The Official Pats at Ravens Post Game Thread

[DocHoliday]

Just for once, I'd like to see the offense take the heat off the defense in one of these games -- 4 minutes left, we needed a few first downs to go into victory formation. We got distracted with the penalty calls, but ultimately, the offensive line just crapped the bed and couldn't do it. It's not fair to blame the offense, but this is the team we have, and they need to make it happen.

At this point, if we are winning by less than a touchdown, screw it. Don't punt. I don't care if it's 4th and 20. What good does a net 20 yard punt do? The Ravens made that up in 1 play, just like the Giants did in the super bowl. The yards don't matter. Just go for it. Even if you don't make it, maybe the other team will score faster and at least the offense will have a chance. If there's like 20 seconds left and the clock is factor, fine, but if the other team has enough time to score against this defense, they will.

Three of the last four games have been pretty excruciating.

I would like the Pats to try to go for more 4th downs. If anyone can make it look good, its the Patriots.

 

[AluminumMessiah]

The refs were terrible, painfully bad.

The D never pressured Flacco, it made no sense to have Jones on the bench during the drive that Arrington went out for a play. Jones' first two plays back were the negated sack and the TD where he was on Flacco's heals.

Head scratching play calling on offense quite a few times. We have a real RB in Ridley but keep him on the sideline for Woodhead (this pains me more than anything).

Nice pick by Gregory, but he looks too small to tackle even Woodhead, let Wilson play and make rookie mistakes, it can't be any worse than what is happening on the back end currently.

The O line looked much better in pass protection, we have to get Gronk the ball. The guy is dominant as we all know.

Deion Branch is wondering what the heck he came back for after tonight.

BB should have tackled that ref after the game, I would have pitched in to help pay the fine.

 

[Deus Irae]

Some things I took from tonight:

Arrington - Not a starter quality CB
McCourty - Not a starter quality CB
Gregory - Not a starter quality S
Ninkovich - Not a starter quality DE
Chung - Needs to be in a system where he can mostly stay in the box
Offense - excellent when running with Welker and a middle-deep threat
Mankins - Not back, but getting healthier
Wendell - Needs upgrading
Connolly - Needs upgrading if he can't be moved to center

Horrible playcalling in the last offensive Patriots series.

 

[RayClay]

Obvious the officiating was out of control. They could have controlled the game merely buy putting their best personnel on the field. Who thinks the ravens respect play action by Woodhead? You might as well have an empty backfield.

 

[Dr Pain]

That was the worst officiated game I think I have ever seen. Tons of things (against both teams) that weren't called that should have been. Tons of things (against both teams) that were called but shouldn't have. I've never seen BB anywhere near that unhinged after a game before. In a way (a big way) I hope he drops the "it is what it is" demeanor in his next press conference and just totally unloads on the league for the officiating mess both tonight and the whole season thus far.

Oh, and Torrey Smith would look great in a Pats uniform. My condolences Mr. Smith.

I was very impressed with the Ravens new style of offensive blocking of wrapping your arm around the neck of a rushing player. It seemed very effective as it happened almost every play.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Re: So close and yet so far

Back-to-back losses, by 3 points combined.

Am I p***ed off about losing a game that could have been won? Yes.

Am I more p***ed off about the refs? Yes.

Do I think that the Patriots can play better? Yes.

DO I think that the Patriots will play better? Yes.

Do I think that the Patriots will beat the Bills? Yes.

Could easily be 3-0..but they are 1-2. Hopefully the beat the Bills..but now week to week i have no idea with this team...with the D suck..will the O suck

 

[condon84]

they tried..he took the worst sack i have seen in a long time...that was the turning point

We had two possessions late in the fourth that could have iced the game. Both possessions did not have the same aggressive approach as the earlier possessions.

Do we blame the plays that are being called? Or do we blame Brady for tightening up? Something just didn't look right those two last possessions.

 

[Froob]

Even when McCourty did make a good play they just made up a bogus holding call.....

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Arguably this was Brandon Spikes worst game in a while,he was not the run stopper he usually is.

 

[letekro]

Pretty strong showing to come so close against that team playing with all that emotion at home. BUT....first problem...Patriots are still not able to stretch the field. Lloyd was supposed to provide this but it looks like is more of an intermediate option at the present. Second problem.....no pass rush....third problem.....no ball skills in the secondary. Teams can just chuck it up as they know there is no chance it will be picked off.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

We had two possessions late in the fourth that could have iced the game. Both possessions did not have the same aggressive approach as the earlier possessions.

