Pats lose to Colts (and Peyton Manning is the devil)
Sigh....not only is it disappointing to have watched the Pats lose and fall into a three-way tie atop the AFC East, but something about this game was so....so....blah. It wasn't particularly exciting, nor was I emotionally invested in the outcome. Normally, if the Pats beat the Colts, I'm giddy for the rest of the night and when they lose, I'm grumpy for the next two days. Tonight, I'm feeling fairly ambivalent about the whole thing, maybe because I had long ago resigned this game to the Colts.
I got the feeling that neither team was really too invested in the outcome either. This game usually impacts the postseason seeding in the AFC, but this year it was just another game on the schedule. Somehow, all the players seemed to be moving at half speed, as if it was a practice session. The normally ferocious Colts pass rush was invisible, and their high powered offense looked unimaginative and sluggish. On the flip side, the Patriots had their own boring offense, and a defense that seemed devoid of all the Belichick trickery that we've come to expect. Maybe it was just me, and everyone else saw a different game.
Maybe I just don't think this game counts when Brady isn't playing and the Colts looking like a team that might miss the playoffs. Certainly, when I check back at all the games in this rivalry, this one will have an asterisk next to it that will say "Brady on IR."
Observations:
-Patriots had virtually no pass rush. This is going to be a problem as the season goes on, and will almost certainly cost them any shot of a playoff win, should they happen to make it into the postseason.
-Colts never sacked the QB who has taken nearly 30 sacks in the first 7 games. We know the Patriots O-line isn't really that good this year. I thought Cassel would be on his back all night. Strange.
-Both teams seemed perfectly happy to eat up the clock with long drives. I counted only 3 possessions for each team in the first half. Yawn. It's as if both teams were hoping the game would end as soon as possible. Very few big plays were even attempted, and I can't think of a single one that was made.
-I don't think either team forced a turnover on defense when it really mattered. The Colts had one interception that came on a desperation 4th and 16 at the end of the game, and they would have been better off letting the ball hit the turf.
-When was the last time we saw Belichick have a brain fart and waste all his timeouts with nearly a quarter left to play? Somewhere, Mike Martz nods his head in approval...
-The one bright spot here is that Cassel looks better and better every week. Today was no exception, as he consistently drove down the field, made the throws he needed to, and showed good pocket presence. If Jabar Gaffney had any kind of hands (or if Dave Thomas had attended anger management classes), the Pats might have won this game.
Here's hoping this rivalry game is better next year.
