I'm Still Mad

[spacecrime]

Okay, I've been called the King of Homerville, and I root for the Pats right or wrong, win or lose, but I'm still mad over Sunday's game.

I haven't logged on anywhere or seen any sports shows on TV or the web, so I don't know what people are saying, but I'm saying I saw the worst coaching since the pre-Parcels Patriots.

Colts CBs decimated and we go down the field once. Cassel lays in it perfectly, it would have been a TD, and they go back to 3-yard passes.

Our Oline outweighs their DLine by a Buick and a couple of hybrids and when we a 2-point conversion, do we pound it in the our biggest back behind our big Oline? No, we try a draw against the fastest DLine in the NFL. That's some coaching, Bunky.

Calling a timeout a split second before a play is simply stupid. Hasn't anyone learned that yet.

I saw Cassel throw his first pass in training camp, and I've been a Cassel fan ever since. The term Cassellite was invented here because of my constant yapping defending BB for using a draft pick on him.

OTOH, I've been watching the Pats since they were the Boston Patriots and teh Bay State Patriots, and BB has given my my greatest games and I say, In BB I Trust.

But why won't he trust Cassel? Cassel can make any throw on the field. Why are they handcuffing him? It really pisses me off.

And if they don't think BJGE can bang it for a yard, why is he on the team? I like Faulk, but going for a 2 pointer on the ground against a small DLine, POUND IT IN.

I've seen bad coaching and I know what it looks like. It looks like the game I saw Sunday night. We should have won.

The only good thing to come out of the Colts game is that the Pats offense is far better than even I thought under Cassel. They almost beat the Colts in spite of BB's coaching. You don't play not to lose, you play to win. Even Herm knew that.

If they ever let Cassel play, we will go deep into the playoffs. Superbowl deep. Cassel is even better than I thought, and who would have believed that?

 

[BlitzFritz]

well welcome back, Rip!! where ya been?
actually you just missed 2 days....

many ppl, including myself, agree that it was poorly coached, or at least had its moments, which is unfortuante, given a good gameplan in general.

it felt .... kinda like... the superbowl...to me

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

relax... we still have 8 more games. look where we've come from.

if we continue improving i see us as top dog honestly.

i think the SB was the worst coaching job.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Maybe you should have logged in and read the discussions here rather than starting the rehash all over again on Tuesday. Reading helps give you perspective. Read Josh's Q & A for some today.

Look, it was a brilliant game plan and it was working to perfection with the exception of one missed catch, one boneheaded penalty and a couple of uncharacteristically questionable game management decisions.

They will also not rush another brilliant (developmental QB) gameplan just to appease an impatient fan base or media.

 

[maverick4]

Not a coincidence that every one of your gripes is offensive related. Keep in mind that Belichick gives his OC's tons of leeway and autonomy.

Josh McDaniels = Gen X version of Norv Turner. Highly over-rated.

 

[pats1]

I agree, they should have won. The game was coached like it was against the Colts of old, not the Colts of new. But what can you say? Just gotta do a better job next week.

 

[spacecrime]

Maybe you should have logged in and read the discussions here rather than starting the rehash all over again on Tuesday.

Tissues are in aisle 10.

Look, it was a brilliant game plan and it was working to perfection with the exception of one missed catch

The Colts dress 3 CBs, one of whom was on the street last Tuesday, and our game plan is not to toss the ball anywhere near them except once, and when that one toss nearly results in a TD, the plan is to never throw longer than 10 yards again until it is 4th and 16 with the game almost over? I guess we have different ideas of working to perfection.

 

[maverick4]

Josh McDaniels has no idea how to exploit weaknesses or self-scout his own tendencies.

Every game the past few games, by the second half my friends and I can guess most of the play calls and where the ball is going on offense.

McDaniels calls plays like he's playing a Madden game, he goes with the same 5 plays he picked from the beginning, over and over and over.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Not a coincidence that every one of your gripes is offensive related. Keep in mind that Belichick gives his OC's tons of leeway and autonomy.

Josh McDaniels = Gen X version of Norv Turner. Highly over-rated.

Says who? Even Charlie didn't have autonomy. The OC's here run Belichick's offense and defense. He is conservative by nature and cares about things like TOP, field position, situational football, protecting the football, taking what defenses give you. Last season he became enamored with records and production and in the end they failed him. This year he's developing a QB out of someone most of the armchair geniuses here thought should be working at Walmart...and retooling a defense. This team is a work in progress, and few of those are 5-3 8 games in.

