Blue Monday

SUPER BOWL XLVI
Wes Welker was wide open. A better throw and he goes for a touchdown. Game over.

There were a lot of big moments in another Patriots-Giants classic Super Bowl battle. A safety on the first play. Twelve men on the field negating a turnover. An ill-timed Ninko offsides. Fumbles bouncing all over the place but ultimately back into the hands of the Giants. A very bad decision early in the fourth quarter by Brady that led to a pick. A failure by the D to make a game-saving play anywhere in the last three minutes. A Hail Mary that was almost answered. But it really all came down to that one pass from Tom Brady to Welker.

Brady and the offense had put together a championship drive to that point. The Pats D had done its job and forced a punt. They had held the Giants to just 15 points with nine minutes to play. And two of those points were on the Brady safety. Great job by the defense. So starting at their own 7 with 9:19 to play, the Pats moved all the way to midfield on an impressive, smart, focused drive. It looked like Brady was going to have another hall of fame moment.

A scrambling pass to Welker for five. A swing pass to Woody for 19. A short Bennie run. A Welker end-around reverse for 11 and a huge first down. Woody for a clock-eating yard. A pass to Gronk for six. Brady to Hernandez on a great quick-out on 3rd-and-3 that gave the Pats what looked like the biggest first down of the game at the Giant 47. Bennie for a loss on first down, giving the Pats 2nd-and-11 at midfield with 4:11 to play. Brady was in complete command. The play-calling was nearly perfect. Things were looking great.

As the ball was snapped, Chris Collinsworth said the Giants D was confused on the play. They sure were.

Welker, lined up in the left slot, flew right by the defensive back down the left hash marks and came wide open at the 30. If Brady -- as he should have -- hits Welker in stride on the inside shoulder Welker goes for a touchdown. Watch the replay. He's that open. Instead Brady throws it outside shoulder -- way outside shoulder -- and a little too high. Welker has to spin around to grab it. And he should have grabbed it. He leaped and the ball hit him in the hands... but it just bounced away. That's what is so great -- and painful -- about football. One play can really make a difference. If Brady and Welker connect, the game is over. The defense had done its job. Brady and the offense were making a memorable championship drive. They had a chance to secure the victory -- which is what a great offense has to do -- but let that chance slip away.

Brady couldn't connect with Branch on 3rd-and-11 and the Pats had to punt the ball back to little Manning and the Giants with just under four minutes to play.

Deja vu all over again.