Game Thoughts: I am absolutely disgusted by the Pats tonight edition

[JMC00]

This team is DONE if they play like last night.

No team in the NFL that gives up a blocked punt, a punt return and an INT for a TD will ever win a game. Yet somehow the Pats had the ball with the chance to tie it at the end with their top 3 receivers out.

 

[Rob0729]

And again I ask how do you know this is what he's doing? You just had a surgeon break down that injury and the risk of coming back before he's 100% healed. He was rushed back before and reinjured. Why would the team needlessly take that chance again?

Again being healed and being 100% are two different things. I am going by what Gronk said in his video. He should wait until he is healed and medically cleared to play. He shouldn't wait until he is 100% if he is healed. Again, two different things.

 

[Kontradiction]

Again being healed and being 100% are two different things. I am going by what Gronk said in his video. He should wait until he is healed and medically cleared to play. He shouldn't wait until he is 100% if he is healed. Again, two different things.

You're grasping at straws and making this a bigger deal than it is. He is clearly talking about being 100% healed... not 100% free of bumps and bruises. If it's the latter, the team should cut him immediately since he's not a team player and Belichick has shown zero tolerance for that in the past.

 

[libra957]

That pick six by Brady i think was the final nail in the coffin, once the play developed he had someone open. Really poor judgment by Tom .

 

[Rob0729]

You're grasping at straws and making this a bigger deal than it is. He is clearly talking about being 100% healed... not 100% free of bumps and bruises. If it's the latter, the team should cut him immediately since he's not a team player and Belichick has shown zero tolerance for that in the past.

I don't think I am grasping as straws at all. Being healed and not being 100% is not bumps and bruises. Edelman is likely not going to be 100% again this year and if he returns, he will be healed. He won't be at 80-90% because of bumps and bruises, but because even though the bone is healed, the ligaments, muscles, tendons, etc. around that bone have not returned to pre-injury form.

Gronk's bone will heal before he feels 100% and will have 100% mobility back. We all agree he should wait for the former, but it sounds like he is waiting for the latter.

 

[Kontradiction]

I don't think I am grasping as straws at all. Being healed and not being 100% is not bumps and bruises. Edelman is likely not going to be 100% again this year and if he returns, he will be healed. He won't be at 80-90% because of bumps and bruises, but because even though the bone is healed, the ligaments, muscles, tendons, etc. around that bone have not returned to pre-injury form.

Gronk's bone will heal before he feels 100% and will have 100% mobility back. We all agree he should wait for the former, but it sounds like he is waiting for the latter.

Sure you are. You don't know the extent of the injury at all. Given your lack of info on it, it seems better to simply take the guy at his word and assume he'll come back when the knee is at 100% and not before then. If what you're saying is the case, the team should cut him.

 

[Rob0729]

Sure you are. You don't know the extent of the injury at all. Given your lack of info on it, it seems better to simply take the guy at his word and assume he'll come back when the knee is at 100% and not before then. If what you're saying is the case, the team should cut him.

The thing is I am taking his word. He said he is not coming back until he is 100% (he said it 2-3 times). That doesn't mean when he is healed and able to play, but when he is back to what he was before the injury (at least to me).

Maybe the Pats and the Gronkowski family can issue another joint press release to clarify.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Here we go:

• I know this isn't a popular position, but I think Gronk needs to get over himself and realize he isn't above the team or that he deserves special treatment. The "I'll come back when I am 100%" crap isn't going to fly. He needs to be everyone else on the team and if you can play even if you are not 100%, you play. We have heard stories of Brady playing when he was hurt so bad that he needed to have help taking off his shoulder pads because he cannot lift his arm over his head, The Pats have zero margin for error after a loss today and they need to win all the rest of their games. If he is still not healthy enough to play, that is one thing. But it is a diva position to expect to sit out until you are 100%. I never liked how they babied him last year.

You have no idea what type of injuries Gronkowski already plays through, and I highly doubt he is at 100%, ever. It's been noted that his backs still bothers him frequently. I think Gronkowski has earned the benefit of the doubt with all the injuries he's had and playing through them often, while much less than 100%.

I suspect the problem is/was a lack of trust between Gronkowski and the team doctors. If you recall, he was given the green light to return in the 2012 playoffs and on the FIRST play, re-broke his forearm, which has never healed correctly, hence the cast that he wears every game.

