Official Post Game Thread- Pats beat the Ravens

[archstanton543]

I've been to DC once a while ago and had a fun conversation with a waiter who was a big Ravens fan. I can only imagine how he feels now losing to the former 3-5 Pats.

 

[Brewskies]

What weather! Good game for the Pats. Nice game Josh McDaniels, Bill Belichick and other coaches. All the Pats' players were terrific. I didn't think they could do it, weather affected both teams.

Go Pats

 

[Ross12]

Just expounding on the playoff picture here...

• They are 2 losses behind Vegas, Baltimore and Miami for Wild Card spots (4-5 vs 6-3) plus CLE and TEN but I’ll focus on the three currently in the slots
• They have beaten Vegas and Baltimore to secure tie breakers against each, so if they tie the records of either of them, they’ll pass them for a spot
• They have beaten Miami once already so beating them the second time both secures the tie breaker there and also moves them within 1 game
• Vegas and Miami both still have to play Kansas City once; Baltimore still has to play Pittstburgh once more
• Overall those 3 teams each have 3 remaining games against opponents currently over .500; New England has 4 more games against opponents currently over .500
• For the division, they are also two losses behind Buffalo but have lost to them so can’t grab a tie breaker for the division with a win against them later. However Buffalo still plays Pittsburgh, and Miami and Buffalo end the season against each other, so a win for one of them means a loss for the other and potentially pushes NE into a Wild Card spot...

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

Dugger played the dog/rover role on early downs, as many have hoped. Winovich spent some time playing off the line, dropping into coverage a few times, a pleasant surprise. Don't think he missed many snaps. Terez Hall is not big, but he is a decisive and ornery SOB. Linebacking has been an issue in many games, but tonight was encouraging.

 

[Chevrolet]

Grit doesn't win Super Bowls...for the most part.

Its a start though. They were not going to win this year. Next year they can bring some real talent in with their cap space. Talent and grit combined win SB's.

 

[lancerman]

Certainly not automatic but my point was they have a shot every week. I think your assertion that they’ll go 2-5 is unrealistic. I also (IMO) think the division is still in reach... only 2 games behind Buffalo and Miami and play each once still.

Anything can happen, I don’t think a 10-6 record is necessarily required for the postseason, especially when there are also three wild cards. They’re 2 games behind Vegas, Baltimore, and Miami for the 3 wild card spots and guess what? They own the tie breaker for all three.

I never asserted that they go 2-5. But there are 5 games that are not automatic wins and wouldn't be shocking losses.

No way the division is in reach.

Buffalo is 7-3. We aren't winning out. Buffalo needs to win 4 games to get to 11-5 and basically force us to win out to even have a shot tying them. Buffalo has games against the Chargers, 49'ers, Broncos to get to 10-6. So they need to pull one out against either us, Miami or Pittsburgh to get to 11-5 and pretty much clinch it.

As far as the post season. Right now we are 2 games behind Miami, Baltimore, Cleveland, Oakland, and Tennessee for the wildcard spots. Anything can happen, but we only play one of them. So really we are not in control of our own destiny. I would be shocked if any of the teams I mentioned can't go at least 9-7 to 10-6. So yeah I really think it's a prerequisite to guarantee a playoff spot

 

[lancerman]

Oh yeah we are in a pretty big hole. It’s require fairly epic turn around. Unlikely but not unheard of. At the very least it keeps our interest in the season going at least another week.

It gives a reason to watch. However this team is weird. If we could go even 9-7 just so Bill can tie Landry's record and then maybe upset one team in the playoffs and ruin their season I'd be happy. We aren't winning a gauntlet though.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Love it when an issue of fundamentals-- snapping the football, in this case-- makes all the difference!

 

[Brewskies]

Gotta love Damian Harris' smile and attitude. Great game.

 

[Ross12]

Read the replies to this...gold Jerry, gold!!!

Think I found Harbaugh’s burner in the replies

 

[DaBruinz]

Agreed. Uche, Wino and Dugger are exciting. Hall at LB is a bit better than expected. Still need help at DT and strong Dline that can pass rush.

