Pats/Cowboys Thoughts

[Ring 6]

Anyone else get the feeling that the Cowboys plssed off Brady by taking the lead, and that was that? I went back and checked the numbers. After the Cowboys took the lead, Brady was 15-18.
We controlled the ball for 18:39 out of the remaining 25:20, and ran 37 plays to 14.
We gained 254 net yards of offense after they took the lead, they gained 27.
We had 5 drives ending in TD,FG,TD,FG,TD.
They went punt, punt, FG (gaining only 18 yards after a KR to the 23) int, kneel down.
We had 15 first downs, they had 2.

Quite frankly, this was a pretty even game up until that point, but I have no doubt in my mind that what happened after that point shows how dominant the Patriots are.

I had a lot of questions answered in this win. (Not that I doubted the answer prior to it)
We did show the ability to play our best in crunchtime, not just to make key plays, but to totally dominate when crunchtime comes around.
We beat a very good team. And we beat them down.
We faced a very good offense, and handled it, especially down the stretch.
The Cowboys had 10 drives.(not counting the kneeldown) 7 of them ended in 5 plays or less. They scored on 3 consecutive long drives.
I consider it a good defensive day to start out shutting down a very good O, have them figure things out for 3 drives, then shut them down totally again.

Ellis Hobbs is a high effort guy. He goes full boar, and will do whatever it takes to drag a guy to the ground even if he is much larger. If he weighed 220 he'd be an all-pro safety.

Our OL is awesome, including depth. I'd prefer that Matt Light stay healthy though.

Kevin faulk looked good running the ball. His skillset and style seemed to be a better fit against this D than Morris (IMO, Morris is a hair slower than Faulk and Maroney to the hole,but has other strengths) and I think we would have been even better with Maroney on the field.

Gostkowski had a good game, nice kickoffs perfect on FG/PATs.

I think the Cowboys are clearly the class of the NFC.

Our WRs run after catch ability makes us even harder to defend. Cover the deeper stuff and we dump it off and gain 20 anyway.

I think anyone who chooses to start talking of an undefeated season has every right to. (Mike Ditka said it this morning "they could go undefeated")

 

[Oswlek]

With regard to Faulk, I think he looked as good as he did because most (all?) of his runs came after Dallas' D was tired. I have absolutely no doubt that Faulk would have been shut down by Dallas as easily as Morris was. They were just that good early on.

Both of us discussed how dominant NE was after falling behind, but you did a much better job than I did.

 

[patchick]

Anyone else get the feeling that the Cowboys plssed off Brady by taking the lead, and that was that?

Did you see the look on Brady's face after the Cowboys' TD? He was reaching for his helmet, looked perfectly calm but just radiated intensity, it was almost scary. The stadium was going nuts but Brady was apart from it all.

 

[Flying Fungi]

Did you see the look on Brady's face after the Cowboys' TD? He was reaching for his helmet, looked perfectly calm but just radiated intensity, it was almost scary. The stadium was going nuts but Brady was apart from it all.

that was when I remembered game winning drives in the playoffs and super bowl and how this was no match for that environment

and I believe it was Damien Woody that stated how Brady has ice in his veins

if you follow the team, you just knew that Brady was going to take the game over

 

[SVN]

Anyone else get the feeling that the Cowboys plssed off Brady by taking the lead, and that was that? I went back and checked the numbers. After the Cowboys took the lead, Brady was 15-18.
We controlled the ball for 18:39 out of the remaining 25:20, and ran 37 plays to 14.
We gained 254 net yards of offense after they took the lead, they gained 27.
We had 5 drives ending in TD,FG,TD,FG,TD.
They went punt, punt, FG (gaining only 18 yards after a KR to the 23) int, kneel down.
We had 15 first downs, they had 2.

Quite frankly, this was a pretty even game up until that point, but I have no doubt in my mind that what happened after that point shows how dominant the Patriots are.

