Fan Notes From the Game
by Alec Shane on Sep 26, 2011 10:03 AM EDT
in Opinion/Analysis
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Quick question to Patriots Nation: who here was genuinely surprised by yesterday’s loss? Anyone? Bueller?
Now I’d be lying if I said I was expecting the Buffalo Bills to beat the New England Patriots. I really thought that the Pats would pull out this game in a close one. However, this loss doesn’t come as a massive shock to me at all. All the ingredients were in place for an upset, and at no point during this game was I ever truly comfortable with the way the Pats were playing and confident that the lead was big enough. I don’t know how to explain it, but sometimes you can just feel the loss coming regardless of the score or how well the team is playing. I got that feeling the second New England lost the coin toss and it never went away.
It isn’t so much the loss that irks me; it’s still early in the season and there is plenty of football left to play. What I don’t like is how many red flags were raised today, red flags that I’m not 100% sure the Patriots are able to fix. Game notes after the jump.
- I was never feeling great about this game – but I was feeling pretty good. Offense looked fairly solid, and the defense was doing just enough to let the offense maintain the lead. Then they went and flashed the statistic that the Bills have been outscored 35-3 in the first half so far this season. I feel like the media did everything they possibly could to jinx the Pats this past week. So thanks for that.
- Seriously - could they have mentioned that 15-game winning streak any more throughout this game?
- Three things I touched on last week: Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. New England’s pass rush, New England’s rush defense vs. Fred Jackson, and the X factor. Let’s revisit one at a time.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. New England’s pass rush. There has to actually be a pass rush for this to be a discussion. I counted 1 blitz and almost zero pressure. I didn’t understand the defensive playcalling here for the life of me. What did they have to lose by blitzing more? Were they worried about giving up MORE big plays?
- Fred Jackson vs. New England’s rush defense. My concern last week was that New England was going to focus on the passing game and Jackson was going to run wild as a result. While he only rushed for 74 yards, he averaged an insane 6.2 yards per carry and hauled in 5 passes for 87 yards.Having Albert Haynesworth yesterday might have helped a little, but he’s only one player and New England should have been more stout. What I found most disturbing about the clinic that Jackson put on yesterday was the absolutely awful tackling. I lost count of how many times New England had Jackson wrapped up and then he managed to gain an extra 15 yards.
- The X Factor. New England managed to take the crowd out of this one early, but quite generously managed to bring the crowd right back in it with 4 crucial turnovers on drives that could have easily put the game away. It’s hard to beat any team on the road when you turn it over 4 times; it’s nearly impossible when you turn it over 4 times to a team that is just waiting for a spark to turn things around.
- I was also confused by New England going so pass-heavy with a 3 score large lead. Stevan Ridley, when he was in, was running well and the Patriots clearly couldn’t stop Fitzpatrick; it seems they would switch to more of a clock-control offense.
- Who the hell is Julian Adelman? Nice calling, Marv.
- What was the last game the Patriots played where the opposing quarterback spent the whole time running for his life? Does last year at Pittsburgh count?
- Newest sign that I’m a horrible human being: during the Aaron Williams injury late in the 3rd quarter, all I could think about was how happy I was that the Bills had to burn a timeout, knowing that they would likely need it when they engineered their game-winning drive. Then they rolled out the stretcher and carted him off the field, which didn’t make me feel any better.
- They are going to crucify our secondary this week. I don't think it's entirely justified. You can’t be expected to cover receivers all day. The defensive line really needs to start pulling their massive weight.
- That said - I’m starting to worry about Devin McCourty. He is still playing well – rarely gets completely burned and is always in the right place, but he's having trouble finishing plays. Plus, quarterbacks are just relentlessly going after him, which isn’t going to help his confidence any. He needs to have a solid game and come up with a pick to get his head right.
- Three places you don’t want the ball to bounce if a pass is thrown your way: off your hands, off your numbers, and off your facemask. Chad Ochocinco managed to hit all three of them at once with that epic, epic drop.
- I think the clock has officially started ticking on Ocho. There’s still a fair amount of time on it, so no need to panic yet. But the timer is running.
- How about that blitz on 3rd and 8 in the 4th quarter that forced a Bills punt? That seemed to work out OK.
- I know that it was technically the right call on the Rob Ninkovich roughing the passer penalty and the Jairus Byrd hit on Wes Welker – but come on, fellas! Let’s play some contact football here.
- You know what wasn't the right call? That Kyle Love Roughing the Passer penalty. This is getting absurd. I would absolutely love it if a (non-Patriots) defensive player came in on a blitz and just went Marty Janetty on a QB, dropkicking him right in the face and maybe finishing him off with a Randy Savage elbow drop. Then he can stand up and yell to the ref, "Now THAT'S roughing the passer!"
- Brian Waters is wearing Tedy Bruschi’s old number 54? I don’t think I’ve ever seen an O-Lineman with a number in the 50s. Not that I pay all that much attention.
- Nothing takes the wind out of a stadium like a dominant opening drive.
- Nothing puts the wind back in a stadium than allowing a team to pass at will.
- I don’t like this pattern of one big play to Gronk getting called back per game.
- Chan, what in God's name do you give your team at half time in the locker room? Can I have some? Please?
- Deion Branch had zero catches today, and it’s my fault. I started him on my fantasy team, which has apparently become a guaranteed curse as of late. I may also be responsible for Aaron Hernandez's injury. Sorry, everyone. It won’t happen again.
- Remember when Gary Guyton was good?
- I think it’s easy to be known as a defense that makes a lot of tackles when you are on the field all the time and opposing receivers are always catching the ball.
- I need to invent some kind of new drinking game that centers around New England stopping teams on 3rd down.
- Is it bad that I was really, really surprised when the Bills didn’t convert on that 4th and 14?
- Maybe I’m missing something…but I don’t think this vanilla 4 man pass rush is working.
- Or maybe…this defense knows exactly what it’s doing – it lures teams into a false sense of security by giving them all day to pass and making sure there are always open receivers. Then, right when the time is right: Bam! Turnover. That’s a pretty solid defensive scheme right there. Yeah, that’s what it is.
- One thing that the analysts were discussing all this past week: can this team deliver when Tom Brady doesn’t have his best game? The answer to this question is obviously no. We can’t rely on Tommy B to be perfect every single game; that’s what the Colts have been doing and we all know where it got them.
- Hey, you know what’s fun? When your offense gets you right back in it and then the defense immediately gives up three massive plays in about 5 seconds flat to cost you the game. It’s like handing us a bright, shiny balloon and then letting go of it right as we’re about to grab it.
- GROOOOOOOONK! Absoliutely filthy. If he and Aaron Hernandez can stay healthy, all will be well.
- 387 yards, 4 TDs, and 4 picks counts as a really bad day for Brady - but that’s still a pretty damn good outing. Two of those picks came off crazy bounces, which happens sometimes.
- 3rd and 19 – Tom Brady hits Gronkowski for a quick gain to set up a field position-changing punt. It’s plays like that that don’t get very much attention, but are a true testament to what a great quarterback Tommy B is.
- Here comes Stevan Ridley. Look for him to get involved with this offense a little more.
- Despite all the turnovers and points left on the field, New England still could have won this game if the defense had just made a few plays. We can take some comfort in knowing that this defense only needs to stop 1 or 2 extra scoring drives per game and New England will likely come away with the win. This D may not be totally fixable, but it should be able to get better at stopping 2 drives per game.
I know this is an annoying loss – you never want to lose to a divisional opponent, especially a divisional opponent that you’re supposed to beat. But let’s look at it from another angle: obviously Buffalo is a pretty legit squad, which means New England isn’t the only team that they are going to give trouble. Plus, we all knew that Buffalo would get a win sooner or later. At the end of the day, taking this loss isn’t the end of the world. We’re still 2-1 and in good shape. We’re going to get healthy again, fix our problems, and start playing better football down the road when it matters.
And plus, remember what happened the last time that Buffalo beat us?
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head to the basement.
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I was also confused by New England going so pass-heavy with a 3 score large lead.
Shouldn’t be overly surprised – the Pats are kind of a one trick pony right now – it’s a good trick but your defense needs work and you pass to setup the run. You’re clearly not a running football team and without Brady i’d bet your rushing offense would be even worse.
It’s too early in the season for any of this to truly matter but i’d be concerned a little, and just a little at this point, as a Pats fan that if Brady is off even a little then you could be in for rough games in the future. Seems as if he’s carrying the load right now and that puts more pressure on him – i’m sure he’ll be just fine though because it’s him and Rodgers at this point for best QBs in the game, maybe Brees but we’ll see. Regardless you guys are going to be fine but that’s quite a load for Brady right now and i’m sure he’s feeling more pressure than he has in a long time about carrying the team.
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
To be fair to Brady
I can only pin 1 of the 4 INTs squarely on him. The first was a total fluke, with a ball popping out of Woodhead’s hands and unfortunately (or miraculously, depending on your viewpoint) spitting right into the hands of a Buffalo DB. The second was off a tipped pass, which is just part of the game. There’s really not a whole heck of a lot QBs can do about balls tipped at the line. The third was all on Brady – he passed into traffic, underthrowing a double-covered Gronkowski, on a pass he never should have attempted in the first place. 100% on Brady. The fourth INT is 100% on Ocho. He made a lazy cut, letting the DB step into the space he should have been occupying. What should have been a textbook completion on a timing route turned into a back-breaking turnover.
So Brady’s terrible,horrible, no good, very bad day was really only about 25% his fault. Like Bill Cowher said before the game when he picked the Bills to upset, the Bills would win IF they got some bounces their way. They got those bounces, and they made the most of them. I credit the Bills more than I blame the Patriots for yesterday’s end result.
Can’t wait for January 1st!
the 1st to Bryan Scott was behind the WR, so he had to adjust and couldn’t get 2 hands on it. The inaccurate throw caused that one. McKelvin had a great play on the throw to Ocho – again Brady either a) shouldn’t have thrown or b) should have waited or lead Ocho, the Gronk pick was under thrown.
to me – the pick-6 was the real only questionable one
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
I wasn't saying the INTs were 100% bad luck.
Bad luck can only get you 50% of the way to a result. There has to be somewhere there to capitalize on said bad luck. The Bills did that.
99% of the time, that first INT doesn’t bounce up into the air, straight into the arms of a defender – it hits the ground.
99% of the time, Brady’s passes don’t get deflected at the line. If they do, they don’t pop straight up like an infield fly.
The throw to Ocho was a great play by McKelvin, but McKelvin never has an opportunity to make that play if Ocho makes a decent cut. McKelvin was only able to get into position because of Ocho’s lackadaisical route running (which is supposed to be his strength).
The only one that I do pin on Brady is the underthrow to a double-covered Gronkowski. That was all on Brady.
Again, I’m not saying the Bills didn’t work hard to make these plays – they absolutely did. I’m just saying that the blame (as we’re framing it, over here) is not really 100% on Brady. Everyone here is saying the Bills didn’t win this game as much as Brady/the Pats lost it, but I don’t buy that. The Bills made plays when there were opportunities, and that’s how you beat a team as loaded as the Patriots.
99% of the time, that first INT doesn’t bounce up into the air, straight into the arms of a defender – it hits the ground.
happened twice to the Bills yesterday and 1 got picked. I think it happens more than you think – it was just good to have a player in the right spot.
You say 1 on Brady I say 3 the stat sheet says 4 but at the end of the day the Bills made plays on the ball and that was the difference there.
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
So your standard for blame is a little lower than mine.
I don’t blame Brady (or Fitzgerald, or any QB) for a ball basically falling into the hands of an nearby defender who didn’t do anything more than exist in the right place at the right time. That’s football; that’s life.
You say 1 on Brady I say 3 the stat sheet says 4 but at the end of the day the Bills made plays on the ball and that was the difference there.
I completely agree, as I think this was the entire point of the initial and subsequent responses.
He's just all excited about the Bills big win
— so much advice to offer and share with all of us about how to correct the Patriots’ mistakes. How wonderful!
Keep the faith!
i’d be here regardless Marima – you know that.
and how did I tell you how to correct mistakes? I just pointed them out – do you not have a sub par defense and rushing attack?
