We're on to Baltimore

[Oswlek]

and most of the Dolphins game with the same OL that will start Sat.

By "most of the Dolphins game" do you mean "about 20 minutes in the first half"? I ask because NE had no trouble on their opening drive and even less at the start of the second half. It should also be noted that Connolly was hurting in that game - even sat down for a good portion, IIRC - which was a big reason why he missed the last two weeks.

You are right that it cannot be brushed aside, but it almost certainly has been overstated even in your post and undoubtably in Bruschi's comment.

 

[JMC00]

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?

And even in that 2nd jests game once they settled on the OL in the 2nd that DL was pretty much invisible. Pats drove the ball for a TD, FG, and a 11 play 5 minute game killing drive

 

[JMC00]

They struggled against the Packers and Chargers and most of the Dolphins game with the same OL that will start Sat.

Most of the Dolphins game? Pats had 10 drives in that game not including two kneel downs at the end of each half here is how they went
INT
Punt
TD
Punt
Punt
TD
FG
TD
TD
FG

Not sure how it is struggling when you put up points 7/11 drives. And if I recall Wake and Vernon were pretty much non-factors.

If someone said that the Pats will score on 7 out of 11 drives this Saturday everyone on this board would take it in a heartbeat, well maybe not the trolls and chicken littles

 

[Rob0729]

Most of the Dolphins game? Pats had 10 drives in that game not including two kneel downs at the end of each half here is how they went
INT
Punt
TD
Punt
Punt
TD
FG
TD
TD
FG

Not sure how it is struggling when you put up points 7/11 drives. And if I recall Wake and Vernon were pretty much non-factors.

If someone said that the Pats will score on 7 out of 11 drives this Saturday everyone on this board would take it in a heartbeat, well maybe not the trolls and chicken littles

Yeah, if the Pats struggle and can only put up 40 points a game during the playoffs, I think the Pats are in some serious trouble. You can't win many low scoring games in the 4os in the playoffs.

 

[Mack Herron]

Yeah, if the Pats struggle and can only put up 40 points a game during the playoffs, I think the Pats are in some serious trouble. You can't win many low scoring games in the 4os in the playoffs.

Take away the third quarter and the offense scored 10 points in 3 quarters of play against a mediocre defense. In other games since GB they scored 21, 23, 17 and 9 points. Not sure how a few on this board can be fully confident that this lack of production will disappear Sat.

 

[Dutchmaster617]

Take away the third quarter and the offense scored 10 points in 3 quarters of play against a mediocre defense. In other games since GB they scored 21, 23, 17 and 9 points. Not sure how a few on this board can be fully confident that this lack of production will disappear Sat.

It is just blind hope.

 

[Oswlek]

Take away the third quarter and the offense scored 10 points in 3 quarters of play against a mediocre defense.

They certainly had a rough first half, but you are being remarkably disingenuous by including the 4th quarter when NE had a 38-13 lead.

NE had trouble moving the ball against Miami for about 20 minutes. It's OK to just say it like that.

 

[BradyManny]

It is just blind hope.

This offense has been up and down at the start & end of the season - but which offense in this league played 17 complete games? At the end of the day, this offense was a very productive unit, and faced a slew of top passing defenses while doing so.

I have my concerns about the OL, for sure, but I think the shakiness of the offense are really overstated as a whole. And even more importantly, the entire team, all three units, taken cumulatively is better than its been going into a postseason since 2007 - we can win low-scoring playoff games.

 

[Ring 6]

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.

I have absolutely no interest in your insults and attitude and zero respect for your football thoughts.
I have put you on ignore, so I am sure you will now go ahead and throw some more personal insults at me to bolster your weak self-image, but I won't be seeing them. Good luck in your quest for a Patriot loss so you can enjoy telling people you were right.

 

[BradyManny]

You are right that it cannot be brushed aside, but it almost certainly has been overstated even in your post and undoubtably in Bruschi's comment.

I'm a little surprised by Bruschi's comments - I share a concern about how our OL matches up with Baltimore's DL, but he seems to be overlooking how much stronger we are then Baltimore elsewhere.

 

[Oswlek]

Not sure how a few on this board can be fully confident that this lack of production will disappear Sat.

Not sure how I missed this - the real issue is that you've constructed a straw man. You've posted exaggerations of a legitimate concern and, when people naturally rebut your claims, you posit that they think the OL is a complete non-issue.

The OL has been a concern. Part of that appears to be playing so many games on the road, part of it appears to be Connolly being missing or hurt and part of it cannot be "dismissed." Stick with the facts and you won't find many people disagree with you.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Wake and Vernon were pretty much non-factors

Hold on a second....I thought the Pats offensive line stunk?

 

[Nunchucks]

This offense has been up and down at the start & end of the season - but which offense in this league played 17 complete games? At the end of the day, this offense was a very productive unit, and faced a slew of top passing defenses while doing so.

