Idle thoughts

[n6249c]

Great post as usual.

The INT at the 1 was on Brady on the field but it should have never been called at all. That’s on Josh. This run game is legit now. Use it.

And Brady should’ve checked out of it or thrown it away when he saw KC had it diagnosed. Josh calling would be great if KC sold out against the run and left the throw wide open, as they well might have. You’d be among the chorus praising it. So it’s only 20-20 hindsight that makes you say he should never have called it.

 

[n6249c]

I thought you retired? Lol

Glad he found something useful to do in retirement!

Thanks Ken! Great as always! Please continue to enjoy retirement by posting here.
Hope the doctor visit goes well and is nothing but routine! Don’t let him prescribe anything for insomnia!

 

[Mark.]

I thought you retired? Lol

We hope patfanken and Brady don't retire for a long time.

 

[NashuaPats]

I appreciate your comments on the officiating. All I'm hearing today is the Pats we're gifted the roughing the passer penalty and that the Edelman non fumble should not have been overturned.

 

[Ring 6]

Great post as usual.

The INT at the 1 was on Brady on the field but it should have never been called at all. That’s on Josh. This run game is legit now. Use it.

Brady didn’t see the LB. If he had he would have lofted it over him.
The play action was a good call.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

I appreciate your comments on the officiating. All I'm hearing today is the Pats we're gifted the OPI and that the Edelman non fumble should not have been overturned.

I hear more:

How about the moaning of the phantom roughing the passer phantom call on Brady (Rex Ryan called it horrendous on BSPN this morning), while ignoring the non-call PI on Edelman (and Gronk, and Dorsett, and any other WR in the Pats uniform).

Thanks to Cameragate (i am old timer who refuses to call it 'spygate') and Deflategate, I learnt not to let these bother me and instead soak in the exuberance of being a Pats fan thanks to BB, TB, and the Kraft family.


GO PATS!!

 

[NYCPatsFan]

Brady didn’t see the LB. If he had he would have lofted it over him.
The play action was a good call.

Think Tony Romo also mentioned it and explained that when you are that close to the EX, it becomes impossible to see the # of LBs.

I assumed Brady would have been very careful given the # of times he has mentioned in previous press conferences that he has to be careful with the ball especiallly with the EZ (when he had committed similar TOs).

Had we got that extra TD or even FG, it would have probably made us get the W in regular time and helped calm the heart rates.

Edits - ugh! clean up my words/phraes that were not meant to be there. lol

 

[Ring 6]

Think Tony Romo also mentioned it and explained that when you are that close everyone, it becomes impossible to see the # of LBs.

I assumed Brady would have been very careful given the # of times he has set in previous press conferences that he has to be careful with the ball especiallly with the EZ (when he had committed TOs) and resulted in us not stretching the lead.

Had we got that extra TD or even FG, it would have probably made us get the W in regular time and helped calm the hear rates.

It was more fun to win the way we did though.

 

[long distance]

13-19, 94, and 2. There are a lot of impressive stats in this game, but these are the 3 numbers that stood out to me.

13-19 was the Pats 3rd down conversion rate. Think about that for a second. 50% against the Jets, at home, in September is a good day. 70%, on the road, in the AFCCG is down right otherworldly.

94, was the number of offensive plays the Pats had in this game. That was exactly TWICE the plays KC had, and only further demonstrated just how dominant the Pats were and how sad it would have been to have lost this game that really shouldn't have been this close. Especially when you consider the last number

And it is exactly this (for the second playoff game in a row) that can give all the confidence to the players and fans.

One thing missing is the credit to the front 7 run stop and the pass rush. Id say they were the stronger part of the marriage with secondary this time for a change. Just re-watch perfectly orchestrated and impressively executed contain rushes - putting consistent pressure on KC OL, QB without almost ever losing the edge - hunting Mahomes backwards instead of lateral more often than not. That was great and somewhat unexpected achievement. Not to mention monster games by KVN and High all around the line and even Roberts showed up nicely on a few big stops and even PBU!

 

[patfanken]

..

BTW WTF didn't Goodell award the Hunt Trophy to the Patriots?? He was in attendance..

I wondered that myself. When they showed a shot of him at the game, I was hoping to see a "clown T-shirt" nearby, but no such luck. But you'd better believe if KC had won the game, he'd have been down there hogging the spotlight.

