That long bomb with 6:00 to go in the 4th...

[TheComeback]

I was just telling the family that now we can milk the clock...and then Brady does a Favre throw and "MOTHER ****ER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He cant throw the deep ball like he used to.

He made a stupid decision. It has nothing to do with the accuracy of his deep ball, which looked fine to me last week.

 

[Keyser Söze]

He made a stupid decision. It has nothing to do with the accuracy of his deep ball, which looked fine to me last week.

That pass was accurate? Maybe it's because he doesnt have a WR to stretch the field so he's rusty at it. I've just noticed him over throwing the deep pass a couple times this season.

 

[PatsBoy12]

That was absolutely one of the dumbest things the Pats could have done in that situation. For a coach and a team that talks about and practices situational football as much as they do, they paid no attention to the situation. Instead, they went for the knock-out punch and almost cost themselves the game. They were beating the Ravens all day by being methodical and surgical. That was the time to run the ball and burn time.

I was so disappointed with that play. It showed no patience, and gave me the impression that the Pats didn't think they could drive the ball on Baltimore even though they had been doing just that for most of the game. But alas, we won the game and are moving on.

 

[makoute]

That was absolutely one of the dumbest things the Pats could have done in that situation. For a coach and a team that talks about and practices situational football as much as they do, they paid no attention to the situation. Instead, they went for the knock-out punch and almost cost themselves the game. They were beating the Ravens all day by being methodical and surgical. That was the time to run the ball and burn time.

I was so disappointed with that play. It showed no patience, and gave me the impression that the Pats didn't think they could drive the ball on Baltimore even though they had been doing just that for most of the game. But alas, we won the game and are moving on.

They haven't really played situational football for a while, not like they used to do in the past. So that they would make that call is no surprise at all.

 

[PatsBoy12]

They haven't really played situational football for a while, not like they used to do in the past. So that they would make that call is no surprise at all.

I've definitely noticed quite a bit of situational football in some of the games earlier in the season, but overall, I guess you have a point. Nonetheless, wouldn't they think the playoffs, especially a game with so much at stake, would be a good time to revisit the good ole days of situational ball. That turnover almost buried them.

 

[BlueThunder]

If a situation like that comes up again in SB, what are odds you see a playcall like that again?

0% would be TOO HIGH !

 

[Guts]

I was just telling the family that now we can milk the clock...and then Brady does a Favre throw and "MOTHER ****ER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He cant throw the deep ball like he used to.

He can remember the beauty he threw to Branch 2 weeks ago? He just made a Favre decision and got to greedy. He should have known better not to throw it into double coverage to a special teamer.

 

[condon84]

I was just telling the family that now we can milk the clock...and then Brady does a Favre throw and "MOTHER ****ER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He cant throw the deep ball like he used to.

If Slater was a real WR who knew how to track deep balls and attack the ball at it's highest point, that play would have had a chance.

The big mistake was Brady deciding to throw it to Slater when he was not open. But the bigger mistake was the coaching staff designing that stupid play for Slater to begin with.

 

[reflexblue]

Brady made his rep on throwing to the open reciever, he didn't do that yesterday with that throw. In watching the replay there seemed to be plenty of options that were open underneath which he ignored....

 

[PatsBoy12]

Brady made his rep on throwing to the open reciever, he didn't do that yesterday with that throw. In watching the replay there seemed to be plenty of options that were open underneath which he ignored....

I am not arguing with you at all, as I agree mostly, but there were no open receivers underneath either. I was thinking the same thing until I re-watched the game earlier today. Everyone underneath was covered. I really think Brady had his mind made up either way, but everyone was covered on the play.

 

[Ring 6]

Brady made his rep on throwing to the open reciever, he didn't do that yesterday with that throw. In watching the replay there seemed to be plenty of options that were open underneath which he ignored....

Every QB, even Brady is going to make a mistake. The thing about deep passes like that is you have to look at where the receiver is when the QB must make the decision. Good or bad is often determined by what happens after that, ie whether the receiver or defender wins the footrace.

 

[reflexblue]

Every QB, even Brady is going to make a mistake. The thing about deep passes like that is you have to look at where the receiver is when the QB must make the decision. Good or bad is often determined by what happens after that, ie whether the receiver or defender wins the footrace.

When the camera paned to the end zone there were Two ravens around Slater, as TB wound up to throw the pass another raven DB comes into the picture. For what ever reason he went ahead and threw the pass anyways, thats very un Brady like.

 

[Ring 6]

When the camera paned to the end zone there were Two ravens around Slater, as TB wound up to throw the pass another raven DB comes into the picture. For what ever reason he went ahead and threw the pass anyways, thats very un Brady like.

