Three Little Birds

[jays52]

Alright, let's all take a step back from the ledge. The fact of the matter is the team just caved today. Plain and simple- they didn't want it. They clearly didn't prepare, and the herculean effort I expected out of the coaching staff simply didn't happen. There are many areas that need improvement (especially offensively), but there are a lot of positives to draw out of this season.

The defense is going to become something special in the near future. The pieces are in place. Pees actually showed me quite a bit towards the end of the season. They need to resign Bodden and extend 75. They gotta go out there and get themselves an edge player as well. I think that too much emphasis is placed on drafting one, and feel that it's too late for that. There is immediate need, and this can only be adressed through FA. I think that they need to secure the immediate help at that position, and they need to adress it in the long term. I also think that they need a veteran leader to join this defense. They need a heart and soul. It's never a good thing when your leaders are on offense.

Offense, in short, is a clusterf*ck. Edelman is going to be a good player, that's for certain. Welker will come back eventually, but I strongly doubt he will ever be the same player he once was. I don't mean to be a downer, but consider his game and what that kind of injury does to someone like that. There's no split end on the team. They have no tight ends. They have a coordinator who has the same mental prowess as a hangover dump. It ain't pretty on that side of the ball no matter how you slice it.

That's not why I'm here, though. I'm here because frankly, I believe in this team in the future. I believe in this front office's ability to patch the holes up. I believe in this defense moving forward. I believe in this offense becoming a professional level offense again. Let's look at the big picture here. They have secured an excellent crop of rookies this past April. Vollmer is a stud in the making, same for Butler and Chung. Arrington is going to be a fine player. Mayo will be coming off of a tough year, and will continue to develop. They can finally rid themselves of that d-bag underachiever Thomas. They will bring in guys with some heart to them this offseason. If there is anything that this coach is known for, it is the ability to consistently patch the holes of the previous year. I am grateful for the winning this team has done over the years. Regardless of if they are regressing- this is still the New England Patriots. If any team can move on and improve, it is this one.

Time to move on, all. It's been a fun season, and it's time to start looking at ways to get better. I got a feeling 2010 is going to be something very special.

 

[FootballFanatic]

I think we should have kept Cassel. He had us in a better position last year and I think Brady might be done and happy as a celeb.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

I know you have a keen eye for these things, so I was curious on your take on the defense today. They weren't put in good situations to start the game, but seemed to get run over by the Ravens ground game. Also, 4th quarter when the offense started to gain ground, the defense couldn't get that critical stop.

Were the guys just not tackling or did it have to do with poor scheme, or was Baltimore just better prepared? I don't even know what must have been running through Pees and BB's mind when Ngata came out of the huddle in some short yardage situations.

But yes, 2010 should be a good year. It sucks the way it ended this year, but the future is bright.

 

[jays52]

I think we should have kept Cassel. He had us in a better position last year and I think Brayd might be done and happy as a celeb.

I liekd Bredso as well. I thunk Bredso was real #1 champion of the world, and Baryd is just happy to have wife.

 

[FootballFanatic]

I liekd Bredso as well. I thunk Bredso was real #1 champion of the world, and Baryd is just happy to have wife.

Huh? Matt Cassel led this team to 11-5, and tiebreakers screwed them out of the playoffs. He was playing really well. If you couldn't see that Brady stunk up the field today, I don't know what tell you.

 

[GreyPatsGirl]

To be honest, I didn't find it a fun season very much. Too many painful losses. Even the wins were frustrating. There were some good moments here and there though - that night against Buffalo was pretty special.

Otherwise, I agree though. We have some exciting drafts coming up, and a lot of talented young players here. What we need is the few missing pieces, and some decent play-calling, and we could be onto something.

 

[jays52]

Were the guys just not tackling or did it have to do with poor scheme, or was Baltimore just better prepared? I don't even know what must have been running through Pees and BB's mind when Ngata came out of the huddle in some short yardage situations.

It was a combination of factors, bro. Not least of those was the inability to take efficient angles to the football. At it's most fundamental level, defensive football is predicated upon angles. Be it shoulder and hip positioning, the angle of the body, the flow to the football, or the more well known tackling angle. The players not only took poor angles, but when they arrived in the holes they either failed to break down, or were indicisive about going in hot. They lost a lot of opportunities there to go in hot and blow things up today. They also broke down extremely poorly. The DB's had a really poor game in run support.

When it came down to playing the 2-gap up front, I think they did pretty well. In general, the defensive line did a pretty good job out there. The linebackers didn't have their worst performance of the season, either. They really need a middle linebacker, though. Guyton is just not getting it done out there getting off of his blocks. Mayo played one of his better games of the year.

When I look at when they were beaten on the run, I see the problem as being two fold. 1) They need a legit right end/mike and 2) they delegated a lot of responsibilities to the DB's who simply didn't get it done. Everytime there was a big run (6+ yards), it was because the backers were blocked and the safeties missed their chance to play the heat seeking missles. The Ravens blocked quite well, but the Patriots executed on a really poor level today.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Huh? Matt Cassel led this team to 11-5, and tiebreakers screwed them out of the playoffs. He was playing really well. If you couldn't see that Brady stunk up the field today, I don't know what tell you.

