The OFFICIAL Patriots vs Bills PostGame Thread

[Deus Irae]

Legit gripes? 1 really bad pass interference call and a questionable hold call. That's not the reason they lost the football game. Plus the commenter made that comment about the all-time series Brady v.s. the Bills.

2 of the PI calls in the end zone were terrible calls on uncatchable passes.

 

[CityOfChampions]

2 of the PI calls in the end zone were terrible calls on uncatchable passes.

What was the other bad PI? The only clearly bad one was the uncatchable pass to Lloyd.

 

[Deus Irae]

What was the other bad PI? The only clearly bad one was the uncatchable pass to Lloyd.

The throw to Gronk

 

[CityOfChampions]

The throw to Gronk

I'll need to see it again but it looked like a PI to me during the game replay.

 

[Fball]

I'll need to see it again but it looked like a PI to me during the game replay.

Ball wasn't catchable. Those 2 PI calls, and the phantom holding on Glenn when the Bills were driving, were huge calls in the game.

It's part of football, but a team like the Bills generally needs all of the breaks to beat a team like the Pats. The stripes didn't do them any favors today.

 

[Sciz]

Can anybody say with complete certainty that had he not been interfered with, that Gronk had no chance of laying out and getting his hands under the pass? From the two very pixelated views I saw, I'm not ready to rule that out, and that's what the ref would have had to do to say it was uncatchable. It's one thing to say a pass is uncatchable when it ends up 5 yards out of bounds (the second PI in question), but another to say that a ball is uncatchable when it lands in play and the intended receiver isn't allowed to cleanly make the cut toward the ball.

 

[Deus Irae]

I'll need to see it again but it looked like a PI to me during the game replay.

Can anybody say with complete certainty that had he not been interfered with, that Gronk had no chance of laying out and getting his hands under the pass? From the two very pixelated views I saw, I'm not ready to rule that out, and that's what the ref would have had to do to say it was uncatchable. It's one thing to say a pass is uncatchable when it ends up 5 yards out of bounds (the second PI in question), but another to say that a ball is uncatchable when it lands in play and the intended receiver isn't allowed to cleanly make the cut toward the ball.

It wasn't even close to catchable.

 

[Cassanova792]

"Belichick, now in his 38th season in the NFL, knows more about X's and O's than most, so it's puzzling why this has been a recurring theme for his team. His offense has evolved with the changing game, but the defense has been slower to adjust.

It makes one wonder if the issues begin with a philosophy that seems light on imaginative pressure calls and heavy on a conservative make-the-offense-work-its-way-down-the-field approach. The four-man pass rush, as it's been for some time now, is inconsistent."

-Mike Reiss on tonights recap.

He was always saying it was a lack of talent in the secondary, now he is waivering on what most of us have been saying all along.... its the scheme!

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Fitzpatrick's ineptitude saved the day. The defense had no hand in forcing that.

You actually don't know that to be true. The play called by the Bills may have been something practiced by the Patriot D and the result would be a higher % chance at an incomplete pass or an INT. Fitz, TB, Manning etc etc throw INTs. And while on TV it may look like the QB simply threw it to the wrong guy, you don't see the POV of the QB or what the defense has done to make him believe that pass will be completed. There, potentially, is more to the story than the QB simply didn't see the defender who was simply lucky to be in the right spot without any purpose otherwise.

That is not to say the defense played well. This was one of the poorer defensive performances of the year (this was a collective effort by all parts of the D to be poor). However, because the overall play was poor does not mean anything they did do actually well had to be because the Bills simply didn't try hard enough or simply made an unforced error......maybe.

 

[DaBruinz]

Is this guy serious? What the **** did you expect the team leader to say? "Well the defense really let us down today" Sorry, but you're a fool if you really think Brady feels that way.

What I expect him to say is exactly what he said. That the defense saved the offense when the game was on the line because the offense didn't seal the deal on the series before.

Unfortunately, you insist on reading more into everything, thinking people are saying more than they are. It makes you look absolutely foolish. What's sad is that you do it consistently, making yourself more of a sidenote than a real contributor.

 

[DaBruinz]

Brady's also not going to trash the defense publicly. The fact of the matter is that they played absolutely horribly up until and including the final drive of the game. Fitzpatrick gifted that throw and put it right between the 3 and the 2. Once again, the defense did nothing to "save the day" except for hanging onto a gifted INT.

