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Once the Pats bounced back.....again in the 4th quarter and tied the game (including 2 fourth down plays). I really didn't care who won the game. Overall I had thought the Jets had played better, but they should have played better. They were at home, with a better roster, and a more desperate situation. Still the game was there for taking, but in the end the Jets made the plays and won a game they should have won. Fortunately for us, it was a game we could afford to lose. So lets break this down into the things I liked and what I didn't. plus some general observations.
1. OK let's get this over with. Let's start with the OL. We have now lost 4 of the 5 offensive linemen that started the superbowl last season. Who goes through THAT kind of turmoil and still wins 12 games. Want to know why BB chose to KO in OT, just look at the OL we had out there for the game tying drive. LT- Stork, LG, Mason, C Anderson, RG Jackson, RT- Cannon.
Once again we had our #5 LT on the field. Plus 3 rookies, a guy playing totally out of position, and a journeyman back up. That was the OL going against one the best DL's in the league.
During this game I saw guys get beat. I saw guys block the wrong guys to let guys in. I saw soft and hesitant play. Face it, the OL is a mess, and when you combine that with the lack of options outside, and no running game, it is not a good situation for the offense.
The problem here is I have no idea how they can clean it up in the next 3 weeks, so there can be some semblance of stability and dependability for our playoff run. Let us face it, we are starting 3 rookies along the OL along with some other guys like Stork who is in a 2nd year that he missed half of now playing out of position. It is no wonder it is a mess. It makes no sense to call out individual players and say they suck, because the entire situation is so unsettled that to blame any one player at this point is pure folly and totally unfair.
Assuming Volmer is gone for the playoffs (and even if by some miracle he isn't) Josh and Brady are going to have to limit the playbook so they can simplify what they doing along the OL so we can help those kids with the mental side of the game, so that they can relax and get physical. I will be interesting to see how Waddle did in his time out there. Clearly asking him to be a LT after about 14 days with the team was a reach of major proportions, but I wonder if he showed enough positive signs that will look good for next season.
Make no mistake, I believe this OL will eventually become a very good one. But it will take time, and we really don't have any of that right now. We are just going to have to make due with what we have. It will be a coaching job of epic proportions that isn't going to solve itself by have DA and Edelman come back (though it would sure help some)
2. I hated that we essentially conceded the last 2 minutes of first half. Like I said in the game thread, if we aren't playing to win, then lets get Brady and Gronk out of there and let someone else get a shot. I thought it sent the wrong message to the team.
That being said, I can perfectly understand why he did it there, and kicking off in the OT. They were all decent strategic moves.....just not ones I wanted to see. I'm sure Brady wasn't happy either. The question I would ask is, "why be so conservative? we had nothing really to lose. Let it all hang out and if if we lose, we lose"
3. I really thought the defense let the team down, hence the title. 20 points SHOULD have been enough to win the game. There were stretches in the game were the defense played VERY well (like for the entire 4th quarter), and there were times where no pass rush was accompanied by bad coverage and the expected results occurred..
3b. I need to have an explanation for the reason why Brandon LaFell was completely ignored in this game plan. One catch and as far as I can remember only one other target. What's up with that? Gronk was another guy who was conspicuously under targeted for this game. Whether it was by choice or the way the game played out I don't know. But if Brady has one failing, it is that he doesn't do what so many other QB's in this league are doing more and more, which is give their receivers a chance to "make a play", even when they are covered. Now I don't want him to turn into Joe Flacco, but there are times, like today, when you just have to let it happen. Days when you aren't going to be able to successfully run 12-14 play drives down the field.
4. The play that really optimized the day for me was the 3rd and long where Richards missed a tackle that would have forced the Jets to kick, and instead the drive continued and the Jets scored. This wasn't a matter of a great move by the receiver. Richards made the hit with perfect form, but didn't wrap well, and control his body enough to bring the man down. That happened a number of times in this game. Good tackling HAD been a hallmark of this year's team. This afternoon, for some reason, it wasn't.
THE THINGS I LIKED.
6. When the Pats were getting torched with the Jet running earl in the game, I wrote in the game thread that I felt these were just excellently schemed plays against a defense the Jets were expecting, and Matty P would, after a few series, vastly improve the execution. The stats will show that the Jets ran for over 140 yards for the day, but only had about 40 in the second half (and that's if you include Fitz's 13). Once they knew what was being done to them, they really did close it down.
Kudo's to the Jets for finding the inherent weaknesses in certain Pats defensive schemes, but Kudo's to the Pats for adjusting and shutting them down starting around the 2nd half of the 2nd quarter.
6. I liked that the Pats once again showed the mental toughness to not only overcome the injuries coming into the game, but to also bounce back from the huge loss of Volmer early in first quarter. They certainly handled it a lot better than I did. Ironically it was the injury to Richards that finally did them in, because it was 2 DB's (and I don't know who) running into each other that allowed the Jet receiver to break open for 50 yds on the pick play.
7. I liked the job Keshawn Martin did. 7 catches and around 70 yards is a good day. I also like the way Bolden caught the ball. He is the archetype "solid" RB in this league. The epitome of a "do your job" guy. I sincerely hope that by the playoffs Steven Jackson will have taken most of his snaps but if he winds up being our main RB during this playoff run, then I'm good with it.
