EJ Blitz
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2011
- Messages
- 550
- Reaction score
- 4
Registered Members experience this forum ad and noise-free.
CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.There is plenty of "could have dones" but I think in hindsight the Jets exposed the Pats in the playoffs as a team not as good as their record. This was not the diverse, deeply talented roster typical of a 14-2 team. It is a roster in transition. The defense is very young and opportunistic but far from elite at this point in its development. The running game can compliment a dominant passing game but it can't win games if Brady struggles.
They won 14 because Tom Brady played at a level the league has seen no more than a few times in its history. With Brady at his normal, great, Hall of Fame level they probably are a 10 or 11 win team with this roster which is still pretty impressive for the Pats as the rebuild on the fly.
Three things I think, any one of which the Pats beat the Jets:
Crumpler makes the catch.
No fake punt.
No Int.
Now some may say I am going OT here, perhaps. The question is about personnel.
My answer is the personnel was good enough. they needed one more play, one bounce, that is all.
The team was good enough, and in the end it was a tremendous job by BB and his people. I recall many folks predicting 10 wins, a tough rebuilding year.
Well, somewhere along the way it became like 2004 again?
The most enjoyable season in a long time.
The ballsy move of dealing Moss, reworking the O, while building a young D, and then finishing with the best record in the NFL. So I really can't point to anything and say, that was an error.
Little things, individual plays, bounce of the ball, a call,
a roll of the dice all add up.
They won 3 SB's by a FG. Adam misses, they might have none.
Samuel makes that INT, they have 4.
Colts after 21-3 halftime?
Potential 5.
Crumpler makes that catch, they could be facing the
cheezits today for number six. Small issue of Pitt in the way,
but my point is I can't find anything to criticize here.
They have been ultra competitive in a remarkable way.
I remember the feeling after the '85 Bears fiasco, that it would
never happen, to wonder what it would be like to have a dominant
team, like the Old Steelers, etc.
A few bounces, they are going for number 6 today.
The difference between 3 and 6 in personnel?
honestly, I have no idea. I think it is more based on events, a bit of luck, the bounce of the ball, at this level, at the level they have maintained, for ten years now.
+1
I'm with you on bold face quote above. Exactly my thoughts. Even before the Jets loss, I thought that it took only one TFB off-day for the Pats to fall down to earth. Incredibly, it happened on the 1st playoff and vs the Jets. Couldn't pick a worse occasion to crap out.
Colts after 21-3 halftime?
Potential 5.
Hindsight is always 20/20 but even at the time I think that the following was pretty obvious (but costly):
Sign Julius Peppers
The notion of halftime adjustments is completely overblown, IMO. You need to continuously be making adjustments as the game progresses. If you wait until halftime, it's too late.
Halftime gives you a chance if behind to stall momentum, regain focus and have a more calm environment to coach for the second half, but really you won't see anything at halftime that you can't pick up on in the half.