Struggling Offense

[Patstopia]

Bale faster before we sink!

 

[rochrist]

I think we should resign Michael Bishop and start him.

No you idiot. We should resign Rohan Davey!!

 

[rochrist]

I'm not basing my concerns on today. I'm concerned because the Pats offense has fallen off dramatically over the last month. The issues appear similar to those that have cost the team playoff games in each of last seven years.

I hope to see more production.

Why don't you go be concerned for the Broncos. Their offense has fallen off dramatically! In the past month, Peyton has more interceptions than TDs. Go worry about them.

 

[hwc]

Why don't you go be concerned for the Broncos. Their offense has fallen off dramatically! In the past month, Peyton has more interceptions than TDs. Go worry about them.

I would like the Patriots to go farther in the tournament than the Broncos. If I were a Broncos fan, I would be concerned about their fall off in offensive production.

I don't think that a struggling offense means the Pats can't go far into the playoffs. They have an excellent defense and good special teams. They could very well win 17-13 style games. I just think the lack of sustained offensive production means that we have to tap the brakes on all the destiny stuff. I thought the thread on the SuperBowl matchup against the Seahawks last week was ridiculously premature.

 

[ashley]

Seems like a lot of the teams in the AFC have questions going into the playoffs:

Pats: our offensive line, pass rush
Broncos: Peyton and the offensive line
Steelers: Bell injured and the secondary
Bengals: Dalton, Green injured, can't win a playoff game
Colts: No running game and bad defense
Ravens: very inconsistent, bad secondary

In looking at all the question marks on the AFC teams, i do like where we are in comparison to the other teams. Add to the fact that we are playing at home and I do like our chances!!!

 

[Danger Zone]

I would like the Patriots to go farther in the tournament than the Broncos. If I were a Broncos fan, I would be concerned about their fall off in offensive production.

I don't think that a struggling offense means the Pats can't go far into the playoffs. They have an excellent defense and good special teams. They could very well win 17-13 style games. I just think the lack of sustained offensive production means that we have to tap the brakes on all the destiny stuff. I thought the thread on the SuperBowl matchup against the Seahawks last week was ridiculously premature.

As I said in another post, you'd have a little credibility if you weren't always trolling Brady.

Brady has a game where he throws an interception.. and its "Brady sure is looking like Geno Smith" or "I think I'd rather have Romo as our quarterback" kind of comments for a week.

You're either a Troll, or the worst kind of Chicken Little. But based on a thousand different ways you phrase things, you're a Troll.

 

[sieglo]

Here's my assessment of the Pats' OL struggles in the playoffs:

Football is to a certain extent a game of aggression. In the playoffs, you've got a very cerebral, very professional Belichick OL playing against a bunch of DLs who are more angry and more fired up than at any point in the regular season. This tends to weigh in favor of the defense.

The one time this didn't seem to happen was in the '03 Superbowl when the Pats OL played the "no respect" card against what looked like a dominant Carolina DL and came up big.

 

[Oswlek]

Football is to a certain extent a game of aggression. In the playoffs, you've got a very cerebral, very professional Belichick OL playing against a bunch of DLs who are more angry and more fired up than at any point in the regular season. This tends to weigh in favor of the defense.

This doesn't ring true to me at all. By all accounts, Bill is as good at firing up the troops as anyone.

 

[hwc]

I think Belichick plays the odds. Like managing to on-base percentages, against lefties, against righties. Over the long haul, Belichick's numbers driven approach is clearly a winning philosophy. In any particular game or matchup, it may not maximize Belichick's weapons. I can live with that.

I'm not bashing the Pats for their inconsistent offensive production. I'm genuinely scratching my head trying to figure out what the heck happened and, more importantly, what the heck the Pats can do about it.

I think, realistically, the coaching staff has to consider the need to play "small ball" in the tournament -- win 2001 style games. It's been more than a month since the Pats had any kind of lead at half time.

 

[Deus Irae]

Here's my assessment of the Pats' OL struggles in the playoffs:

Football is to a certain extent a game of aggression. In the playoffs, you've got a very cerebral, very professional Belichick OL playing against a bunch of DLs who are more angry and more fired up than at any point in the regular season. This tends to weigh in favor of the defense.

The one time this didn't seem to happen was in the '03 Superbowl when the Pats OL played the "no respect" card against what looked like a dominant Carolina DL and came up big.

The Patriots recent OL struggles in the Patriots mostly come down to having lower level players overwhelmed by superior opponents.

 

[Ivan]

As I said in another post, you'd have a little credibility if you weren't always trolling Brady.

Brady has a game where he throws an interception.. and its "Brady sure is looking like Geno Smith" or "I think I'd rather have Romo as our quarterback" kind of comments for a week.

