Game Thoughts - Bills Edition

[ATippett56]

I have to think that the success of our running game was more attributable to their overrated D-line's utter ineffectiveness vs. the run, than to any herculean effort by our beaten up O-line, or to the fact that Bolden all the sudden became the second coming of Barry Sanders.

Brandon Bolden runs more like Eddie George than Barry Sanders.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I would like to see the transition from safety Steven Gregory to safety Tavon Wilson in the last eight games, if not sooner.

I think (and hope!) that it comes alot sooner

 

[sly24]

My first thought is:

After all that hype about the Bills during the offseason, they're the same old bills..

Very please with the O-line play especially Thomas. I thought he struggled in preseason but he looked good today.

McCourty haters, run and hide.

 

[Alfred]

On the defensive stat sheets (nfl.com) it credits Stevan Ridley with a tackle. Anyone know where that came from?

 

[patsfan-1982]

I know this is supposed to be a "positive" thread and all, and I will say that that was probably the best second half performance I've seen from the Patriots, ever.

But I don't think you can ignore what may be the second biggest story of this game, and that's how absolutely horrendous Ryan Fitzpatrick was in this game (and is as a QB).

Also,the Bills' vaunted D-line isn't nearly what it has been cracked up to be. I have to think that the success of our running game was more attributable to their overrated D-line's utter ineffectiveness vs. the run, than to any herculean effort by our beaten up O-line, or to the fact that Bolden all the sudden became the second coming of Barry Sanders.

it was not perfact but it was a win that the pats need it bad and they sucked it up in the second half and got the the win thats the positive... i will agree about the running game they are not going to do that ever week but the fact that we have been watching Tom Brady one of if not the best QB to ever play the game for 13 years makes us forget what a pretty good QB like Ryan Fitzpatrick who leads the NFL in TD passes looks like

 

[sly24]

On the defensive stat sheets (nfl.com) it credits Stevan Ridley with a tackle. Anyone know where that came from?

Maybe a tackle on either of Gronk's or Welker's fumbles that were recovered by the bills? Or perhaps he played special teams for a play or two.

 

[Joker]

The Pats won...going away...just as I predicted in the game thread...BECAUSE....they ran hard at the gaps and stayed away from the idiotic delayed draws...Brady threw to the middle and the seams and not one pass to the far sideline behind the LOS...the Nancy Is Scared Offense took a powder and the Patriots muskets went through 52 kegs of gunpowder....

 

[ATippett56]

The Pats won...going away...just as I predicted in the game thread...BECAUSE....they ran hard at the gaps and stayed away from the idiotic delayed draws...Brady threw to the middle and the seams and not one pass to the far sideline behind the LOS...the Nancy Is Scared Offense took a powder and the Patriots muskets went through 52 kegs of gunpowder....

You posted on the game thread. Lord have mercy!

 

[ctpatsfan77]

It was a huge hit, no one can deny that...
but Golden Tate got fined for that a few weeks ago when he lit up Sean Lee. I just hope he doesn't get hit with the 21k fee.
BTW, does anyone know why it's 21K? Seems a bit arbitrary to me.

In the first year of the CBA, it was $20K. It goes up proportionally each year (I forget if it's a fixed amount or in proportion to the salary cap or something). In any case, the increase this year was 5%; 5% of $20,000 = $1,000, so a $20K fine in 2011 becomes a $21K fine in 2012 (similarly, a $5K fine becomes a $5,250 fine).

 

[BradyBranch39]

glad I'm not the only one who noticed how terrible Gregory was.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

My first thought is:

After all that hype about the Bills during the offseason, they're the same old bills..

Very please with the O-line play especially Thomas. I thought he struggled in preseason but he looked good today.

McCourty haters, run and hide.

History certainly lends credence to your belief. Yet it is too early in the season to make that determination with enough certainty. It could be that the Bills are one of the more capable teams -- relatively speaking -- and the Patriots offense/defense simply made the right half time adjustments, that the Patriots are simply one of the elite teams of the AFC.

Given another 5 or 6 games the answer to that uncertainty will be answered. I will say, limiting the question to the AFC East, it's not far fetched to believe the Bills are second best (which, admittedly, may not be the case and may not be saying much to begin with).

 

[Joker]

I think teams that choose to blitz Fitzpatrick and hit him in the pocket, they can take him out of his game. I don't think I saw a Pats blitz all day although there must have been some. The Pats just stomped out the Buffalo D....lots of ways to skin a cat but I think Buffalo is close to becoming Peking Duck at Mings Meow Pagoda....

 

[woolster22]

Secondary looked awful. Gregory, Chung, McCourty should have been torched repeatedly, luckily fitz sucks. McCourty should have been beaten for six on both pics. Chung...Bleh. Gregory, wtf. Lucky day for the secondary, they should expect a long week of ass chewing.

 

[Patriot Missile]

glad I'm not the only one who noticed how terrible Gregory was.

Chung needs to work on his game too. Hope he's not looking for top dollar in free agency.

 

[PatsBoy12]

A good pace to the game too.

This made a bigger impression on me than the lack of overall penalties called. I remember thinking to myself at one point how there seemed to be a steady, smooth pace to the game rather than the very "jerky" feeling of the previous games. It was also nice to see just better overall officiating. I actually even laughed a bit when they spotted the ball incorrectly and we were all in an uproar. It was a bad call that happened a ways into the game, but it was also only a little blemish on an otherwise well officiated game. Bad calls will happen regardless. It's good to have the big boy zebras back, though.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Secondary looked awful. Gregory, Chung, McCourty should have been torched repeatedly, luckily fitz sucks. McCourty should have been beaten for six on both pics. Chung...Bleh. Gregory, wtf. Lucky day for the secondary, they should expect a long week of ass chewing.

Another Patriot victory reliant on the other team sucking. It's just a matter of time before the competition figures this out and simply stop sucking.

 

[Joker]

I watched all day and night...yeah, saw bad calls here and there...regular ol' NFL football games....the three weeks previous were an abomination...I think anyone who paid anything to watch that dreck should be reimbursed.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Secondary looked awful. Gregory, Chung, McCourty should have been torched repeatedly, luckily fitz sucks. McCourty should have been beaten for six on both pics. Chung...Bleh. Gregory, wtf. Lucky day for the secondary, they should expect a long week of ass chewing.

McCourty owned today. Not sure what you were watching. Now the safeties were a different matter entirely. I'm cutting the d some slack though. Killed the number 1 run, picked 4 passes, 2 fumble recoveries despite 2 missed fgs and 2 turnovers putting them on a short field.

 

[Guts]

52 points on the road against a 2-1 divisional opponent, without Mankins and arguably our x factor in offense which is Hernandez? I'll take it. Can't wait to see how the offense will look like when Hernandez returns

 

[BradyManny]

It may be time to give Wilson playing time over Gregory. Gregory has played like crap for two games straight. Unfortunately, Chung wasn't much better.

Hate to harp on one of the few negatives of the game - but outside of Wilson yesterday, safety play has been awful the last two weeks. Disappointing. I really thought we had it shored up with Gregory and a healthy Chung, but Chung has not picked up where he left off last year.