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Wade prefers his footing to Gronk’s

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:02:02 EST

Sometimes there is ample time for rest and recovery. So when Dwyane Wade sustained what ultimately was diagnosed as a high ankle sprain, he rested and recovered, returning after two weeks off, soon back to the top of his game, as evidenced by his 33-point outing Wednesday against the Orlando Magic. Three days earlier, Wade scored 25 points against the Toronto Raptors, then took stock in the pitfalls of trying to speed up the timetable for such an injury. It left him appreciative of the extra caution the Miami Heat medical staff took. Wade said he hardly was surprised by how limited New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowki was during the Super Bowl, two weeks after sustaining a high ankle sprain in the AFC championship game, one that ultimately required the type of surgery Wade was able to avoid. “I mean, I knew it was going to be tough for him. But, obviously, it’s the Super Bowl. What do you expect him to do?” Wade said of Gronkowki, before the debate turned to Gronkowki’s post-Super Bowl shirtless dancing agility. “He’s going to go out there and he’s going to try.

Patriots’ Super Bowl XLVI strategy had a catch

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:03:03 EST

Since Kansas City Chiefs coach Hank Stram famously agreed to be miked XLII years ago, no Super Bowl experience truly has been complete until we hear the NFL Films audio to learn what really went on. Super Bowl XLVI was no exception. Only three days after the game, behind-the-scenes insights began to emerge on the NFL Network’s “Sound FX” show, as well as on NFL.com. Among the gems: New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick telling his defense before the New York Giants’ final drive: “Make them go to Manningham. Make them go to Pascoe, all right? But let’s make sure we get Cruz and Nicks.” Oops. The Giants opened with a 38-yard pass from Eli Manning to Mario Manningham, right in front of Belichick. Later, Patriots defenders were heard in the huddle saying that for strategic reasons, they had to let the Giants score, while on the sideline, quarterback Tom Brady doubted that would work, saying, “They’re not going to score.” They did, when Ahmad Bradshaw awkwardly and reluctantly fell on his backside into the end zone, and all turned out well for the Giants in the end. Bear market for Nets Team Marketing Report is out with its annual survey of NBA ticket costs, which shows – no surprise – the two most expensive teams are the Knicks and Lakers, who average $117.47 and $99.25 for non-premium seats. The Nets’ average is $37.06, below the league figure of $48.48. But wait: Many fans are more interested in the going rate on the secondary market, where prices rise and fall based on demand. Take Wednesday: The Linsanity-driven Knicks host the lowly Kings, and the cheapest ticket was $45 as of Saturday afternoon (up 50 percent from Friday) on FanSnap.com, which monitors several dozen outlets. That same night, the Nets host the Grizzlies.

For first time, Brady takes heat from Pats fans

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:02:42 EST

Does it hurt when Teflon is ripped off your body by an angry fan base? Memo to self: Run this one past Tom Brady when training camp starts. As we wait on that one, let’s consider how hard a fall Brady has taken on the public relations/legacy front these past few days. A week ago, he was the Golden Boy quarterback who, with one more Super Bowl victory, would join Joe Montana on a virtual game show called “Name That Greatest Quarterback of All Time.” Again, that was last week. Now there’s an element out there that’s labeling him a choke artist. And there’s a mob out roving the countryside, holding tight to their leashed bloodhounds with one arm and waving torches with the other, as they chase after Gisele Bundchen, aka Mrs.

Memory of dropped pass will linger; so should Welker

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:46:01 EST

It goes into the books as the biggest drop in the history of the New England Patriots. If Wes Welker makes the catch, the Patriots probably win Super Bowl XLVI. But he did not make the catch, and, well, here we are. Giants 21, Patriots 17. And let’s be clear on this: It absolutely was a drop. Now, was it a perfect pass from quarterback Tom Brady? No, except that it’s important to remember he was trying to keep the ball away from the one person who was in the neighborhood and could thus do damage, safety Kenny Phillips. And would it have been a routine, garden-variety catch by Welker? No, except that he is known as a receiver with great hands who, on this play, happened to get both wrapped around the ball. As he himself pointed out, “It hit me right in the hands. I mean, it’s a play I never drop, I always make.

