Which key to the season is the most impotant?

[signbabybrady]

Seymour's return to form.

he is supposedly healthier than he has been in years. If he bounces back to form than all questions on DE will be answered. He will imediately make the pass rush better making it easier for the dbacks to cover and he will take up more space in the run game freeing up the LBers.

 

[Kontradiction]

Actually I think Josh is doing a good job. BB hears all the plays called and can over rule them if he wants. If Josh was not doing a good job, BB would not have hesitated to bring someone else in this season. He's not sentimental.

Thing is BB is not an offensive guru. McDaniels was hyped to be one before the Super Bowl. Honestly, I could have made better adjustments to slow the Giants' pressure.

 

[Deus Irae]

Thing is BB is not an offensive guru. McDaniels was hyped to be one before the Super Bowl. Honestly, I could have made better adjustments to slow the Giants' pressure.

What adjustments, other than quick slants to the wideouts, do you think you could have made and been successful with?

 

[signbabybrady]

What adjustments, other than quick slants to the wideouts, do you think you could have made and been successful with?

A few more screens and draws would have been nice.

but in all honesty I am not sure how much difference a few adjustments would have made to the outcome. With Brady's injury and hindsight I think the only way we were winning was to play the game that unfolded and to have either gotten lucky with 30 seconds or to have not got unlucky with the Tyree Catch, and missed INTs on the drive.

Basically when Brady got hurt we should have known we were in for a dog fight and that it would be a tight game until it was over but we couldn't get the 18 games out of our head so we thought blow out.

 

[Kontradiction]

What adjustments, other than quick slants to the wideouts, do you think you could have made and been successful with?

That and screens to the running backs to offset the pressure coming in from the outside. That, and once I got inside the ten, I would have burned a little more time off the clock so that the Giants' offense would be in hurry up mode but I understand that that is easier said than done in the Super Bowl.

 

[Deus Irae]

That and screens to the running backs to offset the pressure coming in from the outside. That, and once I got inside the ten, I would have burned a little more time off the clock so that the Giants' offense would be in hurry up mode but I understand that that is easier said than done in the Super Bowl.

They ran a bunch of screens. Someone posted the data in a thread a while back. They just didn't work.

I'm with you on the clock thing, though. I was screaming at the tv about that.

 

[Kontradiction]

They ran a bunch of screens. Someone posted the data in a thread a while back. They just didn't work.

I'm with you on the clock thing, though. I was screaming at the tv about that.

Knowing you, you were probably sitting there and having a debate with the TV about it.

 

[signbabybrady]

That and screens to the running backs to offset the pressure coming in from the outside. That, and once I got inside the ten, I would have burned a little more time off the clock so that the Giants' offense would be in hurry up mode but I understand that that is easier said than done in the Super Bowl.

I had that thought of burning more time before we scored too, and it annoyed me for awhile. Until I realized that a field goal would have only tied it meaning potential overtime. You can't be trying to burn clock at the expense of the go ahead score.

 

[BionicPatriot]

Speed in the front 7. I don't understand why people worry about the secondary that much. You need a good, not great secondary to win. Ask the Giants. As long as you have a fast powerful front 7, your golden. This team needs to be able to chase down athletic TEs over the middle all day, cover those passes. I want a team thats constantly getting after it every play, then you'll see how our "good" secondary plays great.If the front 7 receives good contributions from Mayo Hobson and Crable I think we'll have a nasty unit.

As for coaching being our problem, a lot of fans would love to have our flawed coaching staff. The only problem I have is with McDaniels and his knack for not adjusting. All through out the stretch of the 2007 season McDaniels was able to make the proper adjustments to help the Pats pull out the close ones. Suddenly in the biggest game of the season he didn't know how to handle a crazy pass rush. I don't want this thread turning into a McDaniel hater vs. supporter thread, but I hope he improves in that part of his game.

Also, key to our team down the stretch is a HEALTHY running game. This team is dead in NE without it.

 

[dhamz]

I had that thought of burning more time before we scored too, and it annoyed me for awhile. Until I realized that a field goal would have only tied it meaning potential overtime. You can't be trying to burn clock at the expense of the go ahead score.

And when it takes you until 3rd down to score the TD, you didn't have downs to burn.

 

[CamNeely8]

Not one other impotency joke? You people are slipping....

 

[signbabybrady]

Not one other impotency joke? You people are slipping....

I didn't notice that even when you pointed it out I was like what is he talking about.


maybe it is Brady and only a Super Model cures it.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Actually I think Josh is doing a good job. BB hears all the plays called and can over rule them if he wants. If Josh was not doing a good job, BB would not have hesitated to bring someone else in this season. He's not sentimental.

Well, you can hear that I'm pretty tentative.

But I still don't think that our two minute offense is the threat it once was. I know that any nut case (am I thinking of anyone in particular? ) can rant about how he could have called offensive plays better than the OC, but still, I just haven't had that "sweet! where did they think of that?" feeling at the end of the game that I used to have.

