Final thoughts .....

[coolguy]

Either i'm drunk or this post makes no sense.

Most teams game plan is to hold the patriots under 30 points.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

He is an invisible bum that has no impact on the game. Just a body on the field taking space. Every breath he takes is a waste of oxygen.

I said that about Chad Johnson in every game last year....

At least Branch hits the bottom of the stats board every now and then

 

[The Gr8est]

I cursed Branch with my optimistic view on his chances this season and i have deemed it time for his curse to be lifted.

He is an invisible bum that has no impact on the game. Just a body on the field taking space. Every breath he takes is a waste of oxygen.


There...10 receptions 89 yards,1 TD.

Nooo...i've done it again.

Maybe this should be billed as the last game for either Ray Lewis OR Deion Branch.

Lewis has already announced his retirement and I don't expect to see Branch back next year, either with the Pats or another team.

Let's send Deion off in style!

 

[coolguy]

Maybe this should be billed as the last game for either Ray Lewis OR Deion Branch.

Lewis has already announced his retirement and I don't expect to see Branch back next year, either with the Pats or another team.

Let's send Deion off in style!

Deion went off in style when he signed that big contract in Seattle.

 

[DaBruinz]

The one match-up that we will all need to be watching is Ray Lewis vs. Ryan Wendell and Woodhead/Vereen. When the Pats got knocked out in 2009, Ray Lewis dominated Koppen and Maroney with the delayed blitz and the stunt. We have to hope that Wendell and Woodhead/Vereen are alert for that since I have no doubt that they will use it again because it's been so effective against the Pats O-line in the past.

 

[DaBruinz]

Disclaimer: Baring catastrophic injuries, inexplicably bad calls, and massive turnovers, the more I think on it, the more I see this game ending up with a double digit lead. I know that the Ravens are a team to be respected. I know that they are coming off a 2 game roll. I know that they create some match up problems for us on defense. But briefly (for me) these are some thoughts that have occurred to me this day before the big game.


4. I won't be watching any of the pre-game nonsense. I assume they all are going to be either anointings of Colin Kaepernick and the Niners as the best QB and best team of all time, and homages to Ray Lewis and the determination of the Baltimore Ravens. I don't need to deal with that crap. I'd only end up being annoyed

5. Speaking of the Niners (our likely superbowl opponent) has there been an NFL team in the last 10 years that seems to have FEWER injuries than the Niners this season?. They played 10 of their defensive starter over 95% of their snaps and NO ONE has gotten hurt, until JSmith tweeked his arm. Plus I don't recall any big offensive injuries, except the concussion to Alex Smith that allowed Harbaugh to make the switch to Kaepernick. Even their injuries end up as pluses.

What makes this more interesting is that when, after losing just one guy (JSmith) for a couple of games really affected the SF defense. It make me wonder that if the pendulum starts to swing against them, injury wise, are they deep enough to overcome it?

The biggest offensive injury for the 49ers has been the loss of Mario Manningham. A guy they expected to be their #2 opposite Crabtree and ahead of Randy Moss. That being said, Having Moss, Ginn and Delanie Walker behind Manningham has allowed them to not skip a beat.

 

[coolguy]

The one match-up that we will all need to be watching is Ray Lewis vs. Ryan Wendell and Woodhead/Vereen. When the Pats got knocked out in 2009, Ray Lewis dominated Koppen and Maroney with the delayed blitz and the stunt. We have to hope that Wendell and Woodhead/Vereen are alert for that since I have no doubt that they will use it again because it's been so effective against the Pats O-line in the past.

Ray lewis is too slow for that to work before brady gets the ball off.

 

[shmessy]

Your quibbling about 2 possessions????? In a 6 quarter game??? To hold Manning to 21 points in 6 quarters is a massive accomplishment

Pre-neck surgery/ climate controlled dome/ no glove/ perfect hand nerves Manning?

Or the 37 year old guy with much diminished arm strength and less grip on the ball with his gloves who was shivering in the 1 degree cold for 4 hours last Saturday?

And BTW, Borg, what is Manning's record in playoff games under 40 degrees (including even when he was young and strong)????

Answer: 0-4

So color me not impressed, Borg.

 

[SVN]

The one match-up that we will all need to be watching is Ray Lewis vs. Ryan Wendell and Woodhead/Vereen. When the Pats got knocked out in 2009, Ray Lewis dominated Koppen and Maroney with the delayed blitz and the stunt. We have to hope that Wendell and Woodhead/Vereen are alert for that since I have no doubt that they will use it again because it's been so effective against the Pats O-line in the past.

Wendell is probably going to deal with ngata. Much bigger challenge. If 2009 happens again, it will because we played really bad. 2009 we werent a good team-just got there in the playoffs because we are the pats.

 

[SVN]

Vereen is on a team that's stacked with running backs. Any other team or any other patriot season vereen would have been a starter.

Vereen is a way better offensive weapon than woodhead.

So why he is not playing ahead of woodhead ? BB and JMcD are crazy ?

 

[SVN]

Have you watch seen in college?

Vereen catching ability, running style and 4.5 speed is a mismatch for all teams.

Havent seen much of him college but I have seen enough gronk in NFL to stand by opinion. Gronk >>>>> Vereen. Its not even close. Ask brady or any pats player/coach today if would want a healthy gronk vs vereen, you will get the answer.

 

[The Gr8est]

So why he is not playing ahead of woodhead ? BB and JMcD are crazy ?

