NFL Play-offs Tough Patriots

20-3 Patriots over the Colts, it reminded me of our 27-0 defeat of the 1964 Colts. The Patriots were the tougher of two tough football teams. The hitting was ferocious. It was a great football game. It was a great game for me to watch. The Patriots defense won the game but their QB Tom Brady toughed it out as well, making key throws caught by courageous receivers with Colts defenders hanging all over both of them. Ted Bruschi reminded me of our middle line backer Vince Costello of 1964, who both played fantastic games against league leading high scoring Colt offenses. All the Patriots linebackers played terrific hard hitting games as did their whole defense. A true team effort for the Patriots who don't have the Terrill Owen, Randy Moss affliction to deal with.

The similarities between our 1964 Browns v Colts Championship game and Sunday's Patriots Colts game are remarkable. Johnny Unitas & Payton Manning, were both painted by the press to be unstoppable. Then both were confounded by defensive strategy and stopped cold by all out aggressive fundamental defensive execution. They were both hit with reckless abandon. The Patriots offense ram the ball down the Colts throats as Jim Brown did for us in the second half. As we did 40years earlier the Patriots as a team out hit and wore down the Colts, who to their great credit remained courageous to their inglorious ends.

That is more than I can say about the St Louis Rams who lost to the another tough physical team, the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are a lot more than just Michael Vick they hit like the Patriots. Near the end of the Rams vs Falcon's game the Falcons had the ball on the Rams 3 yard line. The weakside line backer of the Rams pointed repeatedly to the space in the line just inside of him and yelled "Their coming right here, right here." Your could hear him yelling it over the TV sound system. The Falcon's ran it exactly where said they were going to and not one Ram tried to jam the hole up and I don't think any of the Rams put a shoulder on him and it looked like their were at least four Ram defenders who backed out of the tackle as the Falcon fullback scored easily. 47-17 Falcons over the Rams who seemed to quit in the final quarter.

One of the announcers said a 58 year old Patriot assistant coach has been hire as head coach for my old team the Cleveland Browns. The most valuable thing he could bring to the Browns is the team spirit and inner toughness of the Patriots. Maybe he can find the Browns four Marvin Harrisons for their defensive backfield and some linebackers like Bruschi and company. I think the Patriots are going to win it all again.

One thing that leaves me puzzled is how you can hire a guy, off his sofa to play corner for you the week of a play-off game and have him hold his own against the Colt passing attack. On the other hand why didn't the Colts attack the new unproven corner? Was that stupid or just stupid?

The Eagles didn't miss Terrell Owens. Freddie Mitchell was just as good and better for his team. Although he was trying justify Owens with his end zone routines. Thornton #54 the Eagles Middle linebacker was tremendous. He was the difference in the game. Donnavan McNab did his thing pretty well. The Eagles defense won this one too. They'll have their hands full against Atlanta. I think the Falcons will win.