(a little bit of daring-do, Kevin Faulk taking a direct snap and rushing for the game-tying 2 point conversion in the 4th quarter)
Under normal circumstances, an 8 point lead for a 14-2 team at home, with minutes left in the 4th quarter, while not insurmountable, would seem relatively comfortable. But there’s nothing normal about the principal players in Sunday’s AFC championship, not the adulterous coaching superbrain whose defense held the Chargers’ explosive attack to just 3 scores, nor the best big game QB of his generation, the league’s offensive MVP (who deserved better), nor the other head coach, whose record of playoff futility makes Susan Lucci look like a closer.
Though Brady led New England on the game’s tying and winning drives in the 4th quarter, his 4 turnovers (1 fumble, 3 INT’s) are a glaring item on the stat sheet. I’m not sure which is more remarklable, that the Pats & Bolts combined to turn the ball over so often times, or that the AFC’s remaining QB’s, Brady and Peyton Manning, have 8 INT’s between them this postseason.
While there’s no such thing as a quiet 189 yards of total offense (ie. L.T.’s total), on a day in which the Patriots secondary proved so frustrating to Phillip Rivers, it’s hard not to imagine Marty Schottenheimher wishing he’d given his All-Universe RB more carries.
Marty (or at least his paymasters) might all be pondering San Diego scoring zero points on 7 occasions they had the ball in New England territory.
Either way, this was an archetypical New England playoff win, one that recalled so many others from the Hooded Casanova’s Era Of Excellence.
Stephen Gostkowski : Just call him Vinatieri II. Nate Kadeing was going to miss sooner or later, and the 54 yard distance was probably a bigger factor than the relatively large stage this game was played on.
Finally, I’m gonna chock up L.T.’s postgame complaints about the Pats’ mocking Shawne Merriman’s happy jig to a heat-of-the-moment sort of thing. But considering how hard Merriman hit Brady early in the game, no one should begrudge New England their celebrations. They oughta be thrilled Brady’s still walking.
Big Mart’s challenge on Marlon McRee’s fumbled INT — claiming that McRee never had possession after he caught the ball, ran about four yards, and then was stripped of it — was one of the dumbest challenges I’ve ever seen. Luckily for him, it turned out that the Chargers would’ve had no use for the timeout he blew in that meaningless challenge during the last 1:10 of the game. Otherwise, people would really be wondering what, exactly, Schottenheimer brings to the table. Besides a strong jaw and admirable collection of aviator shades, I mean.
I think we both know that Marty’s gonna totally clean up when his old press conferences are used on those Coors commercials next autumn.
Didn’t the referee say Schott was challenging that McRee was down by contact? It’s an academic point- both arguments are silly- but either way it illustrates a man grasping at straws during a desperate moment.
I thing that the “Talking Heads” should learn how to call a game. In both the Indy and New England game they talked up the losing teams as being the best even after the games ended. All four teams played excellent, and all four deserved to be recognized and not maligned by the commentators. Bad performance, guys!