The OFFICIAL Patriots vs. Saints Post-Game Thread

Sciz said:

I can't do gifs yet (I may attempt them later), but here are screenshots!

The 29 yard screen pass. Jones dove and just missed. He would have had a much better chance at it if he hadn't been pulled out of the play by his jersey.

Incompletion on 2nd and 4. Jones getting the one-arm wraparound.

Would have been declined anyway (incompletion on 3rd and 10), but another shot of Jones' blocker blocking with just one arm.

Incompletion on first and 10. Vellano isn't just running past his blocker, he is already past him.

Apparently holding is okay if both blockers do it to Ninkovich at the same time. The 4 yard pass on 3rd and 5 that set up the infamous 4th and 1 false start.

Ninkovich getting his jersey grabbed. 14 yard pass on 2nd and 7.

Arm around the neck, pretty much exactly what the Saints fans are complaining about on the winning TD pass.

The second and 20 before the 3rd and 20 TD pass. Should have been 2nd and 30.

I'm sure some of those might be considered slightly iffy, but if Saints fans are going to complain about the helmet to helmet penalty on Thompkins, then I'd say there's a better case for all 8 of these than that.

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post a link at nola.com or some place where they are cribbing about it. in the comments section -
Whodat Nation cries foul over shoddy officiating in Saints loss | NOLA.com

My thoughts on the game:

Good to see the no-huddle. Without question, Brady looks very comfortable running this type of offense instead of the power running offense we've ran more frequently this season. When he's spreading the defense out, it looks like it simplifies the game for him.

I noticed that when Ridley is in the game, our offense runs a lot smoother. Getting that 1st down seems to be the key for Brady and company to get into a rhythm. Ridley IMO is a better drive starter than any of the other RBs we have. Good to see him get more playing time yesterday.

Blount has some nice runs, but it would be better if he comes in to spell Ridley while Ridley starts the beginning of our drives. Blount starting off our drives seems like an automatic 3 and out.

Bolden, for being the pass catching RB, has awful hands. This seems more like a recent issue though. I don't recall his hands being this terrible last year.

Our interior OL needs to get their **** together. When Brady gets rushed, it typically comes from the inside, whether it's a blown assignment, or they just get beat. This IMO is a bigger issue than any of our other offensive problems.

Our DL did okay, but our LBs were awesome yesterday. Attacking holes on running plays and doing a decent job on their pass assignment -- spacing on pass coverage looked pretty good.

Talib is our best defensive player. Hopefully the injury isn't too bad.

Gregory, although he did blow that safety help on Dennard, continues to show on running plays. He's playing well.

Arrington made some nice plays when covering Graham, but he seems unable to keep up with WRs when they're playing man coverage. He gave up at least 3 easy completions where he was nowhere near his guy when they were man on man. He gave up a huge completion last week against the Bengals when the Bengals were backed up. I like Arrington, he's a gamer. But he's awful when playing man coverage. He's a lot better when he's playing zone. Maybe they should have him play safety in place of Gregory on obvious passing downs. It plays to his strength and takes someone out who's not great at pass coverage.

Dobson still looks like he fights the ball when he's catching it. He catches with his body too much. He's supposed to have big hands, he should use them instead of using his body.

Edelman looks like he's getting better every week. This dude is a gamer. Love his competitiveness.

Amendola, although really talented, really doesn't look like he's got the body to withstand a full season of contact football.

Brady was pretty inconsistent. Played well at times but also missed some throws that would have really put the Saints in a bad position. He missed that Amendola deep pass, also underthrew Thomkins on the sidelines when KT beat his guy.

Good win though. I wasn't sure coming in to this game how they would perform, but when they came out in no-huddle, I immediately had a good feeling.

I have a question for those who watched the game on TV. How did the crowd sound? Because from my perspective in section 225 we sounded pretty good (but then again I couldn't really hear much over my own screaming)

PlainOldEd said:

I have a question for those who watched the game on TV. How did the crowd sound? Because from my perspective in section 225 we sounded pretty good (but then again I couldn't really hear much over my own screaming)

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Loud on tv. I would say it was the best crowd in a long time until some of them bailed early.

