Ugly? Absolutely.
But this is late November, a few days after Thanksgiving, when style points don’t mean much any more.
The Patriots 31-28 win last night over the Eagles was definitely among the ugliest of their 11 wins this season. And a few questions marks developed. But a few good things happened, too.
Here are 10 observations from last night’s win:
1. Tom Brady is as cool “as the other side of the pillow.”
This game had all of the makings of a loss for the Patriots. And those “makings” were around the entire game. But Brady, after completing only 4-of-13 passes (three drops) in the third quarter last night, came back completing 11-for-15 in the last quarter for the comeback win.
2. Laurence Maroney still doesn’t look right.
Frankly, he hasn’t looked right for the entire season. He didn’t touch the ball until the Patriots second series of the second half. His first carry went for a 1-yard loss. The concern here is two-fold: He doesn’t look as explosive as he looked at the beginning of his rookie season, and they could over-use Kevin Faulk as a go-to tail-back, taking away his strengths in the wide-open offense.
The other issue is in December and January, especially in New England, the weather might play a bigger role — wind, cold and snow (or rain) — and throwing the ball might be an issue.
3. Wes Welker will play an even bigger role.
The rest of the NFL world will see what the Eagles did to keep Randy Moss in check (5 receptions, 43 yards) and follow suit. That means the Patriots will adjust with Welker getting the ball more. In fact, as good as Welker did last night (13 receptions, 149 yards), the Patriots, I believed waited too long to go to Welker (only four receptions in the first half). If teams commit two or even three defensive backs to Moss, Welker becomes the go-to guy.
4. Patriots defense got no pressure on Feeley.
This was as disappointing as anything. Feeley looked like Brady standing back there waiting four and five seconds for receivers to get open, which they did. The Patriots didn’t appear to do much blitzing or take chances, which almost cost them. It was by far the worst defensive performance of the Patriots defense this season.
5. Asante Samuel is very, very good.
The guy’s mechanics are impeccable. His hips are always facing his man while his footwork is as quick as any corner these eyes have seen since Ty Law, another technically sound corner. On defense, he had the two plays of the game, the last of which looked like he was the wide receiver, not biting on Feeley’s pump.
6. Due for a clunker.
The Patriots were due. They really were. The theme of my column today was that the Patriots are tired. They have been through a lot since opening day (spygate, running up the score, perfect season, etc.) and sometimes you come out flat. Last night they stayed that way if not for Welker, Samuel and Brady. I am guessing next week’s game will be one of their sharpest. To win a game when you play like that is a good sign.
7. Eagles are tough.
Note, I didn’t say the Eagles are good, but they are tough and reslient. They are like Donovan McNabb, who sometimes is very good and sometimes mediocre. They brought their “A” game to Foxboro last night. They came with a chip on their collective shoulders, not appreciating the 24-point spread. But they turned the game into a dogfight and hung around. They deserve some credit.
8. Moss handled double coverage well.
I’m more talking about his attitude than his ability to get open. He took a big hit one slant pass just before the first half ended and was shaken up. If he was frustrated he didn’t show it. In fact, at one point he almost beat the coverage but dropped a 50-yard bomb by Brady after adjusting to the ball and getting by the deep safety. Basically, Moss handled being a decoy very well.
9. Jabar Gaffney is quietly becoming a decent receiver.
Gaffney finished with six receptions for 87 yards, but his best work was in the first half (5 catches) when the Patriots appeared lost on both sides of the ball. He also had the game-clinching catch with 2:27 remaining, on 3rd-and-6, a 16-yarder for a first down. He already has doubled his output from last year (21 catches vs. 11 last year) and is carving out a nice role as the No. 4 receiver. The role may increase as the Patriots go to five-receiver sets, it seems, more often.
10. 16-0 will not be handed to Pats on a platter.
Tedy Bruschi probably said it best after the game last night … “Deal with it.” By that he meant that these kinds of games, nail-biters, will probably be the rule rather than the exception as teams put everything into trying to end the Patriots streak.
If you have any more observations, or you agree and disagree with mine, bring it on …
