Like it or not: This is the D we are taking into the playoffs

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Missed the game today, was Sopoaga in there? Thought he was brought in for running downs...

 

[Brady6]

Are these positional rankings corroborated by anyone else? I'd be interested to see your rankings for the non-injured Patriots like Chandler Jones and Devin McCourty. Both top 5 right?

I got these rankings off patshomer.com

 

[Sticky Caulk]

Missed the game today, was Sopoaga in there? Thought he was brought in for running downs...

He doesn't seem to get used a lot, even in obvious run downs. Jones/Vellano still get the bulk of the work. If anyone has stats on how many plays these guys played, that'd be great.

Siliga got used a bit too. He didn't look any better than Jones/Vellano against the run.

 

[SVN]

One weird thing is that our secondary is better than the yrs past-today's play not withstanding. So if the offense can start fast forcing teams to throw early , we can protect our run D a bit.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

He doesn't seem to get used a lot, even in obvious run downs. Jones/Vellano still get the bulk of the work. If anyone has stats on how many plays these guys played, that'd be great.

Siliga got used a bit too. He didn't look any better than Jones/Vellano against the run.

Thanks, strange to hear Siliga is in there over him

 

[MassPats38]

Did anyone else sit there during the Chiefs/Broncos game and wonder how the heck we beat Manning & Co.? Then I remembered the great equalizer - sustained 25 MPH winds into the face of Manning for most of the game...

Wow, PatsDeb. I thought you were an optimist.

Everybody trumpeted the greatness of the Chiefs D, and the talented front 7. They enjoyed a perfect storm of lousy teams and/or teams in disarray. Where are the sacks they racked up against the powderpuffs? The last sack was 10/27, 1, against the Browns. There is talent on the Chiefs, but not enough of it. I predict 9-0 to 11-5, at best case, and a first round exit. The real world is upon a decent but not great team. The great D is now 15th in passing and 20th in rushing. The Chiefs were a fraud, and had no chance of beating the Donkeys. The fact this was even a game today speaks to the Broncos failings, not to the Chiefs competence.

As for the Pats, Manning had the wind at his back for half of the game. He was not overthrowing the ball. The passing D did its job against the Broncos. The 'horrid' Pats defense is 6th in the NFL in sacks and QBR. Bad run defense - who cares? 10th in points allowed and 5th in points scored. The Pats have repeatedly weathered storms and come back to win, which after the 2nd half bleeding of leads ending in losses in 2009 is an awesome thing to watch.

Every good team in the NFL has suffered damage, and none are heading to the playoffs in original condition. I like this team's chances, against any team in the NFL.

 

[hwc]

The offense isn't doing the defense any favors opening every game with three and outs and a turn overs.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

He doesn't seem to get used a lot, even in obvious run downs. Jones/Vellano still get the bulk of the work. If anyone has stats on how many plays these guys played, that'd be great.

Siliga got used a bit too. He didn't look any better than Jones/Vellano against the run.

Either BB doesn't like what he is seeing from Sopoaga lately, Sopoaga has an undisclosed unreported injury, or BB is making a conscious decision to play his least stout run D.

A NESN article spelled out the Patriots starting Run package in the Panthers game: Jones, Sopoaga, Vellano -- Jones, Spikes, Hightower, Ninko. That package was hard to run against. BB, for whatever reason, used the brand new kid Siliga (SP?) instead of Sopoaga in that same/similar package today. The kid is new so I'm not down on him but the DL overall was not up to what this package did against the Panthers (or needs to be in general).

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Missed the game today, was Sopoaga in there? Thought he was brought in for running downs...

he played..but not a lot

 

[PatsDeb]

I am an optimist for sure, but watching the Pats vs. Texans, followed closely by Chiefs vs. Broncos made me wonder how the heck we pulled that off last week. We shut Decker down & he scored 4 (!!) tds against the Chiefs. That doesn't mean I don't think the Pats won't run the table. You are also right that it appears the Chiefs hadn't played anyone until the last few weeks. Lastly I hope this was a trap or let-down game for u's & that the team will learn you can't coast against anyone in the NFL...

 

[doesntmatter1]

I am an optimist for sure, but watching the Pats vs. Texans, followed closely by Chiefs vs. Broncos made me wonder how the heck we pulled that off last week. We shut Decker down & he scored 4 (!!) tds against the Chiefs. That doesn't mean I don't think the Pats won't run the table. You are also right that it appears the Chiefs hadn't played anyone until the last few weeks. Lastly I hope this was a trap or let-down game for u's & that the team will learn you can't coast against anyone in the NFL...

