Random thought on the SD "game"

[Ring 6]

I was extremely confident going into this game. As has happened quite a few times in the dynasty, there was a let down at halftime, when there was no excitement left in whether we would or lose.

Tom Brady is going to go down as the best QB in NFL history. Randy Moss is his Jerry Rice, the question is how much of Bradys remaining career will Moss be around for.
Brady and Moss are having as much fun as I've ever seen a QB and WR have. They appear to be loving how much easier the other one makes their job.
Randy Moss is FOOTBALL SMART. It incredible to see how he understand what he needs to do to get in position to make a play work.
Maroney is going to be very good for a very long time. Those that said Sammy Morris was a castoff special teamer should accept once and for all they do not know more than BB.

I love our LBs. Vrabel has 3.5 sacks. Colvin just consistently makes plays, although no one seems to recognize him until he makes the big ones. Thomas is a perfect addtion. When Thomas went out with a minor injury, we could only bring in JUNIOR SEAU.
Mike Vrabel being able to stay at OLB improves this defense tremendously. He is THE COMPLETE 3-4 OLB. You can have your Merriman's who show up for 5 plays a night, I'll take Vrabel who plays hard (and well) every single play. How much better would everyone think Merriman was if he had guys like Vrable around him to do the dirty work so he could get the credit (and actually be effective against good teams).

Our run defense is looking as good as it ever has.
Our pass offense is looking as good as it ever has.
Our offensive line is looking as good as it ever has.
Our pass rush looks almost as good as it ever has.
Our running game looks as good as it ever has, with the possible exception of Dillon on 2004.

I must admit when they picked up the flag on the holding penalty saying the defender was 'overpowered' my reaction was there were additional untold penalties to spygate, and the referees would be delieving them. I did not feel that way at any other point in the game though. I also rewound and did not see any defender 'overpowered'. I did see a blocker collapse under a defender who overpowered him. They may have picked up the flag because the 'hold' was him holding on to break his fall.

I will take Bill Belichick as my coach every day of the week, and I could care less what anyone thinks of him. One of the greatest sources of pride as a fan in this dynasty is knowing we have the best and smartest coach alive.

I think we could have made 5 glaring errors on each side of the ball and still won that game. I think we could have scored 50 easily if we had to, there seemed to be no way the Chargers could stop us.

I do not believe if we play them again in the playoffs that the Chargers could beat us, but I also do not believe it will be completely uncompetitive again.

Tom Brady gave one hell of a press conference that perfectly explained what this team is about and why none of us should ever worry that this team will be concerned with anything other than winning.

The math may be off, but the net result is we end up losing Deion Branch for no compensation (we got a 1 in 07, traded a 1 into 08, and lost a 1 in 08 this week) and I still think it was a genius move (maybe not for 06 but definitely for 07 and beyond) to have let him walk.

Its nice to hear guys like Mankins and Warren getting high praise in a nationally televised game.
We win, first because of Belichick, second because of Brady, but a very close 3rd because of guys who show up every play in the trenches and toil in anonymity.


Finally, I find it very curious that BB and the Pats in general get a lot of criticism for not speaking out in the media, leading to being called dull, lacking personality, poor public images, etc, yet I do not remember a single time where a Patriot player or coach look as stupid as so many Chargers do today after shooting their mouth off. I'm happy with little to talk about during the week, and never having to answer to how foolish you look to say how great you are before the game, then to fail. I would imagine wakingup as LaDanian Tomlinson today was more depressing/embarrassing than waking up as Bill Belichick the day after the camera episode became public.

 

[DonBlackmon55]

and oh by the way, Rodney and Sey have yet to take a snap

 

[signbabybrady]

I must admit when they picked up the flag on the holding penalty saying the defender was 'overpowered'

Imagine if the refs had to announce everytime a player was overpowered....weird announcement. just say no foul and end it.

 

[cubicle_6]

I usually am quite nervous before every game, no matter the level of opponent. But I felt strangely very confident before this one.
Watching Brady on their first drive I thought, Oh boy, this is gonna be fun.
There was just no way the Pats weren't winning big last night.

Colvin had a couple nice pass rush moves I hadn't seen.
Vrabel is loving being back at OLB.
Adalius only needs to stay healthy to be a pro bowler.
He's just plain good at everything you need at that position.
Wilfork was strong.
Just a lot of good work.
If the Oline protects Brady like he's one of their babies and living next door to a NAMBLA headquarters he'll have his best season.

 

[psychoPat]

.... I would imagine wakingup as LaDanian Tomlinson today was more depressing/embarrassing than waking up as Bill Belichick the day after the camera episode became public.

Good to have AJ's smart take - now as ever.

