Idle thoughts – satisfaction delayed

[Metaphors]

3. Now the new cool thing the media is hyping is NOT deferring if we win the toss. The thought being its about time we got off to a fast start. That's absolutely the wrong thing to do. Its one thing for Tebow to start a playoff game at home. Its another to start the game on the road with a “juiced up” crowd trying to figure out all the defensive twists the Pats have planned. AND far better for the Pats to have the extra offensive series to start the 2nd half, after they have seen most of what Denver has to show. There are just too many advantages to deferring

The key aspect is the ability of the Pats to score in the 2 minute offense and then get the 1st series of the second half. Getting back-2-back scores in that scenario can be enough to put a game effectively out of reach.

b. There are too many bad matchups. Here's one you won't see mentioned. Russ Hockstein was a hero to us in 2003, but when Steve Neal went down in the first series of the 2007 superbowl, he was the weak link that the Giants attacked to harass Brady. The Pats have a chance to return the favor. In passing situations look for the Pats to focus on him.when they attack up the middle

This is my pet peeve. People making comments about teams without considering the actual players/matchups in the game. Kuper is out for the Broncos and Spikes/Chung are back...yet people point to the 1st quarter in the last matchup when Kuper was blowing up Tracy White and Slater wasn't able to fill the hole. Regardless of the outcome, I can confidently say that won't happen on Saturday. As you mention, Hochstein is a nice player but don't you think the Pats know exactly how to attack him?

In the last game, the Pats were able to handle Decker (their leading receiver and Devon Bess-like pest) but gave up some looks to Thomas (who only had 7 catches and about 100 yards heading into December) as a result. Methinks the Pats will put no focus on Decker on Saturday and pay more attention to Thomas...yet the Pats will obviously give up multiple deep passes to Thomas.

 

[highlander2190]

Methinks the Pats will put no focus on Decker on Saturday and pay more attention to Thomas...yet the Pats will obviously give up multiple deep passes to Thomas.

Decker is most likely out on saturday meaning we focus Thomas, and let royal try and catch the ball. If this game turns into a catch up game for the broncos, it heavily favors us, more than last time.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

No, I find my blood pressure stays lower if I avoid listening to those 2 bozos. Actually Felger bothers me less than Mazzarotti. I know his rant is purely for entertainment purposes only. But Mazz (who makes ashamed to also be a Tufts grad) should be slapped for his his many uninformed judgments and pronouncements about football. Given that Mazz has only known that they play 11 on a side for about a year,and wouldn't know hip pads from shoulder pads, I take offense that he pontificates as if he actually knows something.or has something important to say. Usually he just parrots the Borges/Shaunnessy line or the latest contrarian position that makes him sound important. He knows NOTHING about football and should stop telling others what they should think.

Ken, do me a favor and please stop reminding people that Maz is a Tufts grad. You're besmirching my BSEE degree. I assiduously avoid listening to those bozos.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Iam worried they might employ the game plan the fins had in the 2nd game. double gronk and hernandez, beat up welker and blitz relentlessly. Thankfully moore missed out a few throws and the pats made a comeback somehow but i deficit early in the playoffs will have the same doubts creeping back in ...

Were they to do precisely that there would be nobody left to cover Woodhead, Branch, etc.

 

[UK_Pat37]

Were they to do precisely that there would be nobody left to cover Woodhead, Branch, etc.

And in which case we will just spread the formations out...you can't blitz relentlessly if you spread the formation out!

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

And in which case we will just spread the formations out...you can't blitz relentlessly if you spread the formation out!

Point being for every D scheme there's a counter or 3. The Pats O is so successful because the elite QB can read defenses and has such a variety of weapons to take advantage of what's NOT covered well by the defensive scheme. As ever, the Achilles heel is a strong overpowering quick pass rush up the middle which takes so many options off the table that the few left (e.g. swing passes, quick outs) CAN be covered by few while neglecting deep coverage for example.

 

[patfanken]

This is my pet peeve. People making comments about teams without considering the actual players/matchups in the game. Kuper is out for the Broncos and Spikes/Chung are back...yet people point to the 1st quarter in the last matchup when Kuper was blowing up Tracy White and Slater wasn't able to fill the hole. Regardless of the outcome, I can confidently say that won't happen on Saturday. As you mention, Hochstein is a nice player but don't you think the Pats know exactly how to attack him?

