Game Day Thread Official Post Game Thread- Bengals beat the Pats

[Ross12]

Ugh I don’t know where to begin…..but let’s just say he had Deshaun Watson and Deandre Hopkins for many years and was given a pretty decent team at inception too….and barely broke .500….. personally, I was also not overly overwhelmed with him at all offensive coordinator here during his time… We shall see… I think Kraft is going to go on a different direction after all of this…. But of B.o.B is the OC here next year… Obviously, I hope he succeeds.

He was the head coach from 2014 to 2020:

2014: 9-7, narrowly missed playoffs (they were 2-14 the previous season without him)
2015: 9-7, made the playoffs with Brian Hoyer at QB
2016: 9-7, made the playoffs with Brock Osweiler at QB
2017: 4-12, did not make the playoffs. This is the year Deshaun Watson was drafted; however, he tore his ACL prior to week 9
2018: 11-5, made the playoffs
2019: 10-6, made the playoffs
2020: 0-4, fired after 4 games (Hopkins was traded the offseason of 2020)

He only had Watson and Hopkins for 2 full seasons (2018 and 2019). Went 11-5 and 10-6 those years. He wasn't really given a good team at inception, they were 2-14 the year before he got there.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Probably unpopular opinion but I really believe this roster is close.

Bring in BOB next season, upgrade some obvious needs (punter, o-line), and try to bring in an elite WR.

I’m torn on Mac. I personally think he is mediocre but maybe a good OC, line, WR, and some discipline can turn him around.

Josh Allen didn’t break out until his third year. Burrow year 2. Brady didn’t have his elite breakout until 2007.

My biggest concern with Mac is how badly he misses which isn’t an easy fix. His throw to Thornton was solid but then he underthrew any other deep ball. He’s also off the mark on even short throws far too often.

Yea I talked myself into it, Mac is probably not going to breakout into an elite qb. I think his cap is a Tannehill level. Which is clearly serviceable. But he’s definitely not going to be a Brady.

The defense is one physical CB & LB away from being one of the best in the NFL. They are afraid to play man consistently vs. the top offenses & their lack of speed at LB is exposed in zone. Otherwise the pass rush is pretty good & it's their best run defense since 2016.

Going from patricia to an NFL caliber OC will be a big upgrade. Throw in $50 million in cap space & a top 15 draft pick & they shouldn't be far off IMO.

 

[Triumph]

Meyers is open for the 1st down top of screen.

The QB had room to slide to his left to avoid the sack.

 

[PatsFan2]

This proves everything that we've said this season.
1. MP is a terrified playcaller who waits until the season is literally on the line and we're down 22 pts to start doing what Mac likes and use the 2min spread offense (and to dig Bourne out of the doghouse).
2. Mac can't see the field, and takes too many stupid sacks (mostly because they threatened him with his job if he takes a risk and throws a INT)
3. This team is suddenly the most un-clutch we've seen since 1992 (before Bledsoe). They have turned into the Lions and Browns, that will find a way to screw up any chance to win a close game.
4. Every other team has rookies and nobody-WR's killing it. But we can't get our fastest WR in the NFL to find a way to get open.
5. The team has played the first half in a complete useless fog for 13 out of 15 games. That's on coaching.
6. BB has finally lost his edge. He's not able to scheme or motivate players to exceed the sum of their parts anymore. And his personnel decisions have been to the detriment of the team, not an advantage.

Which equates to a good Draft pick.

 

[jeremy2020]

Why do you want them throwing the ball on an early down from the 5 yard line?

It's not that they necessarily throw, but getting the other team to believe it's a possibility helps out a lot.

 

[jdlboot14]

Positives:
Mac finally gets over .500 in the TD/INT ratio! (our biggest excitement in the last 2 games - can he top 10TD's on the year)
Bourne flashes what he's capable of - but only in time to force a trade out of Foxboro as fast as he can because of MP's insanity
M.Jones is a great candidate to become a T.Brown type of player (the next legit slot weapon)
Uche may blossom after all, and stick around to become the homegrown DE we've been waiting for

 

[Triumph]

This photo is emblematic.

Why didnt the NE WR top of pic turn back for the catch?

Is that Kneal Thornton?

 

[DaBruinz]

So why was Bourne in the doghouse anyway? Probably would have been better if he played this season.

No one really knows. But for whatever reason, he was 4th behind Parker, Agholor, and Meyers for most of the season.

