Some of the things I loved about last night’s game? The Jags hung with the Patriots for thirty minutes, but not even close to sixty. Garrard played great, I’ll give him that–he made some incredible throws, for touchdowns, even, in tight spots. Brady mentioned in his postgame conference that Bill had stressed the Jags’ great winning percentage when they win the turnover differential, and you could tell the Pats were coached to force turnovers where they could. They only got two, but they were big. The first was a Garrard fumble, and it looked like Ty Warren forced that ball out with his facemask. The Pats’ offense capitalized, scoring seven and flipping the scoring. In a game where the offenses are going to trade touchdowns, you want to be the team who’s ahead, not the one playing catch-up.

The Patriots took control in the mebeliкомпютри second half, though, scoring on their first possession with a variation of the Statue of Liberty play in which Brady faked faking the snap. Classic, and thanks, Josh McDaniels, for sticking around for another year. Most of the defense swarmed Kevin Faulk, while Tom Brady calmly and coolly bided his time before tossing a TD pass to Wes Welker in the back of the end zone.

The Patriots held the lead from then on, and the Jags never scored another touchdown.

No matter what a team tries to take away from this offense, they find a way to win. Maybe, if a team could field 16 guys on defense, they could take away the deep ball, the short stuff, and blitz, too, but otherwise, Tom will find his guy; in this case, 26 of 28 times. And how about that run game? You may have noticed we didn’t fret about the run game over here; we always thought Maroney was doing just fine, thank you very much. I imagine it must have been frustrating for him listening to all the negativity about his game when he hadn’t had much of a chance to prove otherwise. I love that, all by himself, he nearly doubled up the yardage gained by Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones Drew combined. You know, the guys who were going to run all over the Patriots defense. And the dude ran hard.

The second turnover, of course, was Rodney’s interception late in the fourth quarter, sealing the Jaguars’ fate, which, despite what Garrard believed, did in fact decree that their season would end in Foxboro.

With this interception, Rodney tied the record for consecutive postseason games with an interception (four).

I’ll be honest: the playoffs drive me batty. I’m pretty much still traumatized by the Patriots’ last couple of postseason appearances. (I’ve blacked it out. Don’t ask me for details, okay?) I fret, and it’s sometimes hard to enjoy the games. But oh, my God. Watching this team execute–not just the offense, or defense, or one or two phenomenal players, but the entire team, and the coaches, and how they plan and make adjustments and orchestrate their wins–it’s freaking beautiful. It’s genius, is what it is. Take something away, they’ll do something different. In the middle of the game, even. In the middle of a play. Whatever it takes, whatever role the guys have to fill, any way they have to win, they will.

And I am fully aware there’s another game next week. I don’t actually sleep well this time of year. But still, I’m going to enjoy this one on NFL Replay. I love watching this team get the job done.

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Despite all the talk of how tough Jacksonville is and how physical they play, I think the Pats match up very well with them. The going plan to at least slow down Brady is to bring pressure without blitzing and throw multiple looks at him in the defensive backfield. The defense is tough and very physical, but they are not really a crew that puts tremendous pressure on a QB, like, say, the Giants. And the defensive backs are good and also physical, but their safeties are young and could be a spot for the Pats to exploit in the middle.

A key to the Pats ability to move the ball and score is if Randy Moss can draw double coverage on a steady basis. Rashean Mathis is a very good corner, but I’m not sure if he can stay with Moss down field. If Moss breaks free early, the Jags will be forced to roll coverage towards him and open up the rest of the field. The linebackers for the Jags are good, but not really the guys you want covering this group of Patriot receivers. Bottom line is I just don’t know how well this Jacksonville defense matches up with a spread offense. They play the Colts and their spread offense twice a year and have only won once in the last three years.

On defense we all know that Bill and Dean Pees will focus on taking away one thing from Jacksonville and try and force them into uncomfortable situations. Common sense says load up against the run and try and make David Garrard beat you. Rodney Harrison could spend much of his night up in the box. The run game of Jacksonville is physical and tremendously effective, and I would not be surprised if they have success between the 20s. That said, when the field gets short, I could see the Patriots defense come alive in the red area–something like in that Pittsburgh game. Willie Parker had great stats, but in the end, the Steelers were just talkin’ loud and saying nothing. Fred Taylor and MJD are a great one-two punch, but I don’t know if they will hit pay dirt after a long drive.

If the Pats defense can force Garrard to throw, he has some very large receivers to throw to. The Pats secondary gives up quite a bit of size to them, but I am not sure they don’t match up with them anyway. The Jaguars receivers are big, but not necessarily the playmakers you need to score against New England. I am curious to see if the Pats get physical with them and if they are able to respond or are taken out of their game.

The Jaguars are riding high and confident, and there has been minimal talk this week from either side. The Patriots spent a few days enjoying their undefeated regular season, and then put it aside to address the second season, when it really counts. There are a lot of players on the roster that still have a bad taste in their mouth from the way last season ended. The roster is riddled with players that have significant winning playoff experience and they know what to do. Add to that guys like Moss and Junior Seau who are hungry for playoff success and you have a highly motivated, highly talented team that is looking to get their playoffs started.

You can send some more awards the Patriots’ way. Vote for Bill Belichick for Motorola Coach of the Year here. Vote for Brady for FedEx Air Player of the year here. And vote for Mike Vrabel for GMC Defensive Player of the Year here.

Comcast Sports Net is showing the Patriots Road to Perfection–all the information is here. We don’t have Comcast here at chez Land of Patriots, but it appears the same program is being shown on “CSNNE,” which I think stands for “Cox Sports Net New England.” It’s channel 55 in our house, anyway.

We’re kind of superstitious here, in case you haven’t noticed. (Chris has a certain Patriots shirt that hasn’t been washed all season, and you’ll get no arguments from me. Keep the damn thing away from water; whatever works.) As much as I dig the video montage those geniuses at the NFL Network have cobbled together to show whenever they talk about the Patriots–complete with their own “Path to Perfection” logo–I’d much rather be talking about this in a month, using the term “Path of Perfection” and the past tense. We didn’t say “undefeated” ’round here until it was fact, people. That’s just how we roll.

Just thought you’d like to know.

Paul Spicer is also doing his part to fan the flames of moral outrage. Full story here.

And finally, Don Banks psychoanalyzes a New England scout for us. Body language translations aside, I agree with his overall conclusion: the Jags haven’t shown they can hold in for the full sixty minutes against a team of the Patriots’ caliber.

Tom Brady
“As I have learned over the course of my time with the Patriots, the most meaningful accomplishments are always the ones I have celebrated with my teammates. I am certainly proud of the success that we have enjoyed so far this season. I consider myself extremely fortunate to play for an organization like the New England Patriots. The Kraft family, Coach Belichick, and all of my teammates and coaches have created a winning tradition that we all are proud to be a part of. For that I am most thankful. I have always been a huge football fan and will always have great respect for the history of this game. I am flattered to join such an esteemed list of players, many of whom I consider the greatest of all-time. I hope that I can set as great of an example for kids around the world as the previous MVP’s did for me. I am grateful to all of the voters for any consideration I was given. It is a tremendous honor and I am sure it is one that my family will one day look back on with great pride. There is still plenty of football to be played this season and I look forward getting back on the field with my teammates and preparing for next weekend’s game. Thank you.”

Bill Belichick
“He deserves it. I have thought for a long time that there is no past or present quarterback I’d rather coach than Tom Brady and I am more certain of that every year he plays.”

There is a complete story on the Pats website along with a list of the records he broke this season. Congratulations to Tom on a truly staggering season.

Full story here.

