We all know Tom Brady plays on another level during playoff games, so what did you expect the NFL's best regular season quarterback to do against the Jaguars? Set an NFL record for completion percentage, of course.
In what seemed like a close battle in the first half, the Patriots completely took control in the second. The constant pressure brought by the Jaguars, combined with the consistent completions from Brady and the overwhelming rushing attack from Maroney left Jacksonville tired and weak by the 4th quarter.
It's hard to put in words how amazing this is getting – but each game just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Two more to go, and this will be the best team ever to have played the sport. Just keep it rolling, fellas!
Here are the Players of the Game:
- QB Tom Brady: 2 incompletions. Period.
- RB Laurence Maroney: After all the complaining and jarring at Maroney, guess who was essential to the victory? I guess people are finally realizing that Maroney was playing through injuries, and the Pats were trying to keep him fresh for … playoffs. Well, the kid can run, and he can run fast. Without him on the roster, it would have been tough to make an impact against this Jags team
- RB Kevin Faulk: If Brady deserves an academy award for the performance, Kevin Faulk does, too. He timed the run so perfectly that if he were a split second early, he would have knocked the ball away for a fumble, and if he were a split second late, the play wouldn't have fooled anybody. Great job as usual, Kevin.
- WR Wes Welker: He does what he does – and that's catch balls (though he did drop one of Brady's only 2 incompletions)
- WR Donte Stallworth: I told my father to look out for Stallworth this week. I was right. The guy has been overlooked by so many teams because, well, they have to overlook someone on this talented team. He made several huge plays, including a dive for a first down to put the nail in the coffin.
- DE Ty Warren: The amazing DE forced a fumble allowing the Pats to go up 14-7.
- Honorable Mention: S Brandon Meriweather: Without much playing time in the regular season, Meriweather could have been expected to be confused out there. Not at all. He didn't give up any big plays, and delivered one of the biggest hits of the season. That'll keep 'em from running over the middle.
Need Improvement:
- K Stephen Gostkowski: Kickers are overrated, but they do serve a purpose. That purpose is to not miss a field goal in the very rare times Belichick calls your number.
- CB Asante Samuel: The "shutdown" corner was being picked on a bit by Garrard and his 6'5" receivers. Asante looked lost on two plays, one of which resulted in a touchdown. He certainly wasn't at his normal playoff form.
2 Responses
for starters….I adore Rodney Harrison. He's an incredible badass. I'm proud to have him as a Pat. However, his penalties of late are annoying me. Is this bothering anybody else? As for your Honorable Mention to Brandon Merriweather, I'm with you. I was so proud to see him out there making his presence known. I'm a native of Maine living in FL. I love the kids from the U.
Thanks for the comment, patsgirl. I completely agree with you about Rodney. He plays every down with all his heart, and then some. In hindsight, it was nice to see Belichick forced to take him out for a few plays in a game because he was too emotional.
Also, I'm glad to see Meriweather making some noise. I start most of my praise for the Belichick/Pioli combo with their perfection in the first round of the draft. Meriweather seemed to be a dud at first, but damn! That kid can hit! He was also taking a bunch of snaps a CB in the preseason, so we know he's versatile. And James Sanders really blossomed this year, limiting Meriweather's time. I'm glad he's seeing some now, though! That kid is going to be good.
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