Post Game Thread- Super Bowl Edition

[makoute]

They got to the friggin SB with those players so what is your point ? I mean if you keep drafting in the 30s you will not have access to blue chip players on defense.

Patricia and BB coached their ass off this year to even get this team that far. Add in McClellin, Rivers, Hightower and a Branch who gives a **** and it is a different defense.

McClellin sucks just so you know. If you are waiting for him to be a difference maker you are in trouble.

 

[Snooky97]

One player I really feel sorry for is Malcom Butler. The guy puts everything on the line every game, he works hard, he does what we want. I love the guy and the way he was treated tonight was disgusting. He’s a very good corner and you cannot tell me he wouldn’t of made a difference tonight because he would’ve done.

Don’t get why Gilmore wasn’t on Jeffery to start with, butler on Agolhor( no idea how to spell his name)

Lots of strange things happened tonight.

 

[fightingirish595]

When the game comes down to a few third (or fourth) down stops, a big play here or there... yeah, the cascading effect of Butler's absence did make a difference. Probably a decisive one. And that's without pretending Butler is a top-tier corner or anything.

I think the lack of a pass rush and not stopping the run did them in more than anything

 

[festy1986]

Nobody is saying the defense was good tonight, quite the opposite. Point is that they were good enough to get the number 1 seed and to the SB. So lets not freak out about them as if we went 0-16 or something..

Not 0 and 16 but man that's an embarrassment of a performance on a historic level.

 

[luuked]

Welker elaborately insulted a head coach of an opposing team and got benched for a Quarter

No he was not. He sat out one series.

Either there is more to the story, which seems unlikely since he played ST, or there are changes in BB that are affecting his decision making... not uncommon in people who are 60+.

I am sure it was his autism. Jesus..

 

[primetime]

You conveniently chose to ignore the TD. They put up 13 (XP is on the ST, not the O) in the first half. That's a 26 point pace, for a team that didn't receive the ball to start, and didn't get the ball until half of the first quarter was already over.

Could have done better. Sure as hell wasn't trash.

They also missed a 25 yard field goal. In a laboratory, there's probably something like a 90% chance they score 16 in the first half. Instead they came away with 12. It's an outlier result of the drives they had, and that 4 points made a difference, but the offense had nothing to do with it. 16 points in a half against one of the two or three best defenses in football isn't anything to sneeze at.

 

[dafoe2016]

Brady and Bill handling the press conferences like true champs.

Hell of a game! Nothing to be ashamed of. Fought to the last play.

It doesn't get much more shameful than giving up 41 to Nick Foles. Hypothetically, Imagine starting Brian Hoyer against Aaron Rodgers in a SuperBowl and not only winning the game, but putting up 41 points. It most certainly is shameful.

 

[Xerostomia]

Few comments:

1. The Eagles thrashing of the Vikings was not a fluke. The Vikings were supposed to have the best defense in the league and were beaten badly.

2. The Pats were down key members on all 3 levels of the defense. I think BB relied too heavily on someone like Alan Branch who was a cornerstone last year, but AWOL this year. Losing Hightower was a serious blow. I was actually extremely surprized how WELL the D played down the stretch. Lastly, I do not know what the reason for Butler not playing was, but I think most people would agree, that BB will always put the team ahead of an individual. I will wait for the story to unfold. Our D in 2014, 2015, and 2016 overall was much better.

3. Time of possession killed the Pats. That goes back on the D. The Eagles had the ball for almost 10 more minutes, but ran the same amount of plays. Being down the entire game obviously does that, but if we had an extra 30 seconds at the end of the 1st half, or perhaps another minute at the end of the game it might have made a difference. The Pats were being burned on the run and pass. I think they never adjusted. They should have committed to stopping the run. Perhaps give up more big plays, but that may have given the Pats more time on offense.

