Idle thoughts - The "penalty" edition

[patfanken]

I don't know about you but this was kind of a frustrating game to watch. The run game was OUTSTANDING, but the overall offense seemed to take a step back from the previous couple of weeks, MOSTLY because of self inflicted wounds. The defense allowed only 3 points, but at times seemed to break down with long runs at just the wrong time. Gronk had a fantastic game, but then gave away 45 yds of penalties and melted down and made just an asinine play that will be shown all week in the national media, and might possibly get him suspended for a game (though I think a fine would be more appropriate) But at any rate, Gronk's melt down put his team at risk for the next game and put his team in a bad light that we fans will have to deal with from the haters. The Pats scored 0 points in the 4th quarter mostly because of penalties and the pick.

All these factors were frustrating and then you look up and they go on the road for the 3rd time in 4 games and get ANOTHER 20 point win. Are we THAT spoiled? Yeah, I guess we are. We have become mere mirrors of the HC, where we expect to win, but look for every "teachable" moment throughout the game. Sort of our own personal "lowlight reels", that we will talk about all week. So we might as well get started. BTW- It looks like I'll get this done by Midnight. You have to love these 1pm starts.

1. Offense

a General thoughts - Gronk had 146 yds on 9 catches in just 11 targets, and I got the distinct feeling that if they wanted to, he could put up those kinds of stats EVERY game. He caught passes when he was open and passes when he wasn't, and one he just flat out took away from the DB. He was guarded mostly by safeties and CB's. More and more he rarely sees coverage by LB's, and it still didn't make a difference. The man is almost un-coverable.

But as we've seen, for the most part this season, Gronk's production has been "managed", almost like Dion Lewis'. I think today was just a warning to the rest of the league of what Gronk is capable of, and they'd better prepare for it. (which of course makes life easier for the rest of receivers)

And he did this despite beginning BRUTALLY held on at least every other play, and victimized by some of the worst OPI calls on film. What he did to White was 100% wrong, but the Pats should send to the league all the holds that weren't called and the OPI to point out WHY he was so frustrated by the end of that game.

BTW- Gronk also was an integral part of the running attack that up up close to 200 yds

b. Was a mistaken, but did I spy a successful screen pass early in the game. I wasn't sure. The 2nd one however was more of what we are used to, and yielded only 3 or 4 yds.

c. Buffalo came up with a very good scheme and frustrated the offense a bit in the first half. But once they figured out how that they wanted to attack what they were doing, it was only a matter of time. And we saw the results of that in the 2 third quarter TD's

d. I found the LACK of scoring in the 4th pretty disappointing. It showed a lack of focus and discipline, since most of the drives were stopped by penalties and self inflicted errors.

e. I found it a bit interesting that the Pats opened the game with James White being the main RB, both in the run and pass game. It was almost like Josh was saying, "sorry James, I know we've forgotten about you the last 2 games, but we still love you". And then they went back to the 2 man rotation for most of the rest of the game.

2. QB - This was another performance that wasn't exactly awe inspiring from Brady, including a meaningless pick due to a non-call, and no TD passes. But when you check the stats, he was again very efficient with a 70% completion rate. 268 yds on just 30 attempts, and his command in the pocket was just beautiful to watch......AGAIN.

Brady's emotionalism was on display when he snapped at Josh early in the game. I'm sure it will get a LOT of media attention this week, including a swath of lip readers with opinions of what was REALLY said. Hey, that's what I'd do if I were a reporter who knew how to locate a professional lip reader. I'd love to know what was said, and Josh and Tom will never tell. I'd especially like to know what Brady was saying since it was pretty clear he missed BOTH Cooks and a wide open Gronk on that pass. I'm guessing (hoping) it was "I KNOW I missed them. Just shut up about it, Josh. You're driving me NUTS. " .

BTW- before this game, IIRC Reiss reported that Brady suffered the same number of hits last season as he did this one, only last season it wasn't such a big media issue. Any confirmation on this stat? And did the Pats improve on the 8 QB hits Brady took vs Miami?

