All played a part in the Patriots’ lump-in-the-throat 21-17 loss to the New York Giants Sunday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, a Hoosier House of Horrors in which New England never has won (0-3). Hoosier Hospitality is more like Hoosier Fatality for the Patriots.
In the end, the Giants’ wealth of talent prevailed over the Patriots’ pluck and attention to detail.
The play of the game was a great, 38-yard sideline catch by Mario Manningham, the Giants’ third wide receiver. The Giants have two receivers better than a guy who makes that catch? Yep. New York has an abundance of talent on both sides of the ball. When they decided to start the game with Jason Pierre-Paul at right defensive end, that turned Osi Umenyiora into a backup.
How this Giants team went 9-7, even with injuries, is one of the great mysteries of our time.
Conversely, Patriots coach/chessmaster Bill Belichick squeezed every last ounce of talent out of his roster this season, like someone determined not to throw out a toothpaste tube until it’s been drained of every dollop. The Sterling Moores and Antwaun Moldens and James Ihedigbos, all of whom were discarded by other teams before landing in New England’s Island of Misfit Toys secondary, took Belichick’s coaching and maximized their talent. But they had and have football glass ceilings.
This wasn’t Super Bowl XLII, when the Patriots didn’t show up for their own coronation. The Patriots played hard. They played well. They lost to a team with more playmakers and thus more margin for error.
They expended all their energy and all their talent.
“We gave everything we could,’’ said Brady. “Coach Belichick, I know he coaches us every day, puts a lot of pressure on us. Guys really responded. It just wasn’t our day.’’
