Game Thoughts: I am embarrased by this loss edition

[luuked]

Your definition of purposefully coaching conservative today is strange. Brady WAS injured playing your definition of what the coaches conservative gameplan is by Suh today. Actually conservative, as Rob indicates is sitting Brady for JG, or doing the same gameplan they ran the first couple series of run, run, run. It's not slow developing, 30 yard pass plays which were 40% of the plays in the second half.

It was as Rob says - some amalgamation of conservative and trying to win at the same time, which defies most logical analysis.

Except he was injured during exactly one of those rare throwing attempt that Rob and most of the the pitchfork wielding people were asking for while critizising the runs that kept him untouched.

That the OL would wiff so hard to leave Suh untouched and almost lose Brady for the season on a low risk play just proves how bad the OL situation really is.

Again, I understand the people who would have liked to see Jimmy play instead and would have been more than fine with that. At least then we could have stopped pretending that schematicaly and in terms of effort today was not more than a preseason game.

That being said I get why you keep Brady in the game to maybe benefit on some blown coverage or shortfield after a turnover (eg if Collins catches that batted ball).

 

[Rob0729]

Your definition of purposefully coaching conservative today is strange. Brady WAS injured playing your definition of what the coaches conservative gameplan is by Suh today. Actually conservative, as Rob indicates is sitting Brady for JG, or doing the same gameplan they ran the first couple series of run, run, run. It's not slow developing, 30 yard pass plays which were 40% of the plays in the second half.

It was as Rob says - some amalgamation of conservative and trying to win at the same time, which defies most logical analysis.

I agree. Garoppolo could have done everything Brady did in the first half. Brady threw five times in the first half. In fact, they might have actually performed better in the first half with Jimmy G because I don't think they would have been as conservative to protect their far more mobile back up than they did to protect Brady. If they decided to stick to the game plan they came in with (which they couldn't since the offense did little), there was no reason to play Brady at all today.

And as for the second half, they went from protecting Brady in the first half to leaving out there to be a tackling dummy by throwing down the field so much.

I just don't get what they were trying to do and whatever they were trying to do failed miserably. I still don't get why they don't try to do more of the short, uptempo offense that works so well with Edelman in there. They don't even try to see if it will work. That is why Brady was clean so much early in the season. He got rid of the ball under 2 seconds on a consistent basis. Now they have him hold onto the ball for 3-4 or more seconds more consistently.

 

[Jackson 2]

Bill Belichick is arguably my favorite sports figure of all time. With that said, I thought this was the most poorly-coached game I can recall seeing from him and his staff. However, I have no doubt that in our first playoff game we'll come out like gangbusters and perform well. But, this one was just about as strange as I can remember.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

My big problem is that I don't understand what they were trying to do.

I'm (mostly) ok with them deciding to rest the starters and I'm OK with them trying hard to win.

But I can't for the life of me understand the "we are not going to try to win but we'll expose the starters to injury anyway" stuff we saw today.

I could even see a "give it a decent shot and see if Miami folds early and if not, pull the starters at halftime" approach.

But the coaches seemed to do the worst of all possible worlds

Ya QM I largely agree. I think I would have preferred the first half's nearly all running to continue in the second half. See if we could wear them down, keep the ball, win a low scoring affair. But to do that then do what happened in the second half was perplexing to me, Thankfully I don't think anyone got injured to any big degree...

 

[Rob0729]

Brady is nothing without a solid OL....even healthy....these guys aren't getting it done....hopefully we do a better job in drafting/FA for OL next year

That isn't true. Do you think this o-line is much worse than it was early in the year? No. Brady just got rid of the ball really quickly. Now he holds onto the ball more to wait to get the receivers open.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

That isn't true. Do you think this o-line is much worse than it was early in the year? No. Brady just got rid of the ball really quickly. Now he holds onto the ball more to wait to get the receivers open.

c'mon Rob, the o-line is definitely worse without Solder at LT.

 

[stcjones]

just got home from that crap game.

I'm still waiting for us to try

The LACK OF effort fire, and LEADERSHIP (even from Brady).....was ALARMING and disheartening....(Did any of them get fcking pissed off at being embarrassed and b!tch slapped by a team like....Miami?!?