The ball was in the air for a long time before the camera showed Slater to you.
I'm not saying it was a good decision, but to think that the decision was made with the players where they are in the end zone is ignorant.
Slater was probably (I'd have to check to be certain) at about the 25 yard line when the decision was made and the ball was released.
In the time it takes a football to travel 50-60 yards, with that trajectory, a WR running at top speed travels at least half as far.

 

[deroc5050]

In the Nfl your throwing the ball in anticipation of where you think the coverage and your player will be. Regardless I hated the play call.. And I really really hate Bernard Pollard.

 

[Ring 6]

Actually, I just watched this replay, and it was not only a great play call, it was a good decision to throw it, but a poor throw.
Slater ran a deep post, and was CLEARLY inside and behind Pollard. The other defender was outside of Pollard and the 3rd guy trasiling the play wasnt even close.
If Brady had led Slater as the route called for, he would have thrown to the left hash, and it would have been a TD.
Slater was open for a TD and Brady threw it behind him.
Those criticizing the play call should explain how getting a WR open in the end zone is a bad play call.

NFL Videos: Ravens defense, INT

 

[Ring 6]

In the Nfl your throwing the ball in anticipation of where you think the coverage and your player will be. Regardless I hated the play call.. And I really really hate Bernard Pollard.

Watch the replay and ask what happens if Brady leads Slater to the left hash?

 

[BadMoFo]

Also, doesn't it seem like most of his interceptions are on first down.

 

[lamafist]

Actually, I just watched this replay, and it was not only a great play call, it was a good decision to throw it, but a poor throw.
Slater ran a deep post, and was CLEARLY inside and behind Pollard. The other defender was outside of Pollard and the 3rd guy trasiling the play wasnt even close.
If Brady had led Slater as the route called for, he would have thrown to the left hash, and it would have been a TD.
Slater was open for a TD and Brady threw it behind him.
Those criticizing the play call should explain how getting a WR open in the end zone is a bad play call.

NFL Videos: Ravens defense, INT

Not sure I agree on the decision to throw. Pollard was pretty even with Slater in terms of depth, and while Slater had inside position on him, Smith was closing from the other side. A throw a foot or two both farther and more inside might have been a TD -- if Slater was able to make the catch -- but too far inside, and Smith could have come up with the INT on his own.

Brady's usually pretty good about erring towards throwing it too deep, where no one can get it, and it's not like he decided to make a poor throw, but I still question the decision to pull the trigger because, on the replay, it looks like you have not two, but three defenders deep, meaning there had to be some pretty favorable match-ups for a possible catch-and-run on a shorter pass.

 

[fester]

True. I just, from a time management perspective, I'd rather give them the ball back up 10 with three minutes on the clock, not six. So even if it had worked, it was a strange call and SUCH a momentum killer.

Problem with this theory is the assumption that the Patriots would score a touchdown from a prolonged drive that ate clock. They had not demonstrated a reliable ability to do so all day long as they had to work the Ghost's leg for points instead of Gronk spikes. As other posters have noted, there were four outcomes of this play:

1) Catch for a TD (25% chance in my opinion) that basically puts the game out of reach as the Pats can sell out against the pass in the last 6 minutes of the game.

2) Pass Interference with the ball somewhere within 5 yards of the goalline and the chance for two or three time or time-out killing running plays (10% chance) and a high probability of at least 3 points.

3) Incompletion (55 to 60% chance) and the Pats have the ball to run at least another minute or more off the clock with a run and a short pass in the next two downs.

4) Interception (5% to 10% chance) and if this happens, most likely the Ravens start somewhere within their 30 (that was not the case)

Playing the odds, it was a risky move but a reasonably safe move unless the ball bounced strangely as it did.


3)

 

[Bella*chick]

Problem with this theory is the assumption that the Patriots would score a touchdown from a prolonged drive that ate clock. They had not demonstrated a reliable ability to do so all day long as they had to work the Ghost's leg for points instead of Gronk spikes. As other posters have noted, there were four outcomes of this play:

1) Catch for a TD (25% chance in my opinion) that basically puts the game out of reach as the Pats can sell out against the pass in the last 6 minutes of the game.

2) Pass Interference with the ball somewhere within 5 yards of the goalline and the chance for two or three time or time-out killing running plays (10% chance) and a high probability of at least 3 points.

3) Incompletion (55 to 60% chance) and the Pats have the ball to run at least another minute or more off the clock with a run and a short pass in the next two downs.

4) Interception (5% to 10% chance) and if this happens, most likely the Ravens start somewhere within their 30 (that was not the case)

Playing the odds, it was a risky move but a reasonably safe move unless the ball bounced strangely as it did.


3)

I thought we moved the ball well and blew some scoring opportunities up till then. we may not have scored after the drive but there was at least a possibility. And probably a better chance then throwing one up to a double covered Matt Slater.