The OFFICIAL Patriots vs Bills PostGame Thread

[TheBostonStraggler]

Observation that has concerned me for awhile this season. Winning the turnover battle no longer guarantees the Pats a victory, even at home against a weak opponent.

Among the most unnecessary concerns you will probably ever have. Throw away any small sample size you want to look at, ok? If the Patriots (or <fill in the blank team name>) win the TO battle in a given game, they have been given a valuable edge. With that thought there is no further need to worry about that particular statistic....

 

[Joker]

when you re-watch the game, LOOK at the time left on offensive snaps on the Pats last drive...ten, 11 seconds left and they're snapping the ball...McD tries a quick hit no huddle call just before the 2 minute warning...WHY???????????????????????...you are AHEAD!!!!...run it down to the stoppage and get a play that gets TWO YARDS YOU IDIOT!!!!~

Im a homer but I'm not a stupid rah rah pom pom waver...they got outplayed today ...and horribly outcoached...

 

[goheels22002]

@GregABedard
According to @amaliebenjamin, Ryan Fitzpatrick used the word "punk" when talking about Brandon Spikes at the podium.

So what? Fitzpatrick should keep his mouth shut. The sack was clean. What's the point of mouthing off after dropping to 0-3 in the Division and basically being knocked out of the playoffs?

I am not sure what it is about the Bills. They played a helluva game, but when they needed a play, they either committed penalty or a turnover. The Pats defense stepped up when most needed today.

 

[Deus Irae]

...As for firing coaches BB can get rid of McD and Patricia anytime now.

The Patriots are scoring at an all-time sort of level. Why would BB be so stupid as to fire McDaniels with that being the case?

 

[coolguy]

when you re-watch the game, LOOK at the time left on offensive snaps on the Pats last drive...ten, 11 seconds left and they're snapping the ball...McD tries a quick hit no huddle call just before the 2 minute warning...WHY???????????????????????...you are AHEAD!!!!...run it down to the stoppage and get a play that gets TWO YARDS YOU IDIOT!!!!~

Im a homer but I'm not a stupid rah rah pom pom waver...they got outplayed today ...and horribly outcoached...

Mcd doesn't want to ruin the momentum/tempo of the offense. It'S a great gameplan when it works

 

[DaBruinz]

He got his head driven into the ground. Brady yells at the officials when someone brushes his leg.

Umm.. BS. Spikes didn't DRIVE Fitzpatrick's head in the ground. That would imply that Spikes grabbed Fitz's helmet (which didn't happen). When a 270lb. guy jumps up and towards you to bring prevent you from throwing the ball, if you don't move, you are going to get shmushed. And that is what happened.

Spikes' helmet DID NOT touch Fitzpatrick's helmet which is what the call was on the field. Spikes' arms did not touch the helmet until after they were on the ground and Spikes' body was sliding across Fitzpatrick's facemask. As I stated, Fitzpatrick's helmet wasn't secured properly to begin with. He's got no one to blame but himself for his helmet coming off.

 

[RodThePat]

And replace them with whom?

Exactly. I find it hilarious when people criticize Patricia, as if he's out there doing his own thing, and not running the system Belichick taught him to run, calling the plays Belichick wants him to call, and coaching the team the way Belichick wants him to coach.

 

[RodThePat]

The Patriots are scoring at an all-time sort of level. Why would BB be so stupid as to fire McDaniels with that being the case?

Because they're only the 8th best offense of all time in terms of points per game. Lots of room to grow there, Josh simply isn't getting the most out of this offense.

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

Umm.. BS. Spikes didn't DRIVE Fitzpatrick's head in the ground. That would imply that Spikes grabbed Fitz's helmet (which didn't happen). When a 270lb. guy jumps up and towards you to bring prevent you from throwing the ball, if you don't move, you are going to get shmushed. And that is what happened.

Spikes' helmet DID NOT touch Fitzpatrick's helmet which is what the call was on the field. Spikes' arms did not touch the helmet until after they were on the ground and Spikes' body was sliding across Fitzpatrick's facemask. As I stated, Fitzpatrick's helmet wasn't secured properly to begin with. He's got no one to blame but himself for his helmet coming off.

He clearly has more experience with head trauma than you, so you should respect his opinion...

 

[WhoaDirty]

Another nail biter but a win is a win and I'll take it. Hopefully Talib will integrate into our system and be the help we need in the secondary.

As for firing coaches BB can get rid of McD and Patricia anytime now.

Yup, let's get rid of the offensive coordinator who has the team on pace for a performance in the top 10 of all time. McDaniels makes some bonehead calls occasionally, but he is still great for this offense.

