Gronk defending that play

[BradytoMosstoGronk]

Pretty sure watching that live i was like “why in the holy hell is Gronk our last line defender?” Then I proceeded to shut off the TV and chuck the remote.

Hard to be mad at Gronk. Coaches dropped the ball here, and the several players before him that are paid to tackle and cover, and failed on both accounts.

 

[condon84]

I can't believe they thought limping Tannehill was gonna chuck a 70+ yard hail mary, that was beyond stupid.

The lack of situational awareness was so anti-Patriots.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Still the next day I don’t get it. If they were anticipating a Hail Mary I still wouldn’t like Gronk out there but I would get it. There is no way in the world a healthy Tannehill is throwing an 80 yard Hail Mary let alone coming off a bad shoulder with a bad ankle.

One option for Miami in that situation, when you can't get it into the end zone, is to chuck it up as far as you can...to the 10, 15, 20, whatever.... and try to have a jump ball receiver tip it back to trailing teammate to run it in.

In other words, not all successful hail Marys have to reach the end zone on the fly.

Since Gronk was set up at the 12 or 13 yard line, that is what I think he was there to defend.

I'm not saying it was the right coaching call to make, but I think that this is at least a viable explanation for the alignment call.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Stop being cute! Get ST Unit out there, wrap it up, get a W.....
We're On To Pitt.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Pretty sure watching that live i was like “why in the holy hell is Gronk our last line defender?” Then I proceeded to shut off the TV and chuck the remote.

Hard to be mad at Gronk. Coaches dropped the ball here, and the several players before him that are paid to tackle and cover, and failed on both accounts.

Yeah, Gronk did nothing wrong. He was put in a position to fail and proceeded to fail predictably. Can't get mad at a player for failing to do what everyone should have known he couldn't do. Maybe a few years and a few back surgeries ago he could have beaten Drake to the sideline, but probably not and even then it would have still been terrible personnel management, just a little less egregiously so. If we're going to give the coaching staff credit when players are put in a position to succeed (and we should, over the years the Pats have excelled at that in a huge way), then they've gotta also get the blame when stuff like this happens.

I'm trying hard to think of a scenario where Gronk being in there over McCourty would have benefited the team, and it's not easy. At this point in Gronk's career, I'm not even convinced that having him in there when the ball can reach the end zone is a good idea.

 

[Bradybranch]

What makes it worse is that they essentially used their base package and just replaced McCourty with Gronk. I could understand - though even then it’s difficult - if you still had McCourty and 6-7 defensive backs. It’s funny because earlier in the game the broadcasters pointed out they had 7 DBs on one play. But on that one they had, what, 3? And Gronkowski? One of the absolute dumbest defensive strategies ever. The play didn’t even require luck or a superhuman effort. Just a standard lateral fest desperation play that is usually overwhelmed by defenders.

I thought they had 7 db on that play. A 3 man front and a linebacker so they were in quarter defence

 

[tasmlab]

Sort of on topic: could the Dolphins have put in a healthy Brock O to make an adequately long enough hail mary pass?

 

[catent]

I think the ideal personnel for that play would've been:

Flowers; Butler; Simon or Clayborne or Davis (as pass rushers)

D. McCourty; Harmon; Gilmore; Chung; J. Jones; JC Jackson; J. McCourty; Melifonwu or Ebner

Get your most athletic, best tackling players on the field. Those types of plays (final play situations where a short throw followed by laterals and RAC will be involved) should be treated like a special teams situation, in my opinion.

Perhaps you could consider trying to get a LB out there like Van Noy, or another special teams specialist like Grigsby, Humber, McClellan, or King.

These type of plays are a prime example of an in-game situation that I would expect Belichick to be ahead-of-the-curve and intuitive about; understanding that this won't be a long pass, but rather, a short pass followed by a lot of running, and thus, should be treated as a special teams/return situation. It makes me wonder if Belichick is perhaps losing his cunning edge (this seems extremely unlikely to me), or if he's giving a lot of responsibility to individuals (Flores comes to mind) who aren't as innovative and forward-thinking as himself.

