Grogan Breaks down the AFC Championship game

Former Patriot QB Steve Grogan hosts a weekly spot called "Grogan's Grade", which breaks down the game play of the New England Patriots. "Grogan's Grade" airs On "The Morning Buzz" every Monday at 7:30am. Here are some snipits from this week's interview and Steve's take on the AFC Championship game.

(View on QB Tom Brady's Performance)
"Tom Brady had a bad game, and it looked to me like the cold and the wind bothered him quite a bit. It’s just hard to throw the football when it is that cold and windy. It was the first time I’ve ever seen him struggle in those conditions, and I don’t believe it was really had all that much to do with what the San Diego defense was doing. He just didn’t seem to look comfortable with the offense they were running and he couldn’t get into any type of rhythm. I don’t think the Chargers were doing anything that confused him, he just didn’t look like the Tom Brady we were all used to seeing."

"Brady forced a few balls that he shouldn’t have thrown. On that first interception he forced that fade up the sideline, and that fade is hard to throw when it’s cold and windy. On the end zone interception by Antonio Cromartie that kept the Patriots from breaking the game open I don’t believe Brady ever saw him. It looked like Cromartie was hanging behind a couple of those big linemen and he just came out of his line of vision after he threw the ball. It wasn’t vintage Tom Brady by any means, but he made the throws he had to make and it was enough against a tough opponent on a very cold day."

(view on RB Kevin Faulk's Performance)
"Kevin Faulk had a huge game and without him I don’t think we’re talking about the Patriots going to Arizona right now. Faulk has come up big for them like that all year. He’s one of those players you don’t really notice because he’s not flashy, he just makes first downs for you. He made some really tough catches in clutch third down situations in the second half, and he was the difference maker for the Patriots in this one."

(view on WR Randy Moss and how teams are covering him)
"That reverse by Moss seem to shake the Patriots’ offense out of their lethargy, and it was a good idea to get the ball in Moss’ hands. He made a nice run on that play and picked up a first down that was halfway crucial at that point in the game considering they had fallen behind. Until that point it didn’t look like they were in synch on offense. I know defenses have been concentrating on Moss but they have to figure out a way to get the ball to him more often."

"They were using special coverages on Moss for most of the day, and on the game-clinching touchdown pass to Wes Welker coming across the middle Moss pulled three guys out of there which allowed Welker to run free into the end zone. When defensive backs are running off like that you could see in several of the runs by Maroney he was starting to one side and cutting back towards the other, and usually he was cutting back to the side Moss had just cleared out. Just having Moss on the field makes defenses do so many other things that it opens up a vulnerable area, and the Patriots have taken advantage of that in these two playoff games."

(view on the Patriots Defensive Stand)
"They’ve done that all year, people just haven’t noticed it. They let teams move the ball up and down the field on them but you get inside the red zone against them and more often than not they’re making you settle for a field goal. If you look at the stats the game was fairly even with the exception of third down conversions and scoring in the red zone. San Diego was only 3 of 12 on third down while the Patriots were 7 of 13, and New England converted 75% of their red zone opportunities into touchdowns while the Chargers converted none. That’s what wins championships."

(Grogan Grade's the game)
"I know this may seem a little harsh because they won the AFC Championship but I’m going to go with a B+. I didn’t think the Patriots’ offense played especially well so they’ll get a B, but the defense really came to their rescue against the Chargers and deserves an A. Outside of Maroney and Faulk most of the heroes in this game were on the defensive side of the ball, like Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, and Junior Seau. I’m really happy for players like Seau who will be finally getting the chance to play in a Super Bowl. It’s the ultimate experience for any football player, but I’m sure Bill Belichick will have them focused on the task at hand. He’s done that for 18 straight games, and I’m pretty sure he’s not going to change his routine now [laughs]!"


Steve Grogan played in 149 games with the Patriots from 1975-1990, and was named to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 1995