Cummulative Thoughts on the Game (Bal at NE)

[SidelineSid]

This x 1,000.

It's been three years, and for the life of me, I can't understand why this doesn't happen 2-3 times a game. I could count on two hands the number of times they've dumped it off to Maroney in space, yet it would take me at least 20 hands to count how many yards he's gained. Sort it out, offensive staff.

You are completely right on two accounts. Maroney is deadly in space. A lot of people say that we don't need him in that capacity because we have Faulk and Welker. Well why not switch things up. Why not give opposing defenses different looks so that they aren't manhandling Welker at the line of scrimmage.

Picture this: Shotgun formation with split backs (Faulk and Maroney), three receivers (Moss, Welker, and Galloway). We could fake a draw to Faulk, sucking in the line backers, and throw a bubble screen to Welker. Then, on the next play, fake a screen to Welker and pass it to Maroney in the flat. Lastly, we could just call the draw to Faulk. This would really spread out our offense. Who knows, maybe this could be our secret formation in the playoffs.

Secondly: Hanson is an idiot.

 

[Deus Irae]

wrong wrong wrong, I don't remember seeing Morris or Taylor get anything less than a yard even when there wasnt a hole. They hit it hard unlike Maroney.

2-6-NE 24 (14:23) 34-S.Morris right end to NE 20 for -4 yards (92-H.Ngata, 55-T.Suggs).

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2009100406/2009/REG4/ravens@patriots#tab:analyze/analyze-channels:cat-post-playbyplay

 

[shmessy]

We REALLY missed Seymour out there.

 

[ALP]

We REALLY missed Seymour out there.

really? in what capacity? we held a team taht averages 34.5 pts a game to 14......

would have seymour have lowered that? and if so i dare say not enough for the money he is getting and would be getting...

so far (however surprising) BB has been right, and the future 1st was worth it....

 

[mgteich]

I would say that Belichick's gamble has indeed paid off.

Our defense line has been excellent. Wilfork, Warren, Wright and Green have all played well. And even Pryor has played well when needed. And we have finally had a solid game out of Burgess. That is a very solid gourp of SIX defensive linemen with excellent production from the unit. We worry about whether Sands or Brace should be active as the #6 DL (which role usually gets very few reps).

really? in what capacity? we held a team taht averages 34.5 pts a game to 14......

would have seymour have lowered that? and if so i dare say not enough for the money he is getting and would be getting...

so far (however surprising) BB has been right, and the future 1st was worth it....

 

[shmessy]

really? in what capacity? we held a team taht averages 34.5 pts a game to 14......

would have seymour have lowered that? and if so i dare say not enough for the money he is getting and would be getting...

so far (however surprising) BB has been right, and the future 1st was worth it....

That had been sarcasm.

 

[ALP]

That had been sarcasm.

lol, sry, its late

 

[shmessy]

lol, sry, its late

No prob, man.

Now going to sleep myself with dreams of 3, 2nd rounders next year and a top-5 1st rounder (plus the Pats 1st rounder) in a rookie cap-slotted 20011!

It's remarkable that this could go on a decade more!

 

[Deus Irae]

We REALLY missed Seymour out there.

If not for a dropped pass, the Ravens would have been in position to win the game. They out gained New England 363-319, and Rice averaged over 9 yards a carry.

It's quite possible that having Seymour on the team would have helped the defense improve on those sort of numbers, quite possibly improving upon it a great deal. On the other hand, the pass rush with only 3-4 linemen has been so inept, and the play of Meriweather seems so improved, that the Patriots have returned to a more blitzing style, and that's been a change in the dynamic. So perhaps, in a way, the team being less competent on the defensive line has been a boon, because the defensive coordinator is now being more creative and aggressive in his planning and calling than he has been for some time, in order to cover for the deficiency. Sure, the team could easily be 1-3, but at least the defensive play calling is more interesting.

 

[BionicPatriot]

If not for a dropped pass, the Ravens would have been in position to win the game. They out gained New England 363-319, and Rice averaged over 9 yards a carry.

It's quite possible that having Seymour on the team would have helped the defense improve on those sort of numbers, quite possibly improving upon it a great deal. On the other hand, the pass rush with only 3-4 linemen has been so inept, and the play of Meriweather seems so improved, that the Patriots have returned to a more blitzing style, and that's been a change in the dynamic. So perhaps, in a way, the team being less competent on the defensive line has been a boon, because the defensive coordinator is now being more creative and aggressive in his planning and calling than he has been for some time, in order to cover for the deficiency. Sure, the team could easily be 1-3, but at least the defensive play calling is more interesting.

What nitpicking. The Patriots could be undefeated if Edelman and Brady connect with the Pats going in with the half time lead. It's just as much a promise as saying a first down would win the game today. If's don't matter. they stopped the Ravens all day, I really don't see where you can be upset with this team right now they just battled a very good team

 

[Frezo]

...in a rookie cap-slotted 20011!

