Game Thoughts: The Pats beat the Broncos like a rented mule edition

[Rob0729]

What I'm really tired of is that every time we beat a team, all of a sudden that team sucks. Such as saying that the Broncos are now overrated??? Even some of the best on this board can't stand the thought that we just kicked the living crap out of a very good team. Denver's overrated? No, they're not. They're very good and were beaten by a team that's better.

I cannot speak for anyone else, but you go back and look at my posts last week and the week before and the week before that. I have been saying the Broncos are overrated for a while now. They are a top team, but they are not heads and shoulders above anyone else as they are portrayed. They are one of about 3-4 teams that are the best in the league but they are in that pack, not sitting at #1 alone.

 

[Rob0729]

The Broncos are not "vastly overrated." They're damn good. That type of nonsense is an attempt to cheapen our win.

They are vastly overrated. They are a top 3 team. They have been portrayed as this dominant force where they sit alone at #1 and the #2 team isn't even close. They are a top 3 team, but not head and shoulders better than anyone else.

Also, I don't think they are a good road team and their defense doesn't seem to play well from behind. You get a lead on them and their defense isn't nearly as good. They are 1-2 on the road and they would be 0-3 if the Jets had an average offense.

BTW, I think this is an incredible win and I think today proves the Pats are currently the best team in football and this game validates it. It doesn't change that I feel the Broncos are way overrated.

 

[mayoclinic]

Nice OP, Rob. A couple of thoughts:

1. I had a feeling this could possibly happen. I applaud your 20+ point win prediction. The game that this reminded me of coming in was the 2012 Houston game when the Texans were 10-1 and lauded as the best team in the AFC. The Pats got up early and destroyed them 42-14 in a very similar kind of performance.

2. The OL has really come together quickly, hasn't it? Not so long ago that people were calling for Dave DeGuglielmo's head. Big difference from a year ago, when they got pushed around and clearly lost the LOS battles.

3. The run defense tightened up considerably in this game. 43 yards rushing on 17 carries and 2.5 YPC.

4. Really good situational and complementary football in this game. Some key plays on STs, good job taking advantage of turnovers and converting them, and excellent job getting the Broncos off the field when it counted. 3/11 on 3rd down and 0/4 on 4th down is just outstanding, especially against Manning.

5. I love what BB has done with Ayers/Casillas/Branch for an infusion of depth. I think that will pay huge dividends, especially when Chandler Jones comes back. I am fairly confident that the defense can overcome the loss of Mayo, so if they don't have other major losses I think they will be fine.

6. This was one of the first games in a long time where I never really felt worried about what Manning could do. I felt like the Pats' D was in control the entire game. It was eerily reminiscent of the Seattle beat down in the SB. There wasn't any need to lure Denver into running the ball - the Pats have the horses to take on the Bronco's high powered passing attack and more than hold their own. Again, the 3rd and 4th down defense was just exceptional.

7. Which brings me to this: Denver seems like a finesse team, and the Pats basically smashed them in the mouth and brought more physicality on both sides of the line. I loved it. Regardless of how the Pats do this season, I question Denver's ability to go the distance. They aren't tough enough.

8. For all that we've been hearing about Manning's elite receiving weapons vs. the bunch of crap that Brady has to work with, the Pats seem to have more than enough weapons to keep pace with anyone. And Tim Wright was barely involved today. The past 5 games have been one of the best offensive runs since 2007: 43, 37, 27 (in 18 minutes), 51 and 43 points.

9. The Pats are 7-2 with a bye week to recover and prepare for Indy on the road. We're one of 2 7 win teams in the NFL. 2 weeks ago many people were saying that we would be lucky to go 3-3 over the next 6 games. Now with dominating performances against Chicago and the Broncos, the Pats look like they should be able to match up against anyone. I'm actually kind of happy that Miami and Buffalo are showing stronger than expected - no room for a let up.

 

[everlong]

Great win in all three phases and especially the OL and DL. I've been super critical of both lines questioning if they could handle elite counterparts and tonight they did.