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
C'mon man
We know. It’s being discussed. You’re right. I don’t know how grumpy your crew is over there after a loss, but I imagine it wouldn’t be too helpful to hear the list of glaring holes from me if the score were reversed. Especially if I were being as helpful as you are in pointing those deficiencies out. Employ that “smidge of humility” and give it a day.
Keep the faith!
but I imagine it wouldn’t be too helpful to hear the list of glaring holes from me if the score were reversed.
you don’t lose enough then – get that all the time from other teams bloggers last year and the year before. it’s pretty common place and i’ve never taken anything to heart. I know my team still has flaws and will lose their fair share.
I like to talk about football and football teams – win or loss – because I love football and the NFL.
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
Between BJGE, Woodhead and Ridley
I’m pretty happy with the running game. The Pats have always utilized a “whatever works” approach to offense. If they feel like a team is weak against the pass and strong against the run, they’re not going to run simply for the sake of it. When the Pats go up against a team that is oppositely unbalanced, I would put money on the stable of RBs posting 180 yards rushing, collectively. It’s a gameplan offense, with an attack that is opponent-specific.
it’s tough to gauge because you have Brady so you’re not really dependent on a rushing attack and you’ve havne’t had to rely on one since Corey Dillon, right?
I like Ridley though – he looked the best out there I thought – I like that running style.
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
They have RBs for every situation.
Woodhead will destroy defenses that don’t move well laterally, and he is a top-tier receiver out of the backfield. BJGE will destroy defenses that are weak up the middle, and he’s excellent in blitz pickup. Ridley has yet to define his “role,” per se, but he seems like a great change-of-pace from BJGE. He’ll need to show that he can perform other tasks (blocking, receiving or both) before they feature him in any respect. The whole point of the offense is versatility – they never want the defense to know what a particular player is going to do on any given play (e.g. Hernandez). If Ridley turns out to be the Hernandez of the RB corps, he will become the “featured back.”
"you’ve havne’t had to rely on one since Corey Dillon"
Actually, as recently as 2008 (the Cassell year) the Patriots rushed for 2278 yards as a team.
They rushed for 1973 yds last year. Since Dillon left, they’ve rushed for well over 1900 yds every year except 2007, when they rushed for ‘only’ 1849 yds.
While Dillon was here, we peaked at 2163 (2004) his first year, then 1512 and 1969 in 2005 & 2006, respectively.
So no, you are pretty much completely wrong in understanding how well the Patriots have run the ball.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
I still don’t think that they can run to setup the pass – i’m not buying it
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
by J2 on Sep 26, 2011 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not selling anything.
Believe whatever fictions you want.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
J2 is right on this one point.
They can’t run the way they did in ‘04 with Dillon. He could kill 10 minutes off the clock at the end of a game basically by himself. It was awesome. This team hasn’t proven it can run when the defense knows they will. It doesn’t mean they can’t, but they certainly haven’t proven they can.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 26, 2011 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
This is true
This team has such a nasty, fast-paced offensive attack, it’d be nice to nurse a hefty lead instead of continuing to throw.
This offense has proven it is capable of scoring at will time and time again, but due to the uber-efficiency of that, I find the opposing team having more time and possessions to strike back than they should.
Can I Scream?
I disagree with the word "can't"
This team has all the tools it needs to play power, ram-it-down-their-throat football. They have a massive set of offensive linemen, including a huge TE and a stable of versatile running backs. Every offensive lineman on this team has a history of successful run blocking at either the NFL or college level or both.
As I’ve pointed out above, they have posted huge rushing yardage totals most every year and are typically among the top rushing teams. They did not really run any more successfully with Dillon than they have in recent years.
The issue is one of “won’t”, not “can’t”. For whatever reasons, when leading late in games, Bill O’Brien prefers to stay in attack mode with the passing game rather than try to grind the clock.
And given that the Patriots have an incredible won-lost record over the last few years, its generally been a working strategy. So while it has driven me nuts at times since I would love to see them run the ball even more – it is hard to argue with success.
Look at the teams that have made it to the last 10 superbowls. Yes there are a few teams that emphasized power running (Ravens ‘01, Pittsburgh), but most have been primarily pass-first offenses. Notably the last two winners (Green Bay, New Orleans) both run very similar offenses in terms of run/pass balance to New England’s.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
by mmmmm on Sep 26, 2011 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think what you mean to say there is
that they don’t run the way they did in ’04 with Dillon.
We have TFB at QB and a suspect defense. Any critique of our running game should end right there. And anyone who believes our impressive offensive line could not support a strong running game is just wrong.
I’m with BB. Go with the awesome.
You're both right.
Obviously, from my last line, that’s what I meant. I really need to proofread this things. In the first line, I state they can’t, then at the end state, “It doesn’t mean they can’t…” Wow. Definitely my bad. I’ll attempt to be better in the future so you don’t have to waste 4 paragraphs re-iterating the point of my post.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 27, 2011 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Last year, Tom and the Patriots
had ridiculous luck with turnovers. Tom went 36/4 and the team itself had the 4th best net TO rate ever.
But turnovers are fleeting, lucky. Given that, we should respect that some regression should occur this year.
I do expect that.
I remember in last year’s game against the Bears alone, Brady had 3 INTs bounce off the chests, hands and helmets of Bears’ defenders. My whole point here is the same point you’re making – turnovers are (usually) part luck, part execution. Yesterday, the Bills got (most of) the luck, and they executed. In the end, that’s all that matters.
Actually
what else matters is how this defense has been using turnovers to stop offenses, for going on 3 years now. If we respect the fleeting nature of TO’s, that’s one scary matter.
I agree with this.
The defense has been sub-par for 4 years now. The issues are never properly addressed. It’s starting to get old. No lead ever seems safe against any team.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 26, 2011 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions
That was a timed pass
and lazy route by Ocho. Not Tom’s fault. If he were Lackey, he would have spent 15 minutes shouting down Ocho on the bench.
Don’t agree with your take on the pass to Welker either.
Don’t agree with your take on the pass to Welker either.
that throw was even highlighted last night to show Brady’s inaccurate throws and how they led to picks. You guys got an awesome QB and you’ll be in every game you play but the 1-trick pony thing could come to hurt you in the future again.
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
Highlighted by whom?
a media always searching for its scapegoat?
Looked to me as if Welker lost his balance while the ball was thrown. But he did have two hands on it, it could have been caught. But even if not, it was thrown to his outside shoulder, where it should have been.
also – it was Woodhead – not Welker
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
Just rewatched
Welker didn’t lose his balance, as I initially thought. Nor did Woodhead :)
Almost looked as if the play was designed to go inside but Wilson was there to jump the route, so Tom threw it outside of Woodhead’s shoulder instead. That could have been a bad pass, maybe. What happened to the ball after it kicked off Danny’s hands though, that was just unfortunate.
I disagree about the one-trick pony mindset
GreenEllis ran for over 1,000 yards last year, and Woodhead had over 900 total yards from scrimmage. They’re a legitimate threat out of the backfield, whether it’s running or passing. They may not be able to take 25 carries a game each, but in this offense they don’t have to. They’re meant to keep the opposing defenses honest, not turn over the ball, and move the chains. GreenEllis has tremendous ball security, as does Woodhead, and they’re very reliable.
It matters not how strait the gate, nor charged with punishments the scroll:
I am the Master of my fate. I am the Captain of my soul.
by BigRussNovak on Sep 26, 2011 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions
They may not be able to take 25 carries a game each, but in this offense they don’t have to
which was my point – your passing game isn’t reliant on your running attack – it’s the other way around. How successful would the Pats be, honestly, if they ran more than they passed? Could they run to setup the pass?
I don’t see it – they pass to setup the run – teams go in nickel and dime all the time because of Brady – which is why those creases exist in the run game.
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
by J2 on Sep 26, 2011 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions
I get your point, but I don't see its import.
Of course we rely on the pass. Our quarterback is Tom Brady. If would be an incredibly foolish waste of talent to rely on the run when perhaps the greatest QB to play the game is our starter. Further, in the modern NFL, a team that relies primarily on the run will struggle to go 8-8. It’s simply not how the league is structured – from a rules standpoint or talent standpoint. Even the dyed-in-the-wool rushing powerhouse Steelers have gone pass-first.
So yes, the Patriots rely on the pass. So do 31 other teams (or they try to, at least). Nobody’s running game sets up the pass anymore, especially not at the top-tier.
If would be an incredibly foolish waste of talent to rely on the run when perhaps the greatest QB to play the game is our starter
But then you end up with a team like the Colts who can’t do jack squat if the QB is injured or has a bad game.
Further, in the modern NFL, a team that relies primarily on the run will struggle to go 8-8.
The Jets and Raiders disagree with you.
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
by J2 on Sep 26, 2011 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
The Jets are barely a "run first" team.
In 2010, the Jets attempted more passes (507) than did the Patriots (492). The Jets ran the ball only 47 more times than they passed it. I would call the Jets closer to “balanced” than “reliant on the run.” And even still, it’s only because of who they have under center. You can bet that if they had Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers or Philip Rivers under center, that balance would shift dramatically toward the pass. In terms of one phase setting up the other, I’d argue that in 2010, teams were far more concerned with Holmes, Edwards and Keller than Tomlinson (unless he was catching out of the backfield) and Greene.
These days, having a competent rushing attack is a necessary but insufficient condition for offensive success. If you are completely, totally inept on the ground, you become one-dimensional, and that’s a whole different can of works. All you need is just enough of a run game to keep the defense from selling out on the pass, and you’ve achieved what I would argue is a “perfect” balance in today’s NFL.
And the Raiders can disagree all they want, but do you remember the last time the Raiders were better than 8-8? 2002, when they were a pass-happy, Gruden-built team.
All you need is just enough of a run game to keep the defense from selling out on the pass,
agreed
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
by J2 on Sep 26, 2011 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Buffalo did a nice job of handling the Pats running attack.
They didn’t even seem to be concentrating on it. They just stopped it cold every time. The only exception seemed to be Ridley. He made some plays against the passing fronts he was seeing. Both Green-Ellis and Woodhead were almost entirely shut down. That’s a huge credit to the Bills defense more than a condemnation of the Patriots’ offense. The Pats are flawed (who isn’t?) but this was more about the Bills winning that the Pats losing – especially in that phase of the game.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 26, 2011 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
4 turnovers is one way to really sell out your defense
But when you’re tied late in the 4th quarter the defense needs to get a stop. Falling apart like they did late was just sad. Idk about that PI in the endzone, since the Bills guy ran straight into Sergio, who doesn’t have to move. I thought that was a questionable call. And it overturned what would’ve been a huge interception. But come on. It’s tied, clock running down, and you allow a huge run like that? Seriously?
McCourty is in trouble, because watching him it’s clear he’s having technique breakdowns throughout the play. He can’t jam, bites on fakes, can’t catch up, and is out of position when the ball gets there. That one nice pass breakup he had came on an underthrow. If Fitzpatrick throws a better ball McCourty has no chance of making a play. He needs to get to work.
Btw, I honestly don’t ever remember Guyton being good. I don’t remember much of him as a rookie, he spent ‘09 failing as a middle linebacker, and last season seemed to be a liability as often as he was a solid player. He’s a guy I won’t miss.
And I totally agree about Ridley. I love Benny, but Ridley is the better runner right now. He deserves the touches.
Deep in enemy territory
McCourty is certainly struggling.
Before yesterday, it seemed more like he was struggling to finish plays. Yesterday, he couldn’t even get started. Did he ever make a jam? It seemed like he just missed every time. I don’t know enough about cornerback technique to know what was going on, but he looked completely lost out there. The one thing I’d disagree with is that he does close well.
The Sergio Brown PI call was a joke. The other official came in saying it was uncatchable so I thought they’d correct it, but that one was missed. In fact, there were 4 plays on that drive, and three bad calls. The endzone “roughing the passer,” the “illegal contact” when a cornerback (Bodden maybe?) completely missed on an attempted jam too far downfield, and then that PI. The roughing call The illegal contact didn’t matter, as Bodden was burned on the play, but the other two were game-changing calls. One bailed out the Bills from being pinned deep and opened up the playbook, and the other negated a turnover and set up a score. If you were making a video on what was a legal hit on a quarterback, you could have used that play in the endzone. It was a midsection form tackle within a step of the ball being released. Egregious.
