Price: Patriots super shortcoming was easy to spot Sunday

[Dutchmaster617]

Gronk doesn't last a full season so its still going to be an issue even if he can make impact.

 

[Rob0729]

Gronk doesn't last a full season so its still going to be an issue even if he can make impact.

It is far too early to label Gronk as injury prone. Broken bones are not typically injuries of players that are injury prone.

 

[JackBauer]

He has a good point. The pats short passing game results in a lot of 3rd and 5s. Miss one of those and you're out and the drive is stopped.

So much for paying welker 10M a year or whtaever he wants. It's great he can first downs, but why are we always in 3rd and 5?

Did this make sense when you wrote it?

 

[DocHoliday]

And there are still people here who think asking for another big guy is being stupid, since the Pats offense was one of the best ever (except teams that matter).

 

[DocHoliday]

Did this make sense when you wrote it?

The only part that made sense to me was being on third and long far too often. Maybe it's just bad memory but I thought we were spending far too much time in those situations. Gotta do better on first and second.

 

[Jackson 2]

Ok, so answer this.

If Brady had QB'd that game, how many times would he have been sacked?

The Ravens O may not be built to Brady's strength, and it is fit to Flaccos, but it doesn't change the fact that under pressure, Brady turns into a girl and Flacco finds a way to make a play.

Want to expand some on what you mean by "Brady turns into a girl"?

 

[kennyb]

Did this make sense when you wrote it?

Yes, but it probably lost a little when I put it to writing. Basically we're in too many 3rd and longs. Welker converts many of them, great, but if he misses even one, drive is over. And that's what happens.

One game pats had something like 30 first downs. Which is great. But if you think about it, that means you're getting yards in short chunks, and that means you're going to be in 3rd downs a lot. Being in 3rd down isn't good. A short passing game has the weakness of causing a lot of 3rd downs. Then if you miss just one, drive over.

It makes sense. You just have to think about it.

 

[Jimke]

Chris Price is dead on. Tom Brady and Randy Moss rewrote the record book in 2007. Compare the Patriots' wide receiving corps against the Ravens corps: Branch, LLoyd, Welker vs Bolden, Jones, Smith.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

Gotta do better on first and second.

Pats are too predictable. I noticed a lot of times when they pass on first downs, either completed or incompleted, 2nd downs is usually almost always a run play: drives me nuts!!!

 

[reflexblue]

The difference between Brady and Flacco is that Brady turns into a deer in headlights under pressure, and Flacco finds a way to scramble and make a play. Let's not fool ourselves guys, the way to beat Brady is to pressure him. The Ravens and Giants know this, and they do it. If Brady had QB'd for the Ravens, they would have been crushed and he would have been sacked 6 times. I don't think we'll win another one with Brady.

You sure are a rookie, must have become a fan a couple of years ago.

 

[JackBauer]

Yes, but it probably lost a little when I put it to writing. Basically we're in too many 3rd and longs. Welker converts many of them, great, but if he misses even one, drive is over. And that's what happens.

One game pats had something like 30 first downs. Which is great. But if you think about it, that means you're getting yards in short chunks, and that means you're going to be in 3rd downs a lot. Being in 3rd down isn't good. A short passing game has the weakness of causing a lot of 3rd downs. Then if you miss just one, drive over.

It makes sense. You just have to think about it.

Do you have any reference material to support the notion that, relatively speaking, the Patriots face more third downs than other elite teams in the league?

 

[JackBauer]

Chris Price is dead on. Tom Brady and Randy Moss rewrote the record book in 2007. Compare the Patriots' wide receiving corps against the Ravens corps: Branch, LLoyd, Welker vs Bolden, Jones, Smith.

The only problem here is one of the three on the Patriots is/was utterly useless. But I'd take Welker/Lloyd over Boldin/Smith.

 

[Deus Irae]

In 11 postseason games, not one team won its game while losing the turnover battle.

In the 4 divisional games, the two championship games and the Super Bowl, only one winning team didn't also win the turnover battle (Seahawks), and that game was decided by a field goal with 13 seconds left in the game.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that the take from this year's playoffs was the same as it is from every year's playoffs. Teams tend to win more when they:

• are healthier
• play/coach smarter
• don't have bad calls go against them
• don't lose the turnover battle

When you're talking about the best teams in football matching up in a single elimation tournament, the keys are almost always the same.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Chris Price is dead on. Tom Brady and Randy Moss rewrote the record book in 2007. Compare the Patriots' wide receiving corps against the Ravens corps: Branch, LLoyd, Welker vs Bolden, Jones, Smith.

