Byrne: "Impossible" for Pats to win the SB

[everlong]

The difference between the Pack and Pats is that GB is starting to win decisively. Last three games, wins by 26,11, and 21 points. Their D has been a steady case of improvement....with point given up of 34, 23,17, 23, 14, 3.

In those three games they beat the hapless Rams who are last in points scored and winless. The 2-3 Falcons who are middle of the pack in scoring and the 1-4 Broncos who are in the bottom 3rd in scoring. All three teams are also in the bottom third in passing yards.

Meanwhile the Pats played Dallas and Oakland who are two of the better offenses in the league and the Jets who are at least a solid opponent. It's not apples for apples.

 

[Sciz]

Stats mean nothing once you get to the playoffs. He cites that 7.89 yards per passing attempt, but if that suddenly falls to 5 in the playoffs, all this means nothing.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Scientists in Boston have discovered during a routine exam that one of Tom Brady's cells is only operating at 94% capacity. Cell G15RX (labeled in 1997), one of several million cells in Brady's body, failed to achieve a perfect score under microscopic evaluation.

The above blurb is more damning than what Kerry Byrne has to say.

 

[patman12]

He's always on WEEI and he's quick to point to SB42 when our defense betrayed us - but come on, that team was a helmet-catch away from being the greatest team of all time.

And a missed Asante pick. And a non in-the-grasp call on Gomer Jr.

 

[Amnorix]

We're 5-1, we've beat some good teams, and our defense has been drastically improving the past two weeks as personnel gets healthy and back on the field.

He's always on WEEI and he's quick to point to SB42 when our defense betrayed us - but come on, that team was a helmet-catch away from being the greatest team of all time.

DEFENSE betrayed us? DEFENSE?!

The Giants scored 17 goddamn points. The offensive line was dominated by the Giants' defensive line that game. THAT is why we lost that damn Super Bowl. Putting that game on the defense is a complete f'n joke.

 

[oldrover]

This pass defense does kinda stink right now... I mean, they tackle poorly, no pressure on the QB, our shut-down CB has sprung a leak, and they're giving up some big plays. If this record was held by the Jets, we'd be TRASHING them.

That said, I definitely see improvement in the last two games. These next two (Pitt and NYG) will tell us a lot.

 

[oldrover]

And a missed Asante pick. And a non in-the-grasp call on Gomer Jr.

You mean Gomer the Third. (j/k)

 

[RIpats88]

This pass defense does kinda stink right now... I mean, they tackle poorly, no pressure on the QB, our shut-down CB has sprung a leak, and they're giving up some big plays. If this record was held by the Jets, we'd be TRASHING them.

That said, I definitely see improvement in the last two games. These next two (Pitt and NYG) will tell us a lot.

we were able to pressure the QB the last 2 games and havent really given up too many big passing plays over the middle...il give them tackling poorly but that is something that can be fixed.

the point is, the defense we saw the first 3-4games isnt the defense we saw the last 2 games, and wont be the same defense we see by week 17.


and lets be honest, the Packers havent faced a great offensive juggernaut the last 3 weeks to claim their defense is improving

 

[SeymourTrophies]

If McCourty rejoins us from the dungeon sometime soon, we would be more than solid, but the defense plays to the tune of the game. I just hope the performance against the cowboys wasn't a once a blue moon thing. Rarely during a Pats game do I think, "Ok, Tom, time for you to do something." Normally it's along the lines of "Please, defense, try not to suck horribly." Now, the cowboys receivers did have some bad drops, but more often than it has in a while, our defense forced an early throw.

 

[RIpats88]

theres really no such thing as a "perfect team" in the nfl every team has issues, and im fairly confident that the pats can become a middle of the pack defense...if you look at the competition in the AFC for the playoffs, Id put the Pats at the top of the pack

Jets-took a big step back this year
Steelers- Oline is in shambles and defense took a step back
Ravens-great Defense, but Flacco makes up for it by giving the points right back
chargers-same problems as before

so, as long as our defense keeps improving, I think we'll be alright come playoffs...our commitment to the run also is something that should help us in the playoffs...against the Ravens in 09 we never had a run game, and against the Jets we abandoned it for whatever reason

 

[PatsWSB47]

Every year a number of experts make these profound declarations about this team or that team not winning the Superbowl. They spell out their reasons in great detail. Then when it comes to pass that the team didn't win it they can drag out their brilliant analysis to impress everyone. The thing is each year anyone can be right 31 out of 32 times and claim the same brilliance no matter what actually happened.

