One and all done

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF GAME
Jets 28, Patriots 21 (1/16/'11): As I was driving home after dropping Mark and his friend Justin at the Providence Amtrak I had a thought. If my biggest problem with the football team I love to root for is that they just can't seem to win that fourth championship, well, that's not too bad a problem.

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF: Burned.

It took two hot dogs with everything from the Haven Bros. diner truck to bring me to that state of reason. And maybe a few drinks. There will be lot of Pats bashing in the next few days and weeks. Yesterday was a lousy time to play a lousy game. But it doesn't take away from what was a great year of football and tailgating with friends. 14-2. Not many people expected the team to make such strides. No matter how it ended, it was a season full of positives.

Me, Mark, Shep, Matt, Bergs, Billy and guests gathered in the sun and the cold of P2 with the anticipation of another great tailgate meal and another great game. It sure was a great meal. The chili really hit the spot. Matt -- thanks to a few Red Bulls -- quickly put together the fire pit Billy had put in his shopping cart along with the scallops and bacon. In no time Matt had the pit assembled and Billy had a fire roaring. The weather was perfect. The day was going smoothly.

The first sign it was not going to continue to go smoothly was when it was discovered the Don Julio bottle was just about empty. (Why do they make the glass of the bottle so dark?). The second was when I reached to take the cover off the fire pit and burned my hand. The scar on my little finger will be a fitting reminder of the day. And a reminder not to touch the cover of a blazing fire pit with my bare hands. We toasted Shep's first season of perfect attendance and talked about how great an AFC Championship game at Gillette against the Steelers would be next Sunday. Confidence was high.

Till Brady threw that pick. The first one he has thrown since, well, a long time. The Jets have a very good defense. I figured they would make life difficult for Brady and the offense. But I didn't think they could shut them down. They did. Like last year's defeat to the Ravens, there's not much about the game worth analyzing. The Pats came out looking sharp, driving down to the Jets' 20. Then came the interception. But, thanks to a great tackle by a hustling Crumpler and a miss by the Jets kicker, the pick did no damage. At least on the scoreboard. The Pats got the ball back and put together a solid drive. As the first half neared an end the Pats had seven first downs to just one by the Jets. But the drive stalled when Crump dropped an easy TD pass and Brady was sacked. The Pats settled for a field goal and a 3-0 lead.

There didn't seem much cause for concern. We all knew it wasn't going to be another blowout. Then the wheels came off in the second quarter. Blown coverages. Sacks. A horrible fake punt that led to a late first half touchdown by the Jets to take a 14-3 lead. The spark just seemed to drain from the Pats. The Jets now knew they would be playing the second half just as they had hoped -- with the lead and confidence. They could attack Brady. And they did.

The Patriots -- after a year of making so many plays -- made very few yesterday. I'll have to watch the tape of the game to be sure, but it didn't look to me like the Jets played that great a game. The Pats came out looking strong but then just went flat. The offense couldn't make plays to stay on the field and got frustrated. The defense couldn't make plays to get off the field. The difference between the NFL and the others sports is that there is no best-of-seven. No chance to even the series. One and done. It's what makes each game so important and exciting. Have a flat game in the playoffs and a season of hard work and success ends quickly. Very quickly.

The Jets move on to their second consecutive AFC title game. Rex Ryan and his band of merry men are 4-1 in the playoffs the last two years -- all road games. That's impressive. If they win next week they will have sure earned a shot at their first title since '69 by winning at Indy, New England, and Pittsburgh. Are they better than the Pats? Today they are. But come next season I expect the Pats to once again be the best in their division. Then they will have to figure out a way to start winning playoff games again. Maybe, like the Jets, they should go on the road.

Mark got out of the car at the train station. He leaned in to grab his bag and he said "We have like seven of the first 80 picks in the draft in a few months. We'll be back here again this same weekend next year and you'll be dropping me off after a win." Next fall. I can't wait.

I wonder if there are any good movies playing?