Anyone else MORE optimistic after last night's loss to 49ers?

[SHOWTIME15]

Tell 'em. Apparently some have not heard the NEWS.

Theyhad no choice but to put arrington outside when dennard went down....

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

I know what you mean OP, and I don't know if that is the right way to put it....I guess I can just say that I don't feel super concerned.

We made mistakes, we rallyed..that is the big positive I took from that. That itself tells me that the team can learn from this. I hope it does not go too far in that it is just a 'yes-we-can-do-it' attitude and simply the team knowing they can do it. After all the comeback was not complete.

They need to actually DO IT, rally back and take the lead.

I am a bit concerned that switching to zone from man-to-man was the result of NE putting those point on the board, but at the end of the day you can only take what the defence gives you.

I like where they were putting Hernandez later in the game, behind the line.....seemed to be a way to get him in the clear more often.

Not really MORE optimistic, but certainly not a lot less optimistic...

 

[IllegalContact]

no.......the pats showed they can win big playing like idiots for half a game, but have also proven that they can't beat good teams while they play like idiots for half the game.

combine that with the fact that the pats play like idiots for half the game way too often, you get the point

 

[coolguy]

I didn't learn anything to be honest. The only team that can beat the patriots is the patriots..and i wouldn't have it any other way


but that damn riddley

 

[MUFC7]

Some thoughts on the game yesterday.

1) Our fans suck. Not the ones in the stadium as they tried their best to be lound and produced a very good atmosphere. But in general some of you are really spoilt. What do you guys expect? That we win every game and crush every team like we did with the Texans? This team is very good and I believe that nearly every fanbase dreams of having this team. Once they got their ass kicked I thought I was on a Kansas City Chiefs forum. I honestly didn't believe they could perform a comeback like yesterday but they did and even though they lost it was still a very good performance, that deserves every bit of credit they got.

2) The lack of pace. Honestly Brady is ridiculous accurate and without him this team would be way worse. Did you see the tight windows he has to throw in because of the lack of seperation. This team has some great route runners but the lack of pace was exposed yesterday. I mean Deion Branch ran the deep threat routes. That is simply not good enough for an offense with this kind of potential.

3) Wild card game could benefit this team. Of course nobody wanted to meet the Broncos at their home but that extra game could be very good for this team, if no injuries happen ofc. This D is extremely young on some key positions and is in dire need of every game they can get. Since week8 we have 2 new starters at CB one FS that was a CB and other rookies in key positions. Honestly with the 1st seed being lost yesterday I would have been really nervous going against those Broncos even at home after a BYE week. Remember the Jets game in the divisonal round ...

4) Only the Pats can stop the Pats. We played the best team in the NFC yesterday and only lost because of 4 turnovers. If Ridley doesn't fumble that ball they won't lose that game.

5) Brady is the GOAT. After yesterday I'm even more sure than ever. That 2nd half from him was simply ridiculous even for his standards. His WR core isn't the greatest but what he did was simply magical.

 

[Ivan]

no.......the pats showed they can win big playing like idiots for half a game, but have also proven that they can't beat good teams while they play like idiots for half the game.

combine that with the fact that the pats play like idiots for half the game way too often, you get the point

Yeah, they are just so inconsistent. All anyone has to do is look at how poorly they have been playing during the second half of seasons the past few years. they really need a coach who can get them to play more consistent as the season progresses. Rooting for this team is really tough when they suck so much.

 

[hambone1818]

Yeah, they are just so inconsistent. All anyone has to do is look at how poorly they have been playing during the second half of seasons the past few years. they really need a coach who can get them to play more consistent as the season progresses. Rooting for this team is really tough when they suck so much.

That was my exact thought when I read his post...do people expect the team to play 60 perfect minutes of football every week? It's like the drafting complaints, about busts that we've seen over the year. Sure, the Pats have missed--and sometimes missed big--but when you compare them to the rest of the league they blow nearly every team out of the water.