They need guys who can properly set the edge against the run. That's not a strong suit for any of the DE/OLBs currently on the roster. This allows the offense to be in 3rd and Short more so than last year.

The other issue is that the D-line isn't able to tie up the O-line like it has in years past. Neither Butler nor Cowart are NTs. This inability to tie up the O-Line means that they more easily able to pick up the odd rusher, preventing pressure on the opposing QB.

 

[FCB02062]

Lets see if they can beat Houston before we go through playoff scenarios, shall we?

 

[DaBruinz]

Love it when an issue of fundamentals-- snapping the football, in this case-- makes all the difference!

Didn't Collinsworth say that Skura was playing with some sort of injury that interferred with snapping the ball properly?

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

10-6 is pretty much a necessity. We need a great run and fortunately we are picking up some momentum.

But for now I’ll try to enjoy it one game at a time and see what happens.

Just expounding on the playoff picture here...

• They are 2 losses behind Vegas, Baltimore and Miami for Wild Card spots (4-5 vs 6-3) plus CLE and TEN but I’ll focus on the three currently in the slots
• They have beaten Vegas and Baltimore to secure tie breakers against each, so if they tie the records of either of them, they’ll pass them for a spot
• They have beaten Miami once already so beating them the second time both secures the tie breaker there and also moves them within 1 game
• Vegas and Miami both still have to play Kansas City once; Baltimore still has to play Pittstburgh once more
• Overall those 3 teams each have 3 remaining games against opponents currently over .500; New England has 4 more games against opponents currently over .500
• For the division, they are also two losses behind Buffalo but have lost to them so can’t grab a tie breaker for the division with a win against them later. However Buffalo still plays Pittsburgh, and Miami and Buffalo end the season against each other, so a win for one of them means a loss for the other and potentially pushes NE into a Wild Card spot...

good thoughts but we can still get the tiebreaker on buffalo I believe. If we beat them and finish tied, our afce and/or afc record could be better than them .

A few important factors will be: We have to make sure we beat the jets, match their outcome vs miami and one of buffalo’s losses isnt sf.... if it is then the tiebreaker gets very tricky unless one of our losses is az or rams.

 

[bormio]

Lets see if they can beat Houston before we go through playoff scenarios, shall we?

There is not a game on their schedule they cannot win, there is also not a game on the schedule they cannot lose (except maybe the Jets).

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Didn't Collinsworth say that Skura was playing with some sort of injury that interferred with snapping the ball properly?

Yes, a cut on his hand

 

[Jackson 2]

Lets see if they can beat Houston before we go through playoff scenarios, shall we?

And then if they do, you'll say lets see if they can beat Arizona and then if they do you'll say lets see if they can beat....and on and on. The number of people on this supposedly "Pats fans" board who now root against them because Tompa Boy and Gronky got tired of playing for a meanie is hilarious.

 

[DaBruinz]

Okay Sony is fine. He is serviceable. But what is clear is that Damien is much better.

There you go again. You can't even admit that Sony's running last year was affected by the O-line. SMH.

We have no idea how Sony would be running behind THIS O-line with Onwenu at RT. Onwenu wasn't getting a lot of snaps the first two games. But he did that 3rd game.. And that's the one that had Onwenu at LG and Thuney at Center. And we saw what he did. But you pawn that off as an aberration and cling to last year as if it truly had any bearing in evaluating Sony.

Do you know what happens when you take out that 1 long Run of Sony's? He still has a YPC of 5. 25 carries for 125 yards.

 

[DaBruinz]

Yes, a cut on his hand

That's what I thought.

I wasn't paying too close attention, but didn't Andrews still have that cast on his hand/wrist?

 

[sb1]

10-6 is pretty much a necessity. We need a great run and fortunately we are picking up some momentum.

But for now I’ll try to enjoy it one game at a time and see what happens.

To have a chance with tiebreakers they need to win out against AFC teams IMO. They have LAC, Texans + AFCE remaining.