PP's Rich Hill claims Bills used Brady's protection calls against him

Protection calls? I think he identifies the Mike to dictate blocking assignments in general, not necessarily for pass protection. I agree that Buffalo was trying to disguise the Mike. You could tell when he tried to call out more than one a few times.

Galeb said:

Not exactly. There are multiple protection schemes, and the defined "Mike" dictates who blocks who in that particular scheme.

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Yes I should have said it gives a range of protection not a specific one. Still it helps exploit the offense.

Galeb said:

Not exactly. There are multiple protection schemes, and the defined "Mike" dictates who blocks who in that particular scheme.

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here's a good explanation of protection schemes and identifying the "mike":

The 4-3 Defense & Understanding Basic Pass Protection Schemes

Nothing nefarious here. But you can bet if the Patriots were "caught" using the Bills' protection calls against them, it would be a big story and another example of "cheating".

So, the Pats line was in shambles, the receiving corps decimated, couldn't run the ball, the Bills had 11 days to prepare, they knew the Pats protections and clobbered Brady all game ... and they still lost.

#rex

Fixit said:

So, the Pats line was in shambles, the receiving corps decimated, couldn't run the ball, the Bills had 11 days to prepare, they knew the Pats protections and clobbered Brady all game ... and they still lost.

#rex

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Blueprint!

PrairiePat said:

So you think the OL all had bad games on the same night? Free rushers came from just about every gap. I specifically remember the safety coming straight up the middle on that Amendola completion - they lined up 2 over the center, the center took 1, but the left guard shifted away from the center to block another gap. Not sure if the call was wrong there, the LG was wrong, or the center took the wrong guy. But it happened so consistently it seemd more like good scheme than poor execution play after play.

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If you had film of the first Buffalo game, there would be many instances of guys sliding to pick up free blitzers. I remember one where Andrews was engaged to his left, saw a LB come on a delayed blitz towards the middle, peeled off his block and lit him up. Did not see ANY of that for whatever reason Monday.

It was lack of execution. It was the worst performance I've seen from the o-line in a long, long time. They bit hard on play-action so they couldn't have know too much. What I am sure of, is that line won't do that 2 weeks in a row.

Deus Irae said:

Blueprint!

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Man, if there's word/phrase I'd like to take out and shoot, it's that one. Teams are always looking for things that work in some way, but if anything has the slightest success against the Pats, it's "have so and so discovered the blueprint?" like they found some dusty document in the attic.

Danger Zone said:

Wonder if that's where the Rex Ryan tag came from, from having to rename their plays on the fly.

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No that came very early in the game, like the first series.

PP2 said:

I have been unable to find independent or further corroboration of this. Anyone care to weigh in on this?

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It sure looked like they knew where our plays were going. Never saw Pats run such ineffective screens and outside runs. Maybe they have Ernie Adams Jr. Given all that, I thought the Bills had a great game plan and great execution by their players. It happens a couple times a year and suddenly columnists think the NFL has the answer for the Pats. It happens every year. Bill will figure it out.

Fixit said:

So, the Pats line was in shambles, the receiving corps decimated, couldn't run the ball, the Bills had 11 days to prepare, they knew the Pats protections and clobbered Brady all game ... and they still lost.

#rex

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Interfere with a ref to get a whistle blown early that takes at least 3 points off the board and allows you to get the ball and only have to drive 50 yards for a TD which 27 of them were on a TD run that your OL clearly held on.

Brady is 25-3 vs the Bills ....

Perhaps they need to play their own game.
Or as we say in hockey ... you can't win if you don't shoot the puck.

I was researching if that's a record for most victories by a QB vs the same team.
if it's not a record it sure must be right up there near it.

zipster9 said:

When you watch Brady and as he makes adjustments on the line, you always hear this:

"opponents # is the mike".

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I also noticed that on one play in this game Brady was yelling a bunch of things and moving guys around, and someone else on the offense asked him, "Who's the Mike?" It struck me because it just seemed more confused and chaotic than usual. I often hear him call out the Mike but I haven't noticed a time before when he had to be asked.

IcyPatriot said:

Brady is 25-3 vs the Bills ....

Perhaps they need to play their own game.
Or as we say in hockey ... you can't win if you don't shoot the puck.

I was researching if that's a record for most victories by a QB vs the same team.
if it's not a record it sure must be right up there near it.

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Dan Marino has the record of 26 I think? I think Brady was tied with Brett Favre at 24? I can't remember. I saw the stat somewhere on tv.

EDIT: Brett Favre has 26 wins against the Lions. Dan Marino has 24 against the Colts.

Wheelman said:

Dan Marino has the record of 26 I think? I think Brady was tied with Brett Favre at 24? I can't remember. I saw the stat somewhere on tv.

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Well another year and Brady will have it ... nice.
Pretty sure Monday was #25 .........

PrairiePat said:

Sounds like the Bills did their homework on the Pats' line calls. That explains why the protection seemed so awful. Time to step up the level of disguise on those calls I guess.

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remember during the undefeated season and the epic game against ravens when the MNF crew had the boom mic right on Brady and he audbles "Jabar Jabar" and then he snaps it and throws to gaffney. Always like that along with the story out of ATL that the first time they faced Spurrior's Redskins the ATL knew all the audibles because Spurrior was using the same audibles as he did at Florida and the Doug Johnson knew them because he played at UF.

IcyPatriot said:

Well another year and Brady will have it ... nice.
Pretty sure Monday was #25 .........

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I had it backwards. Brett Favre has 26 wins against the Lions. Dan Marino has 24 against Indy Colts.

Marinlik said:

I'm pretty sure that when Solder went down Cannon came in as LT and Vollmer staid at RT. It wasn't until Cannon himself got injured that Vollmer moved to LT.

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True, but that is hardly enough to build continuity. In the middle of the game, it is difficult to imagine people acclimating to entirely new positions and responsibilities. Practice seems to be the place.

Rex has got great line talent. This is Rex's Super Bowl, he prepares for one game all year and loses it.

The Oline is beat up still and the tackles are plaing the wrong positions. If cannon's not ready, I wouldn't mind Vollmer [lt] and Fleming for a while.

However, maybe the biggest difference is all those hot reads and others Brady threw into the ground. Those were the catches that stymied Buffalo earlier in the season.

Wins a win...

awww...googly goona goo goo...Wrecks is the best !

I hate teams that are 10-0...they are horrible...Wrecks proves that every year...what WE want is more Wrecks style "tough guy!!~!!!!" in your face play and wild gesticulating, running on the field during games and focusing 100% on only one team every season. THAT will finally satisfy the Rex Adoration Society here at Pats fans.

Tell you what, Wreck's Rectum Rooters...go mortgage your house and bet your life savings on the fabulous Wrecks this weekend. KC will never know what hit them. Afterwards you can use the proceeds to build statues to your precious toe sucker all over New England. I intend to go broke betting that KC immolates the turd party from Barfalo.