Giant redemption with Super Bowl crown

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:39 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – As the Super Bowl crowds poured out of town Monday, the New York Giants still were savoring one of the most improbable stretch runs to a championship in NFL history. With two games left in the regular season, the Giants were a 7-7 team coming off their second loss of the season to the Washington Redskins. Coach Tom Coughlin’s job security again was being questioned and quarterback Eli Manning, who was having a brilliant season, didn’t seem destined to add more career-defining moments to his football resume. But by the time Coughlin and Manning appeared at the traditional Monday morning news conference for the Super Bowl’s winning coach and most valuable player, all the regular season strife was a fading memory. Manning and Coughlin are two-time champions with possible Hall of Fame credentials already in place, and the Giants are the first team with a 9-7 regular season record to win a Super Bowl title after their dramatic 21-17 triumph over the New England Patriots Sunday night. “We never changed our attitude about what had to be accomplished and what we had to do,” Coughlin said. “This is a great statement to our players as well as to our mental toughness.

No more debate over Eli Manning’s stature

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:26:01 EST

The day after a Super Bowl, some think, is a day to decompress. Actually, it’s a somewhat busy day for NFL and volunteer crews who are busy dismantling all the temporary media and fan-related sites and amenities that were set up. The prices go down on souvenirs, hotel front desks and airports are flooded with visitors checking out and escaping the Super Bowl city. Life there starts returning to normal. In the wake of the day after, let’s leave you with some final Super Bowl tids, bits and thoughts: Late in training camp, Giants quarterback Eli Manning had Patriots nation in an uproar, of course, when he said he was an elite quarterback on par with Tom Brady. Some laughed, with good reason.

Somehow, they need to find new deep threat

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:26:01 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Visitors described the atmosphere in the New England Patriots locker room Sunday night as that of a funeral. Certainly understandable. Long faces, players answering questions with their heads down. Some, like receiver Wes Welker, were near tears, as you could see from his podium interview. But the difference between the loss in Super Bowl XLVI and other losses the Patriots have suffered is that their defense isn’t being placed under the microscope. The favorite post-mortem topic now? The Patriots receivers did not catch the ball when they needed to in the fourth quarter, and the Giants receivers did. “Down the sideline,” Giants QB, and now Patriots Enemy No. 1, Eli Manning said, “we have confidence our receivers can make those plays.” Tom Brady’s wife, Giselle Bundchen, was, in a strange way, right in her much-publicized postgame rant.

Giants spoil Patriots’ party again

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:06:00 EST

The drama was spectacular. For New Englanders, the result was anything but. The New York Giants and New England Patriots as currently constituted, could play 10 times and they would probably come all the way down to the wire. But for the New England Patriots, if they never see Eli Manning and the Giants again, it would be too soon. Way too soon. Sunday’s 21-17 loss in Super Bowl XLVI at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Field had to be nauseating for Patriots fans, after they saw Giants safety Kenny Phillips tip the ball and Rob Gronkowski, severely limited due to that ankle and probably needing surgery down the road, not be able to get to it in time as time, instead of standing still, ran out. But once again it was Manning, who took the ball at his own 12 yard line with 3:46 remaining and nailed a pass to midfield to Mario Manningham, staying in bounds by inches. It was a 39-yard gain to the 50 that will likely be remembered in New York and Super Bowl lore for quite a while. “He should be (the MVP) for that last drive,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said of Manning. The Giants had the ball on the 50, and at that point, Patriot fans had that sinking feeling. Oh no, not again. Manning wins another Super Bowl MVP, somehow outdueling Patriot quarterback Tom Brady, going 30 for 40 for 296 yards and a touchdown.

Goodell gives Indy high grade as Super stage

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:46:40 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Did this city’s efforts this week – which took years of planning – warrant another Super Bowl down the road? It’s a definite maybe, according the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “Sure it is,” Goodell said when asked if Indianapolis would be a viable candidate to host future Super Bowls. “We’re here and they are doing a fantastic job. … We want to make sure that this week turns out to be what everybody has worked so hard for. “I believe the community here could not have done a better job of organizing this week’s events or embracing this. I think that it is great that Indianapolis is on the global stage.

Missed pass haunting Patriots’ Welker

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:56:17 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – It was a catch Wes Welker says he makes “a thousand times” in practice. But in the Super Bowl, it just didn’t happen. Welker was open for what would have been a 24-yard gain at the New York 20 yard line, had he caught Tom Brady’s missile, with four minutes left in the game. It possibly, with the Patriots leading 17-15 and the New York Giants with just one time out remaining, could have finished things. But the ball bounced off his hands as he tumbled to the ground and the Giants got the ball back and rallied for a 21-17 Super Bowl XLVI win. “I saw it develop and saw the ball in the air,” Welker, who had seven catches for 60 yards, one behind Aaron Hernandez’ team-leading eight catches for 67 yards. “I went to make the play and didn’t (catch) the ball. (Brady) saw (him open) and threw me the ball.

