Idle thoughts - The "on to Atlanta" edition.

[Uptown]

Indeed, but some things came out quite well even on the boob tube:

Ref: My favourite image from last night. • /r/Patriots

Here is White's awesome blitz pickup on Timmons that set Hogan's TD up..

 

[reflexblue]

Ken mentioned that lewis doesn't seem to have the burst he used to, what ive noticed is that he doesn't quit have those pinball like barry sanders moves he had before last years knee injury. Hopefully its just that hes still recovering from the surgery.

 

[patfanken]

Sorry, but after watching the replays I think that Hogan drop really was about Brady throwing behind Hogan. I think Brady's reaction proves it. Tom was visibly disappointed, and he usually only reacts that way when he misses a throw.

I know the play you are talking about and you are right, it was on Brady. He missed the open man. However they threw a screen to Hogan on the GL later in the game that went right through Hogan's hands. It was too bad, since it looked like it was set up well, and we had to settle for a FG.

 

[patfanken]

Hmmmm.... I always wondered how Ken's posts could be so insightful about the Patriots.....now we find out that he played lacross in college just like BB did..... Perhaps BB is posting under a pseudonym?

Not only that, but I my team played Wesleyan every year. At one point I thought there might have been a chance that I might have played BB since I was a senior when he was a freshman, but I forgot he did a post grad year at Andover (where he met Ernie Adams)

 

[Sparetire]

I'm not much of an X's and O's kind of fan. At this point, I just thank god that I had the opportunity to witness such greatness. Regardless of the SB's outcome.

We've won the jackpot with a GOAT qb, a GOAT coach and a GOAT organization. Everything else is meaningless.

 

[Lavictoire]

They also thought the Brady sneak was a fumble and the refs' screw job took away a game-changing play. Huh? At the game as soon as we saw the replay (ball came out as Brady's elbow AND knee hit the ground, AND he and another Patriot fell on the ball first) we started thanking Mike Tomlin for wasting a time out. Just goes to show how each fan base wears homer-colored glasses when it comes to the refs. I appreciated the refs "just letting them play" rather than throwing a 1000 yellow flags.

Great crowd noise last night and great win by our team!!

Simms and Nantz would not shut up about that play. They kept asking how that was not a fumble because the refs said Steelers recovered but it was clear Brady was down before the ball came out and the replay confirmed it but they would not let it go and kept on and on.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

It was loud. Games like that put the "acoustics" argument to rest unless the stadium somehow defies physics from time to time.

No it doesn't.

Who knows how much louder it may have been with better acoustics?
Or how regularly loud it could be on days where the crowd isn't giving 110%?

 

[PatsDeb]

Simms and Nantz would not shut up about that play. They kept asking how that was not a fumble because the refs said Steelers recovered but it was clear Brady was down before the ball came out and the replay confirmed it but they would not let it go and kept on and on.

The thing is, the refs said the Pats recovered it, so I don't know how they could have thought 1) that the original ruling was Steelers' ball; and 2) that the replay didn't show that Brady was down, and it appeared he and/or another Pats player actually recovered the fumble in the first instance. The replay did not show a Steeler with the ball at any time (unless you saw a different one on tv).

 

[Kontradiction]

No it doesn't.

Who knows how much louder it may have been with better acoustics?
Or how regularly loud it could be on days where the crowd isn't giving 110%?

People blame when it's quiet enough to hear a fly break wind on the acoustics, usually saying that the "crowd was really loud when they were there". Uh... no. Last night and the week before against the Texans showed that the stadium can get very loud when the crowd is good. The acoustics don't stop that. It ends the argument. The stadium needs less wine and cheese wimps and more drunks with a better atmosphere. Every home game should sound like that.

 

[deters]

I'm really not that concerned with Atlanta. I think this is the weaker of the match-ups and was more worried about facing Rodgers. Atlanta defense is average, so we will score, and I also believe their offense is overrated. Our defense will certainly give up points. We have the coaching advantage, as well as experience. Patriots are the more complete team imho, and I would be surprised if we don't win by 2 scores. Everything about Atlanta just screams overrated to me. I had the same vibe when Denver played Seattle in the SB.

 

[borg]

It's all on Tomlin, the defensive coordinator, and their inability to coach effectively.
Flooding the secondary with 8 defenders while only rushing 3 is understandable (at times, not always)...BUT....losing complete contact with receivers is not, especially given the excess of man power deployed.
A COMPLETE COACHING FAILURE
And this coaching failure occurs EVERY time New England faces the Steelers.
Tomlin deploys the same zone defense every match up and Brady carves them up every time. Who knew Terry Bradshaw was on to something (besides people in NE).
Even my dog learned to stop running into the glass door......but not chest bumping Tomlin. Hoo rah

 

[Hammer of Thor]

He gets badly beaten at times . but brings “luck“ . somehow the Pats are 26-2 with him starting (if i'm not mistaken). Only Lewis and Bruschi (as honorary captain) w better record..

They love him but will bring in competition for the spot for sure. Not too much in FA but probably draft, possibly even trade, depending how they view Karras..

