Had to throw some bonus GIFs into this one because there were so key many moments that just had to be included. For the most part this game was a defensive struggle, but the Patriots just made a couple more big plays in all three phases that made the difference.
We have to start with Brandon Bolden’s blocked punt, which I admittedly missed because I picked the wrong time to hit the concession stand. I’m just not used to the defense forcing quick three-and-outs like they did last night. Not only was this a big boost for the Pats, but it also broke Scifres collarbone and put him out of the game. Had their kicker not done a pretty good job filling in, this play might’ve been more impactful in terms of field position. This play got things going.
Next comes a blown-block sack by Ninkovich. These are the critical moments in big games, when you’re down in the second half and you must get off the field on third down. You can put it all on the Chargers (like Philip Rivers did after dusting himself off), but some credit must go to the Patriots scheme that was sending and dropping guys creatively.
You knew this next one was coming. The huge number of Patriots fans reigned down boos in the stadium after this replay and yes, it probably shouldn’t have been called, but since it didn’t come back to bite them in the ass I love that this play is all over the place now. Talk about an easy way to define the Patriots’ defensive personality, all the air play of this hit is sending a message to the wide receivers of the NFL. Keep ya’ head up!
And yes, the call left us all like this:
Now comes the play that broke it open, Edelman’s long catch-and-run, the furthest of his career. This is what the Patriots do, they hang in there no matter how flat they looked earlier in the game, and suddenly they have a nine-point lead and are ready to close it out. I’m glad the offense came through like this too, for the defense’s sake. They deserved to win with that performance.
Lastly, we come with a double sack from the interior duo who rose to prominence last year – Chris Jones and Siliga. Great to see how they close the pocket and get the sack to force a third-and-long and eventual punt on a critical series. These GIFs should the complimentary football the Pats are playing right now. If that continues, they’ll be an extremely tough out no matter who they play.