3. OL - Bad day for Joe Thuney who allowed 2 sacks supposedly. I'm a little disappointed with Thuney. After an excellent rookie year (statistically), I was hoping for a 2nd year leap into an elite level LG this year, but so far, he's been merely competent.

However overall the run blocking was good and the Pass blocking more than adequate. I'm a little pissed that the OL is going to get credit for allowing 3 sacks, when I was positive Brady got over the LOS on the 2nd one. Ah well.

a. Nice game for David Andrews in his return. Do you think we will ever know exactly WHAT illness he had or would that be a HIPPA violation? Maybe in the film study this week we could make a comparison between him and Karras.

b. Shaq Mason got a lot of kudos from Romo. Nice to see him get some recognition. He has come a long way from the one dimensional undersized OG he came into the league as.

c. Outside of a procedural call and an ill timed block in the back (there were a LOT of those today) Nate Solder had a very solid game....AGAIN. His future after this season will be a very interesting one for a lot of reasons.

d. I don't know what kind of game Cam Flemming had, but outside of one of those myriad of procedure calls against the Pats, I don't remember hearing his name called. And for and OLman, that is AWAYS a good thing.

4. RB's - just short of 200 yds, and over a 6 ypc average by BOTH your 2 main RB's and you can understand why the Pats play action pass plays were so successful. Once again Lewis was at almost 100 yds on only 15 attempts. Even on plays where Lewis losses yds, he makes at least one person miss. My only question about him is why they seem to have forgotten that back in 2015, Lewis was a mainstay in the passing game. He has great hands, even deep, yet he rarely gets thrown to this year. I can only guess that its part of their plan to manage his snaps, and since they have Burkhead and White to catch the ball its no great loss.

a. Gillislee was a healthy scratch again. I'm sure its not anything he's done. Its just the other guys are doing better right now. That can all change in an instant, so he could STILL have a big part in the success of the team down the road.

5. Receivers - I covered Gronk and he caught almost half the catches today, so this will be short. I thought it was interesting that for the last 2 weeks Cooks has been the "main man" catching the ball, and this week he wasn't even targeted much. BTW- After watching the tapes from the film thread, I can't help but notice how good a blocker Phillip Dorsett was in the clips I saw, so I made a point of watching him, and he did a great job again from what I saw. Dorsett won't be anyone's choice for a FF WR, but he's just another guy who is simply "doing his job"

BTW- good to see the clip last week where BB stands stoically while the Pats score 5 TD's, but goes out of his way to seek out Dwayne Allen for a good read, and block on Burkhead's 20 yd gain. Again, Allen won't be on anyone's FF team, but is very quietly "doing his job". And he has a HC who appreciates the effort that no one else would notice

Defense -

6. General thoughts - Another great schematic job by the "rocket scientist". Our DL has to be the WORST DL in the league, as individuals, and without Trey Flowers took a huge step back for this game. I mean REALLY? Think of all the DL's we've faced this season, and EVERY single one of them has at least 2 guys who are the kind of pass rushers that you have to plan for. Who do you plan for with the Pats, especially without Flowers. Yet as a group they seemed to generate enough pressure to make Taylor get the ball out quick or scramble around on a consistent basis, and ultimately ended up with 4 sacks, and could have had a couple more.

I am flabbergasted at the state of our DL on paper, compared to the net result we are actually getting one the field each week. It would make no sense on any other team but the Patriots. I would think it would be a lead story for the broadcasts, yet they all seem to take it as standard operating procedure. Again, masterful job by Matt Patricia.

