Thanks to an act of congress, I got to watch last night's game between the Patriots and the Giants.  My takeaway was that the Patriots made some terrific adjustments at halftime, putting more pressure on Eli Manning and forcing him into panic mode.  I think the biggest difference between the Manning boys is that Peyton will stand in the pocket and take his whupping while Eli tends to back peddle to avoid being hit.  This is one of the reasons why Peyton has a ring and Eli doesn't.

If Bret Favre is a God, then what is Tom Brady?  There is no quarterback in the NFL right now that can lead a team down the field as surgically and as coolly as Brady.  And then, there's number 81, who dropped one right on his hands and came back on the very next play for a game breaking, record breaking 65 yard in stride touchdown reception past a surprised and very out of position James Butler. Face it folks, this is karma.

What happen to the Giants in the second half?  Their offense stopped moving, their defense stopped making plays and the Patriots just threw it into fifth gear and rode away with it.  For those who want the head of Tom Coughlin on a stick, this might be your prime example of how the G-men can't finish.  We'll see how this loss affects them in the playoffs.  It could be a game where they are let down and don't recover or it may have a galvanizing effect on them.  Besides, they stood toe to toe with the best team in football for 3½ quarters and no one in the NFC is even close to being as talented as New England.

So, now what?  It's now a three game season for the Pats.  Two rounds in the AFC playoffs and the Super Bowl, if they get there.  The biggest obstacle comes in the presence of the world champion Colts who are not going to give up their title so easily.  Even though the Colts may lose tonight (they are going to treat tonight's game like a pre-season game), they are still the number two seed.  So, they get a first round bye and then the highest remaining seed prior to playing, we assume, New England.  That game, if it takes place, will be the one for all the marbles. 

As good as the Cowboys, and to a lesser degree, the Packers have been, they are no match for either of the two elite teams from the AFC. 

So for Bill and his boys, the season isn't over yet.  They need three more wins.  And, if something funny should happen on the way to Glendale, this whole 16-0 won't mean anything except to a few bitter old men who used to play for the Miami Dolphins.

Lighting Round:

• My thoughts on the broadcast last night.  Cris Collinsworth may be the best analyst on TV.  He's honest, he's opinionated and he's not up in the booth sucking people off or trying to make friends. The best word that I can use to describe him is refreshing.  I can't think of anyone else on the networks as glib as he is. Bryant Gumble on the other hand sounds like the guy on your cable access channel who is doing the Friday night high school game.  The NFL also did a great job of creating awareness of and value to the NFL network.  I'm still not going to trip over anyone to get it, especially if it requires a dish to be bolted to my roof.  One other thought: Rich Eisen continues to be an assclown.  If he wouldn't try to be Kenny Mayne, he might be palatable.  But he does and he comes across as sophomoric and obnoxious.  And Deion, that 1940's pimp look is silly.  I didn't know if you were going to provide me with commentary or break into a medley of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole favorites.  Dude, lose the hat.
• While the Patriots continue to march toward perfection, other NFL teams begin to pack up and head for home following today's slate of games.  One of those teams is the Chicago Bears, who have been a disappointment from day one this year.  Bear fans should wave goodbye to several players including Brendon Ayanbadejo, Bernard Berrian, Muhsin Muhammad, Fred Miller, Adam Archuletta, Lance Briggs, Darwin Walker and maybe, if we're lucky, Rex Grossman.  This is going to be a pretty big rebuilding job in the off season, but in the NFL, one good year of rebuilding yields results.  If you don't believe me, look at the job Ted Thompson has done with the Packers.  The Bears will probably not be a playoff caliber team next year, but most likely will return to competition in 2009.
• While Mike Mulligan of the Sun-Times ponders my theory on soon to be ex-Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz, he thinks it's a bad fit.  When has that ever stopped Lovie Smith?
• Bowling: Wake Forest wakes up in the second halfand steamrolls UCONN; Mississippi State and UCF couldn't score in a Memphis cat house with a roll of hundreds.  In the end, Mississippi State finally pushed one across late and won 10-3, although UCF coach George O'Leary claims it as a win on his resume.  At the Alamo Bowl, Penn State gives JoePa his 23rd career bowl victory and revenge over that loud mouthed moron who made the casket joke.  BTW, AA has the Zupruder film.
• It looks like Darren McFadden will play in the Cotton Bowl, especially since the TV station that made the original report is backing down.  And we're not even in sweeps month!
• Eight fewer Fresno State players will be on the blue turf of Boise. 
  
• Rick Neuheisel returns to college coaching as the new head man at UCLA.  I agree with Mark May of ESPN who said that UCLA better run the cleanest program in the country.  Hiring Neuheisel and not worrying about the NCAA keeping tabs on you is like hiring Jefferey Skilling to be the CEO of your company and not worrying about the securities and exchange commission watching you.
• A preview of tonight's Weed Whacker Bowl (Roll Bama Roll). Look, when you marry a woman from Alabama, you have to at least mention it if you don't want to sleep on the sofa.
  
• Vinny Testaverde will announce his retirement following today's Carolina Panthers game.  This makes him the last player from the pre-facemask era to call it a career.  Okay, it just seems like it.
• Butkus was a hit in practice.  That would be Dick, not Butkus D. Dogg.  But he enjoyed the headline anyway. The best part of the whole video portion of the story is when Butkus takes a shot at The Elderly Hillbilly.
  
• If there ever was a reason to have a designated driver, look no further than former Yankee Jim Leyritz.  This is a terrible tragedy that will result in millions of dollars in lawsuits and more importantly, three kids growing up without their mother. 
  
• Today's list: The Top 40 Sports Figures of 2007(Sports Hernia Blog)