1st quarter defense

@PP_Rich_Hill
60 of Peyton Manning's 172 yards came on the Broncos opening drive when New England played soft coverage. Weird decision.

This could go into the coaching thread, but what the heck was that? We may have been
able to win a 12-10 type game if it wasn't for that early soft defense.

Butler 12-15 yards off Sanders on 3rd and 10. Chung not covering Daniels. No blitzes, ugh.

I get it that BB plays soft early on to get a feel for the opposing offense but points were at a premium this game.

I was pretty furious at the defensive performance on that first drive. It was terrible. From playcalling (play off-coverage, especially on the third down conversion to Sanders) to boneheaded plays (Ryan committing the PI on a throw by Manning that was way off-course - on third down), to the breakdown in coverage on the TD to Daniels.

The starting defensive gameplan was mind boggling. You don't play "bend-don't-break" at a mile above sea level.... especially against a QB with a weak arm.

Have people just started watching the Pats yesterday. The Pats almost always play a soft defense the opposing team's opening drive to allow the other team to show their hand and allow the Pats' to adjust. Usually the Pats tighten up in the red zone.

@Rob0729 is right. The Patriots come out and see how the opposing offense is going play before tipping their hand. It did not surprise me that other than the touchdown gifted by a terrible Brady INT, the Broncos offense did next to nothing the remainder of the game.

meh

Ryan's PI on that drive was ticky tack at best, especially on the Pats 2 drives that sandwiched that Edelman and Gronk were interfered with on 3rd down and the refs kept the flags in their pockets.

I agree this needs to be canned in playoff games. Our defense could have won this game for us if not fir this drive.

Back during the peak of our dynassty 2001-2004. 9 playoff games. Guess how many times our opponents scored on the opening drive in those nine games ?? ZERO times. Compare the tone set by those defenses to what we do now. Its just not smart to spot the other team 3 or 7 points while letting them hold the ball for 7 minutes.

Maybe it made sense 2009-2012 when our d wasnt quite there but right now, even though offense is our strength, this defense IS championship caliber. They can win playoff games for us when the offense sputters like sunday. Unfortunately we spottted them 7 and list the turnover battle. Oh yeah and passed up a 40 yard fg. This soft d to open up approach needs to be canned.

The only issue I have with our D is: where the hell did Chandler Jones go? He got bossed by Denver's 3rd string OT.

You don't get shut out by a 3rd string OT in the AFC Championship Game. Jones probably can't even look McGinest in the eye anymore.

Compare that to the tone set by the Broncos defense on our opening drive.
(Incidentally, I'm surprised that there wasn't a thread on why we decided to receive, even that left me scratching my head at the time)

Rob0729 said:

Have people just started watching the Pats yesterday. The Pats almost always play a soft defense the opposing team's opening drive to allow the other team to show their hand and allow the Pats' to adjust. Usually the Pats tighten up in the red zone.

Click to expand...

And it worked out just as planned....I thought in the playoffs everything was supposed to be tighten up...

I've never agreed with them playing soft on opening drives. You can get a feel for what an opponent does simply by watching film and the Manning-led Broncos were no mystery. When he started playing them just as anybody should, they were shut down. But there was no reason to play 10-15 yards off the LOS and no reason to really play off man or zone at all. They should have been pressed all game.

jeez, that first Bronco drive was a torture, I knew the Pats would have to set the tone right there after our own 3 and out. I don't usually say game is over after the other team first score, specially after those comebacks last year but after that TD I felt a bad taste in my mouth, it reminded me the game against the Ravens in 2009.