Horrible Day in Boston

by Justin_Bobo on Oct 11, 2009 7:50 PM EDT Comment 18 comments

What a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day to be a Boston fan...

This day is going to stand out in memory for a long time to come. The epic fail of Jonathan Papelbon with just one strike left from going to game 4...after the offense finally awoke from hibernation. The epic fail of Tom Brady, missing wide open receivers and key plays all game, and too lose to Belicheck's mentee Josh McDaniels and the Broncos after holding a substantial lead as well.

Please...I pray for a day to come by and erase this bad day from my memory.

Poll

Worst performance of the day?

Jonathan Papelbon

48 votes

Tom Brady

28 votes

76 votes | Poll has closed

The views expressed in these FanPosts are not necessarily those of the writers or SBNation.

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Comments

BRONCOS#24CHAMP

Watch it. Enough with the potty talk.

Blogger at SBNation's Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit

by MaPatsFan on Oct 11, 2009 8:13 PM EDT reply actions

I wonder if Brandon Meriweather had to talk that much trash in order to get a taunting call.

by Justin_Bobo on Oct 11, 2009 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions

I just hated how the flag was thrown before he started taunting.

by Richard Hill on Oct 11, 2009 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions

we were all up in arms about that

until we figured out that he must have been really talking some heavy-duty trash before swinging his arm because that flag was thrown well before he made any gesture.

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Oct 11, 2009 11:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I feel like he threw the flag for a late hit…and then reversed the call to be taunting…which isn’t fair.

by Justin_Bobo on Oct 12, 2009 7:46 AM EDT up reply actions

Live by the officiating, die by the officiating

The Pats left plays all over the field, the officials were fine.

Defense:
Meriweather could have kept his mouth shut and not drawn a stupid penalty. Might have been a score.
2 Denver penalties were offset by stupid defense penalties. That was a 1 score differense.
DB’s allowed ridiculous cushions on a dink and dunk offense. No drive stoppage.
At least 4 times they didn’t set the edge on the run (poor tackling) allowing a 1 yard run to turn into a 1st down.

Offense:
Brady missed receivers at least 6 times (once to Moss for a score, once to Welker for a long gain/score), which ended drives.
Maroney started off decisively, but then went back to indecision.
Receivers caught most of the catcheable balls, and some very ugly ones. I don’t think this one is on them.
Aiken even broke up a Brady interception.

Officials gave us two drive extensions via special teams play, and we came up with bupkus.
Even Gostowski missed a field goal that would have been a game decider.
Shoot Vince could have called “Heads” instead of “Tails” and we would have had the ball in overtime.

Alot of football left out there, the Pats didn’t do enough to win. Officials or no officials.

The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.

by SlotMachinePlayer on Oct 12, 2009 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Coin-tossing at practice?

Unless Vince can hit 8 from 10, he isn’t doing the toss again… uh…

by Comedic.Sans on Oct 12, 2009 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Vince is big enough to scare the coin into tails.

We always joke about winning the toss and winning the game. Since 1994, the toss winner wins the game 60% of the time (29% of the time the opponent doesn’t touch the ball). If you factor in the numbers before 1994, it is more like 52% of the time the toss wins it.

Four people at my house watching this game all called heads (the call most people make), Vince called tails and we never touched the ball. Bend but don’t break doesn’t work in overtime where a field goal decides the game most of the time.

The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.

by SlotMachinePlayer on Oct 12, 2009 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Bend but don't break works fine if your offence is putting up points

because all the d has to do is wear the other team down, ramp up the pressure and wait for a mistake. When the offence isn’t scoring enough, there isn’t automatically pressure on the opposition offence, so a bend but don’t break defence is left rather exposed. One or two proven playmakers would be nice around now. Anyone wish to abduct Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu or Champ Bailey in the meantime? Champ Bailey would be easiest to convince; the Pats uniform is almost close enough to the Broncos to confuse him into it.

by Comedic.Sans on Oct 12, 2009 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm fine with bend but don't break most of the time

Because the penalty for bending isn’t that high. In overtime, how much bending can you do? Just until field goal range. You need to be more aggressive there.

Also when the Broncos were going to tie the score in the fourth, we bent way too far. Given the situation, a more aggressive approach was called for.

Just like when you quit pounding the ball when you’re behind 2 scores in the fourth, you need to change defensive strategies to win the game.

The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.

by SlotMachinePlayer on Oct 12, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Sure

But you also need the personnel to do it. Bodden and Springs have looked solid-bordering-on-good, but not explosive, per se. Mayo’s been out; Adalius Thomas has been AWOL. Meriweather’s been hit-and-miss (occasionally literally). McGowan’s solid and makes plays, but lacks some athleticism.

I’m just not sure which of them I’d choose to say… make a 100 yard intercept for a TD, Steelers Superbowl style, or charge down a field goal and take it to the house, or a big strip-sack at a vital time. Banta-Cain’s been the closest thing to, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

by Comedic.Sans on Oct 12, 2009 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions