Well… crap. Just like four years ago, the New England Patriots came up just a couple plays short of beating the New York Giants and claiming their fourth Lombardi Trophy Sunday in Super Bowl XLVI. Instead, Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning once again bested Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, with Manning executing yet another fourth-quarter comeback highlighted by an improbable reception. Brady’s quest to tie Joe Montana and Bradshaw continues.

The Patriots under-performed on their last test of the season. Which Patriots will get credit and which are now on academic probation? Here’s the last report card until September.

Quarterback: B

Brady wasn’t terrible, completing just over 65 percent of his passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns, but he definitely wasn’t at his best. His line gave him all kinds of protection, but he still had trouble hitting his receivers. Wes Welker should have caught that second-and-11 late in the game, but Brady could have thrown a much easier pass, one that didn’t require Welker to simultaneously spin around, leap into the air and haul in a ball barely within his range.

Brady occasionally gets lost inside his own mind, seeing diagrams of plays instead of the actual field. His deep-ball interception is a perfect example. On paper, Rob Gronkowski would out-jump a linebacker every time. But the real Gronkowski couldn’t run or jump with that high-ankle sprain Sunday, yet Brady tried to bomb it to him anyway. Chase Blackburn hauled picked it, squandering yet another second-half drive that could have extended the Patriots’ lead beyond one possession.

Brady only played above-average football (including the bone-headed if oddly penalized safety), while Manning played spectacular football, especially in the second half. The better quarterback took home the title.

Running Backs: B+

Danny Woodhead and BenJarvus Green-Ellis combined for 62 yards on the ground, plus 57 more in the air. Woodhead proved incredibly useful on check-down passes and screens, either running through the defensive line or lining up outside it. He also caught the Patriots’ first touchdown – a bullet from Brady that required as much concentration to catch in traffic as it did to throw.

The Patriots’ rushers did enough to make play-action viable some of the time, but not always. Not having Gronkowski at full strength likely affected that play’s success.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: C+

Four consecutive dropped passes. Four. Had Welker or Deion Branch caught theirs on second- and third-and-11, the Patriots probably win the game. Had Branch or Aaron Hernandez caught theirs on the final drive, the Patriots preserve a timeout and probably get at least a better chance at the Hail Mary. Instead, the Patriots had to try a 50-yard bomb, which is a tough sell for any offense.

Brady’s decent pass-protection meant much of the passing game’s failure must rest with his receivers not getting open. Hernandez and Welker had to deal with extra coverage because of Gronkowski, and they couldn’t handle the extra pressure. Of all the position groups on the team, the receiving corps under-performed the most.

Offensive Line: A-

Only allowing two sacks (both in the second half) to a pass-rush as relentless as the Giants’ deserves high marks. The offensive line did as much as they could to buy Brady time, but the offense just never synchronized outside the line of scrimmage. The offensive line didn’t quite establish the run the way they should have, however, and Brian Waters committed a holding penalty, bringing down the line’s final grade.

Defensive Line: B+

The offensive line combined for 2.5 sacks and three QB hits. Mark Anderson led with 1.5. But of the three sacks the Patriots recorded overall, two came on the Giants’ first drive. After that, Manning enjoyed all kinds of protection. More pressure on Manning could have protected the Patriots’ secondary a little, but that’s been a complaint all season long.

The defensive line also gave up 114 rushing yards (plus a touchdown they purposefully allowed).

Linebackers: B-

Beyond Rob Ninkovich‘s half-sack and two QB hits, the linebackers were almost invisible Sunday. Manning only targeted tight ends seven times, but he connected six times. Jerod Mayo could have intercepted Manning’s first touchdown pass, but instead he whiffed completely and the Giants went up 9-0. And while he and Brandon Spikes led the team with 11 tackles each, none were for losses.

Ninkovich also jumped off-sides on a third-and-7, making the conversion much easier.

Defensive Backs: B+

Sterling Moore represented himself well, batting aside two passes and making several key stops. And it’s hard to fault the defense when it had to play over 60 percent of the game. Still, Manning threw for 296 yards, and the secondary couldn’t get themselves together for one more stop late in the fourth.

The secondary played at or above what it’s played at all season long, so they shouldn’t lose points they could never have earned in the first place. But given one last chance to make any kind of statement, the defensive backs once again fell silent.

