The Bailey INT - story by Tomase - Nice reporting

[fgssand]

This is a perfect example of the kind of reporting that is of great interest - it is all about football, providing really great analysis. No agendas, no politics no BS - just a well told interesting read.Nice going Tomase.


“I knew what they were doing,†Brady said. “I rolled right and tried to throw it over (Bailey’s) head. I just didn’t get enough on it and he made us pay.â€


“Every time we blitzed, they would try to run pick routes to rub us off each other,†Bailey said. “We just decided the next time we do it, it would be an in-and-out call. They just kind of fell right into our lap.â€



http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=158585

 

[richpats]

I think its ironic in a game (and season) where Brady had been throwing high due to his injury, his most critical INT would come on a play where he didn't throw it high enough.

It was a big play by Denver, definitely the heads-up kind of adjustment that can help win a game. Though I think the pick gets overhyped b/c of the return (and its effect on the outcome)- we've seen some Brady INT's in playoff games before and they didn't cost us the game, truth be told we had hope down 17-6 but we decided to make matters worse for ourselves.

 

[BradyManny]

Well written or not, the story still makes me want to vomit all over myself.

 

[Brownfan80]

Well written or not, the story still makes me want to vomit all over myself.

It still to this day bums me out that my boy Troy Brown couldn't somehow break up the INT. He's usually so good at that. But I guess his momentum from leaping to try and get to the highest point took him away from Bailey too much. Ah well, spilt milk at this point.

 

[BradyManny]

It still to this day bums me out that my boy Troy Brown couldn't somehow break up the INT. He's usually so good at that. But I guess his momentum from leaping to try and get to the highest point took him away from Bailey too much. Ah well, spilt milk at this point.

I normally blame receivers whenever I can for Brady's INTs, but I don't think I can this time. I'll just blame the OL instead

Seriously though, the thought of that game makes me want to crawl into a cave indefinitely. I can only imagine what the players feel like and how good it will feel to beat the living crap out of Denver Sunday nite.

 

[Oswlek]

I still maintain that over 33% of the CBs in the league would have made that int, and the rest would have at least broken the play up.

Bailey made the play, but it was a play that was t'd up for him.

 

[richpats]

I normally blame receivers whenever I can for Brady's INTs, but I don't think I can this time. I'll just blame the OL instead

Seriously though, the thought of that game makes me want to crawl into a cave indefinitely. I can only imagine what the players feel like and how good it will feel to beat the living crap out of Denver Sunday nite.

Without the sour the sweet ain't as sweet. We've been on a hell of a run the last 5 years but winning this game will feel much sweeter than any regular season game we've played in a while.

 

[captain stone]

Without the sour the sweet ain't as sweet. We've been on a hell of a run the last 5 years but winning this game will feel much sweeter than any regular season game we've played in a while.

Yes, it will.

Even sweeter still: beating the donkeys in the playoffs.

That is, if the donkeys make the playoffs.

 

[Michael]

I still maintain that over 33% of the CBs in the league would have made that int, and the rest would have at least broken the play up.

Bailey made the play, but it was a play that was t'd up for him.

Ironically, I still recall Belichick saying (on WEEI) before they left for Denver that Bailey was probably the best CB in the NFL. It was the only Denver player that he really praised.

Between the officials with heads up their collective asses and the Pats forced to overcome that the whole thing was a fluke. Denver was exposed the following week. As everyone knew they would be. And they will not even make it to the play-offs this year. 'nuff said.

 

[richpats]

This is what kills me about Denver- they manage to escape us in the playoffs when we've had great years and the ONE year they have a better year we have to play them in their house.

If they keep up this kind of play, they won't make the playoffs. We likely will, and they'll manage to escape a January trip to Foxboro (again) by sucking.

 

[mtbykr]

Nice piece by Tommasse. He's usually pretty good--even on "Sports Tonight"

 

[the taildragger]

I still maintain that over 33% of the CBs in the league would have made that int, and the rest would have at least broken the play up.

