Postgame thoughts: Blasts from the past

[DaBruinz]

Dont' be so sensitive. We all WISH the Foxboro crowds were great, but way too often they're not. Sorry, but TV showed WAY too many EMPTY seats today, and the crowd didn't sound all that loud. Plenty of other games I flipped to today the crowd sounded loud. Is it a TV conspiracy?

Sometimes the Pats crowds are great, many times not. Maybe it'll improve, but them's the facts.

First off, the seats comments is just BS. One of the things that Nantz and Sims made a POINT to mention is how long it took THEM to get there. Even when the one was driven there in a limo. So, its plain and easy to understand why there were empty seats. Its called people didn't want to risk their personal safety. And I don't blame them.

Secondly, my tv had the crowd PLENTY loud during crucial moments. And that is what matters.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Dont' be so sensitive. We all WISH the Foxboro crowds were great, but way too often they're not. Sorry, but TV showed WAY too many EMPTY seats today, and the crowd didn't sound all that loud. Plenty of other games I flipped to today the crowd sounded loud. Is it a TV conspiracy?

Sometimes the Pats crowds are great, many times not. Maybe it'll improve, but them's the facts.

Even the Fenway Park crowds were quieter this post season than the Cleveland and Denver crowds, at least for some of the games. People in New England need to get drunker? Nah, then you don't remember the game and suffer the next day. Mox nix, crowd noise doesn't seem to be affecting any outcomes, and as long as our teams' fans don't come up with some kind of hankies or towels to wave, in which case I'd go back there and throttle a few people.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

There was plenty of crowd noise today. Not sure what game you watched, but you could hear it easily on the TV.

I was there. Very good noise, better than most games, especially considering that there were many no-shows. This is not a cut at the no-shows because had I to do it over again I would have NOT made the long drive over highways that were not plowed and cars overturned everywhere. It was too risky.

My only noise complaint is my neighbors, the corporate @$$ kissers in section 110 row 1 who arrived late in the 1st QTR with food and beer having missed the initial scoring and then sat there all game without making a sound.

Again, overall there was very good noise when the Jets were on offense. The rain may have helped with the acoustics.

P.S. Postgame, Pats players commented that the crowd noise was good Sunday

 

[bclaff]

The wind evidently wasn't the only thing blasting in Gillette Stadium.
is SOLIDLY back, and there wasn't even a whole lot of bending going on.
6. Crowd noise hasn't arrived YET. Perhaps it's still lost in traffic?

That's odd. The crowd noise was there last week during the Steelers game.

 

[bakes781]

It was nice to see Eugene Wilson making plays. Early in his career he looked like a promising younger version of Lawyer Milloy. That bruising mentality must have been a factor in his health over the years. Now that he's back I hope he can be a huge lift to this defense.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

The wind evidently wasn't the only thing blasting in Gillette Stadium.

1. Seymour is back.
2. Wilson is back.
3. The running game is back.
4. Adalius Thomas finally arrived.
5. The "don't break" part of the defense is SOLIDLY back, and there wasn't even a whole lot of bending going on.
6. Crowd noise hasn't arrived YET. Perhaps it's still lost in traffic?
7. Brady hasn't remembered yet how to play in bad weather.
8. The run/dink/dunk -- that's going back years for the Pats. But it worked just well enough.
9. One difference from recent years -- in an otherwise weak performance, Brady only gave up one INT.
10. 8 & 9 = Brady was a game manager again.
11. I guess a small amount of speed does matter. The defense didn't seem to miss tackles because of poor fundamentals; they seemed to miss tackles because they were just a teensie bit late in making an otherwise excellent play.
12. Seau is a terror on the blitz. That's probably the only thing special about his game at this point -- but it's pretty impressive.
13. I'm a lot more relieved about all the ways the Pats improved than I am concerned about the ways they played badly.
14. Mangini seem to have Brady's number. But I don't expect that to last nearly as long as, say, BB had Manning's number.
15. That would have been a lousy time for Hank Poteat to have his first(?) career interception.

Great list...
11. Post-game BB actually blamed missed tackles on a field that did not always allow a defender to set his feet to wrap up.

STs once again played a BIG role in the game. Next time tell the punter to either run with the ball or assume the foetal position.

Brady was off. Not only did he miss guys, he did not see the open man several times. Bad week with Gisele?

 

[DaedalusX]

Brady was off. Not only did he miss guys, he did not see the open man several times. Bad week with Gisele?

In his post-game interview, Brady said that the weather pretty much removed the deep ball and throwing to the sides for most of the game, leaving over the middle as the only real option.

Moss said pretty much the same thing; the weather conditions removed most of their options for passing for the majority of the game, but when there were breaks they tried to use the wind to their advantage.

If I were to hazard a guess, I think it was a combination of poor execution at times with heavy doses of uncooperative weather. If you remove the deep ball and sideline passing for most of the game, the defense is going to stop you over the middle. So, I don't think Brady played his best game ever, but I think weather was a huge factor. As for those open receivers, he probably saw them most of the time, but I'm guessing believed they would be risky throws to make with whatever the wind was doing at that particular time. It's hard to say without being on the field or in his shoes, but given his usual performance I give him the benefit of the doubt.

As for why he tried forcing the ball to Moss, I think he figured Moss had the best chance of coming up with a catch in those conditions, even deep. If you're going to go over the middle and they know you're going to go over the middle, don't try to throw quick passes with a wet ball near defenders hands. Instead, wait for the wind to work in your favor and then try to get it to the guy who comes up with freakishly good deep receptions when it counts.

