Dear Bill and Josh

[Th3Birdman]

Stop leaving points on the board at halftime.

We wouldn't have been in that situation if we took a shot at the half. Jets were moving the ball on us all game, why would you give up 2 minutes and 2 timeouts only down 1 score?

And then we burn our last time out for no reason and kneel to go into overtime.

This conservative playcalling has not worked well for us. The strategy should be to play fast and hard and get on the board as soon as we can, at all opportunities.

We are not good enough (due to lack of personnel) to play catch up with teams that have our number.

Fortunately we will win in Miami so it's not so bad but jesus, PLAY TO WIN

 

[Guts]

They're being conservative because of one of the reasons you've stated lack of personnel. They can't play fast and be effective yet maybe one Edelman and Amendola come back for those quick passes because we gotta cover how poorly the Oline is playing.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

No doubt about it....There were some bad coaching decisions today

 

[Gronkowski123]

need edelman back badly!

 

[Love The Drake]

Mcdaniels proved hes not a genius.
Hope we get Hankerson back and get a deep passing attack.
Lafell is expendable next season.

 

[Th3Birdman]

They're being conservative because of one of the reasons you've stated lack of personnel. They can't play fast and be effective yet maybe one Edelman and Amendola come back for those quick passes because we gotta cover how poorly the Oline is playing.

May I remind you we were moving the ball half decently in the seconf half.

We could have gotten 3 with two minutes.

I really wish people would stop blaming the conservative play on lack of personnel. Patriots have been playing like this for a long time, this isn't new.

Regardless, the few times we targeted Gronk, he came up huge. Why go away from it?

As an aside, it's hilarious that there are numbskulls disliking someone asking the team to stop leaving points on the board. It's blasphemous to call out the coaching staff on this website. Get outta here with that, everyone is accountable.

 

[Froob]

Don't think you can blame McDaniels, that's most likely a Belichick call on whether to go conservative or not. Might have cost them big time unless they had gone a quick three and out.

 

[The Brandon Five]

Don't think you can blame McDaniels, that's most likely a Belichick call on whether to go conservative or not. Might have cost them big time unless they had gone a quick three and out.

3rd and 1. You are planning to go for it on 4th down. What to do? Go with an empty backfield and throw short pass at the feet of a receiver. Brilliant!

 

[Kontradiction]

That was ****ing awful. I have been one of McDaniels staunchest defenders around here but it was absolutely baffling to not try to at least get in field goal range. Field goal would have been the difference and the Pats had two minutes and two timeouts to do it but instead run the clock out. If you're that worried about the tackle position, pull Brady and Gronk and throw the game. If you're going to play them, then don't play ****y. Go for the points.

 

[Th3Birdman]

Don't think you can blame McDaniels, that's most likely a Belichick call on whether to go conservative or not. Might have cost them big time unless they had gone a quick three and out.

If it came down to it, you could just kneel on 3rd (if long).

But I'm not blaming that specifically on Josh, as like you said that's on Bill.

Josh called an extremely conservative game from the beginning, leading us to be in a hole. He then brings out the creative plays. That's my issue with him. He gets creative when we're screwed.

It's like why not do all that from the beginning? His opening drive was "oh hey, let's run three times and see what happens". Are we not tired of going three and out on our first drives???

(I'm speaking very generally here)

 

[BradyFixesEverything]

This has been my biggest pet peeve ever since they started to defer. It's NOT only this game. A lot of times, at the end of the 1st half, I feel like their thinking is..."Hey, we're getting the ball after the half, no big deal, we'll just kneel right now (or do something really conservative that might motivate us to go for a field goal if it turns out really well)". Essentially, every time the Patriots kneel on the ball at the end of the 1st half, they throw away a possession and chance for points.

If you end the first half with a meaningful possession, i.e., one which you didn't kneel on the ball...then you are controlling the game in the 2nd half (in terms of # of possessions). But when you just kneel on the ball...and give up...you are essentially letting the other team dictate the game, because at best, you can only match the same number of total possessions, and at worst, you will have 1 fewer possession.

