Game Thoughts:

[Rob0729]

A brief side note, I did the social thing yesterday for the game and went to a AFCCG party with a lot of casual fans (a lot of people talking about other crap during the game and not paying attention to the game). So I didn't watch the game with my usual detail (which is shoddy at best anyway). So my analysis will be more off the mark than usual (which is pretty far). So here we go:

• I don't know if I have ever seen a team as versatile as this one. The coaching staff is able to morph this team on both sides of the ball to become whatever they need to be week to week. I mean how many teams can go from abandoning the run completely and spreading out the offense and passing 50 times for 408 yards and 4 TDs one week and then the following week rush the ball 40 times for 177 yards and 3 TDs the next week. I think many people don't understand how amazing that 180 switch truly is. A majority of the teams in this league are what they are and do what they do best every week whether or not it is the best way to beat their opponent.

• When all the people were crying all last week for Jonas Gray, I was thinking "Hey, what about LeGarrette Blount?". People said they had to play Gray because how he dominated the Colts in November, but people forget that Blount had 166 yards, 4 TDs, and 6.9 YPC in the division round against the Colts last year. He literally pounded them into submission and made them not want to tackle him. A similar performance last night.

• Speaking of Blount, I love his patience when hitting the holes. Some people complain that this is him being slow to hit the line, but I think it is more savvy. He will wait for defenders to over pursue and get out of position. No play showed that more than the one play where he juked and head bobbed for good 2-3 seconds totally throwing defenders into different angles to go where he wasn't going to be. Add that to the fact that he is impossible to bring down, he is can be a dangerous weapon.

• Unsung Hero Award: Rob Ninkovich. He got a decent amount of praise last night, but not for the dominant performance he actually had. He was Joe Reitz's (the Colts' RT) nightmares last night beating him all sorts of ways (bull rushes, outside rush, spinning inside, etc.). He pulled a few times to rush inside. He could have intercepted two balls. His stats line (3 tackles, 2 pass defenses, and 2 QB hits) doesn't speak to how big of a game he had. He pressured Luck for much of the night.

• Glad to see Develin get a TD in a big game. He has one of the most unsung jobs on this team. Good to see him get a spotlight. On a side note, right before the TD play, my friend said to me that the Pats should let Develin score the TD.

• When Revis went down, I beginning to think maybe it wasn't Talib and this team is just cursed to lose their #1 CB in every AFCCG. Luckily unlike Talib, Revis had the intestinal fortitude to come back into the game. Hell, Richard Sherman played the fourth quarter of the NFCCG with one arm. Winners gut out injuries in big games. Edelman was hobbled for much of the night with a hip injury too and still played.

• I am amazed all the stuff the Pats are pulling out of their bag of tricks this playoffs. You see what they can do in the playoffs with a healthy receiving corp. That Edelman end around is executed so perfectly.

• I think the one DB TY Hilton doesn't want to see lined up against him in the entire league is Kyle Arrington. Whether you think Arrington is overpaid or not, he earned his salary this year last night. No CB in the league defends TY Hilton better than Arrington. Totally took him out of the game.

• Not to take away from the Patriots win because it was a dominating performance no matter who they faced, but all the talk that this was a much better Colts' team the Pats faced in November was just a mirage. They are the same soft team with a mediocre defense and a near elite QB with limited weapons. Their defensive performances against the Bengals and Broncos were more of a statement of the state of those offenses than the Colts' defense.

• I think Deflate-Gate is much ado about nothing, but it is a damn shame that it will be a focus of attention for the next two weeks and allow the Patriots haters in the media to question the legitimacy of their accomplishments this season.

• I didn't think that anyone in the AFC were in the same league as the Pats. No one scared me in this conference (although I probably should have respected the Ravens more). The Seahawks scare me. Not as much today as they did 24 hours ago especially if Sherman and Thomas are either out or far less than 100%. But they are a team that are built to match up against the Pats. But then again, we don't know which Pats will show up in two weeks (Run heavy? Spread them out and throw? A combination of the two?).

• Off topic, but I have to say that Mike McCarthy's performance yesterday was one of the most gutless showing of coaching in the playoffs I have ever seen. Back to back fourth and goals on the one (one actually about the 4 inch line) and you kick field goals? A fourth and one on the 22 and you kick the field goal. You are protecting the lead midway through in the fourth and you have back to back three and out drives with very predictable play calling. McCarthy coached to not lose rather than win and like many games where you coach to not lose over trying to win, they lost.

 

[BradyManny]

Good stuff Rob. You & Ken have been go to reads every Monday morning all year.

