Are the Pats gonna do it?

PATS16N0 said:

This is not without its validity. Nothing is more annoying lately then watching them pass, pass, telegraphed run, FG, while on the 2 freaking yard line.

Run. The. Football.

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Or use the right personnel for the right situation and play call? Am I the only one who wants to see Lafell split, Gronk inline, extra oline, Develin and Gray on short goal to goes? Try a power run, hurry back with play action/sneak depending on distance. Run again.
Obviously every situation is different, but I'm sick of Vereen up the gut or four wide like we are calling plays for Peyton.

Brady_to_Moss said:

I try to not get my hopes up until the AFC Champ game...even after in the 07 and 11 SB...my hopes were very high and it was a hard fall...very hard fall.

I want to win that SB again and in order to do that i will have to endure the fear that it could crash my hopes again..... But i always keep the faith until they are down and out come playoffs

And if they are down and out BEFORE the SB this year...would be wise not to talk to me for a week or so

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This is exactly how I feel.

woolster22 said:

I think you should be more worried about JOSH MACDONALD trying to feature Vereen in some dumb ass aerial attack against the like of the Colts.

If anything is going to **** us, it is the oc and that guys incredulous need to win by throwing fifty times, with four shotgun draws to a poor running scat back, with a dozen semi-productive carries to the true runners randomly sprinkled into drives, prohibiting either from establishing any kind if rhythm. Of course somewhere in the first two possessions he calls two/three runs with the runners, and abandons that thereafter, successful or not.

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I hear ya .. Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it ...

PATS16N0 said:

This is not without its validity. Nothing is more annoying lately then watching them pass, pass, telegraphed run, FG, while on the 2 freaking yard line.

Run. The. Football.

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This ... exactly my thought process with the cuteness ..

JMC00 said:

Offense put them in the lead in both games where the defense only had to make 1 stop. Is it really that much to ask the defense to make 1 stop?

But given that you are a chicken little or troll of course

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The defense made plenty of stops in those games, they just didn't at the end, claiming they didn't make 1 is cherry picking.

Oh, and it's very nice that you insult me because I don't agree with you, keep it classy.

Snake Eyes said:

The defense made plenty of stops in those games, they just didn't at the end, claiming they didn't make 1 is cherry picking.

Oh, and it's very nice that you insult me because I don't agree with you, keep it classy.

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Neither one of you are wrong, but you have to admit, it was pretty astonishing that the defense completely melted down like that on final drives. I mean it would be one thing if they forced Eli to take the long, hard road, and he succeeded, but they straight up choked in those games and gave up huge yardage.

I shouldn't say "they" because it obviously wasn't everybody, but the importance of the moment was obviously too much for a few individuals and I think people panicked.

The helmet catch drive was just stupid. Eli should of been intercepted, then he should of been sacked, then a ball was caught on a helmet. then we just got outright burned for a TD pass.

The offense under performed because the offensive line got wrecked but those final Eli drives, primarily in 2007, were just straight up defensive choke jobs.

Edit: 2011 not so much. In 2011, Welker drop aside, we just lost a Superbowl and Eli made a beautiful pass down the sideline. Our secondary was hot garbage that year so there isn't much to say.

2007 though... looking at you, Buckner, I mean Asante.

In super bowl 46 we all knew it was over when we were forced to punt with under 4 minutes to go and only up 2. 2 point lead was not gonna hold up there. I think we should have let them score sooner. If tom had 2 minutes he would have driven for a touchdown for sure.

Bill is doing stuff that he has never done. He wants everyone focused and ready to go, come game time. I don't think Bill has ever wanted anything as much as he wants a super bowl this year.
http://nesn.com/2015/01/patriots-surprised-that-bill-belichick-cancels-new-years-practice/

I would say going into the postseason we have the best defense. Combine that with an efficient QB, weapons such as Gronk and mini-tron we will be tough to beat.

This 2014 team is one of the most complete teams since the championship squads in 2003-2004. Certainly, more complete than the Super Bowl runner Up in 2011.