San Diego 14, New England 38
4. Brady to Watson, 7 yards
5. Brady to Moss, 23 yards
6. Brady to Moss, 24 yards

Buffalo 7, New England 38
7. Brady to Watson, 8 yards
8. Brady to Moss, 3 yards
9. Brady to Gaffney, 4 yards
10. Brady to Moss, 45 yards

New England 34, Cincinnati 13
11. Brady to Vrabel, 1 yard
12. Brady to Moss, 7 yards
13. Brady to Moss, 14 yards

Cleveland 17, New England 34
14. Brady to Stallworth, 34 yards
15. Brady to Watson, 7 yards
16. Brady to Watson, 25 yards

New England 48, Dallas 27
17. Brady to Moss, 6 yards
18. Brady to Welker, 35 yards
19. Brady to Welker, 12 yards
20. Brady to K. Brady, 1 yard
21. Brady to Stallworth, 69 yards

New England 49, Miami 28
22. Brady to Stallworth, 30 yards
23. Brady to K. Brady, 2 yards
24. Brady to Moss, 35 yards
25. Brady to Moss, 50 yards
26. Brady to Welker, 14 yards
27. Brady to Welker, 16 yards

Washington 7, New England 52
28. Brady to Vrabel, 2 yards
29. Brady to Moss, 6 yards
30. Brady to Welker, 2 yards

New England 24, Indianapolis 20
31. Brady to Moss, 4 yards
32. Brady to Welker, 3 yards
33. Brady to Faulk, 13 yards

New England 56, Buffalo 10
34. Brady to Moss, 43 yards
35. Brady to Moss, 16 yards
36. Brady to Moss, 6 yards
37. Brady to Moss, 17 yards
38. Brady to Watson, 3 yards

Philadelphia 28, New England 31
39. Brady to Gaffney, 19 yards

New England 27, Baltimore 24
40. Brady to Moss, 3 yards
41. Brady to Gaffney, 8 yards

Pittsburgh 13, New England 34
42. Brady to Moss, 4 yards
43. Brady to Moss, 63 yards
44. Brady to Gaffney, 56 yards
45. Brady to Welker, 2 yards

Dolphins 7, New England 28
46. Brady to Moss, 11 yards
47. Brady to Moss, 1 yard
48. Brady to Gaffney, 48 yards

New England 38, New York Giants 35
49. Brady to Moss, 4 yards*
50. Brady to Moss, 65 yards**

*Brady ties Peyton Manning’s record for TD passes; Moss ties Jerry Rice’s record for TD receptions
**Brady breaks Manning’s record; Moss breaks Rice’s record (set in a 12-game season)

OK, maybe it wasn’t so quiet. But here at the Land Of Patriots, we actually have left this story alone. Call it superstition, call it bad juju, whatever–it is one of those things I just don’t think you talk about until it is right up on you. You don’t touch the Stanley Cup until you win it, you don’t talk about a perfect game with the pitcher until the final pitch, and you don’t talk about an undefeated regular season until the regular season is over and there’s a zero in the loss column. I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t thinking about and looking at the schedule for potential stumbling blocks, but you just don’t talk about it.

And before all you Pats haters and doddering members of the 1972 Dolphins start saying the Pats have not done anything unless they win their next three games and take home the Super Bowl trophy–you are absolutely right. But as Randy Moss said, let’s take 24-48 hours to enjoy this, then get back to business. And if you don’t think each and every member of the Patriots doesn’t know they need to win it all to truly have a perfect season, you have not been watching them for that long.

I go into every week thinking the Pats can win. Once the game starts I see how the team is playing and I sometimes start to think; “OK, they can still do it, but this one will be tough.” I’m that kind of fan; but this season, I can probably count on one hand, no, one finger, the times I though they might actually lose a game. And that was in Baltimore, right up until they converted that 4th down after the Ravens time-out call. Sometimes you need a little luck, but from that point on, I knew they were going to pull it out and then run the table.

