of spirit was ignited by our fans – the way they supported our team and also the way they supported our family. That’s something I’m forever going to be grateful for because I think this was a memorable season and one that I won’t forget for a long time. You have a six percent chance of going to the Super Bowl and three percent chance of winning. I think the coaching staff and players really did a remarkable job this year.

I’ve thought back – this is our 18th year of owning the team. In those 18 years, we’ve had two seasons that were losing seasons – in 1995, when we went 6-10 and in 2000, when we went 5-11. The next 16 years we were able to have winning seasons. We went to seven AFC Championship Games and six Super Bowls. I think what’s happened is, we have set a level of expectation here that is high. I’ve very happy with that and it’s the way we run all of our businesses.

I’m actually very excited about the core group of players we have on this team, about the young players that have come in. I’m also excited that we have two [first-round draft picks] and two [second-round draft picks] in this upcoming draft. I really want to say to those fans who supported us all year and who came out even now, even though we arrived early, it’s just unbelievable to me. I’ve felt it all week. It’s the first time I’ve ever spent eight days in Indianapolis and there were a lot of wonderful Patriot fans there and they have continued to support our team and our family. We’re not going to change the way we run things.

Look, we’re all disappointed in what happened. The beauty of the NFL and the reason, I can say this as Chair of the Broadcast Committee, the reason that the networks pay us the large fees that they do is that no one knows what is going to happen in a game – head coach, quarterback, owner, D-linemen – no one knows. It’s two or three plays that make the difference; that makes the game so exciting. I’m very proud of this team and what they accomplished this year. I will forever remember the special effort that the fans have given and the support they have given to my family and to this team. I thank you all for the coverage. Most of you had to travel back I guess pretty late to get here, so thank you.

Bill Belichick, in a suit for one last time in the 2011-12 season, met briefly with reporters this afternoon after the Patriots returned to Gillette Stadium from Indianapolis.

A small group of fans met the team buses, which Belichick noted.

"It was great to see our fans out there that were here to be here when the buses pulled up. It says a lot about those people and the fan base we have here. It’s much, much appreciated by all of us," he said. "Otherwise, we’ll try to take a little time here, regroup, figure out some of things that we need to do and move forward. The Combine is in two and a half weeks. I’m sure there will be lot of things on the agenda between now and then so we’ll just take them as they come. For right now, we’re just kind of collecting our thoughts and we’ll figure it out in due course."

Over the last several weeks, Belichick frequently praised this team and the effort that he got from these players throughout the season. Despite yesterday's loss in Super Bowl XLVI, he did not waver on that today:

"Real proud of them. I thought they worked hard all year, they competed well all season. We won a lot of games and even the ones we didn’t win, we fought right to the end and played very competitively. We did that last night, just came up a little bit short," Belichick said.

"I have all the respect in the world for the team and all the players and what they’ve done for over six months. It’s not about one game or one play or anything, it’s the whole body of work. I really, really enjoyed coaching this team and have a lot of respect for them."

He was asked what he'll remember most about the season; from his response, the way New England righted the ship after back-to-back losses midway through the schedule made an impression.

"It’s hard to win games in this league so all the games that we won," he said. "I certainly remember all the ones that we didn’t. We made a lot of good plays over the course of the year. I don’t want to single anybody out or single out any one particular thing.

"I’ve talked about the Pittsburgh game. I thought that was a big step for us; to come back off those two losses against Pittsburgh and the Giants, to go down and beat New York in New York, beat the Jets, that was a big game for us where things might have started to go the other way but they didn’t. Then it was nine straight after that. The Denver games, those were both big games for us; didn’t go perfectly but in the end we got things straightened out out there and played well here in the playoffs. There are a lot of good memories this year."

Belichick also publicly acknowledged for the first time that Josh McDaniels was brought back to succeed Bill O'Brien as offensive coordinator.

Patriots defensive back Antwaun Molden said Monday the team has learned from its loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl and will be ready to start again next season.

Asked if the team's mood was "down" on the return trip, Molden replied: "No, not really. I mean, you know, last night, it was pretty tough. But today is a new day, a brighter day, just move forward.

"There’s a taste in my mouth, it’s still there, and it’s not going to go away any time soon. So, I’m definitely looking forward to next year."

Yoon S. Byun/Globe Staff

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

FOXBOROUGH – Despite last night’s devastating loss in the Super Bowl, more than 200 devoted fans erupted in cheers when the New England Patriots pulled into Gillette Stadium this afternoon on six team buses.

As players and coaches retrieved their baggage from the buses, fans could be heard shouting words of encouragement, including “Don’t worry, Welker, you did good,” A reference to wide receiver Wes Welker, who dropped a key pass late in the game.

A handful of players and coaches waved to the crowd, including Welker, head coach Bill Belichick, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was not seen coming off the buses.

