Struggling Offense

[hwc]

This is like ground hog day all over again. The Pats go into the playoffs with an offense that has been steadily declining over the last month of the season and is now pretty much stopped in its tracks. Other than one good half against Miami, the offense has struggled consistently. I have no idea what has unravelled.

Any ideas what the Pats can do going forward:

1) Practice gaining more than 1 yard on a 2nd & 2 or 3rd & 2 running play?

2) Go full 2001 dink and dunk and try to win 13 to 10 in the playoffs?

3) Go full Flacco? Just have Brady close his eyes and heave it deep on every series, hoping to connect 3 or 4 times per game?

4) Switch to the wildcat offense?

5) Run nothing but trick plays?

Beats me. Belichick and McDaniels need to go into their secret lair and mix up some kind of offensive potion. The defense is stout, but the Pats aren't going far without scoring some TDs.

What's the solution?

 

[SunsOutGunsOut]

Lmao..

 

[BradyToAmendola]

Lol.

You're seriously suggesting switching to the wild cat offense or running nothing but trick plays?

Alrighty then.

I was expecting the offense to look like that without Gronk and Edelman and 2 of their starting offensive linemen against one of the best defenses in the NFL.

 

[hwc]

I was expecting the offense to look like that without Gronk and Edelman and 2 of their starting offensive linemen against one of the best defenses in the NFL.

How about last week?

 

[Fixit]

Sweet Christmas, this board is all but unreadable unless the Pats are winning every game by 20.

 

[patman12]

Sign Tebow and move to the wildcat.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

They scored 41 and 34 the last two games last year. In 2012 they ended the season with a 28-0 win, 2011 was closed out scoring 49 points. So I don't know what you're talking about.

 

[Fixit]

How about last week?

You mean with no Edelman or Connelly and against a division rival on the road, and against the one coach who routinely gives them fits because it's his Super Bowl? Yeah, great point.

 

[Seahawxx]

Didn't watch the game but the Bills have shutdown Rodgers and P. Manning.
I was going to put money on them this morning but i forgot.

The Bills have been doing well against top tier QBs. I dont think you will play a defense as good as the Bills in the AFC playoffs.

 

[Guts]

Past two weeks was more of them trying to stay healthy for the playoff run the offense will be fine finally a healthy gronk

 

[hwc]

I'm talking about every year, starting in 2007, the Pats offense has sputtered in the post season, in exactly the same way it's sputtering now. Pressure on the QB. Defenses sitting on the screens and short stuff. Last year, they masked it for a couple of games with Blount's running.

My theory is that:

a) The opponents in the playoffs are good.
b) With a season of game film, opposing offenses have figured out what the Pats like to do.

Those are pretty obvious causes. I'm more interested in what the heck the Pats can do to score some TDs. They can't start games in the tournament with multiple three and outs and 6 points at half time. Is there a change they can make (besides just "executing better")? Or is the team in trouble if the defense doesn't get some short field turnovers/points?

 

[Rob0729]

I cannot believe Brady couldn't move the ball today considering the offense was almost at full strength. All they were missing were Edelman, Gronk, Connolly, and Vollmer. People act like they were without the real studs of this team like Tyms, Hooman, Kline, and Cannon.

 

[Rob0729]

I'm talking about every year, starting in 2007, the Pats offense has sputtered in the post season, in exactly the same way it's sputtering now. Pressure on the QB. Defenses sitting on the screens and short stuff. Last year, they masked it for a couple of games with Blount's running.

My theory is that:

a) The opponents in the playoffs are good.
b) With a season of game film, opposing offenses have figured out what the Pats like to do.

Those are pretty obvious causes. I'm more interested in what the heck the Pats can do to score some TDs. They can't start games in the tournament with multiple three and outs and 6 points at half time. Is there a change they can make (besides just "executing better")? Or is the team in trouble if the defense doesn't get some short field turnovers/points?

So the offense sputtered last week because the opponents the Pats will be facing starting two weeks from now are good?

 

[Tunescribe]

This is like ground hog day all over again. The Pats go into the playoffs with an offense that has been steadily declining over the last month of the season and is now pretty much stopped in its tracks. Other than one good half against Miami, the offense has struggled consistently. I have no idea what has unravelled.

Any ideas what the Pats can do going forward:

1) Practice gaining more than 1 yard on a 2nd & 2 or 3rd & 2 running play?

