Tom Curran: Patriots used the Colts game to experiment with players

this season is a near carbon copy of last season.

I fear the end result will be the same

it comes down to one thing.....the fact that the pats defense does not scare anyone in any way. come playoff time, teams will scheme to be patient on offense and blitz the crap outta the pats on defense.

this year's version of the pats may be the least physical I've ever seen

Keyser Söze said:

Not buying it. You know why Slater was playing safety? Because sadly he might be the best option out of undrafted scrubs. He preached all weak about taking them seriously, he wouldn't **** off with experimenting.

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Actually it was a two objective approach.

Try new players.

Doom and gloom the idiots in the fan base.

It would appear both objectives were completed satisfactory.

Rob0729 said:

Someone else (Bella*chick who deserves the credit for finding this) posted this in the post game thread, but I think it deserves its own thread to talk the doom and gloomers off the ledge. Curran points out that Belichick tried out players at new positions and gave end of the roster back ups significant time to see what they could do. It was like the Pats turned this game into a glorified preseason game or scrimmage:

Curran: Belichick uses Colts to further experiment

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Thats the impression i had, that B felt he could get away with playing around with the colts. Thats why on the game day thread i posted a picture of a Cat playing with a Mouse.

TheBostonStraggler said:

An unfortunate but accurate description. I'm not sure what it is -- frustration, fear, whatever -- that makes some fans so adamant and absolute in their negativity. Obviously there are concerns with the Patriot defense. Why that translates to 'everything must suck!' is puzzling........

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It's even simpler.

Lack of IQ. We just have to suffer for it.

I bet if these "contrarians" touched a white hot stove a couple hundred times, they would still be shocked they got burned at 201.

Mack Herron said:

Consistency counts. Gotta play 60 mins. (Says so right on the field.) Go see if you can find the last time Baltimore or Pgh played a quarter like that on defense.

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So when does Baltimore or Pittsburgh experiment with players up 31-3?

They don't. They blitz and get stats.

Basic intelligence is a prerequisite for evaluation.

There are three teams that are 9-3. Getting a bye and homefield will most likely go to week 17. That affords very little time for back end player evaluation. This might be the only time in 2011 this opportunity happens.

In the NFL, it's about wins and losses.

Also, did any of you clowns watch NFLN? They were borderline laughing at it and preaching that people shouldn't be fooled by the score.

I can't believe anyone watched that game and thought we were toying with them. The Colts could have easily turned that game around early if there defense didn'r suck so much. orlovsky was putting on an audition. You didn't think he played well and that game meant a lot to him?

BB is right, that team could ahve easily gained some momentum and in a shootout, our secondary against colts receivers might have been the worst matchup.

I think the point is lost here. The difference between the best and worst is slight. The Colts D is awful, but not when they have a QB who can put up points and get their sack machine working. BB has been trying different combinations all year trying to get any kind of edge in schemes to cover for a defense stuck in transition. If he was really taking this game lightly, we might be talking about how could we possibly have lost this Colts team as Freeney and Mathis get energized and they crown Orlovsky as offensive player of the week.

The amount of people, and writers, who think the Pats just stroll in and collect their win here is ludicrous. The player "experiments" are because we just might need them, our D will need some help, it's not a mature unit, to say the least.

reflexblue said:

Thats the impression i had, that B felt he could get away with playing around with the colts. Thats why on the game day thread i posted a picture of a Cat playing with a Mouse.

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Surprised you could watch him this long and think that.

IllegalContact said:

this season is a near carbon copy of last season.

I fear the end result will be the same

it comes down to one thing.....the fact that the pats defense does not scare anyone in any way. come playoff time, teams will scheme to be patient on offense and blitz the crap outta the pats on defense.

this year's version of the pats may be the least physical I've ever seen

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The thing is, the only stat that matters is who gets the most points on the scoreboard at the end of the day.

The Patriots, statistically, are towards the bottom on the NFL in most defensive stats. YET..... they rank #10 in points allowed. That's the one and only, to my mind, statistic that should be considered. Points allowed by the defense.

