Patriots Week 13 Review

As much as it pains me to say it... the Patriots got outplayed this weekend. The one positive that can be gained from a tough loss was the play of our defense. While they were gashed between the 20's, they made the stops in the red zone where it counts. While the stats (and fantasy points :[ ) may suggest an off day, they held one of the leagues most prolific offenses under 30 points. It was also an enjoyable game because it was not ugly; no turnovers, no game changing penalties, and really both teams played well enough to win. In my book, the 5 point difference comes out of home field advantage. It is early to declare this matchup as a Superbowl preview, however it is not early to declare these two teams as the leagues frontrunners. At home, these two teams are unstoppable. For that reason alone, I would LOVE too see these teams on a neutral field.

This game lived up to the hype. The two future hall of fame QB's played up to that bill. Both Brady and Rodgers were putting the ball in spots that only they could. Tom Brady's second touchdown to LaFell... Rodgers pinpoint pass too Stark as he outran Ninkovich down the sideline... the two put on a clinic. Beyond those two, both running games lived up to the bill. Early on, Eddie Lacy was tearing up the defense and proved impossible to tackle. When his number was called, the big 29 on the New England side plowed through linebackers. Absolutely LOVE to watch these offenses put on a clinic. I was disappointed, however, too see the Patriots offense struggle at times. Look for them to roll into the playoffs with some serious momentum (yes, that means they will win out).

Okay, I have spent enough time praising the Patriots in a loss. This Packers team should scare the crap out of anyone in the NFC. They are unstoppable at Lambeau, and with Rodgers at the helm they often play unaffected by the road games. Looking at their remaining games, it is tough to see them losing again. They close out the year with a home game against division rival Detroit, but the fact that it is home guarantees they will be favored. With the way the Cardinals have played in the last two weeks, the number one seed is Green Bay's too lose. If they lock up home field, watch out NFC. As I said, it is to early to call this the Superbowl matchup. However, with the two teams in the driver's seat for home field, it is tough to envision anything else.

Stats
Tom Brady- 22/35 245 yards 2 TD's
L. Blount- 10 carries, 58 yards
Rob Gronkowski- 7 catches, 98 yards

Aaron Rodgers- 24/38 368 yards 2 TD's
Eddie Lacy- 21 carries, 98 yards
D. Adams- 6 catches, 121 yards