Idle thoughts - the stop the whining edition -

[scout]

Always look forward to this post with my morning coffee. The game gave BB plenty to "discuss" during this week. Rowe's penalty and a penalty (withdrew) for a player running out on the field caused by a fumble (reversed). My hope is the Pats were rusty and will have a great week of practice for the next game.

 

[PlanB]

whenever I read some doom and gloom post/article this week, I'm going to come back and reread your post. It's a logical and rational analysis of the game and what will be worked on this week. In fact, I don't think I am going to read anything until game time and just savor the W.

 

[ChessToCheckers]

Another superb post, Ken! Thank you!

IMO: Your weekly analyses are 10x more insightful and accurate than all of the local and national mediots put together! I suspect that it helps to actually LIKE the team under discussion!

I thought the Defense picked up the Offense in this game. I think that's an excellent sign.

Strange offensive game plan. I was disappointed that Jame White only saw a few snaps, especially with LeGarrett recovering from illness.

On the other hand, Lewis was electric, although his ball security this game could have been better.

If you get a chance to see his post game presser, he couldn't have been more pissed if you had told him Roger Goodell was babysitting his kids tonight.

Great line!

c. Ever wonder if this particular Pats team has a problem with the bye. In a way the offense kind of looked like it did after the last time the Pats had a bye week, kind of sloppy and hurky-jerky (seattle game)

Hmmm ... interesting observation. Let's hope whatever this is is correctable. Hopefully we'll get one more chance to find out!

I expect that this team will play lights out next Saturday.

Sixth consecutive AFC Championship Game, wow!

Go Pats!

 

[Uncle Rico]

... Brady was right in being pissed at Clowney. Not so much that he hit him late, but that he didn't have to drag him down so late after the play was over. There will be those who will look at the call Brady DID get and whine that he gets all the calls.

Thats BS. Brady COULD have gotten the call on the guy that was wrapped around his legs after he threw the ball. Clowney ended up hitting him 2 counts AFTER that... and low. It was horrifyingly late.

Now what I want to see is someone (especially in the media) come up with the stats about who is getting all the roughing calls. I'm pretty sure it ISN'T Tom Brady. In fact IIRC a few years ago I saw some stats that showed that far from getting "all the calls" more than half the QB's in the league were gettng more flags than Brady. I just wonder what they are recently. But after watching that late Clowney hit, I thank god Brady is pliable....and Clowney SHOULD get fined. '

As you wish:

Roughing the Passer By Quarterback - NFL Penalty Stats Tracker - List/Statistics/Data of NFL Penalties - 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

For a really telling story, sort by "Per 100 Attempts" ...

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

The only TD the D gave up looked similar to another TD we gave up early in the year. Hopefully Bb and Matt will break it down and fix it as I would expect to see it again from other teams (assuming they get close to the goal line)

 

[WhoaDirty]

And BTW, the uncalled roughing the passer penalty was ridiculous. Abe Vigoda must have been taking his "senior nap" during THAT atrocity.

There was a play earlier in the year, can't remember versus which team, in which Hightower pulled down the QB late out of bounds. I got eviscerated in the GDT for suggesting Hightower easily could have gotten a penalty for the hit even though he had latched on to the QB before he released the ball. This was the exact same situation, the Texans player was grabbing Brady as he released the ball and followed through with the tackle.

 

[Uptown]

 

[mihap]

I wasnt able to watch whole game, arrived at the end so thanks for the info about Clowney and Mercilus on Andrews and Thuney. Great plan by Texans and i bet pats were unprepared for this scheme. So interior oline will have to study few more players so they ll be prepared next time.
Brady was probably nervous because of that. Will see how will he and Oline respond against Kansas.

Defense was good. They did their job. I still dont want to be much hyped until they face offense like Falcons, or Packers, maybe Dallas, Kansas. But Falcons are real offensive juggernat so i would like to see them against them.

As for Logan Ryan. He is always great in coverage against some QBs like Osweiler and &, but not good against some QBs who improvise a lot, like Wilson or Rodgers. So if they get rodgers will see his value against him.

 

[Kdo5]

Very odd game. Only your NE Patriots can play a game with a 16 point spread against a team that has won 10 NFL games this season, then BEAT the spread despite turning the ball over FOUR times, and have everyone look and sound like they lost.

So now we have the narrative established for next week's meidot sh!t storm. " If the Pats hadn't played the 'tomato can" Texans they would have lost." " The only reason they won was they played a horrible QB". This team isn't good enough to beat one of the great QB's that remain in the playoffs". And my personal favorite, "they better hope they don't get Pittsburgh next week because "big ben" and his B's will eat them up.