Seattle has scared me for a long time. But my fear of them is at the lowest point all season. I don't know if their DL is the one we need to be quaking in our boots for. They look one dimensional enough on offense that Belichick will shut them down. We may not be able to run on them, but I think we'll throw well enough and defend well enough that we'll have a good chance to win.

Agreed about McCarthy.

 

[Patriot Missile]

If anyone ever thought BB is classless for running up the score one must just take a look at the Green Bay game on why he does it. The game is 60 minutes long and anything can happen. Never let your foot off that pedal Bill.

Do your job counts on every play. Jordy Nelson was in perfect position to make that play as the hands guy. Bosticks job was to block. He deviated from Bill's golden rule and it cost them big time. Feel bad for the guy but damn. Green Bay is going to live with that one for awhile.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

Nice summary Rob! Thanks!

What's your opinion on the various formations that the Pats tried out? The announcers kept mentioning how it confused the Colts D a lot (and this is after we already revealed it a few times against the Ravens). If it can cause that kind of a confusion, coudln't the Pats have done it in the SB instead of now giving the league and the hawks two weeks time to figure out the best way to neutralie it?

Thanks!

 

[mosi]

Blount ran like a man possessed yesterday, cutting back and accelerating quickly and always falling forward for a few extra yards.

I also noticed that some of Brady's throws were short, but still caught by the receivers. I wonder if the wind played a role in this.

In the NYT, there is a picture of Vereen getting ready to catch a ball with a Colt defender around his neck. Blatant PI that was not called by the refs and not even mentioned by the announcers. Nuts . The lack of PI and holding call against the Pats was crazy last night. The refs did everything possible to make this a game.

The deflate gate thing is stupid. The balls are in controls of the Refs. It is their fault if balls were under pressured.

The Packers choke was, in my mind, even worse than the old Houston Oilers choke in the 90's (against the Bills). The Pack just fell apart in the last few minutes. An Rodgers saying they were the better team just shows why he sucks. The Pack were the better team for 57 minutes, but the Seahawks were the better team for the whole 60 minutes.

And remember, Me-shawn Lynch is still a Buffalo Bill...

 

[IllegalContact]

I said last week that the Colts were frauds and the sea had parted for them to get to Foxboro.....honestly, how many of their players would actually make the pats? Luck, Fleener, Jackson?

the only legit team they played since they played the pats last pistol-whipped them the same way

this game should have been a shutout

 

[mosi]

I said last week that the Colts were frauds and the sea had parted for them to get to Foxboro.....honestly, how many of their players would actually make the pats? Luck, Fleener, Jackson?

the only legit team they played since they played the pats last pistol-whipped them the same way

this game should have been a shutout

I don't think the Colts are frauds as much as Manning and the rest of that team is full of losers. I really do. The Pats beat the living crap out of the Colts and Manning - on a nice day - could do noting.

 

[Froob]

Refs better not screw us again in the SB. We can't touch anybodies receivers but the other team can hold and interfere as much as they please. I don't see why you wouldn't hold Gronk every play. Hope BB complains to the league with some footage.

 

[1960Pats]

A brief side note, I did the social thing yesterday for the game and went to a AFCCG party with a lot of casual fans (a lot of people talking about other crap during the game and not paying attention to the game). So I didn't watch the game with my usual detail (which is shoddy at best anyway). So my analysis will be more off the mark than usual (which is pretty far). So here we go:

• I don't know if I have ever seen a team as versatile as this one. The coaching staff is able to morph this team on both sides of the ball to become whatever they need to be week to week. I mean how many teams can go from abandoning the run completely and spreading out the offense and passing 50 times for 408 yards and 4 TDs one week and then the following week rush the ball 40 times for 177 yards and 3 TDs the next week. I think many people don't understand how amazing that 180 switch truly is. A majority of the teams in this league are what they are and do what they do best every week whether or not it is the best way to beat their opponent.

• When all the people were crying all last week for Jonas Gray, I was thinking "Hey, what about LeGarrette Blount?". People said they had to play Gray because how he dominated the Colts in November, but people forget that Blount had 166 yards, 4 TDs, and 6.9 YPC in the division round against the Colts last year. He literally pounded them into submission and made them not want to tackle him. A similar performance last night.

• Speaking of Blount, I love his patience when hitting the holes. Some people complain that this is him being slow to hit the line, but I think it is more savvy. He will wait for defenders to over pursue and get out of position. No play showed that more than the one play where he juked and head bobbed for good 2-3 seconds totally throwing defenders into different angles to go where he wasn't going to be. Add that to the fact that he is impossible to bring down, he is can be a dangerous weapon.

