PostGame Thread 2025 OFFICIAL POSTGAME THREAD: Patriots improve to 9-2 with win over NYJ

[signbabybrady]

Where have you heard that Tonga is getting passes thrown to him in practice?

I think he was mostly joking at the time but jokes often come from truth.

On the all access show before the Bucs game Vrabel was reviewing a Tonga block with Zo and said flat out they are going to get him a TD run and reception.

Obviously joking but probably also means there is a few tricks to the package.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Good Lord lol

 

[Ring 6]

I'm thrilled with the win, and in blissful disbelief at our league-leading record...
BUT - we still have some serious weaknesses to work on.

1 - opening D swiss cheese (if we give Bengals or Ravens or any playoff team a free 7pt lead - we may not recover)
2 - run blocking is still terrible (it's not Rham, and it's not Trey) They resorted to the "Brady checkdown" as their 1st down "run play" in the 2nd half - and I prefer that compared to useless 1st down runs for 1 or -1 yds.
3 - pass rush is seriously lacking. Landry fell of the cliff, Chaisson chases, Ponder is meh. We need to figure out a more potent answer, even the worst offenses are having 7 seconds to sit back there and find open guys.
4 - we "take naps" on both sides of the ball throughout the game. otherwise known as "lack the killer mentality" to keep the foot on the gas every single down.
5 - injuries are piling up. happens to everyone, but we have a very thin margin of error with talent. especially all 3 skill positions
We really need Boutte back. If Diggs or Henry goes down, I don't think we could overcome.

Seriously?
1) OMG how will we ever come back from dorm 7 with 54 minute to play against the vaunted Bengal and Raven defenses.
2) Run blocking isn’t terrible. It could be better but it’s decent. Short quick passes are not “checkdowns”. They are design to throw short.
3) There is no question we were more concerned with Fields running rgatvoreventing him from throwing the ball
4) stupid comment. No team in the history of the sport has scored on every drive and stopped the opponent on every drive. Using the term “take naps” just emphasizes your ignorance.
5) what injuries are “piling up”? What player, other than Gonzalez 2 months ago, missed time and we have even missed a beat. Next man up is alive and well in Foxboro.

It’s amazing to me that the team just won its 8th straight game, has the best record in the NFL and you are STILL completely negative.
This is your 3rd post after a convincing win to go to 7-2. Your first 2 complained about the defense that allowed 14 points, then this one. Your 4th said you don’t want Maye to win the MVP because you have figured out a way that it’s a bad thing.

Are you ever happy about anything?

 

[Hugepatsfan]

Rookies will rookie. What Williams is showing is that he can do what was expected of him in the draft - winning against press, having the speed to get deep and playing with explosion. The understanding with Maye will come with reps and practice. There's no indication Williams is stupid, lazy or doesn't care so it's not about character, it's purely about the step up from running a limited route tree in college to playing in the bigs. The understanding will come with reps. Why are people so determined to write off/judge rookies after only 11 games?

I never said he was stupid. I never said he was lazy. I never said he doesn't care. I never said he had poor character. I never said to write off his whole career. And I acknowledged that he's got plays on tape with good stuff in them on some reps.

All I said was that overall he's an unreliable, bad NFL WR right now. And tbh, you seem to be saying the same thing. You're just sugarcoating and being nice about it. We're really saying the same thing - he's not good right now but could be in time.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Agreed. Not the first guy to have his career derailed by a patella tear. That's why I didn't want to go with Simmons in the first round of the draft even if he could have been the "steal of the draft".

That is the difference drafting at #4 and #31. At the end of the 1st round every team has to take chances. If we were at #31 we would have wanted Simmons. That is why the 20/20 hindsight draft criticism is foolish.

 

[BobDigital]

Where have you heard that Tonga is getting passes thrown to him in practice?

I agree that one of the best parts is that the Patriots played a disciplined game and did not turn over the football. They did not hurt themselves.

That's going to become more and more important going forward. Winning the turnover battle usually means winning the game.