I had a lot of questions answered in this win. (Not that I doubted the answer prior to it)
We did show the ability to play our best in crunchtime, not just to make key plays, but to totally dominate when crunchtime comes around.
We beat a very good team. And we beat them down.
We faced a very good offense, and handled it, especially down the stretch.
The Cowboys had 10 drives.(not counting the kneeldown) 7 of them ended in 5 plays or less. They scored on 3 consecutive long drives.
I consider it a good defensive day to start out shutting down a very good O, have them figure things out for 3 drives, then shut them down totally again.

Ellis Hobbs is a high effort guy. He goes full boar, and will do whatever it takes to drag a guy to the ground even if he is much larger. If he weighed 220 he'd be an all-pro safety.

Our OL is awesome, including depth. I'd prefer that Matt Light stay healthy though.

Kevin faulk looked good running the ball. His skillset and style seemed to be a better fit against this D than Morris (IMO, Morris is a hair slower than Faulk and Maroney to the hole,but has other strengths) and I think we would have been even better with Maroney on the field.

Gostkowski had a good game, nice kickoffs perfect on FG/PATs.

I think the Cowboys are clearly the class of the NFC.

Our WRs run after catch ability makes us even harder to defend. Cover the deeper stuff and we dump it off and gain 20 anyway.

I think anyone who chooses to start talking of an undefeated season has every right to. (Mike Ditka said it this morning "they could go undefeated")

i may get yelled at for saying this but i will give my 2 cents anyway-

i think our defense still needs improvement. Sure we held the cowboys to 20 pts but our offense is really carrying us by sustaining long drives and scoring points making the opposing teams play from behind and keeping our D fresh. We held the ball for 38mins.
if we had last yrs offense with this defense we could be in more trouble.

 

[everlong]

Brady is better when it's on the line.

In regards to it being even it certainly was on the scoreboard but their defense had been out there so much longer at that point and 7 of their points were from their defense. Then you throw in the big kickoff return later that generate 3 points and you really only have them driving the field three times for 17 points.

They scored 27 I'm not taking that away from them just pointing out that it wasn't even in terms of plays from scrimmage.

 

[patchick]

I believe it was Damien Woody that stated how Brady has ice in his veins

I remember reading once that there is an actual neurological pattern of calm under fire. Basically, most people's heart rate, breathing, etc. speed up in the face of intense stress, but a few people's systems actually slow down. Brady looks like that to me. Pressure makes him calm.

 

[Oswlek]

i may get yelled at for saying this but i will give my 2 cents anyway-

i think our defense still needs improvement. Sure we held the cowboys to 20 pts but our offense is really carrying us by sustaining long drives and scoring points making the opposing teams play from behind and keeping our D fresh. We held the ball for 38mins.
if we had last yrs offense with this defense we could be in more trouble.

I forgot to say that, d%#*!@t!

Last year's NE team would have lost that game by at least 14 points.

 

[sebman2112]

i may get yelled at for saying this but i will give my 2 cents anyway-

i think our defense still needs improvement. Sure we held the cowboys to 20 pts but our offense is really carrying us by sustaining long drives and scoring points making the opposing teams play from behind and keeping our D fresh. We held the ball for 38mins.
if we had last yrs offense with this defense we could be in more trouble.

Let's also not forget AD's hurting with an ankle and didn't play all that much compared to how often he's usually on the field, and when he was on the field he didn't look as effective. Colvin still doesn't look 100% coming off his own ankle injury, and Big Sey one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL isn't playing yet. So, they should improve just by getting healthy and when Seymour comes back he'll start eating up the double teams being given to Wilfork and Warren.

 

[cstjohn17]

1) Anyone else get the feeling that the Cowboys plssed off Brady by taking the lead, and that was that?
Gostkowski had a good game, nice kickoffs perfect on FG/PATs.

2) Our WRs run after catch ability makes us even harder to defend. Cover the deeper stuff and we dump it off and gain 20 anyway.

I have started to look for this post each week, thank you.

