Undeniable Patriots best Giants, reach perfection

To say the Giants came out fighting in this one would be an understatement. Though technically this was a meaningless game for both sides, the Giants sent out their first string with murder in its eye throughout the contest. Up until less than 5 minutes to go in the third quarter, the G-Men held a double-digit lead over the Patriots, and it felt like we might be seeing a great downfall rather than an ascension into immortality.

I had thought about this as the hype built prior to the game. During the afternoon, I heard innumerable radio personalities waxing breezily confident about how the Patriots would be 16-0 before midnight. The NFL Network's commentators were similarly fatalistic, to say nothing of the "Path to Perfection" highlights shown at predetermined points throughout the game, which became excruciating to watch with the Patriots down double digits.

The hype and the confidence and the forward-looking statements had all set my superstitious alarm bells jangling. It had all the makings of an upset (remember the Rams and "a dynasty is born"?); up until about 11:15 in the fourth quarter, that's what it seemed like it was going to be.

This feeling of dread culminated with a failed attempt by Brady to hit Moss deep. "He's got Moss!" Bryant Gumbel shouted as Brady took two purposeful big steps up in the pocket, and launched a bomb.

Moss was wide open--the Giants had fallen down on the coverage and he was practically alone by the right sideline some 50 yards downfield. The ball zoomed straight toward him, but low. Still, I've seen Randy Moss catch the ball when it was behind his back. I've seen him catch the ball when it was past him. I've seen him catch the ball while being interfered with flagrantly by not one but two defensive backs. I've seen him catch the ball one-handed in midair on an overthrown pass.

This time, Randy Moss dropped the ball.

The pass was low, but it was catchable, especially for Moss. And yet in it came, through his hands, and bounced to the turf.

This, I was sure, was the big turning point. The two men most in the spotlight for the Patriots all season, the two men with the chance to break records, were literally dropping the ball in the biggest game yet. "Oh...my...goodness." one of the commentators intoned sotto voce.

The Patriots went back to the huddle. Already I could feel all the Patriots haters ready to pounce; already I could anticipate the kind of gleeful schadenfreunde that would follow us all the way into the off-season.

They went back to what looked like the same play. Moss sprinted down the right sideline and Brady took those purposeful steps in the pocket again. We held our breath as he put the ball in the air. (It turned out later that the second play was a different one designed to hit Welker for the first down, but the Giants' defensive backs tried to jump Welker's route, leaving Moss open, and Brady checked to him instead.)

This time, the pass was sheer perfection, arcing just so over midfield to drop, whisper-soft, into Moss's hands in stride as he raced for the end zone. This time, they nailed it: 65 yards including reception and run, to score the touchdown that put the Patriots ahead, and in one fell swoop broke the single-season individual touchdown passing and reception records.

Wes Welker got to Moss first, followed by Jabar Gaffney and Benjamin Watson. Soon Vince Wilfork was joining in on the fun from the sideline. Tedy Bruschi was shown beside himself with hollering joy on the bench. The offensive linemen gleefully gave the 'touchdown' signal with their own arms. Laurence Maroney grinned behind his face mask.

The camera's lens, and by extension the eyes of the world, then swung to the man of the hour, No. 12, as he strode down the field after making history, eager to capture a fist-pump, a grin, a gesture of joy.

Instead, Brady was headed toward the goal line, holding up two fingers. Not V for victory, but a signal to his teammates to huddle back up again. They were going for two.

That about sums it up. Sums up Brady, sums up the Patriots, sums up the game. Some players might be satisfied to have put their team ahead to preserve the undefeated season while breaking the all-time single-season passing record. Tom Brady wanted two more points. Immediately.

This isn't to say the Patriots were total stuffed shirts about the whole thing. Later, they took a team-celebration timeout (though technically it was the Giants' time-out, a very classy gesture by that team to let the Pats celebrate on their time) as the final seconds ticked off the clock, probably the first such timeout I've ever witnessed. Bill Belichick cracked an untold number of smiles postgame. Brady was bounding about among his exhausted teammates after the game like a hyperactive kid fed Pixie Stix.

But the Patriots also made sure to emphasize, post-game, that they know what lies ahead. I think Randy Moss said it best, when he took the press conference podium.