He isn't as far as i know. And if he does, i won't hear about it. No one will. But would you bet against him getting a target before the season/post season ends? I wouldn't. Personally come playoff time if they haven't used it yet. I will hunt every sports betting site i can till i can find a Tonga prop bet for a TD. I would love to get a juicy +1200 pay out on a trick play i 100% believe they are absolutely itchy to pull.

: )

 

[PP2]

Look at the down and distance and the formation. It's 4th and 2. They have 3 receivers to the right. The defense clearly playing to take away the short pass. It was a good release to get by the defender but part of the defender's technique there is a calculated gamble that they aren't throwing a go route to the weakside of the formation to their 5th WR who's been shaky all year on 4th and 2.

If you give any NFL player enough playing time they're going to put some good things on tape. Williams just flat out hasn't been good this year.

Indicting either Maye or Willams on this particular 4th and 2 play is downright wrong. Williams was never going to be the target, only a decoy which is obvious as he doesn't max out on speed. On the weak side where Maye clearly has his attention focused, you have the scissors concept being utilized, however sloppily, to clean off Douglas who gets the down. You can see Douglas cuts right at the wall formed by the scissors at the point where the receivers cross paths, causing the logjam that releases Douglas.

This was a good conservative play to call. Just get the down.

 

[manxman2601]

I never said he was stupid. I never said he was lazy. I never said he doesn't care. I never said he had poor character. I never said to write off his whole career. And I acknowledged that he's got plays on tape with good stuff in them on some reps.

I wasn't suggesting you were calling him stupid, lazy or a bad character. I'm saying that we have no reason to think that those are the reasons for his difficulties on occasion getting on the same page with Maye and that Occams razor tells me that it's lack of game reps. Too many people think that rookies coming out of college schemes that often aren't NFL compatible should be plug and play in the NFL. It just doesn't work like that. I've seen enough good things from Williams to feel comfortable that it will come with more reps.

 

[Huckleberry1]

He is what he is AT THE MOMENT.

I think he is a bit of a knucklehead. But he has top-end speed you cant just find anywhere.

Vrabel has shown immense levels of patience with a whole bunch of guys ( the Borg; Pop; a lot of the guys on D) and it has paid off. So I trust him and McDaniels to keep working him and to know when to cut bait on him if required. I would hope they get him there, but in the meantime i can still lament the fact that he appears to be the slowest learner in Stefon Diggs school for wayward boys.

Gumby, he's a rookie. People need to give these guys time to adjust to playing at this level, especially when they only play sparingly. MacDaniels system has always been difficult for even the most veteran receivers to adapt to, it's Latin to a rookie. People need to give them time and allow them to develop.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

Indicting either Maye or Willams on this particular 4th and 2 play is downright wrong. Williams was never going to be the target, only a decoy which is obvious as he doesn't max out on speed. On the weak side where Maye clearly has his attention focused, you have the scissors concept being utilized, however sloppily, to clean off Douglas who gets the down. You can see Douglas cuts right at the wall formed by the scissors at the point where the receivers cross paths, causing the logjam that releases Douglas.

This was a good conservative play to call. Just get the down.

I wasn't "indicting" anyone. If you read the initial tweet, the gist of it was "wow look how badly Williams burned his man". And I was pointing out the situation and the defensive coverage he faced. It was 4th and 2 so the defender got overly aggressive in his face with the press because in that situation you play to take away the short pass and if the offense has the balls to throw a go route there then you just take the L. You play the Pats to do exactly what they did, which they did well as you noted.

I'm just saying that to post that as some shining example of Williams is disingenuous because it's ignoring the game situation that went into the coverage they faced and how vulnerable they left themselves for what he did to the CB there.

 

[BobDigital]

I think you are confused about what a check down is.
Tom Brady was not a check down QB. Maye wasn’t last night.

A check down is when you pass up deeper receivers in order to dump off underneath.
A quick short pass is not a check down it’s a play designed to target the short route.

When the primary route is a 5 yard out and it’s open and you throw to it, it’s not a check down.

The last thing anyone should be doing with Maye is changing him or stifling his aggressiveness.

It was a tongue and cheek comment. It wasn't meant to be taken super literally. Tom was often accused of taking lots of short easy passes early in his career with a low skill cap. Maye made the comment about 'check down charlie'. Which is how people use to think of Brady. Obviously his short passing game was sensational.