So no, they're not 'consistent' in that they don't play 60 perfect minutes every week, but this team just won, what, 21 straight 2nd-half games dating back to 2010 and something like 24 straight December games (not sure on either but they're close). It took one of the sloppiest halves we've seen in recent history and the best defense in the NFL to make one stop in the second half for this team to be beaten, and even then they threw 34 points on the board despite four turnovers.

 

[PatsDeb]

I can't say I am more optimistic, but I am glad: 1) we didn't fold when everything went wrong; 2) we won't usually have to deal with so many turnovers; 3) we now have our own "tape" on the 49ers, so if we meet them again, we'll have a lot better chance to win.

 

[fnordcircle]

I called up my best football buddy this morning and said I'm now convinced we're going to win the Super Bowl.

Because I am.

We faced real adversity, overcame it and then faced more and fell short. But we can build on this game.

If our Special Teams doesn't get so many penalties or struggle in the return game.
If our fumbles didn't all go their way
If their fumbles didn't all go their way
If Gronk was healthy
If Dennard stayed health

There was SO MUCH **** that went against us and we still were in a position to tie that game with 3 minutes left.

Handled correctly that will give this team the confidence that no matter what they can overcome anything.

It's gonna be weird if we are 12-4 and no bye but who cares. We'll face either the Steelers or the Bengals and wipe the floor with them. Then we'll go to Denver and go back to our old hobby of sending Peyton Manning home. Then we'll play Houston and show them last time wasn't a fluke and then we'll play SF and show them what happens when they don't get every ball to bounce their way.

And we'll be hoisting the goddamn Lombardi at the end of it all. And screw anyone who thinks otherwise I will fist fight you outside of a Denny's.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

No, of course not.

Was there a lot to "build on" in the game, as some have suggested? Sure, you get pasted for 30+ minutes and turn the ball over four times, you either "build" on it or you die. As I said in my post at the top of the post game thread, I was proud of the heart that the team displayed in the second half.

But am I "more optimistic?" No. Not when we have four turnovers in weather that should have favored us.

How can one be optimistic when the team comes out and sleep walks through the first 20 minutes and would have been behind by three or four touchdowns at the half were it not for a turnover and Kaepernick's inability to hit a couple of open receivers?

Anyone who has read my posts out here for the last month knows that I have said consistently that the one thing I think we want to avoid is a trip to Denver, where the Pats have a bad December and January history, not to mention Peyton Manning on his home turf. So, a trip to New Orleans in February is still "doable," but a lot harder unless Cleveland or Kansas City grows a pair and knocks the Broncos off.

Meanwhile, let's just put this behind us and focus on JAX. That's all we can control.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I hope Belichick learned that a little more Woodhead is a good thing.

Nothing against Vereen and ridley ... but Woodhead is a veteran and a valuable one at that.

A few more carries and/or passes Woodhead's way would be nice and he picks up the blitz well.

 

[hambone1818]

But am I "more optimistic?" No. Not when we have four turnovers in weather that should have favored us.

I can appreciate your position, and have already said that 'optimistic' might have been the wrong word--rather, I was encouraged by the way they battled back and absolutely dominated most of that second half.

However, you can say we had four turnovers but one was a bobbled ball that fell in the wrong hands. And we lost both our fumbles. San Fran had SIX fumbles and lost just one...they even had the good fortune to have a fumble lead to a TD. It's been well documented that fumbles recoveries are arbitrary, once the ball's on the ground it's a 50/50 proposition on average...for one team to recover two of two and the other to recover just one of six, I mean that's just crap luck. I'm not excusing the team, but one or two little bounces in another direction and we could be talking about a 10-3 Pats team.

 

[Kontradiction]

I called up my best football buddy this morning and said I'm now convinced we're going to win the Super Bowl.

Because I am.

We faced real adversity, overcame it and then faced more and fell short. But we can build on this game.

If our Special Teams doesn't get so many penalties or struggle in the return game.
If our fumbles didn't all go their way
If their fumbles didn't all go their way
If Gronk was healthy
If Dennard stayed health

There was SO MUCH **** that went against us and we still were in a position to tie that game with 3 minutes left.

Handled correctly that will give this team the confidence that no matter what they can overcome anything.

