Chowdaheads - Sitting on Frog One: PLAYOFFS!! UB dropkicks the Pats playoff road

UB can't really remember ever having a range of emotion in a non-important Patriots game the way he did on Sunday as the Patriots took on the Dolphins in the season-finale. Going into the game the Patriots had a chance to take the #3 seed with a win and a Kansas City win over Cincinnati. With very little difference between the 3-4 seeds, as both offer only a Wild Card round home game and a road trip in round two. For the Pats a 3 seed would mean Pittsburgh comes to town and a win in that game would send them to Denver for a rematch against the Broncos. The 4 seed would result in Jacksonville coming to town to face the Pats and a win there would send them to Indianapolis...UNLESS...the Steelers defeat the struggling #3 seed Bengals in Cincinnati. If that happened the Steelers would then, as the #6 seed, go to Indy and the Pats would move on to Denver.

So with the Pats, who rested their starters for 90% of the game, were trailing late against the Dolphins (with a chance to go undefeated in the division for the 1st time ever! DAMN!) UB was sure he was seeing the Jags come to town...Then backup QB Matt Cassel drove the Pats 54 yards to bring them within 6...followed by the 1st dropkick in the NFL since 1941:

No not that kind of dropkick...

...this kind. Boston icon Doug Flutie came off the bench to hit a drop kick extra point that sent the fans into a frenzy. The last time UB saw a drop kick was a field goal by the Mean Machine, from the original "The Longest Yard" not that crappy Adam Sandler remake:

The point made it a five point game and after a Dolphins FG the Pats were down 8 and needed overtime if they wanted to face the Steelers in the 1st round.

Of course the Pats fell a 2-point conversion short and will take on the Jags. Would UB rather the Steelers came to town? Um not really sure. They are playing well and can be a very physical team that can take a long term toll on their opponents in a playoff situation. The Jags, however, are also physical and will be a tough match for the 2-time defending champions. Over all though UB would rather see the Jags (below beating up on the Titans), thus giving Pittsburgh a chance to get past Cincinnati and beat up on the Colts.

Some of WEEI's professors thought it would be better, if the Pats are to advance, to take on the Colts in the 2nd round since whomever faces them in two weeks will get their 1st crack at a team that hasn't played a meaningfully football game in several weeks. In the history of the NFL, however, the teams with the 1st round bye have a ridiculous winning percentage in the Divisional Playoff, something like 90%. Therefore UB thinks a banged up Colts team, or god-willing a home game agaisnt Pittsburgh, would be a better situation than going to Indy after beating the Jags. Again, not to look past Jacksonville, going to Denver is not exactly a welcome sight either. The Pats have had major problems with the Broncos for years, including a loss earlier this year. So UB guesses you're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't...