Many of the fans wore team attire and had waited for the Pats for several hours, including Gabriel Pelletier, 42, of Lunenburg and his wife, Nancy, 40.

The couple arrived in the parking lot at about 9:30 this morning and said that they support the team no matter what.

“They’re the only team I know of that stick together as a team,” said Gabriel, who displayed the Patriots logo that he has tattooed on his right shoulder. “Belichick and Brady, they’re the best coach and quarterback [combination] ever.”

Nancy Pelletier wore a Patriots winter hat with long strings and was also bundled up in a Patriots blanket. She said that while the loss was difficult to take, her enthusiasm for the team was undiminished.

“They’ll try again next year,” she said. “We’ll be here rooting for them again.”

By Zuri Berry, Globe Staff

INDIANAPOLIS -- After a night's sleep later -- or perhaps no sleep at all -- Super Bowl XLVI MVP Eli Manning walked through some of the game's top moments, including the game's go-ahead touchdown that spurred the New York Giants to a 21-17 victory over the Patriots.

"Right as I broke the huddle, I kinda had a feeling under the circumstances they were gonna let us score," Manning said. "And it's a tough situation right there as you're thinking about what to do. I think you have to score a touchdown right there. That's the goal; that's the ultimate goal is to score a touchdown. As a quarterback, I have great confidence in Lawrence Tynes and kicking field goals. And obviously he's kicked game winners for us, but you just don't want to leave anything to chance in that situation. We could have kneeled it and run out the clock and kicked a field goal with 10 seconds left. But if we get a bad snap, or if they block it, or something fluky happens and you miss that field goal, you feel terrible. So in that situation, as I was handing the ball off [to Ahmad Bradshaw], I saw their defensive line was just standing up and not rushing.

"I was just yelling 'don't score, don't score,' " Manning continued. "Obviously he heard me, he thought about it. You know it's tough for a running back to see a big hole right there going for a touchdown. I think something almost had to pop in his head like something's up, this is little bit too good to be true. I'm yelling and he obviously heard me, and he thought about it kinda going down. But I think he didn't quite know what to do, but he got a touchdown and I'm glad he did."

On his 38-yard pass to Mario Manningham that put the Giants only yards away from field goal position, Manning said it was a "muscle" throw.

"I'm not good at ranking my throws. Obviously it's a Super Bowl and a tight throw. I didn't have any questions. I felt the safety was inside. I wasn't worried about whether it would be an interception or a dangerous throw of the ball when it was released. I saw a window and I felt confident about it. Didn't think much about it. Just saw where Mario was and I knew the timing. A lot of those throws are muscle movements. You don't think about how far to throw it or what to do. You see the receiver, you step up and make the throw. And hopefully you put it in a good spot where he can catch it and he made a great play."

After the game, Eli Manning spent some time with his brother Peyton.

"He was just proud of me," he said. "He was proud of the team. And a quarterback like Peyton is, he knows the game well, and he asks questions a lot of people want to ask. Like the touchdown to Victor Cruz. He asked if I saw the middle linebacker [Jerod Mayo] running out there and I didn't. He can see there and tell that it looked liked it was single high, some kind of jab to my right a little bit before running left and looking up Victor. You know, under center, they're bringing blitz, it is tough to see that. But luckily [Mayo] never looked back at me [as I] threw it right off his shoulder a little bit and Victor did a good job of concentrating and making the catch.

"And then he talked about the throw to Manningham. He was mad. He said everybody kept talking about what great a catch it was. He said it was a pretty good throw, also. So, it's the brother looking out for me."

By Steve Silva, Globe Staff

INDIANAPOLIS -- In the season finale of Championship Today, Chris Gasper takes a closer look at what went wrong in Super Bowl XLVI for the Patriots.

An emotional Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker shares his feelings about dropping a ball on a pass he usually catches, and quarterback Tom Brady summarizes his thoughts on the game, and Welker.

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff

INDIANAPOLIS – A somewhat stunning 21-17 loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI closed the book on the Patriots’ 2011 season in disappointing fashion.

Let’s take a look back.

WHY DID THE PATRIOTS LOSE?

In my opinion, because the offense didn’t make enough plays. And the entire unit was to blame. From Tom Brady, to an offensive line that got leaky at the end, to a limited receiving corp, it just wasn’t enough. The offense put the defense in a 9-0 hole thanks to a safety, and then the defense held the Giants to two field goals until the final drive. The Patriots had a 17-6 lead and the offense was blanked for the final 26 minutes of the game. That’s not good enough.

INJURY REPORT

• QB Tom Brady (left shoulder) never left the game, but it looked like that troublesome left shoulder was giving him problems. Wouldn’t be surprised if he needs off-season surgery.
• TE Rob Gronkowski (left ankle) played the entire game but was a non-factor. He couldn’t get off the line, which basically left the Patriots with Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez and Danny Woodhead as weapons for Brady. That’s a little light.
• LG Logan Mankins (unknown) was slow to get up at one point. Not sure if it affected him the rest of the game or not.

