Post Game Thread - Pats @ Steelers

[Ras-IR Dowling]

That is a riot. Pats finished 3-5 on the road and the only good team they beat was the bears.

Don’t see the humor. The afc is wide open this year.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Prime Tom could probably carry this offense. 41 year old Tom can not

Yeah, that's probably true. Brady is still good and still outperforming his cap number, but it's pretty clear he's no longer in his prime. He's a top 5-7 QB instead of the best QB in the league, and that makes a big difference when you're asking your QB to carry a team that, apart from him, just isn't very good. He probably can't singlehandedly pull 3-4 wins off anymore.

In past years, my response to the question about Brady's window was "let's see some actual slippage in his play before we start talking about replacing him". Well, 2018 = slippage in his play. Still a damn good QB, can still win a Super Bowl with him, but he no longer relieves the FO of the responsibility to put a capable team around him. At this rate, the Pats really should be intent on drafting his successor this offseason, or next at the absolute latest.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Yup, they were. When Michel started ripping some big runs on the 1st half drive that ended on the Brown holding call I was thinking the runs working, we gotta come back to it next drive and use play action off it. We didn’t come back to it until the 4th qtr. No idea why.

Josh likes his passing game.

 

[luuked]

Coaches have a big responsibility in this loss. We don’t have the receivers to stretch the field this year so it leaves a safety to double Gronk. Last year Cooks took that safety with him down the field and opened things up underneath.

But you are aware that Gronk has been doubled for 7+ years by now. This was happening long before Cooks even played a single snap of football in a college. Trying to blame this on Cooks being let go is a pretty transparent stretch to blame teambuilding instead of maybe acknowledging that so far Gronk simply not been the player he was in previous years.

The real question instead of pining for Cooks who never quite fit into this offense is wondering why Gordon is not used a lot more.

The O this year has worked best when we run the ball and set up play action. Sony Michel avg 4.5 yds but only had 13 carries. Burkhead avg 6 yds but only 4 carries. That’s on Bill and Josh. Should have been runs to bring the safeties up and then get more 1 on 1 coverage for Brady to take advantage of. Instead we went pass happy, let them bring their rush, and have Gronk and others face double coverage.

Cant run the ball consistently if you regularly get a presnap penalty and start out behind on first down. So lets not pretend that we went pass happy or something just for the kicks of it. When we finally were able to put together a drive it was on the back of a well working running game.

 

[EddardSnow67]

This is the NFL... You could put the worst team in the league in the playoffs and they could conceivably win the whole thing.

 

[fightingirish595]

I think James white makes the offense much better and they barely used him until the last drive.

 

[Mack Herron]

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

I think James white makes the offense much better and they barely used him until the last drive.

If they want to split carries with Michel and burk fine but white and Gordon need to be getting more touches.

 

[woolster22]

crucial 3rd down drop from jules and gordon and **** passes by TB.

This was the worst officiated game all season

You must have missed the Pittsburg game last week. But yes, this is the worst officiated Pat's game I can remember, worse than buffalo last year when gronk snapped.

 

[luuked]

If you think putting up 33 points, 358 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 picks is average then you're a ****ing idiot, plain and simple.

6 points in an entire half but keep trying. Followed by 10 points in an entire game today. Also that brainfart at the end of the second half last week was pretty much a turnover but stay misleading by mentioning 0 INTs. Oh, and if you bring up Ghost lets not forget how he overshot a wide open Hogan for an easy TD just a play before ****ting himself on the play that made the time expire.

You sound so much like Colts fans who were defending Manning back in the day it is pretty funny.

 

[BradyFTW!]

If they want to split carries with Michel and burk fine but white and Gordon need to be getting more touches.

The issue with White is you can basically just put your dime defense on the field anytime he subs in. He's not a credible threat to run the ball. That's fine when the passing game is working so well that you can show pass and beat them anyway, but when you're trying to use the run to set up the pass it's not going to get it done.

 

[FCB02062]

Which qb are we facing? Jackson?

Jackson...and instead of Ray rice going for an 80 yard td on first play it'll be Lamar Jackson

 

[Silver Blue&Red]

Get rid of Brady? LOL.

I know we are disappointed, but...

The team as a whole, is just not up to the task this season. It will be a tough road ahead.

TB is working with what he has. Nobody is exempt from blame.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

Agree but seasoned, battle tested road warriors don't commit 14 f-ing penalties.

Unacceptable

Oh c'mon! I saw this coming a mile away. NFL was going to pull the Steelers' chestnuts out of the fire with ticky tack calls. I gave us 0.0 chance of winning today and bet accordingly.
We have as good a chance as anyone in the AFC of making the SB.

 

[Big Bucks]

I very rarely come on here during the season but blimey were the stripes intent on making sure we never won, never seen so many yellow flags.

 

[Joey007]

I miss big ole Alan Branch.

He wasn’t great, but I see how important having competence at that position is now.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

How do the Patriots miss the playoffs?

Lose out, have MIA win out (that will give MIA the division), and have any one of the whatever-and-6 teams make it to 10 wins.

 

[bigballas]

Why target Gordon past the first down mark when you can draw up a designed 3rd and 6+ play where another player is expected to catch the ball around the line of scrimmage and make guys miss to get to the sticks?

this (the play above) is the new variation of the good ole 3rd and 10+ shotgun draw play up the middle.

 

[ashley]

Ok then you have strange expectations.

Maybe I do. Lets leave it at that please.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

I miss big ole Alan Branch.

He wasn’t great, but I see how important having competence at that position is now.

Our run defense began to fall when he declined. Still haven’t recovered. I honestly think we need 2 DTs next offseason.