7. Front 7 - Re-read the comments I wrote about the DL, and repeat it, and change LB for DL, and it would fit. Now we have lost KVN and Hightower, and somehow the beat goes on. I no longer have the energy to figure it out. I mean we grab some guy who wasn't good enough make the Bills roster, and within 5 quarters, the kid has 3 sacks, a pick, a couple of tipped passes, and 8 tackles. How does that even HAPPEN????

a. Alan Branch made a huge play on Lee's pick, and caused that interception. We need to see more plays like that, more consistently from him down the stretch.

b. Interesting that Lee's first sack came on another twist stunt with Butler that was executed perfectly. I remember when Lee was first signed, someone posted his scouting report, which graded him as a potential UFA signing. I was kind of disappointed he was graded so low. Now I can safely say I am not so Disappointed

c. Big game for Malcolm Brown who had 7 tackles and was very active in the run game with a half sack as well. Glad he's back. He's made a difference. The run defense was spotty at best, but it was there when it counted. Most of the damage was done in the first drive and the one in the 4th quarter.

d. I was surprised to see David Harris getting 1.5 sacks. I didn't know he had any. That was his first impact this year. Good for him. But when KVN went out, he was missed. I doubt we see him in Miami, but we NEED him back for Pittsburgh.

7. Secondary - Like the old Beatles song, "it's getting better all the time". Gilmore held Jones to 2 catches. The first a short slant against zone coverage , and a tipped pass that was perfectly covered and 3 solo tackles besides. Gilmore seems to improve every game he's out there, and he even looks like he's having more fun each game.

b. Butler joins Gilmore in the constantly improving group. I mean its hard not to when you only allow 115 yds passing. Also nice to see Eric Rowe get some snaps. With that kind of depth, at good secondary can only get better. Good health willing, by the time the playoffs get here, we will finally see on the field, the kind of secondary we saw on paper back in August.

c. Third down efficiency was an acceptable 38% 5 for 13, IIRC the Bills got 3 of those 5 first downs on scrambles.

 

[patfanken]

8. ST's - Gotskowski's 50 yarder into a swirling wind on the Pats first drive was a big kick. Steven now is 29 of 32 this season for a 91% conversion rate. Not bad for a kicker whose competency has been held in question for a better part of this entire season ror reasons I can't figure out.

The rest of special teams didn't have much to do. KO cover was good as well as punt coverage. Ryan Allen had a short punt once, but that was about the only flaw in the special teams play.

9. General thoughts -

a. Steratore is one of my favorite refs whose crew usually does a good job of staying invisible. But today they had a relatively rough day. They made a horrible call on Gronk's OPI and compounded it by allowing Gronk to be held at will by anyone who covered him, including at least 3 points where a flag could have been called on the play that ended up with the pick. They also screwed Buffalo with a horrid spot on a 3rd down and gave the Pats a first down.

That being said, I'm not sure the Pats even knew it wasn't 4th down when they went for it and made it by a mile, so the call didn't end up changing anything, but it was a clear muff by that crew.

b. Kyle Williams is without doubt my favorite player on the Bills and has been for over a decade. What a great Patriot he would have been, and what a shame he's had to spend his entire career without ever being in a playoff game. So I didn't feel too bad when he got his sack of Brady. He earned it.

c. Traverous White looks like the real deal, and if his team was 9-3 instead of 6-6, it would be he who be a good shot to be the defensive rookie of the year, instead of Lattimore. He pretty much shut down Brandin Gooks and IIRC he played Gronk real well and actually had the interception before Gronk picked his pocket. He's a good looking player. Granted he did hold Gronk a few times that play Gronk melted down, but when you are a DB, you have to do what you can. I don't blame him for that, and I'm glad Gronk quickly apologized for that unacceptable late hit.

d. Whether Gronk is suspended for that hit will be a big media discussion this week, and I hate that it will be. I think a fine should be sufficient. It's not like he's a multiple offender and he wasn't ejected from the game (BB did that ) But this is the NFL and we are the Pats, so, I wouldn't be surprised if he got a game.

e. Who would have thought that KC v Jets would end up being a shoot out. Imagine Jet fans if it was the Pats who got 8 shots to put it in from the 5 yard line and 2 shots at the extra point. Jest sayin' Hard to believe that the same KC team that kicked our ass and went 5-0 to start the season, is now 6-6 and falling almost as fast as the Broncos.

f. Just my quick observation, but I liked what I saw from Nathan Petersman in that short sample. He had a quick release. Seemed to throw an accurate ball. He was decisive with his reads and obviously has a real live arm. He had one questionable ball that McCourty almost got, but you could see the promise there for next year.

