It's a good thing they vote for MVP and other awards before the post-season begins. Not that anyone in the Patriots' locker room cares, but that wasn't the presumable league MVP under center for the Patriots yesterday. And that was no Coach of the Year candidate on the sidelines either. The Pats dropped their third consecutive playoff game yesterday in Foxboro, 28-21, but the score wasn't nearly as close as it may indicate.
The beautiful thing about Tom Brady is that even when he lays an egg like he did yesterday, his numbers can still mask his actual performance. 29 for 45, 299 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 pick, an 89.0 QB rating. Not MVP numbers, no, but generally speaking those numbers aren't so bad right? The facts this morning are that we live in a world where Mark Sanchez outperformed Tom Brady in every facet of the quarterback position. In the playoffs. The playoffs? Playoffs? You kidding me?
Harsh reality sets in again when you realize this: the Patriots have now lost 3 straight in the post-season, dating back to Super Bowl XLII. Their last win was against the Chargers in the 2007 AFC Championship Game. Since starting off his post-season career 10-0, Tom Brady is just 4-5 since defeating the Jaguars in the 2005 Wild-Card round.
Now, this is not a eulogy for the Brady/Belichick Patriots. Step back and remember expectations for this team in August. 10-6 was generous by most accounts, while many pundits penciled them in for a mere 8-8 or 9-7. To say these Patriots exceeded expectations would be an understatement. That being said, to finish 14-2 and have your season end like it did is flat out sickening.
Where to begin? The final score shows the Patriots only lost by 7. If you didn't watch the game you'd think, "Wow, this must've been a close game that came down to the 4th quarter. Probably came down to the last possession". And sure, in theory, the Pats had a chance to tie the game late. But to be in that situation in the first place just shows how much the Jets dominated the Patriots. That's right, dominated.
The end of Brady's INT-less streak was a bad omen from the get-go, although Alge Crumpler going all Ben Watson on us definitely was an encouraging sign. Especially after former Cowboys' great Nick Folk missed a chip-shot of a field goal. But unfortunately, the Crumpler-Watson connection went further than the heroic tackle, as he dropped an absolute gimme from Brady in the end zone that would've given the Pats a 7-0 lead. Instead they settled for a field goal, and after the Jets scored never led again.
My biggest issue with the Patriots yesterday was the play-calling. In homage to that fateful Super Bowl XLII, New England got away from what had made them so successful in the first place, and instead tried to find a new identity offensively. Brady targeted the tight ends just 12 times, including Aaron Hernandez just once. The running game was stagnant all afternoon, particularly when Danny Woodhead carried the ball, yet the Patriots insisted on handing him the rock well into the 4th quarter when their mentality should've been pass-pass-pass. Woodhead rushed 14 times for 46 yards, never breaking off a run of more than 8 yards.
The most frustrating drive yesterday was the 14 play, 48 yard drive which began early in the 4th when the Pats were down 21-11. In a two-possession game, the philosophy of the offense should be, as I mentioned earlier, pass first. Instead, the Patriots ran the ball 7 times on the drive, and even when they did pass, had no sense of urgency getting back to the line. On almost every play it seemed like they were using the entire 40 seconds of the play clock. I realize the Patriots use complex substitution packages, but was switching up personnel ever a problem during the regular season? The Pats wound up using 7:45 of the clock, more than half the quarter, and came up with nothing.
What caused the Patriots to get so damn conservative on that drive? On their previous possession in the 3rd quarter, it took them just 8 plays to go 80 yards in a mere 3:51. It was Brady at his very best, airing the ball out, spreading it around, and most importantly, it left plenty of time still on the clock for New England to mount a comeback. The play calling, simply put, was deplorable. I'm not sure who was responsible for it, whether it was Belichick or Bill O'Brien, but it needs to be addressed, and immediately.
Anyways, after the 14-play drive yielded nothing, the Patriots seemed as though they were just going through the motions, not really showing any signs of life or giving any hints of a comeback. Doesn't Tom Brady have any sense of pride? Or anyone on the Patriots? The Jets just might be the most classless team in the NFL, as their pre-game smack talk throughout the week indicate. And the Pats just roll over like they did? Brady has become famous for his energy on the sidelines, motivating anyone and anything he comes into contact with. Where was that yesterday? I hate myself for even mentioning this possibility, but do you think some players on the team were turned off by Belichick's benching of Wes Welker on the opening series? Let's say Tom Brady says something about Rex Ryan's foot fetish in a press conference. Does BB start Brian Hoyer?
Yesterday left a disgusting taste in the mouths of all of Patriots Nation, and we have far more questions than answers as to what happened right now. But again, take a step back and think back to August. This team actually won 14 games? It sucks the way it ended, but it is what it is. Labor situation-permitting, the Patriots will be back with a vengeance in August.
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