Post Game Thread Week 7 Pats @ Steelers

[MainePatsFan26]

And their schedule is relatively easy on paper sans the Pats game, so that may be for HFA once it comes. Just like last year. Sigh.

Denver has found a way to lose two games out of six already. I don't see them sweeping through the rest of the year. Provided we win in Denver, I could see us going 12-4 and getting the #1 seed at this point. With how watered down things have been, it may even be possible an 11-5 Denver/Patriots/Steelers gets the #1 this year.

 

[doesntmatter1]

A few things. Bell, Brown, and Lawrence Timmons are amazing players. Timmons is awesome but he is still a linebacker and the Steelers had the nerve to put him ALL game in the position to have to cover Edelman's crosssing routes. I wouldn't expect Collins to handle Brown on crossing routes but that's what the Steelers asked of Timmons. Insane.

Edelman had the best blocking day I have ever seen from him. He, Thuney, Gronk, and Bennett get A+.

I don't really like Bolden and that game did him no favors from me.

 

[Joker]

Bolden is an extremely valuable ST player...fwiw

 

[TomPatriot]

Bolden is an extremely valuable ST player...fwiw

Bad game today. All around.

 

[mosslost]

Incorrect.

Pats 15.2 per game over 7 games
denver 18 per game over 6 games

denver in 6 games played has actually given up 1 more point than the Pats have in 7.

yeah I had that wrong

 

[RobertWeathers]

Or James White, who, you know, was actually in the game today.

I think on that play he was lined up to TBs left. He looked covered which is why he threw it to Butterfingers Bolden

 

[1960Pats]

Yes, he is. That's why he's in Arizona. If he was a legitimate all-around talent who excelled at rushing the passer, he'd have been the #1 or #2 re-sign priority.

In all fairness we don't know how much Jones' possible drug problem dropped him on the priority list.

I agree that he's a one trick pony, but that one trick is a good one and valuable to teams in the NFL.

 

[1960Pats]

And how about the fact that they had squandered the timeouts to begin with? Or the ill-advised 54-yard FG attempt?

10 years as an NFL head coach, and he still seems stuck on Game Management 101.

Call him Rex of the North.

Which begs the question of who is the worst HC in the AFCN? I think it's a tossup between all four.

 

[Fencer]

Denver has found a way to lose two games out of six already. I don't see them sweeping through the rest of the year. Provided we win in Denver, I could see us going 12-4 and getting the #1 seed at this point. With how watered down things have been, it may even be possible an 11-5 Denver/Patriots/Steelers gets the #1 this year.

If we lose 3 more games this regular season, 1 of them will probably be in Denver ...

 

[Fencer]

Timmons is awesome but he is still a linebacker and the Steelers had the nerve to put him ALL game in the position to have to cover Edelman's crosssing routes.

How did that work out for them?

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

There were sloppy, uncharacteristic plays on all three phases. But I am more upset with the special teams unit. A missed PAT, inadequate punt coverage, a botched punt, and a fumbled punt return. Too many breakdowns

I credit the defense for being resilient and keeping plays in front of them. Malcolm Butler had a good game and Patrick Chung made great tackles.

The lack of a pass rush concerns me, not because of the lack of sacks (although NE was one of the teams that led the league in sacks last year) but the lack of pressure on QBs, especially on 3rd down. I think our secondary is solid, but if you give a quarterback enough time to throw, then even the best cornerbacks will suffer because of it. Hopefully, Bill sees this and can make a trade to get someone like Aikeem Hicks or Aikeem Ayers.

Blount had his best game of the season. Our running game is turning out to be this season's difference-maker. There was roughly an equal amount of pass plays and running attempts. Albeit, I was expecting a more pass-heavy gameplan against the Steeler's secondary (Pittsburgh had the 30th ranked pass defense in the League), but I think a balanced offense will serve this team well down the road. Hopefully, Blount can stay healthy.

