SZ616

BY JIM DAWSON

JANUARY 18, 2016

PATRIOTS SCALP CHIEFS 27-20
My pre-game concerns started with the return of 'Sea bass' Vollmer to left tackle - play the whole game
and no injuries to the O line. Vollmer had the potential to protect Tom Brady's blind side and stabilize
the Offensive line, which he did. Brady threw 42 times and and was never sacked and hit but once plus
the roughing the passer on Dezman Moses.
Also I thought that the Defense needed to shut down KC's running attack to win time of possession and
make KC pass. Well the Chiefs had 80 yards in the 1st Half and for the game had the ball 15 minutes
and 42 seconds more than the Patriots. However another way of reducing rushing is to get up by two
scores which the Pats did in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The Chiefs had 135 yards rushing for the game
so 55 in the 2nd Half.
The Pats' D held KC to two field goals in the red zone while the Pats were scoring 2 TDs. The first KC
drive lasted 17 plays but only got them 3 points for their effort. The Patriots 'bend but don't break'
defense did the job.
The second TD by the Pats was a remarkable one because the team started at their 2 after Danny
Amendola was penalized for unnecessary roughness. Then after getting a 1st down, the team was
penalized for a false start (LaFell). So it was 1st and 15 from their 9 yard line. That's when Keshawn
Martin beat out Gronk for a ball and the reception went for 42 yards.
It was also remarkable to see Brady galumph for 10 yards and what looked like a TD to me as Brady's
butt hit the pylon before his foot touched out of bonds. Ref didn't agree. The fiery Brady started
screaming at the coaches to challenge the call and later could be seen hugging Josh McDaniels making
up for his outburst. The ref didn't change the call – down at the 1. No problem, Mon. Give the ball to
#12 on a QB sneak. David Andrews was in the backfield on the play and wiped out a KC D-liner to the
left as Brady went over the top behind center Bryan Stork. The crowd went wild with 'B-r-a-d-y, B-r-a-
d-y' chants. When Brady was 'requesting' the challenge flag, I turned to the guy behind me and said,
“Yeah, Brady's not competitive.”
So with that 8 point lead, the Pats had to hold KC on it's opening 3rd quarter drive. An aside – KC won
the opening toss, but the ref went to Jackie Slater and asked kick or receive. Slater then pointed to KC
as the winners of the toss. Our guest, Connecticut Chris, pointed this out to me and it was evident on
the replay (this was confirmed by the Herald's Jeff Howe Sunday). Once again the refs had bungled a
simple call. This has been a debacle of a season for the refs who have changed the outcomes of a
number of games because they don't seem to know the rules. Time for Roger Goodell to get off the
throne and get professional and hire full-time referees who actually know the rule book.
Back to that opening 2nd Half drive - KC was moving well and had the ball at NE's 40. Chandler Jones
made the biggest play of the game as he stripped Knile Davis of the ball and Dont'a recovered at the 31.
It led to a Pats' TD (Gronk's 2nd) and put the Chiefs in a huge hole down 15 (21-6).
The Chiefs needed a circus catch by Jason Avant after QB Alex Smith eluded Chandler Jones' sack
attempt and dodged other potential sackers to aid in eventually scoring a TD that made it an
uncomfortable 8 point Patriot lead.
Even after the Pats scored two field goals to go up 14, I never felt comfortable . I wanted one more
score. After holding on 4th down and overcoming a Duron Harmon interception (drop it Duron to get
better field position). Thankfully the ref overruled the INT. So with the ball at midfield, and with 7:28
left in the game , I wanted the Pats to run the ball and the clock. Instead they went for the jugular by
passing on all 3 downs and took only 49 seconds off the clock before punting. When KC rallied to
within a TD and time running out, those extra seconds off the clock might have helped.
Gronk then caught the onsides kick. However I never felt like the game was in hand until Edelman
caught a deflected ball (by Tamba Hali) for a 1st down. And had that ball been intercepted, well...The
game isn't over until the clock reads all zeroes. Ask the Cardinals who allowed a last play tying TD.
Instead it was kneel down time and I could breathe a sigh of relief.
So now it's on to Denver. One team stands in the Patriots way to the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning
could be playing his last game. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in a duel. I'm going with Mr. Brady to
be protected by that O line and with the team D put Manning and the Broncos out to pasture.