Of course, play well, and it doesn’t matter.
I agree on Ridley. He’s the future – a dynamic feature back. Benny is old reliable and Toy Story is our 3rd down / passing hurry-up option. I like having all those guys, but I’d like to see more touches for Ridley.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 26, 2011 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Please excuse my obvious typing errors.
It’s Monday.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 26, 2011 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Man, I'm really glad I typed that apology then.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 27, 2011 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions
It's not often I complain about officiating
but this is spot-on. There were bad calls all game, for both sides, but I’ve never seen so many condensed in one all-important drive like that. The calls were so bad it was almost a conspiracy.
On top of that, I watched the Packers/Bears game afterwards and witnessed that phantom holding call near the end of the game when Knox ran one back. The hell is going on with the officiating this year??
Can I Scream?
Even worse - The spread on that game was 4 points.
That Bears touchdown would have cut the Packers’ lead to 3. Hmmm.
Just saying. (Investigate. Come on).
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 27, 2011 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm starting to think Mccourty must be a little dinged up
Only the team isn’t disclosing it. On a few plays he was one or two whole strides behind his man.
I get that he was hung out to dry a little bit (Bills going 5 wide meant we could only have 1 Safety up high), but you really only ever see guys THAT open that regularly in college FB
The game re-airs on NFL Network tonight.
I saw it on sportscenter, and it did nothing to change my opinion. The handplay in the back of the endzone appeared to be initiated by the receiver, if that matters. The receiver had no chance of getting back to the horribly underthrown ball anyway. Oh-for-two on PI criteria, there.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 27, 2011 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
definitely
Here are the relevant sections of the rule book:
Actions that do not constitute pass interference include but are not limited to:
(a) Incidental contact by a defender’s hands, arms, or body when both players are competing for the ball, or neither player is looking for the ball. If there is any question whether contact is incidental, the ruling shall be no interference.
(b) Inadvertent tangling of feet when both players are playing the ball or neither player is playing the ball.
© Contact that would normally be considered pass interference, but the pass is clearly uncatchable by the involved players.
(d) Laying a hand on a receiver that does not restrict the receiver in an attempt to make a play on the ball.
(e) Contact by a defender who has gained position on a receiver in an attempt to catch the ball.
Actions that constitute offensive pass interference include but are not limited to:
(a) Blocking downfield by an offensive player prior to the ball being touched.
(b) Initiating contact with a defender by shoving or pushing off thus creating a separation in an attempt to catch a pass.
© Driving through a defender who has established a position on the field.
In every viewing I’ve had of the play, I believe that each of the three sections in bold applied here.
The ball was well short of the receiver (uncatchable) and the defender had position between the receiver and where the ball was coming down. The receiver initiated the contact and tried to come back to the ball through the defender.
That said, there were some blown calls going both ways. It was a very poorly officiated game.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
damn, messed up my block quote between my last preview and posting
doh
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
Beautiful, thank you.
It was a BS call all the way around, and gave them great field position.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
Some people can learn from the mistakes of others, while some people need to pee on the electric fence themselves.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Sep 28, 2011 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions
The one yard line.
Now why would you call that 'great field position'?
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
re: pass rush
I saw a lot of effort yesterday from the DL, and also a lot of man-to-man play. I think that was forced by the team’s missing Chung, Dowling and to a lessor extent, Haynesworth. Arrington and Bodden were also moved for this game. Perhaps with so many moving bodies, BB didn’t trust his zone schemes.
Pass rush wasn't there in the key moments
But to sat it was non existant throughout the game would be wrong. Ninkovich was pretty solid rushing the passer in the early goings.
As for blitzing, would have been suicide to send more than four guys as the Bills were consistently sending five guys out into passing routes
I usually don't complain about calls
But that PI against Sergio Brown that turned the INT into a 1st and goal on the one was the very definition of bullshit.
This, too.
I haven’t mentioned it, because Bills fans are still kicking around and nobody wants to hear the other team’s fans complain about the officiating, but that was an abhorrent call that absolutely cannot be made on such minimal contact at that crucial stage in the game.
Also, I thought ALL the personal fouls called on both teams were 100% bogus. Solder also got tagged for a phantom holding penalty, where his hands never left the chestplate of the defender. At first I was willing to give the refs a pass, due to the lockout weirdness, but it’s Week 3 and we’re still seeing a lot of very poor officiating.
It's the inconsistency that kills me
Having the Red Zone Channel, we’re watching so many more games around the league and witnessing some pretty inconsistent calls, most involving roughing the passer and pass interference. Holding calls have always been frustratingly subject to whichever crew is on duty.
Keep the faith!
I know that before the pats second TD, on the penalty to Barnett the ref’s gave the Pats the yardage + the penalty. it should have been a 5 yard penalty form the 8 yard line, meaning ball on the 3 and a 1st down. instead they gave them half the distance to the goal from the end of the play. and spotted it on the 1. gave them an extra 2 yards. In that spot maybe it didn’t make that much difference but the Bills can’t beat the Pats and the refs
- sireric
Refs blew a few calls in that game and around the league – happens way too much
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
PI has always been one of my least favorite calls.
First, it should not be a spot foul. A ticky-tack (or blatantly wrong) call in the endzone can turn a terrible pass into the biggest play of the game, all because one ref had a bad angle on the play. Second, it is called with such inconsistency that I can’t even keep track of what is allowed and what isn’t, anymore. Some crews focus on the 5-yard rule; others ignore it. Some crews will call “tagging” the WRs shirt; others won’t even notice. Some crews will call PI for 3 quarters and completely stop in the 4th. It’s mind boggling.
Then you get a guy like Revis that holds on pretty much every play,
but he’s under the “Shaq rules”, where regular PI rules don’t apply to him. Cromartie tried to imitate his “style” last night and got flagged about half the time.
A couple years ago against the Saints, the defender was grabbing Wes’ shirt at the line and holding on to him the whole time (often from behind which is always flaggable). Only once was he called, and that was because Wes cut so fast the guy got tugged off of his feet.
It’s really BS the way it’s called. I agree it shouldn’t be a spot foul. If it is, all you have to do is run into the defender down the field somewhere and pick up a quick 60 regardless of whether the ball was catchable, or even in your vicinity.
The line where the defender is allowed to be on the field? They seem to have forgotten about that one completely.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
Some people can learn from the mistakes of others, while some people need to pee on the electric fence themselves.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Sep 26, 2011 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Receivers fall under that rule too
The ones that get the flag if they fall down in the end zone, even if the defender never touched them.
Keep the faith!
In last week's Giant's game
there was a play where the Giant’s slot receiver (Brandon Stokely?) ran up the middle on a seem route. As he muscled past the defender, he grabbed the defender’s jersey and held on to it, dragging the defender forward for several steps as they went downfield. They of course collapsed as the ball went over their heads.
The defender was called for the PI call.
It was blatant, blatant in the replay that that should have been OPI, but that is not a reviewable call.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
Bad calls will happen from time to time, but they really need to review the first 3 weeks. They’re not even getting the spots or the scoring plays right. They’re flagging guys that aren’t even on the field (Mankins getting called when the Bills had the ball? Good joke!) I must have missed when they appointed Tim Donaghy as head of officiating.
Haha! This thread needed a good Donaghy joke.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 27, 2011 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
My hangover is telling me that this game hurt. And my brain is telling me
that I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming right?! Someone wake me up! It’s on to next week. Raiders have a good defense. Almost gave away the game yesterday to the Jets. Jets lost!
I'm not drunk, I'm...... Okay, I'm drunk.
It helps even more knowing that they NYJ execs were cheering when they heard the Pats lost
then their team went out and laid a Cromartie.
Keep the faith!
Silver Lining
I predicted the Pats would drop one of these two, @ Bills or @ Raiders. Beginning a lockout-shortened season with the first 3 out of 4 on the road, one involving a west coast trip, is a brutal stretch of the schedule. Of course, I was hoping if we had to drop one it’d be at the Raiders since it’s non-division, but them’s the breaks.
With that said, I’d hate to be the Raiders right now. They’ll have to face a furious Pats squad that gets destroyed all week in practice, and BB makes sure his teams almost never drop two straight.
Also, I can say with 99% certainty this was the worst game we’ll see from Tom Brady all season. Silver lining: we lost by 3 and still put up 31 points and just as easily could have won.
They’ll correct the mistakes and make adjustments and be fine.
Area of concern: The defense STILL isn’t strong enough to bail the offense out when it has a bad game. We saw this last year, and we saw it again yesterday afternoon. While I was impressed with the number of 3-and-outs throughout the game, the big plays in the second half just killed me.
Can I Scream?
That's what I mean
We’re so accustomed to whooping every team’s ass week-in and week-out regardless of the opponent, but the AFC East has spent a decade trying to play on the same field with the Pats. Dropping a division game is forgivable and will happen, but it’s obviously very easy to overreact. BB will have this team ready and focused for next week. Oakland’s no cakewalk, though.
Let’s get some of our core guys healthy, too. I knew we’d have our hands full when I heard Mayo was banged up, and Chung, Dowling and Haynesworth would be out. Seems like every team has had its fair share of injuries, but we’ve been hit really hard in some key spots early on.
As awful as Sergio Brown and Josh Barrett were, that PI call in the end zone was atrocious. That could have iced the game for the Pats with that would-be INT. Back-breaker.
Can I Scream?
Ouch, no jinxie please
As we’ve all come to know, all streaks of this team’s era of dominance will eventually end.
I just don’t think OAK, and more importantly – Campbell – will be the team to do it. Jets were just awful yesterday and this team’s kryptonite is top QB’s, not one-dimensional offenses.
Can't help but notice that after a Pats loss, the opposing teams fans stick around on PatsPulpit to converse.
Never happens after a Patriot asswhoop’in! Just an observation. And i hate it when they say things like, “You guys are gonna be fine.” We are the freak’in New England Patriots, we know we will be fine and still win this Patriot owned division. I heard/saw it from Lions fans after a damn preseason game, and i’m hearing/seeing it now. All is not lost. The defense won’t be anything special, but unless you were naive from the start, you already knew that. We will just have to work around things. And we will!! And just to take notice Pats fans, that after we lose a game, the team we will play next usually writes a week in advance, something along the lines of, “Holy shit, the Pats lost. We can beat em too.” That just goes to show how unexpected a Pats loss is to not just us but many others as well. But anyway, on to the Raiders and punishing those poor bastards that will face a pissed off Pats squad.
In GOD I TRUST>In BB i trust......faith where it belongs!!
Life is about who makes it, not who makes it the fastest! Drive slow homie.
by PatNation85 on Sep 26, 2011 1:00 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
The Pats usually win after they've have their butts chewed.
Bill has a lot of chomping to do.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
Some people can learn from the mistakes of others, while some people need to pee on the electric fence themselves.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Sep 26, 2011 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
THIS
Wtf? I don’t want fans of a 9 win at best team coming over hear with “I’m sure you guys will bounce back” crap. They have every right to, I get that, but why do they pretend to know what a winning football time looks like? 3 games isn’t a season. Come back in January with a division title and tell us about it then.
Deep in enemy territory
by JeffyB on Sep 26, 2011 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
... They're just trying to be nice
I really like this Bills team, and I thought all the Bills fans won with class.
It’s their biggest win in probably a good 15-20 years, of course they’re going to be off their nuts with excitement.
And hey, if the Bills do well, maybe they’ll squeeze the filthy Jets out of the playoffs this year :D
It's the biggest compliment
We’re most teams’ Super Bowl. It’s indicative of the Pats sustained success. I’d have to go back to the ‘90s when I could relate to that feeling of elation over a somewhat meaningless regular season game. Again, we’re spoiled.
The most crap I’ve ever received at a live game was at Invesco Field in ‘09. If you remember correctly, that was Josh McDaniels’ first season with the Denver Broncos and got his team off to a very promising 6-0 start, including a benchmark victory over the Patriots in OT. That was also the day the Red Sox were bounced out of the playoffs after a Papelbon blown save against the Angels. Needless to say, I was an easy target that day for years and years of frustration by Broncos fans. After the bye week, the Broncos completely tanked and somehow missed the playoffs after that incredible start.
