Its reality time.

[mosi]

Honestly, most football games come down to 1-3 plays that determine the game. Welker's drop was one. The Ridley fumble was another. The end of the first half was another. Those three things were the game. That is the reality.

 

[Ring 6]

Honestly, most football games come down to 1-3 plays that determine the game. Welker's drop was one. The Ridley fumble was another. The end of the first half was another. Those three things were the game. That is the reality.

I'll say those are the difference between the game we saw and a game that would have come right down to the wire either way.
That may ne what you mean, but I wouldn't agree those 3 are a win in place of a loss.

 

[Ring 6]

In the end: Players > Scheme. But there were plays that had to be made last night that weren't. Really shocked to how bad the offense was in the red zone. And Brady did make some questionable decisions that you don't see much.

I don't know that he made questionable decisionS. In retrospect chucking it away instead of running at the half would have been better, but the playcalling inside 2 minutes was the big culprit.
I want to look at the 4th down when he didn't run on replay because my angle from the stands wasn't good.
Maybe those, but your post sounds like a littany of poor decisions and I just didn't see that.

 

[jnug]

Here is where I think we really got hurt in the Ravens game at least as far as the offense is concerned. I have stated that to me Welker can no longer be relied upon to be the first guy in Brady's progressions when Gronk is out. But I really think this has happened pretty quickly in Welker's case.

Now you could argue that he is a smallish guy...if you look back through NFL history they do tend to age more rapidly than your typical NFL player and the Pats should have been more prepared for this. But you are treading a pretty fine line there. Again this is not to say that the Pats should be looking to dump Welker. I hope both sides are reasonable in negotiation and that the Pats can keep him. Lloyd I would dump in a NY minute but not Welker. But IMO, Welker immediately becomes the #1 option when Gronk cannot go and if you just look at Wes though a realistic set of glasses, how unreasonable is that expectation for a team playing in important games deep in the post season?

It should be clear to anybody watching that Wes can no longer avoid the big hits which is the hallmark of the smallish guy playing pro football. Like most smallish guys surviving in the NFL, Wes was always been quick enough to just move enough to not take the full brunt of the hit. Now guys are just lacing him play after play. He still gets up and is still tough as nails but clearly defenders are now able to take aim and hit the target.

The things Wes has done are incredible. He is tough as nails and how can you not like the guy just as a guy. But reluctantly even liking him, I have to admit that he has lost a good deal of both speed and quickness in a relatively short period of time much hastened I am sure by his injury.

The most telling play that Wes did not make to me yesterday was not the ball that he dropped that was right in his hands. That was the most critical play that Wes did not make yesterday. However the most telling play to me was the one where Brady just overthrew him by about a foot. Watching Wes trying to adjust and then stretch out for that ball was just painful. My God he almost looked like I would look trying to do that and believe me you do not want to see me trying to do that.

So to me that part of this that is not working for the Pats is that the drop off from Gronk to the rest of the receiver corp is just to great. I suppose that the Pats might have tried more Vereen in this game but now I am really second guessing. Part of the same problem...no outside or deep threats. One of those would be more able to take the offensive load when Gronk is out AND give the Pats an outside/deep threat. Lloyd gives them neither.

 

[Jackson 2]

English please.

The battle between chicken littles vs homers is outstanding. If you're not amused by it, that's your issue.

I guess my point is that the vast majority of people here are neither Chicken Littles nor homers. Rather, they're fans of an outstanding organization and team which has won more games than any other for more than a decade. Additionally, they're frustrated by what seems like an inability to win another Super Bowl after winning 3 in 4 years in this century's first decade. It's maddening, disappointing and depressing. However, that doesn't mean that the coach should be fired, the QB has become a "choker" and the whole team needs to be "blown up." If that's "telling it like it is", then I'm happy to be considered a "homer", however the hell that feeble term is really defined.

 

[ausbacker]

I guess my point is that the vast majority of people here are neither Chicken Littles nor homers. Rather, they're fans of an outstanding organization and team which has won more games than any other for more than a decade. Additionally, they're frustrated by what seems like an inability to win another Super Bowl after winning 3 in 4 years in this century's first decade. It's maddening, disappointing and depressing. However, that doesn't mean that the coach should be fired, the QB has become a "choker" and the whole team needs to be "blown up." If that's "telling it like it is", then I'm happy to be considered a "homer", however the hell that feeble term is really defined.