Special Teams: A-

Stephen Gostkowski nailed his only field goal, and no one committed any special teams penalties. But Giants punter Steve Weatherford easily out-performed Zoltan Mesko, three times pinning the Patriots inside their 10. The Giants started their average drive (discounting the one following the interception) over 10 yards ahead of the Patriots, making scoring all the more difficult for the Patriots.

New England didn’t lose because of special teams, but they could still have done more.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Patriots, Top Story.

Alec Baldwin famously said “Coffee is for closers” in the movie “Glengarry Glen Ross,” and when it came to Super Bowl 46, he couldn’t be more right. The Patriots couldn’t close. I have had a couple days to digest, and I am like many Patriot fans, I’m ready to move on.

I wanted to reflect on a few things first, because history tends to repeat itself and unfortunately for the Patriots, it’s repeated itself a few times in the last eight years. Now, the pessimistic fan would say the New England Patriots are the Atlanta Braves: another playoff run, another failure. There is obvious truth in that statement, but the Patriots are a victim of their own success. This isn’t baseball, where a large payroll can guarantee admission on a yearly basis.

The Patriots have made the playoffs 9 out of the last 11 seasons and that excellence has allowed them to reach the biggest games in the sporting world. Compare them to their contemporaries: the Steelers, Colts, Ravens, Giants, and Packers. Yes, four of those teams have won Super Bowls since the Patriots last won a Super Bowl. But, the Giants have missed the playoffs 2 out of the last 4 years. The Steelers have missed the playoffs 2 out of the last 4 years. The Ravens haven’t been to a Super Bowl since 2000. The Packers lost in the first round this year and the Colts were the WORST team in the NFL this season.

From 2001-2004, the Patriots were not just the best team in the NFL, they were the most clutch. They completed two Super Bowl winning drives with under two minutes on the clock. They had a close, but convincing win in 2004 to capture their third title in four years. With all of that said, the Patriots couldn’t close on Sunday, and in three of their most gut wrenching losses, under Belichick that has been a consistent theme.

2007 AFC Championship: Colts 38, Patriots 34

Looking back at this game, it WAS Déjà vu all over again. If you remember that season, it was the “Year without Receivers” after the Patriots traded Deion Branch and let David Givens go to free agency. Tom Brady was still in his absolute prime, but spent much of the year throwing to Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gaffney, an aging Troy Brown, Doug Gabriel and Benjamin Watson.

Gabriel was actually cut during the season and Gaffney was signed off the street. Watson, a former first round pick, had poor hands and was NOT Rob Gronkowski. Still, the excellence of Brady and a stout defense somehow got the Patriots to 12-4. They finished as a #4 seed in the AFC. They beat the Jaguars in the first round and then shocked the NFL when the upset the 14-2 San Diego Chargers on the road despite Brady’s three interceptions. By the way, when the chips were down, Brady hit Caldwell down the sideline to set up the winning kick.

The Patriots came into Indianapolis weary and tired. They managed to go up 21-3 late in the first half and were a controversial Troy Brown offensive pass interference call from being up 28-3 at the midway point. The Brown penalty ended up being a drive killer and the Patriots instead led 21-6 at the half.

The Patriots led 34-31 when they started a drive on their own 40-yard line with 3:22 to go in the game.

• First Play: Heath Evans gets called for a motion penalty. 1st and 15 at the Patriots 35-yard line.
• Second Play: Brady completes a seven-yard pass to Caldwell. 2nd and 8 at the Patriots 42-yard line.
• Third Play: Brady completes a four-yard pass to Watson. 3rd and 4 at the Patriots 46-yard line.

This is the game.

With a conversion, the Colts were going to get the ball back with very little time on the clock, if at all. Sound Familiar?

• Fourth Play: Brady’s pass intended for Brown was batted down by Bob Sanders. 4th and 4 at the 46-yard line. Patriots punt, Colts win.

It’s tough to say who was at fault here. Brown was nearing the end, but was still Brady’s favorite 3rd down target. If Brown had cut outside, he had 20 yards in front of him, but Sanders made the play. This would be the first of three never forgotten failures for the Patriots in Indianapolis. The failure to convert cost them the game, the AFC Championship and most likely the Super Bowl considering the Bears were an inferior team.

Super Bowl 42

I will comment briefly on this game. It’s been lumped in as another post-2004 failure for Brady and Belichick. After watching the game a few times since, I give Brady less and less blame. A bad offensive game plan, poor adjustments, a horrific performance by the Patriots offensive line and one of the greatest/luckiest Super Bowl drives you will ever see all were to blame.

