2 weeks to prepare and we get 3 running plays

[Dagg]

Shotgun inside draw
Bunch toss sweep
Single back dive

I posted in a redskins thread last week about running more and we didnt do it and we lost again. Play action doesnt work when you only run 10 times you learn that in JV football. Ok so we did 2 reveses that were decent but wow our running game needs a new look badly. Until this happens its going to be more of that same against teams like the Giants and Ravens. All the chips are on Tom and a mistake or 2 (saftey and welker) and its over the margin is just to thin.

McDaniels being back doesnt give me a warm fuzzy for next year...

Again very disappointing run game week in and week out.

Maybe we need a real fullback?

 

[RhodyPatriot]

I'm with you.

The Patriots lack balance on offense.

Some stats

Yesterday - 41 pass/19 run time of possession 22:55 = loss

SB 42 - 48 pass/16 run time of possession 29:33 = loss

SB 39 - 33 pass/28 run time of possession 31:37 = win

SB 38 - 48 pass/35 run time of possession 38:58 = win

SB 36 - 27 pass/25 run time of possession 26:30 = win

Until they get back to basics and return to a balanced offense where it is NOT all about Tom Brady and his arm this team will not win another Super Bowl.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Bill chose McDaniels, twice now. Your argument is lost on the OC, and the rest of us, it's the HC and GM you need to contact. I personally think we need a bell cow, push the pile, load to handle RB and none of the guys presently on the roster are that guy IMO. I know why Bill chooses to invest in lightening over thunder and make do with safe rather than sorry. But in the post season you pass to score and run to win. And if you struggle to pass because teams are determined to take that away and can't run to at least move the chains to retain possession and sustain drives at critical junctures you won't be the last team standing very often.

 

[jnug]

In retrospect you can say that the Giants were much more balanced and it helped their play action passes but in reality the Giants did not use that much play action.

While I was calling for more running by the Pats before and during the game it was not as telling as I had thought it would be. As usual in these big games it is big plays made or missed and mistakes and more and more now it is those as made or missed by the quarterbacks playing that make the biggest difference in the game.

 

[JackBauer]

I'm just grateful we drafted two running backs and elected not to use either of them. Especially when your #1 receiving target is down a leg.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I'm with you.

The Patriots lack balance on offense.

Some stats

Yesterday - 41 pass/19 run time of possession 22:55 = loss

SB 42 - 48 pass/16 run time of possession 29:33 = loss

SB 39 - 33 pass/28 run time of possession 31:37 = win

SB 38 - 48 pass/35 run time of possession 38:58 = win

SB 36 - 27 pass/25 run time of possession 26:30 = win

Until they get back to basics and return to a balanced offense where it is NOT all about Tom Brady and his arm this team will not win another Super Bowl.

That starts with personnel, and since 2005 they haven't had them. Dillon was one and done. Maroney wasn't that guy. He wasted time waiting for Fred Taylor to get healthy and he never did. Benny won't put the rock on the ground. He also won't move it much farther than the OL will allow him to, and that consistently isn't far enough to move the chains or keep them out of 3rd and too long. Woodhead is a great change of pace back, but that's all he is. Ridley and Vereen couldn't be trusted to even sniff the field in win or go home game. Potential home run hitters are useless if they can't get on the field.

 

[DefenseRules]

I'm with you.

The Patriots lack balance on offense.

Some stats

Yesterday - 41 pass/19 run time of possession 22:55 = loss

SB 42 - 48 pass/16 run time of possession 29:33 = loss

SB 39 - 33 pass/28 run time of possession 31:37 = win

SB 38 - 48 pass/35 run time of possession 38:58 = win

SB 36 - 27 pass/25 run time of possession 26:30 = win

Until they get back to basics and return to a balanced offense where it is NOT all about Tom Brady and his arm this team will not win another Super Bowl.

Excellent post, absolutely agree with you. I hope the coaching staff can see it too.

 

[State]

We need a more balanced approach offensively. The Giants were concerned about our being able to run the ball then parlay that into effective play action.

We have the offensive line. Why didn't we play more Solder at TE, esp. when it was clear to everyone except #87 that Gronk wasn't anywhere near 100 percent? Parcells would've.

We have the backs. Maroney was a disaster in the last SB.

Why didn't Ridley play more? We should have taken off the pressure from Brady, who had the "deer in the headlights" look at the beginning of the game.

We were starting to do that a little bit, when we went heavy on the pass. And we were a little thin with weapons.

Logan Mankins laying an egg at the most inopportune time helped push us over the edge into Dan Fouts/Air Coryell territory.

Old Skool and I know about that, don't we?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Excellent post, absolutely agree with you. I hope the coaching staff can see it too.

They're not blind, just limited by the roster. Ridley and Vereen weren't ready for prime time. That left them with BJGE and Woodhead. Just because you're carrying 5 backs on the roster doesn't mean you can effectively run the ball.

 

[State]

That starts with personnel, and since 2005 they haven't had them. Dillon was one and done. Maroney wasn't that guy. He wasted time waiting for Fred Taylor to get healthy and he never did. Benny won't put the rock on the ground. He also won't move it much farther than the OL will allow him to, and that consistently isn't far enough to move the chains or keep them out of 3rd and too long. Woodhead is a great change of pace back, but that's all he is. Ridley and Vereen couldn't be trusted to even sniff the field in win or go home game. Potential home run hitters are useless if they can't get on the field.

You may be right about Ridley, but I disagree. We have the personnel.

We have about the best two guards in the NFL to run the ball with. And our tackles our elite second tier.

connelly played better than Koppen in the last SB.

No, we have the players. What we lack is the smash-mouth mindset. We weren't patient enough. the Giants were.

And that made all a difference.

 

[BigHoss28]

The Giants were last in the league in rushing and just won the Super bowl.

