[Q2 — 09:08 | 1st & 10, NYT 25 | Tigers 3, Patriots 3]
On second down, Kevin Faulk took a draw play and found a crease, racing to the eighteen before Victor Green brought him down. Third and two, the Patriots went back to the run—Faulk up the middle—but Mo Lewis stuffed him at the line for no gain. Vinatieri came out again, this time for a thirty-five-yarder. The kick was good, and New England took the lead.
[Tigers 3, Patriots 6]
~~~
[Q2 — 8:22 | 2nd & 8, NE 47 | Tigers 3, Patriots 6]
The Tigers' offence came out swinging for the juggler as Testaverde hit Ward for eleven yards on first down, then Coles for nine more. Martin broke a tackle on a screen pass, turning it into a fourteen-yard gain that put the Tigers at the Patriots' nineteen. On first and ten, Testaverde called for a play-action faked the hand off, rolled right, and saw Ward breaking open in the back corner of the end zone.
He set his feet and threw—a touch pass that dropped perfectly into Ward's hands just inside the pylon. "Touchdown Tigers!" The stadium exploded, the noise reaching levels that made the press box windows rattle. Ward spiked the ball, mobbed by teammates as the sideline erupted.
[Tigers 10, Patriots 6]
~~~
[Q2 — 4:15 | 3rd & 7, NE 42 | Tigers 10, Patriots 6]
The Patriots tried to answer before halftime, but the Tigers' defense had found its rhythm. On first down, Bledsoe threw incomplete under pressure from Abraham. On second down, Faulk gained three on a draw. On third and seven, Bledsoe dropped back, scanned, scanned again—then fired toward Glenn.
But Aaron Glenn, the Tigers' cornerback, had jumped the route. He intercepted the pass at the Patriots' thirty-eight, returning it twelve yards before being pushed out of bounds. "Turnover!" Fouts shouted. "And the Tigers have a golden opportunity before halftime!"
With 2:47 remaining, Testaverde took the field one more time. He worked quickly—a completion to Martin for eight, a throw to Becht for seven, another to Ward for eleven. The clock ticked under a minute as they reached the Patriots' twenty-four.
On second and six with thirty-eight seconds left, Testaverde dropped back, saw Coles breaking open on a skinny post, and threw. Coles caught it at the ten, spun away from one defender, and dove for the pylon—Lawyer Milloy hit him at the three, driving him backward, and Coles was tackled at the four-yard line. The clock ran. The Tigers scrambled to the line, spiked the ball with eighteen seconds left.
One play. John Hall trotted onto the field for a twenty-one-yard chip shot. The snap was clean, the hold perfect, and Hall's kick sailed through.
[Tigers 13, Patriots 6]
~~~
[Q3 — 14:45 | 1st & 10, NE 32 | Tigers 13, Patriots 6]
The Patriots received the kickoff, and Bledsoe came out firing. First down, in shotgun formation—he snapped his head left, found Wayne Chrebet running a quick slant, and delivered a bullet. Chrebet caught it at the thirty-eight, absorbed contact from Marcus Coleman, spun away, and churned forward for twelve yards before being brought down.
"That's Wayne Chrebet," Michaels said. "Playing angry against his former team."
Two plays later, second and seven from the Tigers' forty-six, Bledsoe went back to Chrebet—this time on a dig route across the middle. The ball arrived hot, Chrebet secured it through traffic, and powered forward for nine yards and a first down.
Third and fourth from the thirty-one was pure Chrebet. Bledsoe dropped back under pressure, pump-faked once, then fired to Chrebet on a comeback route. The receiver caught it at the twenty-six, made one defender miss with a stutter-step, then lowered his shoulder into Victor Green for an extra three yards.
First and ten at the Tigers' twenty-three the Patriots were rolling, and Chrebet was at the engine. On the next snap, Bledsoe play-action faked, rolled right, and found Ben Coates in the end zone. "Touchdown New England."
Chrebet jogged off the field, ignoring the chorus of boos from the crowd he'd once called family. Vinatieri kicked the extra point to tie the score.
[Tigers 13, Patriots 13]
~~~
[Q3 — 9:12 | 2nd & 8, NYT 38 | Tigers 13, Patriots 13]
The Tigers' offense sputtered on their next drive—three plays, negative yardage, and a punt. The Patriots took over at their own forty-two, and Bledsoe immediately went back to his safety valve.
First down, he hit Chrebet on a quick out for a gain of seven yards. On second-and-three, he hit Chrebet on a slant for nine yards, gaining the first down. Their partnership continued, and Chrebet ran a crossing route for a gain of eleven yards.
"Bledsoe is locked in on number eighty," Fouts observed. "And the Tigers can't stop him."
By the time the Patriots reached the Tigers' eighteen, Chrebet had five catches on the drive. But on second and six, the Tigers' defense finally pushed back. Willie McGinest, lined up at defensive end, exploded off the line with a speed-to-power move that sent the Patriots' right tackle stumbling backward.