No, BB is not sentimental, but he IS loyal and he does give his first attention to the defense.

 

[RayClay]

Might be Hobson. If he can play some ILB and free AD to attack QBs full time, we've got a hell of a rotation. Rookie speed is nice but there's a learning curve.

If we don't have a devastating 1-2 punch at RB it will be a shame. No way we lack talent.

Lot's of stepping up in the secondary. Looks good but.....

100 yds+ rushing = new offensive line. Maybe one or two lines can hold while getting mauled in a pass only offense and those lines make double what ours does.

I'm thinking of the KC line of a few years ago. Of course they always had a strong running game, so that's not for sure.

 

[Ring 6]

The only thing I worry about is the ONLY reason we have not won the SB the last 2 years (and gone undefeated last year on the way)
2 minute pass defense (or better put pass defense in situations where the other team has to pass).
Overall our pass defense has been excellent. Our 3rd down defense has been extremely productive.
But in situations where we are ahead and the other team has to throw, in many games we are fine, but once each year we were pathetic.

To me, the problem neither time was the corners. It has been LBs, safeties, and nickelback.
Basically, this team is good at everything, and very, very rarely performs poorly enough in any area to lose a game. The 2 minute D is also usually good, but when the bar is set as high as it is here, one breakdown is a disaster if it happens in the wrong game. The 2 minute D has ended our last 2 seasons unfulfilled.

 

[Ring 6]

I have to add that it is beyond belief to me that people are criticizing the play calling job by the OC of the highest scoring team in NFL history.
If the standard is 100% of every play call is perfect, there is a lot to criticize McDaniels about, but if the standard is calling plays COMPARED TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO CALLS PLAYS, it is idiotic to criticize what he did last year.
Same idea with OL criticism. Sure there are things to criticize, but compared to all of the other OLs in the NFL, its as good as any.
Just one of my pet peeves. OCs, OL, and corners (and QBs not named Brady) are ripped to shreds for everything that isnt perfect, even when, for example, a corner that gets beat 1/10 as often as a normal corner is still villfied every time he gets beaten.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

I have to add that it is beyond belief to me that people are criticizing the play calling job by the OC of the highest scoring team in NFL history.

LOL isn't that the truth I'm not sure how much better our offensive unit (including the coaching staff) could possibly have gotten, call me crazy but the SB just was what it was. The OL kinda remains a mystery (face it, that was just NASTY and we all know it) but the Bearded Brothers' overall body of work was absolutely outstanding all season long.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

1.) The development of the ILB position. I think that is the biggest question mark right now. I have high hopes for Hobson and Mayo, but if those expectations aren't met we will be in trouble. If those two struggle to pick up the defense and contribute, we have Tedy Bruschi and maybe Junior Seau both another year older. We will be really thin and old at ILB if Hobson and Mayo don't come through.

2.) The CB spot. I think Hobbs will benefit from Capers' agressive style because he is more of man/press coverage CB than a zone coverage CB which has been his role the past few years. I am concerned about the other corner. Bryant looks to be the immediate heir apparent. He should be adequet, but I really haven't followed his career.

3.) Safety. Harrison has lost a step and was being a liability in coverage. Can Meriweather step up and be a solid starter. Sanders has his own coverage issues. Which one will win the FS position. Will Tank Williams rebound from the second year of his injury and be a solid SS?

I second that, especially ILB. Mayo and Hobson need to succeed in their positions- we really, really need them to step up and be ready to play or else we're in real trouble.

While we'll probably be ok if Tank doesn't produce up to expectations, it will Really help if he does.

Down the road ILB has make or break potential; as to CB... I'd still love to see Ty in that mix. He'd take away a few of the if's.

 

[spacecrime]

I have to add that it is beyond belief to me that people are criticizing the play calling job by the OC of the highest scoring team in NFL history.
If the standard is 100% of every play call is perfect, there is a lot to criticize McDaniels about, but if the standard is calling plays COMPARED TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO CALLS PLAYS, it is idiotic to criticize what he did last year.
Same idea with OL criticism. Sure there are things to criticize, but compared to all of the other OLs in the NFL, its as good as any.
Just one of my pet peeves. OCs, OL, and corners (and QBs not named Brady) are ripped to shreds for everything that isnt perfect, even when, for example, a corner that gets beat 1/10 as often as a normal corner is still villfied every time he gets beaten.

I just wish he'd done something in the superbowl. We've all seen Brady pick apart defenses with short passes, dumpoffs and screens. So many times Brady made teams pay for blitzing. I'm not anti-Josh, I don't know enough, but I do know that we should have won that Giants game.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

I wish I had the guts to watch the SB again, not for entertainment god knows but to rewatch some of the plays we all discuss, etc. I'm left with the impression that some of the make/break plays occured while our defense was on the field- freak plays, things that probably will never happen again-like Tyree, and Eli escaping that sack. Bizarre plays- had those not happened we would have won also.