That being said, you have to admire Tyrod Taylor's courage and toughness. He's not a bad QB, just a limited one who has reached his ceiling. I think he'd be a decent QB on a real good team, but he's not going to be able to carry a flawed offensive team like the Bills.

g. Miami blew out the Bronco's to keep their playoff hopes alive at 5-7. They will have to win out, and will be in playoff mode when they face off with the Pats next Monday night. On paper and based on what we saw a week ago, this shouldn't be any more of a game than the last 4 have been, BUT its in Miami, and regardless of the record, Miami hasn't been very hospitable over the years.

BB will have lots of "teachable points" to make from this win today. but the Pats will have their hands full and better be prepared for a war vs a very dirty team.....and they might be without Gronk to boot, which will limit what they can do. This game would line up as a prototypical "trap game", given the Steelers on the horizon.

OK that's it for now. Done at 12:30, so I'm thrilled. Add what you will, and let me know what YOU think about today's win.

 

[Username]

I hate to be the guy to bring it up, cos I don't like piling in on a guy, but Jordan Richards is a serious weak link. For all his supposed football intelligence he's so slow to react. There was a run play, I think in the third quarter, where he was so focused on his personal battle with the tight end that he didn't even notice the running back until he had literally run right by him.

 

[TB12TheGoat]

I hate to be the guy to bring it up, cos I don't like piling in on a guy, but Jordan Richards is a serious weak link. For all his supposed football intelligence he's so slow to react. There was a run play, I think in the third quarter, where he was so focused on his personal battle with the tight end that he didn't even notice the running back until he had literally run right by him.

You just know he was always picked last in the gym for everything. Dodgeball, flag football, basketball, etc

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

c. Third down efficiency was an acceptable 38% 5 for 13, IIRC the Bills got 3 of those 5 first downs on scrambles.

Worth mentioning that, I believe, the D held the Bills to 0 for 3 on 4th down.

 

[AtomicDawg]

I am very disappointed in this post. Not once in this post was Dwayne Allen mentioned. At least Chatham noticed him.



Dude has thrown some seriously wicked blocks this year but has been much maligned in Patriot Nation for not being Bennett 2.0. Having a blocker of his nature gives this offense some flexibility in terms of how they use Gronk and multiple TE packages. It has been a great pickup that no one cares about.

EDIT: I see it was mentioned but in passing. He deserves a lot more than that this season. One of the key reasons the run game has been so consistent.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I am flabbergasted at the state of our DL on paper, compared to the net result

The overall still isn't tops but what you are overlooking is how consistent the trends are. First downs allowed, points, passing yards, punts, RZ D, sacks. Except for rushing yards allowed nearly all the other categories are trending almost perfectly. If you were to take the last 6 we'd be looking very good except rushing D.

The Patriots don't have the biggest names in pass coverage but they are going to make repeated sustained drives a difficult proposition on many teams. If they can keep from getting too gashed in the run game this D will continue to be stingy -- not shut down -- but stingy. It's a passing league so, IMHO, being difficult to sustain drives via the air against is job 1.
Given the compliment of the O, the Patriots are in great shape. No win is guaranteed but they'll win most and be in it right to the end on every game against any team.

 

[Kargetina]

We're Hightower and Edelman away from this being the most complete team in the Belichick era. If we have a weakness at this point, it's the rush D where Hightower would have been of great help and a short/middle route runner that would free even more space for Cooks/Hogan/Gronk.

Even without them:

Passing game: Elite
Running game: Great and versatile
Special Teams: Elite
Secondary: Elite
Run defense: Sufficient

There's a reason why we've dominated the last 6 games and yet we always come back after the game a little dissatisfied. Let's take this game for example. The run defense and the passing game sections of the game were not up to par, but the secondary, run game and the special teams were great, which means a 20 point win that theoretically could be 30+ if the passing game worked as well as those other units.

You can interchange those five sections, and when three of them play great, it's almost impossible to lose. If 4 play great, forget about it. And considering that the running game, the secondary and the special teams have been fantastic since late October, as long as Brady has a decent day, we're in the driver's seat against any team in the league.

