As the entire free world knows, the New England Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts 24-20 in the most over-hyped game in sports history.

The game was certainly exciting to watch, with Indy seemingly in control going into the fourth quarter, as they led by ten. Tom Brady and company then stormed back to take the lead and ultimately hang on to win. The contest had it's moments of brilliance, mostly in the form of Colts running back Joseph Addai, who had over 100 yards both rushing and receiving. Randy Moss did his thing as well, especially with a spectacular one-handed grab with New England backed up and needing a first down.

But for all the good moments in the game, there were a lot of sloppy ones. Tom Brady threw two picks. Peyton Manning threw one, and he also lost a fumble. Reggie Wayne flat dropped what might have been a touchdown, as did Anthony Gonzalez. Then there were the penalties - New England was penalized a whopping 10 times for 146 yards, though some of the calls were questionable.

The Colts lack of execution in the red zone was also a big factor. They failed to score touchdowns early in the game when they got there, a situation where they clearly missed wide receiver Marvin Harrison. Neither Manning nor Brady played poorly, but there was something off about them. At least when you consider the standards they set.

You have to give credit to both teams' defense, especially the Colts' early in the game. They seemed to surprise the Pats with their scheme or athleticism, or maybe both.

Still, with this game being the most hyped sports contest in human history, something was missing. It was a great game, to be sure, but certainly not a classic like everyone expected. Then again, was it even possible for this game to live up to the expectations set by the media? The answer is probably not.

(Photo: Flickr)