 

[patfanken]

Snap Counts:

                                Off.     Def.      ST
Player                  Pos Num  Pct Num  Pct Num Pct
Shaq Mason                G  97 100%   0   0%   5 16%
Trent Brown               T  97 100%   0   0%   5 16%
Joe Thuney                G  97 100%   0   0%   5 16%
Marcus Cannon             T  97 100%   0   0%   5 16%
David Andrews             C  97 100%   0   0%   0  0%
Tom Brady                QB  97 100%   0   0%   0  0%
Rob Gronkowski           TE  97 100%   0   0%   0  0%
Julian Edelman           WR  93  96%   0   0%   5 16%
Chris Hogan              WR  72  74%   0   0%   7 23%
James Develin            FB  41  42%   0   0%  10 32%
Phillip Dorsett          WR  36  37%   0   0%   0  0%
Sony Michel              RB  34  35%   0   0%   0  0%
James White              RB  33  34%   0   0%   7 23%
Rex Burkhead             RB  30  31%   0   0%  18 58%
Dwayne Allen             TE  27  28%   0   0%   0  0%
Cordarrelle Patterson    WR  18  19%   0   0%   7 23%
LaAdrian Waddle           T   4   4%   0   0%   5 16%
Patrick Chung            SS   0   0%  52 100%  14 45%
Kyle Van Noy             LB   0   0%  52 100%  10 32%
Donta Hightower          LB   0   0%  52 100%   7 23%
Trey Flowers             DE   0   0%  52 100%   0  0%
Stephon Gilmore          CB   0   0%  52 100%   0  0%
J.C. Jackson             CB   0   0%  51  98%   0  0%
Devin McCourty           FS   0   0%  50  96%  11 35%
Jonathan Jones           CB   0   0%  41  79%  17 55%
Jason McCourty           CB   0   0%  35  67%   5 16%
John Simon               DE   0   0%  31  60%  14 45%
Adam Butler              DT   0   0%  23  44%  15 48%
Lawrence Guy             DT   0   0%  18  35%  12 39%
Elandon Roberts          LB   0   0%  18  35%   0  0%
Adrian Clayborn          DE   0   0%  18  35%   0  0%
Malcom Brown             DT   0   0%  17  33%   7 23%
Keion Crossen            CB   0   0%   8  15%  11 35%
Duron Harmon             SS   0   0%   2   4%   0  0%
Nate Ebner               FS   0   0%   0   0%  26 84%
Matt Slater              WR   0   0%   0   0%  21 68%
Albert McClellan         LB   0   0%   0   0%  19 61%
Ramon Humber             LB   0   0%   0   0%  19 61%
Brandon King             LB   0   0%   0   0%  19 61%
Stephen Gostkowski        K   0   0%   0   0%  11 35%
Joe Cardona              LS   0   0%   0   0%   8 26%
Ryan Allen                P   0   0%   0   0%   8 26%
Ted Karras                C   0   0%   0   0%   5 16%
Obi Melifonwu            DB   0   0%   0   0%   3 10%

Interesting that BOTH Van Noy and Hightower never came off the field and Harmon only got 2 defensive snaps all game.

So the Pats were playing the team with the most potent and dangerous receiver talent in the league and kept 2 LB's on the field all game. Curious

 

[patfanken]

It was more fun to win the way we did though.

I don't know, Andy, I tend to enjoy the blow outs more. FAR more relaxing, with all the pleasures of wins

 

[Joker]

Thanks for your analysis...I was waiting to read your opinions. I too spent a lot of time checking reactions post game.One thing I can't seem to find out...Goodell was AT the game. Why didn't he present the Lamar Hunt trophy? Why woiuld the leader of the NFL snub its' most successful franchise...blatantly?

 

[ChessToCheckers]

Snap Counts:

