Idle Super Bowl chatter while charting the progress of the Red Sox truck as it winds it way down to Ft. Myers, Fla.
Every game is its own event. It makes no difference whether you’ve won five previous Super Bowls. Your objective, if you’ve made it all the way to the game, is to win six. I do not understand any other mentality when it comes to sports.
Ask Brandin Cooks, who got knocked into the middle of next week in Sunday’s game, whether it doesn’t matter. Or ask Rob Gronkowski, who was knocked so silly two weeks ago he’s even entertained thoughts of retiring. That could be the emotion of losing, and being exhausted and disappointed, talking. But just that he’s had a fleeting notion of it should tell you something.
These guys care. And as for fans, come on. You can rationalize all you want about how it’s “nice” that the eternally downtrodden Eagles finally won a championship. But if it’s on the table, and I’m competing for it, I want it. Plain and simple, end of argument. And that’s true if I’m playing or watching.
…
From Week 1 to Sunday, the Eagles were the best team. And the reason why is pretty easy to see. They have the talent everywhere on the field, and especially in the trenches. If you give an NFL quarterback time to throw, even a backup, he will make his throws. Nick Foles had time, and he made his throws.
The Patriots came up short on defense … and I mean really short. But this shouldn’t have been a surprise. The defense struggled against the better teams. It got carved up by Kansas City, Carolina, and even Jacksonville for much of the game two weeks ago. It hung on for dear life against Pittsburgh, where it needed a favorable reversal of what looked like a touchdown to win; and it needed another gift to beat Buffalo in Foxborough.
It’s no wonder the “bend-but-don’t-break” motif failed them when they needed it most. They were living on borrowed time.
Let’s not forget, though, that the Patriots got this far without Dont’a Hightower and a few others.
…
Let’s also not forget that Bill Belichick chose to play games at the worst possible time and bench Malcolm Butler, who may have been up and down in coverage, but is a fine tackler.
There have been a few reports about what led up to Butler’s demotion, but ifi they’re true, then Belichick should have demanded Butler’s uniform and sent him back home, instead of springing it on everyone an hour before gametime. Isn’t that like throwing the baby out with the bath water? Cutting off your nose to spite your face? Insert favorite cliche here?
Also, Belichick needs to step up and explain himself. None of this “I put the people out there who give us the best chance to win.” Baloney. Too many people are invested in this, both on the field and off.
If Butler broke one or more ironclad team rules, then Belichick needs to say that. You also have to ask whether the punishment fit the crime. Is it fair to penalize everybody else on the team for the relatively minor transgressions of one guy?
The longer you go in these situations without explaining yourself, the more it looks as if it took that long to come up with an excuse you think people will buy.
Nobody’s buying “I thought it would give our team the best chance to win,” though.
…
Football can be a frustrating game in that you can have 11 guys do everything humanly possible to win, and 11 other guys give it right back. That’s what happened last night. Tom Brady and the Patriots offense put up 33 points against the No. 4 defense in the NFL. Playing against a backup quarterback, that should have been enough. They didn’t turn the ball over until they got desperate and the Eagles could afford to send the student body in after Brady.
The man is 40 years old and passed for 505 yards with a fierce rush in his face all night. He doesn’t need to apologize to anybody. He was every bit the NFL MVP Sunday (interestingly enough, all three times he’s been the league MVP, the Patriots have not won the Super Bowl — 2007, 2010, and this year).
Unfortunately, the defense couldn’t stop anybody. This loss is on those 11 players and has nothing to do with Tom Brady, or Josh McDaniels.
And to me, the issue wasn’t so much defending the pass as it was tackling. It was horrid.
I wonder if the Detroit Lions might be reconsidering hiring Matt Patricia.
…
Final parting shot: the Patriots had better do right by Danny Amendola and give him a raise or something. He’s been a good soldier with his contract and all he does is come through when they need him the most. Had the Patriots pulled Sunday’s game out, Amendola might have ended up as the MVP.