I'm guessing his knee is really, really sore right now with a high degree of pain which may or may not impact his mobility. Reports are that his injury, while not a structural problem, is not one that just goes away in a few days.

Regardless, we don't know much about the status of most professional athletes, and if they're not playing, there's usually a reason why they're not playing. I don't think anyone can question Gronk's toughness with a straight face.

But most of all, no one questioned the decision before the game, and had we won, if would have been the smart thing to do, holding him out for rest/healing, against an inferior opponent. However, since we lost, let's just pile on Gronkowski and second guess the decision to keep him out...

I really like your posts in general but don't agree with you on this particular point.

 

[FCB02062]

The Pats haven't lost much in the last 13-14 years but in that time I'm hard pressed to find a game in which 1 player (non qb or defense) killed them as much as sproles yesterday... BB had no answer for him

 

[chasa]

the other thing about this game, I'm not even mad about the loss, the eagles won it, the patriots hurt themselves.

This isn't like last week where the patriots were screwed over. I'm okay with a loss like today, where the patriots just didn't bring it.

 

[tasmlab]

Anybody have fun with the last five minutes?

Even though every clown play before had given the Eagles a 21 point lead, the offense and the defense came close within one score four minutes later. There was no Brady miracle in the last minute, which unfortunately is what his legend is built upon.

 

[tasmlab]

The Pats haven't lost much in the last 13-14 years but in that time I'm hard pressed to find a game in which 1 player (non qb or defense) killed them as much as sproles yesterday... BB had no answer for him

I don't know what Sproles costs, but he would look great in Red White and Navy.

 

[FourierSeries]

Gronk's injury is bone bruise/knee sprain. A bone bruise is something that can take up to two months to recover from based on severity. I don't think Gronk's is severe enough for him to be out that long, but for those who think it's "just a bruise" and that he can easily play through this, you're wrong.

He'll be back when he's ready, which will most likely be week 17 or the playoffs. I have no problem with that. A healthy NE team can win it all without a first round bye.

 

[Brady6]

Gronk won't be back and it sucks. This team might as well be the 3rd seed. Can't go 4-0 without gronk

When you consider Edelman has not played in 3 1/2 games and he still leads the Patriots in catches I think his importance is as significant as Gronkowski's.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I don't know what Sproles costs, but he would look great in Red White and Navy.

you mean like this?

 

[TBR]

Someone put together GIFs of the Eagles false starts and 3rd & 11 was pretty obvious:

imgur.com/a/xbLZR

It would've been nice if they called some but I'm not sure it would've made a difference with all the other self induced errors.

 

[everlong]

Not sure if anybody pointed this out but not only was this one of the few times the Patriots have lost back to back in the BB/TB era but it's certainly the first time they've blown 14 point leads in back to back games. They probably haven't blown more than a few more of that much. 06 AFCCG notwithstanding.

There may be another game where the special teams imploded like this but I cannot recall it. 21 point scored off of a blocked punt, return for a TD and the failed onside pooch that led to points and switch momentum. Thrown in a 99 yard pick 6 for good measure and I felt like I was watching a Rod Rust led team.

The defense didn't play bad. Still I don't want to see an elusive back like Sproules in the playoffs.

Why Brady and LaFell are so out of sync on back shoulder throws is such a mystery. Even when they complete one it looks awkward.

The final drive all 4 passes were catchable and all dropped.

Against the Redskins I didn't love the timing of the onside kick and thought why with all the momentum. This one I was just shaking my head. Why oh why? The anti-situational football.

I don't care how good of care Brady takes of himself too much more of this and the Jimmy G era might start a lot sooner than we all thought. He is just getting hammered week after week.

The Patriots really need the bye and they really need to get JE and Gronk back.

Also at the end of the half either F'in go for the score or knell it down. Bad game management.

 

[PaulNEPats]

I don't know what Sproles costs, but he would look great in Red White and Navy.

He's getting up there in age at 32.

 

[The Brandon Five]

Someone put together GIFs of the Eagles false starts and 3rd & 11 was pretty obvious:

imgur.com/a/xbLZR

It would've been nice if they called some but I'm not sure it would've made a difference with all the other self induced errors.

They got away with it all night.

 

[juny]

They got away with it all night.

If the refs won't call it, then you don't stop taking advantage of it. Have to adjust to the refs and how tight/loose they are calling things