Treats, tricks, and TKOs

WEEK 8
Patriots 28, Vikings 18 (10/31/'10): What a knockout of a day. Braised short ribs and margaritas for breakfast (Me, Mark, and Bergs arrived in the lot at 11 a.m. for the 4:15 p.m. kickoff). Costumes and candy everywhere. Brisket sandwiches for lunch.

Listening to the Jets get shutout while enjoying the pregame tailgate, I sat around in the sun with Mark, Bergs, Shep and three of his sons reliving some of our favorite days at Foxboro/Gillette. The parking lot was in a festive mood as a group of high school cheerleaders walked around in their uniforms, selling candy to raise money to go to Cheerleading Nationals.

"The best part," Bergs said as we took in the scene. "Is that there's still a game to go watch."

That is the best part.

WEEK 8: Pointing the way to the top.

We decided to get to our seats early to see a certain #4 warm up. We've talked for years about going in an hour before the game to catch warm-ups but usually the lure of another drink or steak sandwich would keep us tailgating till the last second. Yesterday we were motivated. That's what Brett Favre and Randy Moss on a perfect Halloween evening will do to you.

Favre jogged out onto the field ahead of the rest of the Vikings about 50 minutes before kickoff to the boos of the couple of hundred of fans who were already in their seats with Don Julio in hand. Soon the Pats players, wearing my favorite 1970s red throwback jerseys, began filtering out by position. Tight ends Crumpler, Hernandez, and Gronkowski were among the first and went into the end zone and started a one-on-one blocking drill. They looked motivated too. Crumpler, who was named a team captain to replace Kevin Faulk, is the perfect veteran to work with the rookies. They would all have a big role in the win over the Vikings.

The Pats got the opening kickoff and looked to be moving but a penalty nullified a great direct-snap play to Danny Woodhead that would have been good for a first down and the Pats eventually had to kick it.

The first big play of the game came on the Viking's opening  possession. With just more than seven minutes to go in the first quarter, the Vikes faced a 3rd-and-2 at their own 42-yard line. The ball was going to Adrian Peterson. He was a perfect 7-for-7 on third down carries so far this season. The ball was snapped, Favre handed it off to Peterson, he cut left, and the Pats D, lead by Jerod Mayo, surged over the line of scrimmage and stuffed him short. That play set the tone for the day and the crowd was into it the rest of the way.

The Vikings got the ball back after a New England three-and-out and Favre lead his offense on a nice 13-play drive down to the Pats' goal line. Actually, it was Peterson who lead the drive but all the attention, as usual, was on Favre. The gutsy folk hero dropped back to pass on a second down play at the Pats 10, and just as he was throwing an incompletion the crafty veteran took the first shot to his chin. Gary Guyton nailed him on a penalized helmet-to-jaw hit that knocked the old man down but not out -- yet.

The Vikes took the ball in for six, but even on the touchdown the Pats D made a statement. Peterson leaped in the air on 2nd-and-goal and was met head-on by Mayo. The hit stopped Peterson in his tracks and he crumpled at the goal line. The refs ruled that he had scored (which from the replay was questionable) but the defense had made the Vikes pay for it every step of the way.

The Pats offense, in a very significant trend that has developed, answered that score with a drive of its own. A few Ben Jarvis carries and a strike to Brandon Tate set the Pats up 3rd-and-goal at the three. Another direct snap to Woodhead, this time without a penalty, and the playmaker took it in to tie the game.

Minnesota got the ball back with just more than six minutes in the half and drove down to the Pats' 10. On third down Favre, who played a solid game, completed a pass to the one-yard line. Brad Childress and the Vikes faced a 4th-and-goal. Most teams, on the road, would have kicked a field goal to take a 10-7 lead into the half. But Childress, as mediocre coaches tend to do, outsmarted himself. He decided to go for it -- maybe trying to show Belichick he could out-Belichick him -- and gave the Pats D a real chance to make a statement. And they did -- loud and clear. Peterson got the ball and the defenders swarmed through the line and stopped him for a two-yard loss. Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes were first on the spot. The stadium was buzzing all through halftime thanks to that.