They didn't rewrite any record book IN THE PLAYOFFS that year.

In 3 playoff games Moss caught 7 passes for 94 yds and 1 TD.
5 of those catches for 62 yds (18 yds came on 1 play) and 1 TD came in the SB.
Hardly all-world/high impact numbers.

 

[upstater1]

The difference between Brady and Flacco is that Brady turns into a deer in headlights under pressure, and Flacco finds a way to scramble and make a play. Let's not fool ourselves guys, the way to beat Brady is to pressure him. The Ravens and Giants know this, and they do it. If Brady had QB'd for the Ravens, they would have been crushed and he would have been sacked 6 times. I don't think we'll win another one with Brady.

Blind as a bat

 

[upstater1]

This is hilarious.

As a Texans fan I'd rather play Flacco, because we can & do get to him regularly & he becomes a "deer in the headlights"

We'd rather not play Brady, because we can't get to him without blitzing & he eats that sht up.

Sharp as a tack.

 

[upstater1]

Ok, so answer this.

If Brady had QB'd that game, how many times would he have been sacked?

The Ravens O may not be built to Brady's strength, and it is fit to Flaccos, but it doesn't change the fact that under pressure, Brady turns into a girl and Flacco finds a way to make a play.

You don't understand what you're watching

 

[Buchanty]

The key to winning the big games is having physical/agressive players on both D and O. Like a poster said earlier in this thread, with a healthy Gronk we are probably celebrating a SB win right now.

Sooo many people have been praising Flacco for his "amazing throwing down the field"!!:bricks:

Sure he caught fire in the post season But I'm giving most credit to the very physical WRs. Flacco throws the ball deep and it is then a battle between a CB and WR.

.

I agree that Flacco, as the QB, gets more of the limelight than he deserves. Boldin and Jones should have been in contention for SB MVP (especially the latter), and Boldin had to have been close to the MVP of the post season for the Ravens. It is a pity we can't have co-MVPs as their performances won the trophy as far as I am concerned. But since Flacco did make more plays than they did individually, I am not too fussed.

I can't quite call Flacco's deep field throws "bricks" but am closer to Patsfansince74 in calling them "heaves". I am tempted to call such throws a "Flacco or Flakey Mary" (Hail Flacco doesn't feel or read right). In many cases they are 50/50 and carry the bonus of drawing a DPI call. Flacco was bleating for one in the game that wasn't even close, but that's why they are thrown. Like other posters have pointed out the similarities to Eli are now even closer.

Overall the Ravens deserved their 2nd Lombardi. They did play well throughout the playoffs, none more so than against us (I so wish we had met the Ravens that played the Broncos, we might even have been able to give last night's team a better run for their money). I was particularly impressed on how they recovered from the 49er onslaught courtesy of the stadium lights, though even with the extra half hour rest, their D looked gassed at the end of the game. Kudos to the coaching on that last minute safety else it would have been a nail biter at the end because I couldn't see that D resist the rhythm and drive that the 49ers had reached in both running and passing games.

I am sure Flacco will get close to $25m a year but this will hamper the Ravens attempts to rejuvenate their defense, unless of course they strike gold in draft and free agency.

In the end I am happy to have the Lombardi back in AFC hands, the NFC was getting a little too arrogant, so thank you John H for bringing them back to earth.

 

[upstater1]

He has a good point. The pats short passing game results in a lot of 3rd and 5s. Miss one of those and you're out and the drive is stopped.

So much for paying welker 10M a year or whtaever he wants. It's great he can first downs, but why are we always in 3rd and 5?

But, the stats belie this point. Patriots convert 3rd downs in the 55% range. Broncos and Packers are in the 35% range.

 

[upstater1]

And there are still people here who think asking for another big guy is being stupid, since the Pats offense was one of the best ever (except teams that matter).

I'm reading the exact opposite. I'm reading others like me saying, sure, we'd love a great new WR, but that with Gronk this team not only has the best offense, but would have won the SB last year (I'm not going to say they would have won it this year since I think SF handled NE pretty handily this year).