Misery loves Company
18-1. 17-14. Pain. Agony. Disbelief.
These are the words of a Patriots fan. Fragmented sentences that resemble real thoughts. After Sunday night’s quarter, I mean game, I sat staring at my TV screen.
Go ahead and laugh. I know I won’t be getting any pity from the Packers fans, or the people who hate Bill Belichick, or the people who are convinced the Patriots cheated their entire season, or pretty much anyone else. That’s fine, I can take it. I deserve it.
The Giants played well. Eli Manning played amazingly when it mattered. Randy Moss can complain about this game for the rest of his life, but he easily could have gotten one of those late game catches to give the Patriots their one last shot. Tom Brady could have thrown better, except he was never left alone by the defensive front of the Giants.
But the biggest question of all is this: Why did Belichick go for it on fourth and 13 instead of kicking the 49-yarder? It cost him the game! Mastermind of a coach that he is (and he is even if you hate him), he made a poor decision in the biggest game of every single player’s career.
Did he get caught cheating? Yes, he did. Did he cheat in previous Super Bowls or during the rest of this season? We don’t know … at least not yet. But while I do believe he is a great coach — three Super Bowls with four appearances in seven years — I will never understand why he didn’t trust the leg of his kicker. Adam Vinatieri may be gone, but a fourth and 13?!? A dumb call.
I would write a longer article, but at this point I’m in pain. I give. Make fun of me all you want. Just wait ’til next year.
Patriots Fan Reflections
