Patriots @ Broncos - Game Thread

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

You can't be serious. Do they even sell those? Unless you got it off a Chinese bootleg website

He bought it from these guys

Pretty sure it's legit.

 

[festy1986]

Still ****ing fuming over that gronk pass interference.

 

[trevrox]

He bought it from these guys

Pretty sure it's legit.

Yup!! Those were the ones!

 

[supafly]

Remember the good days when we had Dion Lewis? I miss those days.

Lewis was a diamond in the rough, and you're right--we miss him terribly, as strange as that would've sounded back in late August. Unfortunately, his absence left a hole that has yet to be filled and I think we all expected that, just not quite to this same level.

I honestly can't tell if it's more the poor blocking or the lack of dedication to handing the ball off, but no one has been able to get going lately. Hopefully, that improves soon for the stretch run.

 

[supafly]

Still ****ing fuming over that gronk pass interference.

Both of them were insane tonight. Just pathetic.

 

[trevrox]

Broncos defense says it has plan to slow Rob Gronkowski

Who would have thought that plan was "refer to the refs"

 

[festy1986]

Both of them were insane tonight. Just pathetic.

I just can't come up with a rationale thought as to how that happens.

I know healthy vs healthy we destroy them, but it's important to me that things are fair and if gronk can get a pass interference without even touching the defender it makes you wonder what exactly the refs are up to. That call literally changed the game and I live in a world where refs shouldn't have that power anymore. I'd prefer unsanctioned games to seeing failed athletes take control of a game to feel important.

Gronk would of tossed that dude on his ass 10 feet if he was "pushing" him

 

[ViperGTS]

Both of them were insane tonight. Just pathetic.

Everytime after the Harper fumble, I told my gf that every big play the Pats got a flag would fly. And that at some point a major PI flag would happen. She didn't believe me but after the holding call on the long pass, she saw it. It's was all in the open for everyone to see.

Basically by putting Harper in that spot (I said, please, please don't muff if before he did) they allowed the NFL to take over.

 

[festy1986]

Pats had a 51 yard play wiped out by a penalty.

A first down to gronk wiped out.

3rd down and 19 and goal wiped out.

I'm sorry man, the pats COULDNT of only committed penalties and certainly not on 3 different game changing calls.

I don't know about you but I like the Patriots chances to win ig they have to keep the broncos out of the end zone on 2 plays for 19 yards.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

One OT loss at a very hard to win venue with many missing parts on O and some on D. Take a deep breath and relax. No one needs to be cut and we don't need to scour the waiver wire in hopes of finding a savior RB. On Harper, he is a total newby that, arguably, should not have been in that big time responsible position. With DA and Jules out, BB rolled the dice with giving him the PR duties and what happened is what happened (little surprised BB would give this duty to the newby based on his usual 'I want possession reliability more than explosiveness').

On D: the Patriots rushing D was a let down. I thought they would be far tougher to run on then some of the Denver series. IMHO the run D cost us the game more than anything else. The D also missed a few loose balls on the ground but that happens. Headscratching on why BB/MP kept the LBs so frequently so far back off of that 'between the hash marks 7 yards down the field' area. But the pass D was pretty good all in all. Brock just dropped some passes exactly where it had to be, it happens.

Obviously the refs screwed us, however, to those who did see that screwing? Welcome to the party. This is week #3 in a row they have done it. No it wasn't anywhere near as bad compared to last night. Yet the 'selective enforcement' has been there for 3 weeks now (as in X is only a penalty when the Patriots do it at a critical time otherwise the refs 'see nothing'). Offensive line holding has all but once not existed for the opposition the last 3 weeks while again a "holding" at a critical point popped up against the Patriots (again just like the past few weeks, the hold they called is going on so often as to be simply 'playing football'). And I've already sang the tune for a few weeks about the ridiculous outlier of Gronk's OPI number compared to the league. Congrats Gronk, you are #2 in the league in OPI at 5. The rest of the Patriots lead the league at 6. Washington is tied with Gronk with 5. 3 Teams have 4. It is rankly obvious Gronk is a 'point of emphasis' to the refs relayed to them by some 'unknown' organization that can give information and directives to the Refs.

For me it was maddening play calling again on the series Gronk got hurt. Run the ball or call pass plays that are safe/sure completions (like the third down call to LaFell) and take the clock to 1:55 after the punt. Due to field position the punt is sure to put them at a minimum at the 20, then make this newby QB with no timeouts and 1:55 on the clock go 80 yards. But that isn't the first time I have seen this. This is how BB/JM call the game so it is what it is.

Given our dearth of weapons the O did as well as expected against a very tough D. Tough loss but it is what it is. Patriots will be in the playoffs and very very likely to have a Bye. Hopefully Gronk-DA-Jules-Collins-Hightower can be healed enough before the POs start. And we'll need to put extra emphasis on playing the game to be in a position near the end so that even selective refereeing won't cost us the win. Again, obviously IMHO, the Patriots are a point of emphasis for the refs. But if we can get these pieces back healthy, we can beat anyone soundly enough that the effects of the Patriot point of emphasis Ref-ing will not stop us.

