Keys to victory - Important Areas Of Concern

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Our chances of beating San Diego don't look extremely bright as SD is the NFLs best thus far unless someone proves they can handle them,so I think there are critical areas of concern we must overcome to win this game....

LINEBACKER - Tedi just played an awesome game and Vrable played hard too,IMO these 2 guys must be able to contain LT as he breaks thru the first line of defense which he will frequently as he usually does,if LT is not stopped after the second wave of D he usually is gone and that spells doom for the Defense,TBC and Colvin must protect the edge as well,Turner can break a game open as well as LT so Turner may be a problem to deal with and OLB will play a big role here too.

Front 3 DE - Instead of just focusing on LT I think it is just as important to pressure Rivers with blitzes to confuse him and usually rookie QBs get frantic when D linemen get in their face and many times will make mistakes...If our pass rush is non existent,much like it was against the jets (Pennington had too much time to throw) then Rivers will play much like Rothlisberger and manage the game well and Gates will have a monster game and hurt our chances,Yes Rivers is only a rookie but if you give him time he will destroy a secondary as he has done many times in his first campaign enroute to 14 wins.

O Line - Played O.K. against the Jets,but Vilma is no Merrimen so Light and company will not only have to protect Brady,but also open holes for the RBs -Not going to be an easy task but D pressure can be kept under control and sacks must not happen too often or Brady will get killed and we would have to play Cassel (Gulp!),Regardless of how well our O-Line plays I still expect Brady to get sacked about 3 times in this game..Any more and we may be in trouble-The receivers are just not going to get in rhythm with Tom if he has no time to throw (check our losses this year to see that it was a big factor as to why we lost those games,Brady must have time) .

Special Teams - Fortunately the Chargers have no Justin Miller so field position should be kept down to where the Chargers start on average at their 20 yard line,We cannot afford to give a 14 win team a short field to work with-Tackling must be at its finest and Sauerbrun must improve off the Jets game,I did not think he performed well in kickoffs. - On the other side of ST I think Maroney gives us our best chance to break open a TD return on a kickff so I say Maroney should get the reps there.

So these areas are major things to count on as a factor in the outcome of this game - So don't just say they wil be fine just because we have BB and Brady - We need to play our BEST EVER Playoff game in the Brady BB era to win this game,Thats the bottom line.

I do think the winner of this game will not only get in but win the Super Bowl . . Indy has Manning (A.K.A. playoff choker) and Baltimore (Offense scares no one) - So playing either of those teams should be easier for either SD or NE.

 

[BelichickFan]

Slow down the SD run game. We won't stop it but we need to control it.

Protect Brady. Duh.

Red zone defense. I have no numbers but the Charger Red Zone offense must be spectacular for Tomlinson to have so many TDs.

Those are my keys, if we get them done everything else will take care of itself.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Pats are going to play this like their 2001 & 2004 games vs. Pittsburgh...load up in the box to stop the run and dare the QB to beat them. If Rivers is up to the challenge and wins it for them, then I'll tip my cap to Marty and hope San Diego wins it all.

I just hope the Pats don't turn it over multiple times like in Denver last year.

Regards,
Chris

 

[JoeSixPat]

If the Patriots can score more points than the Chargers, I feel like we have a pretty good shot at winning the game.

 

[Oswlek]

Pats are going to play this like their 2001 & 2004 games vs. Pittsburgh...load up in the box to stop the run and dare the QB to beat them. If Rivers is up to the challenge and wins it for them, then I'll tip my cap to Marty and hope San Diego wins it all.

I just hope the Pats don't turn it over multiple times like in Denver last year.

Regards,
Chris

I wish I had been quick enough to put this down first. The Pitt game plans are the ones that are the most similar. On defense it is even more so. It is the success that NE has had in neutralizing Pitt's pass rush that gives me confidence going into the game.

 

[Patriotic]

If the Patriots can score more points than the Chargers, I feel like we have a pretty good shot at winning the game.

Where's your evidence? Just because the Pats score more points does not guarantee victory. What a homer.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Pats are going to play this like their 2001 & 2004 games vs. Pittsburgh...load up in the box to stop the run and dare the QB to beat them. If Rivers is up to the challenge and wins it for them, then I'll tip my cap to Marty and hope San Diego wins it all.

I just hope the Pats don't turn it over multiple times like in Denver last year.

Regards,
Chris

In some ways this is how I think SD will play us - though they will be challenging the receivers to beat them rather than Brady, as one knows he has their respect.