Regardless, the Patriots could not close for a second time. Another Lombardi Trophy was left on the shelf.

2012 AFC Championship: Patriots 23, Ravens 20

If you had the choice knowing what you know now would you have taken the Lee Evans touchdown or the Wes Welker drop? Yes the Patriots won this game, but they made it a lot harder than it had to be and it was because they couldn’t make a play on offense to seal it.

Patriots take over possession at their own 33-yard line with 2:46 to go in the game, leading 23-20.

• First Play: Brady 70yard pass to Branch. 2nd and 3 at the Patriot 40-yard line.
• Second Play: Green-Ellis loses a yard. 3rd and 4 at the Patriot 39-yard line.

Just to recap, a first down here and the game is essentially over. It’s the Colts game all over again.

• Third Play: Brady passes to Hernandez, but it is batted down by another Pro Bowl safety (this time it’s Ed Reed).

Mesko punts the Ravens gets the ball at their own 21 with 1:44 to go and the Patriots miraculously hold on. Was this a matter of bad decisions, good coverage, the inability to run the ball or the lack of faith to run? All good questions that would not have to be answered until…

Super Bowl 46: Giants 21, Patriots 17

Forget the safety. Forget the interception to Gronk. Forget the penalties and fumbles and everything else. No matter who won this game, both teams were going to be shaking their head in the end. The Giants didn’t turn the ball over and their quarterback was on target all day, but yet they were still losing for most of the second half. The Patriots HAD turned it over twice but yet, here they were: 1st and 10 on their own 8-yard line with 9:24 to go. I said at the time to people I was watching the game with that if the Patriots can score a touchdown, it’s over.

In the 2008 AFC Championship, they were able to chew up the last 9 minutes of the game to clinch a Super Bowl appearance. Last year’s 7-minute drive against the Jets that produced no points was called by Bob Neumeier the “Drive to Nowhere.” This was the “Road to Perdition.”

• Play 1 – Incomplete pass. 2nd and 10 at the Patriot 8 yard line.
• Play 2 – Brady complete to Welker for 5 yards to the Patriot 13-yard line. 3rd and 5.
• Play 3 – Brady completes to Woodhead for 19 yards to the Patriot 32-yard line.

At this point, you still have to be thinking touchdown. The clock is ticking, but there was still way too much time to preserve a two-point lead.

• Play 4 – Ellis carries for 3 yards. Where was this play later? 2nd and 7 at the Patriot 35.
• Play 5 – Welker reverse for 11 yards. FIRST DOWN, at the Patriot 46 and the clock is ticking down to the five-minute mark.
• Play 6 – Woodhead dive for 1 yard. 2nd and 9, at the Patriot 47.
• Play 7 – Brady hits..Gronk? Wow, did they miss him. 6-yard gain. 3rd and 3 at the GIANTS 47.

Not quite close out time. At this time, it’s do or die. Both teams know a first down gets them within reach of Lombardi, and within reach of the Four Super Bowl Champion Pantheon.

• Play 8 – Brady to Hernandez for a FIRST DOWN at the Giant 44. The clock is under five minutes and ticking, Giants have ONE timeout.

People in New England are feeling it and for the first time all game, I was feeling like it was going to happen. Hindsight is 20/20, but the Patriots have been in this situation before. Today, everyone is still talking about Brady or Welker, but to me this was one of the pivotal mistakes of the game. This cracked the dam, and Welker broke it open.

This WAS the coaching mistake of the game. Not the 12-men, not the challenge, not the time outs; this play, this decision.

The Giants were on their heels it was getting desperate. The Patriots decide to pull Hernandez and bring in Politte at fullback and put Green-Ellis in an I formation. They didn’t line Brady up in the shotgun and try a halfback draw. They didn’t try to run Green-Ellis to the right with Connolly and a guard pulling like they did so successfully in the first half. Get positive yards, don’t put yourself in a do or die situation.

• Play 9 – Green-Ellis was tacked by Canty for a one-yard loss. 2nd and 11 at the Giants 45.

They did just that. Politte missed Chris Canty on Green-Ellis straight ahead run and Green-Ellis was tackled for a one-yard loss.

At this point, the Patriots are in a situation where they need to get to 3rd and 5 or 6. Belichick has to know they can’t punt the ball back to Eli with a two-point lead. Not with this defense, and not with the year Eli has been having.