The team could not be tracking in a better direction right now. No injuries and this is shaping up to be a special year.

 

[borg]

I am very disappointed in this post. Not once in this post was Dwayne Allen mentioned. At least Chatham noticed him.



Dude has thrown some seriously wicked blocks this year but has been much maligned in Patriot Nation for not being Bennett 2.0. Having a blocker of his nature gives this offense some flexibility in terms of how they use Gronk and multiple TE packages. It has been a great pickup that no one cares about.

Refer to:
PFK's Bullet Point #5 / Paragraph 2
Category: General love

 

[DarrylS]

Always thought that intradivisional games were difficult for the Pats, despite the lopsided score, they did not seem in sync as much as we are used to..

Brady missed a couple of obviously open receivers and offensively they never seemed to get into that good rhythm that we are used to and take for granted..

Of course the NFL world will overreact to Gronk's cheap hit, and will start with what a "dirty" team the Pats are.. my concern is more for Brady than Gronk, as he is more vulnerable in the pocket.

Patrick Chung is a tuff m... er, what ever happened to his hand/arm he was chafing at the bit to get back in to the game.

Gene Steratore an his crew crapped all of themselves yesterday, and came close to losing control in that game.. they missed the obvious and focused on the subtle..

Matt Patricia may have come to the forefront as a higher rated HC coaching prospect than Josh.. but it is still neck and neck.

 

[maineman209]

8. ST's - Gotskowski's 50 yarder into a swirling wind on the Pats first drive was a big kick. Steven now is 29 of 32 this season for a 91% conversion rate. Not bad for a kicker whose competency has been held in question for a better part of this entire season ror reasons I can't figure out.

The rest of special teams didn't have much to do. KO cover was good as well as punt coverage. Ryan Allen had a short punt once, but that was about the only flaw in the special teams play.

9. General thoughts -

a. Steratore is one of my favorite refs whose crew usually does a good job of staying invisible. But today they had a relatively rough day. They made a horrible call on Gronk's OPI and compounded it by allowing Gronk to be held at will by anyone who covered him, including at least 3 points where a flag could have been called on the play that ended up with the pick. They also screwed Buffalo with a horrid spot on a 3rd down and gave the Pats a first down.

That being said, I'm not sure the Pats even knew it wasn't 4th down when they went for it and made it by a mile, so the call didn't end up changing anything, but it was a clear muff by that crew.

b. Kyle Williams is without doubt my favorite player on the Bills and has been for over a decade. What a great Patriot he would have been, and what a shame he's had to spend his entire career without ever being in a playoff game. So I didn't feel too bad when he got his sack of Brady. He earned it.

c. Traverous White looks like the real deal, and if his team was 9-3 instead of 6-6, it would be he who be a good shot to be the defensive rookie of the year, instead of Lattimore. He pretty much shut down Brandin Gooks and IIRC he played Gronk real well and actually had the interception before Gronk picked his pocket. He's a good looking player. Granted he did hold Gronk a few times that play Gronk melted down, but when you are a DB, you have to do what you can. I don't blame him for that, and I'm glad Gronk quickly apologized for that unacceptable late hit.

d. Whether Gronk is suspended for that hit will be a big media discussion this week, and I hate that it will be. I think a fine should be sufficient. It's not like he's a multiple offender and he wasn't ejected from the game (BB did that ) But this is the NFL and we are the Pats, so, I wouldn't be surprised if he got a game.

e. Who would have thought that KC v Jets would end up being a shoot out. Imagine Jet fans if it was the Pats who got 8 shots to put it in from the 5 yard line and 2 shots at the extra point. Jest sayin' Hard to believe that the same KC team that kicked our ass and went 5-0 to start the season, is now 6-6 and falling almost as fast as the Broncos.

f. Just my quick observation, but I liked what I saw from Nathan Petersman in that short sample. He had a quick release. Seemed to throw an accurate ball. He was decisive with his reads and obviously has a real live arm. He had one questionable ball that McCourty almost got, but you could see the promise there for next year.

