The official Patriots vs Broncos POST game thread

[strngplyr]

Hmm, just remembered this play:

Hernandez lined up as part of a 2back set on the right side, takes the hand off and gets to the left sideline for 16(?) yards.

I know we've had WR's and TE's in the backfield, but was that the first time (besides Edelmans completely failed attempts in one game, where I believe he tried running between the tackles on every attempt) that we handed it off? I can't think of directly handing it off to a TE outside of that play.

It also showed some of Hernandez's speed, I was impressed with how quickly he got outside. Anyone want to make a .gif of that if you can find the play somewhere?

 

[AluminumMessiah]

I was in Denver for the game and the atmosphere didn't disappoint. I was shocked at what Zombies the Tebow fans are...it's awesome (for them) how exciting the past month or so has been, but no need to lose touch with reality. I've been to a few games in Denver, I love the stadium and enjoy their fans for the most part. Only fight I saw was between two Broncos fans, both wearing Tebow Jerseys, funny sight to see.

The first Denver drive was painful to watch. Had a sinking feeling when Tebow ran out of Nink's tackle. That feeling worsened when the Pats went to Faulk on the first two plays of the first drive. I love the guy for what he has done here, but he isn't going to run around, through, by, or away from anyone ever again. I remember reading a comment in a thread here a few weeks ago that at some point down the stretch or in the playoffs he will make a critical play in a big game. No chance. Again, I loved him, but hate seeing him anywhere near the ball. Ridley, Law Firm, and Woodhead need to be the ones getting every single snap at RB. I may be biased towards Ridley because I was also at the Oakland game in which he was great, but I think he needs to see the ball more. Hernandez' catch and run on the first drive was spectacular. I loved seeing Ocho score, it's been a long year for the guy and as far as we all know, he has been a model Patriot.

The rest of the 1st quarter was tough. The defense was terrible and looked flat. No shocker that Slater didn't see the field again after looking childish out there. I was pretty surprised that Denver didn't go for it when Bill declined the holding. Sure Denver had been running all over NE, but they needed 7. It was only a matter of time till Pats got rolling, Broncos fans knew it too. The 3 fumbles happened so fast and took the steam out of the crowd. Mark Anderson has a high motor and he has been fun to watch all season. I hope we see a lot more of him moving around pre snap and lining up in different spots. Losing Carter stinks, but if it causes the coaches to get a little more creative on defense, that would be fine by me.

I don't know what Devin McCourty was thinking when he stopped on the 3rd and 18 play, but that was brutal. He had a good game other than that play, but I wish he would make it through one full game without a WTF moment. Vince came to the sideline without his helmet on at some point during the game and he and Pepper were barking at each other. I actually liked that, I hope that Vince was sick of being part of an embarrassing defensive effort. It was good to see them turn it around. There is enough talent on this D to play better than they do a lot of the time.

I'm no coach, but I feel like scheme wise or position coaching, we can improve a whole lot on defense. That being said, no amount of coaching or scheme changes will fix the safety position. The two times I've seen them in person they are slow, have no understanding of angles, and seem to be mentally challenged in general. Brown had a decent game, but if I were a good QB, I would look in his direction every play. He looks like he lives to give up big plays. I hope Spikes makes it back before the postseason, I think our LB's can be very solid. I thought the D line was good yesterday. Love has been solid all year long and I hope that Deadrick and Brace get rotated in more liberally. I don't expect to see Chung again this year and I don't think he is a huge upgrade anyways. He is better than anyone we have, but that's not saying much. I thought #44 was good yesterday.

The final TD drive in the fourth was icing. I read some people on here posting that they cringe every time Hernandez touches the ball. I cringe at the thought that he doesn't touch it enough. The guy is so elusive, yes he swings the ball around a bit too much, but he is our most dangerous receiver in terms of making people miss. Yesterday he was the best skill player on the field. He is the 3rd WR and the real X factor as far as I'm concerned. I hope we see more of him as well as Ridley and the running game going forward. This team can run, they just need to call run plays more consistently. The loudest reaction from the crowd was on the Dumervil sack, what a hit. Brady popping up as quick as he did was great, he is one tough dude.