Minnesota put up a field goal to open the third quarter and then Brady and Tate made the play of the game at their own 35-yard line. Brady, who had been narrowly escaping the Vikes' pass rush all game, couldn't find an open receiver so he slid to his left to avoid tacklers and then spun completely around and, just as two defenders closed on him, found Tate racing down the left sideline. Brady hit him and Tate did the rest, taking it 65 yards for the score that put the Pats ahead for good.

Rookie Devin McCourty picked off Favre and set the Pats up at the Minnesota 41. A few plays later Ben Jarvis broke a 13-yard run for a touchdown and the Pats were up 21-10. The only thing left was to see how the Favre saga would play out. I'd been waiting a long time to see the Pats punish him. I didn't expect them to take it quite so literally.

The Vikings, needing a score to get back into the game, drove down to the Pats goal line again with about seven minutes to play. Favre dropped back to pass on 3rd down and threw an incompletion, getting hit in the chest by Myron Pryor just as he let the ball go. Pryor's helmet gashed Favre's jaw, knocking him silly and forcing him from the game. The Gillette crowd booed him as he was helped off the field and then carted off to the locker room looking dazed. That's just how sick people are of everything Favre. You never hear people booing guys who are hurt.

Tavaris Jackson came in and threw a TD on his first play and then made the two-point conversion, drawing the Vikes within 21-18. Once again the Pats offense, which struggled often during the game, put together a drive to seal it away. Ben Jarvis (now a member of my fantasy football team) scored his second touchdown, getting spun in the air as he crossed the goal line. The Pats gave out many more big hits than they took yesterday, another good trend that has developed.

Moss got hugs from Brady and Belichick after the game and as he walked off the field got a warm ovation from those who were left -- including me.

The Patriots, predicted to be on the way down by many of the spouting heads, are 6-1. The best record in football. As we set up the post-game tailgate, high-fiving strangers in crazy costumes as they walked by, we all laughed at how our good fortune as football fans continues.

To quote Randy Moss: To Coach Belichick and the Patriots -- salute.

I like my Kool-Aid with ice

The NFL is often called a quarterbacks' league. The QB is key. No doubt. But listening to Brad Childress, the coach of the Pats' opponent this week, it became clear that the NFL is really a coaches' league. Bad coaches can ruin good teams. Think Childress or Wade Phillips. Good coaches can get the most out of average teams. Think Bill Parcells or Mike Shanahan. Average quarterbacks have won championships. Average coaches have not.

Patriots fans are lucky. For the past ten years we have had the best coach in the league. In fact, Bill Belichick is the greatest coach the NFL has ever seen.

No. I haven't been guzzling the Kool-Aid. I'm still not too happy that Randy Moss was traded. The team has lost a few too many games during the past two seasons that it could/should have won. He screwed up large by illegally taping opponent's signals. He could be a little less of a jerk at press conferences. Mike Vrabel should still be playing for this team.

BELICHICK: Coaches coach.

None of that -- or any other criticism that spouting heads like Borges or Felger might throw his way -- changes the fact that the man currently coaching the Patriots is the game's best. Ever. Others may go with Landry, Shula, Noll, or Lombardi. All good choices. But watching Bill Belichick from the stands some ten times a year for more than a decade has convinced me. Is he the most entertaining? Uh, no. The most glib? Nope. The warmest. Hell no. What does that have to do with the issue? Does he have fun with the media? Would you?

Belichick's detractors describe most Pats fans as Kool-Aid drinking worshipers who think the coach/GM/defensive coordinator/ trainer/ doctor/bus driver can do no wrong. Three Super Bowl titles and an 18-1 season sure do buy you a lot of loyalty and benefit of the doubt. But Pats fans question Belichick all the time.

Add these to my list: I disagreed with letting Willie McGinest go. Strongly. I think if he's in that AFC title game in Indy we don't blow an 18-point lead. Willie wouldn't have stood for it. Same with that Super Bowl. You think Willie lets little Manning escape that sack? He not only sacks him, he probably draws blood. That was what made Willie the true leader of that team. Same with Vinatieri. I would have paid him. Without those kicks in the winter of '02 I don't think any of this happens. Belichick should have signed him for three more years just to say thanks. But that would have been money not well spent. Gostkowski -- if you factor in his kickoffs -- has actually been better than the best clutch kicker ever. Belichick was right on that one. He's right more often than not. And he's not afraid to make the tough decisions. That's why he's making the calls. All of them. Even that fourth down call I didn't like last year -- and last week.