This Buffalo team is a talented squad, but they could just as easily have a letdown like that Broncos team. Teams have a hard time sustaining their success after beating the Pats, anyways. The running of the flags down the sidelines is a little over the top for a regular season game. Let’s hope the curse continues. (Hi, JETS!)
Can I Scream?
Can’t help but notice that after a Pats loss, the opposing teams fans stick around on PatsPulpit to converse.
I do it every week, win or loss, it’s actually pretty common and nothing unique to Pats Pulpit
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
by J2 on Sep 26, 2011 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Strange.
I can honestly say that, win or lose, I have absolutely ZERO interest in going on the Bill’s or any other opposing team’s blogs.
I guess we are just more interesting here.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
by mmmmm on Sep 26, 2011 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I agree mmmmm
but I think it’s just because we’re self-absorbed.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 26, 2011 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions
and don't forget better looking.
"There's no place like it, and it's ours." - Stephen King on Fenway Park
by 808BostonSportsFan on Sep 26, 2011 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
no? I always like to get a different teams perspective – more interactive – since you know it is a blog
11 years of losing has taught me just a smidge of humility. - k8
by J2 on Sep 26, 2011 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Even with the 4 int
This team was in position to win. All the defense had to do was get one friggin stop or at the very least only allow them to get a long FG with time left. And they couldn’t even do that. This defense blows. Relying on brady to hang 30+ points and absolutely make no mistakes week in and week out is not a recipe for long term success.
I don't think the reliance is on Brady making _NO_ mistakes.
If he had made only, say, 3 – instead of 4 – then that would have been just fine.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
One thing, other then the interception.
What bothers me is that everything went right (no pressure on Brady, scored points fast and early) and yet we didn’t win. Its like failing at the most basic parts of Patriot football. 2010 Patriots would have won that game, 2007 Patriots would have won that game.
Oh my god a floor zombie! Oh wait, thats you
- Toby Turner
by New Century Silver on Sep 26, 2011 2:47 PM EDT reply actions
Turnovers
Yeah, if they managed to keep pressure off Brady, had the same 21-0 start, AND didn’t turn the ball over, they would’ve won that game handily. Teams that win the turnover battle win what, 85-90% of the time? Those will kill you every time. What’s even more frustrating is that half of them were just fluke bounces more than errant passes. Those either fall your way, or they don’t.
The 2010 squad would’ve won that game because Brady had 4 INTs all season. He matched that total in one game.
The 2007 squad would have won because they didn’t lose games. Luck was on their side even during less-than-stellar performances against the Eagles and Ravens that year that most teams would have lost.
Can I Scream?
One of the things about Fred Jackson is that every time he has a decent game, writers always say that the tackling is awful.
Friends, let me make this exceptionally clear if it is not already. The Patriots defense are not bad tacklers. They weren’t good yesterday but they were not as bad as this article makes them sound. Fred Jackson makes everyone looks like they are bad tacklers. That is his unique skill. Teams can’t tackle Jackson effectively because Jackson’s skills actively make that happen.
"I could have conquered Europe, all of it, but I had women in my life." - King Henry II of England
They're not mutually exlusive
the Patriots tackling was awful, AND Fred Jackson is a talented running back who had a terrific game yesterday
Keep the faith!
This
Still left scratching my head at the current safety situation. The tackling technique exemplified by both Brown and Barrett was just wrong, wrong, wrong.
I’m hoping things return to normalcy after a tough practice week and a Chung return. Needless to say, the depth at that position is particularly horrifying.
Can I Scream?
I know, I know
“horrifying” describes my feelings right at the moment after my son found out Chung was out and asked me who would be playing and I heard myself tell him, “Brown, Barrett, and they called up Ventrone from the practice squad.” Yeesh.
Keep the faith!
Yep, Chung sticks to what he hits.
That’s his skill.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
Some people can learn from the mistakes of others, while some people need to pee on the electric fence themselves.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Sep 26, 2011 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions
As much as I bemoaned Meriweather
I still feel he and/or Sanders would have provided more “quality” depth than Brown or Barrett. It seems silly to be in such a disorganized mess on the safety front when we released two capable safeties a month ago. Not all-pro, not the answer, but better than the Brown/Barrett combo? Absolutely.
As a side note, I saw Meriweather and was impressed a few times during the Packers/Bears game. I think he suits that style of defense much better, so hopefully he flourishes.
Can I Scream?
on a more positive note,
It’ll be a Chung/Brown combo in the future (knocks wood) with Barrett on the sideline.
Keep the faith!
I'm hoping Chung/Tate (Maryland) for next season!
Or even Chung/Anderson (UM)
In GOD I TRUST>In BB i trust......faith where it belongs!!
Life is about who makes it, not who makes it the fastest! Drive slow homie.
by PatNation85 on Sep 27, 2011 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Chung / anyone
is an improvement
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
Some people can learn from the mistakes of others, while some people need to pee on the electric fence themselves.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Sep 27, 2011 8:18 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't know if meriweather is "absolutely" better than brown and barrett
His form was absolute dogs balls last year. And Barrett’s whif on Fred Jackson is no worse than Meriweather’s whif of Ray Rice in the 09 playoffs
@ Calvert
That’s true. I agree with you 100%. Fred Jackson is a machine. You can’t blame the opponents for bemoaning missed opportunities, though. I mean, what if we were upset every time somebody said their defense had a bad game against a Brady-led offense? We’d be spending every week worrying about it. I can acknowledge Jackson as a good player and still want to tackle him better the next time.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 26, 2011 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Some odd play calling as well...
Edelman rushing the ball? Twice? Neither worked, and don’t we have several good RB’s for that?
Great read..
Who the hell is Julian Adelman? Nice calling, Marv.
This made me laughed.
"There is an old saying about the strength of the wolf is the pack, and I think there is a lot of truth to that. On a football team, it's not the strength of the individual players, but it is the strength of the unit and how they all function together." - Bill Belichick
*Laugh
"There is an old saying about the strength of the wolf is the pack, and I think there is a lot of truth to that. On a football team, it's not the strength of the individual players, but it is the strength of the unit and how they all function together." - Bill Belichick
that was so obnoxious -
you would have thought someone would have corrected him at halftime at least
Keep the faith!
I was spared this atrocity...
…because the audio was on the Browns game in the bar where I watched.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 26, 2011 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Some of my big issues with Belichick right now;
Yes I know, in Bill we trust, rah rah rah, but…. starting with the secondary.
Man coverage, which is unusual for some.. like say Devin McCourty, who was more used to zone. This is one area where the pain of the lockout can be felt. If I’m not mistaken, they did some zone early in the Bills’ game… and it was working well.
Letting those two safeties play. They were horrendous.
Then there’s Shaun Ellis(34) and his playing time throughout the first 3 games. Has he even made a tackle? He needs to practice some more one-on-one’s because he’s not winning matchups and I wonder if maybe the Jets were smart in offering him only the vets minimum. We have other lineman who can do LDE. Perhaps we can try using Ellis as a rotational guy for sub-packages… perhaps not.. but we could definitley put Kyle Love or even Albert Haynesworthwith or without a bad back) in there and see a vast improvement over that spot. Of all the veteran signings, Shaun Ellis, not Chad Ochocinco, looks like the biggest flop thus far.
Fletcher as a fullback or receiving-option. Why? Seriously, why?
Julian Edelman as a running back. Why? We drafted two running-backs in the 2nd and 3rd round. Why Edelman? Why? And as a receiver? Well, unlike Branch, at least he made a catch… but he doesn’t impress me, and we could easily get away with using one of the 4 RBs as a kick/punt returner,
The lack of Ridley/Vereen. Is it out of respect for Woodhead/GreenEllis? Concerns about them not being ready? Running-back is probably the easiest-to-learn position, with blitz-pickups probably being the tougher part. Ridley can pound the ball in ways the Lawfirm and Woodhead cannot. Ridley seems ready and looked great in blitz pickup. Vereen, I’d love to see get some playing time… these are very talented guys and much more deserving of at least the 3rd/4th RB spot than Julian Edelman.
That 2nd timeout. I find it hard to believe that Belichick actually called that but hey, whatever.
It is what it is
Oh yah, and Gary Guyton.
He’s an okay player. An okay one. Didn’t think he looked great or is great at all.
It is what it is
What I found most disturbing about the clinic that Jackson put on yesterday was the absolutely awful tackling. I lost count of how many times New England had Jackson wrapped up and then he managed to gain an extra 15 yards.
In all fairness, Fred Jackson can be a pain in the butt to tackle. He like glides through the linebackers and then sprints past the secondary.
Sergio Brown looked like an amateur trying to tackle him...
It is what it is
DROPPING SEVEN GUYS INTO COVERAGE 4 OUT OF 5 PLAYS?
I get that this is how BB does it. I’ve been writing about it for a couple of years, but, why do we bring in blitzers and not blitz them?
For three years every QB in the world had torched the spit out of the Pats D…why not rush 6 guys just once a game just to blow the average?
Opponents are averaging FORTY ATTEMPTS PER GAME…of course the DB’s look awful. The patriots are always ahead by a gazillion points so the enemy is throwing I get that, but can’t they try and hit the QB once?
Shrink the pocket and drop seven. The Patriots pass defense has given up over a THOUSAND YARDS in three games. Try sumpin’ new?
The Pats had a rough time with the Bills...
…in the first meeting of the season.
This should hardly be surprising. In 2009, with a 35-24 comeback victory, and a 38-30 victory in 2010 where Fitzpatrick cut the Patriots defense apart this was nothing new. The second meeting in 2009, Fitzpatrick was held to 1 TD and 1 INT, and the Patriots picked up 6 sacks. In 2010, the Patriots won 34-3.
There were several things that went into this game, quite aside from the Bills being a good team:
BB builds his defense over the course of the year, and only during a couple of years in the last decade have the Pats started out well.
The Patriots defense is only a few weeks old, with a major shift in form from last year, and a reshuffle of personnel at the end of pre-season and the week leading up to the opening game.
The rules have dramatically changed, favoring the offense and inhibiting defenders from playing to their fullest. This has caused an offensive explosion with the first two weeks of the season both exceeding all previous weeks in NFL history for passing yards; and a nearly 40% increase in TDs scored the first week over the previous year’s first week. A defender not only will get ridiculous penalties called on him, film showing that they merely shoved a QB running with the ball and never even hit the QB have proved to be no defense from fines and threat of suspension.
I can now say this with Troy Brown and Ty Law in agreement with me
And yes although they did not say it in so many words it was they meant. This defense sucks! I don’t know whether it’s this old TEs coach or Bill himself but it’s so obvious and I don’t know how anybody can defend it. Troy Brown is holding back because from saying this fact out loud. It’s actually scary to watch how much all of the media whom now consist of a lot of former patriots are questioning what’s going on? So for all of you bloggers that seem to be a lot brighter then me. You explain it to me. How in the hell are we even going to sniff the playoffs and if we do, how are we making it in round two?
Look, I wouldn't say this one-and-done thing is great,
but have some perspective. This team, playing the same brand of football, was 14-2 last year. Only bitches and MFY fans complain about things like that.
One-and-done playoff games are still a crap shoot. Let’s not go all hari-kari on BB for what he’s designed.
Can't sniff at the playoffs?
They had the same type of game against the Bills early last year, and early the year before. except without all of the interceptions. …and Fitzpatrick is a good QB.
Our defense makes all QB's look good.
In GOD I TRUST>In BB i trust......faith where it belongs!!
Life is about who makes it, not who makes it the fastest! Drive slow homie.
by PatNation85 on Sep 27, 2011 12:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Warning. Be careful. You cannot raise negative concerns or comments about BB or you get cut-off from posting. You have to accept everything he is doing as correct and genius like. A loss happens because of any number of reasons, but poor coaching is NOT one of them.
As for the defense, again, this is BB’s turf. Lay off any remarks that might lead others to wonder if the design is faulty: if the schemes are failing miserably: if defensive genius is being over-hyped.
