This still bothers me about the Super Bowl

[DaBruinz]

I just can't understand why it took 19 games for a team to figure out how to rush our passer. WHAT exactly did the Giants do that was different from our previous opponents?

Honestly? What I saw was the Giants beat the Pats with Stunts on the inside and just plain amazing pass rush on the outside. And they switched it up enough that Brady and the O-line weren't ever prepared. Brady missed numerous blocking assignment calls and so did Koppen.

Also, the entire line got MAN-HANDLED.

All the Giants did was pin their ears back and rush the passer. The problem was that the Pats never adjusted. Neither Brady nor the coaches.

The Giants had a decent defensive line, but I don't think it was more formidable than Baltimore, Indy, or San Diego's.

The Giants D-line IS better than any of the D-lines you mentioned. Hell, how can you even mention the Colts anemic D-line?

It just boggles my mind how we could shut down those teams and just choke against a mediocre NYG team in the biggest sporting event of the year. For 18 games we had the best offensive line in the NFL and many people were comparing it to the 90s Dallas line and KC's Great wall of China, which is now laughable. The line played unreal for the entire season, picking up a zillion different types of blitz packages, even backups like Hochstein were very good. How can we go from being SO good to SO bad? Yeah we were outcoached, but we usually make those in-game adjustments so well.

Sorry, but the Pats didn't have the best O-line for 18 games. What the Pats had was the best team. Brady and the O-line were in great sync. For whatever reason they weren't.

I was expecting a 45-17 Pats win, with Brady going off into the sunset as the greatest qb ever. I thought Brady would hit Moss for a 50 yd bomb to start the game like Young hit Rice for a bomb to start that SF-SD Super Bowl in 94. The shock has not left me, I don't think it ever will until we get back and win this darn thing next year.

That's just arrogance on your part, as it was with many other Pats fans.
While I was hoping for a Pats win, I wasn't banging my chest in front of all the haters.

OH, and the Pats did try to go for the long bomb on the 1st play. The problem was that the Giants were waiting for it and they had the pass rush on.

Oh, another thing to remember. The Pats lost both Kyle Brady and Stephen Neal in the 1st half. The Pats didn't have a blocking TE to put in there once K. Brady went down as Spach was inactive for the game.

 

[lapatsfan]

The Pats went 18-1, they don't need to change much.

 

[WhiskeyBreath]

They need to get younger on defense. They looked completely dogged in the 4th quarter. It's great having some Vets, but much of the pat defense is over 30 years old.

Isn't there only 4 players 30 or older on their D?

 

[richpats]

When we abandon the run in the playoffs it usually spells doom. We did it in Denver, Indy, SB42 and in San Diego (very close to a loss). If the coaches can't commit to a running game then we're not winning anything anytime soon. We just have a tendency to lean on the pass to get us through a tough game.

 

[WhiskeyBreath]

Bruschi, Vrabel, Seau, Thomas (whole starting linebacker corps) and Harrison are 30 years old or over. That is almost half of the defensive team. The linebacking corps needs some new blood.

Bruschi, Vrabel, Harrison, and Thomas are 30 and up. That's not that bad. I bet Seau is done and we add some youth to the LB core through the draft.

 

[WhiskeyBreath]

I guess you could say Belichick was "out-coached" because he only dressed 2 TEs and one, K.Brady, got hurt. Other than that, I can't fault Belichick's coaching.

The O-line got flat outplayed. No amount of coaching would have stopped the Giant's D-linemen. They were a men on a mission. K.Brady blocking the way he had all year. Or Spach being on the roster to take over when K. Brady got hurt, might have helped, but the o-line just didn't play up to the standards everyone expected.

The Giants got LUCKY four times in one series. They had two sure interceptions dropped by the Patriots, Manning wasn't called down when he was "in the grasp" and Tyree made a luck catch that I still can't figure out how Harrison didn't knock it free.

