patfanken

....after watching most of the NFLN Replay of the game I have the following observations....so bear with me.

1. Well folks there really IS a blueprint to beat the Pats offense, and I'm a little embarassed that I didn't think of it before hand. BTW its not anything new, in fact we should be very familiar with it, because we USED IT in 2003 to stop the Colts. (only we were better at it).

Simply put, you hold and grab in tight man coverage underneath and then keep 2 deep safeties over the top to make sure that you don't get beat deep. You tell your guys to get physical with the receivers, grab if you have to. Do it EVERY play and DARE the officials to call it.

Ultimately after watching the Ravens VIOLATE the Pats WRs for most of 4 quarters, they finally called a few at the end of the game. Frankly I think it was a brilliant strategy and it ALMOST worked.

2 Unlike a lot of fans, I have no problem with opponents fans being upset when contraversial calls go against them. However in this game there were NO CONTRAVERSIAL CALLS! I don't see how a good football fan could possibly have a problem with the key flag on the Ravens. It was a text book case for THREE penalties, Holding, Illegal contact, and PI. Not only did Ivy make contact down the field, he was grabbing him the whole way. PLUS the fact Ed Reed hit Watson WELL before the ball got there.

3. What I REALLY have a problem with, and I've had this problem ALL SEASON, is how the national media presents the Patriots and what happens in the games. What I don't see is, WHY or HOW these media pukes can watch that play over and over again and then call it CONTRAVERSIAL. There was NOTHING contraversial about that play.....NOTHING, Yet they leave you thinking that it was like the Samuel, Hobbs, or Moss Phantom calls that we've seen go against us. UNREAL

4. The same goes for the Raven's fans and other assorted haters. How they can ***** when EVERYONE of those defensive calls were UNDENIABLY correct, with a straight face. The same goes for those players. I heard Rolle (I think) say in a post game interview that the flag wasn't thrown until AFTER the ball hit the ground, when CLEARLY it was throw WELL before Brady even threw the ball. These guys have no sense of reality down there.

5. Speaking of the behavior of the Ravens players, is it ANY wonder why, with one of the most talent laden teams in the NFL they haven't even had a SNIFF at a superbowl since 2000. Clearly they are HORRIBLY put together, have ZERO discipline, no class, and all of them play to the INDIVIDUAL spotlight. They are a true reflection of their HC, and they have paid the price for it for this entire DECADE. Their window has officially CLOSED!

6. I have several rules I would love to have change. I'd like to eliminate the rule that says the ground can't cause a fumble. To that I ask, "WHY NOT". Not only would it eliminate a lot of loose ball handling, it would take another judgment call away from the officials, along with thos mind numbing replays.
I'd like to see the clock stopped until the sticks are set after a first down in the last 5 minutes of each half, among others.

However I will add a new one to the top of my list. I would like to see the play continue after a false start, illegal motion or procedure. Way too often it is the DEFENSE that ends up being penalized, just like the Ravens did last night. I say throw the flag, but let the play continue, AND THEN let the defense decide what they want to do, JUST like it is done when the defense goes offside and there is a free play for the offense.

What do you think?

7. Sorry guys, but I think the refs DID blow the call on Jabbar's TD catch. It was a wonderful effort, but I don't think he had control of the ball going out of the endzone. I understand why they COULD call it a catch. I understand why there wasn't enough visual evidence to over turn it. However using the old eyeball test, I didn't think it was a catch.

That being said, what goes unnoticed is that there was a flag on that play for holding and I doubt if the call was overturned it would have changed the final outcome of the game. First and goal from the 4, and I take my chances with plenty of TOs and time for at LEAST 4 more plays.

8. I saw a picture of Richard Seymour on my milk carton this morning. I think its time to start wondering if we are EVER going to see Seymour at a probowl level again. Can anyone remember the LAST TIME we say Richard play a dominant game? It wasn't in 2006 I can tell you that. Could it be that injuries have started to take a toll on his effectiveness??

9. it is hard to criticize an offense that plays its WORST game of the year and STILL manages to put up 27 points. However I think we will NEVER see Laurence Moroney reach his potential until we see him get 10-15 snaps with Brady under C and Moroney behind him. Almost EVERY running play he gets is a slow developing play. He is a fast back. We have an athletic OL. Why is it that the sweep has been blackballed?

I think its telling that Moroney's best play came on that PAP, when he WAS lined up behind Brady, and a threat to run. With teams going to a tough man to man underneath, throwing to Moroney out of the backfield while a number of DBs are engaged with WRs can be VERY effective....as we all saw.

Please get this memo to Josh.

10. Myth of the night: Brady was sacked 3 time last night, and the media made a big deal out of every one. Just like the Philly game where the reality was that Brady was hit ONLY 5 times in over 50 throws. The same goes for This game. True Brady was under pressure on Monday, but I GUARANTEE that there is NO QB in the league who would have LOVED to be under that same pressure week in and week out. It went almost WITHOUT notice that Boller was being hit almost EVERY pass play. So the myth comes out that the Pats had trouble protecting Brady, and their defense couldn't pressure Boller.

