FOXBOROUGH, MA – I am hoping Management will let me write a few extra posts this week, so I can put as many words as possible between my name and last week’s Giants’ Optimism turd sandwich. Can we agree to never mention it again? Thanks. Otherwise, it was a pretty exciting NFL week 6, highlighted by the Shootout In Foxborough between the favorites to play in the AFC Championship Game. Let’s knee-jerk it.
It’s too bad a huge play in the game was made because a rookie let go of Brady, trying to avoid a penalty. When players stop playing, everyone loses. The NFL done went too far in trying to protect the QB.
Brady seemed a little deflated when told in a post game interview that the tackler released him into the wild to plunge into the end zone. Come on Tommy, do you really think you broke that tackle?
It is insane that the Patriots are now 24-0 at home against QBs under 25 years old since 2001. To me, this stats speaks to the greatness of Bill Belichick, I must begrudgingly admit. The list of QBs is not bad either, but BB always finds a way to confuse the youngsters at home.
Who is the youngest QB to win in Foxborough in the Bellichick Era, you ask? Some out-of-work guy named Colin Kaepernick, who did it at 25 and a half. In related news, Nathan Peterman is employed and threw two horrifying picks with the game on the line against Houston.
Contrast the ending of the Patriots game with the ending of the Bears game. The Bears blew into Miami territory with some running plays late in OT. They had third and a few yards to get a first down and into reasonable FG range.
But instead of trusting Trubiski to make a play, who had a decent game apart from a few horrendous throws, they ran it once more and settled for a 53-yard attempt. They deserved to lose.
The Pats, in a similar situation, closing in on FG range late in regulation, threw it down the field to the Gronk to set up a chip shot and an easy win. The Chiefs, apparently expecting the Pats to play it safe and run it, had some backup safety covering Gronk. Good call.
The Pats went for the jugular while the Bears tried not to screw it up. They were like a bear who doesn’t know he has claws and was just batting the bunny. Er, Dolphin. Actually, batting the dolphin sounds weird. Let’s move on.
https://youtu.be/E4O9id4xDlY
It doesn’t seem like there have been a lot of catch/no catch issues this season. Kudos to the NFL, I guess, for fixing what they fouled up.
The pick that wasn’t called on the game winning Antonio Brown TD was as clear as the middle fingers in Tyreek Hill’s face after his third touchdown.
Not only did the play result in a TD, but the penalty would have pushed the Pittsburgh FG distance back, without much time left. A brutal job by the refs there.
Speaking of the horrible sports fans in Boston and insane stats, the Houston Astros gave up the fewest runs in a season of any AL team since 1971. In other words, the fewest runs since the DH rule. That’s nutty. The Red Sox won 108 games but I’m putting my money on the Astros.
Come back tomorrow for Angry Ward, who never makes the mistake of being too optimistic. Follow us on Twitter at @BenWhit8, @MeetTheMatts, @Matt_McCarthy00, Instagram @MeetTheMatts and like our Facebook page, Meet The Matts.