 

[Deus Irae]

Josh McDaniels has no idea how to exploit weaknesses or self-scout his own tendencies.

Every game the past few games, by the second half my friends and I can guess most of the play calls and where the ball is going on offense.

McDaniels calls plays like he's playing a Madden game, he goes with the same 5 plays he picked from the beginning, over and over and over.

They televise a lot of football games in this modern era. You should try watching some. It might help make your commentary less ridiculous, especially coming off the two "wildcat" calls.

 

[maverick4]

Says who? Even Charlie didn't have autonomy. The OC's here run Belichick's offense and defense.

You are fooling yourself.

Take a look at the defense. It has taken drastically different styles and looks, which are indicative of the style of the OC's. Romeo's D has looked a lot different from Mangini's or Pees' defense.

Belichick gives his coordinators lots of leeway, he does not micromanage in general.

 

[spacecrime]

They televise a lot of football games in this modern era. You should try watching some. It might help make your commentary less ridiculous, especially coming off the two "wildcat" calls.

I like all the adjustments he made in the superbowl.

 

[Deus Irae]

I like all the adjustments he made in the superbowl.

You mean the game where the team lost its right guard and third down back, and still would have won using the "adjustments" made had it not been for helmet catches and the like? How's that offensive line looked this season without Neal?

Oh, sorry.... I forgot that facts shouldn't be allowed to get in the way of pointless rants. Way to bring up the only loss of the year instead of the 18 wins though.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I've been one of McDaniels biggest critics but aside from the SD game I think he's done a solid job this year. His gameplan would've worked to perfection on Sunday if the defense would have at least made a red zone stop and we didn't have major screwups by Gaffney, Thomas, and BB.

There was a stretch from midway through the 2nd quarter till midway through the 3rd where Manning was off the field for 15.5 out of 17 minutes. Not only should Josh's offense have put up 22-27 points without the mistakes that were out of his control, but his offense was our best defense that night.

 

[spacecrime]

You mean the game where the team lost its right guard and third down back, and still would have won using the "adjustments" made had it not been for helmet catches and the like? How's that offensive line looked this season without Neal?

Oh, sorry.... I forgot that facts shouldn't be allowed to get in the way of pointless rants. Way to bring up the only loss of the year instead of the 18 wins though.

Yeah, I'm saying that the pass rush killed the Pats in the first quarter, the second quarter, the third quarter and the fourth quarter, and that there we no adjustments made to fight it. Quick WR screens, passes to the FB, quick slants, there are a lot of things that can make a team slow down a pass rush.

I'm receptive to any facts you have that show JM made adjustments to compensate for the pass rush last Feb, but while you post aggressively, you haven't said anything. Or are you telling me that the Pats didn't run WR screens because they lost an OG and a third down back. Could be, but that would just be another example of JM stupidity.

I know it was their only loss. I wanted this win more than I wanted any other win, and I was even more upset over the loss than I was about the 76 Raider loss, and I'm still pissed about that, Ahole Ben Dreith, the soggy field and uncut grass, Russ Frances getting punched through his face guard at the LOS, the ridiculous calls to give Stabler more and more chances. The superbowl was worse. We were the better team and we should have won. Saying that does not suddenly turn me into one of the maroons that infest this site. You aren't talking to one of the internegators here. I'm Homer Central. The Pats are my team, and I look upon every draft pick to be a steal and every FA signing to be huge until proven otherwise. My glass isn't half full, it is overflowing. I think everyone not a patriots fan should be permantly restricted to the visitors forum. There has never been a Pats player let go since Mike Haynes that I don't feel could easily be replaced. I was never critical even of Pete Carrol. For years, the Pats could do nothing wrong in my eyes (except for Weiss's stupid 3rd and long draw plays). I know it was our only loss. I also know that if they had made ANY adjustments to slow down that pass rush there would have been no losses.

 

[Deus Irae]

Yeah, I'm saying that the pass rush killed the Pats in the first quarter, the second quarter, the third quarter and the fourth quarter, and that there we no adjustments made to fight it. Quick WR screens, passes to the FB, quick slants, there are a lot of things that can make a team slow down a pass rush.

I'm receptive to any facts you have that show JM made adjustments to compensate for the pass rush last Feb, but while you post aggressively, you haven't said anything. Or are you telling me that the Pats didn't run WR screens because they lost an OG and a third down back. Could be, but that would just be another example of JM stupidity.

Ummm..... they tried screens. They didn't work. Your argument isn't based in truth.

 

[spacecrime]

Ummm..... they tried screens. They didn't work. Your argument isn't based in truth.