My belief on this (and part of the reason the 26-2 isn't exactly "luck"): Andrews calls the line protections and is completely on the same page as Brady; they see the field the same way. Brady has been raving about him in that sense since training camp 2015. That said, Andrews himself isn't as physically strong as some other centers, and thus gets beat on certain plays and certain player types, as really shown during the Houston game.

On the other hand you have someone like Stork, who had been (though may not still be) capable of handling those bigger guys. However, he was having problems with setting the protections.

In an ideal world, you'd have someone who can do both. However, given that they don't, the Patriots believe Option A is better: they can be a better offense when Andrews calls the right protections 99% of the time for the rest of the o-line with Andrews' himself beaten from time to time. The compares to Option B, where Stork (or a generic bigger guy) handles his own guy more often than Andrews but only calls the right protections for the rest of the line 85% of the time, which causes pressure to reach Brady more often from other places than with Andrews at center. That the O-Line as a unit functions better in Option A than in Option B.

 

[Bill Lee]

People blame when it's quiet enough to hear a fly break wind on the acoustics, usually saying that the "crowd was really loud when they were there". Uh... no. Last night and the week before against the Texans showed that the stadium can get very loud when the crowd is good. The acoustics don't stop that. It ends the argument. The stadium needs less wine and cheese wimps and more drunks with a better atmosphere. Every home game should sound like that.

Yep, there's plenty of other stadiums around the league that get loud for each and every game. No reason why ours can't be one of them.

 

[reflexblue]

No it doesn't.

Who knows how much louder it may have been with better acoustics?
Or how regularly loud it could be on days where the crowd isn't giving 110%?

I think the design of gillette doesn't allow it to be as loud as the old sullivan stadium or safeco field in seattle. Safeco is supposedly the loudest in the nfl, the sides, the seating of the stadium are more vertical than gillette which is more open. The crowd in seattle is closer to the field and the sound of the crowd is trapped more than the gillette design. So i think its the accoustics that affect how loud the crowd at gillette are. I remember watching playoff games at the old stadium, it sounded like some wild beast howling, it was deafning.

 

[jimnance]

I'll go

I'm really not that concerned with Atlanta. I think this is the weaker of the match-ups and was more worried about facing Rodgers. Atlanta defense is average, so we will score, and I also believe their offense is overrated. Our defense will certainly give up points. We have the coaching advantage, as well as experience. Patriots are the more complete team imho, and I would be surprised if we don't win by 2 scores. Everything about Atlanta just screams overrated to me. I had the same vibe when Denver played Seattle in the SB.

I'll go even further: I think the Pats would smoke GB as well. Pittsburgh is a better team than both atl and GB. Their D was actually above- average and light years better than both falcs and packers. And the Pats D is light years better than the steelers.
I don't think this SB will be close.

 

[Lavictoire]

The thing is, the refs said the Pats recovered it, so I don't know how they could have thought 1) that the original ruling was Steelers' ball; and 2) that the replay didn't show that Brady was down, and it appeared he and/or another Pats player actually recovered the fumble in the first instance. The replay did not show a Steeler with the ball at any time (unless you saw a different one on tv).

I didnt hear it but later in the game my wife told me Nantz actually said "my bad" about what he said about that play. Something about he was saying what Tomlin was
saying.

 

[PatsDeb]

I didnt hear it but later in the game my wife told me Nantz actually said "my bad" about what he said about that play. Something about he was saying what Tomlin was
saying.

Nance & Sims were probably confused because in an effort to convince themselves and the refs that it was a fumble, the Steelers sent their offense out onto the field (and the Pats kept theirs on the field, so both Os were out there at the same time). Nice try, Mikey.

 

[Patjew]

People blame when it's quiet enough to hear a fly break wind on the acoustics, usually saying that the "crowd was really loud when they were there". Uh... no. Last night and the week before against the Texans showed that the stadium can get very loud when the crowd is good. The acoustics don't stop that. It ends the argument. The stadium needs less wine and cheese wimps and more drunks with a better atmosphere. Every home game should sound like that.

The red seat folks have been awesome this year's playoffs. Outside and seemingly loud all game (other than halftime) even in the crap weather.

 

[neali]

Nance & Sims were probably confused because in an effort to convince themselves and the refs that it was a fumble, the Steelers sent their offense out onto the field (and the Pats kept theirs on the field, so both Os were out there at the same time). Nice try, Mikey.

The apology was because the audio of the "clear recovery" came from Tomlin himself when he standing next to the miked up ref. Nance and Sims originally thought an official had spoken that line.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Years ago I thought Tomlin might be a good HC. I was wrong. In retrospect, he clearly won with his predecessor's team and their cultural momentum. It is coaching malpractice to rush 3, play after play and stay in a zone defense vs Brady. Time after time, year after year Brady has carved them up with that approach. Even if man to man is not your forte, VARY your coverage more. And don't give up on blitzes because White picked one up and you git stung. You're facing TFB, Sell out now and again and blitz crush the middle to pressure him on plays where you think he has to go deep. You'll probably lose, but it's football and maybe you get lucky.