When they flashed the remaining games the Broncos have I was thinking wow the Pats are almost going to have to run the table to get home field throughout the playoffs. The Pats have a much more difficult remaining schedule.

 

[meatface]

I really enjoyed the Edelman Punt return TD

 

[Jackson 2]

They are vastly overrated. They are a top 3 team. They have been portrayed as this dominant force where they sit alone at #1 and the #2 team isn't even close. They are a top 3 team, but not head and shoulders better than anyone else.

Also, I don't think they are a good road team and their defense doesn't seem to play well from behind. You get a lead on them and their defense isn't nearly as good. They are 1-2 on the road and they would be 0-3 if the Jets had an average offense.

That's BS. They aren't "vastly overrated." And don't start with "ifs." As Bryan Cox so appropriately said during the 2001 season after a Pats loss, "if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, every day would be effing Christmas." Denver is damned good and we just kicked their ass. Take it elsewhere.

 

[mayoclinic]

They are a top 3 team. They have been portrayed as this dominant force where they sit alone at #1 and the #2 team isn't even close. They are a top 3 team, but not head and shoulders better than anyone else.

I laughed when I read this article by Aaron Schatz on ESPN Insider yesterday:

Regular readers know that Football Outsiders measures both teams and players with a metric we call DVOA, or Defense-adjusted Value Over Average. DVOA takes every single play during the season and measures its efficiency against a league-wide baseline determined by situation and opponent. (It's explained further here.) Football Outsiders currently has DVOA ratings and play-by-play breakdowns going back to the 1989 season, which gives us 797 different teams over 26 years of football. If we look at all of those teams through eight weeks of the season, the Broncos rank behind only five other teams out of those 797. The Broncos aren't just dominating; they are dominating against the eighth-toughest schedule this season by average DVOA of opponent.

The Broncos aren't just historically great; they are also historically balanced. Two weeks ago, I wrote about the improved defense the Broncos are fielding in 2014. That defense is currently ranked second in DVOA, trailing only Detroit. The Broncos are the first team in DVOA history to rank in the top two for both offense and defense for four straight weeks, and the first team since the 1996 Packers to do it for even two straight weeks.

None of this is a guarantee that Denver will conquer New England in Brady-Manning XVI on Sunday. Good NFL teams beat great NFL teams all the time, especially when the good team is at home. But make no mistake: it's pretty clear which of these teams is good right now, and which of these teams is great.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/stor...-denver-broncos-performing-historic-level-nfl

What is historic is the amount of hype the Broncos have gotten. They are a top team, but the media has crowned them way too soon.

 

[unoriginal]

What I'm really tired of is that every time we beat a team, all of a sudden that team sucks. Such as saying that the Broncos are now overrated??? Even some of the best on this board can't stand the thought that we just kicked the living crap out of a very good team. Denver's overrated? No, they're not. They're very good and were beaten by a team that's better.

Too many things to be concerned about to think this team is one of the best in the NFL No running game. 400 yards passing allowed. Amendola, LaFell with drops. Brady missed a swing pass to Vereen. The Broncos scored points. Only one special teams touchdown. No defensive touchdowns scored. Manning escaped Foxborough with his life. Denver did not descend into mayhem, martial law and eternal night.

I can't be confident about this team until I see how they do against the bye week.

 

[Rob0729]

That's BS. They aren't "vastly overrated." And don't start with "ifs." As Bryan Cox so appropriately said during the 2001 season after a Pats loss, "if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, every day would be effing Christmas." Denver is damned good and we just kicked their ass. Take it elsewhere.

First, this is a thread I started, if don't like what I post. The door is over there. n.

Second, I think that Denver is damn good. I just don't think they are head and shoulders above everyone else as they are portrayed in the media.

 

[Jackson 2]

I cannot speak for anyone else, but you go back and look at my posts last week and the week before and the week before that. I have been saying the Broncos are overrated for a while now. They are a top team, but they are not heads and shoulders above anyone else as they are portrayed. They are one of about 3-4 teams that are the best in the league but they are in that pack, not sitting at #1 alone.