The problem is, ever since the Miami game, the Patriots have shown they can spread the field, go with the no huddle, hurry up offense and keep defenses off kilter enough to ensure that the passing game remains effective

Eventually I think the Chargers will have no choice but to give up their pressure on Brady and play more conservative defense - even though that will allow the running game to be more effective as well.

 

[All_Around_Brown]

My key to victory would be keeping LT off the field. Our defense will not stop him, but may only hope to contain him. We will need total ball control to win this game. Our matchups are pretty good in this regard now that LoMo and Faulk are both healthy and our OL is playing top shelf.

Faulk and LoMo will catch boatloads of passes on Sunday.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

In some ways this is how I think SD will play us - though they will be challenging the receivers to beat them rather than Brady, as one knows he has their respect.

The problem is, ever since the Miami game, the Patriots have shown they can spread the field, go with the no huddle, hurry up offense and keep defenses off kilter enough to ensure that the passing game remains effective

Eventually I think the Chargers will have no choice but to give up their pressure on Brady and play more conservative defense - even though that will allow the running game to be more effective as well.

San Diego's secondary is "meh" when it comes to covering. If the Pats can slow down Phillips (I'm putting him first for a reason - he'll be the biggest matchup nightmare), Merriman and Castillo like they have with Pittsburgh's good pass rush in 2001 & 2004, the Pats will be able to move the ball. If they can move it enough to at least win a field position battle, it might be enough.

Regards,
Chris

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

I wish I had been quick enough to put this down first. The Pitt game plans are the ones that are the most similar. On defense it is even more so. It is the success that NE has had in neutralizing Pitt's pass rush that gives me confidence going into the game.

I was thinking this as well, although Castillo will be a better pass-rushing DE than the Pats faced against Pittsburgh. Phillips and Merriman are about the same (probably slightly better) than the 2004 Porter/Haggans pair and 2004 Farrior is better than 2006 Edwards. It will be intesting how the Pats take on SD's NT...the guy is a monster in the Ted Washington mold.

Regards,
Chris

 

[bakes781]

Pats are going to play this like their 2001 & 2004 games vs. Pittsburgh...load up in the box to stop the run and dare the QB to beat them. If Rivers is up to the challenge and wins it for them, then I'll tip my cap to Marty and hope San Diego wins it all.

I just hope the Pats don't turn it over multiple times like in Denver last year.

Regards,
Chris

That theory could work if LT wasn't such a threat as a receiver. I'm thinking they have to play a similar style to how they beat the Rams. Knock the skill position players on their ass as they pass the line of scrimmage. On offense the running game will need to neutralize SD's pass rush, otherwise Brady will be in for a long day. I don't recall one screen pass against the Jets, so I imagine they'll wanna showcase that weapon in SD.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Where's your evidence? Just because the Pats score more points does not guarantee victory. What a homer.

You got me. I have absolutely no evidence to back this up.
Just call it a gut feeling.

 

[SVN]

my main area of concern is our LB speed vs LT...Tedy has been avg this yr ..i know he is a respected player and i love him a lot but he isnt the same..our LB's are fast enough and if LT gets into the 2nd level we are in trouble not to mention his role in the passing.
iam actually counting on marty being overly non-marty like wherein he tries to throw the ball early to surprise the pats or something to score early
offensive, we can probably play the same way we played the jets..fast paced,no huddle..keep the pressure(of course easier said than done against this D)

 

[boltssbbound]

Slow down the SD run game. We won't stop it but we need to control it.

Protect Brady. Duh.

Red zone defense. I have no numbers but the Charger Red Zone offense must be spectacular for Tomlinson to have so many TDs.

Those are my keys, if we get them done everything else will take care of itself.

The Bolts red zone offense was the best in the league this year. In one stretch of 4+ games, the Bolts scored 20 straight touchdowns without a field goal.

Defensively, I think the red zone is where the Pats present the biggest challenge. The are big and physical and play well in confined space. A big red zone factor will be Gates. He's very hard to stop down there. The Broncos doubled him with an LB and Champ Bailey, and all Gates did was go up and take the ball away from Bailey for a score.

Conversely, the Bolts biggest Defensive achilles heel this year has been red zone defense. They have not been very good holding teams to field goals. They'll need to be better at that against the Pats.

 

[boltssbbound]

San Diego's secondary is "meh" when it comes to covering. If the Pats can slow down Phillips (I'm putting him first for a reason - he'll be the biggest matchup nightmare), Merriman and Castillo like they have with Pittsburgh's good pass rush in 2001 & 2004, the Pats will be able to move the ball. If they can move it enough to at least win a field position battle, it might be enough.

Regards,
Chris

The Chargers secondary is better than they get credit for. Jammer's played as well as Samuel for the last six games, and the others have been solid.