• Play 10 – Brady to Welker incomplete. 3rd and 11 at the Giants 45. A play we’ll always remember.

I have gone back and forth on this play all week. If you’re in the “HE SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT CAMP!!!” – you’re right.

Recent history shows receivers make great plays in the big game. Santonio Holmes against Arizona, Tyree against the Patriots, Manningham against the Patriots.

If you think “BRADY BLEW IT!!!” – well you’re not completely off. It was a not a perfect pass. He had time, it was a broken play and Branch was actually WIDE open on a check down. Can’t question the decision by Brady, if he never wins another Super Bowl it will be remembered along with Larry Bird’s Game 5 three-pointer that just missed in the 1987 Finals. It was Bird’s last chance at greatness. It could be Brady’s.

This left a do or die play. The Patriots maybe should have taken a timeout and thought about this as two-down territory.

• Play 11 – Brady incomplete to Branch. 4th and 11 at the Giants 45 yard line.

If you’re going to criticize Brady for a bad throw, this was it. Branch was there, but the ball was behind him because it was partially tipped. It could have caught, but it was not a no-brainer by any means. It was a do or die play, as it could have saved Wes, Tom and Patriot nation many a sleepless night. We all know what happened from there.

The Legacy of SB46

Well, it’s the Giants and not the Patriots who join the Steelers, 49’ers, Packers, and Cowboys in the Pantheon. All those teams have won four Super Bowls. Brady has done kind of a reverse John Elway by winning Super Bowls early and losing late as opposed to Elway, who didn’t win his first until he was 37.

If you’re a Patriot fan don’t let the media irritate you too much. In the world of Twitter, ESPN and the 24/7 Sports media cycle there will always be fools like Skip Bayless, Rich Cimini and Eric Wilbur. There will always be jealous ex and current players who will want to disparage this quarterback and this team.

Is it better to be 3-2 in the Super Bowl or 2-0? Brady is not going to be mentioned above Montana, but he’s not Troy Aikman either. Aikman might have been 3-0, but he never played in another Super Bowl after 28 years of age. Aikman’s regular season also never compared to Brady, who did much more with much less. You have to compare Brady with his peers, and unless Big Ben or Eli can capture one more and play and in another, then Tom is the greatest of his time.

As for the Patriots and their ability to close, well it’s hard to point at their collapses and give blame to one party. Belichick is a student of history so I am sure he’s read George Santayana’s quote, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” Maybe next time, they won’t have to rely on one play to win the Super Bowl, if there is a next time for Brady and Belichick.

The NFL football season has the longest offseason of the major professional sports. In a couple of weeks it will be time to start looking toward the 2012-2013 season, but for now it’s time for quiet, and maybe a cup of tea.

© gcain for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Patriots, Top Story.

Rob Gronkowski and Matt Light were caught on camera partying shirtless on stage with LMFAO at the Patriots after-party just hours after losing the Super Bowl on Sunday night/early Monday morning.

Is there anything wrong with this picture?

I have a few different feelings about this…

First, Light is 34 years old and a little long on the waistband. Are you seriously dancing topless on the stage at a LMFAO show?

Second, how the hell is Gronk moving so well on his severely injured ankle??? Yo soy fiesta, indeed.

Finally, I realize that Gronk and Light (and others) have had a very long season and worked like hell to get where they got. But after that loss, this looks pretty bad:

If I (as a fan) am feeling crappy and dejected and not in the mood to party after watching Sunday’s game, does it appear that I care more about the game than they do? It sure does appear that way, but let’s be honest, I have no idea how a loss like that feels for the players. I only know as a fan.

So, I guess it’s their life, and people have their own ways of coping with things.

If we want to look at it a different way… the players had a bad day at work on Sunday, and what do people usually want to do after a bad day of work? They drink. So, they drank.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Opinion, Patriots.

Let’s take Sunday’s excruciating and heartbreaking Super Bowl loss to the Giants, for example. How can anything good come out of that?

Behold…

Get out of the way, AC Slater! (NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES)

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Now!, Patriots.