8. It will go unnoticed by most observers, but Ryan Allen had a great day today. His kicking helped keep the Pats close at a time where the Jets could have broken the game open.
1. OK let's get this over with. Let's start with the OL. We have now lost 4 of the 5 offensive linemen that started the superbowl last season. Who goes through THAT kind of turmoil and still wins 12 games. Want to know why BB chose to KO in OT, just look at the OL we had out there for the game tying drive. LT- Stork, LG, Mason, C Anderson, RG Jackson, RT- Cannon.
Once again we had our #5 LT on the field. Plus 3 rookies, a guy playing totally out of position, and a journeyman back up. That was the OL going against one the best DL's in the league.During this game I saw guys get beat. I saw guys block the wrong guys to let guys in. I saw soft and hesitant play. Face it, the OL is a mess, and when you combine that with the lack of options outside, and no running game, it is not a good situation for the offense.
The problem here is I have no idea how they can clean it up in the next 3 weeks, so there can be some semblance of stability and dependability for our playoff run. Let us face it, we are starting 3 rookies along the OL along with some other guys like Stork who is in a 2nd year that he missed half of now playing out of position. It is no wonder it is a mess. It makes no sense to call out individual players and say they suck, because the entire situation is so unsettled that to blame any one player at this point is pure folly and totally unfair.
Assuming Volmer is gone for the playoffs (and even if by some miracle he isn't) Josh and Brady are going to have to limit the playbook so they can simplify what they doing along the OL so we can help those kids with the mental side of the game, so that they can relax and get physical. I will be interesting to see how Waddle did in his time out there. Clearly asking him to be a LT after about 14 days with the team was a reach of major proportions, but I wonder if he showed enough positive signs that will look good for next season.
Make no mistake, I believe this OL will eventually become a very good one. But it will take time, and we really don't have any of that right now. We are just going to have to make due with what we have. It will be a coaching job of epic proportions that isn't going to solve itself by have DA and Edelman come back (though it would sure help some)
2. I hated that we essentially conceded the last 2 minutes of first half. Like I said in the game thread, if we aren't playing to win, then lets get Brady and Gronk out of there and let someone else get a shot. I thought it sent the wrong message to the team.
That being said, I can perfectly understand why he did it there, and kicking off in the OT. They were all decent strategic moves.....just not ones I wanted to see. I'm sure Brady wasn't happy either. The question I would ask is, "why be so conservative? we had nothing really to lose. Let it all hang out and if if we lose, we lose"
3. I really thought the defense let the team down, hence the title. 20 points SHOULD have been enough to win the game. There were stretches in the game were the defense played VERY well (like for the entire 4th quarter), and there were times where no pass rush was accompanied by bad coverage and the expected results occurred..
3b. I need to have an explanation for the reason why Brandon LaFell was completely ignored in this game plan. One catch and as far as I can remember only one other target. What's up with that? Gronk was another guy who was conspicuously under targeted for this game. Whether it was by choice or the way the game played out I don't know. But if Brady has one failing, it is that he doesn't do what so many other QB's in this league are doing more and more, which is give their receivers a chance to "make a play", even when they are covered. Now I don't want him to turn into Joe Flacco, but there are times, like today, when you just have to let it happen. Days when you aren't going to be able to successfully run 12-14 play drives down the field.
4. The play that really optimized the day for me was the 3rd and long where Richards missed a tackle that would have forced the Jets to kick, and instead the drive continued and the Jets scored. This wasn't a matter of a great move by the receiver. Richards made the hit with perfect form, but didn't wrap well, and control his body enough to bring the man down. That happened a number of times in this game. Good tackling HAD been a hallmark of this year's team. This afternoon, for some reason, it wasn't.
THE THINGS I LIKED.
6. When the Pats were getting torched with the Jet running earl in the game, I wrote in the game thread that I felt these were just excellently schemed plays against a defense the Jets were expecting, and Matty P would, after a few series, vastly improve the execution. The stats will show that the Jets ran for over 140 yards for the day, but only had about 40 in the second half (and that's if you include Fitz's 13). Once they knew what was being done to them, they really did close it down.
Kudo's to the Jets for finding the inherent weaknesses in certain Pats defensive schemes, but Kudo's to the Pats for adjusting and shutting them down starting around the 2nd half of the 2nd quarter.
6. I liked that the Pats once again showed the mental toughness to not only overcome the injuries coming into the game, but to also bounce back from the huge loss of Volmer early in first quarter. They certainly handled it a lot better than I did. Ironically it was the injury to Richards that finally did them in, because it was 2 DB's (and I don't know who) running into each other that allowed the Jet receiver to break open for 50 yds on the pick play.
7. I liked the job Keshawn Martin did. 7 catches and around 70 yards is a good day. I also like the way Bolden caught the ball. He is the archetype "solid" RB in this league. The epitome of a "do your job" guy. I sincerely hope that by the playoffs Steven Jackson will have taken most of his snaps but if he winds up being our main RB during this playoff run, then I'm good with it.
8. It will go unnoticed by most observers, but Ryan Allen had a great day today. His kicking helped keep the Pats close at a time where the Jets could have broken the game open.
