Post Game Thread- Super Bowl Edition

[Pessimistic Pete]

Just a bunch of guys burned by bill

Not that bill was in the right here. Butler deserved to see the field

Pretty disrespectful for Hightower to do while inactive + after BB gave him his payday.

Then again it's beyond disrespectful what BB did to Butler, so yeah

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I suspect that the main reason why Butler was dressed was because he would be the replacement for an injury. BB and MP probably felt that 100% Rowe was better than a less than 100% Butler. I guess we will never know.

I refuse to believe this. butler should have been on the field in the second half as soon as they saw that richards and bademosi were getting killed.

 

[festy1986]

Pretty disrespectful for Hightower to do while inactive + after BB gave him his payday.

Then again it's beyond disrespectful what BB did to Butler, so yeah

Bill almost let Hightower walk. And for what?

Not like we were dying for the cap space.

Bill is becoming more and more miserable. And it's finally running it's course.

I mean it has to be if Brady of all.people.is lile.naw. **** this.

 

[stelfans]

This one hurts a lot, because it was right there for the taking. This eagles team is more than bearable, if not for a defense made up of jags and cast offs.

I don’t know what happened to butler, and as poorly as he played at times this year, he was still an essential part of the defense, which wasn’t very good to begin with.
I still think it’s amazing how that defense got to the Super Bowl. I mean, Jordan Richards was out there a lot. Richards!

But at the end of the day, this wasn’t solely on the defense, one can’t get past that special teams play.

Anyway, I never thought they would make the Super Bowl without Edelman and Hightower, let alone win it. It is what it is, The good guys can’t win every time.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I don't know. This loss sucks but 42 and 46 were worse. Having 5 sort of helps with perspective. The more I think about it the more this game reminds me of 46--it had that throwback feel to the 2011-2012 teams: the defense giving up a backbreaking drive when it mattered most. Also, the offensive line caving at the worst possible moment (though this was partially due to the Eagles knowing the Pats were in a must-pass situation).

Also, I don't wanna be too hard on Brandin Cooks cause I know he had a concussion and all, but he was running around out there like a deer on acid. First the stupid hurdle for no reason, then running in circles before he got hammered. Not like the offense really needed him, though that's not a great sign either.

I see your good points but this one -- noting the perfect season loss bitterness for the single fact it ruined the perfect season -- is so damn bitter because it was ours on a silver platter at the end. Unlike the 42 and 46 where scoring was an up and down struggle in general against a team that had found a way to dampen the offense, this one was right in the wheelhouse, tailor made. Prior to getting the ball with 2+ mins to go, the previous 4 times the O had received the ball they had scored TDs on all 4 (and not a single punt all game?), with receivers multiple times wide open. I think only 1 of the 4 TD drives in a row had a moment of low% unlikely moment of uncertainty. Otherwise no third and ungodly long nail biting moments or the like -- the Patriots were scoring TDs almost at will. So now we got the ball a 5th time and just at the right time. Just do what we had doing easily, it would put the Patriots in the lead, and most importantly it would run out the clock thereby keeping the putrid D from being relied on.
Against the Giants, both games, the ability to get a last 2 minute score was IMHO murky at best. But the game last night we just needed the ball with 2 mins to go to do what had been done possession after possession after possession after possession.
Reading posts maybe I'm in a distinct minority but I was probably the most confident of any SB that the Patriots would score at this critical 4th quarter moment. So to me that makes it most bitter that despite the putrid D we still had it! We got it just how we needed it in a shootout game like this, and only a 1 in a 100 slap & extremely friendly bounce that caused a turnover would keep the O from scoring that game winning TD (at least that's how I saw it). I never had that kind of "this is ours baby!" last couple of minutes feeling in 42 or 46.

 

[supafly]

I still think it’s amazing how that defense got to the Super Bowl. I mean, Jordan Richards was out there a lot. Richards!

But at the end of the day, this wasn’t solely on the defense, one can’t get past that special teams play.

Anyway, I never thought they would make the Super Bowl without Edelman and Hightower, let alone win it. It is what it is, The good guys can’t win every time.

