Undefeated

Patriots defeated the Giants to go 16-0. I'm certainly very happy about it, but it's hard to forget how meaningless a game this is. Both teams played hard, and it was a really exciting game, but I can't help but think that the Patriots mystique may be gone. Brady took a ton of hits, the defense looks slow and sloppy again, and it's hard to believe that these problems get fixed in two weeks time what with everyone telling these guys how great they are. Not exactly a formula for success against the Colts.

But I'll save that for another day. I was REALLY glad to see that Brady broke Manning's record for TD passes in a season--it seems unlikely that either QB will ever approach those numbers ever again. And I was also glad to see that Brady, like Manning before him, pretended that the record didn't mean anything to him in his press conference after the game. And hey, maybe it doesn't, but the celebration after the TD pass kinda suggested otherwise.

And I also like how the Pats broke their own record for most consecutive regular season wins. The fact that they've managed to go on these types of winning streaks twice is pretty amazing. And that's really what gives me a good fuzzy feeling going into the postseason: despite the fact that the Patriots are not as dominant and invincible as they appeared early in the season, they still look like they have that mental edge where they dig down deep and find a way to make the plays when they need to make them. Should be a fun postseason.

Thoughts on the game:

-All my previous concerns about the Pats are still there, but realistically, the only team with a GOOD chance of beating the Pats is the Colts. It will be interesting to see if the absence of Dwight Freeney makes a big difference.

-Some have said that the Jags have a good shot of beating the Pats, but I don't see it. Yes, they're playing well, they're physical, they have a badass running game. But a) can they score points? and b) can they slow down the Pats offense? The answer to a) is "maybe," but I think the answer to b) is "not without a better pass rush." As good as the Jags defense is, their pass defense (pass rushing in particular) is not their forte. Like the Pats defense, their front four is big, but not quick. And the Pats' O-line struggles against the latter, not the former.

-If that was the signature game of Eli Manning's young career, then I'm convinced that he's never going to be anything more than a slightly above-average starting QB. Yes, he made some good plays, but his accuracy isn't good enough, he starts to break down under pressure, and worst of all, losing doesn't seem to bother him enough. This has got to be maddening for Giants' fans--he's clearly got the talent, but doesn't seem to have the drive or fire to take his game to another level.

-Tom Coughlin might take some heat for playing all of his starters this game, but I think it was the right thing to do. Of course, it could have worked out better; by my count, 3 Giants starters had to leave the game with injuries!

-Randy Moss is amazing, but I really like watching Wes Welker play. As I thought in the offseason, it's like he's a white Troy Brown.