Ups & downs

Asante Samuel = Bill Buckner

Well, the play that killed the Patriots is one that has done so all year; the Patriots almost have a sack, the QB escapes, and makes a play downfield. Did anyone else wonder why the Pats threw 3 straight times on their TD instead of trying to kill the clock a bit more? Do you think Ellis Hobbs was supposed to be left one on one with Burress?

Mike - I am so sad! Trying to appreciate the fact that they had a nice run, but its hard. Can you throw us some bones to be excited about the offseason? You anticipate any big signings? Will Moss be back? Will they work on beefing up the D?

AHHH!!

Mike, I think we unfortunately need to add to the "down" column. How about the kickers -- Gostkowski for the penalty on a kickoff, and Hanson for the lousy punt? Also, perhaps each of them deserve a "down" because the coaching staff apparently had no confidence in them, apparently believing Gostkowski cannot make a 49 yard field goal and Hanson would be unable to pin the Giants within their 10 yard line.

Also, I think the "coaching" down needs to be broader than one decision on 4th and 13. They never found a way to really get to Manning, and they never came up with any answer for the Giants rush.

Finally, how about -- as heretical as it sounds -- a "down" for Tom Brady? The NFL MVP missed some open receivers and was unable to anticipate or escape sacks -- he seemed to be without his usual radar in his pocket. Clearly some of this was the fault of the O-line, but he had a role, too.

I am with Reiss on giving the coaches a thumbs down, especially, McDaniels. It took them 4 quarters to realize that the short passes were the key to moving the ball, and once they did realize, they went down the field and scored a touch down but it was too little too late.
I wouldn't put harrison with Samuel and hobbs in this one. I thought Harrison was always where the ball was and made some nice tackles. Samuel spent too much time pounding his chest and when he had a chance to put the game away, couldn't catch the ball. Hobbs was unfortunate but again, the all out blitz, didn't get there and he was left all alone out there with half the field to cover on his own!

Although the O-line was dreadful, Brady was also in the "Down" category. Manning had heaps of pressure as well, but managed to pull off some escapes and great throws.
Brady was also screaming at Welker for a missed route, but where was Welker supposed to go, in the stands where Brady was throwing?!
The 4th and 13 would have been okay even as an INT (moving ball to the 20) but Brady threw it a 5 yards out of bounds and so the Giants got it at the 30.
When the O-line plays well, Brady gets credit. When they play poorly, he needs to share the blame of not making plays.
Those who say he's the greatest QB of all time (like me) are seeing that argument wither away.

Big Thumbs down to the coaching staff. They knew the Giants were going to put pressure on the O-line and what did they do? Also Pierre Woods recovers a fumble and let's the Giants take it away from him. The guy just wasn't hungry. The team thought that the only thing they had to do to win was to show up. As a fan this loss hurts a lot. You coach your worst in the biggest game of the year. Fun season, awful ending.

Sorry for your loss.

Peirre Woods ... hold onto the ball after you recover a fumble ...

Asante Samuel ... catch the ball ... gave over

Jarivs Green ... Make the sack ... game over

hey the giants made the plays and were a little lucky on that completion to Tyree ... but luck is a part of the game

Congrats to the Giants

and more thing ...

McDaniels .... call a better game than that ... why did it take till the 4th quarter to throw the ball to Moss ?

It's a tough loss Mike. But being a Baltimore Ravens fan, I envy your future and I admire Kraft for putting together such a class organization. I also noticed how Brady plays when he gets very little protection. His success, or lack of, makes him more human and brings him back to the pack of other good quarterbacks. Also, it sounded like 2/3 of the crowd were Giant fans. Nice reporting Mike. Wait til next year.

See what happens when Brady gets no protection. He's just another quarterback. How can an NFL team not trust their kicker to make a 49 yard field goal INSIDE?

Agreed on the "almost sack" issue, that seemed to happen (to me) with alarming regularity. Painful all around.

I don't want to rub it in, but:
1) Every NE fan I've met in NY is rude, crass, obnoxious, belligerent
and thick skulled. They have none of the class and dignity we show
visiting fans when they come to our city (Jets fans excluded).

2) Your team showed none of the humility and modesty that they are
now subjecting themselves to. You really scheduled the victory parade before the players even arrived in AZ? I hope you all, as a city, learn something from that.

3) Come to my city and sing "For Boston" one more time and you'll die in NYC ;)

3) The fact that Belichek walked off the field before the game ended
demonstrates why, though your beloved Red Sox and other franchises
may be a fan-favorite around the nation, all cities near Boston
realize that you all have a lack of class.

I appreciate a lot of the honest and even-handed comments on this
board. I honestly wasn't expecting them.

Take a lesson from New York City. We have just as much, if not more
pride than Boston citizens, but we don't need to broadcast our hubris
everywhere we go.

Oh...and next time you come to Manhattan and start singing "For
Boston," I'll kick your f*cking a**ess.

I'm going with an Up for Ray Ventrone. That special teams hit on the kickoff after the Pats TD was wicked. For a guy that was on the practice squad all year, that was a great play. Unfortunately, it would have been even better if it had caused a fumble.

With less than 3 minutes remaining I was stunned to see the Pat's apparently use less than 20 seconds by throwing 3 times from the Giants 7.