Borges, no longer of the Globe, recently wrote that without the players Belichick would just be another high school football coach. Mark and I still have our decoder rings out trying to decipher that one. Borges is certainly not drinking the Kool-Aid. But sometimes I think he's drinking something. The players deserve a huge amount of the credit for all the wins. Belichick is the first one to give them that credit. Week in and week out. "The players made the plays." The coach says it all the time. Those players have come and those players have gone, and still the Patriots are one of the top teams in the league. Ten years after their first Super Bowl title. It's been an incredible run. And with seven picks in the first four rounds of next year's draft it doesn't look like it's about to end.

Since 2001, Belichick's Pats have not had a losing season. They have only missed the playoffs twice during that time and in those two years (2002, 2008) they missed due to a tie-breaker. 2008's Brady-less team is only the second team to win 11 games and not make the playoffs. As the Patriots walked off the field in San Diego Sunday with a 5-1 record, the chances of them putting up another 10-plus win season looked good. Anything can happen in these last 10 games and there are lots of things they need to improve on, but the team that many predicted would finish third in the division is once again battling for the top in the AFC.

Belichick's true value doesn't lie in his personnel decisions, draft-day maneuvers, interview skills, video library, or even his game planning. His value is in his coaching. On Sundays. Watching him on the sideline year after year I've seen a head coach doing what he should be doing -- coaching. He's always focused. Always thinking about the next play. Always communicating with his team. And from what I see from my seat in Section 109 his team listens to him -- and respects him. There aren't too many coaches who can last this many years with a team without the players tuning him out. Belichick still has his team's attention. That in itself is an accomplishment.

Belichick's philosophy of coaching can be described in three words. Do your job. A simple philosophy. But effective. It's a philosophy that -- when put in the hands of the right players like Troy Brown, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Vince Wilfork and now guys like Jerod Mayo and Pat Chung -- can lead to championships. It's a philosophy that Belichick himself follows on Sundays. No matter what the score, what the situation, he is always doing his job.

Watch the NFL Films video on coaches of the 2000s. (The part of just Belichick is below) Who do you want as the coach of your NFL team? The ones -- and there are some very good coaches among them -- who are yelling (I can never get enough of Dennis Green) and screaming and talking nonsense? Or the one who always keeps his composure, keeps his focus on the next play, doesn't like listening to himself talk, and always does what he thinks puts his team in the best position to win no matter how it makes him look.

I'll take the one in the hood. Hopefully for another 10-plus years.

Favre!!!!!!

Brett Favre may have stuck it to Pats fans yet again.

Reports today are that the grand old man of football suffered two fractures in his ankle last night while he was almost single-handedly losing a huge game for his struggling Vikings. Favre threw three picks against Green Bay in what was certainly his last game at historic Lambeau Field. It was classic Favre. He would make a great play, only to follow it with an equally stupid one. The best part was listening to the announcers say how he almost pulled out another comeback win, completely ignoring the fact that if he hadn't thrown those picks his team would not have been behind.

FAVRE: Feeling his age.

Watching the game, I just couldn't wait for his arrival at Gillette Sunday. With sidekick Randy Moss. Now that is all in doubt.

Among his many records -- good and bad -- Favre has started 291 straight games. Most ever for a quarterback, 291! A streak that goes back decades. Once Favre announced he was coming back for one more year there was never any doubt that he would be throwing passes -- and picks -- against the Pats on Halloween. The guy always plays. Even when he shouldn't. That's because Favre always puts his own interests ahead of that of his team. Always.

But now it looks like I will be booing Tavaris Jackson. That won't be nearly as fun.

Pats' fans hatred of #4 goes way, way, way back. The greatest quarterback and American to ever lace 'em up shot to the top of the New England enemy list in the 1996 Super Bowl. (That was the one in which coach Bill Parcells was signing a contract to coach the Jets when he should have been telling his special teams coach not to kick the ball to Desmond Howard).