 

[Mainefan]

"Defense wins superbowls," is meant to sound like a counter-intuitive and highly insightful statement. It isn't. Offense wins football games, if you have enough of it. So long as we can score 35 points a game, it doesn't matter what our defense is like.

 

[borg]

Here is an encouraging stat on the Pats pass D:

Through week 6, the opposing QB had his best passing yd performance of his season vs the Pats four times

Henne 416 yds .....his best game by 161 yds, before getting injured
Rivers 378 yds......his best game by 43 yds
Fitzpatrick 369 yds....best game by 105 yds
Campbell 344 yds......best game by 21 yds

But

Sanchez 166 yds....his 5th best passing game... -169 yds from his best game
Romo 317..............his 4th best passing game...-28 yds from his best game

Of course coaches for both NYJ and Dallas had confidence issues with their QBs coming into their games with NE

 

[Rob0729]

Here is an encouraging stat on the Pats pass D:

Through week 6, the opposing QB had his best passing yd performance of his season vs the Pats four times

Henne 416 yds .....his best game by 161 yds, before getting injured
Rivers 378 yds......his best game by 43 yds
Fitzpatrick 369 yds....best game by 105 yds
Campbell 344 yds......best game by 21 yds

But

Sanchez 166 yds....his 5th best passing game... -169 yds from his best game
Romo 317..............his 4th best passing game...-28 yds from his best game

Of course coaches for both NYJ and Dallas had confidence issues with their QBs coming into their games with NE

One thing. Campbell got 99 yards on the final drive with 3 minutes left in the game down by three scores. So nearly a third of his yards were in garbage time.

 

[Rob0729]

I wish I could find the article, but Greg Bedard wrote a piece for the Globe talking about how this year has an unprescidented offensive explosion. If that is the case, Byrne's points are not valid because we have no barometer what constitutes a bad defense at this point because you cannot use past season's numbers.

 

[Uncle Rico]

I wish I could find the article, but Greg Bedard wrote a piece for the Globe talking about how this year has an unprescidented offensive explosion. If that is the case, Byrne's points are not valid because we have no barometer what constitutes a bad defense at this point because you cannot use past season's numbers.

Linky-poo

Good article.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Before 30 seconds ago, I didn't know who this guy was. I don't feel that I have gained anything by acquiring this information.

 

[everlong]

I wish I could find the article, but Greg Bedard wrote a piece for the Globe talking about how this year has an unprescidented offensive explosion. If that is the case, Byrne's points are not valid because we have no barometer what constitutes a bad defense at this point because you cannot use past season's numbers.

It's starting to go down a little. Week one was insane. This week Atlanta was the high mark at only 31 points.

Teams that scored 40+ and 30+ by week (Note the 40's are not included in the 30's. Those are additional games of high output.)

Week 1: 5 and 3
Week2: 1 and 8
Week3: 1 and 5
Week4: 1 and 8
Week5: 1 and 7
Week6: 0 and 1

 

[BradyManny]

DEFENSE betrayed us? DEFENSE?!

The Giants scored 17 goddamn points. The offensive line was dominated by the Giants' defensive line that game. THAT is why we lost that damn Super Bowl. Putting that game on the defense is a complete f'n joke.

In the end, all the defense had to do was not allow Eli Manning to drive 90 yards in 2 minutes.

We can look at the box score in a vacuum and come to conclusions, or we can realize that it was clear it was a slow, defensive struggle from the onset - and that there weren't a lot of possessions in that game (consider, for instance, the first quarter only saw two possessions; the fourth quarter also only saw two possessions, excluding the Pats hail mary attempts).

The offense put us in a position to win with 2 minutes left. The defense, combined with poor officiating, terrible luck, and one insane play, led to probably the most outrageous, most unfortunately clutch, and most unlikely final drive in the history of the NFL (Byrnes has documented that one, and he's right on that account).

 

[Rob0729]

Linky-poo

Good article.

So the Pats are giving up 7.89 yards per passing attempt according to Byrnes and the league is averaging a NFL record 7.41 passing yards per attempt according to Bedard; are the Pats really as bad as Byrnes intimates? Last year the average was 7.0 yard per passing attempt which would make the Pats' number even worse. The current season long record was set in 1983 at 7.18 yards per passing attempt.