I hate it, I hate it! I HATE IT. So before we break down the good and bad of this game, let me rewrite the narrative, or at least attempt to give an alternative one from the one you are going to hear for the next 8 days.

Why do you hate it? I personally don't feel like hearing everybody talk about how great we are, how our SB ticket is already punched and how our opponents are going to be a laugh.

I'd MUCH rather have the mediots underestimating us this week or at least overestimating Pitt or KC.

I felt that all the talk this past week was unnerving and sure enough the Texans defense came to play. They were hungry and fired up but we outlasted them.

Sorry I don't want to be giving these teams that "us against the world" motivation when they come to Foxboro.

 

[Vindicate]

Happy to see posts that aren't so doom and gloom.

Brady beat one of the top defenses completely out of his normal style. Bombs. Defense played like a Patriots playoff defense of old - getting crucial turnovers.

Lewis came through the way we've all been waiting, and then some, and then some, and then some...

I don't plan on seeing such a wild game next time around. But hell. Patriots are pretty good at using a "bad game" as influence for the next week.

Even with KC being a better team, I don't see their defense throwing off Brady as much as the Texans. You had an entire Texans coaching staff who had worked with Brady try and beat him. They all knew Brady's quirks, mannerisms and weaknesses. And they couldn't do it. In fact, they got beat by 18 points lol. Was not good for them.

Pretty confident here on out. They got this.

 

[archstanton543]

I DON'T CARE! I CAN'T STAND IT!

 

[NYCPatsFan]

As Ken or another poster mentioned, in addiion to the head coach and defensive coach, there are other coaches of the Texans who have been with Pats so long, and hence know the insides of our O system better than any other team.

So, not surprised that RC had teed up his D so well that gave Brady and our O issues. Kudos to them, and thanks for showing us the weakness that others might try to exploit.

I am glad to see the pissed off sound bites by all post-game and so more confident of a great showing next week.

GO PATS!!

 

[SammyBlueCat]

We shall overcome

 

[farn]

I really like Harmon. Not as "the greatest safety ever", but as a cheap, reliable player who usually contributes & produces. Maybe another team will overpay this offseason, but here is a guy I'd value going forward. If ever DM needs to miss games, I am confident Harmon could play a few weeks & keep things sane back there.

He isn't perfect, but he is excellent value. And he gets some key picks at key times. I like him.

 

[bormio]

I am from South Carolina and have watched Clowney for years. He is a generational talent (finished 3rd in the state 200 yard championships). Injuries had slowed him, but he is going to make a lot of OL look awful.

 

[Patriot Missile]

The thing i find funny about the vulnerability talk is mediots thinking some other team has the ability to replicate what Houston was able to do. Like some magic wand and suddenly Pittsburgh is going to turn their front 7 into defensive dynamo's.

Blue prints are funny words thrown out there a little too much for my liking. Either you have the horses or you don't. Houston had the horses but in the end were put back in the stable by the end of the game. I just dont see any teams left that are going to make Brady that uncomfortable, or a number 1 or 3 defense against the run that Houston was for that matter. Dion Lewis will be huge the rest of the way and Blount will get his too.

 

[archstanton543]

The Texans D is number one in yards allowed. Not number one overall. Stats are a funny thing because I can say the Pats have the number one defense in the league and still be correct because they're number one in points allowed.

 

[Vindicate]

The thing i find funny about the vulnerability talk is mediots thinking some other team has the ability to replicate what Houston was able to do. Like some magic wand and suddenly Pittsburgh is going to turn their front 7 into defensive dynamo's.

Blue prints are funny words thrown out there a little too much for my liking. Either you have the horses or you don't. Houston had the horses but in the end were put back in the stable by the end of the game. I just dont see any teams left that are going to make Brady that uncomfortable, or a number 1 or 3 defense against the run that Houston was for that matter. Dion Lewis will be huge the rest of the way and Blount will get his too.

Exactly. It's trivializing what was a result of a great scheme and superior talent executing that scheme. This game is too complicated to just adopt a blueprint. Lot of variables have to line up for that.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Heard that all week arch, number 1 defense and Houston. Yet not too much talk of the number 1 ppg by Pats. Best ppg total since 2013 Seahawks. Not very noteworthy i guess, they just focus on Brady and the offense and thats fine. Let them keep underestimating the defense.

 

[AzPatsFan]

As you wish:

Roughing the Passer By Quarterback - NFL Penalty Stats Tracker - List/Statistics/Data of NFL Penalties - 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

For a really telling story, sort by "Per 100 Attempts" ...

Eye opening on how Rothlesberger has so few Roughing penalties.