Bailey made the play, but it was a play that was t'd up for him.

again, like most of tom's "bad decisions," you have to put it in CONTEXT...they were burning champ and the rookie for 3 quarters on pick plays...that was a smart defensive adjustment by Champ borne out of anticipation...sure, after the ball left his hand it looked stupid because Champ got the early break on it, but we as fans tend to overlook the context of the game. no play happens in isolation. all these analysts who break down specfic highlights are seriously misrepresenting the factors at work on that play. at a minimum, you have to consider the entire game to understand what's going on with a particular play.

didn't help that troy (god bless him) is about 5'2" and 62 years old either.

when your qb has the lowest int/att ratio in playoff history (still does I believe), you kind of expect something to happen sooner or later...sad it went back for 100 though...but that's the perfect encapsulation of that whole damn game.

hopefully we can erase the memory this week, but based on the trasition we're going through in the passing game, we're definitely counting on the defense/ground game to help carry us for at least the next few weeks.

btw, I keep hearing how everyone is loading up in the box to stop our run on first downs...I'm sorry but as good as we're running it, I still din't see Bills/Jets "stuffing the box" against brady...you just can't...his mere presence opens up the ground game. So far -- and this could change -- but so far, the reverse hasn't materialized...play action isn't consistently there yet (I'm surprised by this as much as anyone but it's an indication that defenses STILL consider 12 the biggest weapon we have).

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

btw, I keep hearing how everyone is loading up in the box to stop our run on first downs...I'm sorry but as good as we're running it, I still din't see Bills/Jets "stuffing the box" against brady...you just can't...his mere presence opens up the ground game. So far -- and this could change -- but so far, the reverse hasn't materialized...play action isn't consistently there yet (I'm surprised by this as much as anyone but it's an indication that defenses STILL consider 12 the biggest weapon we have).

Tell it to NEM! :rocker:

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

again, like most of tom's "bad decisions," you have to put it in CONTEXT...they were burning champ and the rookie for 3 quarters on pick plays...that was a smart defensive adjustment by Champ borne out of anticipation...sure, after the ball left his hand it looked stupid because Champ got the early break on it, but we as fans tend to overlook the context of the game. no play happens in isolation. all these analysts who break down specfic highlights are seriously misrepresenting the factors at work on that play. at a minimum, you have to consider the entire game to understand what's going on with a particular play.

didn't help that troy (god bless him) is about 5'2" and 62 years old either.

when your qb has the lowest int/att ratio in playoff history (still does I believe), you kind of expect something to happen sooner or later...sad it went back for 100 though...but that's the perfect encapsulation of that whole damn game.

hopefully we can erase the memory this week, but based on the trasition we're going through in the passing game, we're definitely counting on the defense/ground game to help carry us for at least the next few weeks.

btw, I keep hearing how everyone is loading up in the box to stop our run on first downs...I'm sorry but as good as we're running it, I still din't see Bills/Jets "stuffing the box" against brady...you just can't...his mere presence opens up the ground game. So far -- and this could change -- but so far, the reverse hasn't materialized...play action isn't consistently there yet (I'm surprised by this as much as anyone but it's an indication that defenses STILL consider 12 the biggest weapon we have).

Very nicely put. Too bad more casual fans (read:media types) aren't aware of this. Or can't see it.

 

[patsox23]

I have to say, Taildragger rocks. I'm not sure if he's actually a "newbie," 'though his post-total is low, but in any case, I hope he'll post more often.

 

[CheerforTom]

Ironically, I still recall Belichick saying (on WEEI) before they left for Denver that Bailey was probably the best CB in the NFL. It was the only Denver player that he really praised.

They ran an interview with Brady during the summer where he described really being torn up by the whole experience. He (Brady) said that he flipped on the TV one night, and someone was playing an old press conference from before the Denver game, right at the part where he was describing how he was going to have to be real careful on Bailey's side of the field.

I really think the guy was traumatized in some way by the whole thing. To be honest, that's been one theory of mine as to why he's been acting weird in the first two games: he's saving it for Denver.

If I was Brady (God knows I'm not), I'd have looked at our schedule the day it came out, and after seeing Bills, Jets, BRONCOS, I'd know where my attention would be.