2) Go full 2001 dink and dunk and try to win 13 to 10 in the playoffs?

3) Go full Flacco? Just have Brady close his eyes and heave it deep on every series, hoping to connect 3 or 4 times per game?

4) Switch to the wildcat offense?

5) Run nothing but trick plays?

Beats me. Belichick and McDaniels need to go into their secret lair and mix up some kind of offensive potion. The defense is stout, but the Pats aren't going far without scoring some TDs.

What's the solution?

This post is so bad even a thumbs-down "dislike" is too good for it.

 

[A man named Brady]

The O goes as the offensive line goes. When the Line was playing well in October and November we were scoring at a 2007 Clip. When the line went back to mediocre/poor in December the offense fell off(aside from the 3rd quarter against Miami.)

 

[Danger Zone]

This guy is a Brady hating troll.

He has dozens and dozens of posts trying to get his trollish little digs in. Does it after almost every interception or poor half of Patriot or Brady football.

For example:

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...-a-napoleon-quote.1114244/page-3#post-4027587

 

[Rob0729]

I'm talking about every year, starting in 2007, the Pats offense has sputtered in the post season, in exactly the same way it's sputtering now. Pressure on the QB. Defenses sitting on the screens and short stuff. Last year, they masked it for a couple of games with Blount's running.

My theory is that:

a) The opponents in the playoffs are good.
b) With a season of game film, opposing offenses have figured out what the Pats like to do.

Those are pretty obvious causes. I'm more interested in what the heck the Pats can do to score some TDs. They can't start games in the tournament with multiple three and outs and 6 points at half time. Is there a change they can make (besides just "executing better")? Or is the team in trouble if the defense doesn't get some short field turnovers/points?

I wasn't going to actually respond, but I decided I will.

Most offenses do struggle more in the playoffs because defenses are allowed to play.

As for your second point, it is silly. The Pats don't really change up their offense from year to year. But the Pats do score a lot of points in many playoffs games (see lat year's Colts' game or the Texans the year before). The Pats' biggest problem in the last few years has been the lack of Gronk.

 

[PatriotsInGA]

I'm talking about every year, starting in 2007, the Pats offense has sputtered in the post season, in exactly the same way it's sputtering now. Pressure on the QB. Defenses sitting on the screens and short stuff. Last year, they masked it for a couple of games with Blount's running.

My theory is that:

a) The opponents in the playoffs are good.
b) With a season of game film, opposing offenses have figured out what the Pats like to do.

Those are pretty obvious causes. I'm more interested in what the heck the Pats can do to score some TDs. They can't start games in the tournament with multiple three and outs and 6 points at half time. Is there a change they can make (besides just "executing better")? Or is the team in trouble if the defense doesn't get some short field turnovers/points?

No you're not. You mentioned in your original post that

This is like ground hog day all over again. The Pats go into the playoffs with an offense that has been steadily declining over the last month of the season

This implies that you have thought for the past few seasons that the Patriots offense has declined in the final month of the season. The past few seasons would show that you are wrong.

If you wanted to talk about how the Pats offense has not shown up in playoffs you could have a small argument there. HOWEVER, the Pats have put up 40 burgers in the past 3 divisional round games they have played, so your argument lacks some key support there.

If you wanted to talk about how the Pats offense not has shown up in playoff losses, then you might have a case. The last 5 or 6 playoff losses can be contributed to a lack of offense, but they were losses for a reason.

TL;DR Your logic is flawed in more ways than one. I recommend at least sticking to one argument rather than making a generalization that can be picked apart.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

If Connolly comes back healthy, it will make a huge difference. Might not seem like it, but one man on that line can change everything. Once Stork was ready he solidified the C position and allowed Wendell to move over to G. With that line fully healthy they really only 'struggled' in two games (21 pts against GB and 23 pts against SD which are far from anemic anyhow). Also keep in mind those 21 pts came in GB despite our defense being unable to get off the field and a big margin in TOP. The Jets game we were without Edelman/Connolly and today was essentially a preseason game, not much you can draw from it.

 

[ender24601]

I think we should start Gronk, Edelman, and Connolly, and then play at home, like we did against Miami a couple games ago where we put up 41. Also, we should not play the Bills again who had success previously against Manning and Rodgers, as Seahawxx pointed out.

That should do the trick. No need for trick plays or wild cat formations!