Robert Kraft came over to the Pats tailgate before the game, that was cool. What a classy guy. Whenever I am down on this team, I just remember that we have the best owner in professional sports. Being a Pats fan is an easy job, it's important to remember that. Hopefully this post is productive, I read way too many on here that aren't. I've been a lurker for the past 5 years or so and rarely leave the site feeling good about my time spent here. Let's hope we win the next two games and make some serious noise in the playoffs this year. Happy holidays to all and GO PATS!:rocker:

 

[Mike the Brit]

First and foremost:

1. What a great game! This was football at its most exciting. A terrible first quarter followed by some well-earned breaks and the Pats clawing their way to a lead. Even when it got extended, you never could relax, remembering that first quarter, what Tebow and the Broncos have done recently, what happened in Buffalo. But the Patriots held on till the end, making play after play in the fourth quarter. Unlike some, I loved the quarterback sneaks -- don't lose yards, take time off the clock. I'd have gone for it again, if necessary, on 4th down. At the worst, the Broncs would have been starting on their half-yard line.

2. It's the coaching, stupid! When one team runs for ... what was it?, 167 yards in the first quarter and then is more or less shut down for the rest of the game it shows how much coaching matters. I know that the tackling in that first quarter was pretty horrifying and, no doubt, guys were not executing their assignments, but still ... There's a conspiracy by the media and the NFL to focus as much attention as possible on individual players and plays and to downplay the technical, chess-playing aspects, but they're essential -- and part of what makes the game so fascinating.

Which brings me to

3. Thanks, Jay. Jay (Jays52) gave us a long and thoughtful post before the game on the coaching issues New England faced dealing with such an unusual offense, and -- even better -- he returned with his thoughts afterwards. I did my best to follow the details, though my grasp of football isn't good enough to pick up what's happening in detail from the TV (or, in my case, computer) screen. I'll just say that it enhanced the experience immensely. Why that kind of in-depth analysis isn't provided by the TV broadcasters, if not live then, at least, afterwards by the NFL Network I can't understand. It's as if they're ashamed of having a complex, intricate game to present.

4. BB is what BB is. You'd have to be a pretty negative fan (hello, Fred!) not to appreciate what BB has done this season. Yet again, we're rooting for a team that has won the AFC East and has every prospect of taking the top seed in the conference. And yet there are things it's hard to understand, let alone accept. The carousel in the secondary (safeties especially) is chief among them. Oh yes, there have been injuries, but that invites the question: why are the back-ups so weak? Is there any other team that gives so many roster spots to special-teams players who are a liability if they have to play defense or offense? I ask myself: would you rather have Sanders and Big Bang Clock playing special teams or Slater and Sergio Brown at safety? All you can say is: BB is the way he is and it's worked out pretty well. But, boy, it really is frustrating to watch the Tracy Whites and Koutovideses floundering around ...

5. Hernandez Such an exciting player and it's great to see them looking for ways to get him in space and let him run with the ball (loved the direct handoff). He makes some excellent cuts (though maybe one too many!) He also looks more and more confident catching the ball, which is encouraging. Another target who has TFB's confidence is all to the good. Maybe it's just me, though, but it scares me to watch him carrying the ball -- it always looks as though it's not very secure. But at the moment, I think he's scaring the opponent more than he does me, which is the way I want it.

6. Ocho So much hate! I love him because (1) he's a Patriot, and (2) from what I can make out, he's a smart, interesting, decent person. So I was thrilled to see him catch his first touchdown on a nice play. But what I saw afterwards and for the rest of the game gave me a bad feeling. TFB looked to be anything but ecstatic -- none of the love we got with Randy -- and I noticed Chad looking a bit Rudolf-the-Rednosed-Reindeer as the other guys got together to celebrate and talk over the offensive plays. I hope I'm wrong and this was really Chad's breakthrough.

