Patriots can thank the Colts

by James on January 24th, 2008

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

Tom Brady and the Patriots thank the Colts

Tom Brady says the Patriots were motivated by losing to the Colts in the playoffs last year.

Do you remember how close that game was?

You do remember being caught up in all the Peyton Manning can win his first title hoopla?

Yeah, that was fun and all, but that Patriots/Colts game was won in close fashion by the Colts.

Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, remembers it vividly.

He watched Tom Brady’s short pass to Troy Brown fall incomplete on third down at the New England 46-yard line with 2:27 left in Indianapolis. The Patriots had to punt and the Colts took over at their 20 with 2:17 and just one timeout left.

Peyton Manning went to work, eating up chunks of yardage.

With the clock showing 1:00, Joseph Addai ran in for the winning touchdown before an RCA Dome full of ecstatic fans, completing a comeback from a 21-3 deficit to a 38-34 win.

The Colts went on to win the Super Bowl. The Patriots went home. source

That was then and this is now

There was absolutely no way Tom Brady was going to give up the ball late in the Giants game. Just no way. It was not going to happen again.

Leading by nine, New England started at its own 13 with 9:13 left in the game. This time, Brady faced four third-down plays and converted every one. He simply had to kneel down on the last two plays of the game, the Chargers helpless to do anything after using all their timeouts.

The three-time champion Patriots, who return to practice Thursday after three days off, are now 4-1 in five of the last seven AFC championship games.

That one loss, of course, was to the Colts last year.

Now the team mantra just seems to be “No way”, as in no way are the Patriots going to give up the ball or allow any scores late in the game.

What about the Giants

The New York Giants managed to lose 38 to 35 in the regular season finale against the Patriots and it swelled the Giants confidence going into the playoffs. They now stand as a 14 point underdog, but believing in themselves.

Can the Giants pull the upset?

Oh, it is possible, but this is a stronger Patriots team than even in that last game and they are more motivated than ever.

But the Patriots are widely expected to win the rematch.

They have the record-breaking offensive talent of Brady and Randy Moss and the running of Laurence Maroney, coming off his fourth 100-plus yard rushing performance in five games.

They have a defense that has risen up at the right time, allowing just two touchdowns in its two playoff games.

And they have the awful memories.

“It was so disappointing last season,” Brady said after beating San Diego. “I remember leaving the bus at Indianapolis and just reflecting on how close we were and how disappointing it was, knowing that there was another team going instead of us.

The Giants need to bring their A game, especially on rushing Tom Brady and shutting down Lawrence Maroney. With Welker, Moss, Stallworth, etc to throw to, you have to find a way to nullify Maroney.

Fortunately for the Giants, that has been their strength and Michael Strahan wants to go out on top.

NFL Football Fan Question Will the Patriots get it done?

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