PostGame Thread OFFICIAL 2025 Week 16 Postgame Thread: Patriots Clinch Playoff Berth with 28-24 win over Ravens

[Tunescribe]

Ravens came so close to season over and a bonus lawsuit, that guy almost got firework to the face.

That was the meteor fans of other teams were wishing for this game. Pretty weak.

 

[manxman2601]

Gonzo hasn’t had a great year. They play a lot more zone in this system and it doesn’t suit him.

Makes you wonder if paying a man corner 30M/year to play in a zone scheme is the best thing to do.

I think zone made sense last night, you don't want your CBs turning their backs to someone with the potential running ability of Jackson. But yes, Gonzo, while excellent at times, hasn't played like the CB1 in the league this year.

 

[Real fan 02]

I confess I'm not Chaisson's biggest fan - I think he's too inconsistent as a pass rusher - BUT, that play today deserves so much credit. What hustle!

I have come around to @TommyD4207 thinking.. this defense is banged up.. we have no depth behind Landry and Chaisson so they have to play alot of snaps.. no Williams, no Spillane, Tonga and farmer went down.. Barmore is playing through something. We don't have the depth on defense but they gutted it out and FORCED TURNOVERS. By us winning and Denver losing puts us back in the 1 seed contention and that much needed bye. This teams resilient..no other team in the NFL can say they are undefeated on the road this season. So happy to be back in the playoffs.

 

[Steve102]

Oh, by the way, where are my "Too Much Mack Hollins in the offense" people at?

Come on, don't be shy. Career Season at age 33.

 

[Real fan 02]

Gonzo hasn’t had a great year. They play a lot more zone in this system and it doesn’t suit him.

Makes you wonder if paying a man corner 30M/year to play in a zone scheme is the best thing to do.

Collinsworth made the same comments during the game.. Flowers is bad match up for gonzo.. Marcus should have been on him.. they have to play zone becuase of the LBs in coverage wich is why we are ranked dead last in the red zone. Once we add in the off-season edge rushers we can play primarily man.

 

[manxman2601]

 

[PatsFan2]

Who is "we"?

One-if can I ask you a question??

 

[bormio]

One of the best decisions Vrabel made this year was to not give up on Stevenson over his fumbling. Maybe because he had no choice. Stevenson being out a few weeks also helped. He looks fresh, less wear and tear.

 

[Triumph]

The Ravens were the Pats vs the Bills.

No pass TDs and lethargic passing yard total of 159 yds. I do not believe that if Jackson completed the start that the Ravens would have won.

 

[Triumph]

One of the best decisions Vrabel made this year was to not give up on Stevenson over his fumbling. Maybe because he had no choice. Stevenson being out a few weeks also helped. He looks fresh, less wear and tear.

Hendo looked beat down and tired.

 

[Thelonious]

What a weird game, stretches of crap, moments of brilliance, guys dropping like flies.

The toughest team, and the toughest quarterback, won. That's the take-away. If we can build a better, deeper roster, and hold onto the toughness, we are going to be a problem for a while.

 

[bormio]

What a weird game, stretches of crap, moments of brilliance, guys dropping like flies.

The toughest team, and the toughest quarterback, won. That's the take-away. If we can build a better, deeper roster, and hold onto the toughness, we are going to be a problem for a while.

The 2001 team wasn’t overly talented, had flaws and wasn’t real deep (especially compared to later teams). But they caught lightning in a bottle.

 

[Thelonious]

The Ravens were the Pats vs the Bills.

No pass TDs and lethargic passing yard total of 159 yds. I do not believe that if Jackson completed the start that the Ravens would have won.

The bottom line is that the way Jackson has played the game is not sustainable. The injuries inevitably mount. Players like him have a few years to figure out how to play in way that is sustainable, that won't leave them a limping shadow of themselves. Lamar has not figured that out, and he's probably just about done, though as usual it will take the team a while to acknowledge this. The Ravens have used him up in the manner teams used to use up running backs. The underlying reality of NFL football is brutal. They say, or used to say, that "sports build character." We have the game is our schools, presumably because it is "educational" in some manner. One wonders.

 

[JoeyCee]

The bottom line is that the way Jackson has played the game is not sustainable. The injuries inevitable mount. Players like him have a few years to figure out how to play in way that is sustainable, that won't leave them a limping shadow of themselves. Lamar has not figured that out, and he's probably just about done, though as usual it will take the team a while to acknowledge this. The Ravens have used him up in the manner teams used to use up running backs. The underlying reality of NFL football is brutal. They say, or used to say, that "sports build character." We have the game is our schools, presumably because it is "educational" in some manner. One wonders.

My take on running QBs is they look like world beaters and then the constant nagging injuries take over. Allen has dodged the bullet so far but the candle is burning (BTW he'll never win it all).

 

[upstater1]

Collinsworth made the same comments during the game.. Flowers is bad match up for gonzo.. Marcus should have been on him.. they have to play zone becuase of the LBs in coverage wich is why we are ranked dead last in the red zone. Once we add in the off-season edge rushers we can play primarily man.

Gonzo was blamed for Flowers catches though when he had outside zone coverage and Flowers crossed over from the clear other side of the field. That catch was not on boundary defenders. Made no sense to blame Gonzo for Flowers's biggest play.

But if you look at the official stats, Gonzo only gave up a 14 yarder and an 8 yarder to Flowers, total of 22 yds. I pointed this out last night in the game thread and people were in disbelief. I think it had to do with Gonzo being in the area where Flowers was tackled and Flowers being wide open. But it was clear to me it couldn't have been Gonzo.

 

[upstater1]

Did anyone notice on the non-call of the PI on the long throw to Boutte, a Raven deliberately tripped Drake Maye?

 

[bormio]

Did anyone notice on the non-call of the PI on the long throw to Boutte, a Raven deliberately tripped Drake Maye?

No, no one noticed

 

[Zoomnbyu]

It isn’t just NE either, there have been a lot of games where the refs are just inexplicably horrible and severely biased against one team. It reeks.

I'm sure it's got absolutely nothing to do with the proliferation of sports gambling. Nope....

 

[PatsfanTN]

Did anyone notice on the non-call of the PI on the long throw to Boutte, a Raven deliberately tripped Drake Maye?

Nope, missed that. I was too pissed about the non pi call

 

[PatsfanTN]

ESPN is going over the game, they just showed the Mapu play. Please never ever ever run that play again.

At least not with Mapu.