THREE THINGS TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT

1. Patriots came within a minute of winning the Super Bowl: As bad as the loss hurts and as long as it will linger, it was a heck of an accomplishment for the Patriots to make it to the Super Bowl and be so close to winning. That does mean something.


2. Defense: Yes, the Patriots lost but I was wrong about the defense. That unit did its job in this game, holding the Giants to 15 points until the final minute – with nine coming on the safety and subsequent drive. The Patriots played very well against a potent offense. The defense did its job.


3. The future: A strong core is there on this team. The entire offensive line will be back, along with Brady, the two rookie running backs, Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, and a franchised Wes Welker. A couple of more pieces are needed. Defensively, a line of Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love, Brandon Deaderick and Myron Pryor has a lot of promise. Jerod Mayo and Brandon FletcherSpikes anchor the linebackers, with Rob Ninkovich capable on the outside. In the secondary, the Patriots have a potential star in Patrick Chung, Kyle Arrington proved worthy, they need to figure out where Devin McCourty will play, and hopefully get Ras-I Dowling healthy. That’s a very solid core.

THREE THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT

1. Offense throwing up goose egg late: Patriots had zero points in the final 26 minutes. That’s beyond disappointing for that group, and they need to find out why it happened.
2. Line breaking down: The offensive line had a rough time at the worst time. It looked like 2007 all over again, right down to Logan Mankins having some struggles.
3. Opposing good teams are making plays late: When the Patriots were winning Super Bowls, they were the closers. They got it done when it counted. In their four losses this season – the other team was making the plays at the end of the game, and not the Patriots (and you could almost count the Ravens since they blew their field goal). Is there something to be said about that, or is it just a fluky thing? Not really sure.

THREE STARS

1. QB Tom Brady: He played well for most of the game, but didn’t make the plays when he needed to. Still, the guy set a Super Bowl record with 16 straight completions. Puzzling he couldn’t get them over the hump. We’ll have to watch the film to see what happened.
2. TE Aaron Hernandez: With Gronkowski limited, more weight of the offense fell on Hernandez’s shoulders. He did very well except for a big drop. He has a terrific future..
3. DE Mark Anderson: Had 1.5 of the three sacks and another quarterback hit, in addition to five tackles. He wasn’t heard from much at the end of the game.

Giants running back Brandon Jacobs was asked after the Super Bowl what it means for the Giants to have derailed the Patriots in two straight Super Bowl meetings. His answer was a bit of salt in New England's open wound.

"We decapitated them. They can't wear that crown no more," Jacobs said during a television interview. "Can't wear that crown any more."

Jacobs was also asked about his confidence level when quarterback Eli Manning led the Giants onto the field for their final possession.

"We're going to win the football game, no question about it," Jacobs said. "Ten (Manning's jersey number) has been clutch for our football team from day one, and he always will be for the rest of his career. With Eli, and his talents, it's an honor to be on this football team with a quarterback like that."

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

The Patriots' defense took it lumps earlier this year -- particularly in the passing game -- but seemed to make strides as the season progressed.

Patrick Chung and Brandon Spikes got healthy and started hitting. Sterling Moore emerged as a cornerback with a knack for big plays. Jerod Mayo and Vince Wilfork were steady and sometimes spectacular.

For a time during Super Bowl 46, the Patriots' defense looked like it might be championship-caliber. After all the Giants had just 15 points through the first 58:56, nine came early, including Tom Brady's inexcusable safety and the ensuing momentum-charged drive.

But just as in Super Bowl 42, the Patriots' defense couldn't finish at the end.

Eli Manning led the Giants on a winning final drive that began with a 38-yard bomb to Mario Manningham, moving New York from its own 12 to midfield on a single play.

"He had both feet down,'' safety Patrick Chung said of Manningham's sideline acrobatics. "Good throw, good catch, man.''

Manningham had two more catches on the drive, Hakeem Nicks had two, and the Giants were so methodical in the drive that the Patriots let Ahmad Bradshaw score from 6 yards out with 1:04 remaining just so they'd have enough time on the clock to try to win the game.

"Yeah, we were trying to let them score,'' said Jerod Mayo, who had 11 tackles. "That was the smart play to make. Let them score, and hopefully give the offense the ball. It was situational football.''

Manning won his second Super Bowl MVP award, completing 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards and one touchdown. And once again, he trumped the Patriots defense with the game on the line.

"I still feel like defense wins championships,'' said linebacker Brandon Spikes, who like Mayo had 11 tackles. ''We had our chances. We were right where we wanted to be as a defensive unit. I just felt like I let the guys down myself. There were a few plays I could have made myself and I was just a step late. It just hurts right now. I can't really sum it up with words.''