Dear Bill and Josh

[Brady2Moss]

The expectations are just f'ing unreal at this point. The offense is BADLY hurt for over half the season and they're going to go 13-3. Why do people assume them "going for it" would lead to points. The way the offense had played it was more likely Brady would have been leveled 1-2 more times, theyd punt and the Jets kick an easy field goal after getting a first down or two.

WTF do people want honestly. Be happy almost everyone is coming back besides Lewis and Solder, they're going to roll in the playoffs.

 

[Th3Birdman]

LaFell did so well last year, because he was the #3 or #4 receiver, however when he is the #1 guy and draws the best defensive talent.. he is less effective.

Am amazed the Pats did as well as they did.. considering the very patchwork offensive line..

Offensive line held for a nice while. I'm not blaming the line for this loss; they did far better than they should have considering everything that has happened to them.

Jets came to play. Couple that with mistakes from Brady, conservative playcalling and flat out giving up with a lot of time at halftime, we had no hope.

But all is not lost. We have Miami for our final game. HFA is all but guaranteed. Only downside to that is we seem to have an injury or three every single game.

 

[DaBruinz]

This has been my biggest pet peeve ever since they started to defer. It's NOT only this game. A lot of times, at the end of the 1st half, I feel like their thinking is..."Hey, we're getting the ball after the half, no big deal, we'll just kneel right now (or do something really conservative that might motivate us to go for a field goal if it turns out really well)". Essentially, every time the Patriots kneel on the ball at the end of the 1st half, they throw away a possession and chance for points.

If you end the first half with a meaningful possession, i.e., one which you didn't kneel on the ball...then you are controlling the game in the 2nd half (in terms of # of possessions). But when you just kneel on the ball...and give up...you are essentially letting the other team dictate the game, because at best, you can only match the same number of total possessions, and at worst, you will have 1 fewer possession.

The simple question is this - if the Jets were receiving in the 2nd half, then would the Patriots have still kneeled? I honestly do not believe so, and that's why I HATE it when they don't do anything with the ball at the end of the half.

Patriots have been deferring for years. They have scored the most points in the final 2 minutes of the half and the game more than anyone over the last couple of years and you come up with this crap??

 

[BradyFixesEverything]

I think everyone disagreeing with the OP is just looking at this game as a single anomaly...which is wrong. They've done this end-of-half management many times, and not just when they were without "their two best tackles, two best running backs, and our two best wide receivers". Take a look at the bigger picture, and when I do I see exactly what OP is saying - that we don't take advantage of all our opportunities, and by that, we put ourselves at a disadvantage.

If the Jets were receiving in the 2nd half, then would the Patriots have still kneeled knowing they could be down 17-3 next time they got the ball?

 

[Th3Birdman]

I could have sworn Ian made a post about abusing the like system.

We have people saying exactly what I said getting agrees and then those same people agreeing with that post disagree with my post. Lol

DaBruins, KontradictioN said exactly what I said. Care to explain why his received a like and mine a disagree? Just curious

 

[glm]

And it still went to overtime. When you're in the situation, you need to go for the points.

That's using hindsight bias. We don't know exactly what was going on through Bill's head at the time but I'm guessing Bill took into account the fact that the offense was severely depleted and couldn't get anything going in the first half against one of the top defenses in the NFL. The odds of getting points were low. The odds of getting another injury was probably higher, so instead of risking that we just go ahead and end the half because we're getting the ball back anyway.

 

[BradyFixesEverything]

Patriots have been deferring for years. They have scored the most points in the final 2 minutes of the half and the game more than anyone over the last couple of years and you come up with this crap??

Are you saying they couldn't have scored more if they tried to score instead of those times they didn't try to score? I don't understand the logic.

 

[Dillon46]

Injuries and playing not to loose doomed us...........O-Line was completely whiffing on numerous blocks and Brady was forced to throw into tight coverage or just dump it. Also didn't help that Martin and Gronk were the only receivers doing their jobs. James White should've been used more as well(really stoked about him going forward). Personally wish they gave Jackson a few more chances to get going to. But they also lost this game at the point of attack on offense. Defensively they played well but you minus McCourty and Chung then you have severe coverage deficiencies and confusion which led to OT nail in the coffin that Tavon whiffed in coverage.

Jets fought hard, albiet against our B-Squad, because their very playoff hopes were on the line. Besides this factor they always play us tough. We will be healthy and have a chance at some revenge against the Dolphins. Clean up the mistakes and play well going into the playoffs.......Hopefully they don't sit too many starters because our 1st seed is in jeopardy now.

 

[JDot]

Stop leaving points on the board at halftime.

We wouldn't have been in that situation if we took a shot at the half. Jets were moving the ball on us all game, why would you give up 2 minutes and 2 timeouts only down 1 score?

And then we burn our last time out for no reason and kneel to go into overtime.

This conservative playcalling has not worked well for us. The strategy should be to play fast and hard and get on the board as soon as we can, at all opportunities.