By the way immediately after the game i wanted to see what they were saying on the Saints forum, BUT THEIR SERVER WENT DOWN LMAO!

fnordcircle said:

1.

1 drop a game is an unacceptable rate.

The better question is how long does a player's talent warrant giving them more time before we imply they're a bust. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say more than 6 games.

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With that standard, you torpedo the careers of Jerry Rice, Chris Carter, Reggie Wayne, Michael Irvin, and several other big timers.

Pats Beat The Saints Wallpaper

FrodoBagginz said:

So what about the high five that Edleman missed on Brady? Did Brady comment on it during the post game interview? Was it a diss or did Edleman simply not see Brady?

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Edleman's pissed at Brady for talking to the press about Gronk.

betterthanthealternative said:

With that standard, you torpedo the careers of Jerry Rice, Chris Carter, Reggie Wayne, Michael Irvin, and several other big timers.

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How do you figure? If a guy's dropping balls with that kind of consistency, he shouldn't be playing until he's become better at catching the ball. If benching a guy for failing at his job = torpedoing the career of everyone who's ever failed at his job, then you might as well just list every hall of famer ever and say that the only right answer is no accountability for mistakes.

In years past, Dobson absolutely would have been benched for his performance thus far. Right now, they don't have that luxury on account of having extremely limited WR depth.

BradyFTW! said:

How do you figure? If a guy's dropping balls with that kind of consistency, he shouldn't be playing until he's become better at catching the ball. If benching a guy for failing at his job = torpedoing the career of everyone who's ever failed at his job, then you might as well just list every hall of famer ever and say that the only right answer is no accountability for mistakes.

In years past, Dobson absolutely would have been benched for his performance thus far. Right now, they don't have that luxury on account of having extremely limited WR depth.

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But have you seen the massive improvement of Dobson and KT. Dobson had 1 drop I can remember in the saints game (I am sure there had to be 1 or 2 more) but he was Brady's go to guy on the 1st TD drive. It was Dobson. He started over KT. KT then came up and made that beautiful game winning TD. He played much better also. These rookies keep improving, that's all you can ask. And with more experience in the system and games, the less amount of mental issues they will have. We are very lucky to be 5-1 with this group, and they will only get better each week.

Archeryaddict12 said:

But have you seen the massive improvement of Dobson and KT. Dobson had 1 drop I can remember in the saints game (I am sure there had to be 1 or 2 more) but he was Brady's go to guy on the 1st TD drive. It was Dobson. He started over KT. KT then came up and made that beautiful game winning TD. He played much better also. These rookies keep improving, that's all you can ask. And with more experience in the system and games, the less amount of mental issues they will have. We are very lucky to be 5-1 with this group, and they will only get better each week.

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I agree. I think these guys are going to be very good NFL wide receivers for many years (barring catastrophic injury). This is just the beginning for them. Yeah, it's been rough, but we all knew it would be. The best is yet to come for them, for sure.

I didn't have a chance to post Sunday night or yesterday. I went to the game at the last minute with 2 of my kids. Sat in Sec. 204 (Pats side), which is almost directly across the stadium from my usual Sec. 236 (visitors side), light house end, sideline endzone. When the Pats went for it on 4th & 6 I was mad and so sure they weren't making it that I sat down so I didn't see the drop. I was sure NO would score a TD there because they were hot and we were not. So glad the D held them to a figgie. MAD that they were showing the Saints celebrating on the jumbotron. WFT? I don't want to see that. Okay, we had the ball, we were in business, slow it down a little bit....what?! a bomb to Julian Edelman?! and a lousy one at that. INT, game over in my mind. Also, the people in front of me were in an altercation with a guy a few rows down, security escorting people out, bad vibes all around.

