Total Team Effort
Rest of Country: Who ARE These Guys?
Oh, no. It's not disrespect.
All I've read and heard this morning is about New England's "stunning" win over all those Pro Bowlers and MVP and blah, blah, blah.
It comes from a continued fantasy-league, Hollywood mentality. LaDainian Tomlinson has all kinds of great stats. Shawne Merriman is a cheater, but he's loud and brash and he makes for good TV. They have nine Pro Bowl selections, six All-Pros, the MVP, the best record in the league, a bye week, mostly better stats in the game.
Tom Brady had a bad day. "Doesn't that mean the Patriots automatically lose? That's what my fantasy league says."
Artrell Hawkins? Ellis Hobbs? James Sanders?
"Who are these guys?"
Antwain Spann? David Thomas?
"Isn't he one of the McKenzie Brothers?"
Sorry, folks. Perhaps you're still unfamiliar with the concept introduced by these fellas a few years ago in a little thing called Super Bowl XXXVI (Wasn't it impossible for them to lose that game, too?).
Allow me to educate you.
It's called "Team."
That's when 53 guys work together to accomplish a goal. It's not Tomlinson and Merriman and a couple other guys.
Reche Caldwell? Jabar Gaffney?
Even the local media laughed at these guys. Hate to say I told you so.
Let's not forget Tood Sauerbrun. Some people might remember him. He played for flavor of the month Carolina Panthers when they played the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII. (They have Jake Delhomme, etc. Weren't they supposed to be a "contender"?)
When the Patriots were getting destroyed in the battle for field position, Sauerbrun helped bail them out. Seven punts, 44.1-yard average with a long of 56 -- that one in the shadow of New England's goal posts. Mike Vrabel forced a Philip Rivers fumble, and the Patriots turned that into a field goal. Much lesser field position problem.
By the way, where was Chad Jackson?
Much more later ...