POINTS AFTER
Chandler Jones started the game (unlike Wes Welker) despite committing a huge faux pas. Guess
making fun of Rex Ryan's wifey foot fetish was worse. Jones' team leading 12.5 sacks might have had
something to do with it. And Jones was credited with the Pats only sack but Smith tripped over #72.
Nink and Chung had huge games, especially against the run. Chung had 5 tackles and 4 assists (9) to tie
Logan Ryan 8 and 1 (9) for the team lead. Nink was right behind at 4 and 2 (6).
Every Pats fan knew the importance of Julian Edelman to the offense. With him they were 50% on 3rd
down. Without him, they were around 33%. When the team came onto the field, Edelman raced down
the sideline and heaved the ball into the stands. Fans could sense that Edelman was back and he was,
being targeted 16 times with 10 catches. Gronk was next with 8 targets and 7 catches. LaFell caught 3
of 5 but only for 6 yards. Keshawn Martin's 2 catches of 4 targets produced 42 yards and 15 yards.
Alex Smith had only 65 yards passing in the 1st Half despite being 7 for 11 on 3rd down.
The Pats secondary did a great job on TE Travis Kelce who was held to 6 catches on 9 targets but for
only 23 yards. Jeremy Maclin playing with a high ankle sprain had 2 catches on 3 targets for 23 yards.
At one point I saw Jonathan Freeny in at LB. Then I saw Darius Fleming in at LB as well as Dekoda
Watson who walloped Chris Conley (I think) forcing a fumble after a catch and after Conley had run a
couple steps. The Pats recovered the ball but the refs ruled incomplete pass (naturally). Those 3 LBs
were in because of injuries to Jamie Collins, Jerod Mayo and Dont'a Hightower.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Julian Edelman on Tom Brady's 10 yard 'gallop' to the end zone:
“Any time the Clydesdale gets running, the crowd goes crazy.”
(As reported by WEEI.com's Ryan Hannabie on 1/16)

THE HOT CLUB
Fleet Feet Pete and I were talking about the Powerball jackpot being $1.5 million. He opined what a
person would do with all that money. Finally he said that he'd create a foundation. “Perfect”, I said.
“You could call it the Fleet Feet Foundation.” Pete added that you had as much chance winning the
lottery as being hit by an asteroid.
So I asked Britt if she was as devastated as I was that David Bowie had died. She agreed and said that
she and Bowie share the same birthday. Elvis, too, she said and then added, “Three superstars.”
Claudia gave me her phone so I could watch the video for David Bowie's Lazarus from his Blackstar
CD. It was quite good and eerie knowing that he had died. Claudia also played some Bowie on the HC
jukebox and left me one song. So I played Under Pressure.
Our own Count Bassie played a song on the HC jukebox which had everyone laughing. It was a song
by Parliament/Funkadelic called Maggot Brain. It had a great guitar solo, lots of wah-wah and fuzz.
I mentioned to the Professors that Spotify had surveyed their most played albums by the Beatles. I
asked if they knew which Beatles' album it was. There was one correct answer. While Spotify noted
that One, the collection of all their singles was the most played, the actual studio album that is most
played is Abbey Road.
Congratulations to Flora and her husband on the birth of their first child, Sulo.
Overheard at the Hot Club: “Drinking beer is making your bladder gladder.'”
Fleet Feet Pete says that Avery Piano had a T-shirt that said, “I play for beer.”
Someone asked me if I was worried about the Patriots playing KC. “Hell, yes,” I said. “Do you
remember last year's game?”

LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ
So what is the world's longest surviving rock band that is still playing? Many of you responded with
the Rolling Stones who started in 1962. The answer though is the Dutch group Golden Earring which
started in 1961. They had huge hits with Radar Love (1973) and Twilight Zone (1982).

THIS ISSUE'S QUIZ
This chameleon superstar was a multi-instrumentalist who also wrote, sang, acted and produced other
artists, including Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. Name this great.
Sportzine is also available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz.