Sportzine
DISAPPOINTING JANUARY 12, 2010
It was disappointing to see the Patriots allow a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. The Ravens’ Ray Rice went 83 yards untouched.
It was disappointing to see Matt Light give up a strip/sack by Terrell Suggs on the Patriots very first possession. Tom Brady coughed up the ball and the Ravens walked into the end zone a few plays later for a 14-0 lead and 5 minutes had not yet expired.
It was disappointing that Tom Brady then threw a pass directly to Baltimore’s Chris Carr which led to TD #3.
It was disappointing that Brady then threw a ball deflected instead of caught by Sam Aiken. The resulting Ed Reed interception led to a FG to make it 24-0 before the first quarter ended to culminate the worst 1st quarter ever in Patriots playoff history.
My cries for “7” were useless in a game needing 3 times ‘7’ plus 3 just to tie. And the need to keep Baltimore scoreless the rest of the way.
It was disappointing that it wasn’t the weather that was the Patriots fans worst enemy on this day, but rather the Patriots themselves who disappointed their fans by not playing full out for 4 quarters. They surrendered after the 1st quarter.
You have to give the Baltimore Ravens all the credit. They came into Gillette smelling the blood of a wounded animal. They showed no mercy putting the Patriots to sleep in the first quarter and then pounding on them the rest of the way. The Horse was dead.
The Ravens were crisp in their tackles, not allowing any significant yards after the catch. They took Randy Moss out of the game. Moss had no catches until the second half (it would have been nice to see a bomb to Moss attempted just to loosen up the Ravens’ secondary).
This game will go down in the annals as one of the worst playoff losses at home ever. The Ravens croaked the Patriots right before our eyes.
It was a cold 20º day, but without strong winds and precipitation, it was quite tolerable. That and layers of clothing including thermals, wool socks, mittens and ski mask to protect us from the elements. ‘Us’ being Driller Killer, Brian and myself who needed to be protected from a Patriot team that only showed up for the coin toss. Wes Welker used crutches to go out for the coin toss which was the first and last thing that the Pats won on the day. And Welker showed more agility than most of the Patriots on this day.
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PUT SOME
SOUTH
IN YOUR MOUTH |
It was cold enough that the beer tap lines at Kevin and Becky’s Bass/Guinness booth froze. My plan was to forego beer so as not to miss any of the action. A cold beer on a freezing day leads right to the men’s room. So you miss action on the field. That plan changed after the first quarter and I sought out a bottled Heineken stand. Didn’t have to worry about missing any action. Most of the action was on the Ravens’ side.
As my brother Brad noted, this was a transition year. The defense has lost Vrabel, Bruschi, Harrison, Hobbs and Samuels, and then traded their one legitimate pass rusher, Richard Seymour. All that was too much to overcome. That 2009 Defense has some good parts but needs a couple game changers. A pass rusher in the draft (or free agency) is a must.
The play calling by new QB coach (and unofficial offensive coordinator) Bill O’Brien was vanilla, predictable and uninspired. Granted that falling behind by 24 points in the 1st quarter reduces your running plays, you still need some solid runs to offset the pass rush.
What about an end around with Julian Edelman and then a pass play by Edelman the next time they use it? If Brady did hurt his hand early, then having someone else throw like the ex-Kent State QB, Edelman, would be a good alternative. Isiah Stanback’s also an ex-QB but was not active for the game. Neither was DL Ron Brace, for him not a good sign.
Win as a team and lose as a team. The Patriots got pummeled as a team Sunday. The rebuilding continues and a good draft will be vital. The Pats had a good draft in 2009 (Edelman, Vollmer, Butler, Chung, Pryor, and Ingram (LS). While the jury is still out on Injured Reserve players Brandon Tate (WR) and Tyrone McKenzie (a So. FL LB), and QB Brian Hoyer.
The good news is that the Patriots have 4 picks in this year’s draft within the first 53 players with their own #1 and three #2’s. The decisions they make with those picks and with free agents will be instrumental in continuing improvement towards another Super Bowl squad.
Now we realize how hard it is to win every year. What the Patriots did in the last 10 years (decade?) is exemplary. The Big O (Glenn Ordway) on WEEI seemed to think that the Colts were the team of the decade (which according to some sources hasn’t ended) because of their consistency in making the playoffs. I would say do the math – the Patriots have won 3 championships in the last 10 years. The Colts have won 1. Even if Indy wins this year, they will have one less championship than New England. The Patriots are the best team of the last 10 years. Stuff that in your pipe and smoke it.
So now we’re spoiled and want a Super Bowl run every season. The Pats have been remarkably consistent and have had a shot almost every year even in ’08 when Brady got hurt. Last year’s Super Bowl winner, the Pittsburgh Steelers, didn’t make these playoffs.
As the Hugh Man said, in a month, it will be spring training. Go Red Sox!
Sportzine is also available at jimdawsonsports.com (Thanks Buffalo Steve)
OVAL TEAM
() Consider Laurence Maroney gone. Trade him to Minnesota for a draft pick (he went to Univ. of Minn.). Maroney missed Ray Lewis on a blitz pickup and nearly got Brady killed. He sat on the bench the rest of the way.
() Checked on the Snow Plow game of 12/12/82 (see the Hot Club) to make sure it was John Smith that kicked the winning FG. It was. The Wikipedia account notes that Patriots coach Ron Meyer directed Mark Henderson to use the tractor to clear space for the kick.
() To the Patriots fans that booed on Sunday – stay home next time. True Patriots fans do not boo their team, especially one that has given fans so much joy.
Hey Jim,
I always wondered if Jeremy Kapstein was related to the guy who did stats with Chris Clark back in the day! Back then he was called Jerry Kapstein. Is Jeremy his son or does he just go by “Jeremy” now?
Jim ‘Mr. Yankee’ Dwyer
Jim,
Jeremy is Jerry. He was a lot thinner then. But so were most of us. Z
This e-mail about NBC News’ Brian Williams comments on Mark McGwire’s steroid confession came from Foot Joy:
Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor “Only in America would baseball commissioner Bud Selig praise Mark McGuire for his ‘contrition’—after lying to his fans, the people of St. Louis, and all of us—for years. Let’s not forget evading questions from Congress. If we didn’t have a family broadcast, perhaps I’d write something to say on the air tonight that expresses the conversation in our newsroom, and how I feel about McGuire from the standpoint of my life as the father of a young fan and baseball player.”
Foot Joy,
Thanks for the quote.
Guess McGwire’s ‘handlers’ felt it was time for him to go to confession, seek penance and absolution and from there redemption.
If Brian Williams is any measure, McGwire will continue in hell for awhile longer. - Z
Jim,
I’m waiting to hear what LaRussa has to say. He always backed up McGuire, while calling Canseco a liar.
Foot Joy
Sean Sweeney aka John Fitch V sent along a review (very positive) of his Red Sox book:
http://www.fenwaywest.com/2010-archives/january/book-review-turning-back-the-clock.html