In weather like that, remember that your primary goal, especially in the passing game, is to not turn the ball over. Even the running game was predicated on that -- straight punches up the middle. So while Brady didn't play superhumanly, it's unrealistic to expect 300 yards in the air, 2 or more TDs and no INTs in that weather.

 

[fourthandmiles]

I could tell this crowd was fired up from watching it on TV. Especially givin the conditions. And props to the fans that had R A T spelled out in the endzone. Clearly visible on the PATs. :rocker:

Used to be every game was a "did what they needed to do game". Really today was not even that. We were never behind and as the OP points out there were many standout players.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

In his post-game interview, Brady said that the weather pretty much removed the deep ball and throwing to the sides for most of the game, leaving over the middle as the only real option.

Moss said pretty much the same thing; the weather conditions removed most of their options for passing for the majority of the game, but when there were breaks they tried to use the wind to their advantage.

If I were to hazard a guess, I think it was a combination of poor execution at times with heavy doses of uncooperative weather. If you remove the deep ball and sideline passing for most of the game, the defense is going to stop you over the middle. So, I don't think Brady played his best game ever, but I think weather was a huge factor. As for those open receivers, he probably saw them most of the time, but I'm guessing believed they would be risky throws to make with whatever the wind was doing at that particular time. It's hard to say without being on the field or in his shoes, but given his usual performance I give him the benefit of the doubt.

As for why he tried forcing the ball to Moss, I think he figured Moss had the best chance of coming up with a catch in those conditions, even deep. If you're going to go over the middle and they know you're going to go over the middle, don't try to throw quick passes with a wet ball near defenders hands. Instead, wait for the wind to work in your favor and then try to get it to the guy who comes up with freakishly good deep receptions when it counts.

In weather like that, remember that your primary goal, especially in the passing game, is to not turn the ball over. Even the running game was predicated on that -- straight punches up the middle. So while Brady didn't play superhumanly, it's unrealistic to expect 300 yards in the air, 2 or more TDs and no INTs in that weather.

Brady tried throwing deep to Moss too much and let the shorter, open, less risky WRs go. Very uncharacteristic. A couple deep throws to open things up, yes, but his pattern of ignoring the shorter available guys was game long. His INT was an example of my point throwing longish to the sideline to a well covered WR. He did turn the ball over, unnecessarily. Pennington payed well in the conditions, completing the short passes that the Pats D allowed, problem being that his OL didn't protect him and our DL shut down the run game completely after the one long gainer.

Brady's worst game this season. It's now past him.

 

[DaedalusX]

Brady tried throwing deep to Moss too much and let the shorter, open, less risky WRs go. Very uncharacteristic.

Level of risk is a point of view and one which conditions on the field only matter from the QB's position. You say very uncharacteristic and I agree. But I think you're massively over-simplifying the nature and causes of his performance.

His INT was an example of my point throwing longish to the sideline to a well covered WR. He did turn the ball over, unnecessarily.

On this play, we agree. But those plays happen regardless. He's not perfect, even if he is perhaps the best ever.

Pennington payed well in the conditions, completing the short passes that the Pats D allowed, problem being that his OL didn't protect him and our DL shut down the run game completely after the one long gainer.

You're comparing Brady's performance against one defense, which entered the game focused primarily on stopping the pass, to Pennington's performance against another defense, which entered the game focusing primarily on stopping the run. Apples and oranges.

Brady didn't play his best game. But to call his performance "very uncharacteristic" and not account for a multitude of extenuating circumstances out of his control when judging it doesn't really give him enough credit.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

You're comparing Brady's performance against one defense, which entered the game focused primarily on stopping the pass, to Pennington's performance against another defense, which entered the game focusing primarily on stopping the run. Apples and oranges.

That's what I said. Although both played in the same bad weather, each faced a different D. It's beyond any poster's control to make the 2 QBs face the same D. I qualified my statement. More than that I cannot do.

Penny had a good game, given his talents and facing a tough pass rush that ignored the feeble run game.
Brady played his worst 2007 game, making worse than avg decisions, poorer than avg throws. Thankfully, the OL blocked well and Maroney ran well.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

3. The running game is back.
7. Brady hasn't remembered yet how to play in bad weather.

Regarding these two points, I want to go back to two of the playoff games in 2003 and 2004...

2003 vs. Tennessee: The Pats pulled out a tight 17-14 win in sub-zero temperatures. Brady was hot early on with a nice TD bomb to Bethel Johnson, but otherwise was held in check. The running game came up huge as Antowain Smith crossed the 100yd mark.

2004 vs. Indy: The Pats tried playing pass-first the entire first half and Brady struggled. The Pats completely outplayed the Colts in that half, but came oh so close to being down 7-6 entering halftime. The Pats switched gameplans and went ground-heavy as Corey Dillon kept the ball away from Indy and the Pats stretched their 6-3 halftime lead to a 20-3 victory.

There's a good chance that in their 3 game quest to glory, there will be one game where the Pats passing game runs into trouble, thanks to the opposing D, the weather or a combination of both. Like in those previous games I mentioned, the running game must compensate as well as a good performance from the D. I think yesterday's game was a good dry run for that type of game come January.

Regards,
Chris

P.S. Congrats to the Pats for winning 14 regular season games 3 times in 5 years. Has any other team done that?