That being said, you have to admire Tyrod Taylor's courage and toughness. He's not a bad QB, just a limited one who has reached his ceiling. I think he'd be a decent QB on a real good team, but he's not going to be able to carry a flawed offensive team like the Bills.

g. Miami blew out the Bronco's to keep their playoff hopes alive at 5-7. They will have to win out, and will be in playoff mode when they face off with the Pats next Monday night. On paper and based on what we saw a week ago, this shouldn't be any more of a game than the last 4 have been, BUT its in Miami, and regardless of the record, Miami hasn't been very hospitable over the years.

BB will have lots of "teachable points" to make from this win today. but the Pats will have their hands full and better be prepared for a war vs a very dirty team.....and they might be without Gronk to boot, which will limit what they can do. This game would line up as a prototypical "trap game", given the Steelers on the horizon.

OK that's it for now. Done at 12:30, so I'm thrilled. Add what you will, and let me know what YOU think about today's win.

The Bills seem to have a pretty decent pass defense. They effectively shut down Cooks and Amendola, and the RBs weren't really lighting them up on the receiving side. If it hadn't been for Gronk and the ground game ...

Since folks began talking about the Pats' ineffectiveness on screen plays earlier this year, I've been paying more attention to screen plays by other teams. It seems to me that the screen plays isn't working consistently well for a lot of the other top teams, either (just eyeballing - I have no stats to back this up).

The recent lack of use of White may be partly a "going with the hot hand(s)" thing (may also apply to Gillislee). But, I think that and the lack of tgts for Lewis may also partly be a long-view strategy of keeping stuff off game tape and holding it in reserve - perhaps for the Steelers and/or the playoffs. I just have a feeling that the offense hasn't shown its entire hand yet.

The surprising thing about the Pats run-D for me was that I expected they might be particularly vulnerable on the edges. Aside from a couple escapes to the outside by Taylor, it seemed to me that most of the damage the Bills ground game accomplished on designed runs came up the middle (possibly due to a tactical focus on edge-contain while missing a couple of players). Hoping that, once Flowers and Reilly are healthy, the Front-7 will be able to walk and chew gum at the same time against the run.

Agree that Peterman showed some nice stuff and potential. For his sake, I hope that he gets some really good QB-coaching ASAP so he can develop, but I'm afraid that he's unlikely to in that organization. Over the decades, I've seen at least a few decent-looking QB prospects get drafted by perennial losers and turned into crap by poor coaching during the crucial first couple years when they could be developing.

 

[Soliel]

23-3 on the road. I will take it.

Yes, there were things that went wrong, always are but, this was a team win and you have to admire it.

 

[scott99]

Always thought that intradivisional games were difficult for the Pats, despite the lopsided score, they did not seem in sync as much as we are used to..

Brady missed a couple of obviously open receivers and offensively they never seemed to get into that good rhythm that we are used to and take for granted..

Of course the NFL world will overreact to Gronk's cheap hit, and will start with what a "dirty" team the Pats are.. my concern is more for Brady than Gronk, as he is more vulnerable in the pocket.

Patrick Chung is a tuff m... er, what ever happened to his hand/arm he was chafing at the bit to get back in to the game.

Gene Steratore an his crew crapped all of themselves yesterday, and came close to losing control in that game.. they missed the obvious and focused on the subtle..

Matt Patricia may have come to the forefront as a higher rated HC coaching prospect than Josh.. but it is still neck and neck.

Your last paragraph, I think we lose both of them this year, here’s to hoping they go out as winners

 

[PP2]

Peterman is a legit QB. He has the balls to keep trying to fit the ball into tight space. If McDermott has the brains and the authority to do so, he'd start planning to make Peterman the eventual QB, and then the Bills will become a serious problem.

That being said, I think this was one of the most satisfying win of this season. I do see some posters complaining about the lack of pass TD's but the Bills D isn't soft or are they a pushover. They were 4-1 at home, and they have a real backfield.

But the defense was the best part- what a tremendous collective effort! Much more in sync, and really in a groove, communications-wise. Things are really trending in the direction of a return to the superbowl. This is by and large the result of top-notch coaching and putting players in positions where they are at their best.