7. The D-Line Now that the Haynesworth dream is over, I can't help feeling that the Patriots still have a strong defensive line with a lot of depth. I was very happy for Ron Brace and Deaderick seemed to play well as the game went on. Of course, the loss of Andre Carter is a big blow, but Love, Warren, Anderson are other players who are contributing. And I became an Eric Moore fan last year. It goes without saying that one player is indispensable. Thank goodness for Vince!

 

[Betterthanmost]

Did Wilhite play?

 

[Mike the Brit]

Did Wilhite play?

Apparently, yes -- but he doesn't show up in any defensive statistics.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Mental Toughness

Interesting piece by Reiss picking up an answer Belichick gave in interview about whether he'd learned anything about his players from the Denver game.

No, he said. It showed mental toughness to come back after the first quarter, but he already knew that the team had that quality from how they responded to the bad first quarter in Pittsburgh.

I remember the Pittsburgh loss as pretty depressing, but BB saw some good in it -- and he's the coach. Certainly, this is a team that's come out ahead at the end of a few close games this season.

Belichick: Loss to Steelers spoke volumes - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

 

[Uncle Rico]

Mental Toughness

...
I remember the Pittsburgh loss as pretty depressing, but BB saw some good in it -- and he's the coach. Certainly, this is a team that's come out ahead at the end of a few close games this season.

Belichick: Loss to Steelers spoke volumes - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Good link; thanks.

I guess it all comes down to what it has from day one for this team: Prove it in the playoffs. Remember we had a mentally tough team last year; after the Cleveland loss, they went on quite a roll against what I think was a much tougher schedule than this year. They seemed battle-tested then the playoffs came and it was one-and-done again. I do like what I've seen of this team and I hope it carries over to the post-season this time.

 

[Uncle Rico]

I was in Denver for the game and the atmosphere didn't disappoint. ...

Vince came to the sideline without his helmet on at some point during the game and he and Pepper were barking at each other. I actually liked that, I hope that Vince was sick of being part of an embarrassing defensive effort. It was good to see them turn it around. There is enough talent on this D to play better than they do a lot of the time.

...
The loudest reaction from the crowd was on the Dumervil sack, what a hit. Brady popping up as quick as he did was great, he is one tough dude.

Robert Kraft came over to the Pats tailgate before the game, that was cool. What a classy guy.
...

Hopefully this post is productive, I read way too many on here that aren't. I've been a lurker for the past 5 years or so and rarely leave the site feeling good about my time spent here. Let's hope we win the next two games and make some serious noise in the playoffs this year. Happy holidays to all and GO PATS!:rocker:

Hey terrific post. Thanks for the report. On the points above:
• Wait, Vince and Pepper went at it? Where's all the fuss over that? You mean this happens all the time? Weird.
• Yeah, too bad Brady doesn't get as much credit for as toughness as he deserves. He's not a drama queen like some QBs. I'll never know how the heck he held onto that ball either. acting out every bit of pain isn't toughness; the way Brady handles it is.
• Seems like every time a Pats fan posts from a road game they mention seeing Kraft interact with the fans. Class act.
• Don't let some of the noise on the board scare you off. There's lots of good stuff here. Just learn when a thread has gone bad (it does happen a lot) and then laugh it off ignore it.

 

[Mike the Brit]

I guess it all comes down to what it has from day one for this team: Prove it in the playoffs. Remember we had a mentally tough team last year; after the Cleveland loss, they went on quite a roll against what I think was a much tougher schedule than this year. They seemed battle-tested then the playoffs came and it was one-and-done again. I do like what I've seen of this team and I hope it carries over to the post-season this time.

I agree.

This weekend showed once again how much outcomes depend on coaching and game-planning for individual games. (Not just how the Pats turned things around after the first quarter. Think Green Bay, Baltimore, Giants -- all teams that lost to supposedly weaker opponents.) We all knew that really (Jets beat Pats, Pats annihilate Jets, Jets beat Pats). As you say, it wasn't a lack of mental toughness last year -- the adjustments that needed making obviously weren't made or made quickly enough. A good game-plan, good adjustments and a positive turnover balance will help you through most things.

