BB didn't "throw away HFA"

AndyJohnson said:

And he was wrong. His approach failed. Perhaps winning that game may have caused injuries, but that is only speculation. We know what he did turned out to fail, we don't know what would have happened if he did what many of us felt he should.

Click to expand...

By the same logic it is only speculation that we would have defeated the Steelers in the divisional game and the Broncos at home for the Championship. So you maybe also shouldnt say that it was the difference between going to the SB or home.

luuked said:

By the same logic it is only speculation that we would have defeated the Steelers in the divisional game and the Broncos at home for the Championship. So you maybe also should say that it was the difference between going to the SB or home.

Click to expand...

I know what he did failed. I believe we win the AFCCG if it was at home. I could be wrong, but I know what he did failed. Not ripping him, just saying what he did failed.

I don't know how good TB12 and our offense is on the road in January. Since 2006 (last 10 years) the only road win we have is @San Diego.
I really felt HFA is more important to us than most teams. With all the line adjustments Brady does...and the weakness of our OL...we are much better at home in pin drop silence where he can instruct the other guys, than in a loud, hostile environment like Denver.

AndyJohnson said:

I know what he did failed. I believe we win the AFCCG if it was at home. I could be wrong, but I know what he did failed. Not ripping him, just saying what he did failed.

Click to expand...

Of course the team ultimately failed to get to the SB. I'd more interesting to discuss why it happened instead of this shallow finger pointing and dreaming about what-ifs.

luuked said:

Of course the team ultimately failed to get to the SB. I'd more interesting to discuss why it happened instead of this shallow finger pointing and dreaming about what-ifs.

Click to expand...

Then talk about what you want.

I am choosing to discuss that I think the decision to tank the Miami game IS the reason we are not in the SB. I was concerned then, and think it proved out.

Feel free to not be part of the discussion if you would rather discuss something else.

ctpatsfan77 said:

I've seen a number of posts today claiming that BB either "threw away HFA" or "didn't value it" or what have you.

In reality, it's not as simple as BB deciding "he didn't want" HFA. He was actually faced with a difficult choice: trying to maximize the likelihood of reaching the Super Bowl, while doing two things:

• Minimizing the number of injured players entering the playoffs
• Maximizing the likelihood of winning HFA

Unfortunately, those two goals were at odds with one another. For example, he could have played Edelman in Miami, but what if he got injured and missed the playoffs?

If the injuries hadn't mounted as badly as they had, and you still saw what happened the last two weeks, then I think the idea that BB doesn't care for HFA would be much easier to sell. But that wasn't really what was happening.

Click to expand...

Disagree.......lesson should have been learned in 2013. He should have done whatever it took to avoid going to Denver, and yesterday just solidifies that fact. Even with who they had for receivers in the Miami game, they should have thrown up and down that field all day!!!

PittPatriot said:

I don't know how good TB12 and our offense is on the road in January. Since 2006 (last 10 years) the only road win we have is @San Diego.
I really felt HFA is more important to us than most teams. With all the line adjustments Brady does...and the weakness of our OL...we are much better at home in pin drop silence where he can instruct the other guys, than in a loud, hostile environment like Denver.

Click to expand...

I agree with you, but any team is better at home. It's not like they have had many road playoff games since 2006. They have only had 2 and it was a miracle the 2013 team even it made it to the AFC Championship. That team over achieved big time. On a key third down early in that game, Brady's weapons were Dobson, Slater and Matt Mulligan and the play was a long bomb to Slater

titletownpats said:

I agree with you, but any team is better at home. It's not like they have had many road playoff games since 2006. They have only had 2 and it was a miracle the 2013 team even it made it to the AFC Championship. That team over achieved big time. On a key third down early in that game, Brady's weapons were Dobson, Slater and Matt Mulligan and the play was a long bomb to Slater

Click to expand...

Why was it a miracle in 2013? We had a free pass in the divisional against the overmatched Colts. We had to deal with "wet behind the ears" quarterback Luck. Denver had to host Philip Rivers and a division archrival in San Diego. That's the equivalent of us hosting the Jets. Anything can happen. We had a cakewalk gift in terms of seeding. The only legitimate game we had came in the AFCCG.

Obviously most teams play better at home. But I have to say that our offense is drastically different on the road vs home. It's hard to hear the audibles, are no huddle is much better at home (we couldn't even run it yesterday), or and frankly, we really haven't been tested on the road. It's not like we're the Steelers or ravens who play on the road regularly in the playoffs. We play a ton of home games and it's nice to stockpile wins over the likes of the Jags, Titans, and Luck-Colts. If someone asked me how great we play on the road in the playoffs I would probably say, "I'm not really sure. We haven't had much occasion. Hopefully, it is @Pitt and not @Denver because Brady is 0-3 in playoffs there."

PatriotSpy said:

sometimes I think BB tries to be to cute by going against the grain. This year was frustrating on so many levels.

Click to expand...

I see. Well, in last year's Superbowl, had Malcolm Butler not made the world's greatest play, I suppose BB's decision to just let things play out would have been just "getting cute" and not what we later found out was a judgment call based on what he was seeing from the Seattle sideline.