I have my concerns about the OL, for sure, but I think the shakiness of the offense are really overstated as a whole. And even more importantly, the entire team, all three units, taken cumulatively is better than its been going into a postseason since 2007 - we can win low-scoring playoff games.

I absolutely agree that this is the best team the Patriots have fielded since 2007. This is also the most complete offense and complete defense then that time. However, that does not mean this team is without flaws. The OL is the Achilles heal of the team and the Ravens are just the team to take advantage of that weakness.

After saying that, I would not be shocked to see the Patriots come out and destroy the Ravens. But, at the same time, I have serious concerns about how well the offensive line will hold up. A few key forced turnovers and the patriots could be in serious trouble.

If the Ravens win, it will be because they pressured Brady and caused turnovers.

 

[juny]

I'm a little surprised by Bruschi's comments - I share a concern about how our OL matches up with Baltimore's DL, but he seems to be overlooking how much stronger we are then Baltimore elsewhere.

I mean last year, Mankins-Kline-Wendell-Connolly-Cannon and no Gronk handled suggs/dumervil/ngata, so it's not a foregone conclusion that the OL will be swiss cheese on Saturday. If the OL wins their battle up front, then I don't see Pats losing

 

[patsfanincleveland]

Are you really going with this?

First of all, on 10/12, the Bills DL pressured Brady and held the Patriots to less than 2 yards per carry. The second game was a beat down by their line. And looking only at sack totals is idiotic. Second, the homers are being every bit as ridiculous as those they deride. There are just more of them. They should know better, too, because this is something that's been talked about for years, which makes their position not just ridiculous, but as stupid as all get out.

The reality is that the Patriots line has struggled in quite a few games this year. No matter how you try to cover it up, that reality is going to remain a reality. Yes, the Patriots might win this game. Yes, the Patriots might kick the Ravens asses up and down the field. No, that won't change the fact that the Ravens play the type of defense that has been giving the Patriots problems for a long time, and people who have concerns about this are not just making up those concerns out of whole cloth.

The Buffalo DL was so pressure packed in Buffalo.....they limited the Patriots to 37 POINTS and limited the Patriots to scoring points on only every second half drive.

Sorry, but Deus is the classic case on an idiot on patsfans.com that will argue anything and everything to somehow fit the mold of a non existent reality.

Sorry but reality is reality and to try to argue this guy makes any argument that is evenly remotely ground in common sense and intelligence is not realistic.

 

[BradyManny]

After saying that, I would not be shocked to see the Patriots come out and destroy the Ravens. But, at the same time, I have serious concerns about how well the offensive line will hold up. A few key forced turnovers and the patriots could be in serious trouble.

If the Ravens win, it will be because they pressured Brady and caused turnovers.

I agree - and I do share your concerns about the OL. I just think we should be careful not to over-emphasize that concern - some of the comments on the offense this week have read doom & gloom and I don't think that's justified.

I also have no feeling of how this game will go. What we see Saturday will just be one of a many possible outcomes that could occur when you pit these two teams together, and while our overall superiority swings the odds in our favor, it guarantees nothing.

 

[Rob0729]

Take away the third quarter and the offense scored 10 points in 3 quarters of play against a mediocre defense. In other games since GB they scored 21, 23, 17 and 9 points. Not sure how a few on this board can be fully confident that this lack of production will disappear Sat.

People need to stop including the Bills game to make a point about the offense. That game is irrelevant.

And the Jets' game, the Pats were without their #1 WR, starting RG, and starting RB in that game. The Pats were far less than full strength.

 

[Mack Herron]

Not sure how I missed this - the real issue is that you've constructed a straw man. You've posted exaggerations of a legitimate concern and, when people naturally rebut your claims, you posit that they think the OL is a complete non-issue.

The OL has been a concern. Part of that appears to be playing so many games on the road, part of it appears to be Connolly being missing or hurt and part of it cannot be "dismissed." Stick with the facts and you won't find many people disagree with you.

Actually, I think we are in agreement. My contention was simply that the concerns about the OL are legitimate, and Rob's dismissal of this concern because they played well in the middle of the season was not much of an argument. I have been trying to stick to facts, but people responded by trying unsuccessfully to pick on one game of many I mentioned. I don't see any straw man, so not sure what you are referring to.

 

[letekro]

I have absolutely no interest in your insults and attitude and zero respect for your football thoughts.
I have put you on ignore, so I am sure you will now go ahead and throw some more personal insults at me to bolster your weak self-image, but I won't be seeing them. Good luck in your quest for a Patriot loss so you can enjoy telling people you were right.

Peace out homie.

 

[Oswlek]

And the Jets' game, the Pats were without their #1 WR, starting RG, and starting RB in that game. The Pats were far less than full strength.

Plus NE's approach was so damn odd. You're going against a defense with a penchant for running plays they hadn't all year and even the ones they have shown rush from all over the place? Let's rotate lineman willy nilly and run now up tempo in the first half! Yay! It's no wonder why all three coaches came out and admitted it wasn't their best day.