This is a great point, M. I forgot to put it in the original post. Thanks for pointing it out. It once again points out how well BB has created the "next man up" ethos into the Patriot Way. Essentially having to start 2 players completely out of position due to injury goes unnoticed, while in most cities it would have been major media fodder.

In the last game, the Pats were able to handle Decker (their leading receiver and Devon Bess-like pest) but gave up some looks to Thomas (who only had 7 catches and about 100 yards heading into December) as a result. Methinks the Pats will put no focus on Decker on Saturday and pay more attention to Thomas...yet the Pats will obviously give up multiple deep passes to Thomas.

Another media quandary - They so cavalierly assume that "all" Denver has to do to slow down the Pats offense is to double Gronk, double Hernandez, get physical with Welker and single cover Branch - and the QB is the GOAT. No problem right Yet on the other hand, Denver has only a single legitimate target, which the Pats, for some reason, will have no clue how to cover, and HE's being thrown to by a QB who complete 50% of his passes on a good day.

You just have to wonder if these guys are just dumb, or they're forced to write this stuff under gun point

 

[Deus Irae]

This is a great point, M. I forgot to put it in the original post. Thanks for pointing it out. It once again points out how well BB has created the "next man up" ethos into the Patriot Way. Essentially having to start 2 players completely out of position due to injury goes unnoticed, while in most cities it would have been major media fodder.


Another media quandary - They so cavalierly assume that "all" Denver has to do to slow down the Pats offense is to double Gronk, double Hernandez, get physical with Welker and single cover Branch - and the QB is the GOAT. No problem right Yet on the other hand, Denver has only a single legitimate target, which the Pats, for some reason, will have no clue how to cover, and HE's being thrown to by a QB who complete 50% of his passes on a good day.

You just have to wonder if these guys are just dumb, or they're forced to write this stuff under gun point

Couple things here:

1.) Gronk staying in to help against the rush means Denver's defense doesn't have to double him, and can focus on just Hernandez and Welker. Game planning, therefore, will enter into this.

2.) The Broncos have Thomas and Royal, making it two "legitimate" targets, not one.

3.) Brady is the G.O.A.T., but he hasn't played like it in his last two playoff games. Since this team is almost all about Brady nowadays, an off game by him would quite likely make this a close and/or lost game for the Patriots.

 

[patfanken]

Ken, do me a favor and please stop reminding people that Maz is a Tufts grad. You're besmirching my BSEE degree. I assiduously avoid listening to those bozos.

I also know that Mazz was the only person in the past 2 centuries to get thrown out of the Brown and Blue for not paying his bar tab, and I've uncovered some disturbing evidence linking him to burning Jumbo

Actually he's a good baseball guy, who should excuse himself from the room when the discussion moves on to football, or at least add a disclaimer to anything he says acknowledging that the opinion he is about to utter comes from a place of little or no knowledge or understanding.

 

[SeymourTrophies]

This Broncos D is nowhere near as good as many claim. They've given up 40 points four times this season. For comparison's sake, our epically bad defense's season high is 34 points against Buffalo, which is the only time we've given up more than 30 points. Neither of those numbers includes defensive tds or special teams, but it's something to think about.

Turnovers or not, their D couldn't handle our O in mile high, and Chad Ochocinco burned their secondary for his only TD this season. This isn't the 07 Giants, 09 Ravens, or last year's Jets D we're coming up against.

 

[BelichickFan]

This Broncos D is nowhere near as good as many claim. They've given up 40 points four times this season. For comparison's sake, our epically bad defense's season high is 34 points against Buffalo, which is the only time we've given up more than 30 points. Neither of those numbers includes defensive tds or special teams, but it's something to think about.

Turnovers or not, their D couldn't handle our O in mile high, and Chad Ochocinco burned their secondary for his only TD this season. This isn't the 07 Giants, 09 Ravens, or last year's Jets D we're coming up against.

The horrible Patriots' D has a Passer Rating against of 86.1. That's 20th in the league; not good but better than I expected.

Guess what the Broncos' Passer Rating against is ? 93.1. 28th in the league.

They have 9 INT, we have 23. Completion% against is identical. They allowed 40 more points than we did.

And a backup RB with the starting Center out was 17-121 against them last week.

But, I know, their defense will shut us down and our defense sucks. The problem is, the numbers disagree.