We're on to Baltimore

[Oswlek]

Is the Ravens DL that much better than the Detroit DL, cause I was told they were going to tear us a new one.

No, the Ravens front is the equivalent of having Zeus in the middle bookended by Thor and Poseidon. NE will have come out ahead if there are fewer than three casualties on the OL.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I hear you. I still believe that we're going to try and run the ball more than a lot of people think, although that probably still means about 60/40 pass.

FYI---in the 2014 NFL season, teams that attempted to throw the ball more than 40+ times ("magic 40" rule) won approx. 35 percent of the time. They were 44-83-2 in games where forty or more passes were thrown.

Yes, I know...causation/correlation etc--but proper balance is still needed, particularly at this point in the season.

I would never argue in favor of abandoning the run game I just think it's a matter of how they approach it. IMO this is a game where you come out throwing and spread them out and wear them out. I would go no huddle early and often, and when they are sucking wind you go buy and pound it at them. I don't think you line up and run at them early because that plays to their strength. Get Brady in rhythm early and blow the doors off of them.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I agree. Some people are just outright making stuff up with Flacco's failures, etc. For the record, here are his last 5 playoff games:

5-0 record
13 touchdowns
0 interceptions

They've certainly proven themselves to be a worthy foe. Luckily, if our OL holds up and our defense (finally, we can say this!) does too, we should be able to move on. It probably won't be easy though, as many are expecting a dogfight. The hope is that our defense can cause a turnover or two and really help things out.

My main concern is seeing our receivers jammed at the line and funneled towards the middle of the field with 7+ in coverage (when they don't blitz), which will buy their front four an extra second or two to get to Brady.

I don't believe they can cover Gronk, period, I would go two TE and empty backfield early , or use Vereen with two TE and LaFell and Edelman wide and test their secondary and the ability of their LBs to cover, I don't believe they can do it. Suggs, Upshaw, and Dumervil are all pass rushers and can't cover anyone, and Mosely is no great shakes in that department as well. So you have a bad secondary and LBs who can't cover, Brady should have a field day with that. Ed Reed isn't back their to save their bacon anymore, time to make them pay for that.

 

[PATS16N0]

I would never argue in favor of abandoning the run game I just think it's a matter of how they approach it. IMO this is a game where you come out throwing and spread them out and wear them out. I would go no huddle early and often, and when they are sucking wind you go buy and pound it at them. I don't think you line up and run at them early because that plays to their strength. Get Brady in rhythm early and blow the doors off of them.

I agree and I fully expect Belichick to want to blow them away right from the jump.
I wouldn't even be surprised if we didn't defer this week if we won the coin toss, even though I'm sure we will. Patriots are going to want to put their boots to Baltimore's throats right away.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I agree and I fully expect Belichick to want to blow them away right from the jump.
I wouldn't even be surprised if we didn't defer this week if we won the coin toss, even though I'm sure we will. Patriots are going to want to put their boots to Baltimore's throats right away.

I agree that he wants to put it to them but I think he v will always defer because he wants the opportunity for back to back possessions around the half and the extra possession n in the second half.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I agree and I fully expect Belichick to want to blow them away right from the jump.
I wouldn't even be surprised if we didn't defer this week if we won the coin toss, even though I'm sure we will. Patriots are going to want to put their boots to Baltimore's throats right away.

Believe it or not Belichick even defers when I am screaming at the TV for him to take the ball, which is rare but does happen. That he can screen that out and still defer shows just how focused he is.

 

[Rob0729]

And other DLs were not handled. We can add the Dolphins and Bills DLs to that list. Again, what's your point?

The Pats handled the Bills' d-line in the first game with ease. The Pats struggled against good to great d-lines when they were not at full strength and handled them just fine when they were. It looks for the first time in about four games, the Pats will be at full strength on the o-line.

 

[letekro]

So I'll take that as a yes.
You should reread your posts before calling anyone condescending. In the end I place zero value on your opinion and your penchant to ignore facts.
Being a little ***** doesn't make your opinion better. How about you limit your responses to someone who cares what you think and not clog the board with your personality issues?

I'll continue to respond to your posts. Oftentimes you have good insight, but sometimes your homer goggles make you incapable of having a reasonable discussion. Whether you realize it or not, your posts often have an air of misplaced authority and dismissiveness.

 

[Rob0729]

Seem to believe that the pats controlled Buffalos perfectly in the first game and second time against the Dolphins? But that wouldn't fit the agenda to be scared of the Ravens so many push. When it mattered, and the pats stayed with our oline starters, they handled anyone and everyone, when all 5 were healthy. But deus, don't let it get in the way [emoji12]

You got the wrong agenda with Deus. His agenda isn't to tout why the Pats should be afraid of the Ravens. His agenda is to show what a monumental idiot Belichick the GM is for tanking the season for trading away Mankins.

 

[Huckleberry1]

You got the wrong agenda with Deus. His agenda isn't to tout why the Pats should be afraid of the Ravens. His agenda is to show what a monumental idiot Belichick the GM is for tanking the season for trading away Mankins.