1) I don't know how much Brady was plssed but the total number of snaps started to wear the defense down. Simms said something about offensive efficiency going way up after 50 plays, similar to the 100 pitch mark in baseball. The Pats offense ground Dallas's D into the ground, they had nothing left (similar to Indy versus Pats in the AFCC).
2) Randy Moss's presence has taken this team from good to great. What a difference from last year, Caldwell and Gaffney couldn't break a tackle to save their lives. Side note Gaffney's days are numbered, either Brown or Jackson take his spot. As much as he underperformed and despite his injuries a 4 WR set of Moss, Welker, Stallworth and Jackson is damn impressive.

Other random thoughts

• Defensive pressure, speed and tackling- Inconsistent, if the blitz was picked up mismatches (Harrison, Bruschi, Seau) occurred. Against Indy blitzes will be very measured. Safeties continue to miss a few more tackles than we would like and we don't have the fastest back eight but they did keep plays in front of them and created a lot of 3rd and long situations. Only a good offense such as Dallas can convert those long 3rd downs against this defense.
• Dumb look on TO's face - They flashed to Owen during a Patriot drive, he had the dumbest look I have ever seen. I mean he really looked like a slack jaw.
• Vrabel yawning - About 6 minutes left, the Pats had just started their final drive. They show Vrabel yawning, it shows how relaxed the team was and the presence the veterans have. The game could have conceivably come down to the final possession and there is Vrabel so relaxed he is almost asleep.
• BB instructing LBs - In the first quarter BB was shown with a whiteboard going through assignments with the LBs. It shows a glimpse of how involved he is and the confidence in McDaniel's. The Patriots offense was on the field and yet he still saw the need to highlight specific tendencies to the defense. Meanwhile tubby Phillips is cheerleading on the sideline.
• Dallas run defense - They were very good until they ran out of steam.
• Brady long ball - He still tries too hard to be the perfectionist, if he puts a little more air under 1 or 2 of those throws they are TDs for sure.
• Ghost kickoffs and coverage - Very good coverage (except for one), it gives BB something to complain about. Alexander and Woods had a lot of nice stops, at least 4 or 5 were before the 20. On my TV I heard a whistle well after the balls were kicked but before the returner caught the ball, did anyone else hear this?

Great victory, total team effort. Lets hope Watson, Morris are ok.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Anyone else get the feeling that the Cowboys plssed off Brady by taking the lead, and that was that? I went back and checked the numbers. After the Cowboys took the lead:

- Brady was 15-18.
- We controlled the ball for 18:39 out of the remaining 25:20, and ran 37 plays to 14.
- We gained 254 net yards of offense after they took the lead, they gained 27.
- We had 5 drives ending in TD,FG,TD,FG,TD.
- They went punt, punt, FG (gaining only 18 yards after a KR to the 23) int, kneel down.
- We had 15 first downs, they had 2.

Quite frankly, this was a pretty even game up until that point, but I have no doubt in my mind that what happened after that point shows how dominant the Patriots are.

Good stuff here. I bulleted the stats for emphasis because they are eyepopping. I watched the game at a bar with plenty of Cowboys fans and after enduring their insufferable bragging after taking a 24-21 lead, it was a pleasure to watch the game turn completely in the Patriots favor the entire rest of the way. If there were any doubts of how the Pats would respond by being down in the 2nd half of a game against a supposed "elite" team, I think those doubts were resoundingly put to rest.

Regards,
Chris

 

[PonyExpress]

great points from AJ and others. There are alot of pitfalls ahead. The Washington game could be a trap game. Indy obviously. In Baltimore with Trevor Pryce back. Pittsburgh will view the Pat game as the game of the year. NY Giants in game 16, as they position for the playoffs and the Pats are probably cruising.

The D should get better and more cohesive, but the lack of pressure from the WOLB position is a concern. Since the SD game Colvin hasn't done much. I realize he's on the injury report.

 

[patological]

After six games, the Pats total time of possession has been over one hour more than their opponents.

Pats: 3 1/2 hours (3:31:20 to be exact)
Opponents: 2 1/2 hours (2:28:40)

That's one full game's worth. Mercy.

 

[Metaphors]

I'll add a few:

- Did you notice how open Faulk was on his 18 yard catch and run? He put on a quick move...and then realized there was nobody within 15 yards of him. With all the attention on the receivers downfield, look for more plays like that from the RBs in key situations.