BTW- Boller can add his name to those mediocre QBs who had a career day against the Pats....except for one play.

11. Myth II - This is one that been purpetrated all season. the Myth is that he Pats are suddenly made up of morre superstars that have ever been put together in the NFL. How quickly everyone seemed to forget that his is the same team that had exactly ONE position player elected to a probowl the last 3 years. Yes, Moss is a true Superstar, and Thomas made it to one probowl as a position player, but they are the only ones who are superior talents. The rest of the team, as usual is made up of a LOT of very good players, who are better as a team than they are as individuals.

There are still a number of teams in the NFL who have the same if not BETTER talent as the Pats. DON'T lose sight of the fact that what makes THIS team 12-0 is. HOW THAT TEAM IS PUT TOGETHER, and how they PLAY TOGETHER. Still after 7 years, this team is STILL greater than the sum of its parts. AND if you want to see what the opposite of that looks like, you just had a chance on Monday, when the Pats won a game against a team that is LESS than the sum of its parts.

fnordcircle

With all this complaining about holding by DBs on our awesome receiving corps I guess it's official that the Patriots are now the 2003/2004 Colts.

Canada's #1 Pats Fan

Excellent post. A tonne of thought went into it and it was a good read.

Joker

how can we be? Did B.B. move to change rules with his authoritative position on the competition committee?...oh that's right...the Patriots are the OBJECT of all the rules changes...

He Ban Me

Some good thoughts, nice post.

JR4

"
7. Sorry guys, but I think the refs DID blow the call on Jabbar's TD catch. It was a wonderful effort, but I don't think he had control of the ball going out of the endzone. I understand why they COULD call it a catch. I understand why there wasn't enough visual evidence to over turn it. However using the old eyeball test, I didn't think it was a catch."

which eyeball were you using ... try the other one

did he not have both hands on the ball when his first step of two
steps was inbounds.
was he in the process of tucking it away?
to make such a move ... don't you need to control the ball....
.. I mean if the ball is heading to under his arm pit and his left hand
is directing it there... doesn't that mean he is controlling the ball?
Also there is no clear shot of his right hand during the process of
tucking it.
I would also like to have seen what the refs saw under the hood.
Did you?

Hollywood_Brady

9. based on maroney's play lately... i think he is turning out to be a 3rd down back ala kevin faulk... he doesnt have the toughness to shed tackles and doesnt have the patience/instinct running through holes...that is why i think he is taking less snaps... but he is very good in space, he bailed brady out catching passes and came up with big plays.... to me,if he doesnt turn out to be the RB we want him tobe, at least he looked good as a 3rd down back maybe a better 3rd down back than faulk in the future...

11. i agree with you... after 2 major signings (moss, thomas) then suddenly everybody is considering us one of the most talented team... patriots 2006 are like wallflowers(exaggeration) and suddenly patriots2007 are primetimeboys...
i think its about exposure, we had a great offseason and the randy moss trade took us to the moon (when it comes to media attention)... now the everybody cant get enough of the pats... every pass, tackle, sack, int is amplified 10x over... but actually its the same patriots with just different receivers...

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Stronger than ever...

Disco Volante

The same Patriots with just Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte Stallworth.

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psychoPat

If you have an agenda, you must exert steely self-control to be sure that
you do not let facts overtake your agenda.

Once you've got that down ... you can lead the sheep wherever you wish.
The sheep are
all people who let others do their thinking for them ...
who adopt the most recent interpretation of events they have heard
... or who care principally about remaining in step with whomever they view as their peers or models.


Until this past week the Ravens have been largely a mystery to me.
Now ... having focused on their antics ... i hold them in the same contempt you do
and for the same reasons.





Respectfully suggest you squirt some Windex on your tv screen and contact lenses.
None of the half-dozen replays i've viewed seem to be anything less than
a marvelously athletic catch.



8. I saw a picture of Richard Seymour on my milk carton this morning. I think its time to start wondering if we are EVER going to see Seymour at a probowl level again. Can anyone remember the LAST TIME we say Richard play a dominant game? It wasn't in 2006 I can tell you that. Could it be that injuries have started to take a toll on his effectiveness??


Alas, #93 seems to be in process of becoming the poster child for
Satisfaction Stagnation.
I imagine it'll be a while before the Piolichick f/o succumbs to histrionics like Richard's again.

I.e, ... no blowout contract for Asante.




I delivered it personally. He sends Thanx.

But ... after the Steelers game, where this may come into play again ...
don't count on seeing the Maroney DumpOff trump card again
until the playoffs.




Shhh !
Leave them in their ignorance, f'r petesake.



Very sage insight!

ClevTrev

Agree with the Gaffney observation. I was concerned, as I saw the ball move away from his hands as he stepped out of bounds. Look at it this way, had the ref called it incomplete, there would not have been indisputable evidence to the contrary to change it to complete after the review. Because the replay showed only a partial image of the ball, it was not disputable. That's the situation, and the judgment by the ref on the field was going to be the final word, complete or incomplete. So be it, as it's good to be fortunate for a change.

As usual, good post by PFK.

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