That's going to be a long dream!

 

[Deus Irae]

What nitpicking. The Patriots could be undefeated if Edelman and Brady connect with the Pats going in with the half time lead. It's just as much a promise as saying a first down would win the game today. If's don't matter. they stopped the Ravens all day, I really don't see where you can be upset with this team right now they just battled a very good team

Nitpicking? Smessy went fishing for a bite with his post. I simply took the bait, since that's clearly what he wanted.

If a return man doesn't return a ball he shouldn't have, the Patriots lose to the pathetic Bills. If a receiver doesn't drop a very easy and open pass, the Patriots might well have lost to the Ravens. Neither of those were forced errors, and both were with under 3 minutes to go in the game. That's not nitpicking.

Also, I'm not 'upset' with this team. I expected the offense to struggle until Brady was Brady again, and I'm not surprised that a defense without its best 2 players has had problems in key spots this season. I'm happy that they've been fortunate enough to go 3-1 despite all the problems. It bodes well for the rest of the regular season.

 

[ALP]

i must also say, to go against some stats being thrown out there....

not counting the 50 yd run by rice, he averaged about 5 ypc...and that was in series where we were focusing on not giving up the big play at the end of the game....

and another stat i just noticed...Flacco threw the ball 47 times.....47 times....

i would say most all of us consider the pass defense as inferior to our run defense, but with an opposing QB throwing 47 times, and us giving up only 14 pts? ill take it....this defense is coming together....

 

[T-cat]

i really liked butler and mcgowan, whenever a ball was thrown to butler he would just smack it down with ease and walked away like its no big deal to the sidelines and mcgowan just levels people like when him and sanders hit flacco or when he hit clayton on the last play and if i had to be a negative nancy i would have to point out the chain gang...they jusr looked suspicious

 

[smg93]

Wait, besides 2007, wasn't this team always known for close games with a play here or a play there deciding the outcome? Now all of a sudden, people are complaining that we could have been 1 and 3 if not for a few fortunate bounces. Even in the superbowl years, we hardly ever blew anyone out.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

Setting the Tone
Play of the Game

4-1-BLT 45 (5:17) W.McGahee right guard to BLT 45 for no gain (G.Guyton, B.McGowan).

Pats up by 6 and the clock starting to become a factor. How HUGE was that stop!!!! I don't know what else to say about McGowan. Yes I do...Extend his contract NOW! They have him for cheap next year, but dude just turned 26 and fits this defense like a glove. I know they extended Sanders and have Chung in the wings. Don't care. He just makes plays.

I also know that Guyton isn't the biggest or strongest guy. And sometimes gets knocked around or takes bad angles in the running game. But he is fast, active and playing WAAAAAY over his head under difficult circumstances. When Mayo gets back, watch Guyton take this experience and become a playmaker on the weak side.

Don't forget to give Wilfork some love on that play. He collapsed the middle and got a big piece of Rice's leg to slow him up and make Guyton and McGowan's stop much easier. He also was huge collapsing the pocket on the Wright sack - roughing the passer silliness.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Yeah I'm not a big fan of the woulda shoulda coulda school of thought. We could easily have been 19-0 super bowl winners in 2007 if it weren't for (and then you fill in "the refs screwed us on the in-the-grasp non-call" or "David Tyree catching the ball with his head fluke reception" or whatever)

As I recall in the Bills game the fumble that made it all happen was a forced fumble like the one on the opening kickoff in the Balt. game. No forced fumble, different game. If you just extrapolate exactly the same game but w/o the first field goal, we lose this one.

There are a lot of plays and a lot of minutes in a game... you play them all like they could be the game changer. 60 minutes, and you don't get to count the 2 minutes complaining about officials or bad fortune after the game (something I notice Baltimore specializes in, not just this year but also in 07.) They have excellent playmakers but are crap in the team discipline dept. (remember Bart Scott throwing the flag into the stands... and costing his team 15 yards at a crucial point of the game?)

The first thing a BB team is SUPPOSED to learn is not to beat yourself... mebbe they need to look into that in Baltimore.

As far as us looking at our own as "we could be 1-3," yeah sorta. As someone else points out we could be 4-0. Brady, Welker, and Moss all got early dings and are mending nicely... It's nice to have relatively not fragile fred carrying the ball some to have a reliable way to take the pressure off the pass game. It just doesn't produce blowouts.

So it looks like we should get a little more accustomed to real football in 09, complete with the funny bounces and the close wins and losses. It might be good to be accustomed to that come January.

PFnV

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Jeez is right. It couldn't have been anything BUT sarcasm. Come on, people.

that's what the or or are for...folks aren't always "subtile" out here...

 

[weswelker#83]

GET MARONEY INTO SPACE....dump off to maroney all day, please, the guy is a beast in open space

Great post ALP.I agree with most of it.