Had to sit down and watch the game again without a crowd where men were yelling for a beer and wives yelling for people to be quiet during commercials. They still lost, sorry to say. Some thoughts and observations are below…

1. Biggest Plays of the Game:

1. Wes Welker’s drop – I’m adjusting my blame from 60% on Tom Brady to 50% / 50%
2. Tom Brady missing Deion Branch over the middle on the last drive
3. Twelve men on the field (somewhere Don Cherry is throwing up in his mouth)
4. Rob Ninkovich jumping offsides on the 16 with 13:18 left in the quarter (on what would have been fourth down and Eli starting to short arm the ball). Giants didn’t give up possession until 9:31, adding 40 yards of field position and costing 3:47 of critical time.
5. Crazy catch by Manningham on the last drive

2. Worst Player on the Field:

Though Vince Wilfork was getting knocked off the line and turned, while only being double-teamed a quarter of the time, Logan Mankins was the worst player on the field (easily):

* He was the last line of defense before the Intentional Grounding for the safety
* Got blown up forcing Brady to scramble outside and eventually throw the interception
* Whiffed on the sack on the last drive, forcing Brady to use up the final timeout on third down.
* Whiffs on play before fateful pass to Welker, allowing BJGE to be tackled for three-loss yard loss and then forcing a passing situation on second down and long.

3. Officials:

* On the fumble with 12 men on the field, an official blew his whistle before the Patriots recovered – would have been interesting…
* Still think that the call for intentional grounding was unnecessary considering the situation (see Game 7 – Bruins vs. Tampa Bay)

4. Offense:

* Tom Brady had another intentional grounding in the game when he rolled right (out of pocket) and dumped it into the ground but never back to the line of scrimmage.
* Why wasn’t Tom Brady running the play clock down on the second to last drive
* Patriots scored two touchdowns from 4:00 left in the first half (96 yards) to  3:40 into the second half and then nothing
* Danny Woodhead huge game – big third down conversion / touchdown
* Could Ocho Cinco have stretched the field a little bit?
* In back to back Super Bowls – after two weeks of film study the Patriots came  out with offensive plays that were failures to start the game

5. Defense:

* Kyle Arrington, please work on wrapping up in the offseason
* Kyle Love and Vince Wilfork looked like the Washington Generals against the Harlem Globetrotters
* If you add a stud linebacker with Mayo and Spikes, you might have something there

6. NY Giants:

* Catch by Manningham is the second best catch in Super Bowl history behind Santonio Holmes, and then there’s Lynn Swann’s juggling catch
* NY Giants again pre-game talk trash and live to be champions
* Crazy rush by Tuck to hurt Brady’s shoulder – he was in coverage and came 20 yardsto get the hit and change the game.
* Huge drive after the Patriots scored twice by the Giants to regain momentum and score a field goal.

 7. Bill Belichick:

* Should he have challenged the time out by Eli Manning – don’t know if he signaled before zero on play clock – next play was the Nickovich off sides – ughh
* Great coaching job this year

 8. Giants that were hurt and stopped the clock:

* 47 - Beckham – out for the game
* 90 – Jones – out for one play
* 82 – Manningham – out for one play
* 85 – Ballard – out for the game
* 31 – Artrell Rolle – out for one play

9. Last Drive:

* Can’t believe Brady threw behind Branch – it was wide open for50 yards if he threw ahead – afterwards Branch motioned with his hand that Brady should have thrown it ahead of him
* Hernandez drop was a choke play
* Mankins getting blown up for sack caused Patriots to use last time out
* Amazing fourth and 16 conversion with Brady sliding to his left like in 2002 Super Bowl to Troy Brown
* Catch by Welker and downed the ball but two seconds went off clock after play whistled and not put back
* Too many men on field for Giants costs 9 seconds – NFL rule should be time put back on clock to original time (or shy not put 15 men on the field until the clock runs out)
* Amazing catch by Deion Branch out of bounds
* On the Hail Mary, Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker were transfixed watching the play instead of moving in toward the ball just like Phi Slamma Jamma was on the shot by Derrick Wittenberg of North Carolina State caught and dunked by Lorenzo Charles to win the 1983 NCAA Championship:

10. Randomocity:

* I hate to say it – but if I was with the Patriots, WBZ-TV or WEEI – I would not allow Roslindale native, Boston College’s Steve DeOssie, to work for my station after his talking during Super Bowl week to Giant crowd from stage: “I feel like I’ve come home here (to New York)…I struggle sometimes up in New England but I know I got home in New York. I love you guys (Giants fans)”

