Round Three - Knocked Out

Not much to say. The Colts just wanted to win more. The Patriots never got the running game going and were forced to kick too many field goals in the second half. Pats lose 38 to 34.

Great season Patriots! 12 & 4 with 2 wins in the playoffs isn't bad. With a decent draft and offseason signings (linebacker - maybe two new fast linebackers??) this team is Super Bowl bound. The future looks bright - the sun is not setting....

Next year!

Patriots Vs. Colts Preview

It's amazing how insignificant this game feels - to Patriot fans. I don't know whether it's because the Patriots have already proved enough by beating the Chargers and whatever happens now is just a bonus. Maybe it's because the Patriots have already beaten the Colts and Payton Manning enough that it winning against the Colts is sort of like walking - not that amazing anymore. Either way - no matter what happens Sunday at 6:30 it means a lot more to Colts fans then it does to Patriots fans. Who knows - this game may Payton Manning last chance at a Super Bowl championship.

This game is going to depend on one thing - the Patriots ability to run the ball. If Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk and Corey Dillon can run the ball effectively against the cheesecake Colts run defense (worst in the NFL) then this game is over for Indy. If the Colts stuff the Pats running game then expect a nail biter and perhaps a Patriots loss. Both of the last times the Patriots played the Colts, Indy has effectively shut down the Pats running game and the Colts have come out victorious.

The Tom Brady Vs. Payton Manning angle on any game inbetween the Colts and Pats is usually overrated since they don’t actually line up opposite each other but its not being over hyped this time. At least according to my prediction… My prediction is that Payton Manning will send the Patriots to the Super Bowl by throwing an interception at the end of the first half to Tom Brady on a “Hail Mary” pass that will be returned for a touchdown by Vice Wilfork (Tom Brady will lateral the pigskin to Vice at the 50 yard line to run in the rest of the way). There will be no more scoring in the second of the game. Pats win 77 to 69. (Adam Vinateri missed an extra point)

Round Two - Chargers Get Zapped Out of Playoffs

Before the game started yesterday I jokingly mentioned to someone that I was hoping that "this game wouldn't be one of those they show in the greatest NFL games ever videos". I didn't get my wish. Yesterday’s game was one of the closest games the Patriots have ever played and perhaps their greatest comeback ever. Yeah, they have comeback from more points down in less time - but did those games come against any 14 & 2 team playing at home with a nine Pro Bowlers on its roster not to mention the current NFL MVP? I still haven't been able to figure out whether it was more the Chargers lost the game or the Patriots won the game but regardless - the Pats won. Next week Indy (and Peyton Manning)....

Just some game notes

Stephen Gostkowski is still perfect in the playoffs. He's hit the long one the short ones and doesn't even make me nervous when he's kicking anymore.... Who needs Vinatieri anyways? Oh yeah - the Colts....

By beating the Chargers the Patriots also beat their fifth MVP that they have played in the playoffs. Kurt Warner (2001), Peyton Manning - Steve McNair (co MVP's 2003), Peyton Manning (2004), LaDainian Tomlinson (2006).

Jabar Gaffney is the leading receiver in the playoffs with 207 yards. Pretty good for a guy that no one wanted and didn't even start the regular season on a teams roster. And it's not like the Patriots passing offense is simple either - just ask Chad Jackson....

For Marty Schottenheimer it was "the drive", "the fumble", and now "the interception". Poor guy.

Patriots Vs. Chargers Preview

Isn't it interesting that once again the Patriots are playing the game of the week. This week the Pats opponent is the AFC best 14 - 2 San Diego Chargers. The Chargers have two reasons for their success - an offense that scores points like their playing basketball and a defense that treats quarterbacks like piñatas. The Chargers overall are pretty strong in all areas of their team (remember, their 14 & 2 for a reason) but just as any other team they do have problems - only smaller ones.

First problem that the Chargers have is their secondary - expect Tom Brady to put up some good numbers on this unit. Quentin Jammer and Drayton Florence the Bolts CB's aren't the worse defensive backs in the NFL but they certainly aren't among the best in the league. It’s going to take an above average game from these cornerbacks if the Chargers want to make Tom Brady lose his composure and get frustrated like he did in the games vs. Denver and Miami.

The second area of weakness for the Chargers is the inexperience of Phillip Rivers. How well the first year quarterback will play the first playoff game of his career is a complete mystery. Some quarterbacks have a hard time adjusting to the stress of the playoffs - Ben Rosenburger who performed well all season played terrible in both his first and second playoff performances before he settled down a year later and won the Super Bowl. My point is that Rivers could do really well or really terrible. No one knows. The time off in between the regular season and this week that he’s had to sit around thinking about all the things that could go wrong probably doesn't help his game readiness either.