I'm worried by the apparent cluelessness of the Pats' safeties and can't believe that a good quarterback won't take advantage. On the other hand, it would be crazy to write the Patriots off against any opponent. They've done more than enough to show that this season and I'm grateful for having had the chance to see it.

Bring on Miami!

 

[AluminumMessiah]

• Don't let some of the noise on the board scare you off. There's lots of good stuff here. Just learn when a thread has gone bad (it does happen a lot) and then laugh it off ignore it.

Thanks, I will keep this in mind.

 

[JMarr]

Don't know if people are overlooking this, but Ridley looked awesome when he was in there. Had a few really good runs in huge situations. Against a very quick defense looking run, he was quicker and showed a lot of burst. In the second half he was the perfect compliment to BJGE's north-south running.

Still love Woodhead, but he's reached his ceiling. Very optimistic about the running game if Ridley keeps playing like that. Maybe BB has been keeping him under wraps until now.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Still love Woodhead, but he's reached his ceiling.

I don't know. I think that Woodhead looks less dynamic, less of a livewire than last season. It makes me wonder if he isn't carrying an injury that's holding him back.

 

[AluminumMessiah]

Don't know if people are overlooking this, but Ridley looked awesome when he was in there. Had a few really good runs in huge situations. Against a very quick defense looking run, he was quicker and showed a lot of burst. In the second half he was the perfect compliment to BJGE's north-south running.

Ridley is the only guy on the team with a run of 20+ yards, he has two in 59 carries. I'm pretty sure Law Firm's longest is 18 and Woodhead's longest is 12.
I'd like to see a screen pass to Woodhead maybe once a game, it seems like his best chance to get into the open field.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Re: Except for Carter injury, a great week

Pats win. Houston loses. Jests lose. Ratbirds lose. Packers lose.

Gotta love it!

Now if the Niners can just knock off the Squealers tomorrow night, it'll truly be a great week.

They just did. Furthermore, Rohtlesberger is ineffective, if he can't buy time and extend plays with his legs!

He needs to get over that ankle sprain before the Playoffs or its a quick out...

 

[strngplyr]

Ridley is the only guy on the team with a run of 20+ yards, he has two in 59 carries. I'm pretty sure Law Firm's longest is 18 and Woodhead's longest is 12.
I'd like to see a screen pass to Woodhead maybe once a game, it seems like his best chance to get into the open field.

Ridley has all 4 20+ yard runs I believe.

 

[JackBauer]

I don't know. I think that Woodhead looks less dynamic, less of a livewire than last season. It makes me wonder if he isn't carrying an injury that's holding him back.

He was (IMO) pretty clearly playing hurt earlier in the year.

He looks fine now.

 

[AluminumMessiah]

Ridley has all 4 20+ yard runs I believe.

You are right, and Vereen had a 19 yarder, longer than anything Law Firm or Woodhead has produced.

 

[Bella*chick]

He was (IMO) pretty clearly playing hurt earlier in the year.

He looks fine now.

Yes, this was the first game where he looked like he did last year.

 

[captain stone]

I was in Denver for the game and the atmosphere didn't disappoint. I was shocked at what Zombies the Tebow fans are...it's awesome (for them) how exciting the past month or so has been, but no need to lose touch with reality. I've been to a few games in Denver, I love the stadium and enjoy their fans for the most part. Only fight I saw was between two Broncos fans, both wearing Tebow Jerseys, funny sight to see.