When it works, it's genius but when it doesn't, it's "getting cute"?

He isn't doing a damn thing different than he ever did. It sometimes works and it sometimes does not. What makes him great is the fact that is works far more than it doesn't.

Bella*chick said:

I see. Well, in last year's Superbowl, had Malcolm Butler not made the world's greatest play, I suppose BB's decision to just let things play out would have been just "getting cute" and not what we later found out was a judgment call based on what he was seeing from the Seattle sideline.

When it works, it's genius but when it doesn't, it's "getting cute"?

He isn't doing a damn thing different than he ever did. It sometimes works and it sometimes does not. What makes him great is the fact that is works far more than it doesn't.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that. Taking the ball instead of deferring was pretty different. Considering he defers like 99 percent of the time.

LightSkinSmurf said:

I wouldn't say that. Taking the ball instead of deferring was pretty different. Considering he defers like 99 percent of the time.

Click to expand...

I mean in terms of going out on a limb based on his own judgment on what's best for the team. Not each and every individual decision.

Pessimistic Pete said:

So OP, you literally watched the Dolphins game and thought to yourself...

"This is a team and coaching staff that is giving 100% to win this game and value the chance to clinch the #1 seed today"

The playcalling and urgency in that game was pre-season worthy. The worst of BB's career in New England, legit cost them a Super Bowl appearance.

It has nothing to do with injuries, they should have won that game with the players they had on the field. That's a garbage Dolphins team that was playing for nothing with a lame duck interim clown coach.

Thinking back of all the huge late November/December regular season games the Pats have fought their ass off to get the #1 seed over the years and then to see....whatever the **** that was in Miami was just bizarre.

A total disrespect to the honor and importance of being the #1 seed, the "meh, it'd be nice if we can get it but ya know..." attitude was down right awful.

Click to expand...

Really? You think that the team should have won a game where they only had 38 healthy players out of the 45 they dressed? Did you even realize that they normally dress 46 but couldn't because of Waddle's shoulder injury?

This is everyone who was out for the 2nd Miami game.
Solder, Blount, Lewis, Develin, Edleman, Vollmer, Waddle, Jones, Hightower, Freeny, Coleman, Siliga,

I'm not including guys like Flowers, Rufus Johnson, etc, because of where they fall on the depth chart..

Also injured:
Ninkovich, Kline, Amendola, McCourty, Chung, LaFell, Chandler.

So, Both our starting OTs plus one reserve OT were out. Our Starting OLB and Starting DE were both out. Our primary reserve MLB was out. Our #3/4 CB was out. And our top 2 RBs were out. Not to mention that Ninkovich played hurt the entire game after being flown down to Miami separately from the team.
The snap counts for Amendola, Kline and Chandler were limited..

I don't know about you, but I knew that it was an uphill battle. First off, they are a division rival. Secondly, it was in their house. Third, they had nothing to lose while we had a lot to lose. Such as players like Amendola, Gronkowski, Ninkovich. But with all the players we had injured, you can't sit everyone..

DaBruinz said:

Really? You think that the team should have won a game where they only had 38 healthy players out of the 45 they dressed? Did you even realize that they normally dress 46 but couldn't because of Waddle's shoulder injury?

This is everyone who was out for the 2nd Miami game.
Solder, Blount, Lewis, Develin, Edleman, Vollmer, Waddle, Jones, Hightower, Freeny, Coleman, Siliga,

I'm not including guys like Flowers, Rufus Johnson, etc, because of where they fall on the depth chart..

Also injured:
Ninkovich, Kline, Amendola, McCourty, Chung, LaFell, Chandler.

So, Both our starting OTs plus one reserve OT were out. Our Starting OLB and Starting DE were both out. Our primary reserve MLB was out. Our #3/4 CB was out. And our top 2 RBs were out. Not to mention that Ninkovich played hurt the entire game after being flown down to Miami separately from the team.
The snap counts for Amendola, Kline and Chandler were limited..

I don't know about you, but I knew that it was an uphill battle. First off, they are a division rival. Secondly, it was in their house. Third, they had nothing to lose while we had a lot to lose. Such as players like Amendola, Gronkowski, Ninkovich. But with all the players we had injured, you can't sit everyone..

Click to expand...

So you run the ball 12 straight times to open the game?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bella*chick said:

When it works, it's genius but when it doesn't, it's "getting cute"?

He isn't doing a damn thing different than he ever did. It sometimes works and it sometimes does not. What makes him great is the fact that is works far more than it doesn't.

Click to expand...

I'm not one to second guess based on results -- like the 4th & 2 play in Indy years ago -- didn't work out but I have no problem with the call.

The problem is he IS DOING things different, and it ****ed the team over:
1. Jets before the half -- with 3 (or 2?) timeouts and over a minute, they kneeled the ball instead of going for a FG. I've never seen Bill kneel the ball with that much time & timeouts -- even in blowouts -- let alone a close game.
2. Game plan against Miami was reminiscent of a preseason game plan -- barely throw in first half -- so using our undermatched RBs -- and then in second half repeatedly throwing it long on 3rd down -- which we all know long throws are Bradys weakness.
3. Broncos game -- i doubt he'd go for 4th down instead of FG there against most teams.