By Karen Guregian Thursday, March 27, 2008
http://www.bostonherald.com N.E. PatriotsFOXBORO -
Matt Light [
stats] has a pretty good idea how
Patriots [
team stats] fans view the offensive line in wake of what transpired in the Super Bowl last month. Whatever their opinion, he’s not going to avoid the issue.
Yesterday, the left tackle talked about the line’s collective disappearing act against the New York Giants. In fact, he addressed the topic without much prompting. One might say he tackled it head-on.
“Obviously, it didn’t work out very well in that game. We just didn’t perform well. I’m not going to go back and bring up every last detail. We didn’t execute the way we normally do,” Light said of the line, which didn’t provide its usual protection for quarterback
Tom Brady [
stats] against Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora & Co. “Their defense also played a great game. That’s a great football team.”
The five sacks and 20-odd hits on Brady were more the exception than the rule in assessing how the offensive line protected the quarterback during the season.
The O-line was a strength. It was dependable, giving Brady time to set records, claim an MVP award and post all-world passing numbers. It also produced three Pro Bowl players in Light, guard
Logan Mankins [
stats] and center Dan Koppen.
Light doesn’t believe the unit should be tossed to the curb over one game, as some of its harshest critics might suggest.
“We shouldn’t forget about all of those good things we’ve done in the past. We still have a great group of guys,” Light said. “Up front, we have guys that have been together a long period of time. It’s pretty unique.”
That’s not to say Light finds fault with some of the criticism. He’s just not going to dwell on it.
“I’ve always been a firm believer people can say whatever they want,” he said. “I don’t listen to what my kids say. So I’m not going to listen to negativity from fans. It’s their right to say whatever they want, and I respect that. I think the only person anyone should listen to, whether you’re a professional athlete or the guy working down the street in a 9-to-5 job . . . is your immediate family and close friends. Other than that, I could care less what people say.”
Listening to Light, the eighth-year veteran doesn’t need anyone whipping him. He sounds like his own worst enemy.
“I can list a hundred things to improve on from each game. You can keep counting for a long time what I need to work on,” he said with a smile. “We never lack for ingredients for that (humble) pie.”
Light is back at Gillette Stadium this week, participating in the Pats’ offseason conditioning program.
“I think at this time of the year, you start to think about the things you need to improve on,” he said. “Your main focus is to get your strength back to where it needs to be through the offseason conditioning program, and then start building on the things you didn’t do so well during the season.
“I think each guy, whether they write it down or not, have goals they want to achieve, and things they want to improve on and do better. That’s what we do at this time. And hopefully come training camp, we’ll all be healthy and ready to roll.”
Light joked the time off since the Super Bowl has seemed more like a bye week, as opposed to an actual vacation. He spent early March enrolled in a workshop at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management as part of the NFL’s business management and entrepreneurial program.
Given he runs a charitable foundation - he has a golf trip to Ireland planned in July - any knowledge helps. Plus, Light is involved in other business ventures.
“The more you know, the less money you’ll lose,” he said with a laugh.
Light applies part of that theory to the offensive line.
“All of the things that happened to us last season are in the memory bank,” he said. “We’ll draw on all the experiences that happened to us, both good and bad. It’s always a new year.”
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