I don't think anyone thinks the GOAT is a 'check down charlie'. It was just a comment of Maye's. Who did and should continue to take what the D gives him in the short passing game more often. Also check down is often seen as passing to the short option cause the deep ones are covered. Not automatically passing up an open deep player for a shorter deep player. Though i have seen both definitions implied, so you aren't wrong either.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Road to the #1 seed continues. This isn’t 2021 where they got hit with playoff teams 3 out the last 4 games. Pats need to continue to beat up on the bad teams and rack up AFC wins.

Cincinnati’s offense will be a big test the defense and Flacco is an ******* like Eli Manning that likes to derail good team’s seasons.

 

[TommyD4207]

I'm thrilled with the win, and in blissful disbelief at our league-leading record...
BUT - we still have some serious weaknesses to work on.

1 - opening D swiss cheese (if we give Bengals or Ravens or any playoff team a free 7pt lead - we may not recover)
2 - run blocking is still terrible (it's not Rham, and it's not Trey) They resorted to the "Brady checkdown" as their 1st down "run play" in the 2nd half - and I prefer that compared to useless 1st down runs for 1 or -1 yds.
3 - pass rush is seriously lacking. Landry fell of the cliff, Chaisson chases, Ponder is meh. We need to figure out a more potent answer, even the worst offenses are having 7 seconds to sit back there and find open guys.
4 - we "take naps" on both sides of the ball throughout the game. otherwise known as "lack the killer mentality" to keep the foot on the gas every single down.
5 - injuries are piling up. happens to everyone, but we have a very thin margin of error with talent. especially all 3 skill positions
We really need Boutte back. If Diggs or Henry goes down, I don't think we could overcome.

 

[BobDigital]

I am just so glad this TNF game is out of the way. 6 games left... if they were going to trip up on an easy one it likely would be this one.

Also, how lucky is McDaniels? He will get to coach basically his entire career with either Brady or Maye as a QB. Has there ever been a more fortunate OC? Assuming Maye will be what we think he will of course.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

not a fan of fitzpatrick. somehow he rubs me the wrong way. plus his constant rant against brady is irritating

My problem with Fitz is that ****ing awful shirt he was wearing

 

[UGAPatsfan]

Wish we had the Chism we thought we were going to see out of TC...

Bro is SLOW

 

[patchick]

Why are people so determined to write off/judge rookies after only 11 games?

Only a couple of weeks ago people were writing Henderson off as a bust too. Williams may or may not pan out in the end, but I agree it’s too early to pass judgment.

 

[Ring 6]

It was a tongue and cheek comment. It wasn't meant to be taken super literally. Tom was often accused of taking lots of short easy passes early in his career with a low skill cap. Maye made the comment about 'check down charlie'. Which is how people use to think of Brady. Obviously his short passing game was sensational.

I don't think anyone thinks the GOAT is a 'check down charlie'. It was just a comment of Maye's. Who did and should continue to take what the D gives him in the short passing game more often. Also check down is often seen as passing to the short option cause the deep ones are covered. Not automatically passing up an open deep player for a shorter deep player. Though i have seen both definitions implied, so you aren't wrong either.

No one with an understanding of the game called Brady check down charlie.


Checking down is literally giving up on deeper routes and dumping off to the short receiver.
I never said anything about it being automatic. It’s a decision the QB makes.

It is entirely different than a play where the primary target is the short receiver, which is common in many WCO.

 

[VrabelJr]

If this pair of headlines isn't an indictment of Xitter's AI, I don't know what is.

Musk is a grifter and nobody that talented wants to work for him. Grok will implode. He’s good at operationalizing other people’s genius but that’s it, and I say that as an owner of two Teslas, one of which he repeatedly lied about the suitability of the suspension for the car’s weight. Still a great car but he’s a liar.

 

[DC Patriots]

Get a room, already

Seriously. Dude does understand he is talking about being sexually attracted, to Jets.

I assume it’s a bondage/masochism kinda thing. Anyway, I’m sure there are some threads on Ganggreen, where he could find like minded souls