Struggling Offense

Deus Irae said:

I didn't miss the point. You clearly have.

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Please explain, because this kind of response is just above the level of 'my father is stronger than your father'.

There are many different ways of attacking a defense. Having 5 WRs on the field is only one way. And again, we were discussing offensive depth between Pats and Broncos, and you have yet to make you point on how the Broncos are more equipped, especially in light of most passes going only to the same 2 targets.

Deus Irae said:

The Patriots offense struggles against teams that can shut down the outside receivers and pressure the QB. We've seen that for years.

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Which team can succeed when their WRs are being shut down and the passer is under pressure at the same time ? Not one.

Don't know if you noticed, but Belichick changed is way of building defense to do just that. He got Jones and Easley with the intention of putting more pressure, even though both are undersized by Belichick's past standard. And he added top cover corners in Talib, Revis and Borwner to be able to play solid man-to-man. Even Collins is not the standard LB Belichick used to pick, but Collins is more athletic and better at playing coverage.
With the NFL being pass-heavier now, that's the way to win on defense. Just not the recipe to beat the Pats, but the Packers, Colts, Broncos and many others as well. Other than the Seahawks, most team offense relies heavily on the pass.

Deus Irae said:

There's actually good news on that front this playoff season because, outside of Denver, the AFC teams in the field aren't particularly adept at doing that. But claiming that this receiving group is not a weakness is simply not acknowledging the reality of this team. We've seen it for years, and we know it's a problem.

I've been putting this team in the Super Bowl since day 1 (see the expectations thread). As long as Manning is the recent Manning, I don't see that changing. That doesn't mean that I need to be blind to the potential pitfalls.

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I don't think anybody is saying the Pats are perfect and they don't have any weaknesses to address. I, for one, I'm saying that the Pats weaknesses are no worse than any other team playing in the tournament.

supafly said:

Hearing Rex Ryan rub it in (although I don't believe that was the intent at all) about how his teams have been able to keep the games close as the last 4/5 have been decided by 3 pts or less, was humbling

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True that. Nobody can rub in a win like Rex.

Take that Patriot fans, you only won both games this year.

If losses were wins Rex would be 12-4 with home field given their loss to Denver.

The Patriots averaged 40.5 points during their impressive seven-game win streak, a touchdown better than anyone else in the league. Over the last five weeks, though, their 22.2 points per game ranked 18th and last among the league’s 12 playoff teams. They have also been outscored, 77-54, in the first half over that span.

Those are alarmingly low outputs for an offense led by a pair of MVP candidates in quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski.

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http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/...2/patriots_shaky_finish_can_soon_be_forgotten

Yeah, basing concern on just the Bills game is silly. Looking at a trend, on the other hand, is common sense.

The offense has been struggling. It is what it is.

breakin said:

i feel you are just arguing for the sake of it.

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Sounds like deuce to me. Welcome to the board.