With the Patriots playing in the Monday night game in Baltimore, head coach Bill Belichick’s weekly visit with “The Big Show” on WEEI in Boston was delayed until Tuesday afternoon. But as we have done lately we start with that conversation between the coach and the talking heads.
Patriots QB Tom Brady said on the 4th down play when the Ravens sideline called timeout he was stopped short of the first down marker because he heard the whistle and let up. He said he would have had the first down in there was no whistle.
Brady also joins Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner and Hall of Famer Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks to throw for 40 TD’s in a season in the history of the NFL.
As I noted in the game notes Monday night was the 21st time since taking over in 2001 that Brady has led a game winning drive in the fourth quarter or OT when tied or behind. It is the third time he has done it in the last four games. “Captain Clutch” also has done it six times in the playoffs including three times in Super Bowls. He is the only quarterback in the Super Bowl era to have done that. That is once again why Belichick will take him any day over any other quarterback in the league and quite possibly why he is the very best to have to played the position.
New England WR Randy Moss talked about the game with the media immediately afterward in the press room and he said the Ravens were talking trash all night long.
“Coach Belichick doesn’t coach us or raise us that way. So for us to come up and shut them up with a last-second touchdown, that’s what really felt good.”
“There was just so much trash talking, man, from guys who really hadn’t done anything in the league. So basically, me being a 10-year vet and seeing those guys out there talking smack, they haven’t done nothing yet. So it was a good thing for the offense that Jabar Gaffney came up with a key catch, luckily, for six and, you know, we shut them up, and that was a good thing. I’m not a trash talker. I talk with my play, not with my mouth.”
Moss’ touchdown catch was the 750th reception of his ten year career it also tied his career high with 17 TD catches. Moss also went over 1,100 yards receiving on the season becoming the fifth player in Patriots history to do so. He joins Stanley Morgan, Ben Coates, Terry Glenn and his current teammate Troy Brown on the list.
The camera’s caught Rodney Harrison saying something to Baltimore head coach Brian Billick late in the game and Billick responded by blowing Harrison kisses. Rick Maese of the Baltimore Sun calls it a lack of discipline that starts with the head coach and goes through out the entire Ravens squad.  And for what it’s worth the kisses from Billick seemed to fire up Harrison who made a few great stops down the stretch as the Patriots defense held the Ravens without a first down in the 4th quarter.
The Patriots are the sixth team since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to go 12-0. Only the 1972 Miami Dolphins have accomplished the task finishing the season 14-0 then winning two playoff games and beating the Washington Redskins 14-7 in Super Bowl VI to end up 17-0. The 2005 Colts were the last team to get this far they made it to 13-0 before losing 2 games in a row and then finished at 14-2 before losing in their first playoff game.
The 138 yards the Patriots surrendered to Ravens RB Willis McGahee was the highest total the Patriots have allowed since McGahee ran for 135 yards against New England in 2005 as a member of the Buffalo Bills.
The NFL is looking into allegations made by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle that official Phil McKinnely, a former NFL player, called him a “boy” several times during the waning moments of Monday nights game against New England.Â
“The refs called me a boy. No. 110 called me a boy,” Rolle said in the locker room after the game. “I will be calling my agent in the morning and sending my complaint. I have a wife and three kids. Don’t call me a boy. Don’t call me a boy on the field during a game because I said, ‘You’ve never played football before.’ “
McKinley played for Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, played in the USFL and went to school at UCLA. He is black, as is Rolle.
Four people have been arrested and charged with the shooting death of Redskins safety Sean Taylor. Taylor, 24, was killed when his home was invaded a week ago and he was shot in the femoral artery. He died a day and a half later after never regaining consciousness. Charles Wardlow, 18, Jason Mitchell, 19, and Venjah Hunte, 20, were all denied bail and a 4th suspect is being held as a juvenile.
