[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by troutman

http://patriots.bostonherald.com/pat...71&format=text

What caused this stout defense to wilt?

“I don’t know. I think we sat back and got comfortable, got on our heels a little bit,” said cornerback Ellis Hobbs [stats]. “We had had the dagger in them, we just didn’t twist enough. They kept functioning, they kept living and surviving, and lo and behold, they’re in the game. Now you look up, and we’re going home.”

Asante Samuel agreed.

“We just didn’t do what it takes. We had them down,” Samuel said. “But we came out in the second half, and let them drive all the way down (for a touchdown), and that really hurt us.”

Bottom line, the Colts outplayed the Pats in the half. No one in the Patriots locker room could argue with that assessment.

“Without a doubt, especially on defense,” Samuel said. “We couldn’t stop them. We stopped them a couple times, but we couldn’t stop them enough. We had to play better in order to win.”

For once, they didn’t have an answer for Manning. They couldn’t make enough adjustments to contain him.

“We were outexecuted and outplayed,” said defensive end Richard Seymour [stats]. “We tried to suck it up and keep fighting. But as a defense, we gave up too many points.”

They bent, and finally broke.

Sounds just like the game in Denver this year. Peyton was perfect. Denver's defense couldn't make enough plays.