The O-line sucked all day. Cassel throwing while falling on his backside would be no better than Tom doing the same. 11-5 with weak schedule in the bottom 15% of the league is not way more impressive than a 10-6 record playing one of the toughest schedules in the NFL. Cassell rode the last wind of our old defense that was flushed away completely in the offseason. Cassel with 8 new defensive starters would have been 6-10 IMO.

 

[FootballFanatic]

The O-line sucked all day. Cassel throwing while falling on his backside would be no better than Tom doing the same. 11-5 with weak schedule in the bottom 15% of the league is not way more impressive than a 10-6 record playing one of the toughest schedules in the NFL. Cassell rode the last wind of our old defense that was flushed away completely in the offseason. Cassel with 8 new defensive starters would have been 6-10 IMO.

Yeah but we'd never know if Cassel didn't get the chance, and he didn't. I mean we knew Brady was damanged goods. People talk about lack of fire after becoming a celeb and his model wife, or he's just not the same player. Still should have kept Cassel for the future. I'm not a fan of the individual players and Brady sucked today bottom line.

 

[jays52]

Huh? Matt Cassel led this team to 11-5, and tiebreakers screwed them out of the playoffs. He was playing really well. If you couldn't see that Brady stunk up the field today, I don't know what tell you.

You could start by telling me how this was Koppen's worst game of the season. How he was essentially in derelection of center duty with his line calls. You could then follow that up with how poorly the team delegated a gap responsibilities in what was clearly an inside rush gameplan. Then, you could move from there into an analysis of how O'Brien failed to exploit the vacated zones provided by the nearly constant inside pressure coming in one form or another.

That, or you could just blame #12. Your call.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Huh? Matt Cassel led this team to 11-5, and tiebreakers screwed them out of the playoffs. He was playing really well. If you couldn't see that Brady stunk up the field today, I don't know what tell you.

Last year's schedule was much easier than this year's. Not to mention that you can't overstate how much better McDaniels was than O'Brien. Not to mention that Moss was hurt all year (is the picture starting to clear up a little bit for you?)

 

[sg14]

Don't know if anyone mentioned this, and I am not using it as an escuse, but the TV guys were saying that Lewis could figure out Brady's calls.

He has been around Brady at the Pro Bowl and has listened to TV audio tapes, praticed naming the play just by the audio,, and can tell what play is coming,,,

 

[Patspsycho]

Don't know if anyone mentioned this, and I am not using it as an escuse, but the TV guys were saying that Lewis could figure out Brady's calls.

He has been around Brady at the Pro Bowl and has listened to TV audio tapes, praticed naming the play just by the audio,, and can tell what play is coming,,,

He did. He figured out the 40 (draw) and the live option on it (red) after he could distinguish when Brady audibled out or when he faked it (anyone remember omaha?). And considering that Faulk was being overused today, it doesn't take a mathematical genius to figure this one out.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I don't see how this offense is a cluster ****, at least on paper. It's basically the same offense that Matt Cassel, a guy who hadn't played a down of importance since high school, led to an 11-5 record and had 400 yard games with. Subtract Jabbar Gaffney, Add Maroney,Taylor,Edelman,Vollmer. The only cluster **** I saw was in the gameplanning and playcalling.

Defensively I agree, and I think it performed well all things considered. And the CB situation is still the best it's been in a long time. They are a pass rusher away from being great IMO. Offensively what more would you want aside from a WR to complement Moss-Welker and a G to replace Neal (assuming Mankins is extended). Call me a homer but I don't think it's as bad as it seems, but we do need to bring in a real OC who can utilize the talent we have.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

The defense is going to become something special in the near future. The pieces are in place.

Sorry to break it to you, but they are a mess on defense. No pass rushers, can't stop the run and their secondary still isn't very good. I'd like to know what "pieces are in place".

 

[mgteich]

This is NOT an excuse. It is simply a statement of just how incompetent our offense playing calling and schemes were this year. Our game plans were inept and predictable, ast least to guys like Lewis who were willing to do the work.

Don't know if anyone mentioned this, and I am not using it as an escuse, but the TV guys were saying that Lewis could figure out Brady's calls.

He has been around Brady at the Pro Bowl and has listened to TV audio tapes, praticed naming the play just by the audio,, and can tell what play is coming,,,

 

[Patspsycho]

Alright, let's all take a step back from the ledge. The fact of the matter is the team just caved today. Plain and simple- they didn't want it. They clearly didn't prepare, and the herculean effort I expected out of the coaching staff simply didn't happen. There are many areas that need improvement (especially offensively), but there are a lot of positives to draw out of this season.

The defense is going to become something special in the near future. The pieces are in place. Pees actually showed me quite a bit towards the end of the season. They need to resign Bodden and extend 75. They gotta go out there and get themselves an edge player as well. I think that too much emphasis is placed on drafting one, and feel that it's too late for that. There is immediate need, and this can only be adressed through FA. I think that they need to secure the immediate help at that position, and they need to adress it in the long term. I also think that they need a veteran leader to join this defense. They need a heart and soul. It's never a good thing when your leaders are on offense.

