A Review of 'America's Game: The 2018 Patriots'
And so last night we got treated to the penultimate perk when you win a Super Bowl. That next-to-last spoil of war before you get to hang a banner that will be up until end of time and then you move on for good. And that was NFL Films’ “America’s Game.”
Like I said yesterday after having seen the first half of this Patriots Porn double feature, “Do Your Job III,” these “America’s Game” shows are some of NFL Films’ best work. And this one is no exception. The footage is incredible. The interviews are insightful. The story of the season is laid out in a compelling narrative. But if it suffers from anything, it’s comparison.
Basically, by the time “America’s Game” hit the screen, we’ve seen virtually all of these stories told elsewhere. And better. Premiering it directly after “DYJ3″ (droid name) is like releasing your low budget action movie the weekend after “Avengers Endgame.” It’s going to be a letdown no matter how good your little indie film is.
Don’t get me wrong, “AG” is good. The footage is NFL Films’ usual outstanding quality. The interviews with Julian Edelman, Gronk and the McCourty twins are insightful. My only issue is that it covers well-trodden ground. We learned more about how they gameplanned the Rams in “3 Games to Glory.” Took a deeper dive into Minitron’s personal journey from injured to suspended PED abuser to Super Bowl MVP in “100% Julian Edelman.” Hell, we learned all about how Josh McDaniels schemed the three 3rd & 10 conversions at Kansas City in the previous hour than we did here. So there’s not a hell of a lot that we haven’t seen before, done better.
What we do get, and it’s the highlight of the production, is more about the McCourtys than we’ve seen before. And it makes you realize how underappreciated their dynamic was. It’s remarkable to think that two guys who lined up alongside each other in Mrs. McCourty’s womb, in Pop Warner, in high school, got to do so in a Super Bowl. And you can’t have had two more different paths to get there. Their careers have been the Goofus and Gallant of NFL defensive backs. Gallant goes deep in the playoffs every year and has two rings. Goofus has never been in the postseason and went 0-16 last year. It’s uncanny. And “AG” does them justice better than any of the previous specials have.
Finally, another thing it does deliver, that no Patriots championship special would be complete without, is a healthy dose of paranoia, proving the doubters wrong and rubbing the haters noses in it. And for that we can all be grateful.
Rob Parker has never looked so stupid. And that is saying something.
So while it’s not the best Patriots 6th championship show you’ll ever see, it’s still worth an hour of your time and a coveted “Save Until I Delete” status on your DVR. “America’s Game: The 2018 Patriots” is Certified Fresh on Jerry Tomatoes.