Favre was the young gunslinger back then. I can still see him running around in his green and yellow Packers uniform with his helmet raised above his head after he threw a touchdown bomb. Favre and the Pack knocked off the Pats even though he made many stupid mistakes. The Pats could have won. Maybe should have won. But Favre and Green Bay did and -- although he hasn't won a title since -- his legend has continued to grow.

Favre came back to bite the Pats in 2002, the year after Brady won his first Super Bowl. The Pats, who won a thriller at home against Miami to finish at 9-7, needed Favre and his Vikings to knock off the Jets to put the them in the playoffs. The Patriots were the defending champs and were hot. If they had made it into the playoffs anything was possible. The Pack was 12-3. The Jets 8-7. My family gathered at my parents house figuring there was a very good chance a 12-3 team would beat an 8-7 team. We forgot Brett Favre was playing,

Favre and the Pack decided to pretty much take the game off and were whipped by the Jets 42-17. The Pats were out of the playoffs. The Jets were in. Thanks Brett. It hurt a little less when the Atlanta Falcons went into Green Bay and blew them out 27-7 in the opening round of the playoffs. Favre, as usual, threw two big picks.

Flash forward to 2008, the year Brady got hurt and the team still managed to go 11-5 with Matt Cassel leading the way. Favre was now a member of the Jets. He had led Gang Green to an 8-3 record through eleven weeks and the national media had anointed them champs. But the Jets, lead by Favre game-killing interceptions, lost three of their next four and were out of the playoff hunt.

But... the Jets were playing Miami, who were tied with the Pats for first in the AFC East, in the final game of the season. If Favre and the Jets could beat their rivals from the South then the Pats, without Brady, would make the playoffs. It would be a great success story. Once again my family gathered at my parents' house to see if Favre could give us a little help.

Final score: Dolphins 24, Jets 17.

Favre threw three picks, one of them Miami took back for a score. Does Favre hold the record for most "pick sixes"? My bet is yes. Once again Favre had screwed the Pats and their fans.

All the time Favre was losing one big game after another, the media was elevating him to American hero status. His status among my family? Public enemy #1.

I was hoping for one last chance to let Captain America know how I felt. Once again it looks like he has cheated me out of some fun.

Then again... if there's a quarterback who will force his way on to the field with a fractured ankle and a weak arm in order to officially kill his team's season, it's Brett Favre.

Come on, Brett. You owe me one.

Greased lightning

WEEK 7
The first half of the Pats-Chargers game set football back about 50 years.

WEEK 7: Pick up game.

Has a wide receiver (SD's Richard Not-So-Goodman) ever caught a pass, fallen down, and then just left the ball on the field for the defense to pick up? I've never seen it. It's also not too often you see offsides on the opening kickoff (Pats), or a team (SD) kill a big drive by throwing a lazy lateral then watching the ball roll around on the ground till a defender (Ninkovich) picks it up and takes it to the 8-yard line. Only to then sack the opposing QB (Brady) twice to force a field goal? It was sloppy, crazy football.

And it made for a beautiful road win for the now 5-1 Patriots. That's two road wins in a row for a team that just a few weeks ago couldn't win outside the Foxborough town line. At two tough places to play. The 2010 season is definitely starting to feel a lot different from 2009. Good teams find ways to win games when not playing at their best. Or take games when the other teams give them away. The Lightning Bolts were in a very giving mood yesterday. Thank you, Norv Turner. Again.

The first half ended with the Pats ahead 13-3 thanks mostly to four Charger turnovers. And thanks to an opportunistic, aggressive defense. San Diego, the best passing attack statistically in the league so far this year, had eight first half possession but only put up one field goal. Tight end Antonio Gates, almost unstoppable in the first six weeks, was blanked in the first half. It was another solid game by Jerod Mayo, Jermaine Cunningham, Rob Ninkovich, Pat Chung, Vince Wilfork, and company.

