Patriots will come out flat. Will the Jags take advantage?

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Patriots will score a touchdown on their first drive. Then Jacksonville accepts their fate.

 

[upstater1]

Your Denver example is not good. Just because we got more yards in the second half means nothing. We lost the second half 17-10 in that game but were up 3-0 until just before halftime. If we came out flat we'd have been down at the end of the first quarter.

Someone has already referenced the game coming out of the bye this year.
We have more yards and TD in the first half than the second half. Brady's best quarters this year are the 2nd then the 1st. That doesn't mean he's flat in the first, his passing rating is 126 in the second and 120 in the first. Basically no difference.

Huh? Up 3-0 just before halftime?

They had two scores, up 10-3 at the half.

We ran up and down the field during the second half, and if you're only going to look at the scoreboard without realizing that, yes, Faulk's fumble was responsible for the Denver points in the first. But that was still only on 144 yards of New England offense.

In the second, we dominated the Denver offense defensively as well. Denver scored on 100 yard INT return, a Troy Brown muffed punt, aided by the refs who gave a 40 yard PI penalty on Samuel, another Brady INT, not to mention a 50 yard drive that ended in a Vinatieri missed field goal.

The Broncos mounted only one long drive the entire second half, and that ended in an Elam FG.

If, as has been argued, teams pile up the yards in the second when the opposition wears down, that doesn't explain why Denver's own offense was inept. Absolutely, it's true that their defense took advantage of our offense at opportune times (INT on their goalline) but by and large, our D handled them. In that second half, two Brady mistakes, a Brown muffed punt, a BS ref call for PI, and a missed FG, were all integral in maiing the Broncos seem as though tehy had blown the Patriots out. Most of those are just bonehead errors that had nothing to do with the Broncos offense at all (i.e. end zone INT, refs call, missed FG, Troy Brown muff) so no credit to the Broncos there.

 

[Oswlek]

Huh? Up 3-0 just before halftime?

They had two scores, up 10-3 at the half.

We ran up and down the field during the second half, and if you're only going to look at the scoreboard without realizing that, yes, Faulk's fumble was responsible for the Denver points in the first. But that was still only on 144 yards of New England offense.

In the second, we dominated the Denver offense defensively as well. Denver scored on 100 yard INT return, a Troy Brown muffed punt, aided by the refs who gave a 40 yard PI penalty on Samuel, another Brady INT, not to mention a 50 yard drive that ended in a Vinatieri missed field goal.

The Broncos mounted only one long drive the entire second half, and that ended in an Elam FG.

If, as has been argued, teams pile up the yards in the second when the opposition wears down, that doesn't explain why Denver's own offense was inept. Absolutely, it's true that their defense took advantage of our offense at opportune times (INT on their goalline) but by and large, our D handled them. In that second half, two Brady mistakes, a Brown muffed punt, a BS ref call for PI, and a missed FG, were all integral in maiing the Broncos seem as though tehy had blown the Patriots out. Most of those are just bonehead errors that had nothing to do with the Broncos offense at all (i.e. end zone INT, refs call, missed FG, Troy Brown muff) so no credit to the Broncos there.

I'm sorry. ou can rationalize it all you want. That game had absolutely nothing to do with NE being "flat". Nothing at all.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Your Denver example is not good. Just because we got more yards in the second half means nothing. We lost the second half 17-10 in that game but were up 3-0 until just before halftime. If we came out flat we'd have been down at the end of the first quarter.

Huh? Up 3-0 just before halftime?

They had two scores, up 10-3 at the half.

Do we have a reading problem or a comprehension problem ?

JUST BEFORE halftime. As in : at the two minute warning we were up 3-0. That qualifies at "Up 3-0 just before halftime". It does to me anyway.

Flat, my ass, we had them shutout in the first half until that B.S. PI against Samuel covering Lelie.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

There ought to be a screen or a test before a thread can see the light of day, like callers in to talk shows are screened. Like, why don't I start a thread that says "The NFL will downsize by four teams within 10 years". After all, you can make a case for just about any premise you can think of.

 

[upstater1]

Do we have a reading problem or a comprehension problem ?

JUST BEFORE halftime. As in : at the two minute warning we were up 3-0. That qualifies at "Up 3-0 just before halftime". It does to me anyway.

Flat, my ass, we had them shutout in the first half until that B.S. PI against Samuel covering Lelie.

3 and outs mean we're flat.

3 points is pretty sucky.

Anyway you cut it.

I can understand if you're playing the 85 Bears, but in the second half we showed the Broncos that the Patriots were going to be the ones pushing them around the field. And they did!!

 

[upstater1]

There ought to be a screen or a test before a thread can see the light of day, like callers in to talk shows are screened. Like, why don't I start a thread that says "The NFL will downsize by four teams within 10 years". After all, you can make a case for just about any premise you can think of.

