Most of his teammates had far more experience at playing the New England Patriots' way, far more expertise at doing the little and the big things it takes to win three Super Bowls in five years, far more flight time aboard Tom Brady's magic-carpet ride.
JIM BAIRD / Union-Tribune
New England receiver Reche Caldwell celebrates his fourth-quarter touchdown with lineman Matt Light after beating Chargers cornerback Drayton Florence.
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Of all the players in the Patriots huddle, though – indeed, of all the players in the visitor's uniform at Qualcomm Stadium yesterday – wide receiver Reche Caldwell was the one who could take this particular playoff game most (to heart) personally. He probably had a better feel for what the game really meant to the Chargers, to San Diego and those 68,810 fans, than his own team.
Of all the Pats, too, Caldwell had the most first-hand knowledge of running routes against Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer. He sure made it look like something he'd done hundreds of times in practice, or in his sleep, the way he put himself in position to make the catch that effectively beat the Chargers.
“It's gratifying,” said the soft-spoken Caldwell. “I'm grateful for the chance to come back home and show them what I can do. I think I made some plays.”
Plural. Pivotal, each one. One play, a 4-yard grab at the back of the end zone, provided the touchdown with 4:36 left in the game that led to a tying two-point conversion.
Almost certainly, too, the Patriots wouldn't have been in position to score if not for Caldwell's defensive play. A desperation drive by New England had ended with Marlon McCree's interception, but the ball was stripped from him by Pats receiver Troy Brown and the fumble was recovered by Caldwell at the San Diego 32.
“Great play by Troy,” said Caldwell. “That saved the game.”
A play that would have meant nothing if not for Caldwell's next two receptions. With the score still even and Brady taking the shotgun snap on third-and-10 on the Patriots' 34 two drives later, Caldwell used a quick juke to get past Jammer, assumed a half-stride lead on his former teammate and hauled in the pass for a 49-yard gain to the Chargers 17.
“We hit the deep ball to Reche,” said Brady, “something we haven't done a lot this year.”
It was there for the taking. Brady saw that much at first glance, seeing Jammer alone on Caldwell on the outside.
“(Brady) told me to run a 'go' route and I froze (Jammer) at the line,” said Caldwell. “I should've scored.”
In fact, there was nobody else between him and the goal line, and there wasn't a San Diego player in position to catch him. After Caldwell took a few strides toward the end zone, however, his momentum took him out of bounds at the 17-yard line. Close enough for the Pats to sit on the ball and set up Stephen Gostkowski's winning field goal of 31 yards.
While several of his teammates celebrated the final gun by fanning out across the turf, throwing down their helmets in defiance and taunting both the Chargers and their crowd, drawing the ire of their vanquished opponents, Caldwell had no gloat in him.
Given ample opportunity, he expressed no sense of vengeance or bitterness toward the Chargers, who didn't value Caldwell enough to bring him back after four seasons in San Diego.
“It was difficult at first, but this wasn't about me coming back here to San Diego,” said Caldwell, who had seven receptions for 80 yards, including the 4-yard touchdown. “It was about us being in the playoffs and winning. It was about us making plays. That was a great defense we played. We took their best shots.”
Brady has taken the Pats to all three of their Super Bowl victories, none of which came easy, and the Pats obviously were not the least bit intimidated by facing the AFC's winningest team in San Diego. The Patriots, after all, won seven of eight road games during the regular season.
Still, there was more relief than anything in Brady's voice as he prepared to head back to another AFC Championship Game.
“That was as tough a game as I remember playing,” said Brady, who threw 18 straight passes at one point and was intercepted thrice. “We were doing all we could just to get 5 yards.”
Chris Jenkins: (619) 293-1267; chris.jenkins@uniontrib.com