On to Philly....

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Uggghhh. The running game needs to pick up. It's looked bad.

I know that we've had good fortune lately when running the ball very few times, but the law of averages suggests that will not stay the same. I don't want to get into all of that because some won't agree, but they do need to establish the running game for sure.

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that anyone can do that at the moment. Blount has had his share of problems against those tough defensive front kind of teams a little too often, and Bolden just isn't productive enough with as few carries as he gets. I'd be curious to see him just one game with 20 carries--good or bad.

White doesn't even appear to be a viable receiving option out of the backfield, let alone a capable running back, but that's just my opinion thus far. I haven't seen a damn thing to suggest otherwise, even though some were high on him with his game last week.

No doubt the run game is deficient. Ideally we'd have a plow ahead guy and a shifty guy. Currently we have neither of these assets that are proven. Not sure what is up with Blount this game but the stutter stepping at the line every! damn! time! he got handed the ball was frustrating. Denver's D is too good for that. Put your damn head down and go north to south as quickly as possible d%#*!@t. Getting 2 or 3 from pure brute force is better than 1 or nothing or -1 which Blount seems to not understand last night.

Bolden is Bolden. Good STs and he can step in as the backup in a pinch but he isn't showing too much after that. If they want him to show more then they need to get him more opportunities. I'm a believer that RBs need touches to get their groove going (including white).

White? IMHO he hasn't gotten enough opportunities for me to make a judgment. I figured it is his inexperience that is keeping him from the opportunities due to BB cherishing experience and dependability (remember when Ridley was given almost no touches in the POs 3 years ago even though he had been showing good production?).

With that said, IMHO there are no RBs out there that are likely to make much of a difference and unless the pieces of the O are not coming back due to injury, our O is fine. The fact that we did what we did last night with soooo few offensive pieces against the 'vaunted' Denver D? You put DA and Jules and Gronk and Lafell together on that field tonight and the Patriots would have dismissed Denver IMHO. We would have dismissed them in a manner the Patriots had been dismissing opponents all season prior to the insane amount of injuries cropping up. So just get these guys back and, hopefully, Blount will snap out of it or White/Bolden will step up when given more opportunities.

 

[festy1986]

It hurts cause frankly, and no one wanted to say it, but this was a undefeated season just begging to happen.

We lost out on that not cause we were defeated but because the refs made some calls you expect to find in a madden game. Not real life.

 

[supafly]

No doubt the run game is deficient. Ideally we'd have a plow ahead guy and a shifty guy. Currently we have neither of these assets that are proven. Not sure what is up with Blount this game but the stutter stepping at the line every! damn! time! he got handed the ball was frustrating. Denver's D is too good for that. Put your damn head down and go north to south as quickly as possible d%#*!@t. Getting 2 or 3 from pure brute force is better than 1 or nothing or -1 which Blount seems to not understand last night.

Bolden is Bolden. Good STs and he can step in as the backup in a pinch but he isn't showing too much after that. If they want him to show more then they need to get him more opportunities. I'm a believer that RBs need touches to get their groove going (including white).

White? IMHO he hasn't gotten enough opportunities for me to make a judgment. I figured it is his inexperience that is keeping him from the opportunities due to BB cherishing experience and dependability (remember when Ridley was given almost no touches in the POs 3 years ago even though he had been showing good production?).

With that said, IMHO there are no RBs out there that are likely to make much of a difference and unless the pieces of the O are not coming back due to injury, our O is fine. The fact that we did what we did last night with soooo few offensive pieces against the 'vaunted' Denver D? You put DA and Jules and Gronk and Lafell together on that field tonight and the Patriots would have dismissed Denver IMHO. We would have dismissed them in a manner the Patriots had been dismissing opponents all season prior to the insane amount of injuries cropping up. So just get these guys back and, hopefully, Blount will snap out of it or White/Bolden will step up when given more opportunities.

I agree with your general thoughts, although this is now 4/6 past games where Blount hasn't looked all that hot, and I just haven't seen anything out of White to compare him to Ridley's hard nosed, productive running prior to the postseason you are speaking of (2011 SB, I believe--could've used him in that game).

I think White has been behind since day one, and that opinion has been confirmed by many of our training camp posters just this past summer. I think he lacks the ability to pass protect, and isn't too hot of a runner, a la Shane Vereen. Where we may be able to use him is the passing game, although if there were ever a time when that would happen, you'd have to think that last night was a pretty good opportunity.

If he still hasn't "gotten it" enough to be on the same page as Brady in a game like last night where they would've just gouged Denver with passes to the RB to Lewis, Woodhead, or Vereen, that may be telling. The fact that Brady felt more comfortable targeting Bolden out of the backfield on multiple occasions instead, does not make me overly optimistic about James White at this moment in time. I think some people are jumping to conclusions about White since he caught a ball and broke a tackle last week. Here's hoping I am very wrong.

