Random Observations on the SuperBowl Loss

[MrNathanDrake]

- First off. Both our team and the Giants were lucky to even be there. It could have just as easily have been the Ravens vs. 49ers. I am happy we even got the chance to compete for another Lombardi. Our team overachieved this year. We had an easy schedule AND lucked out in the playoffs with Denver beating the Steelers, and a missed FG from the Ravens. Our luck ran out tonight as their were many opportunities, but things just didn't go our way.

- Tom Brady played both good and bad. The Safety to start the game was terrible. It killed us in the end too since it meant even a FG would've won the Giants the game at the end. He put us in the hole 9-0. Tired out our defense. It looked like he just panicked. The long INT was bad also. Though Gronkowski is also at fault. He put his hand up and called for it. He couldve at least knocked the WR down and got offensive PI.

- Brady had a strange look I've never seen on HIM before. It reminded me of a fighter going into the ring against a young Mike Tyson. He looked scared before the game even started. He looked like he hadn't slept all night. This isn't the same state of mind Brady had when he won 3 SB's.

- With that said, other than the INT and Safety, he played pretty well. He was hitting receivers. Welker dropped a pass that couldve put us in position to potentially win the game.

- If I were Belichick, *I* would've gone for it on 4th down right there. We had decent field position and leaving the game to Eli Manningwith 3+ minutes to go hasn't been good for ANY team this year. Giants are one of the best at clock management. All they had to do was get a Field Goal to win, thanks to the Safety they got early in the game.

- We were lucky to even get a *chance* to win the game with 1 minute left. If Bradshaw knelt on the 1 yard line, we wouldn't have even had a shot.

- Not sure why Belichick wasted a challenge/timeout on that Giants catch by the sidelines. :bricks: Someone needs to be fired upstairs in the replay booth. Either they told him to challenge it, or didn't tell him fast enough to NOT challenge it. The Giants WR was clearly inbounds.

- The NYG DLine isn't all it's hyped up to be. They're good, but we held them off just fine. Don't blame our OLine this time around.

- Hernandez makes a good catch. The very next play, we take him off the field. Absolutely puzzling. Let this kid out of his cage.

- Sterling Moore has a place on our team next year.

- Goodbye Kevin Faulk, Shaun Ellis, Dan Koppen, possibly Deion Branch. They've all had great careers, but the time to retire is now.

- Mark Anderson tried a lot of inside rush moves. He got stonewalled EVERYTIME. The only success he had was going outside. The whole year he's been an edge rusher. I can't understand why he tried going inside so many times. He got some decent pressure at times, but it was only on outside rush moves.

- Welker Welker Welker..... Honestly, I'm not sure if we should pay him big bucks. He's 1-dimensional (except for the rare blown coverage) and offers no deep threat. That dropped pass was the end of the game. Yes he's great... I know. But we can't seem to get it done in big games with him. Once good defenses clamp down on him, our offense seems to struggle big time. Not just this game, but previous Ravens games and previous NYJ games. I know I will catch alot of flack for that, but it's my honest opinion.

- Branch... Probably time to move on from him too.

- It seems that Brady chose to go with WR's that he trusts, rather than trying to make things work with more talented options (Taylor Price, Brandon Tate, Ocho Cinco). Brady went from the guy who could spread the ball around to ANYBODY, to a guy that seems picky over who plays WR for him.

- They should have let Ocho Cinco take his bumps earlier in the season. He never built confidence on our team. I don't honestly believe that he never learned the playbook.

- The Packers or The Saints would've embarrassed us in that Dome today. Atleast we got a good, close game that we had a chance to win.

- Good game Brandon Spikes. The real emerging leader of our defense. He was an excellent draft choice and has brought something to our defense that Mayo and Wilfork both lack. Vocal leadership and a "F YOU" smashmouth style of playing.