"We're going to go ahead and celebrate," he admitted. But he then made sure to add, "for about 24, and no more than 48 hours."

Comments

[NFL Undeniable Patriots best Giants, reach perfection]

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[Duke Davis]

Why wouldn't they go for two? The touchdown only put them up by 1. Kicking the extra point would only put them up by two, which would allow the Giants to take the lead on a field goal. Going for two was the only option.

[Andrew Farrar]

Excellent performance from Brady and Co, while the defence was a little off colour (yes, we spell that differently too, over in Blighty).

[bob]

the giants called the timeout with one minute left, not the patriots. somewhat important distinction, in that the rest of the world doesn't need another reason to hate the Pats.

[Andrew Farrar]

Quite right, Belichick used up his final Time Out prior to New York's final score.

[beth]

ah, apologies on that inaccuracy.

duke, i don't think i was questioning the decision to go for two. i was saying that brady didn't celebrate right away but was focused on the task at hand.

[Andrew Farrar]

I suspect a call from either Belichick or the Offensive Co-ordinator (isn't that a strange term, who'd want to be called an "offensive co-ordinator"?) through his headset demanding the two point attempt, brought Brady back to reality.

[Daniel]

Great job Patriots. I hate them, as a Raider fan (I bet you can guess why), but when a team goes 16-0 and scores 589 points, you gotta give respect. I hope they'll lose in the playoffs, which is becoming ever more believable every week with their recent play, but they were truly perfect in the regular season.

Congrats Brady for the TD record, although he coulda shattered it, and he slowed down just like Manning did.

Moss, to you, go suck something, becuase you are a (word a really shouldn;t type). You sulked in Oakland, got out, started to play, and then what? You broke a record set by one of the classiest men ever to play football, not to mention you got 4 extra games to do it. I really wish the hit in the second quarter knocked him out.

[Beth]

daniel, you were doing great with the graciousness right up until you wished more severe injury on a guy. i don't care what he did to your team, wishing someone bodily harm is never called for and is surely bad karma.

call me a hypocrite because i'm a sox fan and talked exactly the same way to yankees fans back in the day, but i'm watching people today grasping at straws for ways to invalidate the patriots' victory, and i listened to quite enough of steve young last night on sportscenter blabbering on about the colts after the patriots had just set three all-time NFL records. all i see a lot of comments like yours: they start off going in the right direction, but it's short-lived.

[Daniel]

My bad, I just meant knocked him out for the remainder of the game. I am aware how dangerous football injuries can be, and I would never want any player to get severely injured, but if Moss were to a get a temporary twist or pain or something to keep him out for just that game, so he could not set the pass reception record, that would've been great.

[beth]

oh, ok. i misunderstood. sorry bout that.

[Bob Lloyd]

It is not as hard as it seems to win a perfect season when you hav 12 men on the field!!! Getting calls your way. Having penaltiies called against you and then the yards moved against the other team ie. the personal foul 15 yd penalty against Pats called then taken against the Giants in the 4th qtr. and not explained. Showboating called against Moss in the endzone the yellow flag pulled out and thrown out and then put back quietly away because it is the Pats can't call a penalty against them. Blatant holding when Moss had they long reception that the announcer saw and called but whoops the refs can't see. The Pats poke the Giants in the eyes and no penalty anyone else and they would be ejected from the game and a fine would be inposed but not the Pats. They are the PATS they are undefeated. The Ravens are the only ones who had the guts to speak out and they get knocked down for it it is not right. I have three sons who watched the game who walked away discusted with the NFL and don't want to watch the rest of the playoffs right now because it is FIXED. We usually have a big party for the superbowl this year NO.

[Jamie]

Funny, but Moss was penalized, resulting in a short kickoff, which was returned for a TD. Pretty costly I think.

[beth]

it's just a shame the lengths people are willing to go rather than just give someone credit. why not just admit it was a big accomplishment for the patriots, show a little respect and move on? why all this bitter whining and tinfoil-hat wearing? is that really easier? does it really make sense?

you really think that every team of referrees at every patriots game is thinking at all times, "whatever call i make next, it better go in favor of the patriots!" do you really believe that? or is that just a way of avoiding giving someone their due because you're envious, bitter or both?

as far as i can tell, all you're teaching your impressionable son is how to be a sore sport when your team doesn't win, even if you have to resort to misunderstandings, lies and half-truths to create a conspiracy theory.

