Pats first team to 16-0

[MR.ballin]

E

AST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- With one mighty heave, Tom Brady and Randy Moss took care of the record books. Now it's down to business for the unbeaten New England Patriots: stamping themselves as the greatest team in NFL history.
Passing Peyton
Tom Brady passed Colts QB Peyton Manning's mark for the most touchdown passes in a single season with two touchdowns against the Giants.

Brady, 2007
New England Patriots Touchdowns: 50

Manning, 2004
Indianapolis Colts Touchdowns: 49

Marino, 1984
Miami Dolphins Touchdowns: 48

» NFL record and fact book

The Patriots completed a perfect if somewhat joyless journey through the regular season Saturday night, finishing with a remarkable 16-0 record following a thrilling 38-35 comeback victory over the New York Giants.

New England became the first NFL team since the 1972 Dolphins to win every game on the schedule, and that one was only 14-0. This victory required a comeback from a 12-point deficit engineered by the brilliant Brady, and smashed the Patriots' league mark for consecutive victories.

Validation of their inexorable march through the season can only come by adding a Super Bowl championship, their fourth of the decade. Do that and there'll be no challenge to their spot at the top.

In gaining their 19th straight win over two seasons, the Patriots also got record-setting performances from Brady and Moss, including the winning score, a 65-yard bomb with 11:06 remaining. Brady beat Peyton Manning's mark of 49 touchdown passes by throwing two to Moss against the Giants (10-6), giving the star quarterback 50. Moss broke Jerry Rice's record of 22 TD receptions. And the Patriots finished with an incredible 589 points for the season, another single-season record.

Yet this was anything but a coronation. The Giants, with little to play for except spoiling New England's perfect ride -- New York is guaranteed playing at Tampa Bay in the playoffs next weekend -- led 28-16 in the third quarter. It was the Patriots' largest deficit all year as the Giants showed no fear and plenty of versatility, scoring the most points New England allowed in a game during this remarkable run.

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An efficient Eli Manning, at times resembling his vaunted older brother, threw for four touchdowns. Domenik Hixon, in his first game as New York's primary kick returner, went 74 yards for a score 11 seconds after Brady and Moss tied their respective records.

Not to worry. These Patriots are unflappable, and they matched their comebacks in wins over Indianapolis, Philadelphia and Baltimore earlier in the season. A 73-yard drive ended with Laurence Maroney's 6-yard run to make it 28-23 with 4:00 to go in the third period.

Then came the most familiar of scenes: Brady dropping back, winding up and hitting a wide-open Moss in stride for a touchdown. The final go-ahead TD in their perfect year.

Although many are eager to hail these Patriots as the NFL's all-time best, such acclaim won't come unless they win two playoff games and their fourth Super Bowl this decade. And for those who might deny such greatness considering the "Spygate" scandal from early in the season, well, 19-0 would speak pretty loudly.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick hugged players and assistant coaches on the sideline as the game ended.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

I wanted the Giants to win. The Giants had the lead but the Pats came back.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

I thought Giants would win, but there were some odd calls in the game. Never seen this before but a few times the Refs would talk a call over, then he would say like "Late hit, kicking team. 10 yards blah blah blah" but the announcers would say "Looks like they are changing it against the Giants. All of a sudden the Giants would get penalized without an announcement from the officials.

 

[DJT]

Of course they had help though.

They cheated
Injuries on other teams (mainly talking about the Colts who almost beat them without their top 2 WRs)
Questionable calls by refs
plus classless acts like spiking the ball on the Dallas logo at midfield and more recently poking Jacobs in the eye.

 

[A.E]

Oh stop it already. The Giants came out and really smacked New England in the face...Jacobs was running over everybody on the Pats defense & did anybody see Moss get laid out by Gibril Wilson?

The Patriots are simply the better team and the better team won...16 straight games. No need to make excuses, the Giants are no better than 10-6 on any given season.

 

[DJT]

Oh stop it already. The Giants came out and really smacked New England in the face...Jacobs was running over everybody on the Pats defense & did anybody see Moss get laid out by Gibril Wilson?

The Patriots are simply the better team and the better team won...16 straight games. No need to make excuses, the Giants are no better than 10-6 on any given season.

I never said the Giants were better. <_<

Oh and FYI i'm not making excuses, i'm just pointing out facts.

 

[The Young One]

Congrats to the pats

 

[A.E]

I never said the Giants were better. <_<

No but you were making excuses for why the Pats are so damn good other than the fact that they are just that damn good.

 

[DJT]

No but you were making excuses for why the Pats are so damn good other than the fact that they are just that damn good.

Like I said no excuses, just facts. They cheated, they played teams that had key players missing, their were questionable calls (some favoring the Pats)...etc. Are you trying to tell me that no matter about all of those calls or injuries that the Pats still would of won? Nonsense. The Colts had them beat even without 2 of their main receivers, and still missed that last second FG that should of been in.

 

[The Guid]

Like I said no excuses, just facts. They cheated, they played teams that had key players missing, their were questionable calls (some favoring the Pats)...etc. Are you trying to tell me that no matter about all of those calls or injuries that the Pats still would of won? Nonsense. The Colts had them beat even without 2 of their main receivers, and still missed that last second FG that should of been in.

Cheated for 1 quarter of the first game? Say what you want about tapes but last I remember the NFL confiscated the other tapes and determined that they were not against the rules or destroyed the ones that were.

I didn't see you making excuses for the Colts winning against the Patriots during last years playoffs while the Patriots were missing key players..

There are always questionable calls that nobody, but the teams' fans, make a fuss about...until now, when the Patriots are trying to go undefeated.