For so many years, the fans have gotten used to the Patriots out-coaching and out-adjusting the other teams. Last night, the coaches seemed unable to adjust for the Giants' ferocious pass rush - I don't recall one draw play, and I would have expected many more screen plays to backs, causing the Giants to think twice about "just pinning their ears back and coming." It seemed like the staff hadn't prepared for the "what if" things got this bad. I agree with the previous comment about running the ball when the Pats had it first and goal near the end of the 4th quarter. Two runs (without a touchdown) would have run the clock the the two-minute warning. After passing on first down, I was certain they would run it to either get the clock to the two-minute warning or make the Giants call time out. Neither happened, and the 35-or 40-seconds that could have been run off the clock, might have been just enough to force the Giants to take more chances or use Hail Mary's to convert at the end. It was a great season, but this loss will take many months (for fans and team) to recover from.

Again Mike you analysis is concise and accurate. Thomas played lights out and the defense stepped up while the offense sputtered.
I'm sure it's rough maintaining a semblance of character with your peers consciously over-analyzing, fault-finding and overstating with a flair (as many have already on this thread) for over-dramatization.
Less than 10% of your readership and/or media peers can honestly claim firsthand knowledge of the heat in the crucible of sport competition.
In closing and as someone who has personally experienced the crucible of D-I athletics it should be known that those who seek for blame or credit as "Monday Morning Quarterbacks" shall never know th truth of character revealed on the field of play. Their words are mere clanging of bells or meaningless taunts.

Mike, thanks for remaining above the fray and for your professional coverage of the Patriots in this most historic season!

Arlene Specter & Cheating:

I watched the game yesterday with a group of fellow Pats fans and the funny thing was a huge chunk of our conversation was about Arlene Specter and this investigation into Pats cheating.

First, I'd like to say that it was dealt with - move on. Secondly, I'd like to say that I'm sure it's something that is common practice in the NFL.

With that said, however, I would like to focus in on Mr. Specter and investigations in general.

I do not know why he is doing this or even interested, but be-that-as-it-may, I'd like to tell you something about Mr. Specter.

I just finished calling his office, two of them actually, and left the following comment:

That I and a bunch of my friends were musing about not re-openning this investigation, but rather the investigation into the murder of John F. Kennedy.

Arlene Specter was a low level lawyer on the Warren Commission. When evidence of a fourth bullet being fired became obvious, and that that bullet must have been fired from the grassy knoll, it was at that point Specter came up with the "magic bullet" theory, which allowed them to expain away the fourth shot, and once again, allowed them to deny another shooter (firing from the knoll).

I no more believe Specter's explanation of the trajectory and movement of that bullet, then I believe that Tom Brady is an average quarterback; it's BS.

So, with all that said, I encourage all Pats fans to call Mr. Specter's office (which I myself and a few of my friends already have), and tell him that you want the investigation into JFK's murder re-opened, and we want Specter arrested for being a co-conspirator in the assasination and cover-up of John F. Kennedy's murder.

Please stand up for our Pats - we should not have to enudre this type of garbage and particularly from the likes of people like Arlene Specter.

Thanks much for reading this and see you all next season - we had a great year.

Go Pats!!

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Mike Reiss notes it, and several posted have added to it, and I totaly agree that the Patriots coaching staff should take a big part, if not the biggest part of the blame for the loss.

Everyone in the country new the Giants would rush 4 linemen, mix in some blitzes, prevent the deep pass, and try to keep the game close to the end. The Patriots coaching staff spent 2 weeks coming up with WHAT game plan? Lots of play action, deep drops and wait for Moss to get open deep? How long do you want Brady to wear the bullseye each play? Three quarters of THAT?

Until the 4th quarter they couldn't figure out that the Pat's classic shotgun with 4 wide receivers and 3-second releases was the way to challenge the Giants coverage guys and to break the impact of the pass rush? It worked against Philly, Baltimore, Indy, etc., but wasn't tried consistently until the 4th quarter against the Giants? Then finally Moss and Welker catch many quick, inside short passes and the Pats have an 80 yard TD drive.

I would give a big thumbs down to the media, fans and players who underestimated the Giants. They were clearly the hottest team in the playoff winning all their games on the road. I would give another thumbs down to the Pats coaches and the Pats three pro bowl offensive lineman who underestimated the NUMBER ONE pass rushing unit in the NFL. Leading the NFL in sacks in not a fluke and the Pats should have been better prepared for the pressure.

1) The veteran Patriots defense has fallen apart in the last two championship games - might it be time for younger legs? I personally believe the Patriots are going to "blow-up" their defense and start the retooling process. The older and slower Patriots LBers and secondary (sorry Rodney) might have been OK playing in that slop (the natural grass field of Gillette) ) but they continue to be outclassed on the various fast tracks around the NFL.

2) Why were the Patriots so slow in making offensive adjustments,the TV coverage focused on Belichick coaching the defense - installing the adjustments. Why isn't this role being filled by Dean Pees or Pepper Johnson....it was Romeo who used to do this when he was DC.

nick kazcur really sucks

Two comments regarding the post above from "Tom Brady":

First, thanks for successfully tying the Patriot loss in the Superbowl to the Kennedy assasination. Now it all makes sense.

Secondly, if you look first part of the post another, more compelling reason for the Patriot loss is revealed. Apparantly "Tom Brady" was not at the game at all, but home WATCHING the game on TV with a bunch of his buddies. This supports my belief that the guy playing quarterback on Sunday night was not Tom Brady. He certainly did not play like the guy I saw in the other 18 games.

The question remains, who was that guy playing quarterback in the Super Bowl?! My guess is that it was Oliver Stone.

You be the judge.

How did Eli get away from that sack? The answer is in the picture in the latest SI magazine.