Forget playoffs unless a new defensive design is put into action. This team is as close to 0-3 as they are 2-1. It has taken a genius level performance by Brady to escape the first two games with a win after both opponents torched the defense.
by OneOpinion on Sep 27, 2011 8:06 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Annnnnndddddddd...
The true nature is revealed.
"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West
I’m unclear with your comment.
If you’ve come to realize that I am not a blind supporter of BB and staff, that I expect better coaching decisions in off season player selections and play calling, and that I certainly see a number of issues that have not been fixed in several years, then, you are correct.
I think Brady is the best QB to play the game. Yet, this belief does not deter me from seeing the absurdity of having him pass the ball when a running play and clock management would be better choices at certain points in a game (think 24-7 versus 21-10). And, yes, those are features that clearly must be practiced daily as part of the overall design. Their running attack is weak. I have to assume it is based on a combination of factors. They don’t commit to it enough in practice. They don’t draft the right OL to establish a running attack. Their play designs need to be revamped. It is not a coincidence that the Ravens and the Steelers have a strong running attack year after year. They commit to this design, draft to fit that design, and practice it over and over. It’s not a complicated process. It is merely a commitment to the running game. And, yet, those two QB’s seem to find enough plays to toss the football around. Committing to the run does not mean abandoning the pass. You can do both! And, the best thing is that a better run commitment will reduce the QB hits and sacks because play action will work better.
Maybe it’s time to really look at the facts. The PATS haven’t won a Super Bowl since 2004. They fell short in 2007 which kind of negates all of the wonderful records – who really cares about season records when the prize is a Super Bowl ring. They have been hammered the past two seasons, at home, in their first playoff game. They have certainly had their fair share of draft busts like every other team. Yet, with all of these facts, I continue to see “In BB We Trust” and “keep the ball in Brady’s hands”. Well, it isn’t working if you see a Super Bowl ring as the only real prize. Their design has failed them in the playoffs every time since 2004. And, yes, please realize that it failed them in 2007. No running attack – no SB ring.
The game has changed dramatically since 2004. The QB’s are far better across the league. You give any of these QB’s time, and they will shred your secondary. The receivers are better across the league. You give them time to run a route or improvise, and the DB has little chance. Yet, BB puts seven in coverage. No sacks. QB shreds the secondary, and everyone points at the DB’s and safeties as the failure. Well, I don’t see it that way. I see the defensive design as the culprit. Maybe it’s archaic. Perhaps it’s time to revamp the thinking.
We have just watched Brady toss the ball around for ridiculous numbers. Incredible numbers. Yet, all three games were right there to be won or lost. None of these games were even remotely close to a blow out even with Brady putting up unbelievable passing stats. Don’t you think that is concerning?!!! Doesn’t that make you wonder if this is an offensive approach that won’t work, again?!!! (THINK SB ring) Well, we just got our first look at it failing as Buffalo, unlike the first two opponents, grabbed the win that was there to taking.
le sigh...
the absurdity of having him pass the ball when a running play and clock management would be better choices at certain points in a game (think 24-7 versus 21-10).
I don’t know why you are such a staunch advocate of running 40 seconds off the clock, then punting, when giving Brady the chance to throw has a much higher probability of taking far more than 40 seconds out of the game
Anyway. Pats are up 21-0 coming up to the two minute warning. Buffalo scores a TD just inside it (now 21-7), Pats move down the field with a TD the inevitable conclusion, until Brady throws an interception on a throw that needed a perfect storm to be picked. They still had two timeouts (Buffalo had 3) and 13 yards to go, can’t just run it three times there and take the FG, the Bills would have been able to do something before the half. A minute later, it’s 21-10 and half time.
Pats defense comes out after half time, forces 3-and-out. Brady throws a designed deep ball off PA from his own 43 (and had all day to do it, so the Bills were still fooled enough by the "run"), Ocho runs a lazy route/Brady doesn’t quite nail the throw/McKelvin makes a good play, and the Bills go 40 yards for a TD. Instead of being up 28-7 with the ball at midfield, they’re now leading 21-17 and might as well have let the Bills score on the first drive out of half time. Either way, it’s now a game. Conservative playcalling designed to run the clock is out the door, you do what you need to do to win.
And, yes, those are features that clearly must be practiced daily as part of the overall design. Their running attack is weak. I have to assume it is based on a combination of factors. They don’t commit to it enough in practice.
Seeing as no-one outside the organisation actually sees practices, I’m just going to dismiss this, except for one part: the running attack is weak because the (probably) greatest QB ever is the alternative! Barry Sanders or Walter Payton aren’t lining up 10 yards in the backfield, churning out 5 yards a pop.
They don’t draft the right OL to establish a running attack.
You’re kidding, right? Did we not just see BenJarvus Green-Ellis, unheralded depth (at best) running back, put up a 1000 yard season? The OL is one of the best couple in the league at all facets of the game, and Benny’s "success" is more their doing than his, and they improved it with the upgrade Solder provides over Light (and the addition of Waters), and they have the best all-round TE in the game lining up on one side.
Their play designs need to be revamped. It is not a coincidence that the Ravens and the Steelers have a strong running attack year after year.
I’ll argue the Steelers, Mendenhall is a good back but by no means a great one. Their OL is the worst in the game, too. The Steelers haven’t been a run-first team since Cowher left and Roethlisberger became good enough to wing the ball around. Their success comes from his arm consistently finding ways to get the ball downfield whilst under extreme pressure, and their defense is good enough to stifle most offenses from answering.
The Ravens have a very good RB a good OL, and a QB yet to prove he can win on his own (Falcons are in a similar situation, but with better WRs). Sounds like a recipe for running to me. Rice’s numbers in 09 were comparable to the Pats’ RB stable in 08 or 2010. If only NE had a back who didn’t warrant a committee approach…
A commitment to the run would lead to what – 2? 3? first downs before teams realise the pattern – run, run, Brady pass (off PA, if you get your wish)? That’s the best way to lose a game to zip when Brady gets killed on the 3rd 3rd down of the game.
Maybe it’s time to really look at the facts. The PATS haven’t won a Super Bowl since 2004. They fell short in 2007 which kind of negates all of the wonderful records – who really cares about season records when the prize is a Super Bowl ring. They have been hammered the past two seasons, at home, in their first playoff game.
You’re forgetting what happened in these two playoff games. The Ravens were up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter – you want to run the ball for the rest of the day, fine. You can walk off at the end of the game having suffered a 42-7 pasting, but at least you stuck to your principles and ran the damn ball. And let’s not forget the Jets game (how could we), where everyone was screaming at the Pats for running the ball in the 3rd and 4th quarter down by a couple of scores. A game that wasn’t a blowout or a beatdown or a shellacking or any other description of an ass-kicking, it was one where they were outplayed or beat themselves in 2 or 3 critical situations: the 2nd drive resulting in a FG; the dropped fake punt; and the drive after the Pats closed it to a FG, where a blown coverage/mismatch led to a Jets TD.
They have certainly had their fair share of draft busts like every other team. Yet, with all of these facts, I continue to see "In BB We Trust" and "keep the ball in Brady’s hands". Well, it isn’t working if you see a Super Bowl ring as the only real prize. Their design has failed them in the playoffs every time since 2004. And, yes, please realize that it failed them in 2007. No running attack – no SB ring.
No shit we lost the Super Bowl in 07. But I seem to remember being in front with 40 seconds to go. Sounds like the playcalling on offense was enough to get the job done there, even though they needed to start running the ball once they realised the Giants were teeing off regardless. Could a better RB than Lawrence Maroney have been useful? Of course. Maurice Jones-Drew probably would have had a day out, and they probably smash the Colts in the 06 AFC game too, had he been drafted instead. And if they’d only drafted Osi Umenyiora or Justin Tuck, they’d have the pass rush now and another couple of rings. Or maybe taken that Dan Marino guy in 83. Or Joe Montana in 79. Or had the Steelers’ 71 draft. Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, ain’t it?
The game has changed dramatically since 2004. The QB’s are far better across the league. You give any of these QB’s time, and they will shred your secondary. The receivers are better across the league. You give them time to run a route or improvise, and the DB has little chance. Yet, BB puts seven in coverage. No sacks. QB shreds the secondary, and everyone points at the DB’s and safeties as the failure. Well, I don’t see it that way. I see the defensive design as the culprit. Maybe it’s archaic. Perhaps it’s time to revamp the thinking.
Perhaps. Perhaps it’s because he’s concerned about his secondary, he’s not going to expose 5 of them to man coverage with no help and hope the blitz gets there (legally, which is proving an issue across the league) in a couple of seconds.
Perhaps we need to bring back the Laws, Bruschis, McGinests, Seymours, Harrisons, we had in the early 2000s who were at their prime and plug them in, that’s why we won all those Super Bowls. Meanwhile other defenses around the league are shutting down everything because their schemes are what is required in today’s NFL – but wait! Every team is putting up huge numbers offensively, not just whoever the Pats played that week. Maybe it’s the league! Maybe no-one’s found the right mix on defense yet, because that dumbass in the big office on Park Avenue keeps changing the rules every other week! Maybe this is all a conspiracy by Bill Polian, in an attempt to have Peyton Manning win a big game for once, following their inability to beat Belichick’s gameplans in 03-04 (a thousand years ago in NFL terms)!
But what would you rather do? Blitz everyone like the FFF (+1 to anyone who correctly guesses what that stands for) in NY? How well has that worked out for him, while in Baltimore and at the Jets?
We have just watched Brady toss the ball around for ridiculous numbers. Incredible numbers. Yet, all three games were right there to be won or lost. None of these games were even remotely close to a blow out even with Brady putting up unbelievable passing stats. Don’t you think that is concerning?!!! Doesn’t that make you wonder if this is an offensive approach that won’t work, again?!!! (THINK SB ring) Well, we just got our first look at it failing as Buffalo, unlike the first two opponents, grabbed the win that was there to taking.
Personally, I don’t care how many yards the defense allows, as long as they allow one point fewer than the opposing defense. Fins game wasn’t as close as the score says it was, the Chargers were done as soon as Tolbert fell over at the half yard line (because they lack the heart to fight for something that might just still be there), and the Bills won because the Pats had only two players show up and even then they needed a freakishly lucky game to do it.
Brady can throw for a million yards a game, but if he’s not putting the ball in the endzone, he’s not playing well. It’s not about the fucking stats! The best chance for this team to win games, with the way the league is heading and the state of the defense at the moment, is for Brady to continue to throw the ball! But hey, if they handed off 40 times a game and walked off with 35-7 losses each week, you’d be happy.
"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West
by ISN on Sep 27, 2011 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
TL; DR
lol
In GOD I TRUST>In BB i trust......faith where it belongs!!
Life is about who makes it, not who makes it the fastest! Drive slow homie.
ISN, fabulous reply!!!
They still had two timeouts (Buffalo had 3) and 13 yards to go, can’t just run it three times there and take the FG, the Bills would have been able to do something before the half.
Why not run off some clock or force the Bills to use a TO or more, and add 3 pts if the runs fail to get it done? Ghost drills another touch back, and you play out the remainder leading 24-7. They have less time, more of a deficit, and fewer time-outs. If they show pass, blitz a couple of times. Might as well, sacks weren’t coming any other way.
Barry Sanders or Walter Payton aren’t lining up 10 yards in the backfield…
And, might this not be a BB criticism for not going after another RB in the draft once Maroney failed to live up to expectations? Is this where we all chime in, “In BB We Trust”? Then again, Ridley or Vereen, or both, might be up and coming. It’s impossible to know since they sit on the bench.
But I seem to remember being in front with 40 seconds to go.
True. But, since the design was (as often stated on this forum) “put it in Brady’s hands”, it is reasonable to expect more than 14 pts with 40 seconds to go. That’s not a criticism of Brady. He was sacked 5 +/- times and pressured many other times.
Personally, I don’t care how many yards the defense allows, as long as they allow one point fewer than the opposing defense.
Agreed. I just don’t buy into this shoot-out mindset that appears to be the logic implied in many threads. We’ll out score the Bills in a shootout was stated many times last week. Well, it just doesn’t work that way any more. As you said, teams across the league are putting up large numbers. Clock management is THE only sure defensive strategy that will win regardless of the opponent and rule changes that favor the offense. BB and staff just don’t seem to want to accept this reality. They continue with the 2007 mindset that we’ll just out score our opponent. We’ll keep passing.