They are a "top team" but they're vastly overrated? Why can't you admit and enjoy the fact that we just kicked the day lights out of a very good team? Why denigrate Denver?

 

[Rob0729]

I laughed when I read this article by Aaron Schatz on ESPN Insider yesterday:



http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/stor...-denver-broncos-performing-historic-level-nfl

What is historic is the amount of hype the Broncos have gotten. They are a top team, but the media has crowned them way too soon.

And that is what I am talking about when I say they are vastly overrated. The media are acting like the current Broncos are like if you took last year's Broncos offense and the 1985 Bears defense and you made both 10 times better, you would have the 2014 Broncos.

 

[PP2]

I can't be confident about this team until I see how they do against the bye week.

I picked the bye week to beat the spread. Never underestimate a bye week's ability to lull teams to sleep on them.

 

[Rob0729]

They are a "top team" but they're vastly overrated? Why can't you admit and enjoy the fact that we just kicked the day lights out of a very good team? Why denigrate Denver?

Since you are obviously too slow to understand what I am saying, I will slow it down for you.

The media and a lot of fans have turned the 2014 Broncos into this legendary team with no weaknesses and can beat any other team the league by 4-5 TDs on an off day. The rhetoric of this team has gone way overboard. It was like if you took the best players from all the other 31 teams to play the Broncos, that superteam would be lucky to only lose by a TD.

 

[Rob0729]

Oh, so when YOU start a thread and someone has the audacity to disagree with you, they need to take the door? Holy s***, what arrogance.

LOL! I am responding to you to take my points elsewhere in a thread I created. No one is forcing you to read my posts. If you don't like my posts, you don't have to read them.

You confusing my annoyance with people too slow to understand my point with arrogance.

 

[Jackson 2]

Since you are obviously too slow to understand what I am saying, I will slow it down for you.

The media and a lot of fans have turned the 2014 Broncos into this legendary team with no weaknesses and can beat any other team the league by 4-5 TDs on an off day. The rhetoric of this team has gone way overboard. It was like if you took the best players from all the other 31 teams to play the Broncos, that superteam would be lucky to only lose by a TD.

So, now I'm "too slow." More "arrogance" evidence. Man, you are really full of yourself.

 

[TomPatriot]

• The play before the Ninkovich INT, I swear Nink saw something that he capitalized on the next play. If you look at the film, his was basically in the same spot in coverage and had his eyes locked on Manning. They ran a similar route the next play and he just jumped the route and made the INT.

That's a spy or Rover play Asante and others used to run - look off when the QB runs his check and then jump the route. The QB never sees it. That's why Manning ran back to the bench all confused and looking for the printout. he never expected Nink of all people. Having Ninkovich run it and pick off Massive Forehead is delicious.

 

[unoriginal]

I picked the bye week to beat the spread. Never underestimate a bye week's ability to lull teams to sleep on them.

For once I like our defense's ability to match up with the bye, but the concerns on offense are more important. Unless the Pats get their issues straightened out in a hurry they may not be able to put up enough points to win.

 

[Fixit]

Oh, so when YOU start a thread and someone has the audacity to disagree with you, they need to take the door? Holy s***, what arrogance.

The other dude did tell him to "take it elsewhere."

 

[Rob0729]

So, now I'm "too slow." More "arrogance" evidence. Man, you are really full of yourself.

I am not arrogant. I am attacking back to someone who attacked me first. Instead of debating me like a civil person, you attacked me. I tried to explain to you my position rationally and turned around and belittled it. You clearly are too0 slow for a rational debate. So I brought the level of conversation down to your level to try to make you understand. Clearly, even that is too advanced for you.

 

[Rob0729]

The other dude did tell him to "take it elsewhere."

Yeah, he told me to "take it elsewhere" and then gets upset when I say "the door is over there". Too stupid to realize I just threw back exactly what he said to him right back at him.