Finally, I don't see how you, or anyone else for that matter, thinking the Patriots are classless has ANYTHING to do with them going 16-0

 

[A.E]

Look, the Patriots made all the right moves this offseason and brought in the right personnel to make their line-up better than Indy's. Am I supposed to hate them because they have the resources and the negotiating power to make these moves?

You can break down every single New England win and find reasons that the Patriots' odds of winning were better but none of that sh*t matters. A win is a win and in the game of football, injuries happen, players miss games, that's how it is and you cannot discredit the Patriots beating any team missing marquee personnel because it's not up to New England which one their opponents is hurt on any given week.

Of course the Colts missing Harrison and Dallas Clark hurt their offense, but their Defense still didn't do enough to stop Brady and the Pats' offense from putting up more points.

 

[DJT]

Cheated for 1 quarter of the first game? Say what you want about tapes but last I remember the NFL confiscated the other tapes and determined that they were not against the rules or destroyed the ones that were.

I didn't see you making excuses for the Colts winning against the Patriots during last years playoffs while the Patriots were missing key players..

There are always questionable calls that nobody, but the teams' fans, make a fuss about...until now, when the Patriots are trying to go undefeated.

Finally, I don't see how you, or anyone else for that matter, thinking the Patriots are classless has ANYTHING to do with them going 16-0

They only got caught for that 1 quarter of that one game.

I didn't even say anything last year when the Colts beat the Pats, cause I think they were the better team.

Being classless doesn't have anything to do with them going 16-0, it just goes to show that they are a classless or dirty team in my opinion.

 

[A.E]

They only got caught for that 1 quarter of that one game.

I didn't even say anything last year when the Colts beat the Pats, cause I think they were the better team.

Being classless doesn't have anything to do with them going 16-0, it just goes to show that they are a classless or dirty team in my opinion.

Every team has players that play "dirty", it's a fact of the game. Don't let the sh*t you only see on camera make you think the Patriots are the only team that has players who hold and eye-gouge. Every team does that kind of crap and it's not like Vince Wilfork sticking his fingers inside Jacobs' face-mask caused the Giants loss.

 

[DJT]

Every team has players that play "dirty", it's a fact of the game. Don't let the sh*t you only see on camera make you think the Patriots are the only team that has players who hold and eye-gouge. Every team does that kind of crap and it's not like Vince Wilfork sticking his fingers inside Jacobs' face-mask caused the Giants loss.

Well I know that in intense moments people lose their heads. But people need to learn to keep their heads even in tough moments, and usually coaches are the ones to make sure their team doesn't lose their heads, and I don't see or hear Belechik doing anything about it. And dude I watch a lot of football, and I usually never see someone poke someone in the eye in between plays, or slam the ball on the other teams logo, or steal a signature taunt from a member of the posing team. Maybe it happens, but isn't shown on camera, but it seems like the Pats get caught doing stuff like that in any close game.

 

[dez]

Yea NE got some calls but just like in the NBA the vets get the calls, "luckiness" is part of being a great team.

But I called it, I said the Giants would have to play a perfect game to win, and we made ONE mistake, I said Eli would have to play the best game of his life and that ONE mistake he made, cost us the game. But overall Im proud of my Giants, I think with this game we gained ALOT of confidence...TB better watchout....

 

[Yankees2772]

Congrats to the Patriots - on paper, they are 16-0.

But in my eyes, they should be 12-4.

The Eagles, Ravens, Giants and Colts all had the Patriots beat, but it was a combination of injuries, bad calls from refs, and just stupid plays that gave the Pats the win. Sure, they won in the end, but I think that those 4 teams lost, but the Patriots didn't win. So I guess they are 12-0.

 

[Sabbath]

Bad coaching lost this game for the Giants. They had a 37 yard field goal with 2 minutes and 30 seconds left with two timeouts. Why in god's name wouldn't you kick the field goal there and be down by seven. Then if you don't recover the onside kick, you could still stop them and get the ball back. I am quite sure that anyone on this board can coach better then 2/3rds of the coaches in the NFL.

 

[Yankees2772]

I'm quite sure that nobody on this board can step in and be a better coach than any NFL coach, I don't care who it is.

 

[dez]

Bad coaching lost this game for the Giants. They had a 37 yard field goal with 2 minutes and 30 seconds left with two timeouts. Why in god's name wouldn't you kick the field goal there and be down by seven. Then if you don't recover the onside kick, you could still stop them and get the ball back. I am quite sure that anyone on this board can coach better then 2/3rds of the coaches in the NFL.

why is that a bad call? you need 10pts you go for 7, I have only seen one onside kicks recovered in the NFL all my life, and even with 2 TO's that wouldnt have been enough time to make a stop since our D slowly digressed....fact is we made ONE bad play and it cost us the game, bad coaching had nothing to do with that loss....

 

[ZigZag]

Congrats to the Patriots - on paper, they are 16-0.

But in my eyes, they should be 12-4.

The Eagles, Ravens, Giants and Colts all had the Patriots beat, but it was a combination of injuries, bad calls from refs, and just stupid plays that gave the Pats the win. Sure, they won in the end, but I think that those 4 teams lost, but the Patriots didn't win. So I guess they are 12-0.

x2, perfectly said.

 

[Sabbath]

why is that a bad call? you need 10pts you go for 7, I have only seen one onside kicks recovered in the NFL all my life, and even with 2 TO's that wouldnt have been enough time to make a stop since our D slowly digressed....fact is we made ONE bad play and it cost us the game, bad coaching had nothing to do with that loss....

No you go for 3. 2 minutes and 30 seconds left and your team has two timeouts. How is that not enough time? Had coughlin had done that and the Patriots went 3 and out, there would have been around a mintue twenty left with the Giants getting the ball back. And like I said that if they would've recovered the onside kick, they would have had 2 timeouts and the ball with 2:30 on the clock.

He made the wrong call.