- You can't blame the defense. You can't blame the offense line. Brady can take a little of the blame. That's about it. He had more than one chance to prove he's the "Greatest Of All Time". We had opportunities to pull away from the Giants. It just didn't happen. Perhaps if he had a prime Jerry Rice catching for him, it would've been different. But he didn't.

- Pierre Paul and Antrell Rolle faked injuries. 100%. The league SERIOUSLY needs to change this crap around. I started another thread on it. they were both blatant.

- Not much else to say right now. We could have won that game. We just didn't.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

- Now that I see the Welker-drop being replayed over and over. It looks more and more like Brady fault. Welker was WIDE OPEN, yet Brady tried to force a throw that only Welker could catch. Welker had to quickly switch sides (initially pushing off his right foot, to quickly pushing off his left foot) AND jump off balance for that pass.

Even if he did catch that, theres no garauntee he would've come down with it cleanly.

Brady didn't make a throwing error. He made a judgement error in throwing to the opposite shoulder on purpose. He tried to squeeze it into a tight window when the window was wide open.

 

[borg]

With a hobbled Gronk, the offense transformed from exceptional to ordinary. The fact the Patriots competed for 59 minutes deploying both an ordinary offense and middle of the road defense...is remarkable.

I'm hoping that Josh McDanials successfully lobbies for a premium WR talent. A high low tandem of WRs (like '07) combined with the TE duo....should be quite productive.

I am hoping that Ridley hits the JUGs machine hard this offseason and becomes a 3 down back with pass catching abilities....think what kind of offense this could be.

Watching Pierre Paul....I remember learning the word out of Foxborough before the '10 draft...."JPP was the athlete of the draft" ... and my Pats mole was right. I think BB should hire me to reload the DE position. I wanted JPP and Watts the last two years

Chung had a game yesterday....but the DB RB tackling....looked like little boys tackling big men. A safety with size is definitely needed vs these big RBs.

What happened to the Pats screen game. I know screens aren't the answer vs a 4 man rush, but the screen disappeared this season.

Remember when the Pats favorite target was the open target. 8-10 guys caught passes during the good ole days. Now we are a team of stars and no depth....damn you Ocho.

I think the GOAT arguement for Brady took a massive hit yesterday. The undefeated Montana SB legacy is pretty strong. Brady now needs a win in his mid to late 30's to show longevity also matters

 

[Bella*chick]

- Now that I see the Welker-drop being replayed over and over. It looks more and more like Brady fault. Welker was WIDE OPEN, yet Brady tried to force a throw that only Welker could catch. Welker had to quickly switch sides (initially pushing off his right foot, to quickly pushing off his left foot) AND jump off balance for that pass.

Even if he did catch that, theres no garauntee he would've come down with it cleanly.

Brady didn't make a throwing error. He made a judgement error in throwing to the opposite shoulder on purpose. He tried to squeeze it into a tight window when the window was wide open.

It's funny, but seeing the GIF over and over makes me feel like Welker catches that sh*t all the time and should be beating himself up. It wasn't the easiest catch but in the goddamn Superbowl, an elite receiver makes that catch. And he HAS made that catch all the time in the past.

 

[thechris]

Manningham made the tough, clutch catch and Welker didn't. The bounces didn't go the Patriots way. There were a couple fumbles that the Giants recovered including that killer 12-men on the field penalty.

Brady as greatest ever took a hit last night. Still my favorite.

 

[PATS68]

First thought this is 4 out 5 Super Bowls where the D could not seal the deal and let up a late 4th quarter TD.

This game came down to the two outside Giants WR's (both draftet) against our two street FA pick ups. Give the Giants credit, they win in April and they are not trading down just for the sake of trading down.

On the long pass down the sides lines what was most alarming is watching the Pats D-linemen on the left side of the line because they flat out quit on the play. They stopped rushing and just stood up and did nothing!

Spikes and Chung came to play and I was impressed.

Not impressed with our big fat D-line that runs out of gas at the end of games. Like to see more attacking style of D-linemen and better in shape.

10 rushes for Benny is playing into the Giants hands.

Tough loss.