You can have injuries....but to totally GIVE UP MENTALLY and physically during one a PIVOTAL game.....is really sad and speaks volumes about the team and its coaches...Two words came to mind after watching today......FLAT.....and QUITTERS.....

 

[Jackson 2]

I think the offensive line is playing poorly and has now for several weeks.

 

[Rob0729]

c'mon Rob, the o-line is definitely worse without Solder at LT.

Yes, the loss of Solder has made it worse. But I think it has far more to do with the loss of Edelman. Since Edelman went down and Amendola got hobbled, they have abandoned the quick passing game. The o-line is almost irrelevant when Brady can get that going.

 

[luuked]

Well, if you are going to throw out highly unlikely scenarios to counter a very likely scenario I pointed out, then more power to you.

How is any of my scenario unlikely when muffing a punt/kickoff happened multiple games in a row, Gronk almost got his season ended on exactly one of those seam patterns just a few weeks ago and Brady almost got IR'd once against the Jets and once again today.

All of my scenarios are things that actually happened or were very close to happen. Whereas your's really was a long shot given how our offense was unable to move the ball against the Jets in three downs.

Maybe my answer was too subtle..

 

[RobertWeathers]

Bill Belichick is arguably my favorite sports figure of all time. With that said, I thought this was the most poorly-coached game I can recall seeing from him and his staff. However, I have no doubt that in our first playoff game we'll come out like gangbusters and perform well. But, this one was just about as strange as I can remember.

I really think that they are scared to death of the lines ability to pass block.

They are praying to Christ that JE can come back and give TB that quick option.

What drives me nuts is that they seem to barely use White. He's really come on it seems they resist overusing him..

 

[Danger Zone]

Brady is nothing without a solid OL....even healthy....these guys aren't getting it done....hopefully we do a better job in drafting/FA for OL next year

Don't agree.

Brady is as good as it gets even behind a bad OL (in his own way) but he needs his short yardage guys to be healthy to get it done.

 

[Rob0729]

How is any of my scenario unlikely when muffing a punt/kickoff happened multiple games in a row, Gronk almost got his season ended on exactly one of those seam patterns just a few weeks ago and Brady almost got IR'd once against the Jets and once again today.

All of my scenarios are things that actually happened or were very close to happen. Whereas your's really was a long shot given how our offense was unable to move the ball against the Jets in three downs.

Maybe my answer was too subtle..

Then the Pats should have forfeited the last two games rather than risk players getting injured.

Belichick did not try to score at the end of the first half last week because he feared injuries. Brady, Gronk, or whoever are just as likely to get injured on any random play in the third quarter as they might on a two minute drill at the end of the half. If you are not going for a two minute drill in a close game because you fear injuries to your key players, you don't play your key players at all.

He did it because he feared his offense would go three and out without taking much time off the clock and give the ball back to the Jets to allow them to score before the half. He was playing scared. Plain and simple. It was anti-Belichickian.

And BTW, it is unlikely scenarios that any of those things you suggest would happen in going for it on a two minute drill vs. not going for it. Not that they could happen in a course of a game.

 

[Rhodey]

• This was a pathetic effort by everyone. No one is excused from this loss. The Pats were out coached, out played, and out classed today.
• I am not one to jump on McDaniels (in fact I defend him more than most), but I don't get his offensive strategy this entire month. Either they go with the three and out overly conservative offense or the three and out huck the ball down the field offense. What happened to spreading them out and go to the short quick passes. And before people say it isn't working, it is because they aren't trying it.
• I hate that Belichick is coaching scared down the stretch. He might as well were a cut off hoodie that reads "My offense sucks and I don't trust them". I know that the offense is struggling quite a bit, but he is shattering their confidence consistently showing that he doesn't trust them at all.
• That said, this offensive line is awful right now. There is a serious lack of communication, but the play is awful.
• I still don't get why they don't get White more involved in the offense. It seems they wait until the Pats are in a hole and need to dig themselves out of it before they even put the guy on the field. When he gets the ball in his hands, he makes plays.
• They need to move Gronk around more in motion. He is getting too much attention and could benefit from more motion. I know that he has had to stay in and block has been a big factor in that.'
• With the strategy they came into the game, they should have sat Brady and others. They were never going to win with the strategy of trying to win 2-0 because they had no intention of scoring points on offense going into the game. I have no problem with the loss, but I have a problem with how they lost.
• I am concerned about Brady's ankle. He was never right after that injury. If it is a lingering injury, it could cost the Pats their playoff chances.
• Hightower really needs to get better. I swear he is the true MVP of the defense. When he isn't in there, the defense is not nearly as good.
• All that said, a new season starts next week. The Pats can turn it all around with a bit of health in two weeks. Get an Edelman back at anywhere over 80% and a return of Vollmer and Amendola more healthy and this offense can flip a switch and be dominant again. Same on the defensive side with the return of Hightower and Jones.
• After how we see things shake out today, the #2 seed may not be so bad. I expect both Wild Card teams winning next week. That means that KC would come to New England and Pittsburgh traveling to Denver. That may mean the Pats will be hosting the AFC Championship game anyway.