Assuming Belichick really is delegating a lot of responsibility to Flores, I would be genuinely curious to see Belichick himself having a more involved role, essentially serving as the defensive coordinator in the future; it's been awhile since we've seen that. He could let McDaniels handle the offense, while Belichick focuses solely on the defense. I'd be curious to see if we notice a difference. Perhaps next season?

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

....that this won't be a long pass, but rather, a short pass followed by a lot of running, and thus, should be treated as a special teams/return situation.

This is what Gronk was defending against, IMO, the long pass well short of the endzone that is paired with a pitch or tip.

 

[Steve102]

Like Bill has said no one play loses the game. This was a combination of screwups that ultimately costed us in the end. The 29th ranked offense put up 400+ yards on us and we couldn’t run against the 30th ranked run defense. Aside from the passing game and the 2 blocked punts we played a pretty poor game.

I think what's bothering all of us here in NE is that this coaching staff generally doesn't get beat in situational football. As you said, they didn't lose the game because of one play. However, if they didn't make a boneheaded call on that last play, we just sit here and think "well, that was close." Rarely do we get hit with a play call so egregious that we can point and say that they were not ready.

Whatever... I am on to Pittsburgh.

 

[catent]

This is what Gronk was defending against, IMO, the long pass well short of the endzone that is paired with a pitch or tip.

For the sake of argument, let's accept for a moment that a big, long, offensive player with good hands is the best type of player for that situation (which I disagree with), I would then ask if he's the best person to fill that role. Would Gordon not make more sense, due to his better health, better leaping ability, better athleticism, and similar size to Gronk?

It just seems like such a coaching mishap at countless levels, in terms of deciding which type of personnel to put on the field, and then, who on their team would fill that role.

 

[Soliel]

I’m not mad at gronk over this. I just don’t get it

 

[PatsFan2]

Did any body watch Jag CB #27 JC Jackson on that play?? All Jackson had to do after he missed the Tackle the First time is run Along the Sidelines he would have been able to prevent the score. Gronk and others had outside contain Jackson Trailed the Runner instead through the rubble. When he could have easily been waiting for him a the 1 yard line. Jackson would have made it there well before him.



BB should bench Jackson for a couple games for poor awareness teach him a lesson.

 

[Boston Boxer]

Please keep Gronk on the bench Bill when the team doesn’t have the ball. Thanks

Gronk looked like Forest Gump with leg braces. Frankenstein should have never been in that position.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

BB should bench Jackson for a couple games for poor awareness teach him a lesson.

Gilmore was jogging along, Chung allowed himself to get blocked, Harmon could have cut him off before he got to Gronk... lots of players screwed up and I'm not even sure that Jackson was the worst.

 

[Hyped]

Still, if Gronk doesn't stumble...I think he pushes Drake OOB inches before the goal line....

 

[PatsFan2]

Gilmore was jogging along, Chung allowed himself to get blocked, Harmon could have cut him off before he got to Gronk... lots of players screwed up and I'm not even sure that Jackson was the worst.

#27 Stood out especially to me: he was still running faster at the end than those joggers you mentioned. I am just saying after watching if 27 took the side line UBER route he would have been waiting at the 1 yard line for the RB.

 

[PatsFan2]

Still, if Gronk doesn't stumble...I think he pushes Drake OOB inches before the goal line....

Gronk have been stumbling and bumbling all year or haven't you noticed??

 

[Hyped]

Gronk have been stumbling and bumbling all year or haven't you noticed??

Looking at the replay for the umpteenth time just now...Drake crossed the goal line with inches to spare. Gronk had a line on Drake before he simply stumbled.

 

[Sciz]

Gilmore was jogging along, Chung allowed himself to get blocked, Harmon could have cut him off before he got to Gronk... lots of players screwed up and I'm not even sure that Jackson was the worst.

Who was responsible for covering a potential lateral back into the open field? That player is going to look like an idiot on film, even though their job is very specifically not to run toward the ballcarrier.