Post Game Thread - Pats beat Vikings

TheRainMaker said:

I agree, but the Dolphins are fighting for the playoffs and the real big game is the following week.

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The bigger question is why are the lolphins fighting for the playoffs? Their only hurting their draft position

Patjew said:

I thought the D was really interesting. Often just one down lineman and a bunch of guys milling around the LOS. It looked unpredictable and pretty quick.

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My son and I were discussing that during the game. They seemed to also know that Cousins took a long time to snap the ball or Cousins was waiting for them to set before snapping the ball. Either way it was an interesting new development.

TBR said:

You're on another planet if you think that original post was "ludicrious".

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Not at all:

TBR said:

Play calling was awful outside the 1st drive. Took forever to finally target Gordon (2 minutes left in the 3rd Q). It's been painful to watch for most of the year. I have no idea what's going on in Josh's mind for 75% of the drives this season.

At least the defense looked good today.

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The bold goes beyond ludicrous. The italicized is just either terrible trolling or more evidence that you know basically nothing about playcalling. And, since we know neither the specifics of the game plan, nor the adjustments made by Brady, simply blaming the underlined on "Play calling was awful outside the 1st drive" without doing some research is ignorant.

Great win.

D showed up to play if we can get that same intensity and production from here on out, we are going to be in good shape. Offense looked a little better as well. TB12 still has zip in his throws

Note Belichick had an explanation for why the change in targeting Gordon:


Read more at: Bill Belichick Explains Josh Gordon’s Reduced Targets In Week 13 Win

I thought, without a doubt, it was our best win of the season. The Vikings are a solid team but it never felt that the Pats might lose this one, even when it was tied up.

The defense was outstanding and that was easily the most encouraging thing to come out of this game.

The offense still hasnt quite found its groove. I'm confident that they will but it's not the well oiled machine I might have hoped for. They still did their job against a very good defense and that's what counts.

This game gave me a jolt of confidence in this team. I like the direction we are trending, hopefully we can avoid a let down in Miami. 12-4 seems likely, 13-3 is still in the picture.

Warm fuzzy and cuddly win.. as predicted. using my darling as a pillow. There were a couple tense moments like the reversed first down on gronk catch ..then stuffed.

Opening drive 2nd half. Debating whether to roll over.. but stuck with it ,much like the team. Fans gotta do 60 minutes also.

Huge play was flowers sack on his stunt rush on 3rd down. Refs botched the call on 4th down that BB challenged. Patterson great game as predicted but once again underutilized.. IMO.

A Defiant Goose said:

I have 0 fear of Miami in the month of December. Then again ... stupid global warming might mean it's still 98 degrees there next week

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As of right now, the forecast is rain next weekend (in Miami) high of about 80,low in the 60’s.... shouldn’t be too bad.

Happy for the win. We can still get #1 seed if we win out. And we hold the tie-breakers over HOU and KC.

Foxypats said:

Best tackling I have see from the defense in a very long time. They have come out with purpose after the bye. Let's just hope the O continues to find their groove. Great game overall, except for that 2 mins before the half and the first drive of the third. Those are things they can work on

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we're one of the best against yard after catch, but let's remember the vikings is one of the worst offensively. Just to manage expectations when other teams do a little better or it appears we're doing worse or regressing.

Tony2046 said:

My son and I were discussing that during the game. They seemed to also know that Cousins took a long time to snap the ball or Cousins was waiting for them to set before snapping the ball. Either way it was an interesting new development.

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They've actually done that on several previous occasions. First time I can remember was against the Bills several years ago - maybe 2010?

Seems to me that it's a new benchmark of development for this year's defense, though. Maybe shows some confidence that everyone knows their assignments and communicating with each other well.

What was up with Thielen's freakish meltdown toward BB after the challenged play? What an annoying, petulant man-child.

SKOL! lol!

Joker said:

we've seen this before...Rexy's Rats did the same thing to US up here and beat us in that playoff game...called it the "Amoeba D" or some wacky name...