The simple question is this - if the Jets were receiving in the 2nd half, then would the Patriots have still kneeled? I honestly do not believe so, and that's why I HATE it when they don't do anything with the ball at the end of the half.

 

[libra957]

Offensively we're really out of shape. I don't really care about the Miami game, i just wanna see the team we had in the first half of the season in the playoffs.

 

[Froob]

If it came down to it, you could just kneel on 3rd (if long).

But I'm not blaming that specifically on Josh, as like you said that's on Bill.

Josh called an extremely conservative game from the beginning, leading us to be in a hole. He then brings out the creative plays. That's my issue with him. He gets creative when we're screwed.

It's like why not do all that from the beginning? His opening drive was "oh hey, let's run three times and see what happens". Are we not tired of going three and out on our first drives???

(I'm speaking very generally here)

The problem is that a lot of posters here judge the playcalling 100% based on its success. When he gets creative and fails it's "getting too cute." But, I agree they played too conservative. Hard to win that way.

 

[aluminum seats]

May I remind you we were moving the ball half decently in the seconf half.

We could have gotten 3 with two minutes.

I really wish people would stop blaming the conservative play on lack of personnel. Patriots have been playing like this for a long time, this isn't new.

Regardless, the few times we targeted Gronk, he came up huge. Why go away from it?

As an aside, it's hilarious that there are numbskulls disliking someone asking the team to stop leaving points on the board. It's blasphemous to call out the coaching staff on this website. Get outta here with that, everyone is accountable.

I assume you mean me, since you were frantically disagreeing with all my posts after whining about me disliking yours. It's obviously not as simple as "leaving points on the board" but you can't seem to grasp that.

 

[Nordberg]

I knew they would knell on it right before half. Bill knows it's not worth going downfield (which is what they would have to do) with the personnel they currently have.

 

[Th3Birdman]

I assume you mean me, since you were frantically disagreeing with all my posts after whining about me disliking yours. It's obviously not as simple as "leaving points on the board" but you can't seem to grasp that.

I'm talking about the people that disliked this post, you and your opinion are in my rear view mirror. You were disliking valid points that ONLY YOU disliked, and everyone else agreed with.

And yeah, it is as simple as leaving points on the board.

You have 2 minutes, two timeouts, Tom Brady, a healthy Gronkowski, Martin (who seems to be coming into his own) decent field position, and you don't even try??

I'm sorry but that is BS. And it cost us the game, how can you not see that?

 

[aluminum seats]

I'm talking about the people that disliked this post, you and your opinion are in my rear view mirror. You were disliking valid points that ONLY YOU disliked, and everyone else agreed with.

And yeah, it is as simple as leaving points on the board.

You have 2 minutes, two timeouts, Tom Brady, a healthy Gronkowski, Martin (who seems to be coming into his own) decent field position, and you don't even try??

I'm sorry but that is BS. And it cost us the game, how can you not see that?

A lack of disagrees doesn't mean everyone agreed. I rarely use them, but find them helpful for foolish posts in game threads.

 

[glm]

The Pats have literally every single one of their best offensive players out due to injury (except Tom and Gronk) and people are *****ing about conservative play calling. Literally our two best tackles, two best running backs, and our two best wide receivers. What do you expect to happen? Not to mention they were playing against one of the best defenses in the league.

C'mon son.

 

[DarrylS]

LaFell did so well last year, because he was the #3 or #4 receiver, however when he is the #1 guy and draws the best defensive talent.. he is less effective.

Am amazed the Pats did as well as they did.. considering the very patchwork offensive line..

 

[Kontradiction]

The Pats have literally every single one of their best offensive players out due to injury (except Tom and Gronk) and people are *****ing about conservative play calling. Literally our two best tackles, two best running backs, and our two best wide receivers. What do you expect to happen? Not to mention they were playing against one of the best defenses in the league.

C'mon son.

And it still went to overtime. When you're in the situation, you need to go for the points.