Game Day Thread Official Post Game Thread - #1 Seed Pats beat the Bills

[Bill Lee]

 

[ashley]

 

[Bill Lee]

I'm afraid to even think it...

 

[Sicilian]

I don't know if I'm in the minority on this or not, but I'd be 100% fine with never having player interviews. Give me a post game press conference from the head coach after each game, and I'm good. Let the players play. Maybe during Super Bowl week you can have more because it's two weeks of circus time you have to fill, but otherwise leave it be. I DO think the players are doing us a favor by answering questions after every game (especially losses). They're being paid to play football, not public relations. Anything they do for us or the media beyond playing football is a bonus IMO, and as much as these "reporters" try to frame up their "relationships" with these players, they'd sell them out in a heartbeat if it meant getting a snappy quote they can get to go viral.

 

[ashley]

I'm afraid to even think it...

Crazy how 7 weeks can change.

 

[jimnance]

I'm afraid to even think it...

Yeah I really don't want to see that.
But if thats the Pats' opponent, so be it.
Would be so freaking amazing to even get to a SB this year I'd be happy with it.
But I'd rather Pats play anyone else.

 

[archstanton543]

I don't know if I'm in the minority on this or not, but I'd be 100% fine with never having player interviews. Give me a post game press conference from the head coach after each game, and I'm good. Let the players play. Maybe during Super Bowl week you can have more because it's two weeks of circus time you have to fill, but otherwise leave it be. I DO think the players are doing us a favor by answering questions after every game (especially losses). They're being paid to play football, not public relations. Anything they do for us or the media beyond playing football is a bonus IMO, and as much as these "reporters" try to frame up their "relationships" with these players, they'd sell them out in a heartbeat if it meant getting a snappy quote they can get to go viral.

Or just go back to one week between the Championship games and the Super Bowl.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

To be honest, given their game plan, I think that had the tables been reversed (i.e. the Pats won the toss), I think the Pats would have deferred and they would have chosen which end zone to protect to start the second half. Sure, it would have resulted in the Bills getting the ball for the start of the game as well as the start of the 2nd half, but I'm betting Bill would have thought it was the right thing to do in this game.

Didn't the Pats have the choice to start the game as Buffalo deferred? And chose to receive?

 

[DaBruinz]

Didn't the Pats have the choice to start the game as Buffalo deferred? And chose to receive?

Because Buffalo deferred, the Pats had the choice of receiving or choosing the direction. They chose to receive because you don't want to give Buffalo 2 extra possessions if you don't have to. If the Pats had chosen the direction, Buffalo would have received the ball first. And then Buffalo could have chosen to receive the ball again in the 2nd half if they were winning.. Putting the Pats at a distinct disadvantage.

 

[Bill Lee]

I don't know if I'm in the minority on this or not, but I'd be 100% fine with never having player interviews. Give me a post game press conference from the head coach after each game, and I'm good. Let the players play. Maybe during Super Bowl week you can have more because it's two weeks of circus time you have to fill, but otherwise leave it be. I DO think the players are doing us a favor by answering questions after every game (especially losses). They're being paid to play football, not public relations. Anything they do for us or the media beyond playing football is a bonus IMO, and as much as these "reporters" try to frame up their "relationships" with these players, they'd sell them out in a heartbeat if it meant getting a snappy quote they can get to go viral.

I agree. I consume a lot of football media, and I find I don't get much out of player interviews. Many times they just tote the party line, or they use jargon or lingo I don't understand. They live the game, I don't, so I don't have a lot of context they have. Many ex-players fall into the same category. I'm better off with someone who can explain/interpret the sport. It takes me a while to find ones I feel I can trust, and ones that don't go over my head too often, and ones I find entertaining. Luckily for me, there are literally thousands to choose from.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Because Buffalo deferred, the Pats had the choice of receiving or choosing the direction. They chose to receive because you don't want to give Buffalo 2 extra possessions if you don't have to. If the Pats had chosen the direction, Buffalo would have received the ball first. And then Buffalo could have chosen to receive the ball again in the 2nd half if they were winning.. Putting the Pats at a distinct disadvantage.