I do just don’t see clock management being demonstrated as a high priority in this system and by this coaching staff. That begins with drafting and player acquisitions. Dan Connolly as the projected starting RG to begin a season (adding Waters a week before the 1st game) does not say “running attack”. I don’t know what it says. They needed the Lions to destroy the offensive line before BB and staff decided to look at two All-Pro OL who were already available. I see a pass mindset with a firm belief that Brady will win if they just let him keep throwing it. I see most fans, you included, supporting this approach. You have to agree that the run is an after thought that is abandoned if it doesn’t churn out consistent successes. The run success is a by-product of the passing success – not vice versa.
I cannot remember the name of the power back before Dillon, but those two SB years had a power running attack with Andruzzi leading the charge and those two RB’s (in their respective seasons) pounding out yardage. Then, Weiss left, and the run has dropped off since. Correct me if I am wrong. But, I sensed a major shift after Dillon exited and Maroney was determined to be less than expected: not a bust but not a prize either. Again, draft another RB to replace Maroney. BB has upteen picks each draft through his impressive efforts and manuevers. To me, he and his staff decided that Brady was so good that they’d pass instead, and let the run become a filler. 2007 became a passing nirvana, the loss at the end was ridiculously disappointing, but you cannot say OH this and OH that is why they lost at the end of that game. They scored 14 points, they were beaten down at the line of scrimmage by a fierce pass rush, and they had no answer because they had pretty much gone pass – and couldn’t run. It wasn’t their thing.
In conclusion, I liked everythung you said. We just disagree on the fundamentals of their design. You favor Brady and passing. I favor running, clock management, and Brady in PA once they have a lead. That is one thing I failed to mention. I am all for Brady teeing off early with the no huddle. It’s a devastating offense. I support it 100%. Sorry to have not said that in earlier posts. BUT, we take different paths if and when the PATS have a lead. I don’t believe in the idea that you go for the juggler because it happens so few times. The percentages tell me that the other team is coming back – heck, they did in all three SB wins. It took two Vinitieri FG’s and a Harrison (near end zone) int to keep those wins. Juggler approach is far too risky. Clock management with a commitment to a bonifide, player driven running attack and PA is my preference.
;-)
The Rec system seems to be flagging posts instead.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 27, 2011 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree with ISN
and I’d like to add something : in today’s NFL, the fast tempo is the norm, not the exception, and you might get killed if you leave points on the field on purpose. I mean, it would be good to add 40 seconds to every drive, but to settle for a FG isn’t worth it.
I’ll take a 99 1/2 yards TD from Welker in one passing play every day of the week. It’s better than a 7-8 minutes drive that ends with a field goal, because you’re forcing the opponent to react and try to match your intensity. Why did the Bills go for it on 4th & 14 in the 1st quarter ? Well they had no choice : they thought Brady would take the ball, no matter where he lined up on the field, and jump to their throats with another touchdown. The thing is, this offense is waiting for an opponent to make a mistake. Brady usually is very cautious with the ball and the offensive coordinators know it isn’t the case of their QB. Just look at Fitzpatrick. He looks good early this season, but he’s a gunslinger. He’ll force some throws, and as a result the defense will get picks. It’s almost like Tom’s playing defense. He pressures the QB.
Do you think the Bills would have gone for it on that particular play if Brady wasn’t a threat to score 7 more points the next minutes if they settled for a FG ? This tells me the offense is working. Just like the 2009 Colts. Okay, the Saints won the SB, but they attempted an onside kick to start the second half. Well played, clever call, good execution, we can give them that. But it’s a proof that Manning is good at what he does, if a head coach want to reduce the amount of time he has to work with the ball in his hands.
I’m good with the playcalling during the game, because I don’t think it’s a good idea to play the clock before the 1st half is over. You want to go to the locker-room looking unstoppable. You want the coaches to start gambling when they face you. And well, without the first interception, it’s what would have happened. Then with a 21-10 lead at halftime, you couldn’t go old school running the football, because of the way the offense plays these days.
If it takes the Bills three plays to be at the 1-yard line, why would you run the clock down and settle for a FG ? It’s not only the Bills, either. Just look at the Saints against Sunday. They played okay for the most part, and a sudden struggle of the Texans on offense (kicking FGs instead of scoring TDs) reverse it, because they made a few big plays. 40-33, Saints win.
Last point : on the first scoring drive, the Patriots attempted to run the ball four or five times. This team is going to roll with what works. If those running plays had more success, I’m sure they would have exploited that more during the game.
Nice points .. I think my reply above to ISN also responds to your many nice points.
… because I don’t think it’s a good idea to play the clock before the 1st half is over. You want to go to the locker-room looking unstoppable.
We just each see this differently. If they ran off some clock with some additional running plays, the runs might have worked. The Bills might have used a time out. Regardless, I do think Ghost would have succeeded in adding 3 more points and another touch back.
Hence, we’re back to the defense holding the Bills to a FG and not an 80 yard TD drive. Sad that we are uncertain about this scenario. The defensive design is flawed.
The potential outcomes were:
Going for the juggler (as they did).
21-7
21-10
21-14
Kicking the FG after one shot into the back of the end zone.
24-7
24-10
24-14
In bold, the worse case scenario was a 10 pt differential.
Above, the worse case scenario was a 7 pt differential.
In bold, the best case scenario was a 17 point lead.
Above, the best case scenario was a 14 point lead.
I clearly favor the FG scenarios. Plus, it’s more than just this last 2-minute scenario that we’re exploring. It’s a mindset. The PATS do NOT think in bold. They’re juggler mindset will go for the pass and TD every time!
Hey, you can’t do that :P
The only scenario that we know is 21-7 / 21-10 / 21-14. Your scenario starts with 21-7 and the Pats on offense. Maybe BJGE would’ve made a -1 yard run, -2 yards run, and a sack would’ve knocked the offense off FG range. Maybe the kick would’ve been blocked, and returned for a TD by the Bills. Maybe the Pats would have scored that TD. That’s moot. It didn’t happen.
You are certainly entitled to think that a running game and kicking FGs is the best way to win, but I like the playcalling. The execution was less than stellar, but can we really think that the scheme is in fault when we have 4 INT in the game? That stat would equal a lost on the statsheet for any team, but with the fast-tempo offense, we at least had a shot.
Agreed. My FG projection is a reach (impossible to know), but Ghost’s stats seem to make it a reasonable assumption. They were at the 13 yard line with a minute and 5 seconds remaining in the half: 21-7. Two running plays and a back of the end zone TD attempt (or a 3rd running play depending on the yard marker) would have left seconds on the clock or the Bills would have expended timeouts.
1st-10, BUF131:05B. Scott intercepted T. Brady for no gain
I didn’t offer a 28 score because that clearly exceeds an assumption as it is well beyond a 20 yard FG attempt.
Hence, 24-7, 24-10, or 24-14 seem quite reasonable. Plus, the touch back would have left the Bills at their 20 yard line with less than a minute and possibly no time outs.
"Maybe it’s time to really look at the facts. The PATS haven’t won a Super Bowl since 2004. "
Selfish much?
Seriously – get some perspective.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
BB's not the Pope, and he's the first to admit he's not infallible
I only dismiss outright the comments that scream for him to be fired but offer no alternative. That’s just stupid-talk.
Keep the faith!
Marima, you seem to be over reacting. Who has called for BB’s release?
I think people are raising legitimate concerns in this thread about the designs being used. There are certainly some questions about players on the roster and/or the use (lack of) other players on the roster. This loss merely brought these issues to the surface. Anyone watching the first two games certainly had these same concerns. Those wins did not squelch some of these underlying issues.
Take these thoughts, for example.
Let’s look at some player moves. Keep Smith and Yeatman for the entire training camp and preseason. Have both fully invested in the playbook. Let both go, and have D. Gronk arrive with zero playbook knowledge with the season under way. In an injury riddled league choose to start with only two TE’s. Low and behold, Hernandez gets hurt as does a make-shift acquisition in D. Gronk leaving one TE for the Buffalo game. Wait until the week before the opener to add Waters who is far better than any RG on the roster. They could have had Waters at the start of training camp (or close to it). Add Ocho who apparently learned the game of football as a play-by-numbers activity, and now, it seems, he cannot play any other way. That’s an in-depth research effort when considering a player acquisition in the off-season? Add Haynesworth who has attended (on average) about 1 out of every 4 practices), and now he has missed a game because of a bad back. OH, and I find out that he has a history of back issues. That’s in-depth research?
None of these postings in this thread are asking for a coaching change. We’re simply raising legitimate concerns that might help to explain why 2-1 could easily be 0-3. But, most importantly, why this loss might not be so random. It could be a window into bigger concerns as the season unfolds.
Bottom line is simple. If the PATS insist on passing their way to victory, I see little chance that they improve on their dismall playoff results since 2004. If BB and company does not implement a legitimate commitment to a running attack, I do not see a SB in their immediate future.
Don't you remember Babe Parilli?
He was a member who would insist daily that Belichick be fired but would never offer a suggestion of who he wanted to see replace him.
I just didn’t get your whole ‘warning’ that seemed to come out of the blue, and I was just saying that the only Belichick-critical comments I get real tired of were the kind like Babe Parilli’s.
I never said you were calling for him to be fired, so before you reply and take me to task, make sure you’re reading what I said and not what you think I’m saying. Yeesh. Talk about overreacting.
Keep the faith!
by Marima on Sep 27, 2011 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Don’t you remember Babe Parilli?
No. Sorry.
I was looking at this thread, and thinking that you were implying someone (others or me) were calling for a BB replacement. That was my confusion as I re-visited the thread and didn’t see that implied.
I wasn’t taking you to task. Sorry it came off that way. Not my intention at all.
I merely used the post to offer some examples of my concerns because I agree with you that all too often posters offer NO alternatives or solutions. They just toss out a negative bomb and leave it unsupported.
For example, I suggest that the PATS study game film of the Ravens and the Steelers. Isolate all the running plays. Create a montage of these clips, study the blocking, the RB angle of attack, and the overall scheme. Select a few plays that seem to work with decent consistency. Add them to their own playbook, practice them extensively, and insert BJGE and/or Ridley into the play and use it. Try something to improve the running attack. Because what they are using isn’t good enough unless Brady rips up the secondary and forces the defense on their heels.
Wait, wut?
are you suggesting BB needs to study the Ravens and Steelers to learn a few things?
As far as running the ball: Like I’ve said, you play the awesome. Regardless of the call contributing to the one-dimensional nature of this offense, Brady is far more likely to pick up a short 3 yards than this team’s running game. And that’s not because its running game sucks or Belichick needs more schooling. It’s because TFB is arguably the best QB in the history of the league.
Your argument is akin to having Gretsky stay back on defense or having Pujols bunt.
Like I’ve said, you play the awesome. Regardless of the call contributing to the one-dimensional nature of this offense, Brady is far more likely to pick up a short 3 yards than this team’s running game.
We are in complete agreement that they clearly have a one-dimensional system. And, let’s look at three meaningful games to see just why this approach is flawed.
2007
They beat the Giants in the regular season.
Next game, they get out coached, out played, and beaten (playoffs)
5 sacks – 37 yards
2009
They beat the Ravens in the regular season.
Next game, they get out coached, out played, and beaten (playoffs)
3 sacks – 22 yards
2010
They beat the Jets in the second regular season game.
Next game, they get out coached, out played, and beaten (playoffs)
5 sacks – 40 yards
This is the end result when you design and coach a one-dimensional system. How can anyone not question this design with these glaring defeats. The pattern is pretty clear. It doesn’t work in the playoffs. You need a legitimate running attack. Yet, BB and staff have stayed with this mindset: “put the ball in Brady’s hands” and most of the forum applauds this mindset.
It does win lots of regular season games. I will grant that reality. However, it has certainly failed miserably in the post season.
——Alright, a situational coaching decision——
… or having Pujols bunt.
Your wording makes it clear that you would never have Pujols bunt. Much in the same way that you would always want TFB passing on 3rd and 3 yards.
My take as the manager.
Runner at 2nd.