I don't see how anyone can say he wasn't out coached. Just because the O-line was dominated doesn't mean he doesn't deserve any of that blame. He can do different things to try and offset the pass rush, and don't even get me started on the decision to not kick the fg.

 

[belichickaholic]

Get rid of Matt Light and his four freakin false start penalties!!!

 

[cstjohn17]

It's pretty simple if you get down to it, We got beat in the passing game in the middle of the field. The two biggest plays were Boss over the middle for like 20+ yards and then Tyree, same deal (he rolled a seven on that one). I believe that Harrison was going to blitz and backed out at the last minute on the TE Boss catch. Where was old JS? On the biggest play in the game (the Third down, downer) I believe that Sanders was watching like the 120 million other people were.

Sanders is not Ronnie Lott but isn't the question where was Bruschi and Seau? Did they make a single play in coverage? The lack of coverage at ILB put a lot of pressure on the Safeties. Not only did they have to protect the deep part of the field but the had to make up for a total lack of coverage by the LBs.

In the good old days, Phifer could get good drops and Bruschi was excellent at understanding the zone coverages. The 2007 Seau and Bruschi were savy, smart and slow. They had to be protected on almost every passing play. They also were not effective at inside blitzes, when Thomas was moved outside the defense lost all of its inside pressure. Inside blitzes can be very disruptive (see K. Mitchell in the SB).

So, looking ahead, find an ILB who can cover TEs is a short zone, even if the player is only on the field for passing downs (see Phifer..) it would be a step in the right direction.

 

[Rob0729]

I'm kinda surprised after only going 18-1 that Belichick and Pioli didn't just blow up the team and start over. Actually, I am really disapointed they didn't. After seeing Brady play so poorly in the Super Bowl, I can't fathom why the Pats would want to keep him.

Come on, the Pats won 18 out of 19 games last year. Yes, they lost the most important one, but that doesn't mean the Pats have to make drastic changes. Eventhough the o-line played like crap in that game, I don't see the need to really upgrade anything other than maybe replacing Kazcur.

the Pats just got outplayed and outcoached in ONE GAME. Even so, the Pats were one dropped interception by Samuel and/or Meriweather and/or possibly a sack of Eli Manning from winning that game and going 19-0. Why would the Pats need to make drastic changes because of that?

 

[richpats]

That is true, but the Giants defensive line owned the Pat's offensive line in the Super Bowl.

Still have to keep the defense honest. The Giants balanced their offense and managed to get a couple of huge pass plays. The Pats longest play was 19 yards.

 

[pao]

Belichick was out coached. That almost never happens.

That combined with the Giants making some clutch plays and the Patriots missing huge opportunities to put the game away equals a loss. The Patriots win that matchup 7-10 times in my opinion.

OK, LT.

pao

 

[pao]

If that game is replayed 10 times, the Pats win 8 of them IMO. Their heads weren't in it, BB wasn't in it, the play-calling stunk.

You don't win 18 straight games and then lose one because there is a fundamental problem with the makeup of your team.

And many fans here bashed LT when he said the Chargers would have won last year 9 times if THAT game had been replayed 10 times. Interesting.

pao

 

[pao]

The Giants got LUCKY four times in one series. They had two sure interceptions dropped by the Patriots, Manning wasn't called down when he was "in the grasp" and Tyree made a luck catch that I still can't figure out how Harrison didn't knock it free.

Agree with 3 of your points but, especially in a SB, Eli was NOT in the grasp.

pao

 

[pao]

As for your idiocy about the "midget" CBs, you really need to look around the league better. Most of the GOOD CBs are SHORTER than 6'. Including Ty Law and Asante Samuel. OH, and, since you missed it, Hobbs finished the year with a sports hernia and another injury. Hobbs wasn't spectacular and is better covering the slot, but he wasn't the worst #2 in the league by a long shot.