Agreed. They did not chose the wind direction twice when given the chance.

 

[DaBruinz]

Agreed. They did not chose the wind direction twice when given the chance.

I think everyone was shocked that they didn't chose the wind in the 2nd half. But I also think that McDermott panicked because they were down and hadn't really been having success to that point in the game.

 

[archstanton543]

I think everyone was shocked that they didn't chose the wind in the 2nd half. But I also think that McDermott panicked because they were down and hadn't really been having success to that point in the game.

And he seems like such a level-headed guy, too.

 

[gitgronked82]

I think everyone was shocked that they didn't chose the wind in the 2nd half. But I also think that McDermott panicked because they were down and hadn't really been having success to that point in the game.

You’re saying after NE had received the ball to start the game, you’re shocked the bills chose to receive to start the second quarter and have an extra possession, rather than taking the wind?

 

[gitgronked82]

Because Buffalo deferred, the Pats had the choice of receiving or choosing the direction. They chose to receive because you don't want to give Buffalo 2 extra possessions if you don't have to. If the Pats had chosen the direction, Buffalo would have received the ball first. And then Buffalo could have chosen to receive the ball again in the 2nd half if they were winning.. Putting the Pats at a distinct disadvantage.

So when Buffalo deferred to start the game, who chooses which side to defend? Buffalo, right? It goes:
Bills defer
Pats take ball
Bills choose side.
Right? Or do pats take ball and get to choose which side

 

[SHOWTIME15]

LOL Nick Wright meltdown this morning...watch from 9:43 to the end.

 

[Guts]

LOL Nick Wright meltdown this morning...watch from 9:43 to the end.

He is the ultimate Chiefs Homer and Patriots hater. Doesn't surprise me

 

[slash83]

LOL Nick Wright meltdown this morning...watch from 9:43 to the end.

He has one of the most punchable looking faces on TV.

 

[Bill Lee]

So when Buffalo deferred to start the game, who chooses which side to defend? Buffalo, right? It goes:
Bills defer
Pats take ball
Bills choose side.
Right? Or do pats take ball and get to choose which side

See the following from the last page:

Three minutes before the start of the game, the referee meets with captains from both teams for a coin toss. The visiting team calls the toss. The winner of the toss may defer their choice to the start of the second half, or they may take the first choice of:

1. Receiving the kickoff to start the game, or kicking off to start the game
2. Choosing an end of the field to defend in the first quarter (with the teams switching directions at the end of the first quarter and at the end of the third quarter)

The loser of the toss gets the remaining option.

At the start of the second half, the team that did not choose first (either because they deferred their choice or because they lost the toss) gets the first choice of options.

So there are now two decision points, 3 mins before the game, and at the start of the second half. The 2nd half choice is a relatively new rule change.

It could have gone:

3 minutes before the game:​

Bills win toss​

Bills defer to start of second half​

Pats choose to take ball​

Bills choose side since Pats chose to take the ball​

​

At the start of the second half:​

Bills chose the end that gives them the wind in the 4th quarter​

Pats get the ball because Bills chose the end​

As some point out they'd have given the Pats an extra possession to do this, along with the wind in the 3rd quarter, but if they were more confident in their D than their O they could have gone this way.

 

[Rob0729]

LOL Nick Wright meltdown this morning...watch from 9:43 to the end.

You will all the Pats haters go to ridiculous measures to trash the Pats.

I went over to Walter Football because he is notoriously a Patriots hater. He is saying the Pats are overrated in large part because all these teams shoot themselves in the foot when they get into red zone. It is "This team got into the red zone six times vs. the Pats and only got three points. That team did it five times and had seven points. The Bills got into it four times and only got seven points. The Pats are just lucky teams are shooting themselves in the foot in the red zone". Not that the Pats have a great bend, don't break defense. It is just luck and other teams beating themselves.