The third quarter opened with a dominating 17-play drive by the Pats that showed how good the offense can be when it is clicking. Brady spread the ball around nicely and Woodhead and Green-Ellis continued their straight ahead -- if unspectacular -- running game. The Pats controlled most of the second half and with just more than seven minutes left in the game were up 23-6. Then the Chargers -- desperate to avoid falling to 2-5 -- finally got their passing game cranking.

Gates finally hauled in a touchdown pass and the Chargers cut the score to 23-13. Then something very surprising happened. Norv outcoached Bill Belichick. No, really. The Chargers executed a perfect onside kick and recovered the ball. The Pats did not look ready for that. Might have been because the sun seemed to be in Belichick's eyes the entire fourth quarter. Whatever it was, the Chargers drove in for another score to cut the lead to 23-20.

Brady and the offense got the ball with four minutes left. Two first downs and the game would be over. It's a drive this offense has to have. Instead the offense went four and out. Green-Ellis was stuffed on a fourth down run and the Chargers took the ball and moved into position for a 45-yard field goal to tie the game. Fittingly, San Diego committed one last mistake. A five-yard illegal formation flag pushed the kick back to a 50-yarder and Kris Brown's kick -- and the Chargers' season -- clanked off the goal post.

The Pats -- as the Steelers and the Ravens also did yesterday -- escaped with a big win.

There were plenty of negatives for the Pats. Too many penalties. The defense gave up nearly 400 yards of offense -- again. The offense is still having too many wasted possessions. The passing game is mostly limited to Aaron Hernandez. New hero Deion Branch finished with just four catches and was hardly part of the offense for three quarters. Watching the tape of the game showed several times where he came off the line of scrimmage and just stood around. Like Randy Moss. I can't wait to hear Felger rip Branch for that. Right. He loves Branch. The old double-standard. The Pats are 2-0 since trading away Moss, but in both wins the offense had no deep threat and struggled for much of the game. That may prove to be a weakness going forward. It may not. Clearly an element of their attack is gone.

But the defense is fast becoming a positive. Mayo is starting to return to the level that he played at during his award-winning rookie season. Rookie Devin McCourty, who has been quietly playing solid cornerback since training camp, made his first pick of the year. Brandon Meriweather made some big -- and legal -- hits. There will be some tough days ahead for the young defense, but the signs are mostly pointing in the right direction.

Speaking of pointing in the right direction... there's Tom Brady. He threw for just 159 yards yesterday and one touchdown. But the biggest stat was his interceptions: zero. On a day when seven picks were returned for touchdowns in the NFL, the Pats quarterback did a great job of directing his team and keeping them in a position to win. Just like he did last week against Baltimore. He will still have his three and four touchdown games. But yesterday's one touchdown game was just as crucial. He's playing like the veteran champion that he is. That's the most positive sign.

Next up on the schedule is a game I've been looking forward to since the schedule came out (I'll be saying that a lot the rest of the season). Brett Favre and Randy Moss come to Gillette for a 4 p.m. game on Halloween. The forecast is partly cloudy with temps in the 50s. Perfect costume weather. I will be wearing my Randy Moss T-shirt as a final salute to one of the game's greatest receivers.

It should be a house of horrors for old man Favre.

A very Brady special

As I said when the NFL season started... this is the golden age of football.

If you are a fan in 2010 you can get as much football as you can stand. And then some. We can thank the invention of cable television for that. We can thank ESPN. And mostly we can thank the NFL Network. The league has never been more competitive and for those of us who love it we can basically spend 24/7 watching nothing but previews, games, highlights, specials, tributes, you name it. I hate to think what my days would look like if I hadn't gotten married. It wouldn't be pretty. Thanks, Dev.

On those nights when Dev is out doing her thing, I turn on Channel 265 (the Network) and catch "Total Access," "NFL GameDay" (with my man Prime), "America's Game," "Playbook," or any number of great programs. This year the Network has added another classic show -- "The Top 100: The NFL's Greatest Players."

TOP 100: Who you got?

Like everything the NFL Network (in collaboration with legendary NFL Films) touches, it is great sports entertainment. Once a week ten players are unveiled, profiled in interviews and highlights in the way that only the NFL does. Thursday at 9 p.m. has been must-see-TV since the show debuted in early September with pick #100 -- Joe Willie Namath. Perfect choice to start the list.

Each pick has either been a "I loved that guy!" player (#97, the late great Derrick Brooks; #85, Marcus Allen) or a history lesson into players I have only heard about (#83, Norm Van Brocklin; #64 Herb Adderley, just to name a few). There have been players I can't stand (#61, LaDainian Tomlinson) and players that I named my fantasy football team after (#65, Randy Moss). I've been enjoying every minute of it.

Until this week.

My tailgating friends and I have kicked around which Patriots would make the list. We knew the great Mike Haynes would be there even though he is best known for his years as a champion Raider. He was (#49). Some thought Rodney might make it. He hasn't. Some thought Willie McGinnest would be there since he holds the NFL record for most post-season sacks. OK, just I thought Willie would be there. He should be!

We all knew two Patriots who would be there. Hall of Famer John Hannah. And Tom Brady. The only real debate concerning them was which one would be in the Top 10? The greatest offensive guard to ever play the game or one of the three or four greatest quarterbacks. Some were sure Hog Hannah would make it near the top. My money was on the QB.

We were all wrong.

As this week's list of numbers 30-21 was unveiled there were some all-time greats. Jack Lambert, Emmitt Smith, Dan Marino. Then came #24. John Hog Hannah. Sports Illustrated named him the greatest offensive lineman ever to play the game many years ago. He hasn't lost that honor as far as I know. But he didn't make the Top 20. Even if you figure that the best player at each position (minus kickers, of course) should be ranked high that would mean Hannah would have to be in the Top 20. Anyone who saw him lead block on a sweep play would certainly agree. But if you check out the up-to-date list of the rankings at NFL.com you will see, in the second column, that Hannah did not get any votes from fans when they were polled online. None. Zero. He did not rank in the Top 100 with fans. So much for my theory that most football fans are historians of the game.

OK. Hannah 24. I can accept that. That leaves Brady. Three Super Bowls. 50 touchdowns in one season (that's a record). A great leader. A model player (GQ covers aside). A fierce competitor. One of the all-time clutch QBs. His story isn't even finished yet. I figured it would be a few more weeks before #12 came on the screen. I was just finishing my beer as the profile of #22 Gayle Sayers wrapped up (yes, I was a little close to tears on that one). Up next, number 21.

Tom Brady.

Uh, excuse me?

BIG 3: Unitas, Montana, Brady.

Number 21. How is that possible? From what I've read there are 17 QBs in the ranking. Here are the ones unveiled before Brady... 100. Namath; 91. Fran Tarkenton; 90. Kurt Warner; 83. Van Brocklin; 82. Steve Young; 80. Troy Aikman; 51. Bart Starr; 50. Terry Bradshaw; 46. Roger Staubach; 33. Sid Luckman; 25. Marino; 23. John Elway. That's twelve. Brady makes thirteen. So, according to my math, that means there are four quarterbacks that are ahead of Brady. (I won't even get into the fact that Bradshaw and his four rings being ranked 50th is ridiculous).

Of course Joe Montana, the best QB ever, is ahead of Brady. I would put him at #1 overall. But if Elway isn't. And Marino isn't. And Bradshaw isn't. Who are the other three?

Manning (Peyton, not Eli) would have to be one of them. But he better be #20 because he and Brady are so close that they have to be side-by-side. If he's in the Top 10 and Brady isn't then people just haven't been paying attention. Johnny U would get the nod to represent the great QB not in the modern era. That leaves one signal caller on the list ahead of Brady. Who could that be? Oh no. Not him. You've got to be kidding.

Brett Favre. It has to be him. He of the most touchdowns in NFL history. But he also of the most interceptions, most fumbles, most stupid game-killing plays, and most unretirements in league history. He also of one -- one -- Super Bowl title. Brett Favre -- as great as he is and as much fun as he is to watch when he's not sending cellphone photos of his body parts to women -- should never be rated ahead of Tom Brady. Ever. Or Terry Bradshaw. Or Roger Staubach. Or Troy Aikman. But since his name hasn't surfaced yet, I guess it's safe to assume the icon of ESPN is ranked in the Top 20. Why am I surprised.

While I was still trying to digest Brady's ranking at 21, a familiar face came on the screen. New York Yankee Derek Jeter. Of the New York Yankees.

Did I mention that each player is profiled by another player or a celebrity or a coach or someone relevant to the guy being honored? Reggie Bush on LT. Aikman on Michael Irvin. Warner on Marshall Faulk.

So the video on Brady starts -- the video I'd been waiting weeks to watch. The video that came about two weeks too soon. And the guy the NFL picks to talk about the greatest New England Patriot is Derek Jeter? And he's wearing a Yankees cap?

OK, NFL. Are we even for Spygate yet?

Feeling better

WEEK 6
Patriots 23, Ravens 20 OT (10/17/'10): Revenge is a dish best served cold. And with a Bloody Mary. Mark and I had been sick and on the injury report all week, but as he says: We play on Sundays. With the help of some curative vodka and V8.

We didn't have any Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco, but Shep and Matt had brought some spicy ketchup from Germany. So in went that. We didn't have any celery or olives but we did have salsa. The chunky kind. In went that. "Whatever it takes to make it work," Mark said as we raised our cups and toasted yet another beautiful fall day of tailgating.

DEION: Clutch as always.

Whatever it takes. That would apply to one of the best regular-season victories and tailgates in memory. It's days like yesterday that remind me why -- after 20 years -- I still love to get up at 7 a.m., pack up all the tailgate stuff, make several shopping stops, battle traffic, and pay $50 to park. It's just a lot of fun.

As we sat around before the game eating spinach and feta sausages (that's what the German ketchup was for), listening to music, and watching fathers and sons play catch, much of the talk was about last year's playoff beating at the hands of the Ravens. Had the Pats D improved enough to exact some revenge for getting embarrassed by Ray Rice? Was the offense -- without Moss -- capable of shutting up Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs? As a wobbly Ravens fan walked around the lot in a Lewis jersey taunting Pats fans like his hero, payback was on everyone's mind.

It seemed to be on the Pats' players minds too. Especially Brady. He was so fired up that many of his passes in the first three quarters were a little off. The offense -- without Moss (who coincidentally and poignantly was pictured on the game ticket) -- played hard against the league's best defense, but only had 10 points entering the fourth. Fortunately the defense was holding its own against Baltimore's offense. An offense that is actually better than the one that plowed over the Pats last January.

The key stat for the game was this one: Ray Rice -- 88 yards on 28 carries. In last season's playoff game he rushed for 159 yards on 22 carries. That was the biggest difference. The Pats D, flattened before, stood up to the Ravens time and time again. It wasn't always pretty (like the Ravens opening drive that seemed to last two hours), but if was effective. Vince Wilfork often shifted to the outside of the line with Gerard Warren or Brandon Deaderick taking the Big Man's spot in the middle. More importantly, rookie linebacker Brandon Spikes was right behind them, recording eight unassisted tackles. Mostly one-on-one battle with Rice. Battles Spikes won. That's a huge difference from last year. Jermaine Cunningham. Jerrod Mayo. Patrick Chung. The young players weren't perfect, but they made lots of plays and went hit-for-hit with one of the toughest teams in the league.

When Joe Flacco hit Anquan Boldin on a 25-yard TD pass -- one of the few big plays the D allowed all game -- the Ravens went up 17-7 with 10 minutes to go in the third. The teams then traded field goals and heavy hits, leaving Baltimore up by 10 (20-10) early in the fourth. What a fourth quarter it was.

The Gillette crowd -- which had been loud all day -- got the chance to really get into a big game for the first time in quite a while. It made for a fun atmosphere. A playoff atmosphere.

The Pats moved down the field on what will surely be one of the biggest drives of the season, paced by Wes Welker catches over the middle and a couple of great Danny Woodhead rushes. Brady faced a 3rd-and-2 from the five. A touchdown was needed. Brady looked left, looked left, then stepped up to the right and hit Deion Branch along the back of the end zone for a huge score. Brady to Branch. Touchdown. That won't be the last time we hear that.