James White had a great start, but was strangely quiet for the rest of the game. I was expecting Gronkowski to have a much bigger game. He seemed a bit under-utilized in the passing game. Martellus Bennett was all but invisible. I'm concerned he may not be healthy

 

[1960Pats]

Denver has found a way to lose two games out of six already. I don't see them sweeping through the rest of the year. Provided we win in Denver, I could see us going 12-4 and getting the #1 seed at this point. With how watered down things have been, it may even be possible an 11-5 Denver/Patriots/Steelers gets the #1 this year.

In addition to the Pats, the Broncos have two games left with both Oakland and KC as well as another game with SD, the team that gave them one of their losses.

 

[RobertWeathers]

There were sloppy, uncharacteristic plays on all three phases. But I am more upset with the special teams unit. A missed PAT, inadequate punt coverage, a botched punt, and a fumbled punt return. Too many breakdowns

I credit the defense for being resilient and keeping plays in front of them. Malcolm Butler had a good game and Patrick Chung made great tackles.

The lack of a pass rush concerns me, not because of the lack of sacks (although NE was one of the teams that led the league in sacks last year) but the lack of pressure on QBs, especially on 3rd down. I think our secondary is solid, but if you give a quarterback enough time to throw, then even the best cornerbacks will suffer because of it. Hopefully, Bill sees this and can make a trade to get someone like Aikeem Hicks or Aikeem Ayers.

Blount had his best game of the season. Our running game is turning out to be this season's difference-maker. There was roughly an equal amount of pass plays and running attempts. Albeit, I was expecting a more pass-heavy gameplan against the Steeler's secondary (Pittsburgh had the 30th ranked pass defense in the League), but I think a balanced offense will serve this team well down the road. Hopefully, Blount can stay healthy.

James White had a great start, but was strangely quiet for the rest of the game. I was expecting Gronkowski to have a much bigger game. He seemed a bit under-utilized in the passing game. Martellus Bennett was all but invisible. I'm concerned he may not be healthy

The trading deadline is a week from tomorrow. Because they don't want to get in a bidding war, if they do make one I would expect them to execute on a trade this week. Today or tomorrow would make the most sense.

 

[JMC00]

After the steelers made in 20-16 Pats only allowed 36 yards the rest of the game and 29 of them came on the steelers last drive of the game.

 

[The Brandon Five]

Denver has found a way to lose two games out of six already. I don't see them sweeping through the rest of the year. Provided we win in Denver, I could see us going 12-4 and getting the #1 seed at this point. With how watered down things have been, it may even be possible an 11-5 Denver/Patriots/Steelers gets the #1 this year.

What 3 or 4 games do you see them losing?

@Bills
vs Seahawks
@49ers
@Jets
vs Rams
vs Ravens
@Broncos
vs Jets
@Dolphins

 

[Nunchucks]

Patriots secondary needs to play more consistently and the pass rushers need to play better. I think they can.

 

[The Brandon Five]

The Steelers only TD should have been called back for this blatant hold:

 

[The Gr8est]

The Steelers only TD should have been called back for this blatant hold:

View attachment 14603

Not sure about that. My initial impression was that the player slipped and went down, never getting off the line of scrimmage.

 

[BradyMoss812]

And how about the fact that they had squandered the timeouts to begin with? Or the ill-advised 54-yard FG attempt?

10 years as an NFL head coach, and he still seems stuck on Game Management 101.

There was that period near the end of the game where Pitt had 1 timeout left and it took their offense an age to get organized and run a play and even Phil Simms was saying how long is it taking for Pitt to get the play going, and Tomlin didn't think to use the timeout then to stop the clock?!?!?

Obviously I didn't care as it was making the game more secure for a Pats win, but it was weird game management from him.

Outside of the Pats, the clock management of teams around the league is pretty woeful.

 

[DaBruinz]

Nice defense at the end of the game there. With Butler, Rowe, and Coleman as their top 3 CBs now they have a lot of athleticism at that spot. Pass rush is still a huge problem though. I can't imagine Belichick won't try to address is at the deadline.

Coleman isn't in the Top 3 for CBs on the team.. He was the #4 yesterday..