Pats Giants pre-season final

I attended last nights pre-season finale at Gillette stadium last night and I can safely say two things: 1) Giants fans embrace the possibilities of next year, 2) Patriots need to keep Tom Brady in a glass booth unless absolutely necessary.

It wasn't all bad for N.Y Eli Manning was reasonably sharp finding his tight end Shockey four times on their opening drive. The run game was reasonably effective with Jacobs having a pretty good average, but Giants football was lack luster, and almost completely without imagination. I don't know if this was a product this being the fourth and final pre-season game of the year and not wanting to tip their playbook too much, or if it was typical Giants football. I can say this with certainty, it took N.Y five tries from the one yard line to score a TD against second sting Patriots. The Giants also got far, far too many penalties (exhibition or not). Depth wise it doesn't look very Rosy for the G-men where back-up quarterback Jared Lorenze was anything but special. The hugely fat QB was sacked seven times, and ate two peantbutter sandwiches. Lorenzen seems to barely be able to get out of his way much less lead an offense. When Lorenzen first took the field I thought he was a guard or a tackle, and the Giants were up to some trickery. Instead of a trick play, Fat Albert simply became acquainted with the turf at Gillette stadium....over and over again.

As for the Patriots it is a bright dawn upon 07. New England, as usual, displayed great depth at every position as well as rock solid play. I am convinced that the Pats second string unit could easily have handed the starting Giants team a loss in sixty minutes of football. Particularly impressive was WR C.J Jones (#2). Jones is more than likely on the bubble with a glut of receivers in New England, but he certainly made a case for himself. Plucking errant passes out of the air, and making positive plays from nothing, Jones will surely impress the coaching staff. Knowing what type of coach Belichek is, he will have been very satisfied from the level of effort from Jones. It's all great for the Pats, I did get the feeling that behind Tom Brady....there isn't much. Matt Cassel was admirable making fair throws, but mostly just benefiting from the best schemes and coaching in the NFL. No one knows how to get receivers and backs in space like the Patriots do. Behind cassel is the sixty seven year old Vinney Testaverde. Vinney T did his best, but is clearly past prime. When I say past prime, I mean his kids are probably past their primes. So long as the Pats keep Brady VERY well protected, this is a deep and talented Patriot roster.

GILLETTE STADIUM: This is one spectacular arena!! I have been to many, many NFL venues in my day but the new Gillette stadium is truly a site to behold. A beautiful tower can be seen from far away. The tower holds a giants circular monitopr which blast red, white and blue images of the Pats and their colors running up and down this enormous cylinder. If that isn't Patriotic enough a slew of revolutionary war soldiers fire a plethora of gun blasts into air, every time the Pats score a TD. There is a Sam Adams brew house!!! Need I say more? Imagine getting a good beer at reasonable prices at a football game? That time has come my friends, it has come indeed. The refreshments are also among the best I have ever consumed at a game of any kind. I got an order of chili cheese fries which was served in an enormous, and sturdy, bowl. The fries cost $6.75 and really wasn't a bad price at all considering the quantity given, and the nice bowl which made consumption so much easier. The stadium is also very open, and convenient. although my seat was pretty high up there was restrooms, and vendors located almost directly off of the stair well. The smoking area was also so close to the seats, that I could still see the field!! It is also worth mentioning that no one immediately dropped dead of lung cancer in this huge OPEN AIR arena. Overall the Patriots home is one beautiful, and convenient venue. I would see a game there anytime.