You're either a Troll, or the worst kind of Chicken Little. But based on a thousand different ways you phrase things, you're a Troll.

Right on the money. hwc simply stops by to pie people of with comments about this bring Brady's last season as Patriots QB, or Brady as Garrapolos backup etc etc. He is just a passive aggressive little troll who gets off on pissing patriot fans off. And the way he phrased that comment about the Patriots going farther than the broncos demonstrates he is not a patriots fan.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I think Belichick plays the odds. Like managing to on-base percentages, against lefties, against righties. Over the long haul, Belichick's numbers driven approach is clearly a winning philosophy. In any particular game or matchup, it may not maximize Belichick's weapons. I can live with that.

I'm not bashing the Pats for their inconsistent offensive production. I'm genuinely scratching my head trying to figure out what the heck happened and, more importantly, what the heck the Pats can do about it.

I think, realistically, the coaching staff has to consider the need to play "small ball" in the tournament -- win 2001 style games. It's been more than a month since the Pats had any kind of lead at half time.

 

[ender24601]

Not that he has a crystal ball, but Bruschi is predicting an "offensive explosion" in the divisional round as all players come back healthy.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/boston/chat/_/id/51487

 

[Oswlek]

View attachment 7879

I would love this to be true, but every time I think they've been playing possum, it turns out to be more truth than game.

FTR, hwc used to be one of my favorite contributors to this board. I have no idea why he's turned into such a pessimist, but I don't think he's just trolling.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I would love this to be true, but every time I think they've been playing possum, it turns out to be more truth than game.

FTR, hwc used to be one of my favorite contributors to this board. I have no idea why he's turned into such a pessimist, but I don't think he's just trolling.

They certainly have been holding back on players but they also have been holding back on the game-planning as well. Ala being vanilla.

 

[BradyManny]

Football is to a certain extent a game of aggression. In the playoffs, you've got a very cerebral, very professional Belichick OL playing against a bunch of DLs who are more angry and more fired up than at any point in the regular season. This tends to weigh in favor of the defense.

The Patriots have lost to some very talented defensive lines that were in some cases tangibly more talented than the OL it was facing, I wouldn't overemphasize the intangibles.

 

[Brit patriot]

I'm surprised Bill is making it through Black Monday

 

[hwc]

FTR, hwc used to be one of my favorite contributors to this board. I have no idea why he's turned into such a pessimist, but I don't think he's just trolling.

I'm not pessimistic. I love the defensive production over the second half of the season. Championship caliber defense for the first time in at least 8 years. I'm just realistic. They offense has been sputtering and not just sputtering for a couple of games. Slow starts and the inability to stay on the field and score TDs has been a problem. And, unlike recent years, we can't blame it on Gronk being out.

Average offense, strong defense, and playing at home. I certainly think the Pats should be favored in any AFC playoff game. If they can keep it close and get a turnover or big special teams play, they can win. If they fall behind or get in a shoot-out, I'm concerned.

 

[letekro]

Here's my assessment of the Pats' OL struggles in the playoffs:

Football is to a certain extent a game of aggression. In the playoffs, you've got a very cerebral, very professional Belichick OL playing against a bunch of DLs who are more angry and more fired up than at any point in the regular season. This tends to weigh in favor of the defense.

The one time this didn't seem to happen was in the '03 Superbowl when the Pats OL played the "no respect" card against what looked like a dominant Carolina DL and came up big.

No OL provides an impenetrable wall. The offensive troubles have had more to do with the inability to threaten the deep part of the field (even when they have time) than anything. Have we hit a single pass downfield in the playoffs since Deion Branch against the Steelers in 2005? One such completion to Moss in 2007 and i think you have a different result. A completion to Gronk rather than a pick and you have a different result in SB 46. Secondaries cheat up in the playoffs and weve never been able to make them pay. The Branch completion and Bethel Johnson the year before were HUGE plays.

 

[woolster22]

This is like ground hog day all over again. The Pats go into the playoffs with an offense that has been steadily declining over the last month of the season and is now pretty much stopped in its tracks. Other than one good half against Miami, the offense has struggled consistently. I have no idea what has unravelled.

Any ideas what the Pats can do going forward:

1) Practice gaining more than 1 yard on a 2nd & 2 or 3rd & 2 running play?

2) Go full 2001 dink and dunk and try to win 13 to 10 in the playoffs?

3) Go full Flacco? Just have Brady close his eyes and heave it deep on every series, hoping to connect 3 or 4 times per game?

4) Switch to the wildcat offense?

5) Run nothing but trick plays?

Beats me. Belichick and McDaniels need to go into their secret lair and mix up some kind of offensive potion. The defense is stout, but the Pats aren't going far without scoring some TDs.

What's the solution?