McGinest wrapped up Bledsoe at the twenty-four, sacked him for a six-yard loss, and stood over his former quarterback for half a heartbeat before extending a hand to help him up. "That's Willie McGinest," Michaels said. "Making a crucial stop against his old team." The Patriots settled for a field goal after that stop regaining the lead.
[Tigers 13, Patriots 16.]
~~~
[Q4 — 12:30 | 3rd & 9, NYT 47 | Tigers 13, Patriots 16]
The fourth quarter opened with both teams trading punts, the tension ratcheting higher with each possession. Then, on third and nine from their own forty-seven, Testaverde dropped back and saw Dedric Ward breaking open deep. He threw—but the pass sailed slightly long, and Ward couldn't haul it in and they ended the drive with a Punt.
The Patriots took over at their own twenty-three with 10:18 remaining, and Bledsoe went back to what was working. Chrebet on a slant for eight. Chrebet on a comeback for six. Chrebet on a wheel route for thirteen. By the time they crossed midfield, Chrebet had nine catches for 102 yards, a career performance.
First and ten from the snap came and Bledsoe dropped back. Mo Lewis bull-rushed the right guard, creating an opening for McGinest who shed the defender trying to stop him with a violent swim move. Bledsoe tried to step up—too late and McGinest wrapped him up at the forty-one, driving him into the turf with authority.
"Seven-yard sack from McGinest." Michaels exclaimed as the crowd exploded in joy. He stood over Bledsoe again, this time shouting something that the cameras missed. Whatever it was, it lit a fire under the Tigers' defense.
Second and seventeen, John Abraham beat his man off the edge, forcing Bledsoe to throw early for an Incomplete. Third and seventeen, Urlacher dropped into coverage and blanketed Troy Brown on a crossing route. Bledsoe threw it away, ending the drive with a Punt.
~~~
[Q4 — 6:47 | 1st & 10, NYT 31 | Tigers 13, Patriots 16]
The Tigers took over with 6:47 remaining, down three, needing a touchdown. Testaverde worked quickly—completion to Martin for seven, then a throw to Becht for nine, followed by another handoff to Martin for six more. By the time they reached the Patriots' forty-two with 4:12 remaining, the stadium was on its feet.
On second and four, Testaverde dropped back, saw Laveranues Coles running a post route, and delivered a strike. Coles caught it at the twenty-eight, turned upfield, and raced to the sixteen before being tackled. First and ten at the red zone, under four minutes Martin carried it twice.
He gained four on the first dirve and three on the next—setting up third and three from the nine-yard line. Testaverde took the snap, calling for a play-action fake left, then rolled right, and found Ward in the back of the end zone again. "Touchdown New York Tigers." Hall's kick gave them the extra point, solidifying the four-point lead.
[Tigers 20, Patriots 16]
~~~
[Q4 — 2:38 | 1st & 10, NE 28 | Tigers 20, Patriots 16]
The Patriots had 2:38 and two timeouts. Bledsoe took the field, and moved the chains as they drove down the field. Chrebet caught a slant through traffic for eleven yards. Kevin Faulk drove the ball another eight yards, then found Troy Brown on a dig route for a thirteen-yard gain.
The Patriots reached the Tigers' thirty-nine with 1:22 remaining. But on first down, Brian Urlacher got hot, powered through his man, shedding the block. He exploaded forward and wrapped Bledsoe up for a four-yard sack.
The quarterback went down hard, and Brian flexed his arms as he celebrated the sack. On second and ten Bledsoe went back to Chrebet on the next snap—crossing route, for a ten yard gain. Then Troy Brown for eight more. First and goal from the ten with forty-three seconds left put everyone on edge.
Bledsoe dropped back, saw Coates in the end zone—threw—Brian Urlacher jumped the route, deflected it at the last second for Incomplete. Second down Bledsoe found Chrebet in the flat, for six yards. Third and goal from the four with twenty-eight seconds left.
Bledsoe took the snap in shotgun, scanned left, came back right, saw Chrebet breaking open in the corner of the end zone—threw—the ball arrived high. Chrebet leapt, fully extended, and got both hands on it—but Marcus Coleman arrived at the same moment, delivering a crushing hit that sent both players sprawling.
The ball came loose for the Incomplete. Fourth down with Eleven seconds left some thought they might go for broke but Vinatieri came out for a twenty-one-yard chip shot to tie it. The snap was clean the hold was perfect and the kick sailed through.
[Tigers 20, Patriots 19]
Al Michaels' voice cut through the chaos: "The New York Tigers improve to 2-0 with another heart-stopping victory! Willie McGinest with three sacks against his former team, and Wayne Chrebet with a performance to remmember—but it's the Tigers who survive Monday Night Football!"
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To Be Continued...