Without question, the best part about the horrific events of Sunday night is simply that it's over. The game is over, the loss is in the past and the Patriots are moving on.
But before all the focus goes to this Sunday's matchup with the Jets, there are a number of positives from last week's game worth remembering.
Left Tackle of the Future
Cris Collinsworth may have gone overboard with his admiration of rookie left tackle Sebastian Vollmer, but high praise was certainly in order for the job Vollmer did on Indy's Dwight Freeney.
Of course, Patriots fans are used to seeing Freeney bottled up, as Matt Light typically does a good job of handling the defensive end — Freeney has just two sacks in seven games against the Patriots, compared to 12.5 sacks in nine games against the Texans and nine sacks in seven games against the Jaguars. But Vollmer's form was impeccable, and it appeared as though "Sea Bass" let Freeney through just once all night, a play on which Logan Mankins also slid over to help.
Obviously, the play of a rookie left tackle lacks the pizazz of a player in a skilled position, but Vollmer's work in the past five weeks has been enough to raise the question of whether or not Light will reclaim his starting job when he is healthy enough to return. Belichick has left that question unanswered.
"We can talk about that when Matt's back," Belichick told WEEI on Monday when asked about Light's role. "He's getting closer. He's certainly making progress. But right now, Sebastian is playing left tackle. We'll take a look at that if and when that becomes an option."
Given the suspect play of right tackle Nick Kaczur on Sunday, the prospect of having two top-level tackles is a problem that Belichick and the Patriots will likely welcome with open arms.
Brady Is on Fire
The battle that was hyped as Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning did not disappoint, as both quarterbacks put on a show. But Brady's performance (29-for-42, 375 yards, three TDs, one INT) was just the most recent bit of proof that the quarterback appears to be 100 percent and fully recovered from his knee injury.
The numbers from his last four games are astounding: 106-for-145 (73 percent), 1,395 yards, 13 touchdowns, four interceptions.
He's thrown for 300 yards or more in all four games — the first such streak of his career. Even in the record-setting 2007 season, his best 300-plus-yard streak was three games, set in Weeks 6 through 8. In addition to the numbers, Brady appears to have back his most lethal weapon — his ability to effortlessly move around the pocket (his touchdown pass to Julian Edelman against the Colts served as the perfect example).
Of course, Brady only got one and a half yards when the Patriots needed two on that fateful fourth down, but his play over the last four weeks is enough for the Patriots to feel very confident in his abilities the rest of the season.
Rand University
There's not much left to say about Randy Moss anymore. He's done everything imaginable in just 44 games in a Patriots uniform, yet he never ceases to impress.
His 55-yard catch and run and 20-yard catch along the left sideline in the first quarter served as appetizers for his 63-yard touchdown in the second quarter. On the touchdown catch, a tangled arm with Antoine Bethea didn't stop Moss, who ended the night with nine catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
Moss wasn't alone either — Wes Welker also hauled in nine catches (94 yards), while Edelman returned for the first time in four weeks and caught a touchdown pass.
In total, the offense racked up 477 yards and won the battle of possession by 10 minutes against a Colts defense that allows the fewest points per game in the NFL.
Rushing Game Takes a Step Forward
Forget the fourth-down play – the worst play of the game was Laurence Maroney's fumble into the end zone. That mistake cost the Patriots seven points early in the third quarter on what would have been a 13-play, 7:51 drive that may have driven a stake through the Colts' hearts.
Though Maroney didn't recover from the fumble (he had three carries for three yards after the play to finish the night with 31 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries), Kevin Faulk rushed for 79 yards — the highest total he's amassed on the ground since Dec. 5, 2004.
Of course, the running game could have been better, as evidenced by the Patriots' inability to run out the clock in the fourth quarter. But Faulk's performance with the ball in his hands shouldn't be forgotten in the wake of his fourth-down catch that came up just short.
Three Quarters of the Way There
The Colts had four drives in the fourth quarter. One resulted in an interception; the other three ended with touchdowns.
While it was no way to finish off what would have been a memorable win for the Pats, it ruined a defensive effort that had stymied Manning through much of the first three quarters. In total, the Patriots forced Manning and the Colts into four three-and-outs, made two interceptions in the second half and forced the Colts to punt the ball seven times.
Confidence Still High
Whether Belichick's call was right or wrong hasn't affected the Patriots' confidence. They lost the game, but knowing they came within inches of knocking off the AFC's top team is something they won't forget. In fact, it's not all that dissimilar to the Patriots' Week 11 loss to the Rams in 2001.
The negative angle to the loss has been that the Patriots will likely have to go through Indy in January if they want to make it to the Super Bowl. Given the way they played for the majority of Sunday night's game, though, they should have confidence that they can get the job done.
