Last week was pretty embarrassing to be a Lions fan.
I’m still not sure if this week was better or worse. It was fun watching Calvin Johnson at least.
So, the Patriots play their first game since 2001 without Tom Brady as starting quarterback, using a backup QB that hasn’t started a game since his senior year in high school way back in 1999, against a seasoned future Hall-of-Fame QB playing his debut game in his new home stadium. The conventional wisdom is that Belichick will finally be shown to have been coasting on Brady’s laurels.
Nevertheless, the Patriots win again in the Meadowlands against the Jets. 
Cassel played decently. He didn’t win the game for the Pats, but he didn’t lose it for them either. Favre, on the other hand…
Highlights:
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The game got off to a great start when a short 31-yard field goal was kicked wide by the Jets in the 1st quarter.
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The Jets get down to the Patriots 3-yard line, but lose a yard in the ensuing three downs, all running right into the Pats defensive front line. They settle for a field goal.
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Favre throws a momentum-destroying interception in the 3rd quarter.
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The game is sealed when Favre is sacked for a loss of nearly 20 yards on his own two-yard line by Adalius Thomas, who also manages to single-handedly sack the lone defender (Washington). Thomas flung the two Jets players downfield the last couple of yards like a couple of rag dolls.
Hopefully Cassel and the rest of the Pats will be able to keep this going as the season progresses.
"We got an undefeated team the best one ever (one ever)
Them Pats makin’ history up in herre… "
Well, technically their defense DID make the stop when it counted. The bad call resulted in the defense having to make the stop when it counted AGAIN. Chargers fans have every right to be upset at a screw up that big, it’s ludicrous to think otherwise.
The analogy to the Bartman incident is terrible. There was no bad call in the bartman situation. Someone did something stupid and the correct call was made.
Sure it would have been nice if the chargers had just made the stop earlier and never let it get down that close. But the fact of the matter is that they stopped the broncos, and the referee gave them a do-over.
heh, granted.
On the contrary, that’s exactly what happened. The “something stupid” was a premature whistle. Given that something stupid, the correct call was made by the rules as they exist.
To extend it, the game then went on and the screwed over team still had an opportunity to win but failed to capitalize.
That’s disingenuous. I specifically said that they differed because there was no bad call in the bartman incident. The something stupid this time was the work of the officials, which is fundamentally different.
That depends on what you’re talking about. If you’re talking about officiating, then the situations are very different. If you’re talking about the blameworthiness of a team for a loss in the face of an unexpected setback that was out of their control and should not have existed (as **Ellis **is), then the situations are very similar.
Hey, did I see an actual good, exciting game on Monday Night Football? Wow, what a roller-coaster!
I had to share this:
I was watching that game with my jaw hanging wide open. Cassel may not have looked like much, but if you go back and watch film of Brady from 2001-2003, you’ll realize that Cassel looked like exactly the same guy- and the offensive playcalling looked as though it was coming from the same guy (Mangenius?) who was calling the plays for the Pats in '01!
It was truly amazing.
Screen to Faulk.
Run.
Screen to Welker.
Run.
Screen to some no-name TE.
Run.
Quick out.
Run.
I was really curious to find out whether Belicheat’s plug-and-play system would work without the one guy they’ve never had to replace… and now that I’ve seen it, I have to admit that he’s the best coach ever.
That was a fun game last night. Deshean Jackson, why do you hate the end zone?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ESPN Page 2’s DJ Gallo
Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, on losing to the Colts: “You can get mad, throw a chair, whatever. It really doesn’t matter. We’ve just got to go out there and execute.”
I disagree, Tarvaris. Let that anger out. Go ahead and throw a chair. Don’t worry – you won’t hit anyone.
Nice.
I also heard that the Metrodome will now become a tornado shelter for the twin cities since it’s pretty much guaranteed there will be no touchdowns in the vicinity.
No kidding. People seem to think that Brady was always throwing it all over the field, but that didn’t really start until last season. The first time they set the regular season win streak record, they won virtually every game by 7 points or less.
Here are his yards per game and total TD/Int numbers from 2001 through 2007:
2001: 189.5, 18/12
2002: 235.3. 28/14
2003: 226.3, 23/12
2004: 230.8, 28/14
2005: 256.9, 26/14
2006: 220.6, 24/12
2007: 300.4, 50/8
To put those numbers in perspective, Eli Manning in 2005 (his best statistical year) averaged 235.1 yards per game, with 24/17 TDs/Ints. A couple fewer Ints and his 2005 numbers would be indistinguishable from any of Brady’s first 6 seasons.
EDIT: Not counting completion percentage. Brady fluctuated between 60% and 63% until last season, when he completed 68% of his passes. Eli is a 55% to 57% passer.
Well, maybe half of the metrodome!
There was also the joke going around when Favre had retired that said that he was going to move to Minneapolis. His reason was that he wanted to get as far away from professional football as possible.
Exactly right. Cassel looked a lot like early Brady. It’s like they were able to clone him, and we’re looking at a younger version of Brady.
The rest of the league is going to ban the Pats from selecting QBs after the fourth round if this keeps up…