Offense, in short, is a clusterf*ck. Edelman is going to be a good player, that's for certain. Welker will come back eventually, but I strongly doubt he will ever be the same player he once was. I don't mean to be a downer, but consider his game and what that kind of injury does to someone like that. There's no split end on the team. They have no tight ends. They have a coordinator who has the same mental prowess as a hangover dump. It ain't pretty on that side of the ball no matter how you slice it.

That's not why I'm here, though. I'm here because frankly, I believe in this team in the future. I believe in this front office's ability to patch the holes up. I believe in this defense moving forward. I believe in this offense becoming a professional level offense again. Let's look at the big picture here. They have secured an excellent crop of rookies this past April. Vollmer is a stud in the making, same for Butler and Chung. Arrington is going to be a fine player. Mayo will be coming off of a tough year, and will continue to develop. They can finally rid themselves of that d-bag underachiever Thomas. They will bring in guys with some heart to them this offseason. If there is anything that this coach is known for, it is the ability to consistently patch the holes of the previous year. I am grateful for the winning this team has done over the years. Regardless of if they are regressing- this is still the New England Patriots. If any team can move on and improve, it is this one.

Time to move on, all. It's been a fun season, and it's time to start looking at ways to get better. I got a feeling 2010 is going to be something very special.

Love your insights as always.

Edelman is a solid slot compliment to Brady. We still do need another deep threat or Moss will just continue to get doubled again.

Like you said in your defensive treatise, the "3-4 OLB" is an overrated solution (effective blitzing never comes from just one position), and much of it is a matter of mastering the schemes and getting rid of communication glitches- most of our breakdowns came on miscommunications, and most of those came on the 2nd and 3rd line on defense (LB - S/CB). I think we focus on the defensive line (getting some rushers that can overpower OL- see Cowboys vs. Saints), and an OLB to replace Thomas.

I think that this was Maroney's final season with us.

One thing I want to compliment on, is BB's decision to pull the trigger this season. I believe, in retrospect, that BB was aware of Brady having to rebound from knee surgery (and having to lessen expectations for this season), so might as well clean house now, and just get those two ugly things out of the way in one season.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

It was a combination of factors, bro. Not least of those was the inability to take efficient angles to the football. At it's most fundamental level, defensive football is predicated upon angles. Be it shoulder and hip positioning, the angle of the body, the flow to the football, or the more well known tackling angle. The players not only took poor angles, but when they arrived in the holes they either failed to break down, or were indicisive about going in hot. They lost a lot of opportunities there to go in hot and blow things up today. They also broke down extremely poorly. The DB's had a really poor game in run support.

When it came down to playing the 2-gap up front, I think they did pretty well. In general, the defensive line did a pretty good job out there. The linebackers didn't have their worst performance of the season, either. They really need a middle linebacker, though. Guyton is just not getting it done out there getting off of his blocks. Mayo played one of his better games of the year.

When I look at when they were beaten on the run, I see the problem as being two fold. 1) They need a legit right end/mike and 2) they delegated a lot of responsibilities to the DB's who simply didn't get it done. Everytime there was a big run (6+ yards), it was because the backers were blocked and the safeties missed their chance to play the heat seeking missles. The Ravens blocked quite well, but the Patriots executed on a really poor level today.

While I agree with the first part of the post. The second has me scratching my head. Their oline manhandled us out there. When they wanted to, they moved us off the ball and when they didn't their RB patiently bounced outside and we couldn't shed our blocks. Add to that the fact that our DB could tackle worth crap today and the end result was that e gave up WAY to much on the ground today. Hard to claim that they had a good, or even mediocre game with that result.

 

[zipster9]

I don't see how this offense is a cluster ****, at least on paper. It's basically the same offense that Matt Cassel, a guy who hadn't played a down of importance since high school, led to an 11-5 record and had 400 yard games with. Subtract Jabbar Gaffney, Add Maroney,Taylor,Edelman,Vollmer. The only cluster **** I saw was in the gameplanning and playcalling.

Defensively I agree, and I think it performed well all things considered. And the CB situation is still the best it's been in a long time. They are a pass rusher away from being great IMO. Offensively what more would you want aside from a WR to complement Moss-Welker and a G to replace Neal (assuming Mankins is extended). Call me a homer but I don't think it's as bad as it seems, but we do need to bring in a real OC who can utilize the talent we have.

We beat the bad-mediocre teams, but we cannot beat the above-average teams this year. We have BIG problems when the 4th quarter appears, either not even scoring or blowing the lead. This was never the case in the past.

Last year and this year, we have same OL. Last year Gaffney, this year Aiken/Edelmann.

OC was McDaniels, OC now is O'Brien.

It's easy to see that the playcalling is lackluster, at best.

 

[Patspsycho]

Alright, let's all take a step back from the ledge. The fact of the matter is the team just caved today. Plain and simple- they didn't want it.

Couldn't have put it better.