I said, "Let's go" to my kids, including my independent, over 6 ft. 15 yr. old. An argument ensues about whether we are going to the car. He is pouting and heading down the ramp; I say no, we'll never get out of the parking lot (because everyone has stayed until the end), let's go get something to eat in Patriots Place. We grudgingly head across the north (lighthouse) endzone with thousands of our closest friends, many of whom are drunk and stumbling (happens way more at late afternoon games). We get stuck in a bottle neck where some dummy placed a tunnel (can't say whether it is directly under the lighthouse, only that it is there and it's a head scratcher) that only allows one person to pass in each direction. While I am trying to hang onto my 10 yr. old daughter, said 15 year old goes around several security guards onto the balcony that sits atop the north endzone with the huge jumbotron above it. I am yelling at him to "come on" and he is motioning that he wants to watch one more play. I notice on the jumbotron at the other end of the field that it is 3rd down and Drew Brees is getting sacked. Okay, one more play.

I can't even see the field as so many people have now crowded onto the balcony after getting stuck in the bottle neck and hearing the remaining crowd roar. I am watching the game on the jumbotron. Incredibly, Brady starts down the field, and he just keeps going. Just like the old, clutch Brady. They are guarding the edges, he's going down the middle. Austin Collie makes two great catches - Austin Collie!? Has he even been in during the rest of the game!?? Then the incredible throw and tip-toe-through-the-tulips TD pass/catch! Oh.My.God. I (and many other people) just keep repeating this at the top of my lungs. My daughter asks me to stop screaming in her ear. LOL, good times. Sorry I lost faith in you TB, and glad my 15 yr. old didn't.

I have Graham on my FF team. Before the game, my son asked if I would prefer zero points for Graham and a Pats win or 3 TDs by Graham and a Pats loss. I said I prefer a Pats win. I lost my FF matchup by one point.

Sfpat said:

I have Graham on my FF team. Before the game, my son asked if I would prefer zero points for Graham and a Pats win or 3 TDs by Graham and a Pats loss. I said I prefer a Pats win. I lost my FF matchup by one point.

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Thanks for taking one for the team.

Couple of random observations after rewatching the game.

That hit Kenbrell took was vicious. I agree with Aikman saying that the safety tried to make a clean hit, but he just ended up catching KT in the head. (Hard to hit a moving target I guess). But that hit had KT doing a Linda Blair head spin. Surprised how easily he shrugged off that hit.

On Collie's final catch (the 4th down one), he set up Jenkins beautifully. To set up his stem, at the snap he makes a hard move to the inside to get Jenkins to jump inside, then attacks vertically on the stem with Jenkins keeping inside leverage, right where Collie wanted him. Once Collie makes his break to the outside, Jenkins then has no chance as he is out of position. Separation, catch, first down. Nice route running by Collie there.

added time stamps and replaced screenshots with gifs:

Sciz said:

I can't do gifs yet (I may attempt them later), but here are screenshots!

1st Q, 5:58: The 29 yard screen pass. Jones dove and just missed. He would have had a much better chance at it if he hadn't been pulled out of the play by his jersey.

1st Q, 4:02: Incompletion on 2nd and 4. Jones getting the one-arm wraparound.

2nd Q, 12:44: Would have been declined anyway (incompletion on 3rd and 10), but another shot of Jones' blocker blocking with just one arm.

2nd Q, 4:49: Incompletion on first and 10. Vellano isn't just running past his blocker, he is already past him.

2nd Q, 2:50: Apparently holding is okay if both blockers do it to Ninkovich at the same time. The 4 yard pass on 3rd and 5 that set up the infamous 4th and 1 false start.

3rd Q, 14:30: Ninkovich getting his jersey grabbed. 14 yard pass on 2nd and 7.

3rd Q, 1:35: Arm around the neck, pretty much exactly what the Saints fans are complaining about on the winning TD pass.

4th Q, 3:41: The second and 20 before the 3rd and 20 TD pass. Should have been 2nd and 30.

I'm sure some of those might be considered slightly iffy, but if Saints fans are going to complain about the helmet to helmet penalty on Thompkins, then I'd say there's a better case for all 8 of these than that.

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