Marshall Faulk on NFLN

[strngplyr]

Provocative post. The first thought was that the New England Patriots went 7-2 in the games you selected.

I also looked at the games you selected to make your point and compared the points allowed to the league average of 22.17 ppg. The only outlier (more than 5 points from the average output) was the first Buffalo game which the Patriots lost. That single game proves your point that the possibility exists for the Broncos to win if the Patriots lose the turnover battle. We all live in fear of that. The Patriots defense is consistent in holding their opponents to the low 20s while they score more than 30.

The Patriots held the Broncos to 23 in December, just .83 points more than the average ppg for the entire NFL season. Fine, spot them 23 points again. That would be roughly 4 points more than the Bronco's average of 19.03 points per game.

Can the Broncos hold the Pats under their average output for the season of 32.06. ppg? They couldn't come close in December when the Patriots served up a big hot juicy 40-burger to John Fox and his team.

Picking and choosing games from a 16-game season won't make anybody think the Broncos could remotely be a favorite in this one. If both teams score and allow their averages, we're looking at a Patriots win by more than a touchdown no matter how you look at it.

This all goes to show how badly the Pittsburgh Steelers performed on the road and how their injuries and missing players depleted them. The Steelers walked into a buzz saw. My feeling is if that game were played in Pittsburgh and the Steelers were at full strength, Pittsburgh would have crushed the Broncos.

Just as Tim Tebow's eye black says: 31-6 (Patriots)

My point wasn't to bash our defense. I wasn't really implying anything other than our defense is in no way, shape, or form - efficient. Against teams with generally bad to very bad offenses, we gave up 400+ yards and 21+ points in most contests and if it wasn't for having a spectacular offense and the defense being opportunistic at times, we would have been far worse than 7-2 in the games i picked.

Our defense can be opportunistic at times and come up with the occasional big stop (IE 4th and 1 at the goal line vs Mia, SD, and someone else late in the season who I can't remember). That doesn't make them efficient, unless you have an obscure definition off efficiency.

The defense can compliment the offense at times, but more often than in recent seasons we've had to put together late scoring drives just to hold on or take back the lead, and while this also shares blame with the offense sputtering early, we've had to overcome large deficits early in the last 3 games. Two of them against absolutely horrid offenses.

If our offense sputters against a competent team our defense will not hold them in check.

 

[strngplyr]

Instead of bagging on the guy, you should go read the post where he makes the statement about the Pats being the #2 most efficient defense. He backs up his statements with sound reasoning. BTW, that is different than being the #2 defense as you are claiming..

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...ncos-patriots-matchup-page16.html#post2888634

When he says Denvers offense is not inefficient after being held to:

0 through nearly 4 full quarters in Miami
3 through the final minute of the NYJ game
0 through the final minutes of CHI game, aided by some awful CHI plays
7 through the final 3 quarters against NE
3 through the entire KC game

I tend not to care about how efficient somebody thinks an offense is that flounders around for 55 minutes a game being completely useless and solely relying on the defense to keep games within reach for a last minute drive. They only look "efficient" in 'yards per point' or whatever measuring stick was used because they can't move the ball for crap all game and then suddenly gain 200 yards on back to back miracle drives to finish a game. They win, but they don't to it using anything that resembles efficiency. Luck? Determination? Heart? Divine intervention (lol)? Pick one. Pick all. They all have a lot more to do with Denver winning than efficiency does.

Just like our defense comes up with the turnover or stop every once in awhile, but that is hardly 'efficient'. It is a clutch play when it counts on occasion.

 

[mgcolby]

Sound reasoning, can't argue.

Except for a couple of things. He did play the Pats and did not step up. And he hasn't outplayed every QB when he is the lesser QB on the field. See point 1. And Matt Stafford says high to Marshall as well.

And to the Mods: Can we just have a Marshall Faulk sticky? I do not believe any other national pundit is even in the same vacinity when it comes to thread count.

 

[mgcolby]

Instead of bagging on the guy, you should go read the post where he makes the statement about the Pats being the #2 most efficient defense. He backs up his statements with sound reasoning. BTW, that is different than being the #2 defense as you are claiming..

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...ncos-patriots-matchup-page16.html#post2888634

I would agree with you except. One I have asked him several times for a link to where he is getting this efficiencey from. No response. Two, if it is a home grown stat, fine put it out there so we know what it entails. And three what little bit he did explain for offensive efficiency made very little sense. He gives them credit for outscoring the opponents offense (as if this has nothing to do with the defense), actually credits the offense for relying on the defense to set the offense up with scoring opportunities with turnovers, and counts all points towards the offense.