But Andy.
About who wakes up happier.
You weren't perchance present, were you? at the dinner party long before he became Prime Minister
... when a fellow guest declaimed that Winston Churchill was drunk.

"Madame," Churchill replied. "Yes, I am drunk. But you are ugly.
And when I wake up tomorrow ... I shall be sober."

 

[patfanken]

Nice post andy. I'm about to add my 2 cents. I hope I am as articulate as you....and I'll try not to be redundant.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

The math may be off, but the net result is we end up losing Deion Branch for no compensation (we got a 1 in 07, traded a 1 into 08, and lost a 1 in 08 this week) and I still think it was a genius move (maybe not for 06 but definitely for 07 and beyond) to have let him walk.

I figure we just lost a year of Branch for the whole fiasco.

We got a #1 for Branch, now we've lost a #1. Call that even although the picks aren't exactly the same. We couldn't Franchise Branch and Samuel so one would be gone - say Branch. That leaves us where we would have been except that we would have had Branch last year.

 

[sieglo]

I figure we just lost a year of Branch for the whole fiasco.

We got a #1 for Branch, now we've lost a #1. Call that even although the picks aren't exactly the same. We couldn't Franchise Branch and Samuel so one would be gone - say Branch. That leaves us where we would have been except that we would have had Branch last year.

On the plus side of the equation, if Branch had stuck around we would never have traded a fourth rounder for Moss, so where does that leave us?

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

On the plus side of the equation, if Branch had stuck around we would never have traded a fourth rounder for Moss, so where does that leave us?

If you make that assumption, that leaves us ahead - just not as far ahead as we were a week ago.

 

[patsox23]

great stuff, as always, aj. Thanks.

 

[jct]

The Chargers laid down for us like a Virgin on Prom night....

 

[Ring 6]

Interesting responses.....virgins on prom night, reference to NAMBLA, and Winston Churchill.

 

[vyrago]

Brady and Moss are having as much fun as I've ever seen a QB and WR have. They appear to be loving how much easier the other one makes their job.

But, alas, no more Brady-Moss manhugs after a score. Brady practically knocked himself into a coma with the last one. Brady exuberant manhugs will henceforth be reserved for shorter td scorers.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

But, alas, no more Brady-Moss manhugs after a score. Brady practically knocked himself into a coma with the last one. Brady exuberant manhugs will henceforth be reserved for shorter td scorers.

Yeah, Brady said that on his D&C interview - he said he's used to hugging shorter WR and was surprised to end up face to face with Moss

 

[njpatsfan]

I love our LBs. Vrabel has 3.5 sacks. Colvin just consistently makes plays, although no one seems to recognize him until he makes the big ones. Thomas is a perfect addtion. When Thomas went out with a minor injury, we could only bring in JUNIOR SEAU.
Mike Vrabel being able to stay at OLB improves this defense tremendously. He is THE COMPLETE 3-4 OLB. You can have your Merriman's who show up for 5 plays a night, I'll take Vrabel who plays hard (and well) every single play. How much better would everyone think Merriman was if he had guys like Vrable around him to do the dirty work so he could get the credit (and actually be effective against good teams).

Love the LB love. And none of *our* "old" LB's needs to go into the locker room in the 3Q every game for intravenous fluids.

Everyone outside the New England community questioned BB's sanity in putting Thomas inside. Now we see exactly what a genius move it was.

R

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I hate to break up the party, but while we've had 2 dominating games, it's just that - only 2 games.

I'm having a hard time saying our offense or defense looks like the best we've fielded in the BB era after only 2 games.

There is still a ton of football left to be played and don't forget we have New York homer boy Goddell out there pissed because none of his 3 New York teams have won a game yet.
Once the Yankees and Mets are eliminated from the baseball players and his 3 New York teams still have failed to win more than 2 games, NY homer boy could go balistic and suspend BB and the entire coaching staff for the rest of the season or worse yet; make us swap coaching staffs with San Diego. (the nightmare scenario!)

 

[Krugman]

Agreed on all counts,sir.Also,Cubicle6,I had that apprehension also,along with a deep rooted belief the PATS players would not allow a loss that night.It felt like winning a playoff game!

 

[spacecrime]

I hate to break up the party, but while we've had 2 dominating games, it's just that - only 2 games.

I'm having a hard time saying our offense or defense looks like the best we've fielded in the BB era after only 2 games.

??? That's what we are talking about, two games.

After two games our team looks like the best we've had.

That may change after four games or six games, but then we'll be saying after four games or six games, we look ...

You are correct in that we have to wait until the end of the season to say this WAS the best team, but why would you have a hard time saying our offense or defense looks like the best we've fielded in the BB era after 2 games?