Game Thoughts: I am absolutely disgusted by the Pats tonight edition

[woolster22]

1. Philly's tackles were jumping early all game. Must have been at least a third of their snaps.

2. ST's coach better not buy a house around here any time soon. Grissom, you are wearing goat horns for not touching that guy who made the block. You don't need to crush somebody back and turn them towards the sideline. Just make sure you don't let anyone through untouched, ffs.

3. On the 1st pick, Chandler breaks free on the left as Brady is throwing into double coverage. That's a 14 point swing on 12.

4. Really looked like lafell should have broke into the EZ on the 2nd pick rather than pulling up well short. That said, Brady took the blame.

5. Collins missed a lot of snaps tonight. He clearly isn't 100 percent. Whatever that bug was can kiss my ass.

6. White looked competent tonight, even made people miss! Hopefully he keeps that up. With edes and Gronk back in the mix his production would be a huge plus towards giving dc's headaches.

7. Chandler...God damn it man. Frustrating player to watch. Reminds me of Ben Watson. You look at him and think, he should be an impact player. Then the small mistakes start adding up and you're sitting there scratching your head thinking "wtf?"

8. I hope Jojo isn't 100% yet, like DA last year. He seems to lack explosion/quickness and looks out of sync. This is leading to mental errors and drops. Hopefully he gets his **** together ASAP. If he catches that slant on the last drive, he probably isn't scoring but he was certainly running for a while. Very frustrating.

9. In the end, we had no right being in that game. The positive was the defense. They gave up 14 points. That pi call looked like a tip, but what do I know. The fact that they battled back to make a game is good if your a jets fan. The point is, they collectively played like **** for all but about 12 minutes of that game. The couple minutes in the 2nd quarter, and the final 6 (kind of. Receivers and their drops though...).

They need to get it together, and quickly.

 

[SVN]

Denver has the easiest road to HFA with the pats nursing injuries esp if gronk doesnt come back. Their toughest game is pitt on the road. They should handle andy dalton in primetime at home on MNF.

 

[SVN]

They have had a game or even 2 like this every year. So I am not so sure why it would be a surprise at this point considering the players who are not playing.

very rarely in nov/dec.

 

[raduray]

They could also win out the rest of their games while CIncy and DEN play each other still. So is the bye a lock? no...but still a very..very good shot at it

A Denver - Cincinnati tie would give the number one seed back to to the Pats
On a more serious note, they both have Pittsburgh on the schedule which will be tough games.

 

[Bruins29]

very rarely in nov/dec.

We are a 2nd half team. However 2013 Nov Dolphins game was no prize. And that same month we were screwed out a PI call on Gronk in Nov in Carolina. A game that never should have had that scenrio to win the game to begin with.

We got pretty beaten down by San Fran the year before in Foxboro in December,

We dropped 2 in a row in 2011 (one in Nov) and went to the SB

It happens...peeps gotta chill

 

[Gronkowski123]

the ****ing eagles scored 35 straight. not sure how that could ever happen.
two games where we've blown leads...so un patriot like.

this kind of stuff happens to the ny jests of the world..not the champs!

 

[Bruins29]

Also, if you are going to lose a game. Lose to the NFC team.

 

[pctronics0072]

I am not suggesting Gronk should play with a gimpy knee. I am saying he should be treated like everyone else and not expect to sit out until he is 100%. The guy has a bone bruise, not sprained ankle. It is a pain tolerance thing not a ligament thing. A bone bruise is not something that can get re-aggravated. It is either he can play with the pain or not.

If this was any other player who wanted to wait until he was 100% to recover from a bone bruise, people would be calling for him to be cut for being a pansy.

As an orthopedic/sports medicine surgeon, I can say you are wrong and downplaying the injury.

A bone bruise is a fracture of the medullary microstructure of the cancellous (inner layer) of bone. It IS a fracture. However, the inner part of the bone is supported by the strong outer portion so it is less like what we think of as a fracture. Also, that part of the bone has great blood supply so heals quicker.

If he comes back before it is healed, he is more likely to get an overt fracture that is best case scenario about a 1.5 year injury to be back to form. It can in cases be career ending. I can't remember what knee Gronk tore in the ACL in, but if it is the same knee, then it is an even bigger worry. Part of the ACL repair involves drilling an ~1cm diameter hole through the knee which slightly weakens it (EDIT: it means the bones). The hole goes through the cancellous portion. Therefore, a fracture that weakens the already weaker cancellous bone makes it more like to get a fracture. An overt fracture involving the ACL repair conduit is likely CAREER ENDING. This is because first they have to repair the fracture and let it heal COMPLETELY. Then they have to redo the ACL.

