Patriots-Chargers Quasi Live Blog: Second Quarter

The quarter starts with Maroney converting on 3rd and 1 on a very nice bit of patience; then Brady hits Faulk in the flat, who gets it to the 1. The Patriots are a yard away from wiping away a flat first quarter, and Maroney gets it. Evans with the key block, and what was telling about that last bit of business is that after losing the wind, the Patriots got plays from their running game. The Chargers can't win if the Patriots are getting plays from their running game. 7-3, Patriots.

Sproles has another seam on the return, but is taken down by Gostkowski. LDT still on the sidelines, and the Chargers start from their 30.

Play action to Jackson for 15, probably Rivers' best pass of the day. LDT is said to be down on the decision of Norv; ballsy if true. An ugly quail to Jackson gets another 17, and he was wide open; first time Rivers went on a designed rollout. Turner gets 4, and he's now at 7 for 30. Rivers wiggles about and finds Turner for 5, and they are at the Patriots 31 for 3rd and 1. They go play action and find Jackson again for 21, and this is a heck of an answer, though not exactly the grind it out method you'd expect or want, given the Patriots offense. Turner gets a yard. The Patriots only rush 2, Nantz mistakingly calls it great protection, and Bruschi knocks a bad ball to Gates down. Huge play here... and Rivers calls time. If all you get from two trips to the red zone against the champions is two field goal opportunities, you have to think that's going to be regretted later. Rivers finds Chambers on an underneath crossing route, but he can't beat the tackler, and it's another short figgie, this one from 23. Much better kick, and it's Patriots 7, Chargers 6.

Another short kick from Kaeding is returned by Hobbs to the Patriots 40. If the Chargers really want to win this game, a stand by the defense would help loads. Faulk for 13, and Brady's looking extremely comfortable now. Maroney gets 5 on a play that could have been stopped at 2, and that's what we'd call Telling. Welker takes a tricky screen for a couple, and it's also interesting that the Pats feel it's necessary to go for trickery. 3rd and 3 is a big play... and Jammer knocks down a ball for Moss, who doesn't have a catch today. Also tellingly, the Pats will punt; more often than not in this situation, they'd go for it. It seems to pay off, as Kelley Washington makes a great play in special teams. The Chargers will start at their own 4.

Turner for 4. He's earning himself some money today. He gets another 3 in a middle pile, and is now at 10 for 38. Big play here on third and 3 with 6 minutes left in the quarter... and the Chargers go 4 wide, with Rivers finding Sproles on a nice play in the flat. That was big. Rivers is now 10 of 17 for 105, and just as I was about to write how he was avoiding the big mistake... he throws while falling on pressure from Vrabel, and Samuel outfights Chambers for the interception. Bad play by Chambers as well. The Patriots will start on the Chargers 24, and this is not looking good for the wishes of a competitive game.

Faulk again for 11. Brady then finds Gaffney for an easy touchdown, and after 26 minutes where the road team has done a lot of what they wanted to do, they'll be down by 8. Patriots 14, Chargers 6.

Sproles to the 28, and if the Chargers can get points with this drive, it's still a game; if they can't or turn it over, it won't be. Sproles for no gain, and I think I'd have gone play action there, to show Phillip some confidence and given him more time. Play action on second is 15 to Chambers and a nice play; Chambers has 5 for 58 already, and Phillip seems to be focused on him. The Chargers pick up a stunt and Chambers is open, but the ball is badly underthrown for the second pick of the day, and Simms is making excuses as to the knee. Um, if that's the case, why is he trying to throw the 40 yard ball in the first place, and shouldn't the fact that he was downwind means that an underthrow is really, really bad? That's the kind of ball that might bring in Volek. The Patriots start at their 23 with all three timeouts.

Jammer knocks a ball to Stallworth down, and that could have been a pick, too. The wind must really be messing with the QBS today. Faulk makes yet another play on a run for 8 where he could have gone down for no gain. Two minute warning, and a very big play again here... and for the second time this half, Brady misses Welker. That Achilles' heel slot didn't kill them here. Sproles gets it back to the 35, and the Chargers have 1:45 and 2 timeouts. Heckuva three and out there by the defense.

Draw to Sproles for 6; too much clock running here, as is per usual with the Patriots opponents. Sproles on another draw breaks one all the way to the Patriots 32, and is ruled down before the fumble. A pointless booth review stops the clock at 49 seconds left. The Chargers don't seem to know that the clock runs after the review fails, and they waste 15 seconds before completing a ball to Gates, his first catch of the day, for 8. Gates looked good on that play. On 2nd and 2 with 26 seconds left from the Patriots 23, it's Sproles for a yard and in bounds, wasting the third and final Chargers time out of the half. What is it with the Patriots opponent having no idea how to handle a clock?

If I'm Norv here, this ball's going to the end zone, but he's played it conservative all day. That might have been the plan, and Rivers throws it away under pressure. Kaeding has to hit his first tough kick of the day, and he's only at .500 for his career in the playoffs. Belichick ices him at 12 seconds left in the half, but he sneaks it in anyway, and we'll have a one possession game at the half.

Well, it's not a blowout, and the Chargers secondary has done a great job with Moss and Stallworth. But not getting touchdowns in the red zone will get you killed, and Brady has the patience to beat you with Kevin Faulk and Jabbar Gaffney, if you make him. 14-9, Patriots.