It's being able to run the ball situationally that is the issue. You need to be able to get yards when you need to run out the clock.

You can win the Super Bowl with a bad running game, as long as you can pound out yardage when you really need to. This year the Pats had an average running game, but it was extended by the way they used their TEs and slot guys. The Pats depended a lot on YAC this year and they just didn't get it in the Super bowl and when they had a chance to kill the clock and seal the win, they couldn't get yardage on the ground.

 

[Dagg]

I think Ridley could be that guy, size wise. We need like a Stephen Jackson who I think really compares well to Dillon (one of my favorite RBS of all time even before he played on the pats)

I think our oline can do it, I think he have a RB that can do it in Ridley. I just dont see the staff changing their ways.

I love Tom and hes great but hey look at the Saints yes you can do both effectively.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Bill chose McDaniels, twice now. Your argument is lost on the OC, and the rest of us, it's the HC and GM you need to contact. I personally think we need a bell cow, push the pile, load to handle RB and none of the guys presently on the roster are that guy IMO. I know why Bill chooses to invest in lightening over thunder and make do with safe rather than sorry. But in the post season you pass to score and run to win. And if you struggle to pass because teams are determined to take that away and can't run to at least move the chains to retain possession and sustain drives at critical junctures you won't be the last team standing very often.

Not really making an argument. Merely stating the actual facts.
Have no idea why the front office and coaching staff decided it was best to turn the 3 time SB champion NE Patriots into the Indianapolis Colts. All I know is since the Pats morphed into the Colts and are strictly a QB-Centric offense they no longer play big in big games, their offense is incapable of controling the clock, closing out games and they no longer win championships.
Maybe Josh McDaniel can explain it.

 

[BigHoss28]

I think Ridley could be that guy, size wise. We need like a Stephen Jackson who I think really compares well to Dillon (one of my favorite RBS of all time even before he played on the pats)

I think our oline can do it, I think he have a RB that can do it in Ridley. I just dont see the staff changing their ways.

I love Tom and hes great but hey look at the Saints yes you can do both effectively.

BJGE is 220 lbs, he is big enough and runs hard enough to be the power back. You just have to commit to it and not miss blocks at crucial times. I understand leaving the backside DE unblocked when he's a plodding run stopper, but how do you leave arguably the Giants' best player who possesses one of the quickest first steps in football unblocked? You have to at least chip him. Yet he was able to influence running plays trailing the ball carrier, that should never happen.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Whether the back is Antowain Smith, Corey Dillon, BJGE, whoever you need balance or your offense will lay an egg when it matters.

Look at the personnel offensively from 2007-2011. It's a clear upgrade from what he had in '03 and '04. The Brady of 2007-2011 is a clear upgrade from Brady of '03-'04. Yet that offense managed to score 20+ on a consistent basis and NOT put our defense in tough situations like our recent offenses. Their worst performance was 17-14 win over the Titans and that's still not nearly as bad as some of our recent failures. AT LEAST you didn't have Tennessee starting in our territory or getting 2 points from our offense.

Weis wasn't perfect but he still managed to get the most out of what he had. We don't see that anymore in the playoffs, with better personnel.

 

[Kontradiction]

I'm just grateful we drafted two running backs and elected not to use either of them. Especially when your #1 receiving target is down a leg.

The Vereen pick still doesn't make a lick of sense to me.

 

[pwes]

This thread is so true. The playcalling was horrible in this game. I dont know why this team hates the run so much when its pretty decent on a consistent basis. On a majority of the runs we were picking up at least 3 or 4 yards and yet they kept taking the backs out of the game. I dont know why it is so hard for them to swallow their pride and just run like they should.

 

[makoute]

Whether the back is Antowain Smith, Corey Dillon, BJGE, whoever you need balance or your offense will lay an egg when it matters.

Look at the personnel offensively from 2007-2011. It's a clear upgrade from what he had in '03 and '04. The Brady of 2007-2011 is a clear upgrade from Brady of '03-'04. Yet that offense managed to score 20+ on a consistent basis and NOT put our defense in tough situations like our recent offenses. Their worst performance was 17-14 win over the Titans and that's still not nearly as bad as some of our recent failures. AT LEAST you didn't have Tennessee starting in our territory or getting 2 points from our offense.

Weis wasn't perfect but he still managed to get the most out of what he had. We don't see that anymore in the playoffs, with better personnel.

It was an ice cold game, at night too, gotta take that into account for the low output.

 

[makoute]

This thread is so true. The playcalling was horrible in this game. I dont know why this team hates the run so much when its pretty decent on a concictant basis. On a majorit og the runs we were picking up at least 3 or 4 yards and yet they kept taking the backs out of the game. I dont know why it is so hard for them to swallow thier pride and just run like they should.

Colt syndrome.

 

[Rob0729]

Not really making an argument. Merely stating the actual facts.
Have no idea why the front office and coaching staff decided it was best to turn the 3 time SB champion NE Patriots into the Indianapolis Colts. All I know is since the Pats morphed into the Colts and are strictly a QB-Centric offense they no longer play big in big games, their offense is incapable of controling the clock, closing out games and they no longer win championships.
Maybe Josh McDaniel can explain it.

Most of the league has turned into the Colts. Ok, I can understand why people are complaining about not running the ball more, but I am a little tired of this "we have turned into the Colts" arguments.

Forget asking McDaniels, go ask Roger Goodell and the rules committee. They want 32 teams that are carbon copies of the 2004 Colts. That is their goal. The Pats are just trying to do what is best for the team based on the rules that have been changing since the spring of 2004 to make it so teams can pass more and more and defenses cannot defend the pass as well.

To tell you the truth, the 2003 and 2004 Patriots might have problems winning championships in this era of football.