True that. According to deus this season is a testament to all of Belichicks mistakes coming home to roost, he even listed them, including the critical mistake he made drafting Collins when he could have taken LaVonte David, who was apparently available despite being under contract to Tampa Bay, who drafted him a year earlier. You have to get up mighty early in the morning to outwit deus, years earlier in the morning,in fact.

Hopefully next season will be another testament to Belichicks mistakes as well.

 

[juny]

Media already picking against Pats. Terrell Davis just picked Ravens to win

 

[Huckleberry1]

Next up on WEEI------- THE GOD OF WRATH FROM FALL RIVER, -----what have you got for us today God of Wrath?

 

[Huckleberry1]

Media already picking against Pats. Terrell Davis just picked Ravens to win

Good, the more the better.

 

[Ring 6]

I'll continue to respond to your posts. Oftentimes you have good insight, but sometimes your homer goggles make you incapable of having a reasonable discussion. Whether you realize it or not, your posts often have an air of misplaced authority and dismissiveness.

You are funny. You should purchase a mirror.
You can read whatever you want between the lines of my posts while you actually state in posts that your opinion is superior to another's.
You will get no more response from me. Go be a self righteous **** to someone else.

 

[Oswlek]

The Pats handled the Bills' d-line in the first game with ease. The Pats struggled against good to great d-lines when they were not at full strength and handled them just fine when they were. It looks for the first time in about four games, the Pats will be at full strength on the o-line.

Oddly enough, aside from Jets 2.0, NE had no issues against the better DLs, it was the weaker ones of GB and SD that gave them the most trouble. Considering the second Jet game was in NY, perhaps it is mostly a home/road thing?

 

[letekro]

You are funny. You should purchase a mirror.
You can read whatever you want between the lines of my posts while you actually state in posts that your opinion is superior to another's.
You will get no more response from me. Go be a self righteous **** to someone else.

My, you are a child. The only part of our discussion that focused on opinion--my exact quote: "we will have to agree to disagree". That's how an adult handles it. You're obviously someone who is used to bullying those that can't think for themselves.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Time to find out if the Patriots are saving the 2 TE set for the playoffs. Or is it the Flemming formation? They are both unstoppable secret formations according to the xfiles believers. Break glass in case of emergency and release chemical X.

 

[Love The Drake]

Would like to see Tyms beat his man regularly and make some impact plays for us.
On defense I think the corners i you play are Revis,Browner,Arrington, call me Crazy but I like Arrington on Steve Smith and Revis as a roamer and let his instincts make some plays. I bench Ryan for the Rook and I like Harmon and Wilson in coverage better than Chung.
I let Chung attack the box and send him on a few blitzes against Flacco I think you blitz Flacco from the sides not up the middle.
Reason is Joe cool isn't affected when he sees pressure we need to surprise him from his blindside and switch up coverages.
I hope we get very exotic in the secondary and just blitz blitz blitz.
I'm not concerned with Forsett running the ball Wilfork, Branch Silliga good luck running up the middle you can have the 2 best guards in football as Collinsworth had stated you still can't like your odds pounding it up the middle on us.
I would let Collins and Ayers chip and hit their tightends.
Be aware of Crocket Gilmore kid can play.
And Kamar Aiken is smooth but should get smothered by our secondary.

 

[Mack Herron]

The Pats struggled against good to great d-lines when they were not at full strength and handled them just fine when they were. It looks for the first time in about four games, the Pats will be at full strength on the o-line.

They struggled against the Packers and Chargers and most of the Dolphins game with the same OL that will start Sat. The late offensive struggles cannot simply be brushed aside because of injuries.
As Bruschi notes:

it has been a long time since they have been playing at a playoff level.

On matching up with Ngata and Terrell Suggs: “They don’t. They can’t, to tell you the truth they can’t. That is what I am talking about.

The line had a bad stretch at the beginning, were good in the middle, and bad at the end. The idea that it was Devey's fault in the beginning and Connoly's absence at the end is clearly not the whole story. Connolly and Stork have given up pressure in the middle and running lanes have become hard to find. The OL has been the most inconsistent part of the team and is rightfully targeted as the big concern going into the playoffs. The Ravens DL is simply better than our OL. That does not mean Josh cannot hide the weakness and be successful, but the evidence does not support the idea that there is no weakness.

 

[Rob0729]

They struggled against the Packers and Chargers and most of the Dolphins game with the same OL that will start Sat. The late offensive struggles cannot simply be brushed aside because of injuries.
As Bruschi notes:


The line had a bad stretch at the beginning, were good in the middle, and bad at the end. The idea that it was Devey's fault in the beginning and Connoly's absence at the end is clearly not the whole story. Connolly and Stork have given up pressure in the middle and running lanes have become hard to find. The OL has been the most inconsistent part of the team and is rightfully targeted as the big concern going into the playoffs. The Ravens DL is simply better than our OL. That does not mean Josh cannot hide the weakness and be successful, but the evidence does not support the idea that there is no weakness.

Connolly got a concussion around the Chargers' game. He wasn't playing at full strength. So they might have had the group on the field, but they weren't at full strength.