Giants’ Coughlin knows how to deliver winning message

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:53:38 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – The biggest moment of Tom Coughlin’s coaching career had arrived and he owned it with passion and precision. The night before Super Bowl XLII, in the main ballroom of the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass hotel in Arizona, Coughlin poured his heart out to his team in a speech that still has some players talking four years later. He expressed what winning at the time his only Super Bowl ring as an assistant under Bill Parcells meant to him in 1991, shed tears when he talked about how fleeting such an opportunity can be and how the game itself was larger than just the Giants. Then with all eyes peering into his soul, Coughlin told them he’d next see them in the morning of what he promised would be the greatest day of their football lives. “When you give a speech like he did, it really doesn’t matter what you say,” Jason Tuck recalled for The Record. “Everybody left the room that night knowing they were going to give 100 percent in that football game, and we were going to win. “If we could have played right then, we would have. Most of the messages are the same, as far as the details go. It’s all in the delivery.” By the time heads hit pillows, most assembled for pregame speeches on Super Bowl eve do not remember the word-for-word content of the message. None will forget how the speech was presented, however, especially if and when it strikes the proper note. “It’s tough for a head coach to stand up before a team 16 different times and really bang his message,” said former All-Pro center Shaun O’Hara, referring not only to Coughlin in 2008 but in general.

HOF: Martin in, Parcells out for ’12

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:52:47 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Former New England Patriot and New York Jets running back Curtis Martin, the only back in NFL history to gain 1,000 yards in each of his first 10 seasons, was elected on Saturday to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That was the good news for Patriots and Jets fans. The bad news, also for New York Giants fans, was that head coach Bill Parcells was not elected. Martin joined cornerback Jack Butler (senior nominee) and modern day players defensive linemen Chris Doleman and Cortez Kennedy, and offensive linemen Dermontti Dawson and Willie Roaf. Martin played with the Patriots from 1995-97 and left as a free agent for the New York Jets in 1998. “I would say it almost caught me off guard,” Martin told the NFL Network. “It’s one of the most humbling feelings I’ve had in my entire career.” However, he said it was bittersweet because Parcells, his coach for most of his career with both the Patriots and Jets, didn’t make it. Parcells survived the cut from 15 to 10 finalists but not down to five. “Without him,” he said, “my career wouldn’t have been 30 percent of what it was.”

Giants, Patriots know Brady key to winning another Lombardi Trophy

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:45:50 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Super is a thing that can sometimes surprise you. No one was feeling super back on Nov. 6 when the New England Patriots dropped a 24-20 decision to the New York Giants in the final seconds, a loss that reminded so many of the same crushing feeling they suffered back in Super Bowl XLII four years ago. No one expected this season to end up here in Peyton’s Place. But the Patriots have picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and have been on one straight track ever since, and that track is guided by a quarterback driven to do just one thing: win. “It’s pretty hard to win a football game in the NFL,” Brady said this week. “We’re very fortunate to be here. We’ve overcome quite a few things, quite a few adversities to get us here.

Solder thankful for veteran tutors

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:44:53 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – A year ago he was playing in the Senior Bowl. Now he’s playing in the Super Bowl. What a whirlwind year it’s been for New England Patriots rookie and top draft pick Nate Solder, the offensive lineman who has filled in admirably at all spots, most recently at right tackle for Sebastian Vollmer, who may or may not be healthy or in game shape enough to play in Super Bowl XLVI. “I think the biggest shock from college to the pros is how every week there’s such a good pass rusher,” Solder said. “To be part of this group, to step into this group and contribute where I can has been a blessing.” Solder says he’s relied on the coaching staff, especially line coach Dante Scarnecchia, but also veterans Matt Light and Logan Mankins to adjust to the pro speed. “Those guys know what they’re doing,” he said. “They’ve both been Pro Bowlers.

