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Monday, December 30, 2002
COLUMN: Steve Solloway
No telling how, Faulk just did it
Copyright © 2002 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||
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FOXBORO, Mass. - He fingered the threads hanging in his closet. Sweaters, jerseys, turtlenecks. Kevin Faulk chose the Gale Sayers jersey, the one in the Chicago Bears colors of deep blue and burnt orange. The one with the big block 40 on the chest, the number of the Hall of Fame running back from another generation. "I got it three months ago and this is the first time I've worn it," said Faulk. He didn't know why he chose Sunday to wear it to Gillette Stadium where he exchanged it for his own New England Patriots jersey. As Faulk spoke, a quizzical look spread over his face. He wasn't comparing himself to Sayers, the Kansas Comet. No sir. He hadn't been looking for good luck. He had just played the game of his professional career, breathing new life into a stubborn team that wouldn't let the season end with another defeat. And he couldn't explain how he did it. He didn't know how he caught the pass that helped set up Adam Vinatieri's winning field goal in overtime. He didn't know why he was chosen to run and catch the football so many times. "I just had to make the plays. Don't call this my best game. There's still more to come. My next game will be my best." But there won't be a next game this season. The New York Jets had to lose later Sunday for the Patriots to make the playoffs. And that didn't happen. "It's out of our control, now," said Faulk, repeating what was said in front of other lockers. "We did what we needed to do." That's the comfort of sports. You can remember the last game played, not the game from last month or last week. The Patriots won when they might have lost. They never led, until Vinatieri kicked his 35-yard field goal to win the game. "There was no doubt we would win this game," said Faulk. "We were down, 21-7, at halftime and we didn't worry." No, all the worrying was done in the grandstands. Last year's team of destiny had been replaced by a flawed team that kept wondering why things were going wrong. Confidence? That was stolen weeks ago, after the bad loss in Tennessee. Or maybe months ago in Oakland or in Denver or in San Diego where mistakes were made and other teams won. On Saturday, Coach Bill Belichick brought the Super Bowl trophy won last year to a team meeting. He reminded them what the trophy represented and the obstacles the Patriots had overcome a year ago to win it. He told them that the trophy was more about the present than the past and asked them to think about how they would play Sunday's game. Sunday's game? "Everybody wanted to go out and play (Saturday) morning," said Faulk. "That's how excited we got after listening to what he had to say." Faulk hasn't been one of the go-to guys on this team. That's been Troy Brown or Antowain Smith. David Patten or Christian Fauria. Sunday, Kevin Faulk kept finding the ball in his hands. He rushed eight times for 53 yards, caught nine passes for 70 and ran back four kickoffs for 104 yards. "It was like playing basketball. The more jump shots you take, the more comfortable you feel. The more touches you get of the football, the more you can do." The last touch was a 20-yard pass from Tom Brady. "I still don't know how I caught the ball. I just closed my arms and cradled it." He doesn't know or he can't explain. The Patriots ran off the field after Vinatieri's kick to the delighted howling of the fans. Beneath the stands, in the corridor leading to their locker room, they shouted and they yelped. The team that had lost its way in October and December had found itself, even if it was too late. They won't claim another Super Bowl trophy, at least not this year. Charlie Weis, the offensive coordinator, watched while the players filed through the door, searching for one in particular. He spotted Faulk and the two men embraced. The Patriots won, but their season is over. Staff Writer Steve Solloway can be contacted at 791-6412 or at:
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