And maybe you should quit trying to talk down to people, fat boy.

Gotta love the BS you spew. The fact of the matter is that the Pats defense was up and down all game. You seem to have missed the forced fumble on the 1 yard line just a couple series prior to the interception. I didn't. And the reason that Fitzpatrick hit McCourty between the numbers is because TJ Graham ran the wrong route and Fitzpatrick couldn't see McCourty. You claim to know so much about football, but you miss the basics on a play like that.

BTW, if I was "talking down to you", I be using words like moron, idiot, lame-brain, etc. Things that you readily would understand. Do yourself a favor and stop while your behind. You'll do everyone a world of good.

 

[DaBruinz]

2 of the PI calls in the end zone were terrible calls on uncatchable passes.

They both should have been called illegal contact instead of PI.. One of the few things that "Iron" Eagle got right tonight.

 

[Keyser Söze]

What I expect him to say is exactly what he said. That the defense saved the offense when the game was on the line because the offense didn't seal the deal on the series before.

Unfortunately, you insist on reading more into everything, thinking people are saying more than they are. It makes you look absolutely foolish. What's sad is that you do it consistently, making yourself more of a sidenote than a real contributor.

The defense let the offense drive down the field at will as usual. They got lucky the Bill's rookie WR ran the wrong route and they got the INT. Get your head out of the sand and stop acting like this defense isn't horrible.

And I've noticed you to be more of a clown than someone to take seriously.

People saying more than they are? Are you ******* kidding me? Only someone with a pea sized brain would believe Brady and Branches comments. "Oh before you say anything bad about the defense, look at the PC comments the team leaders made" Stop it's sad.

you're the kiddo who linked "defense saved the day" I'm not reading into it anymore than what's said.

 

[MassPats38]

And here I thought we won the game. People always seem to freak out unless we win by double digits. It's silly. Not every game is pretty or a blowout.

McCourty got the pick to seal the game. Yes our secondary looks bad. But since when has this been news? Chandler caught passes at will over the middle. The defensive middle of the field continues to be a weakness and needs to be fixed. Hopefully Talib's addition to the secondary helps us. Because it needs all the help it can get.

Rick Pitino said it best - the negativity in this town sucks. If you're going to jump off the ledge please do so already so we don't have to hear the whining after yet another win.

I'm happy with the Pats win. And I'm looking forward to next week against the Colts.

Happy to hear your sentiment. I am excited to see what Talib can do. The Pats secondary was lousy in the first 8 games last year and improved down the stretch. I am hoping for a repeat of that, given the fact that the 'lousy' secondary made it to the title game.

This was a divisional game against the Bills - a team that has contributed to some strange games in recent years. Ultimately, a win is a win. There are no "almost lost" standings in the NFL. I would prefer Rams-style blowouts over the late game drama, but I will take the win any day.

 

[jsull87]

Takeaways from this game for me were:
I thought our LB's came out a bit flat after the Bye
McCourty has helped our deep pass D but he need more experience in the run game... could pat chung help with this?
TB played well once again thoes almost INT's really weren't from him making poor throws just tipped balls.
Good running from Ridley who didn't have it all his own way all game.
Great game from Vollmer and Solder making Williams a non factor again.

Look i think we need to put this in perspective, we cam out after the bye with a win against a division rival, some of our receivers and LB's were pretty sloppy today but our Offense as a hole still went along and put up 30+ again.

McCourty, Spikes, Cunningham, Vince all made some big plays but this D needs to get more consistent pressure with the 4 man front or our LB's are going to continue to get toasted in the middle of the field.

 

[stcjones]

That's just the point though....are THEY (team and coaches) really LEARNING anything from their mistakes??? Obviously NOT as we have seen the same problems/errors consistently for SEVERAL years now. Like Curran says "Same old porous Patriots" He's dead right...and everyone in the league knows it. Obviously very happy with any win...but don't see how this team is going to go anywhere this year (not just making it to SB but WINNING it) with these kind of defensive problems ...Little pass rush, wide open middle of field, and underwhelming, average secondary ....alot to work on

The tackling today was some of the worst I've seen from this team in the BB era, that needs to improve.

