Post-Game Notables. Vollmer, Faulk, Secondary, O'Brien, 4th Down Call

[Patspsycho]

Who would you replace him with? For that matter, how would you replace him when Indy is running no huddle? Last minute DE scratch and then two OLBs going down I think really hurt our defense. I never saw TBC or Ninkovich after their injuries - did either of them make it back onto the field?

no............

 

[mayoclinic]

To be honest, I haven't seen this team make a clutch defensive stop since the Colts game of 2007. They seem to fall apart in the 4th quarter.

If it's a question of endurance, they should have figured it out by now.

I don't get it. I'm starting to lose faith in Pees. The D played great football for three quarters, but the endgame execution has been awful. Even in the Ravens game, we won because of a drop. Unacceptable.

I agree with most of this.

It was clearly a question of speed and endurance in the 2006 AFCCG. This year I doubt that was a factor (except for the DL, which clearly appeared fatigued in the 4th quarter, playing minus Warren and Green).

I'm more concerned with the defensive play calling. We became more and more passive and less aggressive over the course of the game on both offense and defense. The play calling on both sides of the ball in the 4th quarter was just not acceptable.

We led the Jets 9-7 at the half, got shut out in the 2nd half, played passively on defense, and lost. We led the Broncos 17-7 at the half, got shut out in the 2nd half, played passively on defense, and lost. We led the Ravens 17-7 at the half, failed to put them away in the second half, scored only 10 second half points, let them back in the game, and only won on a dropped pass (though our defense remained aggressive and may have contributed to that). And now we led Indy 24-14 at the half, failed to score a point in the 3rd quarter, and blew a 17 point lead in the 4th quarter reverting to the shotgun and becoming more passive on defense.

Perhaps there's a trend here if someone looks hard enough.

 

[HarkDawg]

yeah, maybe the pats should have won, but the colts had heart. I've been a Colts fan since 72. This is awesome.

you've got to be kidding me (for a rationale)

 

[maverick4]

The posters who keep posting links to the pseudo-math over why going for it on 4th down on your own 30 or less somehow has a positive payoff, are probably confused as to why Long Term Capital Management also failed...

 

[Patspsycho]

Stat line on Freeney: 0 tackles, 0 sacks.

 

[The Coon]

Stat line on Freeney: 0 tackles, 0 sacks.

Amazing job by Vollmer tonight. No way in hell we move this guy to the right side.

Has Freeney ever been held in check like that?

 

[Marqui]

Has Freeney ever been held in check like that?

Orlando Pace in 06 SB?

 

[BennyBledsoe]

Well...hope all the people who kept demanding to see what Vollmer could do against Freeney before writing Light out of the starting lineup at left tackle have their backup excuses ready.

 

[ivanvamp]

Well...hope all the people who kept demanding to see what Vollmer could do against Freeney before writing Light out of the starting lineup at left tackle have their backup excuses ready.

Kaczur is not a very good starting tackle. Matt Light *is* a very good tackle. Yet it appears that Vollmer may even have the goods to be better than Light. Certainly he manhandled Freeney, while Mathis (2 sacks, a ton of pressures) dominated Kaczur. Move Light to RT, let Vollmer be the LT, and suddenly Kaczur becomes a pretty decent sub actually. I think this OL with Vollmer, Mankins, Koppen, Neal, and Light has the potential to be a dynamic unit.

 

[ivanvamp]

you've got to be kidding me (for a rationale)

Right. I mean, the Pats came in here and kicked the Colts' asses for 56 minutes. But they don't have "heart". Gimme a break.

 

[Satchboogie3]

Right. I mean, the Pats came in here and kicked the Colts' asses for 56 minutes. But they don't have "heart". Gimme a break.

That's not the point. The point is that statement assumes that the Colts won BECAUSE they had heart, which also assumes that the Patriots did NOT play with heart, or at least not as much as the Colts. That is just ridiculous. The Pats wanted this game just as much as the Colts. They played with just as much "heart" as the Colts.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

I KNEW the Atlanta call would be coming up

I'm fine with the decision to go for it. I supported it because quite frankly, Manning scared the hell out of me. I would rather let TB try and pick up 2 yards than let our D try and stop a HOFer playing at his peak at home with a timeout and 2-minute stoppage.