Now as far as the Patriots; they have to throw the ball effectively to win this game. This includes the short passes and screens that the Pats excel at. One way to shut down Shawn Merriman (the Chargers best defensive player, OLB, 17 sacks on the season) is to send out 5 receivers wide and then force the Chargers to use Merriman in coverage on a running back that is most likely faster then him. Another importing thing for the Patriots to do is pressure Phillip Rivers and get into his head early in the game. Squish the pocket and make him lob the ball up for grab and hope Asante Samuel is somewhere near it. Oh another small thing - stop LaDainian Tomlinson. I believe that just like the Colts shut down Larry Johnson last week the Pats can stop MVP and Offensive Player of the year Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson (LT). Bill Belichick was able to shut down Marshall Faulk when he was at his best in Super Bowl XXXVI with his defense game plan, he'll have a plan to minimize the damage that Tomlinson will do.

My prediction is that the Patriots will win 11 to 4 with the game clinching points coming off a tipped pass that Tom Brady will catch and run with for a 34 yard touchdown. The Chargers will score their four points on a field goal and a missed touchdown and completed extra point....

Round One - Patriots Crash Jets Playoff Hopes

The Patriots had a riot Sunday in their first playoff game defeating the New York Jets 37 to 16 in a game that was closer then the score tells - but not as close as the score tells. It’s really not too complicated - but it’s very complex. Chad Pennington was good - but on the other hand - he was terrible. It was the best of times and the worst of times. It was Pats vs. Jets. New York vs. New England.

I taped yesterdays game due to the fact that I knew that I was going to miss it. It was kind of strange knowing that the game was over but not knowing who won as we watched the game. The strangeness of it all was further compounded by the fact that it was pitch black outside and it was all sunny skies in Foxboro - on the TV screen. Hey - there was one big advantage though of watching it taped - no real breaks in the game. Commercials, obvious penalties, replays of plays we didn't want to see - "fast forward please". . . . The game only took a brisk two hours to watch in full (counting some of the pre-game).

As far as the game - great job by the Patriots. The play calling was some of the best the coaching staff has done all season. They let Tom Brady do what he does best the whole game, dumping off short pass's to open receivers and not making mistakes. The running game was also very effective totaling over 140 yards between Laurence Maroney, Corey Dillion and Kevin Faulk. Kevin Faulk had a great game blocking, running and catching the ball. Also someone forgot to tell the Jets that Vice Wilfork is the 2d coming of Jerome "the Bus" Bettis.

Someone also neglected to inform the Jets that Jabar Gaffney was going to have an All Pro like day. Gaffney formerly known as "yeah, that guy, what’s his name?" caught eight footballs for over a hundred yards. That’s the great part about the playoffs - unknown players become playmakers and great regular season players like you know who, show that the playoffs aren't for everyone. Great win - Chargers up next in round two.

Patriotic Time

It's NFL playoff time and that means it's time to think Patriotic! The Pats did a great job of winning vs. the Titans yesterday to keep their chances of getting the third seed alive and almost had it fall to them but it turned out that the Colts won and the Pats finished as the 4th. That means that Patriots will face the Greedy Green J-E-T Jets! Jets! Jets! next week in a intriguing rematch. The last time that Pats played the Jets the Patriots lost the game 14 to 17 at home on a field so muddy that you could drown in it (the Patriots soon after that game replaced the mud with FieldTurf). That game was also the first time in something like three seasons that the Patriots lost two games in a row. Doug Gabriel’s big fumble in that game lost him his job as a Patriot even though he ranked fourth on the team in receptions as of then - Bill Belichick wanted that game bad. Really bad.

Bill Belichick isn't going to let his guys lose this game this time. The Patriots are built to win in the playoffs - and on the same note Bill Belichick knows how to play-call in the playoffs. His record as a coach in the postseason is amazing. His overall playoff record is 11 – 2. But here’s the good part – as the Patriots coach - he has won the Super Bowl three out of the four times his team has made the playoffs. There shouldn't be any worries about the coaching - he'll have the team ready.

So based on the fact that Bill Belichick is the Patriots coach, that the Patriots are looking great, and that Chad Pennington has a weaker arm then my sister I'm going to predict that the Patriots will prevail 8 to 2 and Tom Brady will drop-kick a extra point after Vinny Testaverde runs back a kickoff 109 yards for a touchdown....