Pats don’t shy away from undrafted players

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:35 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Changes in attitude? Try changes on the roster. There are only 23 players combined on both the New York Giants and New England Patriots who played in Super Bowl XLII four years ago and are here to take part in The Rematch. The Patriots defense, for example, has one player – starting nose tackle Vince Wilfork who is on the roster. Offensively, you’re looking at Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Kevin Faulk and kicker Stephen Gostkowski. You could add center Dan Koppen to the list but he’s on injured reserve. But, as head coach Bill Belichick will tell you, that’s nothing new. “I think there is a pretty high level of turnover throughout the league over a four-year period, no matter what team you go to,” Belichick said. “You can look at the team we’re playing, (the Giants) have a few more guys than we do (14) but not that many.

Pats’ Gronkowski back on practice field

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:37:29 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – The big news for the Patriots on Thursday was the return of tight end Rob Gronkowski to practice. He practiced on a limited basis, but it was his first time on the field since injuring his ankle in the AFC Championship game on Jan. 22. ”He did some things. He didn’t do everything,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told pool reporter Alex Marvez. “We’ll see how he is (Friday).

A Super Bowlfirst for Izzo

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:00:54 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Larry Izzo remembers the loss. But, don’t think that he became an assistant coach now with the New York Giants thinking “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” Izzo, the longtime special teams captain of the Patriots, has crossed enemy lines before. Remember, he left the Pats in 2009 as a free agent after serving as their special teams captain and signed with the New York Jets. Before that he was a Miami Dolphin, so changing uniforms is nothing new. But his career was never the same after leaving the Pats.

Even before her big halftime show, Madonna entertains in Indy

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:56:01 EST

Some veteran Patriots scribes, who had dark hair and a lot more of it when Madonna first became a star, decided on Thursday afternoon to venture down and gawk at a celebrity. We weren’t alone. It was time to mix with the beautiful people, which is usually the case when the National Football League holds its annual Super Bowl Halftime Show press conference a few days before the big event. Media young and old, corporate types, the whole world of glitz and glitter showed up. After all, it’s Madonna. And when a young girl was given the microphone to ask “What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen in Indianapolis,” the answer came, “Me.” Good stuff. The Material Girl didn’t disappoint.

Football is king in Peyton’s town

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:36:43 EST

They have rolled out the red carpet for Super Bowl XLVI here at Indianapolis. As you walk off the plane through the jet bridge from the plane to the terminal, you look down and immediately see the Super Bowl logo. It’s all Super Bowl, all the time. “Tomorrow,” said one cab driver, talking about Thursday, “our fares automatically go up.” You want souvenirs? Grab ’em as you walk from through the airport, there’s a souvenir stand at every turn, every type of hat, T-shirt, or what-not. You certainly know what event is going on this weekend, for certain. The people are all hospitable. They see the name on your media ID and call you by it.

Whatever his role, Pats’ Ochocinco says he’s happy

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:39:22 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Chad Ochocinco has patiently answered all the questions. Does he think he’ll be a factor in Sunday’s Super Bowl? “I don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t seen the script.” But, he never saw the script for 2011 coming, either. Ochocinco was certainly expected to be more of a factor, and now the most he may get out of this season is a Super Bowl ring.

Mankins says Jets’ bravado backfired

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:00:30 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Logan Mankins poked fun at the Jets’ huffing-and-puffing style on Wednesday. “The Jets, we know they’re full of hot air,” the Patriots’ guard said. “We see where they are right now.” New England is notorious for its close-to-the-vest, vanilla approach, refusing to get involved much in any sort of trash-talking banter – as the Giants are finding out this week. It’s the polar opposite of the way things have been with the Jets since Rex Ryan came on board in 2009. “They just like to say whatever they feel like saying,” Mankins said, “and sometimes that can come back to bite you in the butt.” Some players have noted that Ryan’s brash style of constantly pumping his team up might’ve backfired this season. Even LaDainian Tomlinson said so, explaining in a recent interview with Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” that Ryan’s bold talk had put extra pressure on the team because the opposition wanted to silence their coach. Mankins kind of agreed with that theory. “It could to a degree,” he said. “We’ve played them so many times it doesn’t work for us.

Patriots’ Green-Ellis ready to work in Super Bowl

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:37:02 EST

You fumble, you stumble, and you may even bumble your way off the game day roster if you’re a New England Patriot. Eyebrows were raised when the inactive list came out about 90 minutes before kickoff in the recent AFC Championship Game, and Patriots rookie Stevan Ridley, who had been productive of late, was not on the active roster. Why? Ridley had fumbled his last couple of outings, and that’s a no-no in Foxborough. Thus, in BenJarvus Green-Ellis the Patriots trust. He simply doesn’t cough up the ball. In fact, he never has in his pro career, which began with the Patriots in 2008 as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi. “Just blessed and fortunate, that’s about it,” Green-Ellis said about his knack for holding onto the ball. “There’s no science to it because it’s something that happens.