 

[supafly]

It hurts cause frankly, and no one wanted to say it, but this was a undefeated season just begging to happen.

We lost out on that not cause we were defeated but because the refs made some calls you expect to find in a madden game. Not real life.

The reality is that we were still very far from an undefeated season, basically only halfway there at 10-0. On top of that, there were still some tough road tests ahead, including last night.

After all, the Pats had lost 8/17 past road games coming into this season including the postseason, which is something that goes a bit unnoticed. They lost 3 last season and all 5 of their losses in 2013 came on the road. Assuming that we'd just breeze by @DEN, @HOU, and another back to back (we have won only 4/9 past times in back to back road games overall lately) stretch of divisional games @NYJ and @MIA was borderline insane to me.

Then, even if that happened, we'd go on to face 3 games in a row vs. top tier competition, for the hardest stretch of the entire year. Why were people assuming an undefeated season? Just because they got off to a good start and were halfway there? This 2015 team is much more like a 2003, 2004, or 2010 team with a couple of losses, than it ever was a 2007 team. Just my opinion.

 

[festy1986]

The reality is that we were still very far from an undefeated season, basically only halfway there at 10-0. On top of that, there were still some tough road tests ahead, including last night.

After all, the Pats had lost 8/17 past road games coming into this season including the postseason, which is something that goes a bit unnoticed. They lost 3 last season and all 5 of their losses in 2013 came on the road. Assuming that we'd just breeze by @DEN, @HOU, and another back to back (we have won only 4/9 past times in back to back road games overall lately) stretch of divisional games @NYJ and @MIA was borderline insane to me.

Then, even if that happened, we'd go on to face 3 games in a row vs. top tier competition, for the hardest stretch of the entire year. Why were people assuming an undefeated season? Just because they got off to a good start and were halfway there? This 2015 team is much more like a 2003, 2004, or 2010 team with a couple of losses, than it ever was a 2007 team. Just my opinion.

I'm not too worried about it to be honest. We will have the number 1 seed, 2 at the worst and if Denver is someone we have to face again than lol. Not only did we get robbed, but frankly our D team almost beat their B team.

After tonight I know that the only way we don't get back to the superbowl is turnovers and more injuries. Which is very possible but I like our odds

 

[luuked]

My random early game observation (back when things were mostly going well) was that the announcers probably shouldn't talk about how Derek Wolfe emerged as an impact player this year, considering he was busted for PEDs this offseason.

My thoughts exactly as it happened. To be honest I am surprised not more players do it given how completely broken the PED system in American sports is. Why not exchange a handful games if it can push you from fringe player to playmaker. In most other sports this would give you a full year ban followed by a multi year ban and an infinite suspension on your third strike.

He wasn't? His play was the turning point of the entire game and the exact reason Belichick said don't even put a single ****ing guy back there later in the game.

His turnover was as costly as the missed turnovers by Hicks, Bostic and Chung. All of them would have sealed the game. And as I said in another thread, BB and the ST coach should have made clear to Harper (and any other punt returner) to fair catch balls in the snow, up two scores. That was just bad situational football.

On D: the Patriots rushing D was a let down. I thought they would be far tougher to run on then some of the Denver series. IMHO the run D cost us the game more than anything else. The D also missed a few loose balls on the ground but that happens. Headscratching on why BB/MP kept the LBs so frequently so far back off of that 'between the hash marks 7 yards down the field' area. But the pass D was pretty good all in all. Brock just dropped some passes exactly where it had to be, it happens.

Don't underestimate the effect snow and a slippery surface has on a pass rush. There is a reason why Brady had time tonight to go for several deep passes. This supposedly amazing Denver Defense also couldn't get anything going in the pass rush department for the majority of the game. The only difference that I saw was them getting bailed more often by "penalties".

For me it was maddening play calling again on the series Gronk got hurt. Run the ball or call pass plays that are safe/sure completions (like the third down call to LaFell) and take the clock to 1:55 after the punt. Due to field position the punt is sure to put them at a minimum at the 20, then make this newby QB with no timeouts and 1:55 on the clock go 80 yards. But that isn't the first time I have seen this. This is how BB/JM call the game so it is what it is.

I agree fully about the playcalling in the situation where Gronk got hurt. While the pass was still traveling I was thinking "why the hell are we not running the clock off". I understand that they thought they had the killshot but it came right after another Gronk seam pass. It seemed very greedy and it might cost us dearly.

It hurts cause frankly, and no one wanted to say it, but this was a undefeated season just begging to happen.

Games like this are the reason why undefeated seasons are so hard to achieve. Injuries occur, bad calls happen and the ball can bounce unfortunately.. sometimes even in the same game. Game of inches..