It didn't work out, but as the NYT reported earlier, statistically, it was the right move if you're trying to win the game. The odds of conversion leading to victory were higher than the odds of punting away in that situation, let alone to Manning for all the reasons I listed above.

Having said that much, I HATED the actual play call. A 2-yard throw from an empty backfield when you need 2 yards? Why not throw it past the sticks? The spot was a bit questionable, though it did seem like he bobbled it. But the call wasn't a very good one. And why not keep Faulk in the backfield as if he might run the same draw play they ran a kazillion times in the 4th quarter? At least give the defense something to think about.

But the actual decision to go for it? I'm fine with that. Don't forget, the Pats actually completed the play they wanted to. They just didn't get the result they wanted to.

Maroney's fumble, the conservative defense at the end of the game, the inability to run in the 4th quarter, the offensive play calling for most of the 4th quarter all had more to do with the loss than BB's 4th down gamble.

 

[maverick4]

Having said that much, I HATED the actual play call. A 2-yard throw from an empty backfield when you need 2 yards? Why not throw it past the sticks? The spot was a bit questionable, though it did seem like he bobbled it. But the call wasn't a very good one. And why not keep Faulk in the backfield as if he might run the same draw play they ran a kazillion times in the 4th quarter? At least give the defense something to think about.

I agree that the actual call was moronic. If they knew you were going to try to win the game right there, they should have just pounded the ball on 3rd and 4th down... or at the very least call a play where Brady is under center.

Then, after failing the conversion, why waste time stopping Addai at the goal line.

 

[maverick4]

yeah, maybe the pats should have won, but the colts had heart. I've been a Colts fan since 72. This is awesome.

The Colts won because the Pats gave them the game.

Peyton is as good as it gets, but from his own 30 yard line, it's probably only a 50/50 shot he actually scores an epic 2 minute game winning drive. It's not like he was on fire all game, he threw two horrible balls that were picked off earlier.

 

[upstater1]

The Colts won because the Pats gave them the game.

Peyton is as good as it gets, but from his own 30 yard line, it's probably only a 50/50 shot he actually scores an epic 2 minute game winning drive. It's not like he was on fire all game, he threw two horrible balls that were picked off earlier.

Earlier in the game the Pats were getting a pass rush.

Peyton shredded the Patriots D twice in that same quarter and each time he did it in less than 2 minutes. There was no rush on him.

 

[upstater1]

Who would you replace him with? For that matter, how would you replace him when Indy is running no huddle? Last minute DE scratch and then two OLBs going down I think really hurt our defense. I never saw TBC or Ninkovich after their injuries - did either of them make it back onto the field?

No, I was looking for Ninkovich because the Colts fans were booing him when he got hurt. I wanted to see if he was acting. He wasn't. He was actually hurt.

 

[upstater1]

O'Brien didn't come back with a run. It was a hi-low drag.

BTW for all the ballyhoo over Faulk and the "bobble" call. Welker was open, FWIW.

Faulk was the first read and he was open. There was a lot of pressure so he wasn't looking around the field.

By the way, O'Brien did come back with a run on the second timeout.

Here's the play-by-play:

Timeout #2 by NE at 02:23.
1st and 10 at NE 20 (Shotgun) K.Faulk up the middle to NE 20 for no gain (R.Brock).

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

O'Brien is a work in progress and who knows how he'll turn out.

With all of the skill players the Pats have on offense, most anyone in here could call plays between the 20's as O'Brien is going. What differentiates the best OC's from the alsorans is what plays are called when the field tightens up and you no longer have all of the field to enact your optimal mismatches with. When you get down in the RZ for example. Our RZ numbers suck this year because the playcalling down there has been horrid.

 

[maverick4]

Earlier in the game the Pats were getting a pass rush.

Peyton shredded the Patriots D twice in that same quarter and each time he did it in less than 2 minutes. There was no rush on him.

This wasn't on the D. If our D-line was hurt/injured, then play dime and force Peyton to make an epic 70 yard TD drive with 2 minutes left.

 

[mayoclinic]

This wasn't on the D. If our D-line was hurt/injured, then play dime and force Peyton to make an epic 70 yard TD drive with 2 minutes left.

We blew a 17 point lead and gave up 21 points in the 4th quarter. It's on the D. With a big assist from the coaching staff, I grant you.