Week 17 vs PATS - 1st half

• Collinsworth says something really dopey: the 72 Dolphins "don't talk about their individual accomplishments," they talk about what they did as a team. It was 1972. Enough already. Get over it. Yes, it was a good thing. But it was over thirty years ago.
• Bradshaw and J-Load are inactive. Glad I picked up TJ Duckett in fantasy.
• No J-Load means more Eli? I don't know. They have Anthony Wright too, who at least has played before.
  
• Wow. What an honest and unrehearsed statement from Roger Goodell. Hey Roger, my toaster called, he wants his personality back.
• Lots of starters in. Jacobs running full out makes me a little nervous in terms of playoff readiness but I guess Tom knows what he's doing. (Ha ha.)
• NICE catch from Burress. That'll get the crowd going. Burress is so much bigger than Ellis Hobbs that was almost a joke. Then Steve Smith drops a pass, and Coughlin threw the flag. Why? You have momentum, but the ball popped out. BUT it popped out out of bounds. I don't know what the rule is on that. Hopefully Tom does although this may be one of those blustery Tommy C decisions. Yes, that's what it was - challenge failed. Steve Smith stinks. Coughlin stinks.
  
• Burress gets another one. Hey, maybe practicing is OK. First down. Brady does not look happy.
• Nice play by BJ - catch, run, stretch, touchdown. Pats look a little shocked.
• Tynes makes me nervous every time he kicks. Did I mention that?
• So now the Pats start marching down the field. I know there are no moral victories, blah blah blah, but if the Giants can keep pace scoring-wise with the Patriots and lose, I think that's not bad. Winning would be better of course.
• 4th and 2 and they go for it... and make it.
• Held 'em to a field goal. Hm. We got a game here.
• Interesting. The thought is that Brady will try to feed the ball to Moss to get the record "out of the way" as early as possible. So the Giants double and triple covered Moss. And it worked. Hmmmm.
• Toomer drops a pass. 41st of the year, says MumbleGumble, and it's Feagles' time. Not good. How do you drop that many passes?
  
• Brady's definitely feeling the burn from the Giants' pass rush. He's thrown the ball away a couple of times, which I think is unusual for him. If this were a Joe Torre team he would say that the Patriots were "pressing" and the Giants were "just having fun."
• I don't think Maroney is the great running back that NE wants him to be. Hey - that was some sack on Brady. Penalty flag is... illegal contact?!?!? Automatic first down?!??!? More like Illegal Patriots Might Lose.
• So what are the Giants doing well? Defense: stopping the run (Pats can't get anything going), and pressuring the QB; Brady has been fitutzed since the start of the game. Randy Moss is down, what's up? Ooo, nasty hit, but Moss ran into the defender. I kind of don't want Moss to break Jerry Rice's record. I don't care a lot but if I have to pick, I'll go with Rice. But then Moss is back in on the next play, and catches a touchdown. League scoring record broken, Brady ties Manning, and Moss ties Rice. This is why the Patriots are a scary team, they can do shit like that. As for the excessive celebration penalty, fuck you refs. I'm not a Moss fan but that wasn't exactly a major penalty. The ref imitating it for Bill B and Moss was almost worth it.
• Giants run one in on the kickoff. Belichik just popped a Rolaids.
  
• Maroney runs through a Giant hole in the line (pun intended). Is this where the Giants fall apart? Not yet guys, you got 'em on the run.
• Now they've remember how to tackle. They just forgot for a few plays.
• Why are they showing Tom Brady in his underwear? Oh, it's from the combine. Still, why the beefcake shots?
• Either Welker is damn good or the Giants keep not finishing their tackles with him. Or both. In the words of the great Homer Simpson, it can be two things.
• STOPPED! Field goal is... good. 14-13. Nobody's messing around in this game.
  
• For no reason I can give you, I have a feeling Kevin Boss is a good Tight End, maybe as good as Shockey. Why are so many tight ends enormous dumb-looking white guys? Then Rodney Harrison knocks down a pass meant for Boss. That was a bad choice of play, Harrison was there from the beginning.
• Giants are definitely giving the Pats a game here, which indicates several things. One of them is that they weren't playing up to their potential in some other games this season. Although Baltimore and Philly played probably their best games of the year against the Pats, despite losing. If nothing else, the Giants will give Tampa Bay a hard time and maybe even win.
  
• Ha ha. Tried to hit Moss to get the double record, but NO. Ha ha. Another field goal. Nasty stat though: Pats have had the ball more than twice as long as New York.
• Hot damn. Great play by Eli, running around, avoiding tacklers, hitting Kevin Boss for 23 yards. Then Shaun O'Hara (center) goes down after getting nicked by one of his own teammates. Another enormous lineman comes in, we'll see what happens. Toomer makes a decent catch - hell, he makes a catch - for another first down. Then a toss to Jacobs who pushes forward for another first down. Time running out guys... now Jacobs and Seau are fighting, which runs about 10 seconds off the clock and makes the Giants call their last timeout. Wilfork poked Jacobs in the eye. OK, here's the penalty... wait for it... NOT charged with the time out. This guy Carey (I think that's his name) is my favorite ref to watch. Maybe this is the way the Pats fight - a little dirty, not with big punches but with little pokes when nobody's looking.
• And Eli takes off, running to the 4 yard line, getting a first down, calling time out... That looked good, man, I have to say. Tom Brady looks really unhappy. He might need to get a new supermodel girlfriend to cheer himself up. Especially now, after Manning throws ANOTHER TOUCHDOWN to everyone's new favorite player, Kevin Boss. Jeremy who?
• Now there's an interesting shot - Matt Cassel warming up on the sidelines. Do they pull Brady if they're still behind after three quarters?