The big losses and controversy since 2006 have made posting near impossible though I am a constant viewer of the messageboards and as many NFLers say "I have been all in".
The PATs have big issues and we are not playing to the way the NFL is sending the games:
1) The PATs built a team and a playing style on both offense and defense to play to the NFL regular season mentality. Basically they over reacted to the "rules emphasis" that the Colts and Polian jammed through the league. It shows up in the now extreme bend but don't break defense in personel and game planning.
All teams have had to deal with it. Pats have chosen to stick with the scheme of bend but not break. That's on BB
2) The NFL is turning into the NBA, regular season track meet games with more open space on the field, less defensive pressure and more ticky tack penalties on the defenses to keep games more open.
Makes it interesting since NFL wants all teams to have a shot. NBA is a certified joke of a league. Nobody cares there. Last 20 yrs in NBA, four teams, Bulls, Lakers, Spurs, Rockets won 17 of the championships !
3) Occasionally in the regular season the PATs play a team that is willing to chance the ticky tack calls and our current receiver set can't deal with on the line pressure and getting re-routed down the field.
Regular season we mostly play 50% Garbage team and stats look good. Playoffs you are playing the best of the best. Last 6 yr playoff failures good examples
4) Brady used to be more of game manager and was more effective at full season football, now he is more suited to the track meet regular season games, but with his surrounding personel the holding the ball looking too far down field and then forcing something in late gets us killed. Gronk is a beast but Brady forces a lot of late balls to him because all other options are gone. The Buffalo, Giants reg season and SB, last season Jets playoff loss the blue print is the same. To keep with the NFL-NBA analogy, Brady is Steve Nash and until he becomes more situationally aware we will not win another SB. Nash piled up the assists and the Suns had some big win seasons but when they get to the playoffs and face the more physical teams he can't function. Too many critical unforced errors.
BB chose to make Brady the focal point and surround him with turnstyle WR and lousy drafting from 2005-2010. He could have chosen to strengthen the Defense by replensihing with a talent. He chose not to. He has lived and died with those decision. Perfect example is Giants - they ask Manning to play safe ball and focus their D line to make plays. In clutch Manning has delivered. Ofcourse luck also has come their way just like luck came to Pats from 2001-2004, but as they say you make your own luck
Fixes:
A) Solid base on offense is there, upgrade wide receiver, we need a bigger more physical down field #1 receiver (not a Moss type, a Michael Irvin type). Maybe Brandon Lloyd, maybe through draft, who knows.
Brandon Lloyd is not the answer. Outside of Welker and Moss no other FA, via trade, or drafted WR has been able to grasp this offense for some reason. Early career Branch and Given walked right in when Weis ran the show. Problem is now the O complexity. As such, only certain players can play in our system, while likes of Ocho fail. No guarantee Lloyd can grasp our system even if he played for Josh before. They need to big and physical receivers on the outside
B) Sign Welker but only if reasonably done, money up 8-12 mil per year but no more than 2 or 3 years. He is not a #1 or #2 reciever. He is a #3 with diminishing skill set.
He is 32 next season I think, paying him 8-12mill is nuts. Not happening
C) Let Branch and Ocho go.
Agree.
D) Simplify receiver route pattern so that new players to system can learn it easier and gain Brady's/Belicheck's trust and get on the damn field. How many recievers come here through trades/FA/draft and never manke an impact? Don't want to basic an offensive scheme but it seems we could adjust down a notch and still excel. We have good offensive line, HOF QB, two great TEs, but need more contributions from WR.
Revamp to entire WR core needed, including FO judging talent, coaching at WR position.
E) Adjust defense personel/scheme to play effectively somewhere between the track meet regular season and the grind it out playoff style the NFL appears to want. Maybe Ras-I Dowling would have helped, but stop with the injury prone/project player drafting at skill positions on D. Get some edge speed rush and some physical depths at CB and safety.
Here we go again with speed pass rush ! Not gonna happen. You'll see the same cast of characters, Vince and a bunch of nobody's
Sorry for the long winded post but did not sleep much last night, tried to be a prescriptive as possible. It will be tough going into work today with all my coworkers snickering at me but "I am still all In"!
