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| TOP STORIES | | | [1 hour ago ] (NECN: Chris Collins, Boston, Mass.) - Boston College will be flying without their top Eagle. After much speculation, head football coach Jeff Jagodzinski is out of a job. Athletic Director Gene DeFillippo made the announcement today.
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| | | | Breaking News [ 28 min ago ] | | |
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| December 31, 2007 Patriots finish off perfect season
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - 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.
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.
"Going undefeated during the regular season is a remarkable
achievement," 1972 Dolphins coach Don Shula said. "I know
firsthand how difficult it is to win every game, and just as we did
in 1972, the Patriots have done a great job concentrating on each
week's opponent and not letting any other distractions interrupt
that focus. If they go on to complete an undefeated season, I will
be the first to congratulate Coach Belichick and the Patriot
organization."
Validation of the Patriots' 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.
"I think it's a lot of hard work," Brady said. "I'm proud of
the way this team responded. We're losing there in the second half
and came out and played some of our better football."
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.
Belichick was barely more animated than usual. He shared hugs
with players and assistant coaches on the sideline once the victory
was clinched, but there was no thought of carrying him off on the
Patriots' shoulders.
That will have to wait for three more wins - if they come.
Yet this was anything but a coronation. The Giants, already
guaranteed a playoff game against Tampa Bay next weekend and with
little to play for except spoiling New England's perfect ride, 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.
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.
Certainly louder than any of the postgame celebrations at Giants
Stadium, the same building where they were caught videotaping New
York Jets assistant coaches in Week 1, a rules violation that cost
Belichick and the franchise $750,000 in fines and a 2008
first-round draft choice. That made Belichick even more
close-mouthed and dour than usual, and his team followed his lead -
right to 16-0.
The Giants opened the game as if they were, well, the Patriots,
driving 74 yards, sparked by a 52-yard completion on which Plaxico
Burress outleapt Ellis Hobbs for Manning's jump-ball throw. Brandon
Jacobs broke Tedy Bruschi's tackle to score on a 7-yard reception
for a 7-0 lead.
Naturally, the Patriots, the highest-scoring team in NFL
history, struck back. After Stephen Gostkowski's 37-yard field
goal, New England went on top - and surpassed Minnesota's league
mark of 556 points - on the record-tying 4-yard TD pass from Brady
to Moss, who soared above rookie Aaron Ross for the score.
The 10-7 lead lasted all of 11 seconds. The usually staid
Patriots gathered around Moss as he did a dance in the end zone,
prompting a 15-yard excessive celebration penalty. Belichick argued
the call with referee Mike Carey, perhaps sensing how costly it
might be.
It was as Hixon sped 74 yards untouched to lift the Giants back
in front.
Gostkowski kicked two more field goals as the Patriots grabbed a
16-14 lead with 1:59 left in the half.
That's when Manning, coming off several rough games, was at his
best, leading a quick 85-yard drive that included a rare scramble
for 11 yards just before he found Kevin Boss in the middle of the
end zone with 13 seconds remaining. The 21-16 deficit was only the
second time New England has trailed at halftime this season; the
other was to the older Manning and the Colts.
But with such a potent offense, the Patriots never are out of
any game. Once they got the lead, they closed it out with another
touchdown drive, Maroney scoring from the 5. Manning hit Burress
again from 3 yards with 1:04 to go, but New England recovered the
onside kick.
"We're down 10 or 11 (actually 12) in the third quarter, the
crowd was into it, and we found a way to win," Brady said.
"That's the way it's going to be down the stretch ... just hope we
can continue to play this kind of football."
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