[Andrew Farrar]

I guess not everyone can get an Ivy League education. Mind you, GWB did and he mangles the language worse than most.

[Siddhartha]

How is it that whenever I start reading a comment with no regard for grammatical rules and a lack of a basic grasp of our language on one of these posts (e.g. Bob Lloyd), I can be sure that it will be an anti-Patriots one?

Maybe he should spend less time teaching his sons to be conspiracy theorists and sore losers and more time hitting the Strunk and White.

[bigyaz]

"...a very classy gesture by that team to let the Pats celebrate on their time."

You really think that's why they called the timeout? That's ridiculous. Every NFL team will use all their timeouts in that case, to make it appear as if they are trying to win even though they have no chance at all.

I've NEVER seen a team call a timeout just to let the other team celebrate. Silly comment.

[beth]

i originally thought it was the pats time out. i was corrected (politely) by our readers that it was the giants' time out. they didn't have to take it then, and everyone with eyeballs knows that the time was taken because the patriots were celebrating and causing a delay. the giants could've been douchebags about it, refused to call a time out and let the patriots incur a delay of game. they did not. my inference was therefore that they had offered the time out, especially since it was very late in the game.

but what do i know. maybe i'm mistaken. still, i was trying to give credit to the giants where it might be due. if you disagree, there are ways to point it out without berating me, btw.

[Andrew Farrar]

Maybe the officials gave New England another Time Out: they do that sort of thing, according to the cry babies who follow the Giants.

[Bob Lloyd]

I wasn't even watching the game in the same room as my sons so we aren't teaching them anything they can see for themselves. We aren't even Giants fans we are Steelers fans we were just watching the game because it was the only game on and we like football or we used to. And if you listen to the comentators you can hear them saying they miss the calls or if you have Tivo or record the game and rewind it you can see for yourself all the missed calls. And I still haven't heard anything about the fingers in the facemask and you know if it was the Giants in the Pats facemask the guy would have been ejected from the game on the spot!!!

[Bob Lloyd]

Hey Siddhartha what?

[Patrick Patterson]

I just want to apologize to Pats fans for my rant the other day.

http://mvn.com/nfl-raiders/2008/01/01/happy-new-year-and-an-apology-to-the-new-england-patriots-and-thier-fans/

I still hope they get knocked out of the playoffs, but I was out of lline.

[Brent]

Thank you Patrick. Wish you and the Raiders all the best in 2008. Keep up the good work with the articles, you are one of the best here at MVN.

[NFL Roundup: The Perfect Pats [16-0] : Sports Highlights]

[...] • Undeniable Patriots Best Giants, Reach Perfection. [Brady going for two after his record-setting TD] about sums it up. Sums up Brady, sums up the Patriots, sums up the game. Some players might be satisfied to have put their team ahead to preserve the undefeated season while breaking the all-time single-season passing record. Tom Brady wanted two more points. Immediately. This isn’t to say the Patriots were total stuffed shirts about the whole thing. Later, they took a team-celebration timeout as the final seconds ticked off the clock, probably the first such timeout I’ve ever witnessed. Bill Belichick cracked an untold number of smiles postgame. Brady was bounding about among his exhausted teammates after the game like a hyperactive kid fed Pixie Stix. [The Patriot Act] [...]

[Kris]

I can not believe just how many people are across this team. It is such a shame that people do not want to give them credit for a perfect season. If it had been another team would they?? I am sure that would have been different if it were their team of choice.

They played a perfect season. give them the credit they deserve.

As for the person who is not going to have a superbowl party at his house, well I am sure there woill be plenty at other peoples houses.

[Bob Lloyd]

Actually there are other teams that get referee preference. ie Dallas 'america's team' and the Colts. Yes there will be superbowl parties but there are already beat Pats partywear out and they are flying off the shelves they are already sold out in two supermarket chains around me.

[Andrew Farrar]

Well, you see, that's good - in these troubled times for the global economy, the Patriots are doing their bit to keep things ticking over by inspiring people to spend their hard earned on anti-Patriot paraphernalia.

[beth]

*applause for Andrew*