Game Thoughts - Manning Face got corralled edition

[Rob0729]

Here we go:

• Tom Brady is hands down the greatest bad weather QB of all time. No one is close. He is the U.S. Post Office of the NFL. Rain, wind, or snow will not stop him from getting into end zone. It is amazing that the Pats got 21 points going into the wind. I knew he would be less affected by the wind and I knew Manning would struggle with it, but other than a few throws you wouldn't even know there was even a gentle breeze when he threw.
  
  
• Huge game for Edelperson. He was Welker plus for this offense tonight. He picked the absolute right time to have one of his biggest games of his career. I think he earned himself a pretty good contract next year tonight. Not huge, but huge for him. Huge performance on a huge stage. Unfortunately, I don't know if it will be here.
  
  
• The defense was spectacular tonight. I know they gave up a ridiculous amount of yards on the ground, but much of it was by design. The Pats gave the Broncos the running game to ground Manning and ground him they did.
  
  
• Chandler Jones is a monster, but the NFL needs to start calling all the holding on him. The only time they threw a flag on holding was when Ninkovich was held even though Jones was held even worse.
  
  
• Even at a less than 100% Talib is still a monster. Demaryius Thomas is an impossible assignment for even the healthiest of CBs, but Talib won the battle most of the night even when he struggled to walk.
  
  
• I don't know what to do with Ridley. He is too good to sit. He fumbles too much to play. They need to get him to run some gauntlets.
  
  
• I still don't agree with taking the wind in overtime. I know Manning struggled with it all night, but it only took on coverage breakdown to have him turn a five yard pass into a 70 yard run.
  
  
• I know all the talk is about how awesome the Broncos' offense is, but the Pats' offense has been better than the Broncos' offense for about the last four games. The Pats' offense outscored the Broncos offense 34-24 tonight.
  
  
• After getting killed by this fan base all preseason, Gostkowski is having a Pro Bowl season.
  
  
• Jamie Collins is starting to progress pretty well. He is starting to become an asset in coverage and played a big role in shutting down Welker tonight.

 

[TonyTucker]

It felt like Collins and Fletcher were everywhere

 

[tombonneau]

It felt like Collins and Fletcher were everywhere

To me, Collins was the hidden story. He went from no minutes in what looked like a red-shirt year to logging a ton of snaps in the biggest game of the year. And the best part is he looked he belonged. Great game by him.

Great defensive game plan by BB. All week I had the feeling he would implement a similar scheme to the Bills-Giants SB, the one where he was famously quoted (and I paraphrase) if Thurman Thomas gets 150 yards we win this game.

I thought it would be the same thing where they would conceded the run and not let Manning beat them and it looks like that's exactly what they did. Ballsy and great game plan.

And deferring the OT to get the win? ONIONS!

 

[ausbacker]

It felt like Collins and Fletcher were everywhere

To me, Collins speed on the field was noticeable. If he brings that sort of form on a regular basis, he's going to be a fine linebacker next to a returning Jerod Mayo next season.

 

[Ozymandias]

Collins' athleticism isn't the issue. The kid's a freak.

His problem is his instincts. He's played a lot of different positions at the college level and you have to wonder how much awareness he has at the linebacker position. He's gotten by solely on that freakish ability in college, but now he's having to be taught the position from a professional standpoint and it showed early on.

He was a project, and everyone knew that. I don't see why people are so shocked he struggled to assimilate himself early on with the defense. He was still learning, literally, how to play the position the way the Patriots needed him to. Now, you're starting to see exactly why they got him in the second round. Fletcher and Collins are excellent in coverage.

 

[PatriotReign]

Big kudos need to go to Ryan Allen for being instrumental on two of the teams four takeaways. I questioned whether letting Mesko go was a good idea but this guy has been phenomenal. He's certainly better than the punter Jacksonville took in the 3rd last year.