Content Post Idle thoughts; "We have met the enemy and he is us"

[TheRainMaker]

The hit on Harry was an OPI, he definitely got there before the ball.

You mean DPI.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

The penalties on us were killers:

2nd qtr, 2nd & 1 on the 13: motion on Smith, which led to the pick two plays later, so it cost us either 3 or 7 points. Instead of being down 17 at the half, it should have been 13 or 10 (or 3 if we don't also give up the blocked punt)

3rd qtr: offside on King during Indy's missed FG (definitely cost us 3 points)

4th qtr, 9 min left, 3rd down on their 1+ yard line: motion on Onwenu, forcing us to take a FG to make it 20-10 instead of 20-14. With 2 tries from the 1, we were gonna get a TD there. It was the key play of the 4th qtr.

Those penalties cost us 10-14 points, and the blocked punt 7 more. And Meyers' drop set up the blocked punt, another self inflicted wound.

 

[masterbouncer]

MAC - 1st RZ INT was a quintessential rookie mistake, just didn't see Leonard. If we even got a FG there, the game would have been different.
The 2nd INT was just too late of a throw. The timing was off on a handful of passes, maybe rust, maybe poor practice affects?
Same timing issue on the flea flicker. Which Bolden did a great job of selling (although accidentally, and was close to disaster) But Mac rushed the throw unnecessarily. That would have been a massive play - likely a Harry TD if Mac saw him.

it was necessarily, because a defender came unblocked from the right side and half a second later would probably killed Mac, Mac is a rookie but this Oline does not really help either, Wynn looked lost out there yesterday. On one play the pass rusher blew by him and Wynn was so confused that he turned around and made a TFL on Stevenson who run into him because Wynn was not supposed to stay in his way rather block for him in front...

At times when the pass rush is good (or the O-Line just gets pushed around like High school players) he feels the pressure and does not have the time (or thinks he does not have the time) to go through his progression fully there like where Harry was wide open. Mac is sometimes rushed into dumping the ball off because he rightfully does not trust the o-line mainly on the blind side with Wynn who looks like a 3rd stringer at times.

Mac will get better, but he has to get a better O-Line play specifically on the blind side and Mac has to learn to step up in the pocket and do not drop to deep in the pocket, but I think that has also to do with the interior O-Line being pushed back often with a bull rush. Andrews was not an UDFA for no reason.

 

[Foxypats]

Nope. Brady would have done it. Oh well. Life with a rookie QB....

If Mac wants that OROY award he better be a lot better than he was last night the rest of the way.

OMG, when will the Brady comparison's stop ! The fact is that Mac was not given a chance to complete the comeback because of the D. Once the team was within 3, what does the D do ? They allow that frigging TD by Taylor instead of getting the ball back for the O. Even Brady would not have completed the comeback if he had less than a minute and down 10. If Mac had gotten the ball back down 3 with a minute left, he very well could have ties it and sent it to OT,
This game had many miscues but to say that the comeback fell short because Mac couldn't do it is very short sighted, there were many reasons it did not happen.

 

[Marko]

Good post ken.

The interceptions sucked, but Mac Jones did plenty of good things tonight. Still got tons of faith in that dude. Hated the pick, hope he continues to prove me wrong.

Just awful turnovers and penalties tonight reminiscent of the first 6 weeks.

I don’t have an official stat but teams that get punts blocked for TDs just don’t end up winning games

What annoys me, is the stupid question “can Mac lead the team on a comeback” when no one considers his weapons. How do you think he would do with Kelce and Hill with no one within 10 yards of them.

 

[Marko]

I think it is unfair to say Jones played like Zach Wilson for three quarters. He didn't have a good game, but he wasn't awful. I think he completed 8 of 11 passes in the first half. Yes, one of the incompletions was arguably his worst INT of the year, but he was still efficient with his passes. One of the incompletions was a perfect pass to Meyers on the sidelines in a tight window that Meyers dropped. A pass that would have been a big gain and would have stopped the Pats having their punt blocked for a TD on the next play.

Right he hit Myers in the hands for about 30 yards. I actually thought he was one of the few people on the team that was fighting in the first quarter. There was always free rushers

 

[mgteich]

• This game came down to three plays.
  • Blocked punt
  • Red Zone Pick
  • Offsides on the FG miss that became a make because of the penalty.
• That's a minimum of 13 self-inflicted points. If we played Indy again in the playoffs I would be just as confident as I was going into this game especially because it would be at Gillette........

agreed

 

[Hyped]

Comments:

- Best "Idle Thoughts" thread title evah. You didn't even need to write the rest of your post @patfanken , the title summed it all up.

- Thanks for the history lesson as well!

- As to Judon, I watch him a lot...he was on the right side of the line most of the night. The Colts ran up the middle and to the left most of the night...as they should be running behind Nelson every chance they get. Between Nelson and Ragnow in Detroit...those are two of the best young OL-men in the league right now...if you ask me. Back to Judon, he was also sent to defend the flat before rushing Wentz on delayed blitzes when Wentz tried to bootleg it. He isn't hitting a wall...he will be fine and we absolutely need him next week to keep Allen to one side of the field.

