Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I feared this earlier this week but still couldn't fathom NE losing this one,I had them winning by just 9 but not losing.

The back of my mind kept thinking this could be one of those classic trap games with the team not only due for a home opening day loss but the fact that I watched the Arizona/Seattle game in its entirety last week and the Cardinals defense is almost as formidable as SFs and with a raw OL,that was recipe for possible disaster.

I don't care what anyone says about the team thinking about the Cardinals this week.....I can almost guarantee you that deep down, the team had been looking forward to the rematch with Baltimore next week and may have underestimated a NFC conference team with a backup QB starting and preparing for the main threat Fitzgerald who they DID handle well....the rest not so much.

If you think trap games are B.S.,I can respect that,but I believe the team may have got caught with thier pants down and Arizona benefitted from it with a little luck at the end to boot.

Not to mention that this was a team Brady had not played since 2004 and even then the Roster was much different.

I do believe the team is much more comfortable in playing against an opponent they know pretty well next week.

I don't expect the offense to look like the keystone cops again,this weekends game will be a barn burner......with a MUCH better prepared Patriots team.

I do not expect the Patriots to come out next week looking as lost as they did today.....win or lose in Baltimore next week,you will get a better effort.

 

[PP2]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

The one thing that really supports your theory is Welker, who mentioned today that the team didn't have any good practices in the past week.

 

[IllegalContact]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

With the leadership and experience of this team, if that's the case, someone should be fired

The harsh reality is that this team went into the season ill prepared at OL the way they were ill prepared at WR in 2006

 

[Sciz]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

The one thing that really supports your theory is Welker, who mentioned today that the team didn't have any good practices in the past week.

Arrington, Mankins, and Gronkowski also had comments referring to last week's practices. Sounds like Belichick got on them post-game or something like that.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

this reminded me of the browns game 2 years ago and buff last year..hopefully no more "trap" games

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

The one thing that really supports your theory is Welker, who mentioned today that the team didn't have any good practices in the past week.

I really think the defense that is very young and some of the offense that is young and with older veteran additions this year is still not ready this early in the year to go week to week playing as well as they did last Sunday.

When you have a younger overall team you will have inconsistency as we saw today.....it is expected.

Personally I think the Patriots were a little overconfident and when Arizona came out and pushed them around they looked befuddled.....when you are a 14 point favorite in week 2 and with an undefeated home opening record,it happens sometimes.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

I'm not buying the trap game. Defense played outstanding game. Offense may have struggled in practice (Mayo wasn't buying his guys practiced poorly), but some of that may have to do with Josh forcing issues. Then when you lose Hernandez out of the gate everyone is messed up. I think that's what we saw, along with an OL that is just overmatched at this juncture with Waters and Light gone, Connolly being held out, Vollmer rotating... Maybe if Aaron doesn't go down they manage to pull it off. But losing him just exposed some really glaring weaknesses which seem to have been by choice and avoidable.

 

[Patradomous]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

Let's call this one a "classic trap" game

Another trap game was Balt. they lost too. Big win last week with the Pats on deck playing a non conference team.
If you bet those situations over the years and going forward you would have won a bundle.

 

[PP2]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

I'm not buying the trap game. Defense played outstanding game. Offense may have struggled in practice (Mayo wasn't buying his guys practiced poorly), but some of that may have to do with Josh forcing issues. Then when you lose Hernandez out of the gate everyone is messed up. I think that's what we saw, along with an OL that is just overmatched at this juncture with Waters and Light gone, Connolly being held out, Vollmer rotating... Maybe if Aaron doesn't go down they manage to pull it off. But losing him just exposed some really glaring weaknesses which seem to have been by choice and avoidable.

It's possible for just one half of a team to suffer a trap game (in this case, the offense) and the other half function just fine. This has happened many times before.

And you are not taking into consideration what a few players have said about practice, as well as the very poor, un-Bradylike QB rating, Brady put up.

 

[Sicilian]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

With the leadership and experience of this team, if that's the case, someone should be fired

The harsh reality is that this team went into the season ill prepared at OL the way they were ill prepared at WR in 2006

This is the youngest team BB has ever coached. A few veterans who have been there and done that aren't going to keep a rookie/2nd year team from getting ahead of itself. That's how those veteran's GOT that experience... they got humbled when they were young too.

That said, the thing is most of the poor play happened on offense, where there IS more veteran leadership. The defense played pretty well.

 

[Rob0729]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

IDK, I dismissed the Cards before this game, but their defense and special teams are legit. They might actually be a playoff team this year. At the end of the season, this might not be the upset loss that people think it is right now.

 

[JJDChE]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

Definitely a trap style game. The Cards are way better than people give them credit for. Whisenhunt has those guys believing.

I said it before the game, it's damn hard to win 8 of 10 (now 9 of 11) in the NFL. That usually doesn't happen by accident.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

I think the offense has made a shift. Previous years the offense pretty muc hran through Welker (even if he wasn't the main target, his abilities set up the offense).

This year, I think that shift went to Hernandez and with him going out on play 3...the plan went wrong. Now that doesn't mean they don't adjust and carry on, but you obviously don't replace that ability in another player.

Still, the Cards defense was clutch for lack of a better word. They made some great plays at key moments. Also, I thought we had too many misses on first down (misses passes, runs for littile to no yards) that set the offense up to being more predicatable on subsequent downs.

But, it felt like a trap game, though I'm sure BB took them very seriously and so did the players. Every team has a week like this and until it becomes a habit and not a once per year thing, I'm not worried about the mental makeup of the team.

 

[Banjo]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

The entire NFC West is a trap. Cupcake schedule?!?! Give me a break.

 

[Ivan]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

With the leadership and experience of this team, if that's the case, someone should be fired

The harsh reality is that this team went into the season ill prepared at OL the way they were ill prepared at WR in 2006

No doubt, Belichick needs to go. Can't believe they keep him around when he clearly sucks.

They should hire Rex when he gets fired, he's awesome.

 

[Ivan]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

Definitely a trap style game. The Cards are way better than people give them credit for. Whisenhunt has those guys believing.

I said it before the game, it's damn hard to win 8 of 10 (now 9 of 11) in the NFL. That usually doesn't happen by accident.

I agree, they are weak at QB but the rest of that team is much better than I had realized. SF should win that division but the Cards should be in the hunt for a wild card this season. Good win for them to go on the road and beat NE.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

The Cardinals forgot to lose, and the rest of the notable news from Week 2 in the NFL - Grantland

 

[ensoul]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

There is more to this than it being a trap game. This team did not look prepared and when Hernandez went down it looked like the Pats had no idea what to do next. I am not saying this team was exposed but seems to me the blue print to beat this team is just to rush Brady because this O line could not protect a team of second grade flag football players from getting at Brady.

 

[Dodie]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

Hernandez injury played a big role on the offense. They got away from their usual 2TE set, hopefull next week they'll found someone to fill that role. There's a reason we have those TEs signing, and next week we'll have our question answered why.

Us and the Jets, Bal, Pit are 1-1 in the AFC, and Broncos about to lose, it's gonna be ok specially if we win next wk at Bal

 

[PatsGirl2011]

re: Let's call this loss to Cardinals a "classic trap" game

It seems as if the veterans were less prepared than the rookies or younger crew.