The New England Patriots Advance In The Playoffs

This game was in a dead heat going into halftime. Then, I realized the New England Patriots would do what they always do. That is, keep the game relatively close to make the game exciting and keep viewers glued to their screens, but then blow it open in the end.

I want to know what happened to this amazing Jacksonville Jaguars defense I heard about? All of a sudden they decided to not show up? They could not stop the Patriots on any drive. The punter only came out once for the Patriots....and that was in the last minute of the game!

The Jaguars struck first. They answered after the Patriots responded with two touchdowns. However, the give-and-take with Tom Brady & Company finally took a toll on Jacksonville.

David Garrard did all he could to keep his team in the game, but his receivers dropped some key catches that might have possibly made a difference. As for the Jaguars' amazing running game, I'd rather not even mention how terrible it was.

David Garrard kept the Jaguars close, completing 14 of 18 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns through three quarters, including an 8-yard touchdown pass as his knee brushed the tips of the turf while in the grasp of linebacker Mike Vrabel. Garrard also hit Ernest Wilford for a 6-yard TD to make it 14-14 with 7:46 left in the half.

The Jaguars scored on a spectacular opening possession that gave them hope of ending New England's chances to top the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who won all 17 of their games. However, the Jaguars first touchdown was one of controversy.

Garrard found a wide-open Marcedes Lewis for 34 yards on a fourth-and-1 from the Patriots 43. Then, on third-and-goal from the 8, Vrabel wrapped up Garrard and was bringing him down when he flung the ball into the end zone and into the arms of Matt Jones.

Replays showed that Garrard's knee might have been down when he released the ball. But Patriots coach Bill Belichick wasn't quite as quick with his release of the red replay flag: He was running toward the field with his arm cocked, ready to throw it, when the ball was snapped for the extra point.

But Brady broke it open in the third with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker and a 9-yarder to Benjamin Watson -- his second scoring catch of the game.

Tom Brady completed his first 16 passes and was 23-of-24 for 194 yards and three touchdowns in the first three quarters Saturday night to help the New England Patriots open a 28-17 lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars in their AFC playoff game.

Laurence Maroney ran 15 times for 111 yards and a 1-yard touchdown as the Patriots tried to extend their perfect season with a 17th consecutive victory.

The New England Patriots will play the winner of Sunday's game between San Diego and Indianapolis for the AFC championship and a berth in the Super Bowl. If the Patriots make it to the Feb. 3 NFL title game, they'll have a chance to complete the league's first 19-0 season.

Mid-Season Awards

Here is how I see the NFL at the midway point:

MVP - Tom Brady: Is there any doubt to this one? Other than teammate Randy Moss, who should even be considered in this discussion? We are watching a great QB in his prime, surrounded with talent. It is a beautiful thing to watch.

Rookie of the Year - Adrian Peterson: Yup, this was a hard one. He breaks the single game rushing record, leads the world in rushing, and scores a couple of touchdowns every game. How could I come to this decision.

Coach of the Year - Bill Belichick: Say what you want, the man is a genius. He has his team at undefeated at 9-0, and cruising right by everyone. Do they run up the score; yes, but this is the NFL not high school. Grow up, they play to win, period!

Defensive Player of the Year - Mike Vrabel: He is the best offensive, defensive player in the league. He also has 47 tackles, and is an emotional leader on the best team in the NFL. I know I have a lot of Patriots picked but they may be the best team ever assembled.

Biggest Surprise - Cleveland Browns: Does anyone realize the Browns could be tied for first after tonight in their division? They are 5-3 and no one expected them have 5 wins all year. They got beat horribly on opening weekend. They traded away their starting QB, and since then have looked like a real team. What a great story this is.

Biggest Disappointment - San Diego Chargers/LT: LT and the Chargers tie for the biggest disappointment of the year. After starting off slow, LT and the Chargers picked up their games recently. Then yesterday both looked terrible. LT can't get going, and the Chargers are falling out of the race. Think about last year, LT was considered the best RB in recent memory, and the Chargers were young and talented. Now they lost twice the amount of games they lost all of last season!