18 and “Oh!”
An
interview with the Patriots Jarvis Green
by Paul Eide
Senior Writer
5/7/08
Super
Bowl XLII can be summed up in six short words; Third
and five with 1:15
remaining. Thanks
to superb individual efforts by both Eli Manning and David Tyree the
Giants
were able to gain 32 yards and convert on the aforementioned third
down. What
looked to be a game that the Patriots had a firm grip on quickly
unraveled and ended
with the Giants securing the victory, and the Lombardi Trophy, with a
touchdown
four plays later.
But
what if Eli Manning hadn’t been able to get that pass
off? What if Patriots defensive end Jarvis Green could have kept a hold
of his
jersey and pulled him down for a sack leaving the Giants in fourth and
long? Green
came within mere inches of changing the outcome of the game entirely,
but don’t
ask him to lament that fact.
“I
was out there and I could’ve made a play. I had my hands
around Eli (Manning) but it didn’t happen so that’s the way it was
meant to
be,” said Green. “It hurt because we went out there and made a lot of
plays but
it just wasn’t enough. The guys that make the bigger plays at the
bigger time,
that’s what determines the outcome of the game. Eli made a big play
avoiding
the sack and Tyree made a big play coming down with it”
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Though the end of the Patriots 2007 season didn’t end
“perfectly” as most people thought it would, their romp thru the
regular season
was something that had to be seen to be believed. For the first half of
the
season the Patriots averaged over 41 points per game and beat every
opponent by
at least 21 points. That eight game stretch not only verified their
greatness,
but also lent credence to many an undefeated Madden
video game season verifying a performance of this magnitude
could actually occur in real life. “Week in week out, it seemed like
that,”
said Green of the Madden-esque similarities. “If you think about the
video
games how one team can be so dominant that’s how it was for us this
year. But
don’t get it wrong; we had stiff competition, especially in the latter
part of
the year. It wasn’t a cake walk at all.”
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As
defenses around the league adjusted, the second half of
the year proved to be more difficult. Sure they beat the hapless Bills
by 46
and the Dolphins by three touchdowns but in four victories over the
Colts,
Eagles, Ravens and Giants the Patriots won by a combined total of only
13
points. “We felt dominant at certain points because of how we were
winning some
games but there were plenty of games where it wasn’t easy especially in
the
second half,” said Green. “Baltimore,
Philadelphia,
the Giants in Week 17
all gave us tough games so I mean it never felt like it was easy.”
While
the Patriots were having success as a team, Jarvis
Green was also having his best all around season in the NFL. A fourth
round selection
out of LSU in the 2002 draft Green is known for his ability to pressure
the
quarterback, ranking fourth on the school’s all time sacks list
accumulating 20
in 39 career starts. Utilized as mostly a back up to starters Ty Warren
and
Richard Seymour since joining in the Patriots Green got his most
extensive
playing time in 2007.
Filling
in for All Pro defensive end Richard Seymour who was
injured for most of the season, Green started 10 games accumulating 6.5
sacks,
two forced fumbles and a career high 39 tackles. Green had 7.5 sacks
the
previous year as a spot pass rusher, but was never relied upon as much
as he
was in 2007. “With Richard’s injury just being on the field more really
helped
me produce,” said Green. “Instead of getting in there for a play here
and a
play there it was easier to get into a groove and play every down,
rather than
just one here and there.”
Even
though he has never been a full time starter, Green has
been a steady contributor since entering the league and has had a great
deal of
success as three trips to the Super Bowl in six seasons would indicate.
The
loss to the Giants was the first time he’d lost a Super Bowl with wins
coming
in both 2003 and 2004.
“For
me it was the first one (2003) in Houston,”
said Green when asked which victory was more special. “Just that
experience
going in and not knowing anything and just experiencing it one day at a
time
for me. By the time I got to the third one this past year, you kind of
know
what to expect. Not the game itself, but what all goes into it aside
from the
game. It’s a spectacle in a lot of ways. It’s just the culmination of
so much”
Once
the 2007 regular season ended the Patriots became the
second team in NFL history to complete a regular season undefeated and
headed
into the playoffs as the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl.
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“Yeah, we talked about it,” said Green about the possibility
of going 19-0. “And at the same time, we never thought we’d actually
get thru
it all that way and then finally get to Arizona.
But we kept on playing well and kept finding ways to win.”
The Patriots ultimately ran out of ways to win in Arizona,
thanks in large part to the play dubbed "David
and Eliath” by the New York media. With the season now over
and the team falling just one victory short of undoubtedly the greatest
single
season in NFL history, where do they stack up historically? Since the loss, they have faced as much scrutiny
about where the 2007 team ranks in the annuals of history as the
organization
has for “Spygate”.
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“Even
though we didn’t win the big game that’s an honor in
itself,” said Green. “The regular season was great for us. We made
history, but
at the same time everything we did during the season became a wash
because we
couldn’t win the biggest game.
Just
getting that far and going 18-1 is amazing. Where we
stack up in history? I don’t really know but that’s not up to me. It
seems like
you media types are more worried about that than us.”
The
media also has a few other questions about the 2008
season and the Patriots in general:
How will the secondary
adapt to losing Randall Gay, Asante
Samuel and Eugene Wilson in free agency?
“I
mean hey, its football. When guys leave we have to find
ways to replace them; it’s that simple. That’s three guys we’re losing
that were
a big part of the team but guys, whether its coaches or players, are
constantly
moving around so you just adapt.”
Is the rivalry with
the Jets as serious on the field as the media makes it to be?
“Yes.
It’s an inter-divisional rival and there’s a lot to it
so that we never want to lose. But Coach Belichick doesn’t focus any
more for
that week than any of the other games. He wants you to be focused all
the time
no matter what.”
Is Bill Belichick the
greatest coach of all time considering his success during the Free
Agent Era?
He’s
a great coach and I’m just thankful for the seasons
we’ve had. Right now it looks like that, but he could go the next five
years
and never win another game. So we don’t know that yet. It’s too early
to say
until we see the final outcome.”
Why do many people
have such a negative perception of Coach Belichick? Is it Jealousy?
“I
don’t know man. I don’t know why it’s like that. It’s
kind of like the Yankees. When the Yankees are beating everybody I
think
everybody gets tired of seeing the same people always win.”
After the loss in the
Super Bowl how does everyone handle it and bounce back?
“We
just have to comeback and get ready for the offseason.
Right now there’s not much to talk about. It just comes down to doing
it. Plain
and simple.”
Visit
Jarvis Green's Website: JarvisGreen.com
