Patriots Stumble To A Win Against G-Men

Down 12 points halfway through the third, Tom Brady (with a little help from his friends) scrambled and put up 22 unanswered points en route to 16th regular season win. Laurence Maroney, who only averaged 2.4 yards per carry, was effective when he needed to be, dancing for two touchdowns. Randy Moss was...well, Randy Moss. He capped off his night by catching a long touchdown pass right after dropping what would have been a sure touchdown on the previous play. Moss's two touchdowns were complimented by a 100 yard receiving performance and oh yeah, a new receiving record (22 touchdown catches in a season). Wes Welker played the role of undernoticed, underappreciated WR once again as he chipped in 122 yards while passing T.J. Houshmandzadeh for most receptions this season.

It appears that the Patriots are unbeatable. They played like junk for the first 40 minutes of the game, had just about everything thrown at them, and somehow still cruised to the victory. They've beaten the only threats that still exist in the NFL -- the Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts. Who could beat them? Better yet, HOW could they beat them. It's all but a formality now...the Pats will roll in the playoffs.

Pats Look To Make It Perfect

The 15-0 New England Patriots look to make it a perfect sixteen wins with a Saturday night match up with the New York Giants. Those Giants, however, are no Miami Dolphins -- they're 10-5, looking for the playoffs, and have a cast of stars, including Pro Bowler Osi Umenyiora.

With the first round playoff matches set, neither team has much to play for in terms of positioning. However, the Patriots are on the verge of becoming the first 16-0 team in the history of the NFL. The 1972 Dolphins only had to play 14 regular season games to achieve regular season perfection. By the time they had reached 16, the goal that the Patriots will look to match tomorrow, they were in the Super Bowl. The Pats still have the Colts and the Cowboys to fend off before finishing what would be the longest perfect season in NFL history.

I expect the Pats to beat up on the Giants, as evidenced by Coach Bill Belichick's decision throughout the home stretch of the season to play each game as if it were the Super Bowl. Brady and Moss should both play until the game is well in hand. Whether or not Belichick admits he wants this record, he sure coaches like he does. The Giants, on the other hand, know that they will be playing the wild card game the very next week and should rest most of their starters.

It'll be a New England kind of day at the Meadowlands -- bitter cold and ultimately ending in a Patriots victory. Patriots 34-Giants 17