Which is a reasonable comment. The fact remains, the issues that Brady's excellence covers up during the regular season appears to be an Achilles Heel come playoff time. Too much is put on his shoulders.

 

[MoneyFX]

I don't know that he made questionable decisionS. In retrospect chucking it away instead of running at the half would have been better, but the playcalling inside 2 minutes was the big culprit.
I want to look at the 4th down when he didn't run on replay because my angle from the stands wasn't good.
Maybe those, but your post sounds like a littany of poor decisions and I just didn't see that.

That was what I was talking about. When I saw the Patriots settle for a field goal early in the game and at the end of the 1st half, you get that "something is going wrong feel." This is probably one of the stranger Patriot games seen in recent memory. They were moving the ball on the Ravens very well but had little to show for it.

It felt like the Patriots should have been up bigger on the Ravens in the first half around 21-7 or something like that. They outgained the Ravens in yardage 214-130 and had more red zone trips than the Ravens 3-1. And yet, the Ravens were only down 13-7 at halftime.

It's also needed to have a defense that can help the team out when the offense struggles. Same case with the Jets loss in 2010 season.

 

[Froob]

Where is off the grid? We need some positivity.

 

[Ring 6]

Which is a reasonable comment. The fact remains, the issues that Brady's excellence covers up during the regular season appears to be an Achilles Heel come playoff time. Too much is put on his shoulders.

We lost at home to Arizona.
We almost lost at home to the Jets, probably should have.
We almost lost at home to the Bills, probably should have.
We almost were blown out by SF at home.

Perhaps it isn't the PROBLEM that too much is on Bradys shoulders, perhaps it is the solution that got us as far as it did with massive flaws in other areas.
If we hadn't put too much on Bradys shoulders we may have been 8-8.

 

[Ring 6]

I guess my point is that the vast majority of people here are neither Chicken Littles nor homers. Rather, they're fans of an outstanding organization and team which has won more games than any other for more than a decade. Additionally, they're frustrated by what seems like an inability to win another Super Bowl after winning 3 in 4 years in this century's first decade. It's maddening, disappointing and depressing. However, that doesn't mean that the coach should be fired, the QB has become a "choker" and the whole team needs to be "blown up." If that's "telling it like it is", then I'm happy to be considered a "homer", however the hell that feeble term is really defined.

I think the coach and QB are elevating a very average team to one that is dominant over average or worse teams, and 50/50 vs good or better teams. It puts it in a position to make a run at a title, but one that thinks have to go right for. Sort of like most teams who have great seasons and more often turn that into a playoff disappointment than a Championship.
This is not a bad position to be in, in a league where 11 different teams from the NFC have gone to the last 12 SBs.

 

[mosi]

I'll say those are the difference between the game we saw and a game that would have come right down to the wire either way.
That may ne what you mean, but I wouldn't agree those 3 are a win in place of a loss.

You will never know, if those plays went the Pats way, what the outcome would be. They could have still lost the game. The minute the Ravens let Flacco loose, the Pats had trouble. However, it seemed to have an impact.

The Pats players of the early 2000's were clutch. Both on offense and defense. They always rose to the occasion. The moment was never too big for them. I get the feeling the moment is too big for some of the current pats.

 

[ausbacker]

We lost at home to Arizona.
We almost lost at home to the Jets, probably should have.
We almost lost at home to the Bills, probably should have.
We almost were blown out by SF at home.

Perhaps it isn't the PROBLEM that too much is on Bradys shoulders, perhaps it is the solution that got us as far as it did with massive flaws in other areas.
If we hadn't put too much on Bradys shoulders we may have been 8-8.

It comes down to the way you look at the team's construction Andy. Brady definitely covers up many flaws, especially on D. Unfortunately, those flaws seem to bite the Patriots in the butt come playoff time.

 

[Patradomous]

This year we lost to
Balt. twice
SF
AZ
Seattle

In the Pats last 6 losses they lost to
Balt. twice
SF
AZ
Seattle

NY Giants

What the hell else do you you need to know?

The offense, in playoff losses, has scored.
13,17,21,14,17 an average of 16.4 points per game.
9 point favorites and losing by 15 points in a championship game.

The bottom line is if the offense falters the defense can't win you a game and it hasn't won you a game in a long time.