No outs
Pujols at bat.
The next guy in my line-up has a proven track record of hitting fly balls to the outfield – and against this pitcher – this pattern holds true.
I would have Pujos bunt.
That gives me a guy at 3rd with 1 out
I have a higher percentage scenario of getting a run with a sacrafice fly, and, if that fails, the next batter still has a chance of driving the run in with anything hit fair. Even an in-field error scores the run because he is now at 3rd.
We’re just two people seeing it differently. You definitely have many many more fans on this forum who see it as you do. Maybe everyone. I’ll be very pleased if your desired approach works and they get their 4th SB. Unfortunately, I just think the three meaningful games above say otherwise.
… are you suggesting BB needs to study the Ravens and Steelers to learn a few things?
I sure hope BB and staff are constantly studying other systems and culling plays on both sides of the ball that show potential through consistent success. That’s a huge part of film analysis.
You break down film to discover strengths and weaknesses to game plan. But, you also note strengths and question whether some aspects of these strengths could improve your own system/design. If yes, you look to implement these aspects into your coaching (possibly right away or the next season). It depends on the actual aspect and personnel as to when and how it can be integrated.
You have heard the term “copy cat” league. That’s what they’re eluding to.
Staying with film and film analysis, let’s address the ridiculous term, “sophomore slump” as if it naturally occurs without reason.
Take McCourty as an example. Presently, he is falling short of the expectations many folks had for him. Some were even tossing out cliches such as “shut down corner” in the making.
Sophomore slump is the direct byproduct of flim analysis. It’s a simple reality. All the NFL offensive-coordinators have a season of game film and an entire off-season to analyse this game film of McCourty in action. They dissect his game film, find his weaknesses, and then they game plan to exploit those weaknesses. It just so happens to be obvious in the second season where these weaknesses are fully exploited, and the contrasting results to his first season performance are easily seen. Yet, you get this mindless term “sophomore slump” tossed about as if it’s an ailment that the player will out grow in time.
So, here’s a great opportunity for everyone to evaluate BB and his staff on how long it takes McCourty to overcome his present struggles in coverage.
This is where BB and staff will earn “genius level praise” if they can solve McCourty’s issues. Why genius? Because, unlike the O-coordinators who had an entire off-season to do their film analysis, BB and staff have to do their film analysis in-season, on-the-fly. They have to dissect present game film, determine the weakness(es) the O-coordinators are exploiting, and then they must convey and teach the necessary adjustments that McCourty must make to counter these present exploitations.
So, over the next 13+ games, we can see just how well BB and staff can turn the ship with McCourty to where he begins to shut down his receiver with consistency. If they succeed, that deserves a label of genius given how difficult that is while in-season. If they fail to do this, I propose that BB hires a new DB coach for next year and/or they change their coverage schemes to address these issues.
How confident are you that McCourty will turn this around this season by making the necessary adjustments to counter these exploited weaknesses?
There’s every reason to think he can and will. He certainly showed some serious skills last season. However, they do have a track record of failed DB’s come through this system only to be released: Hobbs, Wheatley, Wilhite, and Butler. Either they were poor draft picks, or BB and staff were unable to convey and teach these players the needed adjustments to overcome their weaknesses which were being exploited by opposing O-coordinators.
Guys like Ty Law, Revis, Champ Baily, Woodson, (the DB who just left Oakland and joined the Eagles this past off season) and a few others are those special players that come through every once in a while. They’re on par with Brady and P. Manning. The elite at their position. They self correct on their own. They already see the adjustments needed, and they absorb coaching with ease. You can’t predict those players. You just hope you get one. But, there is the second tier who have excellent upside, and they do rely on coaching to elevate their game. Presently, McCourty appears to fall into that category. He might become an elite DB, but we won’t know for a year or two. What we do know is that he needs some coaching right now to improve.
Im also thinking McCourty was probably protected a lot as a rookie
With consistent safety help, whereas now he’s asked to be out on an island a little bit more, and struggling with that added responsibility.
A bit of a trial by fire by the coaches for him to make the next “leap” perhaps
(I don’t actually have the numbers to back up the claims that McCourty had more safety help last year, but it seems like he rarely has had safety help so far this year)
Let's see... Assuming there's 60 plays a game...
Give the ball to an okay but by no means elite RB 40 times a game and ask possibly the best QB ever to throw it only 20 times and only on 3rd downs, or give the ball to possibly the best QB ever 40 times a game and hand off to an okay but by no means elite RB 20 times on misdirections and draws and such…
And you want the first option?
"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West
I am full agreement with you that Brady should be the primary offensive weapon. However, they rely too much on the pass, and they don’t change gears when they get a lead. They don’t manage the clock when they have a lead.
It’s difficult to know how well this team can run. We have no idea if Ridley or Vereen have elite RB capabilities. They’re under utilized. We do know that BJGE and Woody totaled 1500+ yards. Yet, they, too, are an after thought to the pass.
Here’s one simple example.
2nd half vs Bills. The PATS kick off and the defense holds the Bills to a 3 and out. Bills punt. PATS assume possession at their own 43 leading 21-10 with 13:16 on the clock.
There is another battle taking place that transcends the field. It’s a battle of psycology (otherwise described as momentum). Well, the PATS had a huge moment right there to further capitalize on that defensive stand. The Bills use their half time session undoubtedly planning their first possession. Coming out to start the 2nd half with the last FG to end the half. This is a big opening drive. Yet, the PATS defense stuffs them cold: 3 and out. A real moment of field and psycological victory. And, a big part of the leverage the PATS still possess is the clock!!!
They never see it that way.
1st down at the PAT’s 43. 13:16 remaining. This is a prime example where a running play was the perfect call. Why? Because it starts the freakin’ clock. The Bill’s fans and the Bills are already looking at the clock. It has now become a bigger factor with that first failed drive and the present score.
Why not run??? Clocks starts ticking down, had it been Ridley in the backfield (with his 7 yard average) he might have picked up 4 or more yards, and then you assess 2nd down yardage to make the next play call. Go PA if you must on 2nd, and even if it was now picked off, at least the clock would have been run down. And, hindside, yes, but that added 30+ seconds would have sure been nice at the end.
This is a pass first design by the numbers with no consideration for clock management. AND, even with Brady putting up amazing numbers, these games were not blowouts. They’re all close in the 4th qtr. The Dolphins are 1 yard away from a 7 point lead w/ 5:57 remaining. SD is within 7 w/ 5:40 remaining. The Bills have the lead at 10:14.
vs Miami = 22 rushes, 48 passes (31-17 w/ 5:57 remaining, Miami 4th and 1 at the PAT’s 1 yd line)
vs SD = 25 rushes, 40 passes (28-21 w/ 5:40 remaining)
vs Bills = 26 rushes, 45 passes
More like having Pujols lean into a lot.
Goal is to get on base, according to our opinionated colleague. Not to take the plays that have the best chance to put up runs/points.
"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West
Goal is to get on base, according to our opinionated colleague. Not to take the plays that have the best chance to put up runs/points.
That’s a misinterpretation.
The goal (my assertion) is to score runs by maximizing your potential to do so. Playing percentages by the numbers was my assertion. You can let Pujols swing away. About 1/3 of the time, he will get a hit. Runner scores from 2nd base.
Instead, Pujols bunts, moves the runner to 3rd, one out. The next batter has a far better chance of scoring the run than Pujols. A grounder in the infield will score the run if they play back. A fly ball to the outfield will score the run. And, a base hit will score the run. That’s 3 potential run scoring options if Pujols sacrafices the runner to 3rd versus 1 scoring option if Pujols swings away.
That’s what I posted above (actually I left out the infield ground ball). I’m not inventing this thinking. It falls under the category of “manufacturing runs”. Managers have been doing this for as long as the game has been played.
Just the other night, Becket on the mound, runners at 1st and 2nd w/ no outs. I sense you would swing away as would the other poster above. Baltimore sacraficed and put the runners at 2nd and 3rd w/ one out. Becket escaped that jam, but it was a percentages decision by the Orioles.
Swinging away,
a ground ball has the potential for a double play and no run.
A fly ball offers no tag for a score.
A single scores 1 run.
Runners sacraficed to 2nd and 3rd,
a ground ball scores a run.
A fly ball scores a run on a tag.
A singe scores 2 runs.
Since they were facing Becket and their line-up is probably not all that potent, the manager figured one hit was the likely output. Hence, he used the bunt to maximize the potential results from that one hit. This mindset is on par with clock management in football.
And who is "cutting you off from posting?"
Who has cut you off when you’ve had a negative concern about Belichick or the coaching staff? The only ones who can cut you off are the mods or the editorial staff so I’d like to know.
Keep the faith!
I think what he meant by the whole cut off from posting is that on PP, there are so many that for lack
of a better term ‘attack’ whenever someones simply criticizes a BB call or ruling. I’ve seen that myself. And it gives off this fake sense of infallibility that BB can’t possibly have. He chose the wrong words, but i understand what he is saying……for the most part.
In GOD I TRUST>In BB i trust......faith where it belongs!!
Life is about who makes it, not who makes it the fastest! Drive slow homie.
What's frustrarting about criticizing BB (or listening to criticisms of him)
is that, in the end, there’s no point. Does he make personnel mistakes? Obviously. Does every move fit into some genius master plan that nobody else is privy to? Not really. Does he make coaching blunders? Yes (rarely).
But the facts remains: BB is the best coach in the NFL, AND one of the best personnel managers in the NFL. If you think someone can do his job better than he does it, kindly introduce that person to the world, because they are as yet unknown. If you accept that BB is among the best but STILL think someone else should have his job, you’re just being foolish. You do yourself no favors by making this “straw man” argument about how Belichick isn’t really infallible, because nobody in good faith believes that; they just believe that the man’s track record is so impressive, and his results are so hard to argue with, that you basically have to be stupid to bet against him. In the name of artistic license and hyperbole, people say things like “In BB I trust,” but nobody actually thinks the man is a bona fide soothsayer. He’s just a guy that is far and away better at what he does than anyone else in his league. To mischaracterize people’s attitudes toward him for the sake of setting up and argument that you know you’re going to win is childish and annoying.
In the end, criticizing BB is an academic exercise. Unless you’re prepared to make a legitimate case that his weaknesses outweigh his strengths, what is your point?
BTW, none of this is meant to be directed at you, personally. This is just a generic rant about BB haters, in general.
by nbradley07 on Sep 27, 2011 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don’t see BB haters in this forum. I really don’t. There are a couple of locals in the news forums that seem to be negative toward him, but the fan base always appears more than positive about his abilities, etc.
The threads that attempt to point out questions, concerns, and/or disagreements regarding some of his decisions are attacked by supporters with a degree of agressiveness that tends to lose the focus of the thread.
It’s all hindsight.
You make observations about the most recent game, but you can project patterns that have not changed for several years. And, from those conclusions, you raise questions as to why certain patterns are not adjusted.
Many people were expecting a major pass rusher in the draft ( I was not one of that camp), but they certainly based their expectation on a pitiful pass rush. BB supposedly filled that need with Carter, Anderson, Haynesworth, and Ellis.
In my view, those four (Haynesworth being the ? with back issues in his history) appear far better than anything BB could have achieved in the draft. That, then,raises the question. Where are sacks? Is it the defensive scheme that needs to be changed if this trio (Buffalo game) cannot even register a single sack?
That’s not asking for BB’s resignation. It is asking for an explanation.
Someone did. I had to change computers to post replies or any posting soon after I raised concerns about BB and staff regarding play calling and clock management.
And, yes, PatNation85, below, is spot on. If you dare question BB’s coaching, the house caves in. People simply refuse to question his coaching, their lack of a running attack, the pass first mindset, …
It's not that people question his coaching and management. I think we all do from time to time.
I’m sure he does from time to time.
It’s just that when someone complains about Belichick or wants him fired and they aren’t offering reasoned or resonable alternatives, then it is just a whine fest.
Really, who would you get to do a better job, and more importantly WHY do you think they would do a better job?
You answer that and you have a post. Without that you’re just complaining about a coach that has had incredible success. He’s shown he can win without Brady, and he’s shown he can win without Parcells crew. If you think you’ve got someone that offers a better shot at a Super Bowl, I’m all ears.
