AFC Championship Game Blog

As we sit about half way through the 3rd quarter of the Pats Chargers game some things become clear.

• The Chargers’ offense isn’t bad, but Phil Rivers isn’t the same QB when under pressure. NE has done a good job closing in on them in the red zone, and still leads despite two fewer scoring drives.
• The weather is only partly to blame for the Pats struggles. SD has a really good defense.
• If the Chargers come with 5, Brady has problems. Whenever they drop back and rush 3, he cuts them up.
• NE will have to turn the ball over a couple of more times if SD is going to win.

NE/SD Q3 5:30

• The Chargers D looks tired. They shouldn’t be physically tired, but I think that playing NE can wear out a D emotionally and mentally.
• WOW. Brady throws another huge pick. Listen, the Pats might win this game, but hopefully everyone will realize now how great Manning was last week. I said the Chargers needed two more turnovers to win. There is number one. Brady has now killed the Pats first two drives this quarter with picks.
• The Chargers eschew the run after a big gainer, and have to punt. Still, they changed the field position after a big kick. They’ll have to make at least one more huge play on defense.
• The Pats let the clock run out on the third. All things considered, it was a missed quarter for the Chargers. They picked Brady twice and only got three points to show for it. Still, one more 3-0 quarter and they go to the Super Bowl.

4th Q.

• Great cutback run by Marooney (haven’t said that much this year). The Chargers look like they are dead on their feet. This team looks gassed. They must stop the Pats with only a field goal. I can’t see them scoring twice to win this game.
• Pats pick up the blitz, Brady hits Welker and this game is over.
• Rivers continues to hit passes, but he throws in such slow motion. The Chargers are a deep and talented team. I’m still not convinced he’s not the weakest link on that team.
• Rivers completes a huge pass on 3rd and 10. The Chargers have forgotten completely about the run. They need to balance things up a little more.
• Seriously, this is the problem with Norv. Three more incompletes and a punt? We’ve been waiting for him to screw this team, and it finally happened. That was unconscionable play calling. The Chargers have run the ball effectively all game, and suddenly act like they down 21. Norv just cost his team big time.
• Marooney gets the corner easily. I’m not sure how a team that owns ToP can be tired, but the Chargers look slow now. Just as a type that, they get the huge sack. They are still on life support…
• I just checked the ToP and the Pats are winning it, but it was close until this drive
• And that’s why BB is a great coach and Norv isn’t. The Chargers faced 3rd and 10. Threw long and punted. The Pats faced 3rd and 10, made it a manageable distance and then converted on 4th down. Horrible job, Norv. You are who we thought you were.
• Brady kept this game close, but NE was clearly the better team today (and all year). Today showed why QBs are so important, but why they are overrated at the same time. Phil Rivers is not good enough to take the Chargers all the way (at least not banged up). At the same time, Tom Brady played quite poorly, but his team was superior and they won. Football is a team game. His team is now one game away from being known as the unquestioned single best team of all time. He’ll probably have to play much better than he did today for it to happen though.
• The two biggest shocks today have to be SD inability to stop the run in the second half, and Norv’s insane brain fart that led him to only call only 6 runs in the second half. Those five runs netted 25 yards, but somehow Norv thought it a good idea to put the ball in the air 14 times. I’m not sure what he saw, but it cost him the game.

I’ll be back later with the Giants/Packers