It's a good thing they don't have to play Miami in FL for their next game.

 

[sevengables_2207]

The offensive line has suffered from a combination of injuries the starting tackles and the inexperience of the interior linemen, who have seemingly hit the rookie wall (like the entire team, the early bye week has done the unit no favors) and/or are now being exposed now that there is sufficient professional tape of their play.

The challenge for the team will be on fielding a combination that will give Brady enough time to hit open receivers on tempo, something that has become progressively difficult since Edelman and Amendola were injured.

 

[luuked]

I agree. Garoppolo could have done everything Brady did in the first half. Brady threw five times in the first half. In fact, they might have actually performed better in the first half with Jimmy G because I don't think they would have been as conservative to protect their far more mobile back up than they did to protect Brady. If they decided to stick to the game plan they came in with (which they couldn't since the offense did little), there was no reason to play Brady at all today.

And as for the second half, they went from protecting Brady in the first half to leaving out there to be a tackling dummy by throwing down the field so much.

I just don't get what they were trying to do and whatever they were trying to do failed miserably. I still don't get why they don't try to do more of the short, uptempo offense that works so well with Edelman in there. They don't even try to see if it will work. That is why Brady was clean so much early in the season. He got rid of the ball under 2 seconds on a consistent basis. Now they have him hold onto the ball for 3-4 or more seconds more consistently.

With hindsight its easy to argue that Jimmy could have done everything Brady did. But you are trivializing the game as if we had a gamescript and knew ahead what would happen.

Again, all it takes are blown coverages or turnovers and suddenly it becomes a bit more questionable if Jimmy can deliver the same way that Brady could if a situation would present itself.

 

[Marqui]

So is Logan Ryan still good?

 

[luuked]

Then the Pats should have forfeited the last two games rather than risk players getting injured.

Belichick did not try to score at the end of the first half last week because he feared injuries. Brady, Gronk, or whoever are just as likely to get injured on any random play in the third quarter as they might on a two minute drill at the end of the half. If you are not going for a two minute drill in a close game because you fear injuries to your key players, you don't play your key players at all.

He did it because he feared his offense would go three and out without taking much time off the clock and give the ball back to the Jets to allow them to score before the half. He was playing scared. Plain and simple. It was anti-Belichickian.

It's like you have no idea who Belichick is.

If he decided to run down the time because he determined that given everything it wss more likely that the Jets get another shot at a FG then thats not scared but clever and the most Belichick-esque thing ever.

If you play poker and determine that the percentages are not in your favor you fold to live another day.

It takes a special talent to twist this into something negative.

 

[Rob0729]

With hindsight its easy to argue that Jimmy could have done everything Brady did. But you are trivializing the game as if we had a gamescript and knew ahead what would happen.

Again, all it takes are blown coverages or turnovers and suddenly it becomes a bit more questionable if Jimmy can deliver the same way that Brady could if a situation would present itself.

Brady passed 5 times in the first half. He didn't throw a real pass in the first two drives (he pitched the ball to Bolden on play that counted as a pass because it was in a forward direction). His first real pass was the third play of the third drive which was a screen pass to Stephen Jackson. That was all by plan.

Again, Brady passed 5 times in the first half. That was the game plan to keep it on the ground. Any QB could have run that offense. If they needed to go to an aerial attack there was no law that if Brady was the back up in this game that he couldn't have replaced Garoppolo.

 

[jumbo77]

The bad thing is instead of the O resting and getting their timing down for 2 weeks Brady has to nurse his ankle. Nothing going right for the Pats this year.