Patriots-Chargers Quasi Live Blog: Fourth Quarter

Welker again with the catch for 10 and a first on a quick screen. Maroney for 20, and he's just killing the Chargers right now. 80 for the game, 64 in the half. A screen to him gets another 9... and as the Patriots get close, the power goes out in my Man Space, probably due to a space heater overloading the circuit. Cablevision's box hates it when the power goes out, so I'm going to be down for a while. Gah!

I switch over to a Web app to learn that Brady hit Welker for 6 and the touchdown, and there's that slot problem we mentioned before. Welker now has 7 catches for 56 and the touchdown, and Faulk's got 5 for 50. Stallworth and Moss have combined for 2 for 23, but that is the real magic of Brady; he doesn't much care who's open.

Sproles to the 21, and the Chargers are going no huddle. Chambers for 17 is followed by two incompletes, and then another 18 yards to Jackson. Say this for Rivers, he's not going down without a fight. Gates for 9, then Turner for the first, and they are just entering the part of the field where it all goes to hell. The power comes back up to see another incomplete, and on 3rd and 10, Harrison comes clear yet again, forcing the incomplete. Will Norv go on fourth and 10? No, he's punting with 9:21 left and down 9 points. But on the plus side, this will help that New England covering the spread bet...

Maroney jogs around end for an easy 10. He's got 81 yards this half. Brady takes a bad sack, and that's a big play here, given how the Pats haven't been that explosive today. Faulk gets 7 on a screen, setting up a huge play for whether or not the fourth quarter will have any drama. Halfway through the quarter, and under pressure, Brady finds Faulk perfectly (of course) for just enough (of course). They needed 11, and got exactly that. Short of a turnover, it's hard to see how the Chargers get the ball back twice to come back in this game now.

Maroney for a yard, and the Chargers call an unconscionable timeout. Seriously, it wasn't at the end of the previous run, it wasn't in a dire situation, it saved them very little clock. Just awful.

Surprisingly, the Pats throw on second, and Stallworth is knocked out of bounds after 6. If the Chargers can hold on 3rd, there will be some plays left in this game... but it's Faulk Again, and this one's over. The Patriots Fans don't so much applaud now as they do exhale. And order the car to be brought around. They'll be drinking the good chianti tonight!

Maroney for 2, Maroney for 5, and would it kill you bums to cover the spread? Chargers call their last time out, and CBS dwells on Tomlinson, like he would have made the difference today. Frankly, folks, the real problem injury today was Gates, because without him, the Chargers were not able to be effective in the red zone, and that's where this game was lost. Maroney for another 6, and he loses his footing before he can secure the cover. Terrible!

Maroney becomes the first Patriot to have consecutive 100-yard playoff games since the immortal Craig James. Do you miss when the Patriots could lose playoff games in desultory fashion? I refuse to admit it in either way. The two minute warning is here, and the only people watching this game intently now have to have money on the point spread. Maroney gets the first and we're into kneeldowns. Maroney ends his day with 25 carries for 122 yards, and on a day when Brady got picked 3 times, he was the clear difference.

See you in a few for the New Age Ice Bowl in Wisconsin...