They Get Paid Too

The Patriots aren’t the only team in the NFL trying to win, and sometimes it’s difficult to remember that. It is believed by some that New England fans have a tendency to overreact to a loss because the fans haven’t had many to deal with. There’s two kinds of Patriots fans: the ones who panic, and the ones who don’t. I’ll admit, having listened to Patriots Radio all week, sometimes you really can’t tell who is who. The calm ones usually bring up positive “did you know” facts from the game, such as: “Did you know that Tom Brady’s numbers would’ve been great for most other QB’s? Did you know that, despite how terribly we played, the game came down to one possession?” And then the panicked guy counters with “Yes, but did it occur to you that the Steelers also played horribly -- wracking up penalties, missed red zone opportunities, missing a field goal -- and yet the game was never legitimately in question?” And the two sides go back and fourth for a week.

I will admit, the final score wasn’t indicative of the game. The numbers were close, but the game wasn’t. Even when it came down to one final possession, there was just no way it was going to happen. There are some games where you know your team doesn’t have the big plays in them. In truth, I was less concerned with the loss and more worried about the vicious hit on Welker; Brady’s the brain of the team, but Wes is the heart and he’s been notoriously fragile (probably because he’s not really built to be a professional football player). I was sort of willing to trade the game for his health.

Tomorrow’s game will be vicious. The worst part of playing the Giants is they’re not afraid to put an opposing quarterback out of commission for the rest of the season. Lawrence Taylor is in their DNA. They rarely play the kind of football you’d frame and hang in a museum, but they almost always play with brutality. This makes me think about the ‘08 Lakers-Celtics Finals; the Lakers were a more talented team with the sharp surgical skill of Bryant and the delicate finesse of the recently-acquired Gasol, but the Celtics were grittier, tougher, and just more blue collar. Boston pounded the talent out of Los Angeles with their fists. Super Bowl 42 felt similar, but with a role reversal that saw us leave the field with a look of devastation.

It’s important, I think, not to get caught up in the concept of vengeance; a regular season game can never repay someone for damage done in the post season, let alone the Super Bowl. Tomorrow will be a statement game, but a real statement can only be made by a team that can conceivably get to the Super Bowl. And the truth is The Giants won’t be able to get out of this National Football Conference -- not with teams like Philly, Green Bay, Detroit, New Orleans and San Francisco hanging out at the same party. The Giants aren’t going anywhere this year. In the broad scheme of the season, the Giants are a temporary team. And yet, the Giants are a dangerous team. There is a limit to Eli Manning’s talent as a quarterback, but there’s also a limit to his fear. Part of what makes him so notorious for turning the ball over is his unbelievable courage to make risky throws. He’s daring to the point of being reckless, and that’s why he has a Super Bowl ring. Drew Brees is also daring to the point of being reckless, and that’s why he has a ring. Tom Brady’s daring too, but not to the point of being reckless -- which is why he has three rings instead of one.