Him sitting out until it is better is in the best interest of both himself and the team.

Any questions?

 

[carmelo15]

Denver has the easiest road to HFA with the pats nursing injuries esp if gronk doesnt come back. Their toughest game is pitt on the road. They should handle andy dalton in primetime at home on MNF.

there offense put up 14 points vs SD in great weather i believe SD is on a 6 game skid with bad defense

 

[I am party]

As an orthopedic/sports medicine surgeon, I can say you are wrong and downplaying the injury.

A bone bruise is a fracture of the medullary microstructure of the cancellous (inner layer) of bone. It IS a fracture. However, the inner part of the bone is supported by the strong outer portion so it is less like what we think of as a fracture. Also, that part of the bone has great blood supply so heals quicker.

If he comes back before it is healed, he is more likely to get an overt fracture that is best case scenario about a 1.5 year injury to be back to form. It can in cases be career ending. I can't remember what knee Gronk tore in the ACL in, but if it is the same knee, then it is an even bigger worry. Part of the ACL repair involves drilling an ~1cm diameter hole through the knee which slightly weakens it (EDIT: it means the bones). The hole goes through the cancellous portion. Therefore, a fracture that weakens the already weaker cancellous bone makes it more like to get a fracture. An overt fracture involving the ACL repair conduit is likely CAREER ENDING. This is because first they have to repair the fracture and let it heal COMPLETELY. Then they have to redo the ACL.

Him sitting out until it is better is in the best interest of both himself and the team.

Any questions?

Regarding Edelman, given the limited information we have about his injury, do you think he'll really be back in time for the playoffs? And even if he is, how effective do you think will he be relative to his norm?

 

[BradyBranch39]

1. Philly's tackles were jumping early all game. Must have been at least a third of their snaps.

Oh good. I'm not the only one who noticed that. You wonder if they have been coached to do that because the refs won't call it.

 

[MainePatsFan26]

the ****ing eagles scored 35 straight. not sure how that could ever happen.
two games where we've blown leads...so un patriot like.

this kind of stuff happens to the ny jests of the world..not the champs!

It happens when you lose your mojo. It is tough to lose tough players like Gronk, Edelman, and Collins who set the mood for the team. I think the Broncos fans might be right in calling this team soft right now: they need more mental and physical toughness if they are going to be elite teams, let alone the Eagles.

Enough with the whole "we'll be fine when we get guys back" statements. It is time to find a way against a Texans team that has been playing decent football.

 

[Tom meets Kaepernick]

As an orthopedic/sports medicine surgeon, I can say you are wrong and downplaying the injury.

A bone bruise is a fracture of the medullary microstructure of the cancellous (inner layer) of bone. It IS a fracture. However, the inner part of the bone is supported by the strong outer portion so it is less like what we think of as a fracture. Also, that part of the bone has great blood supply so heals quicker.

If he comes back before it is healed, he is more likely to get an overt fracture that is best case scenario about a 1.5 year injury to be back to form. It can in cases be career ending. I can't remember what knee Gronk tore in the ACL in, but if it is the same knee, then it is an even bigger worry. Part of the ACL repair involves drilling an ~1cm diameter hole through the knee which slightly weakens it (EDIT: it means the bones). The hole goes through the cancellous portion. Therefore, a fracture that weakens the already weaker cancellous bone makes it more like to get a fracture. An overt fracture involving the ACL repair conduit is likely CAREER ENDING. This is because first they have to repair the fracture and let it heal COMPLETELY. Then they have to redo the ACL.

Him sitting out until it is better is in the best interest of both himself and the team.

Any questions?

Comes in and drops the ****ing mic. Well done friend.

 

[VectorPrime]

I have woken up more than half a dozen times from nightmares over what happened in this game. Now I finally can't get back to sleep. Christ

 

[Ken Canin]

Gronk simply acting as a decoy would've done wonders today. Or even against Houston next week.

It's absurd to second-guess the decision to sit out an injured player. Spectators have neither the data on the injury nor the medical expertise to do so.

Sometimes these ridiculous suggestions - play Gronk despite his injury - take on a life of their own and get repeated on this board. It's irritating as well as distracting from more relevant topics.

