Pats Fall Flat

I’m writing this with wounds still fresh, so forgive me if the excruciating pain emanates throughout.  But, I think it’s safe to assume that many of you out there are experiencing the same depressed dejection.

I certainly didn’t think that I would be hammering out my final Patriots article with two weeks remaining in January.  Even more surprising was how much of a disaster it was for New England from start to finish.  There were several occurrences that transpired Sunday afternoon that Patriot fans were not accustomed to seeing from this team.

From the very first offensive drive, which initially resembled the team that had dominated opponents for eight straight weeks, things just appeared to be out of sync.  Looking like the well-oiled, offensive machine that was so familiar to Pat fans, Tom Brady was methodically moving the team down the field with poise and relative ease. 

And then it happened.  Something that had not happened since Week 6, 335 pass attempts ago- Tom Brady threw an interception.  It wasn’t just the interception itself, though.  It was the way the interception was thrown.  It was just such an incredibly, uncharacteristically inaccurate miss, overthrowing his target by at least a couple of yards and finding its way perfectly into the waiting arms of the defender, as if it was intended for him.

This was not necessarily the play that sealed the Patriots fate, mainly due to a terrific individual effort by Alge Crumpler that prevented a pick six, because Nick Folk then inexplicably missed a 30 yard field goal, stripping the Jets of what seemed to be an assured three point, early lead.  That play only served to give Patriot fans a false sense of hope as all the luck and momentum swung to the Jets sideline in a hurry as they rattled off 14 consecutive points following a Shayne Graham FG to close the first half.

It was a very disappointing day all around, not only because of the loss, but just the way the game played out.  The Patriots played the entire first half without scoring a single touchdown, which hadn’t happened since Week 4 against the Dolphins.  The difference in that week was the Pats managed to score 35 points in the second half in a rout; this was definitely not the case on Sunday.

The coaching decisions seemed to have an uncharacteristic quality to them as well.  Bill Belichick has certainly earned a reputation of a risk taker, but the timing of the choice to try and pull off a fake punt was very questionable.  Obviously, hindsight is 20/20, but not only was the execution poor, but the call itself was an odd one.

The play calling, particularly on the offensive side of the football, didn’t resemble the Patriots team that steamrolled through the regular season.  Down ten points in the 3^rd quarter, Tom Brady elected to hand the ball off on several consecutive plays with time winding down, almost as though there was a complete lack of urgency, especially since the defense hadn’t shown the ability to consistently stop the Jets when they needed to.  Taking up almost eight minutes, this time-consuming drive proved to very costly as it ended with zero points on a dropped pass on a failed 4^th and 14 conversion.

Well, the list of apparent missteps and frustrations could be endless.  With each recount of a mistake, my blood pressure seems to be on a steady rise, and I’m not sure continuing to harp on the mishaps would be a responsible health decision.  In the end, this playoff loss has to be a considered one of the most shocking in the history of the organization.  Maybe the loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII was more stunning with all the talk surrounding that team as perhaps being the greatest of all time, but this defeat has to be a close second.  

Defiant to the end, the Jets stayed true to their form, while the Patriots looked like the team absent of an identity.  An incredibly under whelming performance by the NFL’s supposed best team and predominant favorites to capture this year’s championship; this loss now brings New England’s streak of home playoff losses to two and places a significant blemish on a dynasty that has now lost their last three playoff games.

This performance definitely brought to light the holes this Patriot team needs to fill in order to set themselves up for success next season.  With no more games to prepare for, the NFL draft could be a positive event to look forward to in this abrupt, unexpected shift of focus for New England football fans.  The Patriots have six picks in the first three rounds, and they will certainly have plenty of problems they must address.

A roller coaster of a season, their early departure, ironically, was almost as surprising as the amazing regular season they put together.  I expected the Patriots to be good this year, but 14-2 was certainly a pleasant surprise, which made this loss all the more difficult to process.  

So, Patriot fans, in your fuming frustrations, try not to burn those Brady or Welker jerseys just yet.  Return them to the back of your closets for next year and exchange them for whichever Celtics or Bruins attire you have available, because we still have a couple teams worthy of your cheers in the upcoming months.  Let’s just hope that the conclusion to their seasons will end in a far less disappointing fashion.