BB prepping for the real season?

[speed]

This is pure conjecture on my part and I've seen it said on here in a less purer form, but I think these last two close games are because BB is trying to get his team ready for the Playoffs when nothing is as easy as it was for them the first 9 or so games. I'm excluding the Colts game, because honestly, I probably can't speak to it unbiasedly and it would come off trolling.

I think you can start with the Eagles game. They threw the ball all but one time in the first half against a defense that was expecting the pass. What better way to sharpen your passing attack than beat a defense designed to stop exactly what you're doing. It's like running against your own defense in practice, that already knows what offensive play your calling, but at full speed. It's saying to the offense you are great, but can you STILL execute in an environment that is designed to stop exactly what you are trying to do.

The Ravens game, same thing, they were chest thumping and going after Brady and the game plan didn't waiver, they still went right into the teeth of the defense. This clicked for me when Dungy said you do what you do best. Well BB, imho, is intentionally not adjusting much, to allow his team to face adversity or to be able to execute against the odds. At least in the first half of these games, imo.

Now, they would never, not try to win, thats ridiculous. However I believe he would try to get them ready. Is he trying to keep it close, nope, if they can beat the other teams best with his best, thats what you get in the playoffs.

I'll add I may be reading way too much into it, but I just think BB who is the master game planner would continue to pass against the nickle or not have more blitz/hot reads against a Ravens team. He wants them to be able to perform even when the Defense knows what the play is, that is truely disheartening for an opponent and the ultimate swagger for your team.

So I guess if this is true then, you'll see very little of Welker in the first half against Pitt and a bunch of Kyle Brady/Ben Watson double tightend sets. And you may see a little smash mouth, maybe even some goal line Jumbo formations. LM isn't that kind of back or hasn't played like it, imho, so who knows. All I'm saying is that it wouldn't suprise me to see, Heath (the big white guy, I'm can't remember his name exactly) lined up in the backfield as a blocking back or maybe the actual ball carrier and BB try to North and South right into the teeth of Pitts run Defense. We'll see.

However, I could see BB doing this for his team to show them what they are capable of, not against Pitt, but against whoever they'll play in January. I would assume the closer they get to a perfect season, the less BB will care about perfection and care more about a 4th superbowl.

Just my opinion, Moss could have 3 touchdowns in the 1st quarter and I'll readily admit this is all bunk!

 

[ALP]

u know wut, if the pats do wut u say, then ill believe wut u say, to an extent...

 

[NYCPatsFan]

Yeah...right after the Eagles game, many of us felt that BB might be purposefully testing the various manners in which our vaunted offense can be pressurized and evaluate the various schemes that the defenses might throw.

The only wrinkle I find in that theory is that we are allowing Brady to be exposed to more hits/sacks. That is a far greater risk than any rewards that we can get in the process of testing the opponents.

But then, who among us knows what BB is planning??

However it is nice to come up with theories based on what we see on the TV. We may be right, or not. Let's see.

I am so pumped up for the Steelers game.

PS: I actually replayed the Ravens game last night and saw something that was irritating: during the field-goal drive (before the last touchdown), Brady passed on 3rd and long to Kyle Brady, whose face mask was pulled as he was going down trying to catch the ball. But, to be fair, things are happening at a great speed and I wasn't sure about the face mask pull until I rewound and watched on slow motion. But again, wouldn't the ref's on the field watching the live ball and the players around it catch it? Just one more example of how mistakes/errors can come up and that we should put up a couple of extra TDs to allow for these...

Hope we are screaming at the league that we are not getting many of the rightly deserved calls that is costing us severally and risking injury.

 

[Buchanty]

I dont think your theory is that bad, as the thought is consistent with how BB plans. I do think he is limiting the play options though, and that supports your theory. I have hardly seen any trick plays or exotic formations on offense or defense this season (only one but I have missed a few quarters here and there). Other than the Colts game I havent seen BB try to confuse the opposing QB and in the last 2 games it has almost been vanilla. This suggests to me that he is leaving something in the cupboard for the playoffs.

This might change with the Steelers, probably more on the D side because Ben doesnt pick up defenses as quickly as Brady and Manning. I do expect the hurry up O to be used more than once in the game, but I hope they use the flare and screen more, but we will see on Sunday.

What I like about your theory is that no sword is really sharp until it has been tempered, and I think BB likes to have close games to do that in December so that the team is ready for the playoffs. I do worry about injury as NYCPatsFan pointed out. At the moment 3 or 4 sacks a game during the tempering process isnt too bad. If it gets to be more than that then I think the changes would be made.

This really is the last game to test the Pats, so we will know by Sunday night whether your theory still holds. I dont think BB cares too much about perfection, but he will care enough to try to win the 16th game. This weekend's game however will tell him all he needs to know about preparing for the playoffs.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

The problem in the Eagles game was that our defense couldn't get off the field and it carried over to the offense.

In seven Eagles possessions, we allowed 4 TD drives of more than 70 yards. (Ok, one was 68 yards.) At the end of the game, the Eagles were chewing up yards toward what appeared to be another good chance at a 5th, until their quarterback threw a horrible pass that was alot more about his making a mistake than our defense being good.

There is no way Belichick was trying to orchestrate a defensive collapse like that or experiment to the point of getting a loss.

 

[Tunescribe]

I really question whether BB would put victory at risk for the sake of playoff preparation at this point of the season without a first-round bye locked up. We could've been beaten by Philly and used our get-out-of-jail-free card against Baltimore. Despite our earlier dominance, we're currently just a few points away from being 10-2, so I doubt BB is thinking that far down the road quite yet.

 

[D-cleater]

uhh, no. Cute idea, but the Patriots, like all other teams in any sport, game plan to win. The passing game gives them the best chance to win , and that is why they've stuck with it. The offensive game plan is also designed in part by Brady, so the majority of plays are going to going to be what he is most comfortable with.

I think that inneffective "hand off to Maroney from the offset draw" play is being run to death because thats where Brady feels comfortable having Maroney. I personally would like to see more sweeps, outside runs, and screens involving Maroney and the receivers. I think these type of plays lend themselves to the athleticism of the O line and get our skill players out in space where they can make plays. I can't stand that slow-as-molasses offset draw play to Maroney. But I'm just a fan so what do I know other than "the big white guy's" name, and how to spell "what" and "you".