1. WR Wes Welker feels it worst, but he wasn’t the only one. He will be kept awake at night by a fourth quarter drop that would had been a first down inside the 20. On the next play, WR Deion Branch let a pass hit the ground as he crossed deep over the middle. On the Patriots final drive, Branch dropped another pass over the deep middle. It appeared the ball was deflected, but the ball did pass through his hands. Lastly was TE Aaron Hernandez on a probable 10-yard gain on the final drive, but he heard the footsteps of the approaching linebacker.
2. Of my three keys to the game, it was the second one that proved costly. New England forced three fumbles on the night and failed to recover all of them. The first fumble, which was recovered by LB Brandon Spikes, was negated by a too many players on the field penalty against the defense. The drive continued and the Giants scored on a touchdown pass to WR Victor Cruz two plays later.
3. A couple of streaks to mention. Giants QB Eli Manning completed his first nine passes. That is a new Super Bowl record. QB Tom Brady didn’t start hot, but eventually found his rhythm and beat the consecutive passes completed record with 14 straight. He added two more, setting the record at 16.
4. Included in that streak was Brady going 10-for-10 during a 14 play, 96-yard touchdown drive just before the first half ended. The 96-yard drive tied a Super Bowl record, which was done by two other teams.
5. It could be a sign of RB Kevin Faulk crossing the finish line. He was deactivated for the game. Faulk returned from an ACL tear this season, but quickly fell to the bottom of the depth chart. If Faulk does hang up his cleats, he might not be alone. G Brian Waters and DLs Gerard Warren and Shawn Ellis may weigh the decision in the off-season.
6. As usual, both teams wore commemorative Super Bowl XLVI patches on their jerseys. The difference this year: The Giants had their patch on the left shoulder, while the Patriots had theirs on their right shoulder. There was no vacancy on the left shoulder, as it was home to the MHK patch, a patch honoring Myra Kraft, the late wife of Patriots owner Robert Kraft. She passed away last summer after a battle with cancer. New England dedicated the season to Myra.
Question? Comments? Send to talktome@randolphc.com.
