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Game Day Rear View - Patriots Handle Chippy Titans 40-23

Posted on December 31, 2006 
Filed Under Game Day Rear View




gdrv_sm.jpgBy Tim Jordan

For regular readers of Game Day Rear View, you’ve come here expecting to get your weekly game recap from GDRV staple and founder, Scott Benson. I am sorry to be the one to let you know that, in addition to being the proud father of jetsetting children who favor Corsican holidays, Scott is also one of those guys with the New Years Eve anniversary. It was either that or Elvis birthday, but the church was booked. I’ve the pleasure of a swank New Years Eve holiday wedding only once and my wife and I mistakenly spent nearly 90 minutes in the wrong reception at the hotel. After about 60 appetizers, 6 drinks, and, dozens of photos with strangers we finally figured it out. Anyway, that non-sequitor was designed to distract you from the fact that I am here in the place of the esteemed Mr. Benson for the weekly game post.

I am not going to try and mirror his format today, mostly because I couldn’t do even a passable impression of it. Instead, I’ll just post some reactions to the final Patriots game of the 06 regular season and some viewing notes. I’ll start with the obvious. Let’s hope Harrison has a deep bruise and not any structural damage after that questionable hit he took in the first half. I am cautiously optimistic based on the 47 replays I saw, but one never knows and the injury subplot is obviously huge with the playoffs starting next week. Harrison is one of the team’s most important players. Not much more to say about that.

The game itself was entertaining, physical, and very spirited for 4 quarters (even after Brady was pulled in favor of Cassel and, eventually, Testaverde). It seems the team has started to find it’s stride and there were long stretches of the game today that reminded me of the hard hitting, coldly efficient team we saw a few seasons back. It seemed that Tennessee sensed this as well and started getting chippy once they felt the game, and their playoff chances, slipping.

I am giving my 1 lb bag of Double Bubble to Corey Dillon, who played huge today. The Bully Brother accounted for 126 yards of offense and two TD’s in moving past OJ Simpson for 14th on the all-time rushing list. That’s quite an accomplishment and, for some reason, got me wondering about CD’s Hall of Fame credentials. I was using Curtis Martin, in my mind a surefire HOFer, as a comparison and I think another title with Dillon playing a key role could really help his chances. I am a big Dillon fan, if for nothing else, his seething hatred for particular beat writers that look like half the hair dressers on Newbury Street.

As far as the week long debate regarding whether or not the team would try to win or rest starters, it seemed to me that both sides were right. They did exactly that and I am assuming that’s what the plan all week was. It looked like everyone prepared like they would be playing to the final whistle and the coaching staff took it on a situational basis. I think it worked out very well. They played a very physical and well coached football team and answered the bell while not taxing any of the regulars too much (Harrison’s potential injury notwithstanding).

I am going notes format for the rest of my random thoughts because the better half is breathing down my neck to get our New Years Eve rolling. With that:

Happy New year, one and all. Have fun whatever you choose to do.

Boogie Chillen’,

tj

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