Miami 23, Pats 21 ... Indy 35, Pats 34 ... Denver 20, Pats 17. Three games the Patriots were leading late but then wasted the opportunity for a big road victory. Win two out of those three games and the Pats are 9-3 and all is right with the football world. Win just one of them and at 8-4 the division would pretty much be theirs right now and everyone would be mostly happy. Lose all three and you are in a fight for your life to make the post-season and everyone is making funeral plans for you.
That's where the 7-5 Pats find themselves after letting the Wildcats drive 74 yards in the final three minutes of the game and kick a winning field goal. Like the Indy and Denver games, the Patriots -- stop m
e if you've heard this before -- actually played a hell of a game. That's right. They were in control through the first half and at several times in the second half. But they left enough big plays on the field to let the game slip away. Give the Wildcats credit. They took a lot of big shots (down 14-0 early) but kept coming at the Pats again and again. Brady and Co. had several chances to deliver a knockout punch but each time they swung wildly and missed. It's happened too often this season.
Just like the New Orleans game, the Pats came out and looked like they were not only the best team on the field but the best team in the league. A quick strike from Brady to Moss for a 58-yard touchdown. A 13-play, nearly seven minute drive that had seven running plays and six passing plays. The balance the team has been striving for all year. At that moment, much like Monday night, I was thinking "they are putting it all together. They just need to keep it going the whole game." And that's where the problem lies. As Belichick is famous for screaming on the sideline "SIXTY MINUTES! SIXTY MINUTES!" The Pats just can't seem to get past about 45 minutes of solid football. They look darn good in those 45 minutes, but it's far from enough.
The rest of the game played out in a familiar pattern. The Wildcats responded by going 92 yards for a score, making several third-down plays to keep the drive alive. The Pats D made some big plays (Meriweather pick) but they continued to have almost no pass rush and couldn't come up with a key stop when they really need it. Likewise, the Pats offense made some big plays (Welker for 58-yards down the middle), but continued to come up empty in the red zone. Poor pass rush, poor red zone offense. Those are killers.
Brady (who really looked like Bledsoe on that game-ending pick that he tossed while parallel to the field) said after the game "When things don’t go your way, you have to fight back. That’s a challenge for all of us. I think at times we do. And at times I don’t think we fight very hard.’’ That surprises me to hear him say that. Watching the game again there were many times in the second half that the Pats battled. Up 21-13 early in the fourth quarter, Sammy Morris and the offensive line blasted back-to-back runs of 7 and 10 yards to take the ball down inside the Miami 10-yard line. Those were "fight back" plays. Unfortunately Brady tried to force a pass to Moss on second down and it was picked off. The effort was not rewarded.
The Pats defense then showed a little "fight back" of their own with just under five minutes to go by stopping Miami on 4th-and-2 at the Pats 39. Unfortunately -- again -- Brady missed an open Welker on third down and the Pats quickly gave the ball back. The effort was not rewarded. The effort is there from what I can see. When Miami gave up big plays was it because they weren't fighting back? Not trying hard enough? No. It means they didn't execute.
That has been the story of the season for the Patriots. They've played well in almost every game but have just wasted too many opportunities to be contending for a high seed and a first-round bye. Too many more opportunities missed and they will have wasted another season with Brady at the helm.
And that really would be a waste.
e if you've heard this before -- actually played a hell of a game. That's right. They were in control through the first half and at several times in the second half. But they left enough big plays on the field to let the game slip away. Give the Wildcats credit. They took a lot of big shots (down 14-0 early) but kept coming at the Pats again and again. Brady and Co. had several chances to deliver a knockout punch but each time they swung wildly and missed. It's happened too often this season.Just like the New Orleans game, the Pats came out and looked like they were not only the best team on the field but the best team in the league. A quick strike from Brady to Moss for a 58-yard touchdown. A 13-play, nearly seven minute drive that had seven running plays and six passing plays. The balance the team has been striving for all year. At that moment, much like Monday night, I was thinking "they are putting it all together. They just need to keep it going the whole game." And that's where the problem lies. As Belichick is famous for screaming on the sideline "SIXTY MINUTES! SIXTY MINUTES!" The Pats just can't seem to get past about 45 minutes of solid football. They look darn good in those 45 minutes, but it's far from enough.
The rest of the game played out in a familiar pattern. The Wildcats responded by going 92 yards for a score, making several third-down plays to keep the drive alive. The Pats D made some big plays (Meriweather pick) but they continued to have almost no pass rush and couldn't come up with a key stop when they really need it. Likewise, the Pats offense made some big plays (Welker for 58-yards down the middle), but continued to come up empty in the red zone. Poor pass rush, poor red zone offense. Those are killers.
Brady (who really looked like Bledsoe on that game-ending pick that he tossed while parallel to the field) said after the game "When things don’t go your way, you have to fight back. That’s a challenge for all of us. I think at times we do. And at times I don’t think we fight very hard.’’ That surprises me to hear him say that. Watching the game again there were many times in the second half that the Pats battled. Up 21-13 early in the fourth quarter, Sammy Morris and the offensive line blasted back-to-back runs of 7 and 10 yards to take the ball down inside the Miami 10-yard line. Those were "fight back" plays. Unfortunately Brady tried to force a pass to Moss on second down and it was picked off. The effort was not rewarded.
The Pats defense then showed a little "fight back" of their own with just under five minutes to go by stopping Miami on 4th-and-2 at the Pats 39. Unfortunately -- again -- Brady missed an open Welker on third down and the Pats quickly gave the ball back. The effort was not rewarded. The effort is there from what I can see. When Miami gave up big plays was it because they weren't fighting back? Not trying hard enough? No. It means they didn't execute.
That has been the story of the season for the Patriots. They've played well in almost every game but have just wasted too many opportunities to be contending for a high seed and a first-round bye. Too many more opportunities missed and they will have wasted another season with Brady at the helm.
And that really would be a waste.
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