The official Pats vs. Rams week pre-game thread

[Rossmci90]

By the number of Pats fans that will be at Wembley, this might as well be a home game for us not to mention, Pats will have traveled through 5 time zones, while the Rams would be traveling through 6

It will feel like a home game.

Pats are far away the best supported team in the UK.

The last game in London was a big Pats crowd.

 

[Calciumee]

The front seven has a lot of trouble getting pressure... but is it just me, or do the Patriots almost NEVER blitz?

And that is why they struggle to get pressure! They don't call a blitz! But it shows that they don't trust the DBs enough!

As for it seeming like a home game, it certainly won't feel like a Rams home game! The Rams don't have a UK supporters club!

 

[dannydyn]

This Bradford guy - - - is he as good as Peyton Manning?

He's no Manning, but he's 10 times better than Sanchez... and the latter clown, just threw a CAREER HIGH 300+ without his number 1 receiver, against our secondary. Sanchez just did a clinic on our secondary. And if not for those multiple miserable drops his receivers had, his numbers would have been even higher.

 

[dannydyn]

Nothing wrong? The front 7 doesn't create havoc or demonstrate enough of a consistent pass rush to be considered anything better than good. That may be scheme/play-calling because Patricia is sucking it up this season.

Sorry, I should have been clearer. I was talking in the general scheme of our defense. Compared to our secondary, there is nothing wrong with our front 7. They could use a bit more urgency, but from a personnel perspective, they can hold their own and create pressure when needed (albeit they certainly could have done a better job last night against the Jets).

 

[dannydyn]

The front seven has a lot of trouble getting pressure... but is it just me, or do the Patriots almost NEVER blitz? Any time the Pats get a sack, it's because a block was defeated. It's so frustrating, year after year, to see bad QBs have success against us, but Rex Ryan-style blitzing is what typically does poor QBs in and we don't seem to want to do it.

It seems as though they're happy to give a QB time if it means no easy TDs are given up (Seattle notwithstanding, you have to give them that; teams must sustain drives on the Patriots to score). But the one time they brought overload pressure on Sanchez yesterday resulted in Hightower's sack--arguably the play of the game.

It just seems as if the Pats are almost vanilla on defense, which is of course in stark contrast with the offense, that continues to innovate at a break-neck pace.

Forgive me if this just sounds like homerist spin, but I like to think BB is stressing fundamentals with this defense, and forcing them to go out and play honest football so as to improve, rather than 'lipsticking the pig' with a lot of exotic schemes that may do the trick in the regular season, but can get brutally exposed in the playoffs.

I think the front 7 plays with caution, knowing that a blitz, would expose our secondary.

 

[Patriot to the Core]

Two weeks off work, travel down to London on Saturday, watch muse on the night, up early to grab a few beers then watch the pats beat the rams 43-14 :rocker:

 

[randomk1]

I think the front 7 plays with caution, knowing that a blitz, would expose our secondary.

That really doesn't make sense though. The only way you are going to help out a crappy secondary is with pressure.

Right now there is not a whole lot of pressure and the D has given up 38 plays of 20 yards(#1 in the NFL)

Sometimes i wish the D was more aggressive but BB obviously thinks otherwise.

 

[Kid~Brady]

I like our chances against this team. We have a stout run D to stop Jackson and their only passing weapon is hurt. Moreover, the site is neutral (and probably more of a home game for us). I think we gonna head 5-3 going into the bye which is perfect for all the ailing players to heal.

Then we have home games vs Bills and Colts before the Jets showdown and meadowlands. I think 7-3 going into that game vs Jets is VERY likely.

After Kerlew just drilled us for his "first" 100-yard game, can we really count out anyone's passing weapon?

 

[Kid~Brady]

I think the front 7 plays with caution, knowing that a blitz, would expose our secondary.

Really?

I hate to be a negative Nancy but how can you not expose this secondary anymore than it has been?

 

[TinhWoodhead]

Olympic Bowl 2012 - NeWorld England Patriots wins Gold medal!

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

By the number of Pats fans that will be at Wembley, this might as well be a home game for us not to mention, Pats will have traveled through 5 time zones, while the Rams would be traveling through 6

Plus a chance for rookies to get to see the Big Bang Clock!

 

[102 Pat]

Hopefully the team can avoid anymore injuries and take advantage of the bye and heal up. And a win will be quite nice too.

 

[mosi]

Again, this is going to be a close game that will be painful to watch and we may loose. I am going to predict the same secondary with no Chung or Gregory. The key thing here is to get healthy. I have got a bad feeling we will loose this game. The Rams are fighters and this is basically their superbowl.

 

[GostkowSKI]

Would just love to escape this week with a win. This team could really use the bye week. If they can get to 5-3, they'll get a week off to get healthy, then two games they'll be heavily favored in - home vs. Buffalo and home vs. Indy.

Hopefully they can get it together over the next month because the brutal stretch of their schedule still looms... @ NYJ on a short week, @ Miami, vs. Houston and vs. San Francisco.

 

[SVN]

Going to be a very tough game. Very good front seven which puts pressure. A very good coach unlike rex and a QB who can make all the throws.

 

[BradyFTW!]

After Kerlew just drilled us for his "first" 100-yard game, can we really count out anyone's passing weapon?

Kerley's actually pretty good. He would have had a few before now if he'd been the #1 all along instead of Santonio.

 

[randomk1]

Kerley's actually pretty good. He would have had a few before now if he'd been the #1 all along instead of Santonio.

I agree..i noticed that kid in his rookie year and it looks like he has improved.

Probably the best find for them in recent years.

 

[Rossmci90]

Very early weather forecasts are looking at potentially cold weather, hovering around freezing. But should be dry.

 

[ivanvamp]

...and on we go to London to face the Rams.

Discuss....

Anyone wants to predict the number of yards Sam Bradford will bomb our secondary with?

Sure. He'll go about 25-38, for 320 yds, 3 td, and 2 int. The Rams will score 24 points.

Meanwhile, the Pats will score 34 and win by 10.

 

[ivanvamp]

Would just love to escape this week with a win. This team could really use the bye week. If they can get to 5-3, they'll get a week off to get healthy, then two games they'll be heavily favored in - home vs. Buffalo and home vs. Indy.

Hopefully they can get it together over the next month because the brutal stretch of their schedule still looms... @ NYJ on a short week, @ Miami, vs. Houston and vs. San Francisco.

Yep. Get to 7-3 and the picture will look better. Go 2-2 in those four games you mention, win the last two (at Jax, vs Mia), and go into the playoffs at 11-5 with the AFC East title in hand and a little momentum. If they can somehow go 3-1 in those four tough games in the middle, they could be 12-4 and maybe have a #2 seed.