Sports Redux: The Drive That Saved The Season

Everything was lined up. The Patriots were struggling to beat a 2-10 Seattle team. The defense, with its average age of 47, was giving up third-down conversions left and right. But the Jets were losing. First place (or a share) was waiting in the end zone. And all the Pats had to do was get there from their own 29-yard line.

So Matt Cassel became...well...Brady-like. He found Faulk. He found Welker. He found Gaffney. The Patriots kept gobbling up yards in small increments. Hmm. The clock is still running. Cassel found Welker twice more, for 13 and then 25 yards, making it first and goal. Cassel handed off to Sammy Morris, who flung himself into the end zone for the 22-21 lead. All it took then was a two-point conversion and a defensive stand, as Brandon Meriweather forced 'Hawks QB to fumble, and the win and the season were saved.

But of course, it wouldn't be the Patriots 2008 season without some bad news. Tedy Bruschi joined the ranks of the wounded, and Vince Wilfork and James Sanders also got hurt on defense. You thought we were kidding last week when we said Garin Veris might be getting a phone call soon. The good news is, the Jets lost to the 49ers, so the Pats are now tied with NY and Miami for the AFC East, and all three games left are winnable (the godawful Raiders, the "really?" Cardinals, and the snakebitten Bills). Hope never dies.

The Celtics are probably pretty glad they won't have to visit Indiana again this season. Half their losses (well...one) came at the hands of the Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse, and the C's were lucky to survive last night. Ray Allen scored 35, and thank goodness he did, because the Pacers solved Boston's defense, shooting 50%, and raising the score to a crazy 122-117. Seventeen of those Celtics points were in overtime, which they only got to because Paul Pierce hit a three with seven seconds to go. "It's not going to be pretty every night," said Pierce, "but...we'll take it." There was a lot of that going around yesterday.

Photo by Elaine Thompson/Associated Press.