Do we blame the plays that are being called? Or do we blame Brady for tightening up? Something just didn't look right those two last possessions.

It's not the play calling at all. Brady took a **** sack and then it was 3 & 16 nd you knew they weren't getting that...

 

[BradyToAmendola]

Baltimore's Oline manhandled our defensive line, and our secondary blows, so it really isn't too much of a surprise we sucked. If we don't get pressure with our front 4 and we're facing a capable QB (aka not Kolb) then we will get shredded.

 

[Deus Irae]

That was the worst officiated game I think I have ever seen. Tons of things (against both teams) that weren't called that should have been. Tons of things (against both teams) that were called but shouldn't have. I've never seen BB anywhere near that unhinged after a game before. In a way (a big way) I hope he drops the "it is what it is" demeanor in his next press conference and just totally unloads on the league for the officiating mess both tonight and the whole season thus far.

Oh, and Torrey Smith would look great in a Pats uniform. My condolences Mr. Smith.

Wallace over Tate and Smith over Vereen, and this is a very interesting offense, indeed.

 

[ensoul]

This team is just built like last years team, and the year before that and the year before that. They will beat up the weak teams, have a decent record, get into the playoffs and once they have to face a decent QB (whether is it round 1, the super bowl and somewhere in between) they will get their asses handed to them. Happens every year and I don't see how this year is any different.

 

[Jackson 2]

This one's easy. I attended the first Pats game ever in 1960 and I've seen it all. Worst screw job ever. I don't give 2 shyts about all the spoiled young'uns around here who've only known success and will be doom and glooming all night. The Ravens would not have lost this game once that last drive started with these refs in a million years. Live as long as I have and you'll come to realize that it's possible to get a good fu$%&ng and not enjoy it. Happened tonight.

 

[FCB02062]

We've all seen this movie before...Patriots are up by 1 or 2, can't close out the game on offense, and they punt and the other team gets the ball with 1:40something to play...and this is what happenes every single time. don't blame the refs, blame this team that cannot close out games or, it seems, beat any good teams. didn't they only beat one team with a winning record last year?

I think every single one of us can predict the inside handoff to Danny Freaking Woodhead inside the 30 on 2nd & 7+....

 

[condon84]

Wallace over Tate and Smith over Vereen, and this is a very interesting offense, indeed.

SMH. To think that we could have gotten Smith...

 

[n1e]

I'm so sick of this soft Patriots Defense, god everytime I see Rodney Harrison during the pre-game show it just makes me miss what this defense once was. Yes, I realize the rules have changed but damn. Can we find at least ONE legit corner whose worthy of starting and can play some man coverage and press the the receiver at the LOS.

 

[jnug]

The Pats blew games the same way last year when O'B was the offensive coordinator and when we had regular refs.

The NFL is a league that is biased toward offense. Any idiot can see that. You win games with the tools the league gives you. Once again we had the game on our racket...we had the game won if we simply executed on the last offensive possession and once again we got all conservative and stopped running the plays that we had been winning with all game long. They were not even risky plays that were winning for us tonight. We went right into the same shell we have been going into now for going on three years.

Then if you are going to leave the game in the hands of your defense, again recognize that it is a league that favors offense. That also means it is a league that favors athletes on defense, not defensive schemes or systems. I know this flies in the face of BB's approach to the game. However he has simply carried that approach to far and into a period of time when it no longer works like it once did. The league now allows offensive gazelles to just run free in the defensive secondary. We need one or two real athletes in that defensive backfield instead of guys that know Bill's system forward and backward but cannot stand on their own two feet when the game is literally right on their hands. Both McCourdy and Arrington were literally unable to stand on their own two feet and make easy plays for any decent athlete blowing at least three interceptions that were right in their hands at the critical moments at the end of the game. Bill can still have his defensive schemes and systems but he MUST give in and at least put one or two athletes in that defensive secondary.

Plays win games in the NFL, now more so than ever. Schemes and systems may win quarters and halves but they don't win games...plays do. You need playmakers and you need playmakers based on the way the game is played today, not a decade ago.

 

[hodgey]

Is it only me that feels the penalty calls were not only of the phantom variety but extremely timely towards one team? worst officiated game since the Michael Jordan Scottie Pippen days! The holding call on Mccourty late in the game on 3rd and 14 was total BS. Thats a game changer. Look, its billions of dollrs involved do we really think its not orchestrated?