Haters and fans alike should take a minute to think about what we all just witnessed. A lot of things had to break right for this undefeated season, but make no mistake, the Patriots sit alone as the only team to win 16 games in a season because of their hard work, talent, and phenomenal coaching. Everything about this organization is about winning, and if football and winning are not important in your life, then you don’t stick around for long.

This season started an almost perfect storm driving them to the point we are at now. Given the way the season ended last year, the core of this team had to have been motivated to start training camp. The front office had addressed the weaknesses that led to their defeat last year, bringing in Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Adalius Thomas, and others. And they all contributed in some way during the season. And then as the final touch, the team received one last bit of motivation in the form of the whole taping controversy to start the season. Add it all up and you have a very talented group of people with a laser-like focus on winning the next game in front of them. And heading into the playoffs, they will continue to play them as they have all year long; one game at a time.

Some quick thoughts:

Laurence Maroney runs hard. If you think he dances too much, or is not productive enough, watch his two touchdown runs against the Giants. If he can work on his blitz pick up and pass catching he will be a devastating player in this league.

Kevin Faulk might be the best third down back I have ever seen. He doesn’t touch the ball a ton, but when he does, he produces. He is an excellent blocker in the back field, runs hard and quick, and is as reliable as death and taxes on the third down pass. How many times did he convert a third down last night? I lost count.

Wes Welker is going to achieve Troy Brown-like fame in New England if he hasn’t already. If Faulk wasn’t converting a third down, the ball was going to Welker. He shares a lot of the same skills as a young Troy Brown, and is an tremendous football player in all phases of the game; check out his block on Maroney’s second TD. I continue to marvel at his running ability after the catch. He is a tiny guy and once he gets the ball he manages to get even lower to the ground and seems to be impossible for the first person to tackle.

Randy Moss is not the Randy Moss you thought you knew. He certainly has not lost his speed. He has been a model citizen in New England, and has re-established himself as the best receiver in football. And when he is not getting the ball, he can block, run decoy routes, and do anything else you ask of him. And when the ball is coming his way, you get the feeling he is going to catch it no matter what the defense does to try and stop him. Both Moss and Welker have become integral parts of the offense. They each seem to make the other better, and their skills are almost the perfect complement to the other.

Tom Brady is the best quarterback to ever walk the planet. I did not see Starr, Unitas, or even Tarkenton play, but you can have your guy, I’ll take Brady. For a long time I used to say Joe Montana was the best ever, at least the best I ever saw. But after this season, there is no more argument. We are watching a transcendent player here. Think about this: Brady has won three Super Bowls and two Super Bowl MVPs with offensive talent nowhere near what he has had this season. The argument used to be he was more a game manager than pure talent, and then he started to put up some impressive numbers. Then people wondered what Brady could do with surrounding talent like Peyton Manning’s. How about 4806 yards passing, 50 TDs, and eight interceptions. Think about that last number. And if you really want to think about it, go look at some film. I know three to four of those were tipped balls and not necessarily bad throws. A truly staggering season.

I am still having trouble processing what has happened here and find myself thinking back to last night’s game throughout the day. This has been a fun season to watch and I hope it just keeps getting better.

*For those of you that don’t get the NFL Network, title stolen from their latest Joe’s Diner commercial.

I know the special holiday edition Kool-Aid is flowing free at Gillette and they are all fully aware that while the win would be great and has more meaning than your average win, there are potentially three more games to play, and they all mean quite a bit more. From a pure talent standpoint, the Giants are up against a team with very few holes. Yes, the Giants defensive line is very talented and capable of bringing pressure on Brady, but their secondary can’t hold up their end of the bargain. And on offense, well let’s just leave it at two words–Eli Manning.

I would expect the Pats and Giants to hold back their dinged-up players in this one. The latest injury report is here.

