Okay, here’s the skinny on the end of the NFL post season—the New England Patriots lost because the offensive line had more holes in them than a sieve.
The fact is that neither QB was brilliant in the big game but Manning was one better than Brady. Manning threw one more TD than his counterpart. He also lost one less fumble. Neither was stellar but when the chips were down and it was time to come through, it was Eli Manning who strapped them on and got it done.
If you thought the Pats might win this one, then look to Bill Belichick who chose to pass on fourth down and 13 rather than attempting a field goal from the Giant 41-yard line. That happened in the third period. The final score was 17- 14—one field goal would have tied it. That was the difference.
It is strange, but Belichick made a real bad move by not trying for the field goal.
What else led to the New England Patriots less-than-perfect season?
The New York Giants offensive line was very good. For the most part they kept all Patriot blitz attempts in check.
Manning did not melt down! He was exceptional.
Brady did not have the time that he needed to make the big play. Kudos to the Giant “D� and thumbs down to the Pat offense. The line could not hold back the pass rush, the receivers could not get free and QB Brady was not as mobile as he needed to be.
Finally, Eli Manning became Brady, leading his team to the Promised Land by throwing a TD pass with less than a minute left.
In the end, it comes down to the fact that the odds were against New England. They’d not lost a game in 18 contests. Was time up? Maybe. But, more so, it came down to a few facts.
First—the Giants outplayed the Pats on both sides of the ball.
Second—the Giant coaches were one notch better than the Patriot coaches.
Third—the Giants out managed the Pats when it came to the clock.
If you had the Giants in this contest, you were smart, saw the trends and won big. Congratulations to those that did.
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