Boot off, Pats’ Gronkowski to help for few plays, more

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:32:00 EST

The most famous walking boot in America pulled a no-show at Super Bowl Media Day on Tuesday in Indianapolis. If you’re a New England Patriots fan, that’s a good thing. “No, it’s off,” Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said. “No more boot.” That means his injured ankle is getting better. Gronkowski was well coached for the barrage of questions that came Tuesday, and while there was nothing concrete, you’ve got to think that means he’s going to be good to go for Super Bowl XLVI. “If it’s for the whole game, or just a couple of plays,” he said. “Just trying to help the team as much as possible.” It’s been the biggest story of the week.

Giants’ Manningham offers some trash talk

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:39 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Mario Manningham is already putting double-moves on Julian Edelman. Last week, he said that he and his fellow Giants pass-catchers would be able to exploit the Patriots’ receiver-turned-nickelback. On Tuesday, Manningham backed away from that a bit. “It’s not like that,” he said. “I respect him as a player.” But then just minutes later, Manningham was back to challenging Edelman again. “He plays wide receiver,” Manningham said. “He’s not a real defensive back.

Pats try making themselves at home in Indianapolis

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:12:47 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – One of the strangest things about this week is that the Patriots are practicing at the Colts facility. While their fierce rival imploded, while QB Peyton Manning will likely be looking for a new home, the Patriots are settling into the Colts Complex and gearing up for Super Bowl XLVI. Awkward. “I think it’s a little bit strange that we are going to be at the Colts’ facility, practicing and everything like that,” receiver Wes Welker said. “I don’t know how much the people like that or anything, that has yet to be seen. Hopefully, we will be calm and polite and not rubbing it in or anything like that.

Patriots’ Welker as valuable as ever

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:11:58 EST

Wes Welker was an immediate hit when he first joined the New England Patriots in 2007. Then, he took a hit and suffered a tough knee injury two years later. And now, he’ll hit back in the off-season, likely getting a huge bump in pay before or when he reaches free agency. Not bad for a receiver who was undrafted and released by the San Diego Chargers at the start of his career in 2004. “Trust me, I take nothing for granted as far as football goes,” he said, “and as far as my career and understanding that you never know when your day is up. They can cut you at any time.

NY is where NE success began

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:42 EST

The New England Patriots and the New York Giants: Two organizations that will be forever linked. In fact, you might say that the success the New York Giants enjoyed some 25 years ago, ending a generation of failure, helped lead to the Patriots’ accomplishments during the past decade. What? Blasphemy! How could that be? Well, think about it: Back in the late 1970s, the Giants were simply bad. There was The Fumble in 1978, perhaps the one event that spawned all of this. A refresher for non-Giants fans: On Nov.

A little traveling music for Pats’ business trip

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:20:10 EST

It was a Super Sendoff. But in the grand scheme of things, it will matter little. The New England Patriots said farewell to Foxborough and their fans early Sunday afternoon, when anywhere from 15,000-20,000 faithful piled into Gillette Stadium to hear about a half dozen players say … well, a little more than a half-dozen words each. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told his players to keep their words short and sweet. None was briefer than the head coach, but you still managed to get a “Go, Pats” out of him. That’s saying something. Belichick has a little more coaching to do for this Super Bowl. He has a handful of players left over from the team’s last Super Bowl appearance, unlike the run beginning 10 years ago when the Patriots appeared in three Super Bowls in four years. They had the routine down pat. And for the three remaining from that group – Tom Brady, Kevin Faulk and Matt Light – this is never taken for granted. “Boy, this never gets old,” Faulk said as he addressed the crowd.

Pats realize challenge presented by Giants’ defensive line

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:20:55 EST

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New York Giants come off the defensive line driven by the scent of opposing quarterbacks. It’s a mindset that began with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo before their Super Bowl triumph over the New England Patriots four years ago, and it’s one that defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has tried to re-instill. So far, so good, with second-year pro Jason Pierre-Paul adding his talents to the suddenly healthy veterans Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. It’s a nasty group. Perhaps that’s why the Patriots need guard Logan Mankins more than ever. “He’s one of the hardest working guys I’ve ever been around,” fellow Patriots guard Brian Waters said. “The way he plays the game, the intensity, the way he finishes every play, the effort he gives you on every play is definitely motivating to you no matter who you are.

Ravens’ Lewis still the man in the middle

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:04:03 EST

Ask Ray Lewis about his preference of Pro Bowl destinations and the answer comes with his customary conviction. “You know me, I’m the first one to say Hawaii is a vacation for the players. I think it always should be that way,” the Baltimore Ravens linebacker said while signing autographs after Friday’s AFC practice at the Ihilani Resort. “That’s their reward.” That said, this trip wasn’t exactly what Lewis and his Ravens teammates had hoped would occupy their week before the Super Bowl. The four Ravens representatives who flew over for the game arrived here bearing the disappointment of last Sunday’s last-second loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game. A potential game-winning touchdown pass was knocked away and a tying field goal hooked wide left, sending the Patriots to Indianapolis and the Ravens into the offseason. Even so, the loss hasn’t soured Lewis’ outlook on ending a season in the Pro Bowl for the 12th time in his 16-year career with the Ravens. “If you respect the way you played the game, then you accept whatever happens at the end of the year and you move on,” Lewis said. “This is a way to celebrate because you can come here and be around the greatest athletes in the world and you can appreciate it.

Long drive to The Rematch started Nov. 6

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:21:09 EST

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It was Sunday, Nov. 6, a pretty non-descript day weather-wise but one that certainly set the tone for the New England Patriots season. It was almost a simple replica of Super Bowl XLII, as the New England Patriots had taken a late lead on the New York Giants on Tom Brady’s fourth down, 14-yard TD pass to Rob Gronkowski with 1:36 to play. That gave the Patriots a 20-17 lead and all they had to do was prevent what had happened to them four years ago – an Eli Manning game-winning drive. They couldn’t do it. Manning drove the Giants 80 yards in eight plays, his second straight long drive, and hit tight end Jake Ballard with a 1-yard TD pass with 15 seconds to play. The Patriots had dropped their second game in a row, slumping to 5-3, but, with the schedule in their favor, they haven’t lost since. Even though the team doesn’t like to look back and they always say they look forward, let’s review their Super Bowl season week-by-week: WEEK 1: PATRIOTS 38, DOLPHINS 24 Miami struck first on Chad Henne’s 9-yard run and the Dolphins looked determined to set a different tone on a sweltering Monday night in Miami.

Eli’s on target: It’s all business

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:52:01 EST

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Nearly 36 hours later and the buzz from a thrilling NFC Championship Game overtime victory in San Francisco still had not worn off. The Giants convened inside the Timex Performance Center auditorium Tuesday for the first time since they punched their ticket to Super Bowl XLVI. They were there for a team meeting to set the agenda for dealing with everything to come Big Blue’s way between now and kickoff at Indianapolis in 11 days. Players were loose and joking with one another, their chatter filling the room as if this were about to become an unscheduled after-party. Until Eli Manning rose from his seat and opened his mouth, that is. “It was pretty jovial in that team meeting,” punter Steve Weatherford said. “But as soon as Eli got up, everybody shut up.” That’s when Manning unexpectedly delivered a speech befitting a team captain and Super Bowl MVP, emphasizing the importance of preparing as if the biggest game of their lives was scheduled to be played this Sunday and not next. “Just a few things on the mind-set of this week,” Manning said. “We’ve got to have great preparation — prepare this week like you’re playing the game this week.” But the Giants don’t have a game this week, mind you, meaning the pause button on the incredible momentum gained from five consecutive do-or-die victories has been pressed. Manning wanted his teammates to realize the schedule is not a reason to stop working. “It was a message that needed to be said and it was a message that was heard loud and clear from everyone,” safety Antrel Rolle said.

Anderson cherishing 2nd chance

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00:38 EST

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – What does this Super Bowl trip mean for Mark Anderson? Probably the same as his entire season: A second chance, that’s what. Anderson went to the Super Bowl as a rookie defensive lineman with the Chicago Bears, but they came up short against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in Miami. Now it’s another try. The Patriots scooped him up in August as free agent, and he’s paid dividends with 10 quarterback sacks. Now he has an opportunity that he feels is special. “Each year you get there, you want to cherish that moment,” he said.