I'll go further on Hobbs. I believe the dude is a GREAT player. Not only as a CB but as kick returner. Add to that he is a tough son of a gun and I'd take him on the Chargers even though I hate what he did after the Playoff game in '06.

pao

 

[jp03]

I just can't understand why it took 19 games for a team to figure out how to rush our passer. WHAT exactly did the Giants do that was different from our previous opponents? The Giants had a decent defensive line, but I don't think it was more formidable than Baltimore, Indy, or San Diego's. It just boggles my mind how we could shut down those teams and just choke against a mediocre NYG team in the biggest sporting event of the year. For 18 games we had the best offensive line in the NFL and many people were comparing it to the 90s Dallas line and KC's Great wall of China, which is now laughable. The line played unreal for the entire season, picking up a zillion different types of blitz packages, even backups like Hochstein were very good. How can we go from being SO good to SO bad? Yeah we were outcoached, but we usually make those in-game adjustments so well.

I was expecting a 45-17 Pats win, with Brady going off into the sunset as the greatest qb ever. I thought Brady would hit Moss for a 50 yd bomb to start the game like Young hit Rice for a bomb to start that SF-SD Super Bowl in 94. The shock has not left me, I don't think it ever will until we get back and win this darn thing next year.

You have to understand the Giants may have been mediocre throughout the regular season. That defense was a BUZZSAW by the time they got to New England. If you can call that mediocre, then I don't know what to say. You are comparing that front 7 to the Colts front 7??? I mean, i KNOW you want to believe the Pats handed the game away, but the Giants D took it away from them. As for making changes, The Pats STILL easily could have won with a break or two. After being dominated in the trenches all game, they still almost pulled it out. That actually indicated to me how great a team they really are. Fill the free agency holes and go at it. I mean you lost to the better team on that DAY last year. What are you gonna do? It is part of sports.

 

[Deus Irae]

Just a bump to see if Unoriginal has any thoughts on the matter...

 

[Wildo7]

And many fans here bashed LT when he said the Chargers would have won last year 9 times if THAT game had been replayed 10 times. Interesting.

pao

I'm not a player, I can say what ever I want if I believe it to be the case. Not to mention that The Pats had beaten the Giants a month before, amidst 18 straight wins while LT had no basis for the comment in week 2.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

This year in the SB, Rodney was back but played in the box some. He did not play coverage that well in the SB either. Sanders needed to step up. James Sanders got killed again! He is terrible and I do not want to hear the words "up and coming" or "breakout year". This guy stinks.

Man, that's more severe and more inaccurate than anything I've read from the Sanders apologists camp.

Let me understand this. Correct me if I am wrong. A Safety should be able to tackle and at the least cover.

No, you're not wrong here.

 

[pao]

I'm not a player, I can say what ever I want if I believe it to be the case.

And that makes it different how? Oh, that's right, it isn't different. And another thing, if a Charger fan , who by your logic "can say what ever he wants if they believe it to be the case", had said that you guys would have absolutely flamed him for it.

Not to mention that The Pats had beaten the Giants a month before, amidst 18 straight wins while LT had no basis for the comment in week 2.

What? No basis? Did you watch the playoff game (which is what he was talking about)? I think it was pretty apparent who was the better team that day. Disclaimer: While I think the Chargers were the better team that day I do not in any way discount the Patriots. That is the genius of Tom Brady and the Patriot organisation. They will beat you even if you have a better team because they make plays WHEN THE GAME IS BEING PLAYED. This isn't baseball where 4 out of 7 is good enough (or 8 out of 10).

pao

 

[BradyIsaYankeeFan]

What should bother every Pats fans is why McD and Bellichick didn't take more time off the clock with a few running plays or even a short, guaranteed catch off a screen pass to keep the clock running when they were already in field goal range for the tie on the final drive. BB must've had no respect for Manning and the Giants to score with nearly 3 minutes on the clock and 3 timeouts. BB made the conscience decision that he trusted his defense more than he trusted his running game or Brady to come up with a TD after 1 or 2 running plays.