EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Was it worth it?
That final answer will come on Feb. 3 around 11 p.m.
If the New England Patriots don't win Super Bowl XLII in Phoenix that day, we can all look back to last night's fist-fight - a record-laden 38-35 Patriots win - with an inexplicably enthused New York Giants team.
Even the great Bill Belichick should seriously be questioned about his team's strategy. Last week against Miami the Pats played long ball all second half in search of individual records and personal glory. Yesterday he allowed his regulars to be physically beaten up by New York.
The bye week will help, but the poundings administered by Brandon Jacobs, the Giants' nasty offensive front and the Michael Strahan-led defense will be felt for a long, long time.
For what? A perfect season?
The last time I looked they don't ask how you got there on Super Bowl Sunday.
The Kraft family doesn't get some financial boon for going 16-0. You don't get better draft picks.
In the end, New England and its rabid fandom got its wish.
Everything went the Patriots' way. The marks tumbled like duck pins.
* The Patriots rallied from their biggest deficit of the season, 12 points at 28-16 in the second half, and made it a perfect 16 for 16 on the year, something no other NFL team has done since the schedule switched from 14 to 16 games. The Dolphins, of course, went 14-0 in the 1972 regular season.
* Tom Brady threw two TD passes, setting an NFL mark for touchdown tosses in a season, breaking Peyton Manning's 2004 mark of 49.
* Both scores went to the remarkable Randy Moss, his 22nd and 23rd of the year, surpassing the incomparable Jerry Rice's number of 22 in 1987. Although that was in the 12-game, strike-shortened season. Moss also finished with six catches for 100 yards. His total of 1,493 receiving yards eclipsed Stanley Morgan's career year and previous Pats team high of 1,491, back in 1986.
* Wes Welker caught 11 balls, setting the all-time team mark for grabs with 112. He came in tied with Troy Brown's 2001 high of 101.
* And with its total of 38 points, the Pats now own the NFL record for points in a season with 592.
On paper and on the field last night, it was the smash sensation Pats fans had all hoped for.
Then you think back to Adalius Thomas limping back to the huddle.
That final answer will come on Feb. 3 around 11 p.m.
If the New England Patriots don't win Super Bowl XLII in Phoenix that day, we can all look back to last night's fist-fight - a record-laden 38-35 Patriots win - with an inexplicably enthused New York Giants team.
Even the great Bill Belichick should seriously be questioned about his team's strategy. Last week against Miami the Pats played long ball all second half in search of individual records and personal glory. Yesterday he allowed his regulars to be physically beaten up by New York.
The bye week will help, but the poundings administered by Brandon Jacobs, the Giants' nasty offensive front and the Michael Strahan-led defense will be felt for a long, long time.
For what? A perfect season?
The last time I looked they don't ask how you got there on Super Bowl Sunday.
The Kraft family doesn't get some financial boon for going 16-0. You don't get better draft picks.
In the end, New England and its rabid fandom got its wish.
Everything went the Patriots' way. The marks tumbled like duck pins.
* The Patriots rallied from their biggest deficit of the season, 12 points at 28-16 in the second half, and made it a perfect 16 for 16 on the year, something no other NFL team has done since the schedule switched from 14 to 16 games. The Dolphins, of course, went 14-0 in the 1972 regular season.
* Tom Brady threw two TD passes, setting an NFL mark for touchdown tosses in a season, breaking Peyton Manning's 2004 mark of 49.
* Both scores went to the remarkable Randy Moss, his 22nd and 23rd of the year, surpassing the incomparable Jerry Rice's number of 22 in 1987. Although that was in the 12-game, strike-shortened season. Moss also finished with six catches for 100 yards. His total of 1,493 receiving yards eclipsed Stanley Morgan's career year and previous Pats team high of 1,491, back in 1986.
* Wes Welker caught 11 balls, setting the all-time team mark for grabs with 112. He came in tied with Troy Brown's 2001 high of 101.
* And with its total of 38 points, the Pats now own the NFL record for points in a season with 592.
On paper and on the field last night, it was the smash sensation Pats fans had all hoped for.
Then you think back to Adalius Thomas limping back to the huddle.
And Brady being ripped to the ground by Reggie Torbor.
Laurence Maroney getting stood up over and over by Antonio Pierce.
And you start to wonder.
As has been the case all year, New England was fortunate.
There really was nobody lost to injury, but the nicks and the bruises will take their toll.
Don't believe it?
Why don't you ask Giants coach Tom Coughlin, who lost his top linebacker Kawika Mitchell, his top offensive lineman Shaun O'Hara, his No. 1 cover corner Sam Madison and safety Craig Dahl in a game that meant nothing.
Mr. Coughlin shouldn't be unemployed for long, he's got a great reputation.
But, in playing his starters last night, Coughlin signed and approved his own resignation last night.
All that remains is a formality, a sure loss next week at Tampa Bay in the first round of the playoffs - his third straight first-round ouster, by the way.
Enjoy this one, Pats fans. You deserve it.
But for my money, I'll always wonder how expensive the price of victory really was.
Hector Longo is an Eagle-Tribune sportswriter. E-mail him at hlongo@eagletribune.com.
