State Of The Franchise

[The Gr8est]

Safeties and LBs pummel our skill players into the turf and hobble them. Our secondary is afraid of a 15 yard penalty when they're probably going to give up those 15 yards over the middle anyway.

It's time we realized big hits are actually a viable defensive strategy. All of our receiving options except Lloyd were demolished last night.

This seems as good a place as any to bring this up.

While I hate the toll that injuries take on the game and our favorite players, I have to ask why it is that Bernard Pollard is still healthy and playing?

I read an excerpt many years ago where Russ Francis was discussing a cheap shot from a Jets player ( yes, they were the Jets back then, they wouldn't earn the "Rats" name until many years later) to the family jewels that put him out of commission for a significant part of the game.

Francis added that "I took that player's knee home with me later that day".

So why are the Pats not "taking Pollard's knee home with them"?

How many Pats players does he need to injure before the Pats put a stop to it?

 

[IllegalContact]

the franchise is in great shape......the waiting list line still wraps around the corner even though they charge more than just about anyone else.

as for what goes on on the field, 3 years in a row now where the pats finished the season to a team they should have beaten. (safe to say in 2009, there was no expectation to beat the ravens......as a team, the pats were done)

each year, past expectation has nothing to do with it......it's all about the here and now.

looking at this instance, the pats fell flat on their faces in a span of 3 drives that surrounded halftime.

- last drive of the half.......the brady underwear brigade will disagree, but the failure for an opportunity for a TD at the end of the half before the FG attempt is all on him. he's been around long enough to know what to do in that instance. no excuses
- first ravens drive of the 2nd half....they had one decent play of 6 and punted the ball back to the pats.
- first pats drive of the 2nd half.....started on their own 9 and got to the ravens 34 with a first down. you have a 6 point lead on a team that just did nothing against your defense......you wind up punting from there simply bacause rather than displaying a shred of patience, you put woodhead out there and decide to chuck it down field on a windy day. ridley had gained more than 5 yards on 6 of his previous 7 carries. If he's running like that you keep the damned gimmicks on the bench......this is fricking mcdaniel trying ot put his fingerprint on things and it failed miserable......and what was the point of punting? what a way to show zero confidence in your defense who in the previous 6 drives, gave up one TD drive along with 3 3-and-outs and 2 one first down and out. this moment was was where the ravens got all the confidence they needed and the pats basically folded up shop....the next 10 minutes the pats looked like the jets and the ravens lit them up

everybody associated with this collapse will return, and they're all enough set in their ways that if the exact same circumstances present themselves, it will wind up playing out the exact same way......while brady can still play, th echances are much greater that he will show his age than improve in any way.

the pats will win the division next year...they will likely go 6-0 in the division and anywhere between 5-5 and 7-3 outside of it......they will wind up literally in the exact same spot as this year. and unless they stop worrying about burying weaker teams so much and start to display a more deliberate offense, the end result will have us in the exact same place......watching a fantasy team all season only to have someone punch them in the mouth have them sucking their proverbial thumbs by the end.

but nice hit by jerod mayo on pitta......

 

[IllegalContact]

a better question is why he isn't on the pats......

This seems as good a place as any to bring this up.

While I hate the toll that injuries take on the game and our favorite players, I have to ask why it is that Bernard Pollard is still healthy and playing?

I read an excerpt many years ago where Russ Francis was discussing a cheap shot from a Jets player ( yes, they were the Jets back then, they wouldn't earn the "Rats" name until many years later) to the family jewels that put him out of commission for a significant part of the game.

Francis added that "I took that player's knee home with me later that day".

So why are the Pats not "taking Pollard's knee home with them"?

How many Pats players does he need to injure before the Pats put a stop to it?

 

[ivanvamp]

This seems as good a place as any to bring this up.

While I hate the toll that injuries take on the game and our favorite players, I have to ask why it is that Bernard Pollard is still healthy and playing?

I read an excerpt many years ago where Russ Francis was discussing a cheap shot from a Jets player ( yes, they were the Jets back then, they wouldn't earn the "Rats" name until many years later) to the family jewels that put him out of commission for a significant part of the game.

Francis added that "I took that player's knee home with me later that day".

So why are the Pats not "taking Pollard's knee home with them"?

How many Pats players does he need to injure before the Pats put a stop to it?

What's rich is that he's complaining about Brady's spikes-up slide, talking about how much of a cheap and dirty play that is. I'm like, what? Dude, you went after Brady's knee in '08, costing us a SB-caliber season. You took out Gronkowski's ankle last year, which probably cost us a SB title. This year, you speared Ridley with your helmet (and incurred a personal foul penalty on a different helmet-to-helmet hit earlier in the game) which was a huge turning point in the game. You've taken out three of our key performers the last handful of years, and you have the gall to complain about a quarterback's slide?

 

[RobertWeathers]

He needs to tweek the roster and build a team that doesn't have to operate on a margin so tight that it simply doesn't allow for any error or significant injury. He's done it before so I believe he can do it again.

This. I hate to bring this up again and again but during the SB run the team allowed 17ppg game and scored 24. During the 8-7 run they've allowed 21 and scored 25. For comparison's sake, during the Flacco years the BAL defense has allowed about 17ppg during the playoffs.

The margin for victory and error IS less. Rule changes, matchups, talent, injuries, etc. No matter how you slice it, they just haven't been good enough to win it all but they have been good enough to be a great football team for 11 years now. People forget the hell this franchise was in back in the early 80s, late 80s and early 90s. The close losses have been tough to take, but I'll take them over a 2-14 season and hoping Hugh Millen doesn't get picked off 2 times.

The defense makes the difference.

Brady makes the difference.

BB makes the difference.

All 3 need to continue to improve.