Yes, Eric Lee had a fabulous day, but the best part of him is that he is a legit edge sealer. IRRC there was one play where he squared up to the blocking lineman, stoned then shed him to try and tackle McCoy. He didn't quite get McCoy (who does?) but it's encouraging that he did all the right things. At the very least, he redirected McCoy back inside.

 

[luuked]

Pats should send to the league all the holds that weren't called and the OPI to point out WHY he was so frustrated by the end of that game.

It is the same discussion for years now. He built himself a reputation early in his career for pushing off at various parts of the route and is still unfairly getting hammered for that on those stupid OPI calls. On the flipside the refs obviously also feel that because of his size and power he needs to be refd at a different standard than other players. Which again is ******** but it is like Mayo has said on the latest Quick Slants.. if thats how the refs are going to call it then we just simply need to accept it. Who is going to change their mind ?

3. OL - Bad day for Joe Thuney who allowed 2 sacks supposedly.

Curious to see in the rewatch thread if it was really him or just a combination of things that let to those two sacks.

My only question about him is why they seem to have forgotten that back in 2015, Lewis was a mainstay in the passing game.

I guess you mean 2016 because 2015 is when he broke out and tore his ACL against the Washington football team. He looks a lot quicker and more decisive this year compared to last. Personally I just assume that it just took some time to get back fully from the injury.

good to see the clip last week where BB stands stoically while the Pats score 5 TD's, but goes out of his way to seek out Dwayne Allen for a good read, and block on Burkhead's 20 yd gain. Again, Allen won't be on anyone's FF team, but is very quietly "doing his job". And he has a HC who appreciates the effort that no one else would notice

I agree and I would also expand this to Dorsett. I dont get why Reiss singled him out this week when it was obviously not a WR-heavy gameplan in the first place, and Dorsett showed up a couple of times with good blocks for our RBs. It is not like Cooks or Dola were really that much more productive.

In terms of Allen just can quote Chatham:

Steratore is one of my favorite refs whose crew usually does a good job of staying invisible. But today they had a relatively rough day. They made a horrible call on Gronk's OPI and compounded it by allowing Gronk to be held at will by anyone who covered him, including at least 3 points where a flag could have been called on the play that ended up with the pick. They also screwed Buffalo with a horrid spot on a 3rd down and gave the Pats a first down.

I would also like to add the PI non call on Burkhead in the second quarter before we settled for a FG to the list of head scratchers. The Bills defender (Brown ?) who was in coverage on him was essentially goal tending with contact throughout the entire play. It is once again the inconsistency of what PI calls are that is killing the entire game and not the calls themselves.


My own two cents are that Elandon Roberts remains an issue for the defense that can be exploited. He has improved in coverage but he shoots gaps still way too fast and gets himself out of plays too often. He is an exciting player to watch sometimes because when his instincts turn out right he can make plays but I have a feeling that the same instincts will ultimately be his downfall next offseason if he doesnt improve a lot in terms of reading situations.

The whole point of the defense is that they are ok with giving up those 4-5 yard plays because it means that the other team has to string together a long series of positive plays to march down the field. And every play is a chance to screw it up. So the occasional big play does not compensate for the times he gets himself out of a play and allows at 10y+ gain.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

2. QB - This was another performance that wasn't exactly awe inspiring from Brady, including a meaningless pick due to a non-call, and no TD passes. But when you check the stats, he was again very efficient with a 70% completion rate. 268 yds on just 30 attempts, and his command in the pocket was just beautiful to watch......AGAIN.

Certainly not fro ma stats perspective, but imagine being the Defensive Coordinator of the opposing team and trying to figure out a way to stop the Patriots. You can take away the WRs and they can go with Tight ends/Middle or running. you can stop the run and they'll pass on you. You can stuff up the middle and they'll get you with play action/throws to the outside (WR/RBs).

While they may not have the honor of being the most complete team (goes to Philly), they may be the most complete offense.

Brady's emotionalism was on display when he snapped at Josh early in the game. I'm sure it will get a LOT of media attention this week, including a swath of lip readers with opinions of what was REALLY said.