- All in all, pretty much everything that could go wrong in the first half..went wrong. The red zone pick at the end of the first half was a real killer....a figgie there makes all the difference.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

What annoys me, is the stupid question “can Mac lead the team on a comeback” when no one considers his weapons. How do you think he would do with Kelce and Hill with no one within 10 yards of them.

On Mac's two int's, the sideline one was a great catch by the LB, it should've just been a pass-defended. The RZ one was recognition but does anyone recall Von Miller doing the exact same thing to Brady in a playoff game in Denver (for a pick-6 no less).

As far as the moment being too big or too discouraging, I don't think Mac has that gene.

 

[Marko]

On Mac's two int's, the sideline one was a great catch by the LB, it should've just been a pass-defended. The RZ one was recognition but does anyone recall Von Miller doing the exact same thing to Brady in a playoff game in Denver (for a pick-6 no less).

As far as the moment being too big or too discouraging, I don't think Mac has that gene.

Correct. also Bolden ran a poor route as he allowed himself to be undercut. So if you combine a poor route with a late throw, and an amazing catch, no real surprise

 

[Thelonious]

I agree except re Collins. He makes a standout play from time to time, but he does not always bother to flll his assignment (hence the peripatetic career). A couple of times early on, he didn't even try to be in a position to meet his outside responsibilities..

 

[ralmat55]

Coaches have 2 unblocked defenders on Taylor and this play should be sealed. But HT overruns the hole and picks off the safety. Game over.

View attachment 39031

Coaching had two defenders who at best are in position to stop it for a 5-6 yard gain at a time when they desperately need to get the ball back on downs to have a chance to tie or win the game. The play was a loser for the Pats even before Taylor cut it back and went the distance.

The Pats gave up 17 points (not counting the FG after the 2nd Jones’ INT as well as the blocked punt) to a team who’s QB completed 5 passes for 57 yards. You all made fun of the Bills giving up 14 to a team that threw 3 passes 2 weeks before. Defending the run is as much a problem for the Pats than it is for the Bills against a team that can and WILL run the ball.

Let’s stop pretending the run defense isn’t a problem. Let’s stop using aggregate YPC figures when it’s been preached to us for 20 years that football is a game of situations. When the situation calls for stopping an offense from gaining on the ground 10 yards on 3 or 4 downs this Patriots defense can’t do it. Couldn’t do it against the Dolphins week 1, against the Saints week 3 or last night against the Colts.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

He overran the play. It happens. The fact obpthat the hole was enormous is more the problem. The problem was by selling out, one miss and it’s a TD. If they weren’t selling out there would be a second level to prevent him taking it to the house.

Problem was they couldn't afford a first down i believe

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

I've long thought in the Belichick era that the only team that can beat us is ourselves. (With last year being an obvious exception, CAM) I don't think there's a team out there that if we play up to our potential in all three phases can beat us.

The problem is unfortunately sometimes the team comes out and lays an egg.

 

[Ring 6]

Problem was they couldn't afford a first down i believe

Right, so they sold out for a stop at the lint and had no second level if he popped through.
Football is all about risk/reward.

 

[Ring 6]

I've long thought in the Belichick era that the only team that can beat us is ourselves. (With last year being an obvious exception, CAM) I don't think there's a team out there that if we play up to our potential in all three phases can beat us.

The problem is unfortunately sometimes the team comes out and lays an egg.

I think that is severely diminishing other teams. We do not have the best players and team year in and year out and just gave to show up to beat anyone. We’ve won many games because other teams beat themselves.

 

[catent]

Nope. Brady would have done it. Oh well. Life with a rookie QB....

If Mac wants that OROY award he better be a lot better than he was last night the rest of the way.

Can't see how you can say Brady would have done it (mean, complete the comeback), when Taylor ripped off the long TD run.

Brady might not have thrown 2 INTs in the 1st half and dug them a hole, but Mac did about everything he could in the late-3rd quarter and 4th quarter to lead them back. What more would you like to have seen?

 

[DarrylS]

Oh, I disagree. The penalties absolutely effected the outcome of the game as did the Duggar ejection (could have used him on that long run that sealed the game).

You are right, no excuses offered but that was done after about 4 hours of sleep, not sure of what I was thinking.

In retrospect this team fell down on all three aspects of the game.. BB took the blame for being "outcoached". Then there are execution issues, penalties and game planning all of which were not up to the standard we are used to after the previous 7 games...

Maybe this was their annual "brain fart" game and now they got it out of their system, it will be smooth sailing???

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Can't see how you can say Brady would have done it (mean, complete the comeback), when Taylor ripped off the long TD run.

Brady might not have thrown 2 INTs in the 1st half and dug them a hole, but Mac did about everything he could in the late-3rd quarter and 4th quarter to lead them back. What more would you like to have seen?

I loved Mac in the game. It is a completely different game if the flea flicker pass goes to Harry (who was wide open) for a TD.

 

[Wax Frog]

I've long thought in the Belichick era that the only team that can beat us is ourselves. (With last year being an obvious exception, CAM) I don't think there's a team out there that if we play up to our potential in all three phases can beat us.

The problem is unfortunately sometimes the team comes out and lays an egg.

Yep. My own way of putting it is that the team that wins is the one that minimizes its own mistakes and best exploits the opponents'. It's been a hallmark of BB's championship squads, but this time the Pats went 0-2 in that regard and thus doomed themselves.