 

[Uncle Rico]

And Spikes responds. In his own way:

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet
Spikes responds. RT @BrandonSpikes55: Bahahahahahaaaa !! *WizkhalifaLaugh*

 

[Joker]

Exactly. I find it hilarious when people criticize Patricia, as if he's out there doing his own thing, and not running the system Belichick taught him to run, calling the plays Belichick wants him to call, and coaching the team the way Belichick wants him to coach.

yeah, he IS doing that...but it's like a robot with a limited hard drive...as far as coaching the team the WAY BB wants...uh...you're out of your mind...NOBODY coaches arm tackling and just jogging as the runner runs right past you for an extra 20 yards...TODAY was the worst display of defensive tackling I've seen out of a BB team since he took over

 

[Cassanova792]

Individually, we have a young but talented defense out there but the problem lays in not utilizing those individuals in their respective strengths but rather we keep playing schemes that actually neutralize what their good at. No matter how good your players are, if they are constantly out of position due to scheme they WILL get beat.

For example you have Spikes dropping into coverage in most passing plays: Why? His strength is stopping the run or going after the QB. This doesn't mean Spikes is a bad player, he is just not utilized properly. This is the problem i see with this defense. Individually we have a lot of talented playmakers, cohesively they suck. The issue is scheme and it's BB and Patricia's fault.

 

[RodThePat]

yeah, he IS doing that...but it's like a robot with a limited hard drive...as far as coaching the team the WAY BB wants...uh...you're out of your mind...NOBODY coaches arm tackling and just jogging as the runner runs right past you for an extra 20 yards...TODAY was the worst display of defensive tackling I've seen out of a BB team since he took over

What are you talking about? Yes, the team has those problems, but when did I say they were playing poorly because they are coached to do so? All I'm saying is this is Belichick's defense, not Patricia's. Calling for Matt ******* Patricia to be fired is absolutely dumb, because he's doing what Belichick is telling him to do. He's running his system. If you think anyone here is at fault for this mess, it's Bill.

 

[upstater1]

yeah, he IS doing that...but it's like a robot with a limited hard drive...as far as coaching the team the WAY BB wants...uh...you're out of your mind...NOBODY coaches arm tackling and just jogging as the runner runs right past you for an extra 20 yards...TODAY was the worst display of defensive tackling I've seen out of a BB team since he took over

Exactly right, bad tackling is a matter of effort. Ninkovich is supposed to be an effort guy. I was shocked to see him half-arsing it out there.

A Patriot team jogging?

It was unbelievable.

Those worried about the tackling should only be worried that the Patriots have quit for some reason. I have no idea why they weren't into this game. Bizarre.

The trend coming off the bye the last few years has been lackadaisical play.

 

[DaBruinz]

But I still don't know how Buffalo came up with that last one. Did they really?

Thanks for your comments.

Eric Wood and his 310lbs dove into the pile and knocked the ball loose from Chandler Jones, though I am not sure that Jones had full control over it.

 

[PatsDeb]

OMG the defense will be the death of me. Props to McCourtey for making a play when all appeared lost! They'd better have Talib out on the field tomorrow morning at 9:00 sharp!

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Dean Pees, Corwin Brown, Adalius Thomas (just to name a few) are all waving at you. And before you say that Pees contract as up, I know. And the Patriots CHOSE not to bring him back. And they did fire Brown. They benched Thomas. They also cut Haynesworth, remember..

People seem to forget that we have an extremely young defense. They expect them to be playing like the 2003 or 2004 defense that had 8 or 9 guys starting who had been here for 3+ years... Wilfork is the only guy on defense with more than 4 years experience in this defense. THAT should tell you all something.

A nice plateful of perspective. Interestingly, when you look around the NFL, adequately competent offenses are piling up yards every Sunday. The Patriots are just making it a bit easier . But with the D so young and, potentially, the best CB we have playing next Sunday, there is some evidence to suggest their will be a bit of improvement. And in the modern day NFL, a marginally competent defense appears to make it one of the better defenses.

As porous as the D was -- and they were porous! -- that is two weeks in a row that they needed to make a stop in the final series of the game and did. It would be wrong to praise the play of the D today because they don't deserve it........but some praise for 2 straight games of making the must have stops is fair.

 

[Foxypats]

Always happy when we win. Some games just give me alot of anxiety like this one!

 

[WhoaDirty]

The Patriots secondary is so maligned the last couple years that when they actually have a decent game like today, and still people are calling them out. The problem wasn't the secondary today, it was the front seven, specifically the LBs. Out of Fitzpatrick's 337 yards, 165 were to wideouts. Spiller and Jackson accounted for 246 yards in total offense. You can't blame that on the DBs. Nor the 76 yards the TEs picked up versus the LBs.

The DBs didn't play great, but if the front seven had played at the same level as them, the game would not have been close at the end.