IcyPatriot

So .. all armchair members out there criticizing O'Brien.
Can't name you ... against forum rules ... but you know who you are.

Let's have 1 - 12 play drive that is guaranteed ... 100% to give us 7 points this Sunday.

Every angle of this argument has been made by you few who know who you are.

don't take plays from drives that have produced touchdowns this year ... we'll be checking for cheating.

HEY BRO! WHAT UP?

I'd be shocked if anybody responds to this. Not that it's a stupid post, but I don't think people are going to take the time to formulate 5-12 play drives.

IcyPatriot

Like they could ... okay ... how about 1 ... I'll change it to 1.

pats1

Brees threw 23 passes on Monday night, 5 of which were touchdowns. He didn't need 5-12 play drives. In many cases, he needed 1-play drives.

IcyPatriot

The pain was just easing ... until now.

BillBelichickFan79

I don't know if people on here are saying they could call better plays and drives than O'Brien, but are rather questioning some of the decision making O'Brien and possibly BB made during the game.

A good example is how we pounded the rock very effectively with Maroney and used a ton of clock, kept Brees off the field, and scored a TD. Then we start coming out trying to pass the ball with 4 wide. I think Maroney had 15 carries, and like 13 of those carries were in the 1st half. Why didn't he touch the ball in the 2nd half? We scored on that first drive to make it 24-17, and it probably should've been 24-20 b/c Gostowski missed a FG he shouldve made IMO. There was still 10 mins left in the third quarter, and we just basically abandoned the run.

Another instance is when we burn a timeout on 4th and 4 inside the 10. If you burn a timeout, especially in the 2nd half, on trying to figure out what you're going to do on 4th down and what play you're going to call, you better convert. Obviously, they didn't convert and that's really where you felt the game was basically over with the way the defense was playing.

At the start of the 4th quarter, it's 2nd and 10 from our own 15. We are down 31-17 and obviously need to score quickly. O'Brien calls a draw play to Faulk that picks up like one yard. That's a head scratcher right there.

Yes the Saints came ready to play and came out an executed well, and yes Brady did not have a good game like we needed him to, but the fact that we couldn't expose a secondary that had two guys off the street (McKenzie and McAlister) places blame on both the coaching staff and the players.

I'm not a big fan of having a rookie OC call the plays for a team that is supposed to be in contention for a Super Bowl. I'm not ripping O'Brien, not saying he won't eventually be a good playcaller once he gets some experience in the NFL, but I'm saying I'd much rather a guy like Weis come in and call plays. I think us having a rookie OC really stands out in our 2nd half offense. We've always been noted for our great ability to make halftime adjustments and come out and play better in the 2nd half. So far this year we have been abysmal at making halftime adjustments on offense. (I'm going on the basis that BB spends more time with the defense at halftime b/c he is a defensive guy and trusts the offense to take care of itself). IIRC, we scored 0 points in 2nd half vs Jets in Week 2 and vs the Broncos. With Brady, Moss, Welker, Faulk, Maroney, etc., that is inexcusable. Yes Brady was still having a tough time back then but that is still where the rookie signal caller hurts us, especially in the playoffs vs the best teams.

fnordcircle

I hate these sort of posts.

If a pilot keeps on nearly crashing a plane and giving rough landings even though I don't know squat about flying a plane it's fair of me to say 'I do not think he is a good pilot.'

I honestly don't got a problem with either of our coordinators, I think Pees is dealing with a defense that is being rebuilt and O'Brien is coming into his own.

But this thread is stupid.

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IcyPatriot

You read those threads and there's a common theme. The good that is done by the coach is assumed and the bad is criticized. The Patriots have a top offense in the league this year. That's not luck in my eyes. I don't think O'brien is a top OC ... or even in the top half of all OC's. He is part of a multi-faceted coaching and play calling machine that includes O'Brien himself, Belichick, Brady, Adams, O-Line coach Scarnecchia, eye in the sky coaches. It's a team thing ... i don't think belichick is talking crap when he says we all need to do a better job. It starts on Monday and ends on Sunday.

they have meetings and they make plans all week. I remember reading or hearing somewhere that the game boils down to something like 120 possible plays for the game. All the coaches help that process as the game is rolling along. Brady himself has major input as to what the possible plays are for that game that week.

O'brien is not on an island alone out there and anyone who thinks he is is not paying attention. If anything more of the blame should go to Brady than O'brien because he can change every play at the line if he so chooses.

This is how I see it.

BillBelichickFan79

You're definitely right with saying that Brady doesn't get blamed enough b/c he can audible at the line on any play he wants. But the people here and fans of the Pats, myself included, are enamored with Tom Brady, therefore people look to point the finger elsewhere (O'Brien). O'Brien definitely deserves some blame, but not all of it. Brady definitely deserves some blame but will never get enough of it on here. Just like with the defense Pees gets ripped to shreds, but BB doesn't. Pees definitely deserves a lot of the criticism he gets, but BB also deserves the blame b/c he is the "defensive genius." But that's just not going to happen on here because people love BB for the way he is made this a model organization in the NFL.

It also goes the other way. When the defense comes out and plays a great game, it's b/c BB made great adjustments and BB is the reason we shut people down. Pees doesn't get any of the credit at all. Same with the offense. When we put up 59 on the Titans and sliced and diced the Colts for 24 first half points, no one was saying O'Brien was the key to success and was calling a great game. It was Brady is back, Brady is amazing, etc. That's just the way it goes.

IcyPatriot

If a member here has the knowledge to say a coach is not a good coach ... then that member must have more knowledge than them. It's not stupid at all. If a coach sucks ... then why does he or she suck and what would you do differently.

I happen to think both are good enough ... not the best and not the worst ... but the game plan is a team effort.