- Aside from the strip-sack obviously, but Brady's sense in the pocket never ceases to amaze me. Multiple times I found myself tightening up, expected him to get drilled from behind...and he would step up at exactly the right time so the defender would fly by, missing him by a foot or two. All the while keeping his eyes and concentration downfield.

- Two of the sacks that Dallas got involved Brady pretty much sitting down without getting popped...even though there were defenders around him. The plays looked weird and at first I just assumed the defenders were looking to avoid a roughness penalty. I wish I could see replays to try and figure out what might have been going through their heads.

 

[zarakotas5]

[*]Dumb look on TO's face - They flashed to Owen during a Patriot drive, he had the dumbest look I have ever seen. I mean he really looked like a slack jaw.

That was classic. Simms described him as being "deep in thought." To me, he resembled a frog. An old, mongoloid frog.

 

[Oswlek]

I'll add a few:

- Did you notice how open Faulk was on his 18 yard catch and run? He put on a quick move...and then realized there was nobody within 15 yards of him. With all the attention on the receivers downfield, look for more plays like that from the RBs in key situations.

- Aside from the strip-sack obviously, but Brady's sense in the pocket never ceases to amaze me. Multiple times I found myself tightening up, expected him to get drilled from behind...and he would step up at exactly the right time so the defender would fly by, missing him by a foot or two. All the while keeping his eyes and concentration downfield.

- Two of the sacks that Dallas got involved Brady pretty much sitting down without getting popped...even though there were defenders around him. The plays looked weird and at first I just assumed the defenders were looking to avoid a roughness penalty. I wish I could see replays to try and figure out what might have been going through their heads.

1) I noticed that too. He looked completely surprised that he didn't have to beat anyone to get a 1st down.

2) Brady did just this on the Stallworth TD. A lot of QBs take a sack there.

3) Brady saved himself some solid pops on those plays. He did nice pump fake on the first one, but once he realized that he wasn't going to get the ball out before the defenders realized he still had it, he curled right up.

 

[Oswlek]

I have started to look for this post each week, thank you.

1) I don't know how much Brady was plssed but the total number of snaps started to wear the defense down. Simms said something about offensive efficiency going way up after 50 plays, similar to the 100 pitch mark in baseball. The Pats offense ground Dallas's D into the ground, they had nothing left (similar to Indy versus Pats in the AFCC).
2) Randy Moss's presence has taken this team from good to great. What a difference from last year, Caldwell and Gaffney couldn't break a tackle to save their lives. Side note Gaffney's days are numbered, either Brown or Jackson take his spot. As much as he underperformed and despite his injuries a 4 WR set of Moss, Welker, Stallworth and Jackson is damn impressive.

Other random thoughts

• Defensive pressure, speed and tackling- Inconsistent, if the blitz was picked up mismatches (Harrison, Bruschi, Seau) occurred. Against Indy blitzes will be very measured. Safeties continue to miss a few more tackles than we would like and we don't have the fastest back eight but they did keep plays in front of them and created a lot of 3rd and long situations. Only a good offense such as Dallas can convert those long 3rd downs against this defense.
• Dumb look on TO's face - They flashed to Owen during a Patriot drive, he had the dumbest look I have ever seen. I mean he really looked like a slack jaw.
• Vrabel yawning - About 6 minutes left, the Pats had just started their final drive. They show Vrabel yawning, it shows how relaxed the team was and the presence the veterans have. The game could have conceivably come down to the final possession and there is Vrabel so relaxed he is almost asleep.
• BB instructing LBs - In the first quarter BB was shown with a whiteboard going through assignments with the LBs. It shows a glimpse of how involved he is and the confidence in McDaniel's. The Patriots offense was on the field and yet he still saw the need to highlight specific tendencies to the defense. Meanwhile tubby Phillips is cheerleading on the sideline.
• Dallas run defense - They were very good until they ran out of steam.
• Brady long ball - He still tries too hard to be the perfectionist, if he puts a little more air under 1 or 2 of those throws they are TDs for sure.
• Ghost kickoffs and coverage - Very good coverage (except for one), it gives BB something to complain about. Alexander and Woods had a lot of nice stops, at least 4 or 5 were before the 20. On my TV I heard a whistle well after the balls were kicked but before the returner caught the ball, did anyone else hear this?