Our secondary is pretty good this year and we have had success against Peyton many times throughout the years. First of all we are not dumb like the Chiefs. How many times did Decker have to roast Cooper before they make a change. Guess what, Cooper was still covering Decker by the end of the game. That is beyond stubborn. Also, how many balls were dropped by the Chiefs? The Chiefs offense choked all day. From the redzone int on the first drive to the countless drops.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

How the hell are we gonna stop the Browns and Gordon next week???

How will we stop Cleveland? CLEVELAND?????? O! M! G! You have officially taken chicken little farther and higher than anyone has ever taken it before. You are to PatsFan CL posting what Chuck Yeager is to the airplane. Ian should give you a T Shirt or mug or a plaque for that one....

(sorry PATRlOT - I just had to have some fun with this post of yours. And if I missed your intended sarcasm, ummm, nevermind )

 

[PATS16N0]

Are we getting Kelly back before the post season? Its just Wilfork and Mayo that are out for the year right?

 

[MassPats38]

I am an optimist for sure, but watching the Pats vs. Texans, followed closely by Chiefs vs. Broncos made me wonder how the heck we pulled that off last week. We shut Decker down & he scored 4 (!!) tds against the Chiefs. That doesn't mean I don't think the Pats won't run the table. You are also right that it appears the Chiefs hadn't played anyone until the last few weeks. Lastly I hope this was a trap or let-down game for u's & that the team will learn you can't coast against anyone in the NFL...

With rookies, trap games are always a possibility. I also think this was the biggest game of the Texans' season given how bad things have gone for them. 1 game to redeem a truly horrible season and show in a home game they are better than their record. The Pats beat them to end their title dreams last year and started this nightmare, so if they could beat the Pats maybe that would be some consolation.

If we scratch our heads here to deliberate the weaknesses of the Pats on a 9-3 season, try applying that exercise to what happened in Houston. That team really does have high grade talent (not the QBs), and that record is horrible. Injuries? Sure. Enough injuries to go from a 10-1 to a 2-9 team? Not even close.

 

[JMC00]

The starting field position the Texans had kind of skewed it, imo. Only had to drive 52 and 55 yards on 2 of their TDs. Yea I know that regardless they should make stops.

Also it wasn't the D's fault Brady threw a floater and it got returned to the NE 31. But luckily the D stepped up and held them to 3 points on that one.

Yea those 2 long drive TDs don't look good but on one of them I gotta think if Dennard is out there he doesn't do what Arrington did to give up that long pass play.

Although when they needed those 2 stops at the end the D got them. If that was the 2011 defense forget about it Texans would have marched down the field.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Did anyone else sit there during the Chiefs/Broncos game and wonder how the heck we beat Manning & Co.? Then I remembered the great equalizer - sustained 25 MPH winds into the face of Manning for most of the game...

Denver's offensive output for the month prior to the Patriots game:
KC- 27 points
SD- 28 Points
Wash - 45 Points (the Skins gave up 30+ two weeks before, 40+ the week before, 30+ the two weeks after)
Indianapolis - 33 (PM stats: 59% completion rate, 7.6 YPA, 1 Int. Good stats but not unstoppably fearsome).

This post has reference to the last 6 games of offensive output by Denver. Do those numbers suggest the Denver offense is so fearsome that only weather/some random act by the football gods can stop them?? I guess I just don't see what you and some others are seeing. Without a doubt Denver is a VERY good offense (as PM's offenses almost always are) but those previous 6 games of scoring stats don't make me think they should have light the Patriots up like a Christmas tree except their was a wind.

If the wind was so disruptive as to not allow Denver an effective passing game, how come Denver scored that last TD based on effective passing? Especially going the more difficult task of going into the wind, why all of a sudden was the wind not stopping a determined Manning as it had otherwise done all game?? On that drive I think Manning went 5 for 7 including the TD pass (I believe those numbers are right or close to right). Given that, I think there are some who might argue that the wind, while certainly a factor, is not this all encompassing factor that saved the Patriots from the doom of Manning. Also that one Sunday's worth of games that sees the Patriots Pass D struggle 2/3rds of a game while Denver's Pass O look REALLY good for 2+ quarters (2nd and 3rd) is not proof of much regarding what happened on a different Sunday's worth of games.

 

[stcjones]

Like it or not, this D will take us out of the playoffs.

Now this sounds more accurate and realistic....

 

[RayClay]

Are we getting Kelly back before the post season? Its just Wilfork and Mayo that are out for the year right?

Kelly's on IR

 

[GaryfromTO]

With the injuries we have.

It is what it is.

 

[DocHoliday]

You know I'm very curious about what it must be like to Chris Jones and Joe Vellano.

Imagine getting absolutely dominated over and over and over again for an entire game. That must really, really suck.