Situation winners are in? You just can't beat it

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was predictably glum. "We just didn't do a good job tonight," he said. "I didn't do a good job coaching and they didn't do a good job playing . . . You're not going to win with five turnovers . . . There's not a lot to make of it. They did a better job than we did. We've got to go back to work and get ready for the Jets."

And, uh, this might not be the day to raise the Manning-Brady issue.

Tom Brady was 20 for 35 and Peyton Manning was 20 for 36, but that's where last night's comparison ended. Manning's completions were good for 326 yards and two touchdowns, one of which, admittedly, was far more a virtuoso act from a brilliant wide receiver than the product of a great throw, but, really, does it matter? Manning was picked off once.

Brady's 20 completions were only good for 201 yards. He did not throw a TD pass and he was intercepted four times. If you had never seen him before, you would have been asking, "What's the fuss?" (You might keep your eye on him next week, however. He is notoriously brilliant in response to a subpar outing.)

"It was a tough night all the way around," said Brady. "The defense kept us in the game with the turnovers the way they were."

And what did Brady think of his counterpart?

"He made some real good throws," Brady acknowledged. "We had a lot of pressure on him, and he stood in there and made the throws."

And it was all about Manning and his passing game. Brady had a complementary running game (148 yards); Manning didn't (53). But Manning made up the difference with great throw after great throw after great throw when a great throw was needed. And on the occasions when it wasn't, on those numerous times when his receivers were 5 yards or more from a New England defender, he delivered the ball with ease.