I’ve gone through the usual suspects and I don’t see it. I’ve seen some guys that might help out as coordinators, and such, but not a better head coach candidate. If you find one, let me know.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
Some people can learn from the mistakes of others, while some people need to pee on the electric fence themselves.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Sep 27, 2011 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s just that when someone complains about Belichick or wants him fired and they aren’t offering reasoned or resonable alternatives
NO ONE, myself included, has asked for BB to be fired and replaced. Find that post in this thread, and I’ll stand corrected. I know it won’t be mine, but maybe one slipped in above that I missed.
He’s shown he can win without Brady, and he’s shown he can win without Parcells crew.
We have to agree on a common interest regarding wins. I like Super Bowls. If you have Brady, it is only natural that you want the Super Bowl, and anything less is a failed season. That’s my feeling. I could care less how they get into the playoffs (# of wins and losses). I just want the SB.
Without Parcells, they have shined: 3 SB’s. But, 2004 is a long time ago.
2008 they missed the playoffs w/o Brady. 5 losses was too many, and one of those losses was to Miami: the team that took their playoff spot in 2008.
In my view, that was a lost season because Brady was lost. I just dismissed the season much in the way discussions recently played out whether the Colts should IR Manning and gain a high draft pick next year. But, if you look at it technically, the PATS failed to win the SB w/o Brady in 2008 if you hold to “success” being a SB and anything else being a failed attempt.
If win totals are your defined criteria for "success’, then BB is the very best coach out there.
At this point, it’s merely a matter of people stating their interest in the PATS. There’s no wrong side to be on. Some folks just love to watch the team win games, and total wins is their definition of success. Other people wants SB rings, and the regular season is merely a formality to determine playoff seedings. Ideally, the 1st seeding is best, but recently home field has been a non factor for the PATS.
Wrong, MANY people have called for BB to be fired over the years.
Not saying you did. If you want links look for fire and Hoodie or BB or Belichick or whatever. Simpler probably to search for BabeParilli as he was a prime advocate until he wasn’t then he was then he wasn’t ….
You know 2004 IS a long time ago, but we played in a Super Bowl in 2007.
The Lions, Jaguars, Browns, and Texans have never been to one.
Jets’ last visit and victory is 1969. I was 5 and I remember it.
Dolphins’ last victory was 1974 (they also won in 1973), last vist was 1985 (also made it in 1983).
Bills’ last visit (of four consecutive) was 1994.
We’ve had more visits than any team in the division with 6, and more wins with 3.
The Bills, Bengals, Titans, Chargers, Eagles, Vikings, Panthers, Falcons, Seahawks, and Cardinals have never won a Super Bowl.
All things being equal, and they’re not, any team has a 6.25% chance of being in the Super Bowl, and a 3.125% chance of winning one. I’d say we’re pushing that our way more often than the probability says. In fact, we’ve had a pretty good shot even in the last five years. I think Belichick and Brady both have something to do with that.
I want Super Bowl rings as much as the next guy, but I’ve been watching this NFL thing a little too long to feel my team is entitled to one (and NO, I’m not saying you said that either). The hardest part for me being a Pats fan are all the people who seem to think that we ARE entitled to win it every year. In fact the 2007 year is a perfect year to remember that the line between winning and losing in this league can be razor thin.
I’m not jumping on you at all. I’m just letting you know why people seem quick to defend BB around here. Especially people who remember the bad years when a whole lot of sucking was going on. He’s not infallible, but I don’t see a better option out there.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
Some people can learn from the mistakes of others, while some people need to pee on the electric fence themselves.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Sep 28, 2011 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Thanks for the comments.
This is not being said to you. It’s in reply to comments above.
Greese had Szonka and Mercury Morris
Aikmen had Emmit Smith
Montana had Jim Craig
Bradshaw had Franco Harris and Rocky Blier
Those are formidable running attacks integrated into their system to support an elite QB.
Brady had Antowain Smith in 2003 (solid)
Brady had Corey Dillon in 2004 (excellent)
Weiss exits.
Dillon begins to fade.
They add Maroney.
2005 and 2006 No Super Bowl.
>> Time to address this because BB wants SB’s!!! He’s driven for nothing less than a SB each season. Maroney has fallen short of expectations the past two seasons.
They get Welker and Moss, and go pass first.
RB is not a high priority so Maroney is good enough.
2007 No Super Bowl.
>> Running attack not there. Limited offensive options if a team really focuses on Moss and Welker (heard this in the BB documentary from BB himself)
2008 TB goes down. Uugh!!!
No Super Bowl
2009
Oddly enough, no real change. Welker and Moss and Maroney. Pass first. RB remains a secondary priority. Maroney good enough.
No Super Bowl
2010
Add awesome TE’s. Maroney no longer good enough to keep. Settle for two undrafted RB’s. They’re good, they combine for a 1500+ season, but I don’t sense the Jets feared the run. Sacks and pressure.
No Super Bowl
2011
Add two quality D1 RB’s and a new quality D1 tackle. Add some serious defenders.
All indications point to a new vision. It’s time to shift away from our one-dimensional offense. We’ll commit to the run like the SB years, use the great TE’s and solid WR’s we have, let TB maximize PA, and aim for a more balanced offensive attack.
First three games – PASS PASS PASS
Maybe I have the timing a bit off as this is rushed. But, I think this is fairly accurate. Drafts have come and gone since the Maroney pick, and we see no 1st round RB – or no Dillon level free agency grab if there was one instead of drafting a RB in round 1. I think it’s simply because running has not been a high priority. I point this out because other elite QB’s (listed above) had a solid running attack. Brady has not since 2006 (when Dillon had clearly faded). And, contrary to the masses, I think this has been the reason why we have not seen a SB since 2004. I think Brady has been left with a formidable task to win without a premier running back / attack.
The system kicked you out once
back on Sept. 11th, because your post contained more than 5 links. But that was an automatic reaction from SB Nation, not from Pats Pulpit.
Keep the faith!
I'm not ready to jump off the bridge just yet.
Three factors should give us reason to hope, not despair: 1) the short/nonexistent offseason, 2) the shift in defensive scheme, and 3) the turnover at multiple key positions.
The line is almost entirely new, with Wilfork the only longtime New England resident. At linebacker, Mayo is switching to a new position, and a second-year guy (Spikes) is starting at MLB. The CBs consist of a second-year player (McCourty) who’s having somewhat of a sophomore slump so far, a guy coming off a season-ending injury (Bodden), a rookie (Dowling) and an undrafted free agent (Arrington) who shouldn’t be more than a nickel or dime back. Chung (when healthy) holds down half the field at safety, but the other side is frighteningly thin.
First, given the amount of turnover and the high rate of young players, I don’t think we should be surprised that guys look lost, especially after the shortened offseason. Most of this confusion was inevitable (or at least should have been expected) and, to be honest, every defense is experiencing it across the league. The Jets got hosed for 34 points by the mediocre-at-best Raiders’ offense. These things are going to happen early in this wacky, offseason-less season.
I have hope that this ineffectiveness will subside, because on a vast majority of plays where the defense screws up, it’s because someone on the defense blew an assignment or missed a tackle. Seldom do we see plays where the entire defense, as a unit, is unprepared or out of position. This tells me that the coaches know what’s going on, but the players aren’t yet at the point where they can implement it. What we’re seeing, at least on defense, isn’t one team out-coaching the other – it’s one team (the Patriots) not executing the coach’s plan.
Second, I don’t blame the turnover on Belichick, except as to the safety position. The team desperately needed to revamp the DL and CB positions, and they did that. The problem is that these players have yet to catch up. Missing the offseason didn’t help. I do blame BB for the problems at safety, though, because there was no legitimate reason to cut James Sanders in favor of the deadbeats currently going out there every Sunday.
Essentially, I think this defense will come around, because what’s lacking is familiarity. Unlike last year and in 2009, this defense doesn’t seem schematically flawed. It’s not leaving the middle completely open for easy 10-yard gains to check-downs anymore. It’s actually TRYING to get some pressure on the QB and, when the right personnel are in, it’s having some success. It’s still pretty damn good against the run. I think the players are about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way there, but it’s got to be obvious that not everyone on that defense is comfortable just yet. If we’re still seeing the same things in week 10 or 11, then it’s panic time. But for now, when so many players are still in the beginning stages of adjusting to new roles or even new positions, I’m hesitant to say this defense is doomed.
This year? Or when Tom retires?
Essentially, I think this defense will come around
In GOD I TRUST>In BB i trust......faith where it belongs!!
Life is about who makes it, not who makes it the fastest! Drive slow homie.
by PatNation85 on Sep 27, 2011 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Why is it about Brady?
Sure, I’d love the guy to win another couple and go out as the best ever. But I thought we were about the team, and team success. If you want to support one player instead of the team, there’s a good one in Indiana that everyone seems seemed to follow.
"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West
Well i thought it was obvious that he's the only great thing this team has right now on the field.
But i guess that isn’t clear to some.
In GOD I TRUST>In BB i trust......faith where it belongs!!
Life is about who makes it, not who makes it the fastest! Drive slow homie.
So they go from being a Super Bowl contender back to a playoff contender once other parts fall into place.
Drop out of the elite couple in the conference and instead hope to fluke a couple on the road in the postseason. Like 25 NFL teams.
"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West
To be honest,
I sometimes miss those days. I was always happy when the Pats won, instead of just satisfied, and I wasn’t as miserable when they lost. 2-1! Half the league would be ecstatic to be sitting at 2-1.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 27, 2011 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions
I know.
Sometimes, I think we ought to get a new head coach so that we could go back to completely sucking again during the rebuild. We’ve lost track of what that feels like.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
Some people can learn from the mistakes of others, while some people need to pee on the electric fence themselves.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Sep 27, 2011 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions
This year, I hope.
Maybe next, though. You can’t reasonably expect an entire unit to make wholesale adjustments to its scheme in a year without an offseason without a few bumps in the road. Like I said, if the defense still looks like this in crunch time, I’m right there with you in the tub with the toaster. But after Week 3? It’s just not fair or accurate to assess what this defense can or will be, when they themselves are still adjusting to basic but very extensive schematic changes.
And...
…People were hysterical in pretty much the same ways last year after Fitzpatrick carved the Pats up the first meeting of the season…though the Pats escaped with a win.
Each of the last 3 years, the Bills have taken it to the end in the first game, with the Patriots having to come back to win. We haven’t hit the end of this year, but the second meetings for most of the decade have been Patriots dominations, including last year’s 34-3 to match with the 38-30 at the beginning.
BB yearly tries to get by with wins early in the season as he gets the team ready for the end of the season. Only 2004 and 2007 are really exceptions, with the team starting off solidly. The rest of the decade, they did enough to get the win while improving week to week through the season, adding a new capability here and another one there. And this season, he reformed the basic offense, and then reshuffled personnel after the pre-season, and then as nbradley pointed out had to do without some key contributors – especially including Chung.
Namath's comments about Ryan
“It’s rather alarming,” Namath said on WFAN-AM’s “Michael Kay Show,” according to ESPN. “It starts at the top. Coach Rex Ryan, he’s been doing a great job, getting us to two conference championship games, but there’s one thing about the athlete: You keep telling him how good he is, he’s going to start believing it to the point that he may not be preparing quite the way he should. He may be losing some respect for the other team.”
Oh noes, Nammy… Really?!
That kind of thing just makes my post-defeat monday that much easier to survive. #CANTWAIT to see Jets implode.
by charlie52 on Sep 26, 2011 11:00 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
For all his faults, namely being the Jets' Aslan figure,
He’s usually correct.
Especially when he’s been drinking.
"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West
ISN - I want to kiss you.
True wealth is a shelf full of unread books.
by Hometown Gyro on Sep 27, 2011 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Got to slur it more.
IIIII…. I wannakishhh youuuuu
"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West
i think the secondary is getting a bit too much heat...
our linebackers are getting beat quite often. honestly the first position i hope we address in then next draft..olb.
As Mayo said, if a blitz is called they must get to the QB
and they didn’t. In turn, that affects the secondary and is bound to result in the other team creating some back-breaking big plays.
Keep the faith!
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