• Unsung Hero Award: Rob Ninkovich. He got a decent amount of praise last night, but not for the dominant performance he actually had. He was Joe Reitz's (the Colts' RT) nightmares last night beating him all sorts of ways (bull rushes, outside rush, spinning inside, etc.). He pulled a few times to rush inside. He could have intercepted two balls. His stats line (3 tackles, 2 pass defenses, and 2 QB hits) doesn't speak to how big of a game he had. He pressured Luck for much of the night.

• Glad to see Develin get a TD in a big game. He has one of the most unsung jobs on this team. Good to see him get a spotlight. On a side note, right before the TD play, my friend said to me that the Pats should let Develin score the TD.

• When Revis went down, I beginning to think maybe it wasn't Talib and this team is just cursed to lose their #1 CB in every AFCCG. Luckily unlike Talib, Revis had the intestinal fortitude to come back into the game. Hell, Richard Sherman played the fourth quarter of the NFCCG with one arm.

• I am amazed all the stuff the Pats are pulling out of their bag of tricks this playoffs. You see what they can do in the playoffs with a healthy receiving corp. That Edelman end around is executed so perfectly.

• I think the one DB TY Hilton doesn't want to see lined up against him in the entire league is Kyle Arrington. Whether you think Arrington is overpaid or not, he earned his salary this year last night. No CB in the league defends TY Hilton better than Arrington. Totally took him out of the game.

• Not to take away from the Patriots win because it was a dominating performance no matter who they faced, but all the talk that this was a much better Colts' team the Pats faced in November was just a mirage. They are the same soft team with a mediocre defense and a near elite QB with limited weapons. Their defensive performances against the Bengals and Broncos were more of a statement of the state of those offenses than the Colts' defense.

• I think Deflate-Gate is much ado about nothing, but it is a damn shame that it will be a focus of attention for the next two weeks and allow the Patriots haters in the media to question the legitimacy of their accomplishments this season.

• I didn't think that anyone in the AFC were in the same league as the Pats. No one scared me in this conference (although I probably should have respected the Ravens more). The Seahawks scare me. Not as much today as they did 24 hours ago especially if Sherman and Thomas are either out or far less than 100%. But they are a team that are built to match up against the Pats. But then again, we don't know which Pats will show up in two weeks (Run heavy? Spread them out and throw? A combination of the two?).

• Off topic, but I have to say that Mike McCarthy's performance yesterday was one of the most gutless showing of coaching in the playoffs I have ever seen. Back to back fourth and goals on the one (one actually about the 4 inch line) and you kick field goals? A fourth and one on the 22 and you kick the field goal. You are protecting the lead midway through in the fourth and you have back to back three and out drives with very predictable play calling. McCarthy coached to not lose rather than win and like many games where you coach to not lose over trying to win, they lost.

Nice write up as usual Rob. Thanks. I have a few comments and additions;

Over the years, Belitrick has methodically put together a very versatile and deep team. It's the same way that Chuck Noll built the Steelers dynasty of the 70's.

I'm not a big fan of Blount's "dancing" style in the backfield, but against a team like Indy he can get away with it. I'm not sure that will work vs Seattle.

Jamie Collins is another player that played great. And how about Nate Solder's TD? Arrington is another.

When Revis went down I was actually happy to see on the replay that it was only a kick in the head. I thought he had a groin injury after trying to tackle Luck and might be out for the SB. PHEW!

It was great to see the Pats stay healthy for another game. We haven't had much luck with that in previous playoff years.

Adam missed another one, nah nah nana nah.

Jim Nantz took another shot at the Pats with his Tuck Game reference. He was almost going to call it the Snow Game, or the Snow Bowl, but decided to stick with the name he gave the play 13 years ago. I bet it made him sick to have to go up to the podium and pretend that he's happy for the Pats.

Brady laughed off Ballgate. We all should too.

I don't care what the dynamics are that led to Brady going back to throw a bomb with a 45-7 lead and less than 10 minutes left in the game, but there's no reason on earth to even have him in the game at that time, let alone going back for long passes. That was as close as we've come to losing Brady this season. What would our chances be in the SB if we had to rely on JG instead of TB.

 

[IllegalContact]

I don't think the Colts are frauds as much as Manning and the rest of that team is full of losers. I really do. The Pats beat the living crap out of the Colts and Manning - on a nice day - could do noting.