 

[Brewskies]

Here we go:

• Despite the fact, they did try to make it interesting at the end of the game, this was by far the most disgusting game I have seen by the Pats in a while. The Pats should have won this game by two or three TDs. Stupid coaching decisions (the pooch punt on the kick off), special teams (dogged it for giving up 14 points), Brady (two stupid throws on INTs), o-line, and everyone else. Absolutely disgusting.
• Let's start with that pooch punt onside kick. You are up 14-0 and in control of the game. The downsides of doing something like that far out weigh the positives. Since Ebner kicked it 20 yards down field, the chances of the Pats recovering it were minimal. Got too cute and gave the Eagles a shot to get back in the game.
• I don't get why since Edelman has gone down that McDaniels and Belichick have decided to become a vertical offense. There have been a few big plays over the last four weeks, but they have been outweighed by the many drive killers that have happened far too often.
• Stupid mistakes is the difference today. As I said that coaching decision to onside kick was big. They screwed up the blocking assignments on the block punt for a TD. Brady should have thrown away that pick six rather than force it into Amendola covered tight by two defenders. Brady made a bad decision on the other pick.
• I don't know why James White doesn't get more involved in the passing game. He isn't close to what Dion Lewis or even Shane Vereen, but he has proven to be a receiving option for Brady. But they seem to use him sparingly until the game is starting to fall apart.
• I know this isn't a popular position, but I think Gronk needs to get over himself and realize he isn't above the team or that he deserves special treatment. The "I'll come back when I am 100%" crap isn't going to fly. He needs to be everyone else on the team and if you can play even if you are not 100%, you play. We have heard stories of Brady playing when he was hurt so bad that he needed to have help taking off his shoulder pads because he cannot lift his arm over his head, The Pats have zero margin for error after a loss today and they need to win all the rest of their games. If he is still not healthy enough to play, that is one thing. But it is a diva position to expect to sit out until you are 100%. I never liked how they babied him last year.
• On that third down conversion right before the two minute warning by the Eagles, the RT clearly moved before the ball was snapped. Should have been a penalty.
• They also desperately need Hightower back. He seems to have affected the pass rush and run defense more than when Collins was gone. I think Collins may be the better player, but Hightower is the steak and potatoes guy. The defense only gave up 14 points and played lights out at times, but it was a bit deceiving since the Pats' offense was on the field so much due to the Eagles scoring on special teams and defense and the onside kick.
• The good news is barring a disaster, the worst this team can do is end up being the #3 seed. Sooner or later the Pats are going to win a game and the Jets are going to lose one. So the division is an almost certainty. But now the first round bye is anything but a lock. Denver has the tie breaker and unless Gronk comes back and is close to his former self next week, the Pats are likely to lose at least one more game.

Very well put. I had to watch the DVR recording again because I couldn't believe what I saw live.

 

[supafly]

I agree with your thoughts @Rob0729, except for the part about Gronk.

I don't know why anyone assumed anything less than him missing a couple/few games, all things considered? I think some here rely on the media's second hand info for their injury analysis, rather than using a common sense approach. The team is obviously going to be on the cautious side, due to his importance, long term picture, and possibly even past history.

Anyway, that stuff shouldn't overshadow your excellent post. Lots of good stuff that I agree with very much.

 

[luuked]

the reason for the loss is simple. the eagles wanted it more. pats have not shown a lot of heart this season, not like last year at least. in the giants game, yes.

Guess you were one of those people that left/turned off the game when they were 21 points down this week and did the same last week after Denver took the lead in regular time, right ?

Because otherwise I don't see how you can say that this team has no heart.

 

[luuked]

7. Chandler...God damn it man. Frustrating player to watch. Reminds me of Ben Watson. You look at him and think, he should be an impact player. Then the small mistakes start adding up and you're sitting there scratching your head thinking "wtf?"

I am slowly getting bothered by how Chandler has become the new whipping boy that Amendola was before the playoffs last year.

LaFell and Martin dropped many more balls that were easier to catch than any of the passes Chandler wasn't able to haul in but it gets only mentioned now and then. In fact, I don't remember a single Chandler _drop_ yesterday but 2-3 tough catches he was not able to make. At the same time I remember at least 5 balls that Martin and LaFell should have caught easily.

 

[102 Pat]

Did yesterday suck? Yes, but all things considered 10-2 is pretty damn good. As I said in the gameday thread, (which I really need to stop posting/reading in) the same people who were complaining about the kick would be the same ones who would be praising it if it worked.