This is what it really boils down to in my opinion, too. I’ve felt like this was most certainly a team that should at least go to the AFCCG, but that’s where I had a hard time looking forward. In other words, it seemed much more like ‘12, ‘13, even ‘15 to me, with the hope that our team could come together enough to make it a 2011 team, where we’d go to the SB and have a shot. I didn’t pick against us in the official game day prediction thread, due to fear of bad juju, but I was terribly nervous about this game for two weeks.

It just never seemed like a ‘14 or ‘16 team to me, particularly with the poor defensive play (at times), significant injuries, and lack of offensive production down the stretch—although I was certainly surprised by the output seen last night. They’re a much different team with a productive Chris Hogan.

 

[carmelo15]

I’m still in shock over the Butler thing watching him cry ore game hurts man it hurts.

 

[Mike the Brit]

No complaints about the loss. No complaints about the refs. No complaints about the Eagles. No complaints about the season. But ... man, it's going to take me a while to recover enough to be ready to set sail with Captain Ahab again.

 

[Uptown]

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Mike Loyko? @NEPD_Loyko 1m1 minute ago
Johnson Bademosi's missed 3rd down tackle was massive. Would have given the #Patriots the ball back trailing only 3. Felt all night #Patriots needed to be up by a score to hang on.

Tough to blame the entire D fail on one guy and one play, but if I were going to pick one, that would be it.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

And I’m sorry if this doesn’t sting as bad as 07 or 11 you are crazy. This sucks. It ****ing sucks.

Nothing will ever sting as badly as 07, but this and 11 are comparable. One lost mainly by the O, the other mainly by the D. The Pats put up more points last night than they did in 07 and 11 combined and more than in any other BB/TB SB.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

You know what, I'm not mad. The coaches shat the bed, players missed simple plays, Brady was magnificent (again) but Philly were that little bit better. That's all it takes to win a Super Bowl. Sure, some questionable TD reviews went their way but so what? The Eagles executed and made the one damn play they needed to make to win a championship. No Hightower stood out like a sore thumb today.

Kudos Philly, you were the better team. You deserve this win.

I don't think Philly was the better team, but they played better in big moments and did deserve the win.

 

[Froob]

It’s not like Butler didn’t have any real bad games, but hard to believe he’d be worse than what was out there. Philly very may have won anyways.

 

[mosslost]

Bill Belichick takes blame for Patriots' Super Bowl LII loss: 'That was all on me'

I thought Belichick seemed to happy to “be there” this time... he seemed less all business to me.. this article after the loss he talks about “proud of these guys... these guys are champions... champions of the AFC”

Personally I don’t have a problem with taking pride in an AFC championship... but it does not seem the Belichick way to me.. between seeming very “satisfied” and showing up at a NBA game while at the SB site seems very un-Belichickian to me. When I saw the clip of him st the Timberline game I actually thought “wow he knows they are gonna smoke them”

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Only player on defense that was good was Gilmore, Harrison was the next best player. Everyone else sucked.

Yeah, they played all night like they were in a daze. I have to put some of that on the coaching and the game prep. And, where was Butler?

 

[mosslost]

Bill almost let Hightower walk. And for what?

Not like we were dying for the cap space.

Bill is becoming more and more miserable. And it's finally running it's course.

I mean it has to be if Brady of all.people.is lile.naw. **** this.

Brady is the real GOAT

 

[mosslost]

Apparently Brandon Browner wrote a post on Instagram basically calling out Belichick regarding Butler and a couple of Patriots players liked it.

Everything this year including last nights coaching performance is making me ponder stuff I did not think possible.

Even Brady and Gronk said “we’ll see” about playing next year.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Brady was off all night.

...

Huh?

 

[102 Pat]

I think the morning after a SB loss feels worse than the moments after the game ends.

 

[Triumph]

Huh?

Rewatch the game.

Darby drops an INT before the fumble. When NE gets the ball back with seconds left, Bradys first throw is low and away from an open Hogan. Brady got the 1st to Dola on 4th down, but NE lost valuable time on the 3 extra downs to move the same distance.

58% completion rate is not Brady on his game.