* Patriots beat one team with a .500 + record
* Giants punter destroyed the Patriots punter (low flat punt allowed Giants to start 4th quarter possession at Pats 48
* On the great break-up by Sterling Moore – Chris Collinsworth literally screamed that’s “interference!” causing Al Michaels to add – “big non call!”
* I agree with Gerry Callahan – Chevy has a nerve putting out that commercial of surviving the Mayan Apocalypse – as he said: “they couldn’t ever survive the recession on their own.”
* Great years for the Mara family – win the Super Bowl and family member nominated for an Oscar in Dragon Tattoo
* Tom Brady and the team has to pull a Larry Bird off-season and demand that they get better.
* Tom Brady the quarterback has to be a man on a mission and will his team to two more Super Bowls and play with a chip on his shoulder. Bill Belichick the GM has to be better. Bob Kraft the Owner has to lock up Bill Belichick for five years (% of ownership).

© Michael for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | 4 comments
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Patriots, Top Story.

A heartbreaking loss for New England; another well-fought victory for New York. New York won again behind a season eerily similar to four years ago. Tom Coughlin continues to expand his record for most times being fired without actually being fired, and now has another Super Bowl to his credit. And the AFC finally won a coin toss for the first time in 15 years. The last AFC team before the Pats to win one? The Pats.

With most votes going with city lines, the Giants pulled off the upset in our Pick ‘Em contest. Scoring, turnovers and passing were all low, leading to few points across the board. But that doesn’t mean the scoring wasn’t close. In fact, despite double points, the final score came down to four points. And the winner of the 2012 NFL Playoffs Pick ‘Em is…Edward. Given the Super Bowl, I suppose it’s only fitting that the New Yorker of the contest wins. Solid picks throughout the rounds allowed Edward to come out on top.

So with the contest over, check below for the final results and standings. And remember to come back next September for next season’s Pick ‘Em.

Table Legend:

• Four-point picks are boldfaced.
• Two-point picks are italicized.
• Zero-poin picks are crossed out.

Previous Results

• Pro Bowl
• Conference Championships
• Divisional Round
• Wildcard Round

© John for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, NFL, Now!, Opinion, Patriots.

Everyday we do our best to fight the good fight. We go to work, survive bosses, tolerate traffic, make sincere efforts to parent to the best of our abilities, do our best to appease spouses, pay the bills, go to sleep and then wake up and do the same thing over again. To do more than just subsist, we must be able to attach ourselves to something that distinguishes us from others.

The Patriots and primarily Tom Brady and Bill Belichick up to this point, have given us the ability to feel special and unique. Their successes have allowed us, up to this point, to say that we, in some small way, we are part of something that is extraordinary. But, now we’re just fans of  another really good team. Somewhere, Joe Montana and Vince Lombardi can go to sleep Sunday night with their legacy secure while we replay what could have been and wonder why we’re not fans of the greatest football team ever. Like the groundhog not seeing his shadow – the Patriots losing means our winter will be longer and we’re no longer special!

1. Random Thoughts

* Tom Brady only player that came out without a helmet
* I guess the Red Hoodie wasn’t the difference in the 2007 outcome
* Both QB’s forgot to shave
* Should the Patriots be allowed to pick up a player less than 24 hours before the Super Bowl?
* Tom Coughlin and Tom Brady sang the national anthem (most players, I’m sure, don’t know the words)
* Without question the play to Wes Welker with 4:00 left – is the play of the game
* Three fumbles by the Giants and the Pats recovered NONE!
* Starting to think that Boston sports magic is fading away
* Bad challenge by Belichick costing the team a timeout – I think his record down the stretch was average on challenges
* Square 9-0 came up for the first and second quarter
* Think the intentional grounding is a questionable call in the Super Bowl
* They had to win the turnover battle (they lost) / Brady needed a 100% QB rating – 91% / They couldn’t give up 30 yard plays they gave up one BIG one / Less than 2 sacks – they gave up 2
* First Kraft sighting was third quarter (late)
* Worst thing is that nationally they will say – Patriots never won without SpyGate
* Vegas got killed / local bookies clean up
* Jets fans, Montana, Steeler fans, 49ers fans – and damn Giants fans celebrating
* Four of the five Patriots Super Bowls have been determined in the last minute
* Brady will have surgery on that left shoulder

