Amen, brother Tom.
Looking back, it’s hard to believe the Patriots were favored in this one. New England is 5-2, but the Patriots have been aided by opponent gaffes, perhaps because of the intimidation most coaches feel when in the presence of Bill Belichick.
Think about it: Other than Rex Ryan, most of the coaches bow at the altar of the Hoodie and it makes them do dumb things. Players, too. They all turn into puddles in the presence of New England’s institutional greatness, and that’s how you get Jason Garrett playing not to lose, Jason Campbell throwing the ball to the wrong team, and Norv Turner doing what Norv Turner does. They are like MIT seniors fumbling around at the Playboy Mansion.
The Patriots have relied on the kindness of strangers, and that is how they came to be a 5-1 team that once again looks like it might exit in the first round of the playoffs.
Ty Law and Rodney Harrison are not walking through that door, people. The bend-but-don’t break defense looks broken into a million pieces.
Belichick certainly knows a lot more about football than any of us ever will forget, but we have to wonder about the conga line of experienced defensive backs who’ve been cut loose since the end of training camp.
First it was big-ticket James Sanders. Then it was two-time Pro Bowler Brandon Meriweather. And last week it was $3.9 million dollar man Leigh Bodden.
Cutting payroll and experience, the Patriots have left themselves with a suspect crew of defensive backs, bound to be exposed when you don’t have a pass rush (still waiting to hear Albert Haynesworth’s name).
Everyone throws for 300 yards against the Patriots. Ben Roethlisberger rang up 365 yards and converted 10 of 16 third downs against New England’s Mr. Softy Defense.
All Brady could do was watch. The Steelers’ offense was on the field for 39:22. In other words, the Steelers had the ball twice as long as the Patriots. That’s how Bill Parcells won his Super Bowl rings.
The New England defense was so bad that Belichick elected to go with an onside kick with the Patriots trailing by 6 with 2:40 remaining in the game.