The Patriots defense is better than 22 other teams right now in the areas that count. I'll take that, thank you very much.

to me it looked like a experiment with coverage they played a lot of man to man at the end of the game but could not get a pass rush going with out carter in the game to they got bruned a few times

KontradictioN said:

The Colts were able to move the ball on us all day. We were lucky that it wasn't closer earlier in the game because they were starting a horrible, third string quarterback. The same quarterback that presided over the 0-16 Detroit debacle a few years back. And the game could have went into overtime if we started experimenting with guys a few minutes earlier than we did. The offense went cold and the "experimental" defense couldn't stop a pee-wee offense.

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Is that the impression from the village idiot section?

When Colts got the ball back with 4:06 left in the third quarter, the score was 31-3.

Per yahoo, at that point, the Colts offense produced:

3 points
113 yards total offense.

This prorates to:

4 points
166 yards total offense.

Yet, numbnuts somehow "thinks" the Colts "moved the ball all day".

If you want to be mad a Belichick for allowing the game to get that close, that's fine. Any fan with an IQ into double digits would instantly identify what transpired and understand but can still be peeved.

That's different than the rants being hoisted upon us at patsfans.com by the village idiots.

KontradictioN said:

The Colts were able to move the ball on us all day. We were lucky that it wasn't closer earlier in the game because they were starting a horrible, third string quarterback. The same quarterback that presided over the 0-16 Detroit debacle a few years back. And the game could have went into overtime if we started experimenting with guys a few minutes earlier than we did. The offense went cold and the "experimental" defense couldn't stop a pee-wee offense.

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You made this same contention after the Philly game, but it was shown the Eagles got almost most of their yards on the two early pass plays and the last drive that went 90 yards. You couldn't believe the "almighty Vince Young" had thrown for 400 yards.

It's time to look beyond the numbers and actually analyze the game.

Illegal Contact right on. Same team as last year almost. Brady has to be awesome every week. In many ways they are worse than last year. Gronk is better but they have no running game. BJGE clearly is slow to the hole with the turf toe. Stevan Ridley and Vereen have given them nothing this year. Woodhead has been pretty good when used.

On defense, they have a little better pass rush. Safeties are much worse and the corners are worse thanks to Devin McCourty just falling apart.

I think they will have a difficult time running the table and the only way this team even makes it to a Super Bowl is to get the #1 seed.

The Jets are looming at the #6 seed. The Pats could win 12 and get the #3 and play the Jets or they could be a #1 and get the Jets again. The Jets a 3rd time would scare. Because to lose to them in the playoffs again would be humiliating as it gets.

At some point the offense will be slowed down and the defense will be exposed and the season will end. Basically the trend the last 3 years.

We will here the same excuses from the same cast of characters on this board. These are the same people that would argue with the realists about Jermaine Cunningham. But, its the same crap, "You're a troll, you're a jets fan." I mean I don't know you people, but your rebuttals are something a kid would say on a playground. So grow up. If you're not smart enough to make an intelligent defense that's not my fault. But in the end this team lacks talent on defense. I have said it a thousand times. They could have paid Goldson 500k more. They didn't and look at the season that guy had. They could have drafted better THIS YEAR alone. On D, they have been CHEAP, with the draft they have been incompetent at drafting defensive players. And even on offense. There have been huge misses. Taylor Price, they took Vereen 15 picks in front of DeMarco Murray. Murray was 10X the player Vereen was in college playing in a much better league.

Look at this defense next year. Where is the maturing young talent? Still have problems at safety, linebacker and defensive line. Don't forget that Andre Carter is a free agent. Dowling tore ligaments in his leg don't expect him and his fragile body to be ready to go.

Great free agent crop out there again. If this team once again goes cheap and if they once again F up the draft, than this cycle will continue. And let's face it, you can't expect a defense to turn around on the strength of rookies. And Tom is a year older next year.

Darolyn72 said:

Illegal Contact right on. Same team as last year almost. Brady has to be awesome every week. In many ways they are worse than last year. Gronk is better but they have no running game. BJGE clearly is slow to the hole with the turf toe. Stevan Ridley and Vereen have given them nothing this year. Woodhead has been pretty good when used.

On defense, they have a little better pass rush. Safeties are much worse and the corners are worse thanks to Devin McCourty just falling apart.

I think they will have a difficult time running the table and the only way this team even makes it to a Super Bowl is to get the #1 seed.

