18-1 just doesn’t have the ring of 19-0. I wasn’t alive to see the Miami Dolphins go 17-0 in 1972 and it looks like it may be another 36 years before we see someone finish what the Patriots couldn’t. With the addition of two extra games, the money being poured into college athletics, and the talent flowing out, the reality is that we may never again see a team do what the 1972 Dolphins did. We all missed a chance to witness history last night. Perfection was out of reach.

I’m not certain what it was about last night’s game, but nothing seemed to hold my attention. Maybe it was the low score (7-3 at half time… huh???). Maybe it was the not nearly as funny as usual commercials. Maybe it was the expectation that, of course the Patriots were going to win. Whatever it was, last night’s game seemed to have lost the luster of a “Super” Bowl.

Congratulations to the Giants for a hard fought victory. They made the last few minutes thrilling, and I even caught myself holding my breath. It made for a great game, although it was a massive letdown to miss out on perfection.

Story Lines:

Eli Manning came of age in leading his team to a victory. He has officially stepped out of Peyton’s shadow and into the limelight.

Has the Curse of the Babe hit Tom Brady? We all saw what happened to Tony Romo when Jessica Simpson came to watch him play.

Was Brady’s ankle still bothering him?

The Giants win a Super Bowl without Tiki and Jeremy Shockey.

Where was the Pats’ offense? The Patriots only scored 14 points; their lowest total all season. For the last time the Pats scored less than 14 in a game we have to go back to January 14, 2006 in a playoff game against Denver they lost 27-13.

For the last half of the season, the Patriots defense was as dependable as could be at getting the ball back for the offense and stopping teams in the fourth quarter. Last night, they allowed two TDs late.