The problem with your Pittsburgh analogy is that the Stillers never had the explosiveness on offense that the Bolts do. In some ways, they are a combination of the Steelers and the Colts you faced in previous years. They have the explosiveness of the Colts and the balance of the Steelers--a tough combo to beat.

 

[nukin]

If the Patriots can score more points than the Chargers, I feel like we have a pretty good shot at winning the game.

ahdur dur dur

 

[teamplay]

I haven't seen SD play all season, so I'm asking here: who have they played this year with the offensive variety that the Pats present? The SD defense sounds young and fast:singing: , but are they smart? How will they be matching wits with Brady and co?:bricks:

Everybody's talking about how the Pats D will stop LT and Gates, etc., but we've seen time and again that the Pats D knows how to slow down, if not shut down, a potent offense. The bigger, more crucial question might turn out to be how equipped SD is to slow down or shut down the Pats' O.

Thoughts?

 

[SDBlueBear]

as a san diego fan, I can shed a little light on our team, and I'll try to stay away from the rampant homerisms...

the sd defense is fast and intense. and, at the start and end of games, we're even fast, intense and smart. we don't blitz a lot, because we traditionally don't have to. our front 3 are massive, and with phillips and merriman on the outside, we can pick our stunts and spots. playing this way, wade normally takes away the screen and the outside run, and our interior is so big, that we normally knock out the inside running lanes during the beginning and ending of games.

now - here's the rub. we always (to my great dismay) let up in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. for some reason, we stop stunting, and we play a softer front, allowing cheap yards to be gained underneath the ILB's. then, as the game heads into the final ticks, we tend to pick it up again, start sending in merriman and phillips, and we stop teams. since it's been that way for 16 weeks, this is what I would expect as a NE fan watching the game...

I would expect you guys to look off-kilter in the opening moments, and then you'll be able to capitalize our soft D as we surround half-time. this is what worries me. you guys are so good, and so well coached, that I know you won't become flustered, and I expect that you will be able to put up some serious points during these now predictable "downtimes" for our D. I can easily see you taking a 10-20 point lead by the start of the 4th.

the 4th is a different story however. the 4th has been the best quarter for the chargers all year. I should note that our offense has shown the same propensity - we come out on fire in the 1st, cool down the 2nd & 3rd, and then turn it up another notch at the end. this year has been our year for "ugly wins". cincinnatti, denver, seattle, oakland, heck, even the cardinals at the end - all of these games saw our guys struggle mightily at times, only to look like a true championship team in the closing seconds... for those of us with heart conditions, this is not the best, but we've been tacking up W's, so we've been taking it

things to watch for (that you probably don't expect):
- Vincent Jackson... he is quickly becoming Rivers fave long and deep target, cause he's fast and huge (6'5"). dunno' how you're going to address him with needing to focus on Gates and LT.
- Jammer... playing a great deal better this year, he has *almost* gotten the "they have a soft pass D" monkey off our back. he's not a shut-down corner yet, but he's no slouch either...
- Michael Turner... sadly, we won't get to keep him, but he will be a star running back next year and the years to come. he's big and really fast. he gets almost no attention due to LT, but this kid can play. I mean it, if LT weren't having the year he is, there would be a LOT of media chatter about our 2-Back offense. just a heads up, when you see him come in the game, watch out... he'll make some big yards, fast. he's been doing it all year. just when LT starts to look tired at the end of the 3rd, Turner shows up, busts 2 or 3 15 yd runs, and the LT comes back in to get the TD. anyways, maybe you guys can grab him next year
- Scifires... I know, I know... a punter? but, seriously, the guy has a huge leg with great hangtime, and he does this wacky end-over-end kick thing that often allow for us to get to it and touch the ball down. he is our key to the field position war...

the rest you already know, and I'm sure you're sick of hearing their names (just like we are about tom and bill).

MAN this is gonna be fun... good luck to you guys - I hope for a game where the flags stay in the pockets, and the players stay on the field. happy trails, and we'll see ya on the weekend!!!

 

[SVN]

didnt wade phillips the chargers D coordinator say something arrogant last yr after beating us here last yr ? it was sound beating we took to admit the truth but i do remember saying something after the game

 

[SDBlueBear]

didnt wade phillips the chargers D coordinator say something arrogant last yr after beating us here last yr ? it was sound beating we took to admit the truth but i do remember saying something after the game

i sure hope he didn't... that'd be pretty stupid. we don't have anything to brag about yet...

seriously though, marty doesn't let the asst's talk to the media, so i would be a little suprized if he did...