2. OFFENSE

* Danny Woodhead had a huge game (I didn’t think they should dress him instead of Kevin Faulk) but his first down late on the swing pass could have been the game
* Doesn’t the offensive line want to cut some of those defensive linemen?
* Brady should have taken a timout earlier in the last-second drive of the first half
* If Tom Brady leads Deion Branch with a minute left, it’s a touchdown
* Logan Mankins in back-to-back Super Bowls looking like Max Lane– should be less “tough guy” and better blocker
* Ochocinco had a catch – gives him 16 in 18 games
* Thought some Red Zone play calling was conservative
* Gronkowski can’t allow that interception – and Brady has to throw that deeper
* Patriots didn’t score the last 26:20 of the game (four drives: punt, interception, punt, Hail Mary)

3. DEFENSE:

* I said one play over 30 yards and they lose, and the 38-yard pass to Manningham was it
* Sterling Moore is Dave Henderson – clutch plays in loss that will go forgotten
* Offsides by Rob Nickovich was Bill Buckner-esque on third down and incomplete
* Thought Devin McCourty had a good game and secured the starting safety position
* Twelve men on the field huge play in the game – cost them a fumble and points
* Why did Jerod Mayo have his back to the football on the slant touchdown to Victor Cruz?
* Too bad Vince Wilfork didn’t make the flight

4. NBC Broadcast (including commercials):

* Does Chris Collinsworth dislike the Patriots?
* Best commercials – kid peeing in pool / Camaro commercial for high school graduate
* NFL and NBC and the federal government should make performers sign a contract of conduct to perform with decorum at America’s greatest showcase – M.I.A. should be put in jail for the flipping the bird
* David Beckham commercial looked like a junkie in Fruit of the Looms – go back to the fruit guys

5. New York Giants:

* Tom Coughlin: His team, like expected, was well-prepared. New York media wanted him fired six weeks ago…
* Giants started 2007 with a nine-minute drive / this year a six-minute drive
* Eli Manning – Yet another QB with a QB rating over 100 (103.8) – the pass to Manningham was insane
* Salsa dancer – Pats D did a nice job on Cruz except for the TD
* At one point in the game, Antrel Rolle made a tackle after a Patriot first down and got up and celebrated
* Ahmad Bradshaw would have been the biggest goat in sports history if Patriots came back and won after falling into the end zone

6. Officials:

* They did a fine job – although the intentional grounding was not the time or place.
* Sterling Moore’s tip got Coughlin’s jugular to protrude, but it was a fair call

7. Stats:

* Turnovers: 1 to 0
* QB Rating: Brady needed 100 rating and came up with 91.1
* Time of Possession: Giants 37:05 / Patriots 22:55
* 81 total passes to 47 rushes

8. How proposals worked out:

* Player to win MVP: Eli Manning
* Player to score first touchdown: Victor Cruz
* Eli’s & Brady’s First pass: Reception (started 9 for 9) / Intentional Grounding
* Kelly Clarkson National Anthem1:340/U:1:33for National Anthem
* Will New England convert a fourth down: Once (the pass to Branch on the last drive)
* First missed field goal will be left / right / short: None missed

9. Patriots Final Games:

The Patriots are responsible for easing the arduous frustrations of long winters for over a decade now – below are the dates of last game each year.

• 2012, February 5
• 2011, January 16
• 2010, January 10
• 2009, December 28
• 2008, February 3
• 2007, January 21
• 2006, January 14
• 2005, February 6
• 2004, February 1
• 2003, December 29
• 2002, February 3

10. This spring’s Draft Picks for the Patriots:

Draft from April 26-28…

• 1^st Round – 27^th (From Saints)
• 1^st  Round – 31
• 2^nd Round – 48 (from Raiders)
• 2^nd Round – 63
• 3^rd Round – 93
• 4^th Round – 124
• 7^th Round – 217

Needs – Safety, 2 Wide Receivers, Offensive lineman, Linebacker,

© Michael for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | 9 comments
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Patriots, Top Story.

The New York Giants claimed their second Lombardi Trophy in five years, with Eli Manning leading them from behind in a 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, Ind.

Manning lead a nine-play, 88-yard drive that started with 3:46 remaining, capping it off with an Ahmad Bradshaw six-yard plunge with :57 seconds left to give New York the decisive touchdown. The drive was highlighted by a phenomenal 38-yard reception by Mario Manningham where he was able to maintain possession on a close sideline play.

Brady Struggles in Second Half

New England quarterback Tom Brady was terrific in the first half, tossing for 147 yards and a touchdown on 15-18 passing. He struggled in the second half however, generating just one scoring drive and passing for only 129 yards, one touchdown and one interception. In the offense’s final four possessions, the team had two punts, one interception, and a failed hail mary to end the game.

