1) Pats unable/unwilling to run
This routine is just getting old. The Pats have the #1 QB and amazing receiving talent...what do you expect them to do? The Pats running game is effective enough to keep them in manageable down/distance situations. Let's just look at Maroney (since Faulk runs a lot of draws and not straight runs). Here are his first 10 attempts:
4, 9, 7, 4, 0, 5, 8, 3, 8, 5
10 carries for 53 yards. Where is the problem with that? He is making quick decisions and finishing the runs...not dancing behind the line. The Pats can improve on blocking in the 2nd level, and some of those 7-9 yard carries will go a lot further.
2) Put pressure on Brady and he will make mistakes (2 INTs)
Sorry, but the 2 interceptions in this game were not due to pressure. Brady has his feet set on both and threw to the spot he intended. He didn't have enough "pace" on either of them, made the receivers turn and wait and allowed the defense to make plays (gotta give the Colts credit on both INTs).
Brady leads an attacking style offense and INTs are going to happen. He seems to understand that now and those INTs don't seem to hang over him like they might have in the past. Pressure on Brady can cause him to put the ball on the ground, but he seems to be improving there as well.
3) The Pats couldn't stop Addai
First off, Addai had a really nice game. Two plays stand out though...
21 yard run on 1st down backed up at their own 9 yard line. The Pats sealed the edge but the Pats were WAY late in covering the cutback lane and overpursued. That is technique that should be cleaned up. Without that run, Addai was 25 for 91 yds...a 3.6 average. Pretty much what the Pats would be looking for.
73 yard catch. Pats actually had this one covered well but ended up falling all over each other. Play should have been stopped inbounds and pretty much ended the half. Again, sloppy technique and kind of a fluke. Without that catch, Addai was 4 for 41 yds. Again, pretty much acceptable.
I don't like cherrypicking plays since that can lead to false conclusions. In this case, I think it points to some breakdowns in concentration and technique that need to be cleaned up...not that the Pats were physically overwhelmed by the Colts running game.
4) Rodney Harrison is a liability in pass defense.
5) Bob Sanders is the defensive MVP
Gotta handle these as one because they come down to the same phenomen: Bright Shiny Object Syndrome (BSOS). Sanders makes a couple of plays every game that just make you shake your head. The thing you don't notice is that he if generally floating around, letting his instincts lead him...and this puts him out of position a significant amount of the time. His speed covers up some of this, but he is a player you can manipulate. Look back at the highlights and see how many times he arrives at a play late.
Rodney executes well in so many areas of the field and allows the rest of the team to make plays. How many times in the last couple of games have you seen him seal the edge on a running play? Knock the TE or RB off their routes? Play man coverage in the slot or deep middle?
Sanders is a physical speciman with a pretty unique set of skills. As he gains experience and applies those skills with more discipline, he will be a monster. Right now, he is a big play guy that too often leaves his teammates out to dry. Rodney is the opposite...not many big plays left in the old body but does the little things that make the entire defense successful.
6) Pats can't cover good receivers without being physical downfield.
I love this one, especially after the Colts game. The Colts were bumping and grabbing the Pats receivers the entire game. A couple of them were pretty bad like the Faulk non-call and the Moss offensive PI call (DB crashed into Moss with both forearms). The Pats were pretty much hands-off the whole game.
The funny part is...I actually like the downfield physical play of the Colts DBs. If the ball isn't in the air and there is no grabbing/holding/tackling, why not? Gives the defense a chance to play, keeps the scores reasonable and prevents the game from becoming the Arena league.
If this is generally how games can be expected to be called, I'll be happy. If the "league focus" on illegal contact makes a comeback later in the year, then Polian will have some 'splain to do.
7) If the game comes down to special teams, favors the Colts.
Other threads have covered how well the Pats return and coverage units have played. I only can echo the sentiment that those yards were HUGE in this game.
I'm focusing on the intent of the statement...meaning Vinatieri vs. Gostkowski. AV yacked his 50 yd FG because he was trying to kill it. Came out like a knuckleball. He is still a top kicker, but he really has to crank it up to hit them from deep now. That really can throw off your accuracy.
Gost can keep his same approach and striking power even beyond 50 yds. He still needs some work on consistency, but I have noticed a difference this year. Last year he battled a bit of a fade on his kicks and seems to compensate for it at times. His kicks this year are generally straight with little movement. Still has to work on the "down the middle" part of the equation, but eliminating the fade is a big part in his development.
8) Manning is a class act on and off the field.
I thought the Super Bowl would have changed him a bit, but it really didn't. Leaving the on-the-field "Manning face" out of the discussion, he continues to subtly throw his teammates under the bus. In the last 2 drives, he holds onto the ball for too long, gets sacked and puts the ball on the ground. Did his OL do him any favors? Not really. Did his receivers not get it done? Probably. Does that excuse fumbling twice in the last 5 minutes of the biggest game of the year? No way.
Manning's reaction..."We have got to get some people healthy." Translation..."Our depth is paper-thin and our backups truly suck."
Remember when SD blew out the Pats and Marty (with good intentions) said that the Pats just couldn't overcome their injuries? Brady lost it and pretty much told Marty to STFU. Why? Because it was questioning the talent and desire of the guys who WERE on the field.
Whose backside would you want to be protecting with the game on the line?
