Oswlek
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2006
- Messages
- 9,086
- Reaction score
- 5,955
I am the eternal optimist when it comes to this team. Like all of you, I have seen NE look awful in an early season game only to gradually improve until they were the best team in football. That said, this game was a micorcosm of everything that is wrong with the team right now. Poor tackling allowing a long gain on a should have been 20 yarder? Check. Terrible pass offense? Check. No turnovers? Check. Lousy pass rush? Check. Awful 3rd down defense? Check. FG kicking problems? Check.
Here are my takes:
* NE was dominated on both lines. If Denver didn't suck on offense this year, this would have been a blowout.
* The officials were otherworldly bad. Shouldn't someone in the league be able to tell what pass interference is? On Sander's first play PI call, the receiver gave him a 2 handed shove hard enough to knock himself off balance, yet it was Sanders that was flagged. On Samuel's they were jockying for position, so no flag should have been thrown. The DE just tackled Faulk on the RB scrreen and no call was made, other than a offensive illegal contact on NE, of course. In addition to that, Light was flagged for holding on a nice pass to Brown that, if that was really a penalty, than Denver should have been flagged in 1/3 of their passing plays. And non-NE fans think the Pats get all the breaks.
* I don't know what is going on, but I was very surprised that NE didn't go to a hurry up offense sooner. I know that you need to be patient and it is typically a bad idea to abandon the run when you are only down 2 scores, but anyone could see that running from the normal set was giving up a down. Go to the shotgun and force the pace. Once Denver has to react, run out of that set with Draws and WR screens. I *know* that this would have worked. I know it. I also know that I don't know as much about football as these guys, so there must be something to it. I am totally baffled by this and don't want to just speculate, but there has to be a reason why they waited so long.
* I know about the WR issues, but I place this game on Brady's head. He was throwing off his back foot way too much. Plus, even when the game was essentially lost and forcing things was necessary, he was still lofting uncatchable balls out of bounds. Brady's body language was terrible and it reminds me of 2002.
* Both the kicking issues and lack of TO's have officially become worrisome.
* I disagreed with going for it at the end. Down 10 points, you need a FG and a TD. Take the FG and onside it.
* As poorly as NE played, a made Gost FG and this game is totally different. 3 points makes it a one possession game longer, plus I feel that Denver would not have scored the TD just before the half in those circustances; worse field position most likely and NE with momentum. Chalk on up on the "Games NE might hae won with Adam" list.
* I still have confidence in this team. They have too much talent to not win the East and they are most certainly going to improve. Denver just seems to have this team's number. Time will tell if the 3rd down issues, poor tackling and lack of TOs will improve, or prove to be NE's undoing.
Here are my takes:
* NE was dominated on both lines. If Denver didn't suck on offense this year, this would have been a blowout.
* The officials were otherworldly bad. Shouldn't someone in the league be able to tell what pass interference is? On Sander's first play PI call, the receiver gave him a 2 handed shove hard enough to knock himself off balance, yet it was Sanders that was flagged. On Samuel's they were jockying for position, so no flag should have been thrown. The DE just tackled Faulk on the RB scrreen and no call was made, other than a offensive illegal contact on NE, of course. In addition to that, Light was flagged for holding on a nice pass to Brown that, if that was really a penalty, than Denver should have been flagged in 1/3 of their passing plays. And non-NE fans think the Pats get all the breaks.
* I don't know what is going on, but I was very surprised that NE didn't go to a hurry up offense sooner. I know that you need to be patient and it is typically a bad idea to abandon the run when you are only down 2 scores, but anyone could see that running from the normal set was giving up a down. Go to the shotgun and force the pace. Once Denver has to react, run out of that set with Draws and WR screens. I *know* that this would have worked. I know it. I also know that I don't know as much about football as these guys, so there must be something to it. I am totally baffled by this and don't want to just speculate, but there has to be a reason why they waited so long.
* I know about the WR issues, but I place this game on Brady's head. He was throwing off his back foot way too much. Plus, even when the game was essentially lost and forcing things was necessary, he was still lofting uncatchable balls out of bounds. Brady's body language was terrible and it reminds me of 2002.
* Both the kicking issues and lack of TO's have officially become worrisome.
* I disagreed with going for it at the end. Down 10 points, you need a FG and a TD. Take the FG and onside it.
* As poorly as NE played, a made Gost FG and this game is totally different. 3 points makes it a one possession game longer, plus I feel that Denver would not have scored the TD just before the half in those circustances; worse field position most likely and NE with momentum. Chalk on up on the "Games NE might hae won with Adam" list.
* I still have confidence in this team. They have too much talent to not win the East and they are most certainly going to improve. Denver just seems to have this team's number. Time will tell if the 3rd down issues, poor tackling and lack of TOs will improve, or prove to be NE's undoing.
