Rewatch SB: Pats vs. Eagles - X's and O's ONLY!

[PatsFanInVa]

Because the more you or anyone look at the game, directly, the more you'll understand that we got beat by a good team that played its best game of the year, with Pederson calling his best game ever, and a QB that frankly played lights out.

Philly had an outstanding game plan that was executed very well.

So ultimately, we shouldn't feel that bad about the loss.

As I've heard "how it happened," I've become more impressed with Philly and Foles. He saw the old jedi bastard running the pass play to Brady, of all people, and he made the call to run "Philly Special" at the goal line. Big fat one-finger salute way to score.

You have to appreciate that. I also appreciate the Iggles saying "get used to it" or something like it after the game. True believers.

Not last year's birds, I could feel it going in. They were a 60-minute team, which everybody says but usually nobody else does. By then fatigue makes cowards of us all, as Lombardi said, paraphrasing the Bard, unless a team is, er, special.

Would be a kick in the pants if Wentz turns into a "wins in the regular season, can't win the big ones" guy.

 

[Tunescribe]

And theirs for us. I didn’t get a similar feeling about either Giants team. I hated those bastards.

You're not giving Brady enough credit. And before you say "But Foles ... ," yes, I think Foles played well (mostly by not shooting himself in the foot) while being the greater beneficiary of defensive generosity.

 

[luuked]

I don't get all this retrospective fawning over the Eagles. That they would be a difficult challenge should've been assumed, but they were no juggernaut. The Pats' shockingly inept defense made it easy for them.

While I agree that the D was bad I think you are underselling how much of an awful matchup the Eagles were and how expertly they abused their advantage on almost every drive.

Losing still sucks but in the end I can come to terms with it easier against a competent team that just out executed us than to miracle receptions and flukey **** like that.

 

[PP2]

Again, it's pretty obvious you didn't read anything in this thread at all, and I'm guessing it's because this stuff just goes right over your head.

There's a reason why our defense was made to look as bad as it did: Philly knew exactly what our weaknesses on defense were and attacked them right off the bat. They knew where the cracks were, and went right after the mismatches, and from that point on, it didn't take much for the D to go into a free fall. That's the turd you ended up seeing.

.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

You're not giving Brady enough credit. And before you say "But Foles ... ," yes, I think Foles played well (mostly by not shooting himself in the foot) while being the greater beneficiary of defensive generosity.

Well, I've only watched it twice now. I am sure that you could substantiate this opinion with a play-by-play argument/breakdown. However, to check our own biases, let's imagine that we are Philly fans if the same game ends differently - let's say starting at the strip-sack with what, 2:20 something left? Something like that.

Would he feel that Philly's defense had suffered the bigger let-down - a crack unit, remember, by all accounts... not the schizophrenic unit of the Patriots?

You and I know that the Pats progressively built a great scoring defense as the season progressed. However, it's just as reasonable to suggest that the Pats never looked "locked in" as a dominant D. I don't even want to drag in the Butler factor, that's already got 200+ posts of its own.

Yes, Brady had more to overcome and came close to doing it. Fair enough. But Foles had a legitimately great game. Ultimately, it was two moveable objects meeting two irresistible forces... Except for some inflection points of momentary competence at the right time. That strip sack was one of them.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Like I said, this thread is for X's and O's discussions. If you have nothing to contribute, at least stop cluttering it up.

Hey PP, I know this wasn’t directed at me, but the thread title says “aka group therapy,” not Xs and Os. Didn’t look at the clutter you meant, just wanted to note that it least started with a slightly broader mission.

 

[luuked]

Hey PP, I know this wasn’t directed at me, but the thread title says “aka group therapy,” not Xs and Os. Didn’t look at the clutter you meant, just wanted to note that it least started with a slightly broader mission.

It says rewatch thread, standard rules apply. The first post also asks people to stay on topic.

