But the Rams are better.
This could be a great game, much like two years ago.
Brady has a will to win like no other QB I have seen in a long time. Gifted and also underrated. Bledsoe is no slouch.
It could be very close...but as good as the Pats defense is (are?)...the Rams are so hard to stop. Rams have the edge in intangibles...
Rams 24....Pats 17
Rams 24....Pats 17
You nailed it. As a Pats fan, I agree. But when the difference on paper is seven points, the intangibles and ball bounces can make up the difference.
Now the pressure will mount on Brady
November 19, 2001
FOXBORO - It was a different experience last night for New England's latest Prince Charming, and many sets of eyes were watching to see how he would respond to the new pressure.
Tom Brady came on to replace the injured Drew Bledsoe as the Patriots quarterback eight weeks ago and, unbelievably, led New England from the depths of mediocrity to playoff contention. Playing without a worry, wide-eyed and innocent in the eyes of the fans, Brady has been winging passes to wide receivers and backs with equal aplomb, and has benefited from a resurrected running game and a new defensive resolve.
Before last night, Brady had completed 63.9 percent of his passes and thrown 11 touchdowns. Only five of his passes have been intercepted, and four of those came in the fourth quarter of the Denver game four weeks ago.
All ancient history now. While going 5-2, Brady had no competition. Make a mistake and he knew he would still be back in the huddle. There was the normal, intense pressure on a young quarterback learning the ropes, but not the pressure of knowing an interception could earn him a clipboard, a set of headphones and a view from the sidelines.
After last night's loss to the Rams, Brady is 5-3 (the Patriots are 5-5). He and his offensive mates made some major errors. There was no Brady magic until the Rams went prevent in the fourth quarter and he made them pay with a 10-yard scoring pass to David Patten in the corner of the end zone to cut the St. Louis lead to 24-17.
But before that, the fans had become restless as a conservative offense proved inept, though no calls for Drew were heard in the stands. Even when trying to play with one hand tied behind his back, Brady was no match for the Rams, or the expectations he had created.
Yes, Brady completed 19 passes in 27 attempts. But only for 185 yards and he had two more interceptions. Yes, he was done in by the slippery hands of Kevin Faulk and Antowain Smith. Faulk saw a pass bounce off his hands for an interception, setting up the Rams first touchdown. Smith's late second-quarter fumble at the Rams 3 not only cost the Patriots a score, but the lead when the Rams followed with a 97-yard drive in just one minute, 41 seconds.
As the Rams and quarterback Kurt Warner spread the ball around the field, throwing for more than 400 yards, Brady suddenly looked like this year's early-season version of Drew Bledsoe. The Patriot offense suddenly looked like the one Bledsoe had to play with in the first two games.
Last night was the beginning of Brady's new reality: Bledsoe was armed and ready, medically cleared to play. He was itching to get back on the field and take what he feels is his rightful place as head man on this football team, as he has for nine years now. It wasn't only ESPN's Joe Theismann and Paul Maguire who were wondering if Brady would be looking over his shoulder if things didn't go his way. Pats head coach Bill Belichick made it a big story last night by making Bledsoe the No. 2 quarterback, though the veteran never took his warm-up jacket off. Next weekend against New Orleans, that may not be the story. Brady has been through this before, battling with Brian Griese and Drew Henson for playing time at Michigan. He's done what many thought was impossible - making this Patriots' team a playoff contender - and his reward is not knowing if he'll be on the field next week ... or next series, for that matter.
"It makes no difference to me," he said last week when asked about all the uncertainty of his role that is sure to continue swirling. "Whether a guy's here or not here, that doesn't affect me. It's too much energy worrying about anyone else. There's not enough time in the day. It's enough work trying to prepare myself." Especially last night, against a fleet St. Louis squad many experts pick to win it all. The Rams much-improved defense was ranked fourth overall in the NFL before last night, ninth against the pass. The Patriots kept the game close, but did so with a less-than-sterling offensive effort that could produce only 10 points. The opportunities were there, the touchdowns weren't. Another game like this next Sunday against the Saints, and Bledsoe's return to action will be sooner than fans expected. Ironically, now that Brady has moved the Patriots into contention, the team may not be able to afford his growing pains while a proven quarterback watches and waits.