Branch had an amazing game in his return to his old team. Nine catches for 98 yards. Most of those came in the fourth quarter and overtime. That's when Branch is at his best. When the pressure is on.

Brady and the Pats offense then went on a six minute, 13-play drive to set up the tying field goal. The highlight came when the Pats faced a 1st-and-25 at midfield. Brady dropped back as the blitz came right up the middle, Corey Redding nailing the QB in the chest just as he let the throw go. Rob Gronkowski made a great catch for a big 23-yard gain that kept the drive going. After the play Brady got in Suggs's face, the two barking at each other. The whole place was barking. Gostkowski finished it with a 25-yarder with just more than a minute left to send the game into overtime. And then things really got exciting.

Each team had two possessions that had tipped the field position deep into Pats territory. Zoltan Mesko -- the Romanian punter -- faced his biggest moment of the year so far with a kick from the shadow of his own goal line. Zoltan came through -- with a little luck -- and hit a 65-yard punt all the way to the Raven 18. Instead of getting the ball in Pats territory, Baltimore was now backed up deep. The defense came up big one more time, forcing the Ravens to punt. Brady got the ball at his own 38 and four passes later (two to Branch) the Pats were at the Baltimore 31. Ben Jarvis then ran it twice to set up Gostkowski for the winning field goal with just 64 seconds left in overtime.

Many in the crowd soaked in the moment, lingering until Branch came to the sideline. As he stood there in his new #84 waiting to be interviewed the fans gave him a huge ovation. Branch -- smiling as always -- raised his hand and acknowledged the cheers. It was a fitting ending to a day full of smiles. We headed back to our postgame tailgate meal of burgers and beer, high-fiving strangers all along the way. The effects of the Bloody Marys (and Don Julios) were wearing off at that point, but I was feeling much better about the Patriots.

During 20 years of tailgating, one of the surest measures of how good a home game was has always been the level of hoarseness in my voice the day after. My voice hasn't been this hoarse in two or three years. It feels good.

WATCH THE VIDEO OF BRANCH'S TD HERE

Extending a Branch

While watching Randy Moss and Brett Favre mostly not connect (with one large exception) in their loss to the New York Football Jets on Monday night, a news flash on the bottom of the screen reported that the Pats had traded a fourth-round draft pick to Seattle to bring back fan favorite and Tom Brady buddy Deion Branch.

BRANCH AND BILL: Good times.

I don't know a Pats fan who doesn't like Deion Branch. Bringing back the former Super Bowl MVP and clutch receiver certainly lessens the sting of the Moss trade. A little.

Branch was traded to the Seahawks after the 2005 season after holding out for a better contract. The Pats offered him a three-year deal that would have paid him more than $4 million a year. It seemed like a fair offer to a player who was very good, but not elite. Branch didn't agree so the Pats sent him to the Northwest for a first-round pick. That was a trade I had no problem with. The Seahawks turned around and gave Branch almost $40 million. A ridiculous amount of money. That's why the Pats continue to be one of the top 10 teams every year and the Seahawks don't. They don't make stupid decisions. They are not always right, but rarely stupid.

The problem with the Branch trade was that Belichick, for one of the few times, did not seem to have a plan on how to replace him. Brady spent 2006 throwing passes to guys like Reche Caldwell and Doug Gabriel. Somehow the team still made the playoffs but got knocked out by Denver. It was then that Belichick went out and got Welker and Moss and created the greatest passing attack the league had seen.

Meanwhile out in Seattle, Branch struggled through injuries and because the Seahawks rarely got to play in big games he never got to show off his best attribute -- making clutch plays. My impression from afar was that Branch's years in Seattle were not very productive. But a look at his numbers shows he pretty much matched what he did with the Pats.

Now that Moss is gone and Branch is back many of the spouting heads see the Pats returning to the ball-control offense of 2001. That may be the case. Although it might help if Antoine Smith was still carrying the ball. Either way, the events of the past two weeks have merely been a distraction from the real questions facing the team.

Can the defense stop anyone? Have they made any strides since last season's playoff beating? Come 1 p.m. on Sunday those questions will really have a chance to be answered.

The forecast is 62 degrees and sunny. Time to start packing the trunk.