                                Off.     Def.      ST
Player                  Pos Num  Pct Num  Pct Num Pct
Shaq Mason                G  97 100%   0   0%   5 16%
Trent Brown               T  97 100%   0   0%   5 16%
Joe Thuney                G  97 100%   0   0%   5 16%
Marcus Cannon             T  97 100%   0   0%   5 16%
David Andrews             C  97 100%   0   0%   0  0%
Tom Brady                QB  97 100%   0   0%   0  0%
Rob Gronkowski           TE  97 100%   0   0%   0  0%
Julian Edelman           WR  93  96%   0   0%   5 16%
Chris Hogan              WR  72  74%   0   0%   7 23%
James Develin            FB  41  42%   0   0%  10 32%
Phillip Dorsett          WR  36  37%   0   0%   0  0%
Sony Michel              RB  34  35%   0   0%   0  0%
James White              RB  33  34%   0   0%   7 23%
Rex Burkhead             RB  30  31%   0   0%  18 58%
Dwayne Allen             TE  27  28%   0   0%   0  0%
Cordarrelle Patterson    WR  18  19%   0   0%   7 23%
LaAdrian Waddle           T   4   4%   0   0%   5 16%
Patrick Chung            SS   0   0%  52 100%  14 45%
Kyle Van Noy             LB   0   0%  52 100%  10 32%
Donta Hightower          LB   0   0%  52 100%   7 23%
Trey Flowers             DE   0   0%  52 100%   0  0%
Stephon Gilmore          CB   0   0%  52 100%   0  0%
J.C. Jackson             CB   0   0%  51  98%   0  0%
Devin McCourty           FS   0   0%  50  96%  11 35%
Jonathan Jones           CB   0   0%  41  79%  17 55%
Jason McCourty           CB   0   0%  35  67%   5 16%
John Simon               DE   0   0%  31  60%  14 45%
Adam Butler              DT   0   0%  23  44%  15 48%
Lawrence Guy             DT   0   0%  18  35%  12 39%
Elandon Roberts          LB   0   0%  18  35%   0  0%
Adrian Clayborn          DE   0   0%  18  35%   0  0%
Malcom Brown             DT   0   0%  17  33%   7 23%
Keion Crossen            CB   0   0%   8  15%  11 35%
Duron Harmon             SS   0   0%   2   4%   0  0%
Nate Ebner               FS   0   0%   0   0%  26 84%
Matt Slater              WR   0   0%   0   0%  21 68%
Albert McClellan         LB   0   0%   0   0%  19 61%
Ramon Humber             LB   0   0%   0   0%  19 61%
Brandon King             LB   0   0%   0   0%  19 61%
Stephen Gostkowski        K   0   0%   0   0%  11 35%
Joe Cardona              LS   0   0%   0   0%   8 26%
Ryan Allen                P   0   0%   0   0%   8 26%
Ted Karras                C   0   0%   0   0%   5 16%
Obi Melifonwu            DB   0   0%   0   0%   3 10%

Wow. Duron Harmon only got two snaps! Does anybody know why?

 

[mosi]

I agree that the calls were an absolute joke. It might have been after the interception but someone put a massive forearm right to Edelman's head. I thought it knocked him out cold. No call. NFL refs are an embarrassment.

 

[DarrylS]

Thanks for your analysis...I was waiting to read your opinions. I too spent a lot of time checking reactions post game.One thing I can't seem to find out...Goodell was AT the game. Why didn't he present the Lamar Hunt trophy? Why woiuld the leader of the NFL snub its' most successful franchise...blatantly?

I asked the same question a while ago in this thread, all I can think of is he has a post game appointment with his dominatrix, "Mistress Tommy".. it sure makes sense to me. No other good reason, she does however have a great cure for butthurtitis..

 

[Mark.]

It must just drive Goodell nuts to see the Patriots keep winning. All the stolen draft picks and negative press and their winning in spite of his best efforts over the years makes it even sweeter.

 

[Tb12goesinya]

Great post!

Surprisingly it never really dawned on me until you mentioned it.. Edelman absolutely has a foreseeable path into Canton. No doubt people will say it's a stretch but when adding up all his intangibles, his value is exponentially higher then his compiled stats.

 

[sambam94]

Tommy wasn't as sharp and relaxed as vs LAC for good portion of the game. This could've been a similar first half as Chargers game if he was. He seemed a bit tense . also on relatively routine play-action throws. The uncharacteristic drops didn't help as well. The INT was also the result of that - not fully confident, relaxed throw.

The way he was able to put it on - and sustain it - later in the game was just incredible.
Its uncanny how the pressure of the game puts him in the calmest of spots - TB12 zone - relaxed, nimble, laser focus.. He becomes calming water, burning fire and transcendent air at the same time..

hasn't been discussed much, but I think the cold and the wind did effect both QBs. Brady was slightly off on many throws, even on his completions. Hard to be perfect with feel like temps in single digits.

 

[PowerAlley Music]

Great post as always. Really enjoy reading them.

Cordarrelle Patterson WR 18 19% 0 0% 7 23%

I was looking at the snap count. I just realized me didnt run 1 Cordarrelle Patterson sweep. Which is surprising since it has been such an effective play.