Smart move

BRADY: Seeing everything.

WEEK 6
Patriots 20, Cowboys 16 (10/16/'11): "I can't stand stupid."

Those were the words of the State Trooper drill sergeant who was directing traffic into the parking lot across the street from Gillette before yesterday's game against the Cowboys. Seems the drivers were just a little worse than usual making their way along Route 1. Maybe it was all the Dallas fans. There were quite a few of them.

"I can't stand stupid."

That's what I was thinking during most of yesterday's game as both teams made mistake after mistake after mistake. Why was Brady dropping back to pass so much when almost every time the Pats ran the ball there were huge holes in the Cowboy line? Why was Aaron Hernandez having another game of dropped passes? Why was the offense coughing the ball up all over the place? Why are all these Dallas fans so annoying? How could the defense lose track of Jason Whitten at the goal line? Why didn't we get Shep's wife Della to come to a tailgate years ago?

That last one wasn't because of stupid. Della's not a big football fan. Nor is she a fan of standing outside for eight or nine hours in October. But she's an outstanding cook and always great to hang out with. After all, she's a newspaper person. I've hoped she would attend a game for years. I was very glad she decided to join us. Let's just say we've never had pitchers of Tom Collins at the tailgate before. They were good.

As was the Pats' thrilling come-from-behind win against Big D. I love the Cowboys. They are fun to root against and they have had some of the greatest and most entertaining teams I've ever seen -- good and bad. And they have great uniforms. Love when the Cowboys come to town. This edition of the team with the star is quite entertaining. Romo. Rob Ryan -- the one with more hair than stomach. DeMarcus Ware. And of course Jerry Jones.

The Cowboys came in at 2-2 but should have been 4-0. They blew what should have been easy wins against the Jets and the Lions. They have a very good defense and a talented -- but mistake prone -- offense. Expectations of a 49-40 game were not out of line.

Score at the half? Pats 13, Cowboys 10. Brady and Welker connected on another TD and Romo hit his favorite target Whitten. But both also threw picks in a penalty filled but fun first half. I was sitting up in Section 322 so Steve and Della could sit in 109 and get a good view. I took a walk to find some Don Julio and missed several minutes of the second quarter. Seems the upper deck concourse is about as big as the one at the old stadium. Which was way too small. Whoever thought that was a good idea ... well, I can't stand stupid. No Don Julios.

I took my perch for the third quarter and watched as the Cowboys D did what few defenses have been able to do the last two season. Slow down the Pats offense. The Pats had four possessions and came up empty -- mostly due to a Hernandez fumble and unusually bad Brady pick. The Cowboys managed to put together two field goal drives and, with five minutes to play they lead 16-13. Brady got the ball and a chance to drive for the lead. Instead the Pats went three-and-out. Dallas got the ball back with about three and a half minutes to go. One first down would have sealed the game. That's when Brandon Spikes took his turn stepping up. The young linebacker -- still working his way back from injury -- smashed through the middle of the line on first and second down, forcing the running back wide and right into the arms of several Pats tacklers. The Cowboys were forced to punt and Brady got the ball at his own 20-yard line with 2:31 left.

I looked at Matt and said "Brady's so due to have a comeback drive. He has a lot of them but no real big ones in the last few years. It's time." He agreed. Seems Brady and the offense agreed as well. They moved the ball with killer efficiency. Pass after pass. Brady to Hernandez. To Gronk (Brady got nailed as he threw). To Welker (Two-minute warning). To Welker again. To Woodhead. To Welker (the only incompletion). Brady sneak. To Woodhead. To Welker. First and goal at the Dallas 8-yard-line. 22 seconds left. Time out. It was what they call carving up the defense. Surgery.

The Pats lined up to go for the end zone. Brady took the ball, waited, waited, slid to his left, waited, waited, and then fired a strike to Hernandez along the back of the end zone. Gillette erupted. The Cowboys fans were quiet. Brady pumped his fist with the same intensity as he did ten years ago. It was a great drive and a great touchdown.

Brady explained after the game that he saw double coverage on Welker and Branch on his right and on Gronk just off left tackle. He recognized that Hernandez, slotted out to the far left, was in single coverage. I had a great view from my seat looking right down on the play. I couldn't see any of that. Brady saw it all. That's what separates him from the rest. There's no stupid there.