Where the hell was the play action???!!!

[shatch62]

Early in the game the Pats did a great job of setting up the play action pass. They ran a few runs up the middle and made the LBs bite so Moss could get open deep over the middle. It was beautiful. Come the 4th quarter, when the Colts were selling out to stop the run where was the play action? All the Pats did was run on 1st down and get stuffed everytime putting them in second and long. Here was the Pats rushes in the 4th (all of their drives).

1st-7, IND7 15:00 K. Faulk rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain
1st-10, NE32 11:37 L. Maroney rushed up the middle for no gain
1st-10, NE45 9:34 L. Maroney rushed to the left for 2 yard gain
1st-10, IND31 7:44 L. Maroney rushed up the middle for 1 yard gain
3rd-1, IND22 6:28 L. Maroney rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain
2nd-6, IND16 5:05 K. Faulk rushed to the right for -2 yard loss
1st-10, NE20 2:23 K. Faulk rushed up the middle for no gain

7 rushes for 5 yards. The Colts were selling out for the run. Play action would have killed them. If we had Morris or Taylor to pound the ball maybe I would feel different but wathcing the Colts LBs crash the line and to see Faulk and Maroney get hit at the line again and again was F-ing painful. Eaither the play calling needs to be a little more creative OR the o-line and rbs need to be kicked in the butt and get a little nasty. Pats HAVE to be able to close out games.

 

[mayoclinic]

Early in the game the Pats did a great job of setting up the play action pass. They ran a few runs up the middle and made the LBs bite so Moss could get open deep over the middle. It was beautiful. Come the 4th quarter, when the Colts were selling out to stop the run where was the play action? All the Pats did was run on 1st down and get stuffed everytime putting them in second and long. Here was the Pats rushes in the 4th (all of their drives).

1st-7, IND7 15:00 K. Faulk rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain
1st-10, NE32 11:37 L. Maroney rushed up the middle for no gain
1st-10, NE45 9:34 L. Maroney rushed to the left for 2 yard gain
1st-10, IND31 7:44 L. Maroney rushed up the middle for 1 yard gain
3rd-1, IND22 6:28 L. Maroney rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain
2nd-6, IND16 5:05 K. Faulk rushed to the right for -2 yard loss
1st-10, NE20 2:23 K. Faulk rushed up the middle for no gain

7 rushes for 5 yards. The Colts were selling out for the run. Play action would have killed them. If we had Morris or Taylor to pound the ball maybe I would feel different but wathcing the Colts LBs crash the line and to see Faulk and Maroney get hit at the line again and again was F-ing painful. Eaither the play calling needs to be a little more creative OR the o-line and rbs need to be kicked in the butt and get a little nasty. Pats HAVE to be able to close out games.

The 2 things that mystified me most about this game were (1) why we went away from play action and mixing it up on offense when we absolutely destroyed the Colts in the first half that way, going instead to a predictable shotgun approach almost exclusively; and (2) why we got less aggressive on defense after being extremely effective in the first half, going instead to a totally ineffective BBDB approach.

What mystifies me most is why we continue to do those 2 things over and over again with the same results.