Because Woodhead is really good, a better blocker and very sure handed?



It isn't that Vereen is bad, it's just that Woodhead is good.

This is one of those nice problems to have. I think Brandon Bolden has been very good too but he doesn't get many reps. It's nice to have such a gr8 RB corps where we can keep down the wear-and-tear on all of them. Woodhead was in risk of being worn out his first year in New England.

 

[patfanken]

I love your optimism Ken, but I really doubt the Patriots will get a double-digit lead tomorrow. Of all the teams in the league, it seems that the Ravens play the Pats the toughest. Every time they meet it's a nailbiter (except when the Ravens curbstomped us in 2009).

Can't underestimate the Ravens. I think this one will be close all the way til the end. Just hope the Pats catch enough breaks to win it.

There is a simple explanation Chris on why the Ravens have been able to do so well against the Pats from 2009-2011, even winning some of those games. Up to this year the Ravens were a better team than they are now, and the Pats weren't as good as they are now. I don't understand what the problem here is.

If the Pats were playing the 2009 Ravens or even the 2011 Ravens, I assume a closer game, but the Ravens are a flawed and limited team (relative to the Pats), and the Pats won't be playing them with a defensive backfield that included Sterling Moore, Julian Edelman, and James Ihedigbu Though we all praised those guys efforts, the talent in our back 5 is much better than what the Ravens faced in last year's AFCCG.

And before the Raven's fans go nuts. This is no disrespect to your team and its accomplishments. I admire the Ravens. They didn't succumb to the injuries they had and overcame them. They've met adversity and beat it. They are certainly capable of winning this game IF the Pats don't play well. BUT, if the Pats do play well, the Pats are going to pull away late, in what should be a hard fought game for 3 quarters. JMHO

 

[ausbacker]

I disagree with this. Shane vereen when used properly, creates more of a match up problem than gronk.

Shane vereen forces the defense to respect his catching/running/and his down field running.

There's three skill players in the NFL who cannot be entirely defended;

Calvin Johnson
Rob Gronkowski
Adrian Peterson

I'm encouraged by Shane Vereen and believe he has a bright future but let's pump the brakes on this one until he performs on a weekly basis.

 

[DaBruinz]

Ray lewis is too slow for that to work before brady gets the ball off.

He wasn't too slow for that to work last year earlier in the year..

 

[coolguy]

There's three skill players in the NFL who cannot be entirely defended;

Calvin Johnson
Rob Gronkowski
Adrian Peterson

I'm encouraged by Shane Vereen and believe he has a bright future but let's pump the brakes on this one until he performs on a weekly basis.

I freaking LOVE Gronk, but he's not as unstoppable as the other 2.

Gronk has had some big drops and can neutralized when aaron doesn't play. Vereen could be every bit as good as ray rice if given the chance.



Inside the 20 gronk is the best, but you need 80 yards to get there.

 

[coolguy]

He wasn't too slow for that to work last year earlier in the year..

That was before the injury.

 

[SVN]

There is a simple explanation Chris on why the Ravens have been able to do so well against the Pats from 2009-2011, even winning some of those games. Up to this year the Ravens were a better team than they are now, and the Pats weren't as good as they are now. I don't understand what the problem here is.

If the Pats were playing the 2009 Ravens or even the 2011 Ravens, I assume a closer game, but the Ravens are a flawed and limited team (relative to the Pats), and the Pats won't be playing them with a defensive backfield that included Sterling Moore, Julian Edelman, and James Ihedigbu Though we all praised those guys efforts, the talent in our back 5 is much better than what the Ravens faced in last year's AFCCG.

And before the Raven's fans go nuts. This is no disrespect to your team and its accomplishments. I admire the Ravens. They didn't succumb to the injuries they had and overcame them. They've met adversity and beat it. They are certainly capable of winning this game IF the Pats don't play well. BUT, if the Pats do play well, the Pats are going to pull away late, in what should be a hard fought game for 3 quarters. JMHO

I hope you are right but this is like a division game so skill set etc goes out of the window. Our team has shown tendencies-few but have shown tendencies to be inconsistent . Not to mention our fast starts have somewhat been reduced -takes a few drives for us to get us going. Playing at home is huge and hopefully the crowd is loud tomorrow but they dont inspire same supreme confidence at least like our 2003/2004 teams did in the playoffs .Maybe its because the pressure was less than it is now who knows.

 

[ausbacker]

I freaking LOVE Gronk, but he's not as unstoppable as the other 2.

Gronk has had some big drops and can neutralized when aaron doesn't play. Vereen could be every bit as good as ray rice if given the chance.



Inside the 20 gronk is the best, but you need 80 yards to get there.

You realise the start of Gronk's career has been more productive than Megatron's don't you? Right now, you're inventing things of your own doing to support your poor initial position.

 

[coolguy]

I hope you are right but this is like a division game so skill set etc goes out of the window. Our team has shown tendencies-few but have shown tendencies to be inconsistent . Not to mention our fast starts have somewhat been reduced -takes a few drives for us to get us going. Playing at home is huge and hopefully the crowd is loud tomorrow but they dont inspire same supreme confidence at least like our 2003/2004 teams did in the playoffs .Maybe its because the pressure was less than it is now who knows.

The crowd hasn't been the same since the beer ban. Gronk was being taking out of the game when Aaron Hernandez got hurt. Calvin is a home run hitter, while gronk hits doubles.

I don't like comparing calving with gronk.