 

[FCB02062]

I have to say, if Belichick and Patricia weren't so effing conservative and risk averse perhaps they could actually score touchdowns in the first half.

 

[DaBruinz]

Allegedly, he was late for meetings in camp and didn't like the new offense being implemented.

Hadn't heard that. Do you have a citation or was it something the talking heads mentioned came from "sources"?

 

[archstanton543]

Hadn't heard that. Do you have a citation or was it something the talking heads mentioned came from "sources"?

It was a beat writer. Not sure which one.

 

[DaBruinz]

Another part of this team the desperately needs revamping that is not getting a lot of play: the kicker and the punter. Folk effectively cost us the game today and that punter may be the worst I’ve ever seen, and sadly Ryan Allen isn’t much better.

Folk didn't cost us the game. Since you weren't paying attention, McPhearson had issues with XPs as well.
Palardy is a fill in because our All-Pro Punter was hurt most of the season and finally succumbed to his injury.. Palardy isn't likely to be back.

 

[Triumph]

Why can’t he?

Kraft isn’t stopping him.

Kraft already said that he wants someone new at OC for Jones next season.

Ive already accepted the fact that Mac is back at QB for 2023. This is what NY Jet fans have been through for the last 50 years.

 

[DaBruinz]

Jones was the best rookie QB last season, and it wasn't particularly close. All this change and chaos has happened and, as many predicted, it's caused Jones to flounder. Yet apparently, according to you, that's a Jones problem...

MANY people have said that JONES is as much of an issue as the Offensive Coaches.

How many times has Jones not recognized blitzes at the LOS? How many times has Jones completely missed open receivers because he stopped his progressions? How many times has Jones LOCKED onto a receiver, telegraphing where he's going with the ball?
Go ahead and explain how those issues are on the coaches?

 

[Kasmir]

It seems like a problem that they're so afraid of mac throwing they keep running until a RB coughs it up.

1st and goal on the 5 with 1:48 (or so) to go with a TD winning the game you *have* to run it if only to work the clock.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Blow it up

 

[DaBruinz]

This proves everything that we've said this season.

4. Every other team has rookies and nobody-WR's killing it. But we can't get our fastest WR in the NFL to find a way to get open.

The Patriots have completely misused Thornton this year. It's actually pretty sad. Thornton's issues are mostly the routes he's being asked to run. There is no set-up. Go back and watch how he was used at Baylor. They didn't just start off throwing the long bombs. They used short and intermediate routes to lull the defense and then broke out the longer plays. Furthermore, Thornton does his best when he's asked to make a cut, like on an intermediate slant or double move. The deeper slant routes are non-existent. I've yet to see him be given a route that incorporates a double move in it.

 

[Patsfan177a]

Totally agree . He seems so shot from an arm strength standpoint. And this is in his initial years . As he gets older won't the arm become even more weaker ....

Time to move on from Mac . He just seems to be a poor man's version of Andy Dalton.

Radar gun says you are wrong. Mac throws 57 mph which is in the upper 25% of nfl QBs. Have a look here; Quarterback Ball Velocity at NFL Combine 2008-2020

 

[DaBruinz]

1st and goal on the 5 with 1:48 (or so) to go with a TD winning the game you *have* to run it if only to work the clock.

While I agree, you don't have to run it straight up the middle or right at the teeth of the defense. Stevenson has the ability and speed to go outside with the ball. So do Harris and Strong. A better play call there would have been to put Marcus Jones and Stevenson in the backfield and flip it wide to Jones with Stevenson faking to take it on a dive.

I put part of this on Mac. When he looks up and sees that the defense has 7 guys on the short side of the field, he should be making the call to change it to an outside run to the opposite side. You have your O-line drive block either straight forward or towards the short side, making it harder for those guys to come across the field to get to the RB.

 

[Jim Beankie]

Yeah that is correct. Not likely though.

However, let's say Miami does lose tomorrow. I can see a situation where NE beats Miami next week, Buffalo beats Cincinnati next week and KC loses to Denver (Denver was playing well against them last time and nearly won). If that happened, Buffalo could rest their starters in the final game and still keep the #1 seed, allowing an NE win. Stranger things have happened!

But again. Definitely not likely.

Correction: Assuming Chargers take care of business (Rams, Colts, Broncs), Raiders would have to lose a game out of their last 3.