The first Denver drive was painful to watch. Had a sinking feeling when Tebow ran out of Nink's tackle. That feeling worsened when the Pats went to Faulk on the first two plays of the first drive. I love the guy for what he has done here, but he isn't going to run around, through, by, or away from anyone ever again. I remember reading a comment in a thread here a few weeks ago that at some point down the stretch or in the playoffs he will make a critical play in a big game. No chance. Again, I loved him, but hate seeing him anywhere near the ball. Ridley, Law Firm, and Woodhead need to be the ones getting every single snap at RB. I may be biased towards Ridley because I was also at the Oakland game in which he was great, but I think he needs to see the ball more. Hernandez' catch and run on the first drive was spectacular. I loved seeing Ocho score, it's been a long year for the guy and as far as we all know, he has been a model Patriot.

The rest of the 1st quarter was tough. The defense was terrible and looked flat. No shocker that Slater didn't see the field again after looking childish out there. I was pretty surprised that Denver didn't go for it when Bill declined the holding. Sure Denver had been running all over NE, but they needed 7. It was only a matter of time till Pats got rolling, Broncos fans knew it too. The 3 fumbles happened so fast and took the steam out of the crowd. Mark Anderson has a high motor and he has been fun to watch all season. I hope we see a lot more of him moving around pre snap and lining up in different spots. Losing Carter stinks, but if it causes the coaches to get a little more creative on defense, that would be fine by me.

I don't know what Devin McCourty was thinking when he stopped on the 3rd and 18 play, but that was brutal. He had a good game other than that play, but I wish he would make it through one full game without a WTF moment. Vince came to the sideline without his helmet on at some point during the game and he and Pepper were barking at each other. I actually liked that, I hope that Vince was sick of being part of an embarrassing defensive effort. It was good to see them turn it around. There is enough talent on this D to play better than they do a lot of the time.

I'm no coach, but I feel like scheme wise or position coaching, we can improve a whole lot on defense. That being said, no amount of coaching or scheme changes will fix the safety position. The two times I've seen them in person they are slow, have no understanding of angles, and seem to be mentally challenged in general. Brown had a decent game, but if I were a good QB, I would look in his direction every play. He looks like he lives to give up big plays. I hope Spikes makes it back before the postseason, I think our LB's can be very solid. I thought the D line was good yesterday. Love has been solid all year long and I hope that Deadrick and Brace get rotated in more liberally. I don't expect to see Chung again this year and I don't think he is a huge upgrade anyways. He is better than anyone we have, but that's not saying much. I thought #44 was good yesterday.

The final TD drive in the fourth was icing. I read some people on here posting that they cringe every time Hernandez touches the ball. I cringe at the thought that he doesn't touch it enough. The guy is so elusive, yes he swings the ball around a bit too much, but he is our most dangerous receiver in terms of making people miss. Yesterday he was the best skill player on the field. He is the 3rd WR and the real X factor as far as I'm concerned. I hope we see more of him as well as Ridley and the running game going forward. This team can run, they just need to call run plays more consistently. The loudest reaction from the crowd was on the Dumervil sack, what a hit. Brady popping up as quick as he did was great, he is one tough dude.

Robert Kraft came over to the Pats tailgate before the game, that was cool. What a classy guy. Whenever I am down on this team, I just remember that we have the best owner in professional sports. Being a Pats fan is an easy job, it's important to remember that. Hopefully this post is productive, I read way too many on here that aren't. I've been a lurker for the past 5 years or so and rarely leave the site feeling good about my time spent here. Let's hope we win the next two games and make some serious noise in the playoffs this year. Happy holidays to all and GO PATS!:rocker:

Excellent post, with which I agree almost completely. I wouldn't throw dirt on Faulk just yet, though; if there's a 3rd/3 & Brady's in the shotgun, I still believe that Faulk could get the 1st down on a draw.

 

[ausbacker]

Excellent post, with which I agree almost completely. I wouldn't throw dirt on Faulk just yet, though; if there's a 3rd/3 & Brady's in the shotgun, I still believe that Faulk could get the 1st down on a draw.

I'd hope it's 3rd and 3 not 4th and 2.

For some reason I have a gut feeling that Faulk may prove useful in the playoffs, for reasons yet to present them self.