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Browns and Rob Ryan did it to us in 2010 as well.

Coolade2 said:

Warm fuzzy and cuddly win.. as predicted. using my darling as a pillow. There were a couple tense moments like the reversed first down on gronk catch ..then stuffed.

Opening drive 2nd half. Debating whether to roll over.. but stuck with it ,much like the team. Fans gotta do 60 minutes also.

Huge play was flowers sack on his stunt rush on 3rd down. Refs botched the call on 4th down that BB challenged. Patterson great game as predicted but once again underutilized.. IMO.

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I'm fine with Patterson being a "semi-secret" weapon. There's really no reason to use him "more" right now.

It was like Brady saying, "You guys scheme to take away Gordon, Edelman and Gronk? Fine. I've got Patterson. Our defense takes away Thielen and Diggs, then what do YOU have?"

If some future foe takes away Patterson, Brady/McD will figure out a way to kill them with Dorsett between the 20s and then toss a TD to Hollister.

Nine different Pats players caught at least one pass from Brady yesterday. Meanwhile, seven different Pats players had at least one rush for positive yardage. Only Develin didn't have a carry for at least five yards, and he had 2 TDs. The Pats hung 160 rushing yards at a 4.1 ypa clip, and the 2 rushing TDs, on one of the top-2 run defenses in the league.

This is how I can tell when the Pats offense is finally clicking - when they can use pretty much anyone at any time as a productive weapon against a good defense.

TheRainMaker said:

Kittle is on the rise and he is a beast!

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Can he block? And I mean did you watch his snaps. I remember people saying Kelce could block which after watching him this season turned out to not be true at all.

Never ceases to amaze me the willingness to go beserk over other team's players, no matter what they've accomplshed, and yet the constant ,obstinate "all our players suck" mantra rolls out every single day, like early morning in a Tibetan monastery....Patriots bad...everything bad...secondary bad..linebackers bad...D line bad...O line bad...Brady looks wrong...running backs bad...Gronk is bad...Edelman bad...Belichick bad drafter...game plans bad...it's all bad bad bad ...ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Yesterday's win was classic "Do Your Job" Patriots football...it works. I know, giant newsflash but...it's been working for EIGHTEEN STRAIGHT YEARS. Name the team right now that is even within a light year of this stupendous feat....go ahead. Tell me the team you lust after and the organization YOU consider a better one than the NEP.

Mack Herron said:

Patterson had more receiving yards than Edelman and Gronk combined. Going to JE and Gronk was 6 receptions on 12 targets (int). Gordon, Patterson and Hogan were 7/7. This lack of reliability of JE and Gronk is not unique to this game either. Not sure why they keep banging their heads on that wall.

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Edelman, 2018:

IND ... 7/9 (78%), 57 yds
KCY ... 4/7 (57%), 54 yds, TD
CHI ... 5/8 (63%), 36 yds, TD
BUF ... 9/10 (90%), 104 yds
GBY ... 6/10 (60%), 71 yds
TEN ... 9/12 (75%), 104 yds
NYJ ... 4/5 (80%), 84 yds, TD

That's no more and no less "reliable" than he's been in the past from gam-to-game. It mostly depends on how the Pats want to use him against a particular opponent and/or how that opponent is covering him.

Gronk DID look awful against the Vikes, but he was similarly reliable/"unreliable" this season until he hurt his back.

OBJ has now been under a 60% catch rate for 5 of his 12 games this season. Yesterday, he went 3/9 for 35 yards, against a very good pass defense, and other guys stepped up.

and maineman, Wheelman, Wordsmyth et al..these posts aren't directed at you people. It's meant for these drive-by, pi$$ant, scary Marys that can't wait to unload on these threads after every single freaking game. I want to know what THEY want...jeezus krist it's getting ridiculous

robertweathers said:

I'd love to know the thought process of only playing him in the second 1/2.

(Not that I'm complaining)

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Jackson? He started yesterday.