Brady finished the afternoon with 276 yards, a pair of touchdowns and one interception in his second straight Super Bowl defeat.

The ground game did not fare any better, gaining just 86 yards on the ground throughout the contest. BenJarvus Green-Ellis was the team’s leading rusher with 44 yards on 10 carries, but the New England ground game was ineffective throughout.

Gronkowski Limited by Injured Ankle

Sophomore tight end Rob Gronkowski was hampered by his ankle injury all evening, finishing the game with only two receptions for 26 yards. Gronkowski was targeted just three times, and he was in and out of the line up in the second half.

Three Studs

Danny Woodhead
Woodhead was critical on New England’s 14-play, 96-yard drive that put the Patriots up 10-9 at the half. The first time Super Bowl participant accumulated 33 yards on that pivotal drive, and finished the first half with 36 yards.

Middle Linebackers
One of the few positives coming out of the heart breaking defeat was the play of Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes. The young tandem each concluded their evenings with 11 tackles and eight solo takedowns each.

Special Teams
One of the few strengths New England had all night was on special teams. They fielded punts well, committed minimal turnovers, and did not allow big returns to the Giant’ returners.

Three Duds

Offensive Line
The Patriots were unable to generate any rushing game, finishing the night with 83 yards. In additions to that, the line allowed a pair of sacks to stifle Patriot drives. Another key error was on New England’s first play, in which a slight breakdown in protection resulted in an intentional grounding, giving New York a 2-0 lead on the penalty in the end zone.

Discipline
Brady’s blunder on that opening snap, coupled with a critical 12-men-on-the-field penalty which allowed the Giants to score a touchdown put the Patriots in a 9-0 hole. A third penalty was an offsides call on New England LB Rob Ninkovich, which prevented a would be Giants punt. New England finished the first half with five penalties for 28 yards.

Rush Defense
The rush defense did not play great in the first half, surrendering 70 rushing yards on 16 attempts for a 4.4 average. New York finished with 114 yards, an average of 4.1 yards, which helped the Giants’s dominate the time of possession early with a 19:45-10:15 advantage. The Giants continued their possession edge in the second half, ending the night with a 37:05-22:55 edge.

© Taylor for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Patriots, Top Story.

The Super Bowl is finally here, and once again, it’s New England vs. New York (if you include the other side of the New Jersey border). The SoB (in red)/SoNY (in green) rivalry is continuing in full swing as well, with the Pats getting the majority of picks to win their fourth ring. (True, most panelists are from Boston, but the Giants swung one of those votes.) Based on our picks, it looks to be a medium-to-high scoring game, though not an absolute shootout.

The passing looks to be in the low-to-mid 300s to top off the day, with a few turnovers thrown in. The MVP depends on who you ask, with only Tom Terrific getting multiple votes.

All categories are the same as last round, with the addition of picking the total combined turnovers of both teams. And also, for the Super Bowl, all point values are doubled! That mean’s it’s worth four points for anyone who guesses the winner of any game, two points if they can guess combined touchdown totals of the two teams to within one (or four points if they guess the total exactly right) and two points if they can guess the total passing yardage of each game’s top passer to within 50 (or four points if they get within 10 and six points if they guess it exactly right [just for the Super Bowl]). Correctly guessing the game’s MVP is worth two points, and guessing the combined turnover total of both teams is worth two points if guessed to within one (or two points if guessed exactly right).

So with all that out of the way, let’s enjoy the Super Bowl. Check below for the picks and check back on Monday for the results.

Previous Results

• Pro Bowl
• Conference Championships
• Divisional Round
• Wildcard Round

© John for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, NFL, Now!, Opinion, Patriots.

The New England Patriots have Announced their inactives for Super Bowl XLVI, with Kevin Faulk headling those out for the big game in Indianapolis, Ind.

Faulk is joined by QB Ryan Mallet, RB Shane Vereen, LB Gary Guyton, OL Donald Thomas, OL Nick McDonald, and DL Ron Brace.

Chad Ochocinco returns to action after missing the AFC Championship against Baltimore, while recently signed DL Alex Silvestro will be active.

New York’s inactives include RB Da’Rel Scott, WR Ramses Barden, OL Jim Cordle, OL James Brewer, DL Jimmy Kennedy, DE Justin Trattou, and Boston College alum Mark Herzlich.

© Taylor for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Patriots, Top Story.