Thought they had a sideline reporter that got the gist of what they were saying and it was Josh pointing out the open receivers. funny how the media isn't blowing this up like they did with Bill O'Brien.

b. Shaq Mason got a lot of kudos from Romo. Nice to see him get some recognition. He has come a long way from the one dimensional undersized OG he came into the league as.

I just love Tony Romo as an analyst. He brings something real and unabashed love for the game. He adds his knowledge to what is happening on the field and calls things before they happen (with more accuracy than weatherman of Charlie Casserly).

Add to that, he is a real starting QB and how he can recall plays from earlier and the game and call that out in real time...well, it's impressive and fun. He puts pretty much any other analyst to shame and I hope he sticks with it (and we get him for more games).

Oh yeah, and he definitely threw alot of love Shaq Mason's way

4. RB's - just short of 200 yds, and over a 6 ypc average by BOTH your 2 main RB's and you can understand why the Pats play action pass plays were so successful. Once again Lewis was at almost 100 yds on only 15 attempts. Even on plays where Lewis losses yds, he makes at least one person miss. My only question about him is why they seem to have forgotten that back in 2015, Lewis was a mainstay in the passing game. He has great hands, even deep, yet he rarely gets thrown to this year. I can only guess that its part of their plan to manage his snaps, and since they have Burkhead and White to catch the ball its no great loss.

if we make it to the SB, Lewis will be play the Shne Vereen,/James White role. Good to see James White have a positive impact and it's an embarrassment of depth and riches on the type of running/receiving backs we have. and yes, they seem to be underutilized. Those guys are good enough to play slot receiver should the need arise.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

if thats how the refs are going to call it then we just simply need to accept it. Who is going to change their mind?

Not the player. Especially when the player blasts an OOB defender in the head and says it was because he was "frustrated" at the officiating. That is going to get Gronk absolutely nowhere with the refs and will probably backfire on him.

 

[juny]

And he did this despite beginning BRUTALLY held on at least every other play, and victimized by some of the worst OPI calls on film. What he did to White was 100% wrong, but the Pats should send to the league all the holds that weren't called and the OPI to point out WHY he was so frustrated by the end of that game.

This is nothing new and hopefully the Pats have already been asking about questionable calls against Gronk and non-calls. Something the team will never do, but maybe, need to publicly voice their concerns, it's pretty ridiculous how much the play is stacked against Gronk in a league where they push the rules for the offense every year

 

[everlong]

The Gronk Edition.

1. I know he was frustrated but that was monumentally stupid and cheap.

2. I can see the argument for a game. I think the league hits him with two to keep him out of the Pittsburgh game and give them a better shot at taking out the Pats. If they give him more than that it's another obvious case of anti-Patriots bias.

3. I hope Hogan can go against Miami.

4. Although his reaction was bush league I get his frustration. The last two years there's rules for Gronk and rules for the rest of the league. They have to tackle him to get a flag and if he fights back at all yellow goes flying.

5. Allen has certainly proved himself blocking but last year they had Bennett when Gronk went down. Without that duel thread it will be tough sledding.

6. The run game will suffer without him. He has been a beast and when talking about the best TE it's so overlooked.

7. I love Rodney Harrison and his career here but him acting disappointed in Gronk give me an F'in break. Go watch just your hit on Trent Green you hypocrite.

8. I'm not making light when I say I fear for Gronk's knees when they play the Bills next. Honestly the Pats should request he's out for that game if the suspension is only a game. I think the Bills would be fine with it. I really worry about vigalante justice.

9. I don't know why Josh kept going away from the double back protect set. That was stopping the Bills from stunting and abusing the interior line. You better believe teams took note of that.

10. I said it a few weeks ago but the only team in the AFC that scares me is Baltimore. The team with the best shot of knocking them out of the playoffs is the, gulp, Bengals. Ya but put money in that stock.

 

[ctpatsfan1]

If I'm not mistaken didn't BB bench Butler for a play or two? That IMHO is the bigger story than Gronk who obviously was wrong in what he did.