The Colts had serious luck on their side in their first 2 playoff games.......first, the Bengals? The worst playoff QB in NFL history (Dalton) with his best weapon missing and Manning just couldn't throw the ball.

last nites result was the reality and if they played again next weekend, the result would be the same......again

if the texans had just an average QB, the Colts would not have made the playoffs

 

[PatsBoy12]

I said earlier in the season that this is the perfect mix of veteran leadership and athleticism. This is what has made the difference. There was so much youth and not enough experience on those 2010-12 teams. This team is balanced and good at every position. Hightower, Collins and Ninko have been iron men. Those three NEVER come off the damn field!

The versatility and interchangeability is off the charts. Everyone can do everything on defense. Revis is the key cog that makes it all go defensively. Guys can fly around and make plays. The time is now for the fourth ring.

 

[Rob0729]

Nice summary Rob! Thanks!

What's your opinion on the various formations that the Pats tried out? The announcers kept mentioning how it confused the Colts D a lot (and this is after we already revealed it a few times against the Ravens). If it can cause that kind of a confusion, coudln't the Pats have done it in the SB instead of now giving the league and the hawks two weeks time to figure out the best way to neutralie it?

Thanks!

I wasn't listening to the broadcast that closely because of the people around me (never a bad thing with Nantz and Simms). But the one time I heard them say that was the formation where Brady got sacked.

From what I saw, they did throw some exotic formations like on the Solder TD and the one where Solder was fined for not reporting eligible. But they didn't run that many exotic formations from my standpoint.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

• Unsung Hero Award: Rob Ninkovich. He got a decent amount of praise last night, but not for the dominant performance he actually had. He was Joe Reitz's (the Colts' RT) nightmares last night beating him all sorts of ways (bull rushes, outside rush, spinning inside, etc.). He pulled a few times to rush inside. He could have intercepted two balls. His stats line (3 tackles, 2 pass defenses, and 2 QB hits) doesn't speak to how big of a game he had. He pressured Luck for much of the night.

This. It was Nink's best game of the season, and he gets a week off to recover from all that hard work and bring it again. I particularly like the way Nink and Jones lined-up side-by-side on the Colts weak side at times, alternating who was on the end and who was over the guard. The games they ran gave the Colts line fits, and Luck never got comfortable in the pocket.

 

[PScottman]

I think Deflate-Gate is much ado about nothing, but it is a damn shame that it will be a focus of attention for the next two weeks and allow the Patriots haters in the media to question the legitimacy of their accomplishments this season.

Bring it on. Nothing creates focus during two weeks of preparation than the media questioning if you even belong there. While Seattle's players were manufacturing the diss during their post-game (No one believed in you? Really? I think not only did they believe in you that round, but will likely do so again in the Super Bowl) the Pats coaching staff can now just sit back and have the mediots do that job for them.

I hope it leads to two solid weeks of intense practices and game film focus.

 

[ashley]

One thing about last night that might get over looked is how well the Offensive line played. Tom had all day to throw the ball and we just ran over the Colts. Great team win though, can't wait for the Super Bowl!!!!

 

[SacPete1]

Great posts.

Loved Rob's opening comments about watching the game at a social gathering. I was with friends for the first game but needed to be on my own for the Pats game. I need control of the remote for my own slow mo replay.


If I could highlight my biggest surprise it would be the pass rush. I fully expected the control and contain strategy but this really wasn't the case. This is a case where the traditional stats don't tell the story. Luck was pressured a great deal and although there was a mixture of stunts, the 4 man package was very effective and some nice push from the middle guys too.

 

[tasmlab]

Both times I've seen the Endelman end around it looks like a slight of hand magic trick. JE just looks like he is changing his line up, the ball doesn't seem to snap and the Brady somehow looks like he still has the ball and is deciding what to do with it. And all of sudden JE is downfield 15 yards with the ball.

I have to rewind like five times for it to make sense.

@ Packers/Hawks: Seeing Sherman out there with one arm immediately brought back memories of Talib and his bruised rib. Although I'm thinking BB probably subs a healthy back up in either case.

 

[tasmlab]

There was one Blount run where his body looked horizontal, like parallel to the ground, and he squirmed on all fours over a pile of bodies that just barely made sense.

The Colts coaching staff has had like THREE YEARS to prepare to stop the run. Somebody over there should take a memo or something.

 

[sb1]

In a one game playoff these Pats beat all Pats teams from the last 6 years by at least 2 scores.

And the Giants too. We are so much better prepared this time to win that elusive 4th title than anytime in recent memory.


On a related note I still can't believe the Pats almost won the SB in 2011 with an abysmal defense like they had.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

On the bright side for Indy, their draft board probably has a lot of clarity at the moment.