Quite a few records could be set in this game for New England. Brady and Moss each need two TDs to break their respective position’s single season record, and the team needs one TD to break the single season scoring record. Mike Vrabel is one sack away from tying Andre Tippetts’ team record for a season. Wes Welker is tied with Troy Brown at 101 catches for most in a season by a Patriot. Two of the more impressive feats in sight belong to Tom Brady. He may very well set the record for TD-to-interception ratio, currently held by Peyton Manning at 49 TDs to ten interceptions. Going into the game Brady has 48 TDs and eight interceptions. The record for completion percentage is held by Ken Anderson, set in 1982 for the Cincinnati Bengals at 70.55%. Brady is currently at 68.8% for the season, so he will need to be sharp to get this one.

All this won’t mean a hill of beans once the postseason starts. But for now, enjoy the history.

NFL Arranges For NFL Network Telecast Of Patriots-Giants Game To Be Simulcast By NFL Network, CBS And NBC
12/26/2007

NFL ARRANGES FOR NFL NETWORK TELECAST OF PATRIOTS-GIANTS GAME TO BE SIMULCAST BY NFL NETWORK, CBS AND NBC

The NFL has arranged with broadcast television partners CBS and NBC for an unprecedented three-way national simulcast of the NFL Network telecast of Saturday night’s New England Patriots at New York Giants game when the Patriots will try to become the first NFL team to go 16-0 in a regular season, NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL announced today.

“We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans,” Commissioner Goodell said. “What we have seen for the past year is a very strong consumer demand for NFL Network. We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever.”

CBS and NBC will carry the NFL Network feed of the game with BRYANT GUMBEL and CRIS COLLINSWORTH in the broadcast booth. The game also will be televised by WCVB-ABC (Channel 5) in Boston, WMUR-ABC in Manchester, New Hampshire (Channel 9) and WWOR (Channel 9) in New York. The telecast begins at 8 p.m. ET with kickoff set at 8:15 p.m. ET.

This will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and the first simulcast of any kind of an NFL game since Super Bowl I in 1967 when CBS and NBC both televised the first meeting of the champions of the newly merged National Football League and American Football League. CBS was the network partner of the NFL at that time and NBC televised the AFL. In that first Super Bowl – in which the NFL Green Bay Packers beat the AFL Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 15, 1967 – Ray Scott, Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford called the game for CBS while Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman broadcast the game on NBC.

Against the 10-5 playoff-bound Giants, the 15-0 Patriots on Saturday night will seek to become the first NFL team to complete an unbeaten regular season since the Miami Dolphins went 14-0 in 1972. The Dolphins proceeded to win three more games, including Super Bowl VII, to finish 17-0 for the only perfect season in NFL history. The NFL regular season was expanded to 16 games in 1978.

The Patriots also are aiming for their record 19th consecutive regular-season victory dating back to the 2006 season. With six points, they also will become the highest scoring team in one NFL season, breaking the Minnesota Vikings’ total of 556 in 1998. Individually, quarterback TOM BRADY (48) is in position to break PEYTON MANNING’s NFL record for most touchdown passes in a season (49 in 2004) and wide receiver RANDY MOSS (21) will set a new league mark if he catches two touchdown passes to surpass JERRY RICE’s 22 in 1987.

NFL Network is currently available on 240 cable systems, including Cox, plus satellite television providers DirecTV and Dish Network, and the telephone company TV services of AT&T U-VERSE and Verizon FiOS. But a few of the largest cable companies have refused to carry NFL Network on their most broadly distributed and affordable packages.

“NFL Network is a programming service of great interest to fans and should be broadly distributed by the cable industry,” said NFL Network President and CEO STEVE BORNSTEIN. “The only channel devoted 24/7 to America’s favorite sport is not programming that should be relegated to a poorly promoted, pay-extra sports tier that takes advantage of our fans’ passion for the NFL. A few of the biggest cable operators have refused to negotiate. We call on them to do what’s right for their consumers and negotiate agreements for NFL Network that make sense for everybody.”