Lundblad: What's gone wrong the past 3 playoff games for Pats

[Patspsycho]

What's gone wrong for New England Patriots in past three playoff games? - ESPN Boston

Intelligent, well-thought out article backed by stats.

 

[Patspsycho]

Dating to 2003, Brady has gone 120 consecutive regular-season starts without being sacked five times. Yet it's happened twice in his past three playoff games.

In all three games, a significant part of the offense remained dormant. A failure to adjust prevented points from going on the board.

Here again, we have a trend extending to the past three playoff defeats. The Patriots' first-quarter performances have set them back for the rest of the game. Brady in particular has been terrible, and the offense has followed suit.

Over these three losses, Brady has a 22.6 passer rating in the first quarter.

These statements are backed by solid statistics. These are very troubling traits.

 

[RobertWeathers]

In Brady's first nine playoff games, he was brought down a total of 12 times.

O-line not doing it's job.

Appearing on Boston sports radio station WEEI on Monday, Brady reflected on one key area of struggle.

"We weren't effective enough in our play-action pass, in making big gains out there to take them out of what they were doing," he said. "More so than anything, that's what it came down to."

Lack of a bone-fide, respected running game.

Against the Giants, the slow start hangs more on the defense, which allowed New York to open the game with the longest drive in Super Bowl history (9:59).

Inability to consistently stop teams on 3rd down for both the run & pass.

The reasons are there. Need to look harder at them.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

These statements are backed by solid statistics. These are very troubling traits.

That's technically true, but one of them in particular is a bit misleading: looking at Q1 passer rating. Much of that is based on the horrific Q1 against the Ratbirds, which was perhaps the worst quarter Brady's ever had, with Moss and effectively (?) in the passing game. [Yes, Edelman played well, but he was still a question mark at that point.]

 

[RobertWeathers]

That's technically true, but one of them in particular is a bit misleading: looking at Q1 passer rating. Much of that is based on the horrific Q1 against the Ratbirds, which was perhaps the worst quarter Brady's ever had, with Moss and effectively (?) in the passing game. [Yes, Edelman played well, but he was still a question mark at that point.]

His 1st Q vs NYJ and NYG were not that great either. If you want to go deeper, he was brutal in the AFCCG vs SD. By my count, that is 4 sub-standard playoff games in a row by TB. With that said, as I stated in my earlier post not 100% his fault.

Widespread system, personnel and tactical errors abound.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Losing the battle in the trenches is a recipe for losing in the playoffs

The Pats DL and OL have been the opponents Bit(hes the past 3 playoff games and you see the result.

A highly regarded RG is absolutely critical this offseason,just one of many weaknesses to be upgraded.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Losing the battle in the trenches is a recipe for losing in the playoffs

The Pats DL and OL have been the opponents Bit(hes the past 3 playoff games and you see the result.

A highly regarded RT is absolutely critical this offseason,just one of many weaknesses to be upgraded.

What was wrong with Vollmer?

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

What was wrong with Vollmer?

I meant RG...Although Vollmer can play anywhere on the line

 

[Triumph]

The lack of adjustments is the most troubling if true.

 

[RayClay]

What's gone wrong for New England Patriots in past three playoff games? - ESPN Boston

Intelligent, well-thought out article backed by stats.

Plagued by slow starts

I wouldn't call the first two drives a slow start. He's a statistician? what stats was he using?

Besides 2 sacks and a 15 yard penalty in our favor, this was the "slow start" - our first two drives.

6 of 9 passing. Two of those were the Crumpler drop and the INT.

7 runs for a 6.28 average.

Sure, taking games we lost and saying the other team scored too much and we scored too little will fill up a column, but i don't know how significant it is.

You'll get more pressure and less rhythm when you blow points on two long drives. OK. It's called circular logic.

Is someone arguing we were trying to score less in the first quarter those games? Any Pats fan knows our current squad was based on TFB putting up some points so our D could play a certain way.

 

[Kontradiction]

Losing the battle in the trenches is a recipe for losing in the playoffs

The Pats DL and OL have been the opponents Bit(hes the past 3 playoff games and you see the result.

A highly regarded RT is absolutely critical this offseason,just one of many weaknesses to be upgraded.

Belichick agrees. While Parcells has always built his defenses starting with the LB's first, Belichick has always built his starting with the D-Line first. That's why it's troubling that it's now taken two seasons to find a viable replacement for Seymour. Instead, he threw a retread, a 7th round pick, a guy who is more built for DT, and a few guys who are decent against the pass but are sub-par (and that's putting it kindly) against the run into the position in an effort to shore it up. The result has been the same in the playoffs. Opposing offenses haven't even had to try to run at Wilfork. They've been able to run to the outside and create some nice gains to extend drives and keep the Pats struggling offense off the field.

On offense, Belichick follows the same principle. Build from the O-Line out. Again, it's been troubling to watch the interior O-Line that was abused so badly in Super Bowl XLII remain the same. I keep pounding this point into the ground, but the Pats really should not have gone with Dan Connolly to start ANYWHERE entering 2010. Last offseason, Stephen Neal made it known that he was at least contemplating retirement. Connolly's performance in 2009 wasn't exactly awe inspiring. They should have then looked for a viable starting caliber replacement at RG just in case the inevitable happened (Neal going down with an injury). This season, it has become disgustingly apparent that Koppen is really struggling to hold up against bigger DT's. With this in mind, I don't see any reason why the Pats shouldn't go into the offseason looking for new, fresh bodies at the RG and center positions. Of course, it should follow that the Pats need to re-sign Mankins and Light. Rebuild the interior O-Line and I really don't see these problems occurring next season without the opposing defense having to blitz the A and B gaps (which Brady would dissect).

The following is the most troubling stat of that article for me...

The Jets got to Tom Brady for five sacks Sunday. Shaun Ellis and crew kept pressure on the Patriots quarterback despite overloading the secondary. In fact, the Jets utilized four or fewer pass rushers on 44 of 50 dropbacks, yet still managed to apply consistent harassment.

Of course, running the ball more from the get-go would certainly help this. But, to me, this is a huge indictment on the interior O-Line. If a team can apply consistent pressure up the middle while only sending four or fewer on that many snaps, we're doomed.

 

[The_Riddler]

No question, that in all 3 of these losses, the OLine has been the root cause of the poor starts, getting behind and playing catchup.

With that said though, I think we need our QB to rise above that. Look at Big Ben, he'll get sacked alot, but he doesn't revert to the "Deer=Headlights" routine, he continues to play tough and play through it. This is what TB has to learn to do when he doesn't get his customary lengthy time to throw the football. Some of this might require him to tuck it and slide for 5-7 yards if that is what the defense is giving him, he has had a reluctancy to do this for some reason.

In the playoffs, as well all know, the intensity ramps up, and the opponent's DLine has ramped up and our OLine and QB haven't been able to focus and ramp up with it. I hope Brady looks back on these two PO losses, studies the tape and sees what he has to do to stay tough, stay focused when things get tough. Ditto for the OLine.......

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

We do know one thing.....there are 3 players on that OL that have been in the 2007 SB,the 2009 Divisional game and the 2010 Divisional game...Koppen,Light and Mankins

While those 3 guys have been all pros at one time or another,they have been extremely unimpressive in playoff games.

To be considered one of the best OLs you better bring your A game in January...these 3 have not dominated thier positions in those playoff games.

 

[Kontradiction]

We do know one thing.....there are 3 players on that OL that have been in the 2007 SB,the 2009 Divisional game and the 2010 Divisional game...Koppen,Light and Mankins

While those 3 guys have been all pros at one time or another,they have been extremely unimpressive in playoff games.

To be considered one of the best OLs you better bring your A game in January...these 3 have not dominated thier positions in those playoff games.

Light and Mankins held up fine last weekend. The problem children on the O-Line were Koppen and Connolly.

 

[The_Riddler]

We do know one thing.....there are 3 players on that OL that have been in the 2007 SB,the 2009 Divisional game and the 2010 Divisional game...Koppen,Light and Mankins

While those 3 guys have been all pros at one time or another,they have been extremely unimpressive in playoff games.

To be considered one of the best OLs you better bring your A game in January...these 3 have not dominated thier positions in those playoff games.

I agree, and Mankins of all people, the guy chirping about wanting to be paid as the highest OG in football has to look in the mirror and look at how he has played in the most important games. He hasn't performed like the All Pro he claims to be. I mean Sean Ellis had a monster game against this OLine and to be honest, that was all based on intensity not because Sean Ellis is an All World end, it's because he wanted it more, he wanted it more than the guy that was blocking him because the stakes were higher. Who's to blame for this? Dante S? I mean how does this OLine dominant during the regular season and them completely meltdown during crunch time ?

 

[borg]

When your front 4 can execute the defensive game plan to a T, good things will happen. The Jets front 4 pressured Brady AND contained the running game...allowing the back 7 to eliminate what the Pats do best...pass. The key was the early pressure on Brady...he was hearing footsteps all game. It helps for the defense to know that Brady will never scramble for yards.
All in all....a major indictment against the Oline. Losing the 4 vs 5 battles...ouch

 

[D-Money]

They didnt lose the game because Brady got sacked 5 times.Some of those sacks where coverage sacks.Brady hung on to the ball a long time trying to find an open receiver.

 

[Patspsycho]

I agree, and Mankins of all people, the guy chirping about wanting to be paid as the highest OG in football has to look in the mirror and look at how he has played in the most important games. He hasn't performed like the All Pro he claims to be. I mean Sean Ellis had a monster game against this OLine and to be honest, that was all based on intensity not because Sean Ellis is an All World end, it's because he wanted it more, he wanted it more than the guy that was blocking him because the stakes were higher. Who's to blame for this? Dante S? I mean how does this OLine dominant during the regular season and them completely meltdown during crunch time ?

Mankins had a solid game last Sunday. Koppen and Connolly performed very poorly, they gave up sacks and negative run plays.

 

[Kontradiction]

When your front 4 can execute the defensive game plan to a T, good things will happen. The Jets front 4 pressured Brady AND contained the running game...allowing the back 7 to eliminate what the Pats do best...pass. The key was the early pressure on Brady...he was hearing footsteps all game. It helps for the defense to know that Brady will never scramble for yards.
All in all....a major indictment against the Oline. Losing the 4 vs 5 battles...ouch

Our primary RB ran the ball a grand total of 9 times for nearly 5 yards a pop. Why he wasn't running early and often is a failure of the coaching staff. The Jets couldn't contain him. Who the DID contain was our undersized third down back who, for some reason, became our primary runner (another failure of the coaching staff).

 

[IndianPat]

Did this blogger get the idea for this article from Patsfans.com? I remember a discussion yesterday in a post titled " Brady sacked 13 times in the last 3 playoff games" where in the discussion about the O-line went along the same lines that this writer took.

I think an acknolwedgement of Patsfans contribution is needed if this were the case.