Reliving the final 20 minutes...
Chris
like crap, but they pulled it out? Well, against Chicago the Pats had
a 6-minute span in the third quarter where they didn't just play like
crap, but rather Crap...Brady's turning the ball over, the defense is
laying down, they're down 21 with just over 20 minutes left in the
game...and they pulled it out. It's one thing to pull it out when
you're playing like crap, but completely another when you're playing
like Crap. Those kind of wins don't happen too often so you take them
when you can.
After the Bears went up 27-6, I told myself that the Pats need to
score on the ensuing drive or I'm heading home from the bar. Voila!
27-13. Then the Pats get the pick and start deep in Bears territory.
I'm already gearing up for a 27-20 game, but the Pats can't do
anything with the ball and have to settle for a disheartening FG. I'm
figuring that the Pats blew a prime chance and that they'll be looking
at this missed opportunity if they lose. After the Pats stop the
Bears on their next drive, the Pats drive all the way inside the
Bears' 10-yard line, again having to settle for a FG. Although it's
27-19, I'm shaking my head at the blown opportunities. On the ensuing
kickoff, the Pats let the kick returner run to midfield, allowing them
a short field to set up the FG to make it 30-19 with around 6 minutes
left in the game. What a freaking roller coaster of emotions. As if
all this wasn't enough, the game got really interesting...
First, the TD to Faulk: On the play, the Bears sent the house at
Brady. There must have been 8 guys coming at him. Faulk read the
play and instead of taking his normal buttonhook (typical blitz-read
for an RB out of the backfield), he deeked the coverage and went deep.
Brady, however, was in no position to hold the ball long enough to
make a throw on such an adjustment EXCEPT for the fact that somehow,
some RB (Smith? Edwards? Anyone with TiVo confirm who?) picked up
the closest blitzer, allowing Brady just enough time to read the
adjustment and make the throw. The play was completely improvised and
credit must go to Faulk for adjusting to the coverage the way he did,
whoever picked up the blitz to give Brady the extra moment to read
Faulk's move, and Brady for keeping cool under an intense blitz and
not reflexively throwing to where Faulk would have been if he stayed
with his buttonhook.
Second, the defensive stop to get the ball back: I'm screaming at the
TV as A-Train rambles for 9 yards on first down...the whole planet
knew he was getting the ball, yet the Pats couldn't stop it. The Pats
make a great stop on second down to force 3rd and a long 1, but I'm
not too confident. I'm figuring two stops in a row like that are too
much to ask for. Shows how much I know. Thomas is stuffed in the
backfield and the Bears have to punt. I haven't seen a critical stop
like that since January 19th of this year. Of course the icing on the
cake is the great punt return that set up the Pats in good field
position.
Third, the drive leading up the the game-winning TD: After Brady
threw what looked like the game-losing INT, I got up and started
walking out. Fortunately, the bar had another TV with the game on
right above the exit and it was on this TV that I saw the red "under
review" box on the screen. That's when I stopped in my tracks and
made a U-turn back to my stool. When they showed the first replay,
the whole bar started shouting, "incomplete...he never had control".
Understand this is coming from several Raiders fans, too. I'm in
shock, thinking back to the tuck rule last January and how instant
replay might again save the Pats' bacon. As the INT is overturned,
the tuck rule jokes start flying around the bar and as if on que, CBS
shows that infamous play. The next few plays had the whole bar asking
what the heck was going on, with the whole 'offsides/timeout' play and
the 4th-and-3 QB sneak for a first down and the refs stopping the
clock to measure, then not measure. I was confused, too, but I didn't
care. All I knew was that the Pats were 20 yards away from winning.
Fourth, and finally, the game-winner: I'm convinced that Patten was
the first option on the TD and the play was executed exactly as
designed. The Pats lined up most of their receivers on the left and
at the snap, Brady looked left. I'm sure this was done to draw the
safeties left, so Patten would be guaranteed one-on-one coverage with
no help. A pass rusher on the Bears got a hand on Brady, forcing him
to move, but also likely helping sell the throw to the left...under
such a rush, the Bears are probably thinking that Brady definitely
will have to get the ball off quickly to the short (left) side of the
field. Brady recovered and fired a laser to Patten who was very well
covered by McQuarters (and who had a good game covering Patten...when
else did you hear Patten's name called?). On the live play, I didn't
see Patten make the toe tap so I thought it was incomplete, but the
others in the bar saw the back judge signal touchdown and also saw the
toe tap. When the first replay showed that Patten obviously got his
feet down, the bar erupted (yes, even the Raiders fans) "Touchdown!",
"Holy Sh&t!", "Oh my God!", "Pats win!", etc.
As I was walking out in a daze, one of the Raiders fans asked me if I
was looking forward to next week. I responded, "I'm there! See you
from the Coliseum," and headed home to chat up the game with my wife
and on the phone with my stunned father.
Regards,
Chris
P.S. The bar had the game on DirecTV and the local 49ers game on
over-the-air. Upon completion of the 49er game, CBS switched to the
Pats game so it was on both over-the-air and DirecTV. It turns out
that DirecTV lags behind the over-the-air broadcast by about 2-3
seconds. Once the game was on over-the-air, I started watching that
broadcast, but out of the corner of my eye could see the other TVs
showing the DirecTV broadcast. It's funny to see Patten catch the
game-winner live on the over-the-air broadcast, then see him do it
again "live" on the DirecTV broadcast a few seconds later.
PJ
"Chris" <chris_in_...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:42e6245c.02111...@posting.google.com...
Greg Zook
> As I was walking out in a daze, one of the Raiders fans asked me if I
> was looking forward to next week. I responded, "I'm there! See you
> from the Coliseum," and headed home to chat up the game with my wife
> and on the phone with my stunned father.
>
Another great post Chris. See you in NoCal. I'm so excited I'm developing
a rash.
Rich Carreiro
> Fourth, and finally, the game-winner: I'm convinced that Patten was
> the first option on the TD and the play was executed exactly as
> designed. The Pats lined up most of their receivers on the left and
It was. According to the Boston papers, *Brady* thought up
the play during the offsides/timeout thing. He went to Weis
and said how about we fake to the 3-receiver side and throw
back to Patten down the right side. Weis gave the OK and
the rest is history.
--
Rich Carreiro rlc...@animato.arlington.ma.us
"Home is where you hang your hat." "Character is what you are in the dark."