Great victory, total team effort. Lets hope Watson, Morris are ok.

* Pass pressure has been inconsistent all season.

* Yawning is often a physiological reaction to stress. Often, when I am about to go on stage, I get a barely controllable yawning fit that doesn't really stop until I there.

* That was interesting. NE is coming off of a 3 and out, and BB is fired up as if they had just scored a TD.

 

[Deus Irae]

* Pass pressure has been inconsistent all season.

* Yawning is often a physiological reaction to stress. Often, when I am about to go on stage, I get a barely controllable yawning fit that doesn't really stop until I there.

* That was interesting. NE is coming off of a 3 and out, and BB is fired up as if they had just scored a TD.

Sacks ≠ pressure.

 

[sebman2112]

I have started to look for this post each week, thank you.

1) I don't know how much Brady was plssed but the total number of snaps started to wear the defense down. Simms said something about offensive efficiency going way up after 50 plays, similar to the 100 pitch mark in baseball. The Pats offense ground Dallas's D into the ground, they had nothing left (similar to Indy versus Pats in the AFCC).
2) Randy Moss's presence has taken this team from good to great. What a difference from last year, Caldwell and Gaffney couldn't break a tackle to save their lives. Side note Gaffney's days are numbered, either Brown or Jackson take his spot. As much as he underperformed and despite his injuries a 4 WR set of Moss, Welker, Stallworth and Jackson is damn impressive.

Other random thoughts

• Defensive pressure, speed and tackling- Inconsistent, if the blitz was picked up mismatches (Harrison, Bruschi, Seau) occurred. Against Indy blitzes will be very measured. Safeties continue to miss a few more tackles than we would like and we don't have the fastest back eight but they did keep plays in front of them and created a lot of 3rd and long situations. Only a good offense such as Dallas can convert those long 3rd downs against this defense.
• Dumb look on TO's face - They flashed to Owen during a Patriot drive, he had the dumbest look I have ever seen. I mean he really looked like a slack jaw.
• Vrabel yawning - About 6 minutes left, the Pats had just started their final drive. They show Vrabel yawning, it shows how relaxed the team was and the presence the veterans have. The game could have conceivably come down to the final possession and there is Vrabel so relaxed he is almost asleep.
• BB instructing LBs - In the first quarter BB was shown with a whiteboard going through assignments with the LBs. It shows a glimpse of how involved he is and the confidence in McDaniel's. The Patriots offense was on the field and yet he still saw the need to highlight specific tendencies to the defense. Meanwhile tubby Phillips is cheerleading on the sideline.
• Dallas run defense - They were very good until they ran out of steam.
• Brady long ball - He still tries too hard to be the perfectionist, if he puts a little more air under 1 or 2 of those throws they are TDs for sure.
• Ghost kickoffs and coverage - Very good coverage (except for one), it gives BB something to complain about. Alexander and Woods had a lot of nice stops, at least 4 or 5 were before the 20. On my TV I heard a whistle well after the balls were kicked but before the returner caught the ball, did anyone else hear this?

Great victory, total team effort. Lets hope Watson, Morris are ok.

LOL, I noticed that too. He's sitting there and starts yawning. I think that was probably at about the point where he said to himself "yup, this game is over".

I totally agree that we should hope both Watson and Morris are OK. I think Watson seemed in the better shape of the two when walking off but ankle injuries can last a while. Watson's being injured isn't like the injury to Morris in that we don't have a another good TE coming back from injury like we have Maroney coming back at the RB position. Rivers and Kyle will help out but neither has the speed or receiving ability of Watson.

 

[Oswlek]

Sacks ≠ pressure.

I know. NE's sacks are very respectable. I just don't think they get decent pressure when they are *not* getting sacks.

For instance, would you say that Dallas got better pressure against NE than NE did against Dallas? I would. But sacks were roughly the same.