The middle of the field is always wide open when. we're in zone.

The offense yet again has an opportunity to ice the game and shoots themselves in the foot.

That said a win is a win, learn from it and move on to Indianapolis.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

That's just the point though....are THEY (team and coaches) really LEARNING anything from their mistakes??? Obviously NOT as we have seen the same problems/errors consistently for SEVERAL years now. Like Curran says "Same old porous Patriots" He's dead right...and everyone in the league knows it. Obviously very happy with any win...but don't see how this team is going to go anywhere this year (not just making it to SB but WINNING it) with these kind of defensive problems ...Little pass rush, wide open middle of field, and underwhelming, average secondary ....alot to work on

You're wrong on a couple of accounts: One, the secondary will need to improve to become average. Unfortunate but true. Second, "not going anywhere" and 'winning the SB' are 2 different thought processes. 2011 showed the Patriots with a poor defense can make it to the SB and have a damn good shot at winning it. For us 2012 Patriot fans, what we can hang our hats on is a all but a mirror image of 2011 (with the wild card being what Talib may bring to the table and what the ripple effect of it will be on the rest of the defense). Obviously it's not the ideal especially when compared to what fans could hang their hats on in years past. Yet it is a reality that is a better situation than most teams in the NFL. Don't believe me? Go ask a Phin, Bills, Jets, Cincy, Tenn, Oakland, San Diego, KC, Jax or Browns fan about their mood regarding the 2012 outlook for their team.

 

[jnug]

I can sense that as fans we are a bit impatient. I think that it springs from the almost curtain knowledge that the more recent versions of the Pats bear little resemblance to the teams that actually got to and won SB games. We are in many ways one great QB away from being the Bills, Jets, Cincy, Tenn, Oakland, San Diego, KC, Jax or Browns and that one great QB only has so many games in him before it is over and done.

So we tend to look at every game TB plays as one step closer to that day when he simply cannot do what he does so well. It has become painfully obvious that the price of entry to the possible SB participant club is a guy like TB. It is also obvious that there are not more than five or six of these guys capable of getting the job done in any given year and we have one.

It is also painfully obvious that getting there or even deep into the playoffs and getting there and winning the thing are two different animals. Would we not agree that Eli had much better teams around him in the form of better defenses than TB had around him in their two SB meetings?

We are also anxious to win one more of these things with TB, BB and the Krafts et al' because it is clear that it will be the only way to shut up the "Pats won cause they cheated" crowd. While their insufferable whining is not born out by a shred of truth or fact, we are none the less tired of hearing it and more than a little irritated that the accomplishments of the Kraft Patriots of BB and TB have been treated so cavalierly and with such little regard for the greatness of those teams. You would think these nitwits would just at least give Mr Kraft his due after he literally gave all of us fans of the NFL a year of football that would not have happened had he not brought his skills to bear to help turn the CBA negotiations as he did. Heck even the players give Mr.Kraft his due.

I don't think I can ever forgive Asante Samuel for allowing that sure interception to bounce harmlessly off his temporarily stone hands that January day cause that would have ended it there and then. We would have one more jewel in our crown AND most importantly a jewel that would go a long way to legitimizing the other jewels in that crown, allowing us to simply tune out the nitwits. More importantly it will allow the non-partisan fan to tune out the nitwits making it easier for them to give the Kraft Patriots their due.

 

[goheels22002]

You're wrong on a couple of accounts: One, the secondary will need to improve to become average. Unfortunate but true.

The Patriots are giving up 7.3 net yards per passing attempt compared to the league average of 6.4 net yards per passing attempt. This is a huge gap. (The 49ers give up just 5.2.) The Patriots are 27th in the league in this category.

With seven games to go and the weather beginning to turn, this number can improve drastically, but if it stay the same, the offense will have to win shoot-outs like yesterday. Talib might be a help as would a healthy Chung - two veterans who could be a significant upgrade over the rookies.

It's possible that the secondary will improve, but it needs to start soon. Andrew Luck coming to town would be a good time to begin.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Glad to get this win. Nothing new here for me. Norm seems to be comin down to end of games, sittin on edge of seat HOPING our D holds on. In this case yesterday, Pats made it interesting through out with Bills matching scores at will and Pats never really gettin that seperation.