One stop away...defense not clutch

[NEfan32]

I get the entire offense only scored 17 points and the defense only allowed 19 points, but for the 2nd SuperBowl in a row, regardless of the offensive output, the game came down to the defense needing to either make a play or make a stop and they failed. The only difference between SB 36, 38 and 39 and 42 and 46 is that Brady didn't have the ball at the end with ample time.

SB 42, one defensive stop and we win the game. Asante and Rodney and Plaxico later we lose. Regardless of what Brady and Moss did, we should have won that game.

SB 46, final drive we need to make a defensive play, and we get ZERO pressure on Manning and can't make a play. Manningham catch was unacceptable in double covreage. Ninkovich stupid offside penalty.

We could even argue the Pats defense almost blew the Baltimore game at the end.

Superbowl 39 Rodney makes the game winning pick to seal it at the end. Made a play.

I know the offense left a lot to be desired in both SuperBowls, but at the end of the day if our defense could make a play we would have won at least one if not both.

 

[pwes]

How can you blame the defense when the Offense couldnt stay on the field long enough to give them time to rest? Honestly its hardly unexpected that they could nto make a stop. 42 you could blame the defense more so in this game the ending has to fall majorily on the offenses shoulders.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Superbowl 39 Rodney makes the game winning pick to seal it at the end. Made a play.

You are trying to compare that D to this D? This D was garbage at the beginning and middle of the year...and they only give up 19 pts in a SB?

If you told me we would only give up 19 pts on D last night..i would have said we crushed them...nope

 

[makoute]

Everyone one here knew the D was not clutch, no one was expecting them to be clutch, the Pats got way more than expected from the D, the offense didn't make the plays when they needed to.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

How clutch was our defense down the stretch of SB36 and SB38? That's when it was the strength of our team too.

No matter who you are, you can't rely on your defense to make the stop on the final drive when the other team has over 2 minutes. It's very hard to make a stop at that stage, even when you do have a great defense. The game was lost when our offense, our strength, couldn't put the game out of reach against a tired and injured Giants defense.

 

[DefenseRules]

Everyone one here knew the D was not clutch, no one was expecting them to be clutch, the Pats got way more than expected from the D, the offense didn't make the plays when they needed to.

The ENTIRE TEAM was not clutch last night.

 

[DarrylS]

There were a lot of brainfarts, but not one big one.. all of which added up to this loss.

The D gave up 17 points, not 19....

 

[celticboy04]

Greetings,
I honestly did not expect this defense to be clutch. Truth is this is a patchwork defense that has a lot of guys only starting out of necessity. I understand why people are venting, especially since the Patriots lost. But to get upset at players who just simply do not have the ability is going overboard. I mean it is what is, considering the personnel this defense played great.
Celticboy04

 

[chicowalker]

I thought the D played fine. Nice stop on the first drive of the game, and they get put right back on the field by the intentional grounding / safety.

Forced 2 fumbles, didn't get breaks on either.

Getting a stop, even near the end, doesn't do anything for you if the offense doesn't keep the ball.

As others have said, there's plenty of blame to go around. But the only thing that will continue to bother me about this one is that the Pats controlled their own destiny. They were driving and could have gone up 2 scores late in the game. A Welker catch would have moved them much closer to doing so. He didn't, they didn't.

 

[coolguy]

You are trying to compare that D to this D? This D was garbage at the beginning and middle of the year...and they only give up 19 pts in a SB?

If you told me we would only give up 19 pts on D last night..i would have said we crushed them...nope

Did you see the last drive? The giants pretty much marched down the field with ease and could have scored at any point.

The defense lost the game just like every game the pats lost. The way to beat the pats is to keep the game close until the final minutes and score on the final drive.

LOL the ravens did the same thing and the pats got lucky twice.


I'm soooooooooo tired of this bend but don't break excuse/defense.

 

[BigEZPatsFan76]

Well, considering the ineptness of this offense almost all night, I think the defense did pretty good, considering they were out on the field over 37 of the 60 minutes of the game. That will wear you down. It takes more energy to react, than to act.

 

[BadMoFo]

I think we are just very unlucky.