IMO, that is not a very good way to grade "offensive efficiency". Team efficiency, maybe, offensive efficiency no. And on top of that, to say the 25th ranked scoring offense is the 11th ranked most efficient offense seems way to far out whack to be taken seriously, no matter what other stats you use in coming to that conclusion. If you are not scoring you are not efficient, period. Now if he said they were the 18-25th most efficient offense, I could see some logic in that....maybe. The 25th ranked scoring offense is surely not just outside the top 10 looking in when it comes to efficiency.

 

[stcjones]

I wish Mcginest would grab him by the neck, pick him up, and piledrive his dopey bald head right through the NFL Network news desk....

I am watching the show right now and it strikes me as very amusing that Uillie McGinest & Marshall are sitting side by side for this show. Do you think Willie sits there wanting to say "C'mon man!" every time Marshall starts with his anti- Pats schtick? Or does he just chuckle to himself?

 

[SVN]

They were debating if brady magic is gone and Faulk says all the veteran defensive players are gone and he hasnt seen brady step up and lead the team.Of course when manning fails in the playoffs its the defense. And Faulk aded in the end -they lost their video guy too.

 

[PlainOldEd]

update: Faulk just said the Patriots "lost their video guy too" on NFLN when the conversation was about whether Brady had lost his magic....

surprise surprise.

 

[Lansdowne]

Marshall Faulk today: blah blah, don't have Vrabel, Bruschi, McGinest any more, blah blah, they lost their "video guy"

Rich Eisen: that was a Ram-tough comment right there

LOL he's such a hater and doesn't even try to hide it

 

[PlainOldEd]

What an arsehole.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Maybe next time he makes one of his snippy little girl loser innuendo comments, someone on that staff has to call him out and have him explain EXACTLY what the substance is behind his comment. Make him defend it. Either that or Willie McG gives him a forearm shiver to the head.

 

[Lansdowne]

Maybe next time he makes one of his snippy little girl loser innuendo comments, someone on that staff has to call him out and have him explain EXACTLY what the substance is behind his comment. Make him defend it. Either that or Willie McG gives him a forearm shiver to the head.

Albert Breer thought Faulk's comment was "pretty funny". Add him to the McGinest forearm to the head list.

 

[rjw]

He's a bitter sore loser. He still can't accept his team got beat those many years ago. Based on his obvious biasness, not to mention his very annoying face, he should be removed from the network. I heard on the show once Eisen is a jests fan, but he seems to do a good job of keeping his fanhood in check.

 

[warx]

I like Marshall, he speaks well and always backs up his opinions.

He just picked Brady as the QB left in the playoffs you'd take with the game on the line and Gronkowski over Graham.

 

[SVN]

and now Marshall flips and chooses as brady the sb mvp he would want with the game in the balance..go figure..

 

[strngplyr]

I like Marshall, he speaks well and always backs up his opinions.

He just picked Brady as the QB left in the playoffs you'd take with the game on the line and Gronkowski over Graham.

He never backs anything up, he spews his garbage then gets interupted by the other blathering idiot to his left, Irvin. He probably was forced to pick Brady by the Network in an attempt to hide how ridiculous this idiot sounds with everything else he says all the time.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Isn't this what we want? We always complain about too much hype, but when the doubters step up, everyone has a hissy fit. Sit back and relax. I have a feeling you are about to see a new version of the New England Patriots tonight.

 

[Uncle Rico]

I like Marshall, he speaks well and always backs up his opinions.
He just picked Brady as the QB left in the playoffs you'd take with the game on the line and Gronkowski over Graham.

Except when he doesn't, like throwing out his snipy little thing about the video guy.

BoTown: Albert Breer thought Faulk's comment was "pretty funny". Add him to the McGinest forearm to the head list.

Yeah, saw that. His schtick on the radio is always "..Look" (that's his thing, "Look...(at how connected I am...") ..."Look, that's the way the Patriots are seen around the country." OK, insightful reporter, explain why their interpretation of what happened is right. That's right, you can't. So, as an insider who understands the game, shouldn't you rise above that and provide proper perspective?

OK, off to get clams for my chowder. Rowand's, here I come.

 

[MSU]

Is Irvin doing crack again?

 

[Deus Irae]

Ok, I was reading this thread and put the NFLN on as a result.

I'd like to tell you all that I hate you for putting me in a position to hear that cacophony.








bastards.

 

[PatsGirl2011]

Irvin just picked the Broncos...the pats are def winning..lol