Stats on Pats Weekly - Pats Put Chargers' Lights Out 38-14
Article by Raleigh Dugal, southcoast247.com correspondent
Pats Put Chargers' Lights Out 38-14
Thanks to a last minute flip-flip, I avoided my second shank. This week, the New England Patriots have shown they are, if nothing else, supremely adept at one thing: Making people who act like little bitches look like little bitches. No doubt pudgy little snitch Eric Mangini envisioned a grand comeuppance for a Patriots team devoid of contraband video espionage after his squeal session. Instead, New England streaked and stomped across the field while San Diego staggered around clueless as if, like last year's AFC semi-final, this game wasn't going according to script. Randy Moss caught over a 100 yards and two TDs, new LB Adalius Thomas picked Rivers off in the flat and took it to the house, and Tom Brady put up 279 passing yards en route to a critical win for the much scrutinized Patriots.
The Patriots' Defense had plenty to smile about Sunday night
More good stuff: Ben Watson finally got involved in the action, capping the quick opening drive with a TD reception and Wes Welker caught 8 passes for 91 yards. I kept wondering where Maroney was all game, but in the end he rushed for a serviceable 77 yards at 5.1 per carry, chewing up plenty of time. Phillip Rivers proved my point that he is in fact a sissy, and LaDainian Tomlinson made sad, puppy dog eyes in the post-game press conference, perhaps gazing into his gloomy future under new head coach Norv Turner (9-23 as HC with the Raiders. WTF is SD thinking?) Watching Moss tear apart my fantasy team as LT floundered for just 43 yards on my own roster was well-worth that dismal expression.
Phillip Rivers kneels in reverence to Adalius Thomas's stellar interception
Though the Pats took a giant stride on the road back to credibility, I'm not sure I'm ready to assume the stuff that NB native Matt Estrella's films was inconsequential. Belichick is a football genius who wouldn't waste time with trivialities. That said, is it realistic to think the Pats recorded signals, matched them up to formations on the field, then broke them all down and applied them to their playbook, all under the heat of an NFL game clock? Doubtful. In an uncharacteristically somber pre-game interview, Commissioner Roger Goodell insinuated that he expected to get all the tapes and respective notes out of the Patriots' war chest, but I suspect Belichick canned most of it (out of fear for counter espionage) and would take a six-game suspension before he'd stand for The Man analyzing every one of his dirty little secrets.
There's a seedy little underbelly of professional sports that fans need to be willing to tolerate, especially when it comes to the Patriots. We all love it when Rodney Harrison cleans someone's clock a millisecond after the whistle blows. I don't see much difference in Belichick's bending of an already kind-of-stupid rule that many teams purportedly don't follow. Squares like WEEI's Dale Arnold (whom I love, in spite of his square-ness) can't seem to make it past the letter of the law. The way I see it, shades of gray are part of the Patriot legacy, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Next week New England takes on an inconclusive Buffalo team who opened with a squeaker against Super Bowl-favored Denver and a stinker against the untested Steelers (although Cleveland did drop 51 on the defense-less Bengals).My bet is that the Pats will blow the doors off another one and show the Bills where to roam, but a possible big game hangover could cut down their point total. 24-10 Patriots, with a breakout 100+ yard game for Maroney.
Thanks to a last minute flip-flip, I avoided my second shank. This week, the New England Patriots have shown they are, if nothing else, supremely adept at one thing: Making people who act like little bitches look like little bitches. No doubt pudgy little snitch Eric Mangini envisioned a grand comeuppance for a Patriots team devoid of contraband video espionage after his squeal session. Instead, New England streaked and stomped across the field while San Diego staggered around clueless as if, like last year's AFC semi-final, this game wasn't going according to script. Randy Moss caught over a 100 yards and two TDs, new LB Adalius Thomas picked Rivers off in the flat and took it to the house, and Tom Brady put up 279 passing yards en route to a critical win for the much scrutinized Patriots.