 

[PatsGirl2011]

If you told me the Pats were only on the field for offense for 23 minutes and had a chance to win, I would have been shocked. The offensive game plan was fine. People need to stop complaining. The Pats moved the ball up and down the field. However, its the dropped passes that killed them in the end. Nothing more or less.2 less drops and its a different game. It sucks big time that they literally dropped the ball in this game.

 

[BlueThunder]

One play away...

OFFENSE not clutch....

One more first down on that last Patriot series just about clinches the game for the Pats....Giants had one TO left and the 2 minute warning.....They probably would have got the ball back with less than 2 minutes to go in the game.....and that's if the Pats offense didn't keep it for the final minutes and end the game.....:rocker:



Glass half full guy here....

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

The defense might not have been clutch, but the offense was not clutch and completely inept.

 

[stcjones]

Unfortunately that has been Bill Belichicks MO since 2004....which is ironic as obviously he was always known for being a defensive genius....

I get the entire offense only scored 17 points and the defense only allowed 19 points, but for the 2nd SuperBowl in a row, regardless of the offensive output, the game came down to the defense needing to either make a play or make a stop and they failed. The only difference between SB 36, 38 and 39 and 42 and 46 is that Brady didn't have the ball at the end with ample time.

SB 42, one defensive stop and we win the game. Asante and Rodney and Plaxico later we lose. Regardless of what Brady and Moss did, we should have won that game.

SB 46, final drive we need to make a defensive play, and we get ZERO pressure on Manning and can't make a play. Manningham catch was unacceptable in double covreage. Ninkovich stupid offside penalty.

We could even argue the Pats defense almost blew the Baltimore game at the end.

Superbowl 39 Rodney makes the game winning pick to seal it at the end. Made a play.

I know the offense left a lot to be desired in both SuperBowls, but at the end of the day if our defense could make a play we would have won at least one if not both.

 

[Boston Boxer]

I get the entire offense only scored 17 points and the defense only allowed 19 points, but for the 2nd SuperBowl in a row, regardless of the offensive output, the game came down to the defense needing to either make a play or make a stop and they failed. The only difference between SB 36, 38 and 39 and 42 and 46 is that Brady didn't have the ball at the end with ample time.

SB 42, one defensive stop and we win the game. Asante and Rodney and Plaxico later we lose. Regardless of what Brady and Moss did, we should have won that game.

SB 46, final drive we need to make a defensive play, and we get ZERO pressure on Manning and can't make a play. Manningham catch was unacceptable in double covreage. Ninkovich stupid offside penalty.

We could even argue the Pats defense almost blew the Baltimore game at the end.

Superbowl 39 Rodney makes the game winning pick to seal it at the end. Made a play.

I know the offense left a lot to be desired in both SuperBowls, but at the end of the day if our defense could make a play we would have won at least one if not both.

Brady DID have the ball in his hands with about 6-7 minutes left i beleive. All he had to do was make a few first downs and it was over. They failed and gave the ball back to Eli. D came up big for a lot of the game and i thought they played better than usual. It is what it is.

 

[patsfan13]

If you told me the D would give up 2 td's and 2 fg's and the Giants would put the ball on the carpet 3 times I would have signed up for that in a nanosecond.

 

[stcjones]

In all fairness the D was gassed and mentally beaten during that last drive IMHO. After watching the O sh,t the bed once again....the D lost any fire they had left

Did you see the last drive? The giants pretty much marched down the field with ease and could have scored at any point.

The defense lost the game just like every game the pats lost. The way to beat the pats is to keep the game close until the final minutes and score on the final drive.

LOL the ravens did the same thing and the pats got lucky twice.


I'm soooooooooo tired of this bend but don't break excuse/defense.

 

[coolguy]

If you told me the D would give up 2 td's and 2 fg's and the Giants would put the ball on the carpet 3 times I would have signed up for that in a nanosecond.

That's not the point patsfan13. The giants just like raveNS were merely stalling the patriots team out. They didn't want to get into a shootout, so they took as much time of the clock and put up points when needed.

The giants drove right down the field with ease in the final drive just like the ravens did in afc championship game.