Be that as it may, they will still need to play their best for 60 minutes and get the requisite breaks if they are to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

bostonia3333 said:

No. Seattle and Dallas are deeper. Demarco Murray and Dez are just too much and Dallas is peaking at the right time. I see Seattle shutting down Gronk easily and Lafell/Edelman dropping a ton of key passes when left open.

I don't see NE winning it all, but they'll get to Arizona at least. Brady getting to a 6th SB would have to be a record by NFL qbs.

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The bolded part of your post is just plain absurd.

And as for Dallas and Seattle being deeper, sorry I just don't see it, especially the Cowboys "defense" with their lack of pass rush and mounting injuries along the defensive line (e.g. Melton). Furthermore, Seattle has a serious lack of depth at receiver, and have recently been counting on rookie WR Richardson for a lot of meaningful snaps.

The mere fact that you think Dez and DeMarco will be "too much" signifies to me that you need to snap out of fantasy football mode, as the Patriots defense can more than match up with both guys IMHO.

Pats would win if they play GB. Little chance against Seattle though.

saspack said:

Pats would win if they play GB. Little chance against Seattle though.

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Care to elaborate on why you think the Patriots stand little chance against the Seahawks?

I fear Seattle the most. But really, they are flawed as well. No team in the league is the 85 Bears.

Seattle beat down Arizona and everyone thinks they are a runaway train. Arizona may very well lose it's first playoff game to a team under .500 !

Though the playoffs are upon us - truth is : it is still too early to tell... I pray the D keeps doing it's thing for ONE. MORE. MONTH.

sevengables_2207 said:

Care to elaborate on why you think the Patriots stand little chance against the Seahawks?

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Russell can run while Tom cannot. Our OL cannot protect Tom. Our D cannot contain Russell.

saspack said:

Russell can run while Tom cannot. Our OL cannot protect Tom. Our D cannot contain Russell.

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Sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree with this reductive reasoning.

Brady has been much improved throwing on the run, in case you have not been paying attention this year. A healthy return of DC at guard will really help the offensive line in the playoff run. The offensive line played its best ball in October and November when he was healthy.

With two weeks to prepare, I expect Belichick and Patricia to be able to develop a game plan to slow Wilson down.

The offense didn't show up in both sb losses

A man named Brady said:

The offense didn't show up in both sb losses

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So Brady completing 15 straight passes only to stop the sure GWD with a welker drop. And then in 07 goin down and takin a lead with only a few minutes left. As much as people say the offense didn't show up, the defense didn't either to help the offense. The offense did plenty to win. You can't expect an offense to light up top level defenses when the defense can play defense.

You need a defense that can challenge and intimidate because the refs let them play in the playoffs, disadvantage offense. When you don't have a defense that can stop someone when it counts, your screwed. That's what happened.

Archeryaddict12 said:

So Brady completing 15 straight passes only to stop the sure GWD with a welker drop. And then in 07 goin down and takin a lead with only a few minutes left. As much as people say the offense didn't show up, the defense didn't either to help the offense. The offense did plenty to win. You can't expect an offense to light up top level defenses when the defense can play defense.

You need a defense that can challenge and intimidate because the refs let them play in the playoffs, disadvantage offense. When you don't have a defense that can stop someone when it counts, your screwed. That's what happened.

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14 and 17 points with 2 of the best offenses of all time is unacceptable. If going into both games I would've told you the defenses would give up 17 and 21 you would think the pats win decisively

PATS16N0 said:

The helmet catch drive was just stupid. Eli should of been intercepted, then he should of been sacked, then a ball was caught on a helmet. then we just got outright burned for a TD pass.

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Dunno if you can call it "burned" when:

1. Coaches put an ailing smurf against a tall receiver.
2. Coaches call a jailbreak blitz in a situation where there's virtually no chance for the blitz to get there because the situation is such where it is incredibly likely for the QB to audible to a 1-3 step drop and pass play if that wasn't the original call in the first place.

I don't blame Hobbs at all (and I certainly was never a fan of his). I put that TD catch pretty much all on the coaching staff.