No, they didn't. Don't make stuff up to support your argument. They ran one early on with Maroney. He got hammered.

After that, they just let Brady hang in the pocket and get teed off on all game long.

Go back and watch the game again.

You will see Brady getting blasted time and again standing in the pocket. A half dozen of those 1/2 second to develop WR screens or flip to the FB over the head of a rushing DB would have slowed down the pass rush.

Go back and watch.

Or maybe Pats1 or someone has a list of plays run.

 

[Deus Irae]

No, they didn't. Don't make stuff up to support your argument. They ran one early on with Maroney. He got hammered.

After that, they just let Brady hang in the pocket and get teed off on all game long.

Go back and watch the game again.

You will see Brady getting blasted time and again standing in the pocket. A half dozen of those 1/2 second to develop WR screens or flip to the FB over the head of a rushing DB would have slowed down the pass rush.

Go back and watch.

Or maybe Pats1 or someone has a list of plays run.

I'm not making things up. I watched the game. I believe, for example, that Stallworth picked up about 18 yards on one of the screen passes. Of course, since I don't have the game on in front of me, it's possible that I'm misremembering what that play was.

Also, perhaps these people are all wrong:

A Super Shocker: Giants stun Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII. The Minaret’s Sports Blog

Game Over: Giants 17, Patriots 14 - The Fifth Down - Sports - Pro Football - New York Times Blog

SI.com - Writers - Bucky Brooks: Super Bowl XLII report card - Monday February 4, 2008 2:15AM

Epoch Times | New York Giants Win Superbowl XLII, 17–14 Over New England Patriots

Again, why let facts get in the way of your rant, right?

 

[Joker]

If it makes you feel any better,Space...I STILL hate Ben Dreith with a vengeance too

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Seems like they got the official version wrong too...

They got by on a preponderance of short stuff when it wasn't snuffed out - and the yardage or lack thereof or negative yardage not to mention incompletions attests to the fact that it was - or when it wasn't the OL was committing penalties to add to their inefficiency. They needed consistent YAC absent the ability to get the ball downfield and there was less of it to be had because the Giants were playing disciplined defense and getting sufficient pressure absent the blitz to be prepared to snuff out the slants and screens too. And they weren't wasting resources on doubling Moss because they were taking Brady out of the equation consistently.

http://library.kraftsportsgroup.com/20080203_gamebook.pdf

In both cases space your're just mad because they lost 2 games, and they really shouldn't have, and it must be one guys problem and Josh is the easy target 'cause no-name OC's are a dime a dozen while players and HC's actually demand a highly functional replacement and a homer's loyalty...

Sunday night they took Moss (who has not exactly been the human vacuum cleaner this season either) out of the equation with the two high safeties and rolling coverage his way and they gave the pats the ground game and underneath stuff. You're not going to put up big numbers playing that game unless you punch it in in the red zone. We did that once and were poised to do it twice until Bill decided to take the FG. But in the process we ate up clock and limited Manning's opportunities to exploit our secondary (same as Dungy game planned to limit our ability to exploit his secondary by committing to helping it).

You now say you wanted Brady to take more of what you though was being given in February. Sunday you wanted Cassel to take less of the same when it in fact was being freely given. So you wanted to trade sacks for picks...:ugh:

Nope, fact is you'd have reamed him either way because by your own admission those were two games that meant more to you than reason will accommodate and you just wanted to win them and absent that your anger requires you blame someone...replaceable.

PS there were a couple of lengthy threads here I don't care to unearth that pretty much dissected the OL catastrophe that was XLII and along the way debunked the message board myth that playcalling adjustments were not made that theoretically should have slowed down the pass rush. The fact was the adjustment didn't work because the Giants DL was essentially physically overpowering the lighter Patriots OL up the middle collapsing the pocket while their LB's and safeties remained ready and more often than not able to wrap up anything that appeared out of our backfield (if they didn't greet them in it) or hit them in their tracks darting across the middle. The only adjustment that would have helped was better blocking, and absent Neal and K. Brady and even Faulk for a series that wasn't happening on a night when Logan Mankins was also experiencing his worst performance as a Patriot (and Kaczur was probably high as a kite on pain meds).

With Neal back and 2 healthy TE's and an off season and TC and 7 weeks of another season in the books they are just getting that OL problem under reasonable control with Tom Brady's replacement developing on the job and you want them to say screw that and pull out all the punches and let the chips fall where they may so they can beat the one team that matters to you. This is why Kraft hired Bill to make the decisions here while fans just get to vent on message boards...