We are not good enough (due to lack of personnel) to play catch up with teams that have our number.

Fortunately we will win in Miami so it's not so bad but jesus, PLAY TO WIN

Eh. A little disappointing. But With losing sea bass in the first half, and the O not doing much. I get them just saying F it. Lets go in and regroup.

 

[Th3Birdman]

I think everyone disagreeing with the OP is just looking at this game as a single anomaly...which is wrong. They've done this end-of-half management many times, and not just when they were without "their two best tackles, two best running backs, and our two best wide receivers". Take a look at the bigger picture, and when I do I see exactly what OP is saying - that we don't take advantage of all our opportunities, and by that, we put ourselves at a disadvantage.

If the Jets were receiving in the 2nd half, then would the Patriots have still kneeled knowing they could be down 17-3 next time they got the ball?

That is exactly what I'm trying to say. We didn't take advantage of the situation. Any other team would have at least TRIED.

I wouldn't even care if we made a mistake, at least we tried. If you leave everything out there and fail, I could never say you didn't try. Now all we can talk about is what could have been, and that never feels good.

This is why I don't even blame Butler for getting burned by Decker on the game winner. He tried.

 

[Kontradiction]

That's using hindsight bias. We don't know exactly what was going on through Bill's head at the time but I'm guessing Bill took into account the fact that the offense was severely depleted and couldn't get anything going in the first half against one of the top defenses in the NFL. The odds of getting points were low. The odds of getting another injury was probably higher, so instead of risking that we just go ahead and end the half because we're getting the ball back anyway.

Then bench Brady and Gronk. If the probability of getting points was low there, it's low the rest of the game which = loss. Bench them if that's the case because why expose them to injury in a game that's the loss? If you're playing to win, then go for the points.

 

[goheels22002]

This loss was about the defense not doing its job in OT. Get a stop. The Jets got 31 yards in the 4Q.

 

[glm]

Then bench Brady and Gronk. If the probability of getting points was low there, it's low the rest of the game which = loss. Bench them if that's the case because why expose them to injury in a game that's the loss. If you're playing to win, then go for the points.

No you don't bench them, you go in the locker room and make your half time adjustments. The situation isn't as black and white as you're trying to make it.

 

[Th3Birdman]

This loss was about the defense not doing its job in OT. Get a stop. The Jets got 31 yards in the 4Q.

You know, I'm giving the defense a pass this game.

They scored the first TD of the game. They overachieved for missing two starters. Did they sh*t the bed in OT? Kinda.

But it does not excuse the offense (including the coaching) playing like garbage.

 

[goheels22002]

You know, I'm giving the defense a pass this game.

They scored the first TD of the game. They overachieved for missing two starters. Did they sh*t the bed in OT? Kinda.

But it does not excuse the offense (including the coaching) playing like garbage.

Maybe, just maybe, the Patriots were outmanned without Vollmer, Solder, Edelman, Amendola, Lewis, Kline, Blount, and Chandler - 8 starters.

Pay attention.

 

[PatriotsPimp136]

At least bill has been consistent. Not the first time that he has let the clock run before the half. It just seems weak to me. Shows the other team you have no faith in the offense. It's crazy when you have number 12. Mcdaniels has had some rough spots from time to time. Just hope this **** stops in the playoffs

 

[Th3Birdman]

Maybe, just maybe, the Patriots were outmanned without Vollmer, Solder, Edelman, Amendola, Lewis, Kline, Blount, and Chandler - 8 starters.

Pay attention.

Nope. Don't give me that BS. We still have the best QB and TE in the league. You telling me those guys can't get us a field goal?

If that's what you're selling, I'm not buying.

How many times was Gronk targeted today? How many catches did he have, and for how many yards?

Draw a damn play up for the greatest Tight End ever, and get into field goal range. We win.

This ain't rocket science and we make it harder than it has to be.

You say we were outmanned on O, I say we underutilized Gronk, Jackson, White and LaFell (who actually had a decent game).

So nah, I don't agree that we didn't have weapons, which some posters seem to cling to to rationalize the poor playcalling. O Line held as best it could and did an OK job today.

 

[TBR]

It was definitely frustrating. So was that miscommunication on the Gronk INT.

Pats were marching down the field and likely would've gotten a FG at minimum.

 

[Kontradiction]

No you don't bench them, you go in the locker room and make your half time adjustments. The situation isn't as black and white as you're trying to make it.

Sure it is. They didn't even try. Can you tell me the last time THIS TEAM (let alone any other team) has mailed it in at the end of the half with over a minute on the clock and multiple timeouts? Because I can't remember any such situation. They mailed it in there. If they were going to do that, they may as well have sat their two most important guys on offense and threw the game.

 

[Th3Birdman]

It was definitely frustrating. So was that miscommunication on the Gronk INT.

Pats were marching down the field and likely would've gotten a FG at minimum.

It appeared as if Gronk gave up on that play, like he thought Brady missed the opportunity and acquiesced to the play going elsewhere.