Josh McDaniels Handicapped This Patriots Team
 

McDaniels is a novice. He runs Corey Dillon outside, Maroney inside, and keeps Faulk on the bench against the Colts. How does that make any sense?

With a 21-13 lead to start the offense in the 2nd half, McDaniels ran a total of 5 times the entire half. FIVE TIMES. It was also his fault for the '12 men in the huddle' penalty, as well as not generating a single first down late in the 4th quarter when it could have sealed the game. We lost 2nd half time of possession by a factor of 4:1. Finally, why put Heath Evans in the backfield on our final drive, instead of Faulk or Maroney? Idiocy.

The 2006 Patriots had the best collective offense, defense, and special teams of any Belichick team. However, they were handicapped by an offensive coordinator who was in over his head against much more experienced and intelligent opposing coaches. With our talent, McDaniels handicapped this team to only 12 wins this year, and made many 'rookie' mistakes as an offensive coordinator.

If I feel mad enough later, I may go back game-by-game and point out his many mistakes that occurred on an almost weekly basis.

Re: Josh McDaniels Handicapped This Patriots Team
 

Forget game-by-game. He did the same thing (give up the run too early) on November 5th vs. the Colts and we lost.

The Colts were the better team last night, but Josh is a liability.

Re: Josh McDaniels Handicapped This Patriots Team
 

I agree.

I'm particularly pissed off with the moronic way he used Maroney. Any idiot fan can see what Maroney's strengths are, and McDaniels entirely overlooked them.

I hope McDaniels goes to Oakland, or somewhere else. His calls all season (except for a couple of games near the end of the season) were junk.

Leave, McDaniels, leave.

Go away.

Re: Josh McDaniels Handicapped This Patriots Team
 

Yeah, and McDaniels was personally responsible for giving up 38 points. Everyone needs to stop putting the blame on the defense. It was ALL MCDANIELS!!!!! Peyton Manning was able to pick up 20 yards a pass because of McDaniels (I actually heard a caller say that on WEEI so I can't take credit for that).

McDaniels didn't call a great game, but we scored 27 points on offense. That should be enough to win any game. It was the 38 points allowed on defense that handicapped this team.

As for the 2006 Patriots having the most talent of any Belichick team, this team wasn't even close. The lack of depth at LB and safety was a key reason we lost the game last night. In the past we could have overcome that. Our WRs are not as good as they were in 2003 and 2004. Our LBs weren't as good as 2003 and 2004. Our secondary isn't as good as 2003. I think our o-line is no better than the o-line of 2004.

Re: Josh McDaniels Handicapped This Patriots Team
 

I don't disagree that the OC could have done better, but Evans was wide open on the final drive. Brady just didn't pay attention to him.

NE tries very hard to be unpredictible and this leads to Dillon outside and Maroney inside. I'm sure that it wasn't every time and I am just as sure that if the reverse were true (Dillon in and Maroney out) all the time that Ds would stop it every time.

I blame the players more than the coaches for this game. Brown didn't need to slam into his guy so hard on his OPI call. Hobbs could have gotten an easy pick if he would have turned his head. Caldwell dropped an easy swing pass that would have gone for 6+ yards.

I realize that often time what looks like a player mistake is improper usage, but I don't think that that applies in this case.

(I will admit that, now that you mention it, it is a little strange that Evans was on the field instead of Faulk, but he was open so {shrugs} )

Re: Josh McDaniels Handicapped This Patriots Team
 

While McDaniels may run things play to play, does anyone realkly think he is not carrying out a BB approach? Does anyone think that BB has been sitting around all season, thinking McDaniels is screwing up and not doing anything about it? It's easier to pick on the coordinator than on the genius.

I think the running game was not very good all game. Most yards were on draws and a big chunk on a short yardage situation where Corey broke through the line. There was little yardage gained on traditional hand-offs.

If I had one criticism of JM, it's that it seems that on a first down incomplete, the next play always seems to be a run.

Bottom line is we were a 3rd and 4 in the first half and a couple of dropped passes away from a very possible blowout. This was a game where the D let us down -- fact is, without a healthy Rodney, it's a very average secondary against a well above average passing game.

Re: Josh McDaniels Handicapped This Patriots Team
 

The 2006 Patriots had a top 10 offense, defense, and special teams unit, a first under Belichick. They were remarkably balanced.

However, this game came down to coaching by the coordinators. We caught a bad break with the flu and with Colvin and Hawkins going down. We had to play Alexander, Banta-Cain, Mickens, and Baker on defense. Our defense was exhausted, and our offense is at fault for: 1. Not giving our defense a time to rest, and 2. Not generating a single first down that could have iced the game for us.

In previous years our defensive depth was depleted (think about our Superbowls), but our offense did what was needed in order to pull out the win. This game is about coaching, and McDaniels is a mental midget against other coaches in the league.

Re: Josh McDaniels Handicapped This Patriots Team
 

I had the following ???? in this game.

1. Limted vertical attack if any downfield
2. Always running on second and 10 up the middle, no play action
3. No trick plays, aka 2nd & ten flea flicker

They took no chances stayed conservative and hurt them especially

3 and out in 3rd quarter, Defense on the field all day

4th quarter settling for field goal with underneath pass to evans.

OC does not seem to mix it up like Charlie did every once and a while.

Re: Josh McDaniels Handicapped This Patriots Team
 

That doesn't make any sense at all. I think what you mean is the Pats scout themselves, pick up tendencies, and then design plays that fool defenses based on what they THINK will happen. This is what they used to do, however, this is not what they are doing now. McDaniels is doing unpredictable things simply for the sake of doing something unpredictable. If a defense keys on Dillon inside, then run a play-action with a fake Dillon run up the middle. Don't run Dillon outside, that is completely retarded.

Re: Josh McDaniels Handicapped This Patriots Team
 

Onegame, if you read more articles and books about Belichick, you'd realize just how much leeway he gives his coordinators. It stems from his own experience as a coordinator and how he lets them have more autonomy.

All the coaches collectively sit down and talk about the general plan, yes, but Belichick lets his coordinators call the shots during the game. McDaniels is the one calling all the plays. I can almost guarantee you that Belichick let Weiss and now McDaniels mostly run the show.