If you’re aware, reader, of anything that feels better than beating the Patriots, at least anything printable on this family website, please let me know. I haven’t enjoyed a football that game much since the playoff win over the Titans at the Q last season, and in many ways, even that didn’t touch the joy of watching Bill Belichick slink off the field on Sunday. As always, this week’s edition of View From the Q will contain uncredited and unappreciated wit and insight from Ryan “Leaky Pipes” Thies, JJ “Walking on Sunshine” Fiddler, and Shar “My Wife” Higa.
1. The Chargers are undefeated at home when Pipes and I eat at Island Burgers; it’s a tradition born of their air conditioning and televisions and nothing else, but a valuable one nonetheless. Only time I can remember us not eating there was in the season opener against Carolina, when we foolishly chose to tailgate with our family and friends. Not this time.
2. On the way into the stadium, we stop by section H3 in the parking lot to visit Diego and Ziggy, two defensive guys from the Wilson Bruins. We go because bringing some Moore League magic into the Q to play the Pats has to be a good thing, and because Diego has promised me the freshly-made salsa they make will be the best I’ve ever tasted in my life. He is right.
3. A few pregame notes: the guy running the music at the Q thought it would be a good idea to play “Soulja Boy” as the military takes the field holding an American flag. Ugh. Then, during the national anthem, I realize that there are a grand total of five flags on the grass. I’m a pretty patriotic guy, but that still seems a bit excessive. Also, though I realize even thinking this is a jinx, I believe the Chargers are undefeated in the powder blues…at least, since they became throwbacks.
4. In case you were wondering, yes, those of us at the stadium still had to hear that awful Faith Hill Sunday Night Football song, as for some reason they play it on the Jumbotron. Also, there are a ton of fireworks, and it gets so smoky I wonder if I’m a kid watching football with my dad again.
5. Wow, what a drive to start the game! We really are evolving into a big-passing stretch offense—without Lo Neal and with Rivers developing into a top five quarterback, that makes sense. But we have to figure out a way to get LT involved in the passing game, a la Marshall Faulk or Reggie Bush.
6. Our defense is actually getting off the field on third down. We’re getting pressure, hitting the quarterback, and making tackles. In other words, we look like last year’s defense, which in the face of a few prominent commentators calling us soft, is a very good thing. Honestly though, Jamal Williams looks like himself, and Stephen Cooper has stepped up in a big way—there are x’s and o’s, and then there’s just flat out playing better. Other than a slightly more aggressive blitzing pattern, I don’t notice any change in the plays—we’re just better tonight.
7. Phillip Rivers is playing so well, I actually wish Brady were on the other sideline, no kidding. Wait. Kidding.
8. I’m glad LT is looking healthier (to a certain degree), but we’ve got to get Darren Sproles involved. As Raul Lara said after the Poly game, “We had to give the ball to the hot hand.” Well, Sproles has been the hot hand this season. Same goes for Long Beach native Antione Cason, who’s playing so well as a rookie that I actually look forward to passing situations just so we can get another corner on the field.
9. I’m not saying it’s necessarily bad karma to be a Patriots fan, I’m just saying I saw a lot of #12 jerseys in the handicap section tonight.
10. Speaking of jerseys, random spot of the night: a girl wearing a Troy Polamalu Steelers uni. Uh…huh?
11. LT looks like he’s about fifty percent back—his cuts still look more curved and less like they’re sharp angles, but you can see that he’s more comfortable, and his speed at the edges has definitely improved.
12. Yes! Yes! Yes! That goal line stand, four downs from the one, with the Pats going absolutely nowhere, is just what we needed. You do that to the defending AFC champs, and you know what you’ve got: instant swagger. Just what this defense needed. Jamal Williams absolutely embarrassed the Pats’ center. Yes!
13. And then we take the ball back down the field and score. 24-3! YES!!!!!!!!
14. Oh, I know we’re up by three touchdowns, but please, keep the defensive pressure on. I want to win this game by fifty. I want to win this game by a thousand. I never want to stop winning this game.
15. That overturned Quentin Jammer interception just elicited literally ten minutes of straight booing. I’ve never seen anything like it. Pipes and I, and our neighbors, heckled everything: the Pats’ punter, Belichick, the refs, Hochuli, the grounds crew, the economic crisis. You could feel frustration about all the Pats games of the last three years, the blown call in Denver, the injuries, all of it just melting away from the entire stadium. That was better than therapy.
16. Well, alright! 30-10. It should have been worse, it certainly could have been worse, but I’ll take it. Honestly, I needed that victory. Coming out of that stadium, I can tell I’m not the only one. An important stat: the Patriots were 5/15 on third and fourth down, which is what we need to hold teams to. I’d like to see Sproles more involved, and more looks to LT in the passing game (he’s a great pass catcher so I don’t see why we wouldn’t give him more touches as the offense evolves into a pass-first attack), but it’s hard to feel bad about knocking off the Pats, regardless of who’s under center for them.
17. Random idiotic comment from the idiotic idiots who sit behind us: “Pull LT! He’s not healthy!” Um, guys? He had 120+ yards of offense today, and he is markedly better than he has been this season. Even when he’s hurt, he’s still LT. A stat nobody is talking about: his yards per carry in the fourth quarter, when the game is within a touchdown in either direction? It’s 8.5. Toe pain or no, he’s still Superman.
18. After the game, we waited outside the press box so we could say hi to John Madden. We waved and he half-waved back, shuffling to the elevator in a way that kind of concerned me. Today it was announced he won’t be covering next week’s Sunday night game, which really concerns me, and makes me glad we stuck around to see him.
18.5: John Madden’s bodyguard/probable-bus driver wears a Madden ’08 sweatshirt. This is my third-favorite thing I’ve seen tonight, behind the game, and Madden himself. Let’s go get those Bills next week!