Patriots Enter The Bye Week On A High
Monday’s game was reminiscent of the “classic” Patriots road wins. Some how, some way, they did it. And not in the ways anyone could have predicted.
Who could predict that Rob Nincovich … a linebacker … would have two interceptions? Who could have predicted that Pat Chung would block two kicks and run back an interception for a touchdown? They won by 27 points and Brady only threw for 153 yards and Moss didn’t have a single catch – who could have predicted that? Danny Woodhead has only been with the team two weeks – he had a touchdown. Jarrad Page also only with the team two weeks – he had an interception.
But that’s what this team used to do. When they needed a play, they made the plays. This wasn’t happening last season. Sure, at times the defense got gashed. But it sometimes felt like they were just waiting for…
Of all the players the Patriots could not afford to lose, Kevin Faulk ranks right up there in the top 3 or 4. But he has an ACL injury and is gone for the season. How the team replaces the many roles he filled is yet to be seen. In the meanwhile, highlights of #33 in action:
So in this down time of summer many NFL aficionados are putting forth their lists and rankings of how the teams fared so far in post season. I won’t do that. Well, not yet, anyway.
Instead, here’s the list of teams for Pats fans to root against this coming season. The teams to loathe, and the teams that stand in the Pats way of another trip to the Super Bowl. And why. Come on, no one carries a pointless grudge further or longer than a Bostonian. So this is right up our street. And now, the list:
- The New Jersey Jets. Yes, they have replaced the Colts as Bob Kraft’s own personal “bin Laden.” Between Rex’s trash talk, his player’s trash talk, and the signing of LaDanian “Electric Glide” Tomlinson – the classiest man in football, and the bestest running back ever (just ask him) – there’s plenty to dislike here. Oh, and they got into the
…
Well, the Patriots porked the puppy on Sunday big time. So there’s not much left to do but forget about football until the draft. And hope that between now and then Grey Hoodie realizes he needs kick-ass coordinators, a beast of a RB to kill the clock, a TE who doesn’t have the ball bouncing off his chest, and a few LB’s capable of running through brick walls.
Oh, and “Geaux Saints!” If it can’t be the Pats winning it all this year, then the folks in N’Orleans certainly deserve a break.
Anyway, here’s a few videos to ease the pain – or maybe provide some insight – or at least a few laughs. Shit … remembering that game still feels like sitting on the business end of a jack-hammer.
It wasn’t pretty and the 2009 Patriots clearly have a lot of work left to do, but it was a win in classic Patriots fashion none the less.
For the better part of three quarters they played as if half-asleep. The Bills offense was able to push down the field, the Patriots offensive line had trouble giving Brady time to throw and even when they brought in an extra lineman, the Bills were still blowing up run plays. Brady looked uncomfortable, Welker was dropping passes – things looked bad.
Until the fourth quarter. All of a sudden Brady, Moss, Welker, and Faulk are connecting and driving down the field as expected. The defense started to play with some intensity. And then there was: The Fumble. The Bills kick returner brought the ball out of the end zone and Merriweather and Woods stripped the ball, allowing the kicker, Gostkowski, to pounce on it. Brady connected to Watson twice in the span…