 

[PP2]

Hey PP, I know this wasn’t directed at me, but the thread title says “aka group therapy,” not Xs and Os. Didn’t look at the clutter you meant, just wanted to note that it least started with a slightly broader mission.

Well, the rewatch threads have more or less been just about the X's and O's, and the first post always has some sort of disclaimer in it.

That being said, I love the idea of a "re-watch" thread after every game, and look forward to seeing it again this fall, as well as participating.

 

[luuked]

That being said, I love the idea of a "re-watch" thread after every game, and look forward to seeing it again this fall, as well as participating.

Thats the plan.

Listen to the rewatch crowd this year has been among the most fun and certainly insightful this season on the board.

 

[HailHydra]

Their contract situation is pretty damn good for next year. Their only free agents are guys like Sproles (already replaced by Clement), Bradham (average), Blount (replaceable), and Robinson. Teams might catch up with the RPO heavy offense but with Wentz as a true dual threat who may take another leap next year, it's going to be tough.

Robinson was their best CB

 

[captain stone]

Robinson was their best CB

A bit of damning with faint praise there, and that's what makes Bill's & Skippy's decisions to run those two gadget plays on 3rd down so feckin infuriating. There was simply no reason for them to have to do so.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

2 weeks later still livid over:
- Elandon Roberts playing at all on defense
- Jordan Richard playing at all in defense
- Malcolm Butler not playing at all on defense
- Rowe being forced to play outside not slot
- Chung being forced to play slot not SS
- McCourty being forced to play CB not FS

 

[captain stone]

2 weeks later still livid over:
- Elandon Roberts playing at all on defense
- Jordan Richard playing at all in defense
- Malcolm Butler not playing at all on defense
- Rowe being forced to play outside not slot
- Chung being forced to play slot not SS
- McCourty being forced to play CB not FS

- Dion Lewis not being on the field AT ALL during their failed 3rd downs in the
1st half

- Jonny Badmostly failing to tackle Nelson Agholor on 3rd/6 in the 3rd quarter

 

[libra957]

For the pats to win, Brady needed to throw for 600 yards and 4 tds, it's so stupid.

 

[The Brandon Five]

Again, it's pretty obvious you didn't read anything in this thread at all, and I'm guessing it's because this stuff just goes right over your head.

There's a reason why our defense was made to look as bad as it did: Philly knew exactly what our weaknesses on defense were and attacked them right off the bat. They knew where the cracks were, and went right after the mismatches, and from that point on, it didn't take much for the D to go into a free fall. That's the turd you ended up seeing.

.

One could argue that the Pats served a few of those mismatches up to Philly on a silver platter. A safety on Agholor? Really?

 

[hellolin]

It's clearly the Eagles beat us at our own game, they were way more aggressive and played to their strength a lot more than we did. And when the game was on the line, they did not revert to play no to lose like other teams did when they face the pats (Jags this year and Falcons last year), they were red knifes in red knifes out no matter what, and that paid off big time for them.

 

[hellolin]

Roberts is just the worst when it comes to diagnosing plays. There was one play that he just turned his back and ran into coverage after the ball had been handed off.

He's good as a complimentary run-stuffer, but a completely non-cerebral player.

Funny thing this is exactly what DH is good at, without him our defense is lost.

 

[PP2]

One could argue that the Pats served a few of those mismatches up to Philly on a silver platter. A safety on Agholor? Really?

Absolutely. That's the trickle down effect of refusing to play Butler.

 

[hellolin]

Again, it's pretty obvious you didn't read anything in this thread at all, and I'm guessing it's because this stuff just goes right over your head.

There's a reason why our defense was made to look as bad as it did: Philly knew exactly what our weaknesses on defense were and attacked them right off the bat. They knew where the cracks were, and went right after the mismatches, and from that point on, it didn't take much for the D to go into a free fall. That's the turd you ended up seeing.

.

Philly outplayed us on our own terms in so many ways: trick plays, aggressiveness, matchups, it's almost their they are better in "The patriots way" that day on the field.