The Jets are looming at the #6 seed. The Pats could win 12 and get the #3 and play the Jets or they could be a #1 and get the Jets again. The Jets a 3rd time would scare. Because to lose to them in the playoffs again would be humiliating as it gets.

At some point the offense will be slowed down and the defense will be exposed and the season will end. Basically the trend the last 3 years.

We will here the same excuses from the same cast of characters on this board. These are the same people that would argue with the realists about Jermaine Cunningham. But, its the same crap, "You're a troll, you're a jets fan." I mean I don't know you people, but your rebuttals are something a kid would say on a playground. So grow up. If you're not smart enough to make an intelligent defense that's not my fault. But in the end this team lacks talent on defense. I have said it a thousand times. They could have paid Goldson 500k more. They didn't and look at the season that guy had. They could have drafted better THIS YEAR alone. On D, they have been CHEAP, with the draft they have been incompetent at drafting defensive players. And even on offense. There have been huge misses. Taylor Price, they took Vereen 15 picks in front of DeMarco Murray. Murray was 10X the player Vereen was in college playing in a much better league.

Look at this defense next year. Where is the maturing young talent? Still have problems at safety, linebacker and defensive line. Don't forget that Andre Carter is a free agent. Dowling tore ligaments in his leg don't expect him and his fragile body to be ready to go.

Great free agent crop out there again. If this team once again goes cheap and if they once again F up the draft, than this cycle will continue. And let's face it, you can't expect a defense to turn around on the strength of rookies. And Tom is a year older next year.

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The village idiots are in agreement.

RayClay said:

Surprised you could watch him this long and think that.

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I'm sorry but early on i did. I don't think BB felt that the Colts were much of a threat, after all they haven't won a game all year. Therefore he could take chances with personel he wouldn't normally take.I read he gave several starters an extra week of rest. But in the end it almost came back to bit him. The colts gained some confidence and got into a zone in the fourth quarter after the pats built a Very comfortable lead.....It happens.

Darolyn72 said:

Illegal Contact right on.

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I love it when posters posting under multiple screen names agree with themselves.

Darolyn72 said:

Illegal Contact right on.

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You two should get your own sub-forum where you can just agree on things and long for each other all day. It would be quite romantic.

Unless as someone stated above you're the the same person... then it would be quite schizophrenic.

patsfaninpittsburgh said:

The village idiots are in agreement.

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not that i agree with that poster but you cant just make personal attacks without any INFO to way you disagree with them it's uncalled for IMO

I am not multiple screen poster. Believe me Robo, you might share the screen name of a 5 year old. Yourself Mo Lewis rocks, and the rest of the rumpswabs share a collective brain. Don't worry I'll be here when the Patriots get whacked out of the playoffs for the 3rd straight year and for the 6th time in 7 years to let you know why. The emperor has NO clothes, that Belichick. He's lucky he has Tom Brady or this team would be 5 win team.

Of course they have been the Colts for 7 years now.

reflexblue said:

I'm sorry but early on i did. I don't think BB felt that the Colts were much of a threat, after all they haven't won a game all year. Therefore he could take chances with personel he wouldn't normally take. But in the end it almost came back to bit him. The colts gained some confidence and got into a zone in the fourth quarter after the pats built a Very comfortable lead.....It happens.

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If the whole world believes that the Colts are tanking the season and "Sucking for Luck" don't you think coaches in the NFL do to. Belichick may feel that the Colts are tanking the season anyway and they still cannot afford to win games because there are two other teams with only two wins who could get the first pick if the Colts start winning. He may have decided to take advantage of that and try out players.

Darolyn72 said:

I am not multiple screen poster. Believe me Robo, you might share the screen name of a 5 year old. Yourself Mo Lewis rocks, and the rest of the rumpswabs share a collective brain. Don't worry I'll be here when the Patriots get whacked out of the playoffs for the 3rd straight year and for the 6th time in 7 years to let you know why. The emperor has NO clothes, that Belichick. He's lucky he has Tom Brady or this team would be 5 win team.

Of course they have been the Colts for 7 years now.

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Maybe not. I am not 100% sure that illegalcontact is a Jets fan pretending to be a Pats fan, but everyone here knows you are. It is just a coincidence you guys always show up around the same time and back up each other's moronically stupid arguments.