4. I think the Special teams played poorly. Sad to see a missed FG and extra point.

5. At the end, you have to give credit where credit is due. Foles played extremely well. He was the reason why they won.

6. My biggest fear is a domino effect of players being 'burnt' out. I think BB drives them hard all year, but after being in the AFC championship game for 7 years in a row, and being in 4 SB during that span, winning 2, I think it could take its toll on some players. Bodies being beaten badly, concussions, and the mental fatigue probably is catching up with many of them.

 

[IllegalContact]

At least butler can say he had nothing to do with that mess

 

[luuked]

McClellin sucks just so you know. If you are waiting for him to be a difference maker you are in trouble.

Boy am I happy that instead we got to see Elandon Roberts misread play after play.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

So Philadelphia never even punted lol. Anyone know when was the last time that happened in a super bowl?

 

[Deus Irae]

Nobody is saying the defense was good tonight, quite the opposite. Point is that they were good enough to get the number 1 seed and to the SB. So lets not freak out about them as if we went 0-16 or something..

As I stated before, this was not a SB quality defense. Just as with the 2011 team, the Patriots had a bad defense that was coached up well enough to stand against lesser teams, and buttressed enough by the ST and O that the weaknesses could be overcome.

Today, the defense faced an offense that didn't wet itself, and it didn't have the score or ST advantage to bail it out.

 

[bormio]

The problem going forward on defense is all the holes. LB is a mess and not clear what Hightower will be. I feel OK about D-line and we have a #1 CB. But with McCourty seeming to decline - safety is very unsettled as is CB 2 and even 3.

 

[luuked]

I think the lack of a pass rush and not stopping the run did them in more than anything

Agree. I was holding on to this for the Ken thread but whatever. The difference in the game was us not getting to Foles in time in 3-4 situations where we had him. Just half a second quicker and a third down conversion turns into an incompletion or sack.

The flipside was that the Eagles hit exactly that homerun on Brady late in the game.

That being said he Foles still completed some great throws so kudos to him.

 

[sambam94]

brought it up in the game thread, but BB did not call a TO after the Clement big gainer near the end of the 1st half..that wasted 30 seconds. Brady did not have enough time because of that mistake. He did call a TO on the next 2 plays. He screwed up on situational football

 

[Vindicate]

Why

Why wasn't Butler in Gosh darnit.

There has to be something completely legitimate or that was a terrible display of ego on the coaching staff. Like, blatantly throwing a game almost. I refuse to bite until something confirms it.

 

[dafoe2016]

So come next November, December, or January..there will come a time when an opposing coach has balls like pederson...and pats won3be able to make a play... Again... If I were Brady I'd ask for a trade or release because my coach is going to play Eric Rowe over a guy who won a Superbowl..lol... ThNks coach coconuts

Fine line between balls and stupidity. Pederson got away with it. More often than not, he wont. He still should have lost that game. If not for a lucky strip, he would have.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

McCourty. The Patriots killed the Eagles on downfield throws with Jenkins late on every throw and then killed them with Gronk when Jenkins had him in single coverage.

The defenders were in phase on the long throws the Eagles connected on, the balls were just placed well and the receivers made good plays. The bigger issue was those 8-10 yard routes or missed tackles.

Please name one play made by McCourty??? The dedication to this awful player by Patsfans is mind boggling!

The fact that he also Carries a 12 million dollar cap hit next year, begs for his release.

 

[luuked]

As I stated before, this was not a SB quality defense. Just as with the 2011 team, the Patriots had a bad defense that was coached up well enough to stand against lesser teams, and buttressed enough by the ST and O that the weaknesses could be overcome.

Today, the defense faced an offense that didn't wet itself, and it didn't have the score or ST advantage to bail itself out.

No question.

Enough has been written about the D already but the real disappointment tonight were ST. Overall might have been the worst of the three units.

 

[sambam94]

So Philadelphia never even punted lol. Anyone know when was the last time that happened in a super bowl?

they punted once, pats never punted