OK, I Can Finally Talk About it Now

It was like somebody had hooked up a giant vaccuum cleaner hose to one of the windows, and sucked all the air out of the place. As soon as the game clock hit 0:00, I just changed the channel and acted like it never happened. I didn't really just see what I think I saw, did I? Mrs. K and I didn't speak for about an hour.

That's what it was like at our house after the Super Bowl.

It wasn't just that they lost; we both said in the days before the game that the Giants had a good team, a lot of momentum, and could very well win the game. The sock-in-the-gut pain was due to the historic magnitude of the loss, the time we had spent watching and reading and analyzing the game in the two weeks leading up to it, and the added fact that there was nobody to blame. The Giants just flat outplayed them -- there weren't a bunch of one-sided bad calls, or a bunch of stupid turnovers, or any Giants acting like jackasses, or anything that you could point to that says the Patriots "beat themselves." They just got whupped.

I even saw the second time I ever thought Bill Belichick made a stupid coaching decision. The first was in last year's AFC Championship loss, when they inexplicably decided to keep throwing the ball against the Colts, who had one of the worst run defenses in the league. This time it was the decision not to kick a 48-yard field goal, going for it on 4th-and-13. And since they ended up losing the game by 3 points, it turned out to be an even more boneheaded move than it appeared at the time. You're indoors, it's a low scoring game, you have a good, healthy kicker who has made over-50-yard field goals all year, it's 4th-and-13, it's the Super Bowl, and you're going to go for it?? Belichick, what the hell was going through your hoodie??

There's also the fact that he spent two offensive series over on the benches, scheming with his defense, and let his offensive coordinator/QB coach call plays. So, they ran the ball up the middle about 5 times and lost yardage. Again, in a low scoring game like that one, where points were at a premium, you can't afford to have any throwaway series. Head-scratching stuff. I still think he's an incredible coach, the best in the league, but he just blew it in this Super Bowl.

Poor Mrs. K -- she hasn't been able to peruse her sports websites for a week. She either just sat there staring at the blank computer screen, or she caught up on her Television Without Pity recaps. We watched a lot of "Walker, Texas Ranger". It was sad.

So, now we (ouch) look to next year. Even though the Patriots had a first round draft pick taken away, they still have another (better) first round pick (7th overall) that they got in a trade with San Francisco last year. They've still got their core in Belichick and Tom Brady, and Randy Moss, Asante Samuel, Junior Seau are their only real starters up for free agency. I think Seau and Moss will come back, because they're old and they got so close this year. I doubt they'll re-sign Samuel, since he held out this year and they barely got a one-year deal done at the last minute. So, they may draft a cornerback to replace him, or they may decide to address their aging linebacker corps, or draft a much-needed safety. Although their O-line let them down in the Super Bowl, they're still one of the best in the league, as is their receiver corps, so they probably won't use that first round pick for either of those. Anyway, the point is that they've got good prospects, a great coach, and a great organization, so they're not going away anytime soon.

I just hope to God they don't go 18-0 again next year.

Roger