Sorry for speculating. I will join you in outlawing any form of speculation from this board. If anyone else speculates about how the first quarter might go, they too will be shown that even engaging in such speculation is akin to predicting the NFL will downsize in a decade.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

They played much better the second half against Denver than the first.

0 points in 1st quarter, a field goal second.

People are saying I've never watched the Patriots, but I seem to have a better memory about them than others. I could point to other games as well.

It's no big deal. We're talking 8 minutes here to get acclimated.

You do remember that in 2005 (not to mention 2006) they did not have a bye and had already stuck their foot in the playoff waters against an inept albeit physical Jacksonville team at home. They were coming off back to back 19 game chamionship seasons and without the luxury of the bye and and having dealt with a ****load of injuries and an unexpected retirement that left them shorthanded, they were tired, not flat.

That team didn't come out flat, they came out firing against a team that had historically given them fits - only to unravel uncharacteristically to a large extent in the face of manufactured (officiating) adversity that magnified back to back turnovers and cost them a 10 point first quarter point swing. Had Dillon not been a shell of his 2004 self, Faulk would never have had the ball in that situation. Had we scored on that drive, Hobbs would not have been trying to salvage a positive out of a negative - Denver kicking off after a bogus PI engineered TD. Denver was the team that came out flat in 2005 - led to Shanny drafting a new QB after they got croaked the following week - only they played with a 12th man on the field all game long and we were just too worn down to overcome it. Just like last year we were just too worn down to overcome a flu induced defensive meltdown. Had we had the bye in either of those seasons we might well already have one for the thumb.

Every Superbowl run they have won has been initiated with a bye. There are no 4 games to glory DVD's, just 3 games. Although if Kraft produces a DVD this season it will likely be titled 19 games to immortality. The bye is almost always a good thing for a well coached team (unless you're the Colts and it gets overdone or you're the Superchargers and you're immature). This team needed the bye for two reasons. They were physically and mentally dranined by the effort that went into 16-0 down the stretch when a couple of talented teams who were disappointed in their own seasons played us like it was their superbowl. And they deserved to have a brief time to savor the accomplishment, put it in perspective, re-focus their attention on the long range goal, and then move on to the playoffs.

BTW next time you are thinking something might be the case, don't start a thread stating it as a fair accompli. ?'s are your friend.

 

[PatsRI]

What the heck does a playoff game 2 years ago have to do with projecting what is going to happen this week? The only common skill position starters left over are Brady and Watson (you could add Faulk if you wanted to make it a 3rd).

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Sorry for speculating. I will join you in outlawing any form of speculation from this board. If anyone else speculates about how the first quarter might go, they too will be shown that even engaging in such speculation is akin to predicting the NFL will downsize in a decade.

If you were speculating, why not say "I think the Patriots will come out flat..., instead of "Patriots will come out flat"? OK, we find out tomorrow night.

 

[BradyManny]

I think the Patriots will win the game handily, but a lot depends on what the Jags do in the first quarter.

The bye week coupled with that big exhale of breath after completing the undefeated regular season will almost certainly mean the Patriots will take 8 to 15 minutes to get adjusted to the intensity of playoff football.

This is a battle-tested veteran team, that's very true. But every summer when I take my first dip into the water off the North Shore, that cold water is a shock to my system. They will be pumped, of course, they will be ready, and hopefully the bulletin board material will compensate for the natural letdown post regular season and the by week.

But I firmly expect the Patriots to come out a bit flat.

The Jaguars better score 10 points in that first quarter if they want to keep their hopes alive.

Are you trying to work the reverse jinx here, otherwise I don't see it - look what they did out of the gates to Buffalo after the bye week. This team has proven its focus week in and week out, to expect that focus to slip going into a playoff game doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[upstater1]

If you were speculating, why not say "I think the Patriots will come out flat..., instead of "Patriots will come out flat"? OK, we find out tomorrow night.

I thought people would naturally assume that I'm not a psychic or a time-traveler, but you're right. I could have been more clear.

 

[upstater1]

What the heck does a playoff game 2 years ago have to do with projecting what is going to happen this week? The only common skill position starters left over are Brady and Watson (you could add Faulk if you wanted to make it a 3rd).

Sigh. Did you read the thread? It was in response to someone who said this has never happened before to these Patriots in the playoffs.

I'm not arguing that the Patriots came out flat against Denver, therefore they will come out flat... No.

In the first post, and in the response to Tunescribe, I laid out my reasons, and in neither did I say the Denver game shows this team will come out flat, etc.

 

[JaxPats]

The Only chomping at the goal post will be Freddy T doing a Gator Chomp celebration. Reggie Nelson can do it too.

Dream on gator bait. jags better be careful IF they make it to the end zone.
We have armed militia down there.