It's gonna be weird if we are 12-4 and no bye but who cares. We'll face either the Steelers or the Bengals and wipe the floor with them. Then we'll go to Denver and go back to our old hobby of sending Peyton Manning home. Then we'll play Houston and show them last time wasn't a fluke and then we'll play SF and show them what happens when they don't get every ball to bounce their way.

And we'll be hoisting the goddamn Lombardi at the end of it all. And screw anyone who thinks otherwise I will fist fight you outside of a Denny's.

Punch you in the MOUTH! - YouTube

**WARNING** NSFW

 

[PatsFanSince74]

...
If our Special Teams doesn't get so many penalties or struggle in the return game.
If our fumbles didn't all go their way
If their fumbles didn't all go their way
If Gronk was healthy
If Dennard stayed health

There was SO MUCH **** that went against us and we still were in a position to tie that game with 3 minutes left.

...
And we'll be hoisting the goddamn Lombardi at the end of it all. And screw anyone who thinks otherwise I will fist fight you outside of a Denny's.

From your lips to God's ears on your final point, but as for the cavalcade of "If's" and "woulda, shoulda coulda's" above it: "If you average out the weather there is no Winter in Boston."

let's just beat JAX. that's all that we can control and all that really matters.

 

[RobertWeathers]

They played the absolute worst 35 minutes of offensive football I have seen vs the best defense in the NFL and they almost won.

Their defense was awful for the 1st 35 minutes and almost won.

The lesson is that you need to play your best to beat the best.

Losing the #2 seed is tough, but it's MUCH more important to be mentally tough and peaking come playoff time.

On to JAX

 

[ivanvamp]

Kind of. Not happy about the defense making Kap look like Joe Montana.

I think a little reality check is in order. Kap played well, no doubt. But his numbers aren't as good as you would think:

14-25 (56.0%), 216 yds, 8.6 ypa, 4 td, 1 int

The four TDs obviously is a lot, and he made some very good throws. But he only completed 56% of his passes, which in today's NFL is pretty bad. He did have several long passes, which really hurt the Pats, but you and I appear to be able to throw deep on New England.

Kid is a good QB, but he didn't go nuts on the Pats.

 

[slash83]

Even though the team lost, which sucks, they showed the heart of a lion and champion last night and that puts a smile on my face.

This team is mentally and physically tough, I'm not worried bout them having to go on the road in the playoffs.

They seemed to play a lot of zone last night so they have eyes on CK case he took off running. Wish they would have played more man and left a spy on CK.

Lloyd and Hernandez have been incredible last couple of weeks, getting Gronk back is going to open up so much more for everyone else, one aspect missing without him are those big plays he makes running seam routes down the middle.

Living in Turlock CA and living literally down the street from Pitman High the loss to SF is super annoying, bunch of bandwagon fans here acting like their all best friends and knew CK.

 

[UK_Pat37]

I came out f that game optimistic because we lost that game. We weren't out smarted, we weren't out game planned. We turned the ball over, held on special teams, dropped an abnormal number of balls. All that can be fixed. We stink one game out a year and whilst we've had poor ones, we haven't out right stunk it up like last night. Yet we still came back and we had the momentum. One whiffed coverage doesn't happen and we likely carry that and finish off the greatest comeback ever.

If I'm a 49er, I go out of that thinking how on earth I blew that lead and how the hell was our number one defence completely owned for a huge chunk of that game. The only thing that stopped the Pats were just that..the Pats.

We'll fix it. We always do.

 

[stelfans]

At the end of the day the truth is, its their own fault they lost that game.
I dont know what was..the monday game, overcofidence, bad calls, bad luck whatever. They cant play like they did in the fisrt half because they are so much better.
Maybe it was a good thing they lost, maybe it was a good wake up call. actually the way they battled back was a good indication of that.

 

[mosi]

No, not at all. Again, when the chips are down, the defense can't take control. And when the Pats needed points after it was 38-31, they did not get it. So no, I don't have any more faith in this Pats team as I did in last years Pats team. Unless they are up by 41 with 2 minutes to play, I will always be a bit afraid that they will blow the lead.