Well, not really. I have seen bigger upsets in sports than this one, and not just because you could see it coming. By now, there would have been enough written about the New York Giants’ achievement and how they managed to overcome the odds to comprehensively outsmart not only one of the most potent offense in NFL history, but also a highly touted, billed as one of the smartest men in the world, coach in Bill Belichek. What I would like to do is talk about how a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut had immortality snatched from their grasp and in the process, had only themselves to blame. While there is always much to learn from success, there is just as much to learn from failure.

The New England Patriots had looked vulnerable in the preceding weeks of the regular and post season leading up to the Superbowl. The moment they secured the division, the only thing that was constantly mentioned in the media was the possibility of them finishing the season unbeaten, thereby not only matching the Miami Dolphins’ feat in 1972, but to eclipse it. Despite Belichek and the team’s insistence that it would not detract from their focus of winning the Superbowl, it would no doubt have weighed heavily on the players’ minds each time they took to the gridiron in subsequent games. The way they scrambled to each victory showed that while this team had the ability to go all the way, they had an unbalanced makeup with uncharacteristically weak defensive lines. Fortunately or unfortunately, no team could take full advantage of this up till the final game of the season.

It was the New York Giants who had shown earlier how you could rattle Tom Brady, a quarterback often regarded as one of the coolest to grace the NFL. Strangely, Belichek could not come up with an answer to this in the Superbowl despite the warning signs. The Giants might have played above themselves again on Sunday in sacking Brady 5 times, but it was shocking to see the man increasingly unsettled with each play. Perhaps mentally, Tom Brady was not at his peak compared to previous seasons when he got to the Superbowl, as he was seen more often basking in the celebrity limelight with supermodel girlfriend Gisele Bundchen. It was Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson all over again, and look where the Dallas Cowboys ended up.

Sometimes you take risks to win, sometimes you do not. Bill Belichek has been known to constantly throw his hat in the ring in any situation, but despite having only 35 seconds after New York took a last gasp lead, there was enough time left to go for better field position and 3 points to bring the Superbowl into overtime. After all, the Patriots have been gunning for records all season, why not another one by making it the first Superbowl to go to overtime?

While the Giants bask in their moment of glory, do not discount the New England Patriots from bouncing back next season. Bill Belichek would make use of this extremely disappointing result to separate the men from boys. And that might eventually cement the standing of this team as a true dynasty in the history of the NFL. In the meantime though, they would be remembered as the biggest chokers.

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