The Official Patriots/Broncos Post Game Thread

[Galeb]

This game was not nearly as close as the score would imply. The offense starting with two, 3 and outs didn't help.

 

[50-yard-line]

Team loss...team win by Denver.

Might have been a bit different if the Pats first drive wasn't ended on a cheap call on Hooman...then Denver was given a pass on an illegal hit (ball was in the air) by Welker on Talib (and Talib could have stayed on the field...), and given a big third down pick up on a holding call on Ryan that wasn't.

So we got down, abandoned any thought of running.

A couple of things stick out at me. 3rd and 2 in Denver territory and we throw? Denver had taken Knighton out and had a Nascar set in. If you're going to go for it on 4th anyway, then ram it down their throats there. I think we out-thought ourselves a bit.

All of that aside, Denver was too good, particularly with Talib out. Couldn't stop them and couldn't do much on O.

Thoughts going forward:

1. We need a receiver who will command a double team. If we had a Demarius Thomas on the outside, guys like Edelman, Amendola, Collie, etc., are much better. In the Pats defense, that guy was supposed to be Gronnk/Ahern, which leads me to...

2. Talib and Gronk. CANNOT count on them anymore. This is two years in a row for Talib, 3 for Gronk. Sign Talib if you can, but you can't break the bank on a guy who can't stay on the field. Too bad, because he really is elite, as we see every time he gets knocked off the field.

3. The Pats are the second youngest team in the league. They played like it today. The stage looked a little too big.

4. They've got a lot of "little" work to do for next year. Getting back some of the fallen makes this team really solid in lots of places, which leads me to...

5. I can't believe they got this far on duct tape and mirrors. Even after that loss, this goes down as one of my favorite Pats' seasons ever. Guts. Such guts. After Wilfork and Kelly went out, then Mayo, I thought they would be lucky

6. Brady6, please shut up about Amendola. We get it, you don't like him. He really only shined in two or three games this year, and played the whole year hurt. We get it, but please, be a better poster than to continually harp against the guy. I like your posts otherwise and don't want to put you on ignore, really.

7. I know I'm fairly new here, have no real friends on the board or anything, but this would be a better place if anyone who used F@ggot got banned immediately. Just saying.

Oh, and ps, Jets fan...I know you're a Jets' fan, and therefore not very intelligent, but honestly, it's not payback when your team is sitting at home, again, and someone else beats the Pats. Next time you have a meaningful game in December even, pop in and say hi.

 

[DaBruinz]

I will never forgive bob kraft and bill belichick if they let tom brady retire without signing a big play reciever.


Bob kraft is dan marinoing tom brady.

Except that Kraft has nothing to do with the contract negotiations for Free Agents. But, yet, Kraft is "Dan Marinoing" Tom Brady. BTW, They got Randy Moss. Remember him? How did that turn out? 1 Great season and a big nothing when the chips were down.

 

[RI Patriots fan]

I totally disagree with #1. Their QB had talent to pass to which is why he looked better

Not true...our QB missed wide open recivers while their QB had pinpoint accuracy.

 

[DefenseRules]

Statistically, this Denver team is good, but I think the Indy 05 and 06 teams had better weapons.

No, I've wanted to love Chandler Jones, but it's hard to get excited about him as our future on the edge. He's not clutch, and he doesn't dominate. He had one sack in the last five games IIRC.

I've been watching Chandler. I've noticed that he gets blocked easily and can't shed that block once he is engaged. It's a flaw in his technique that I hope he works on in the offseason.

 

[SVN]

Derek Havens @PatriotsHaven
Brady being interviewed by CBS, looked like he had been crying -- eyes, cheeks red and puffy. He said it was a tough day, among other things

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

Guys...we had a great year...I tip my hat to the Broncos, they were by far the better team today.

The boys need some well deserved rest.

Let's all enjoy the last two games of the year....

 

[moejr]

Statistically, this Denver team is good, but I think the Indy 05 and 06 teams had better weapons.

No, I've wanted to love Chandler Jones, but it's hard to get excited about him as our future on the edge. He's not clutch, and he doesn't dominate. He had one sack in the last five games IIRC.

Denver had the easiest schedule this year. That's why the stats are so high. Bottom line is we need better weapons for TB and 2 shutdown CB's.

 

[Sticky Caulk]

The Broncos are the better team. Crying about the way the game was called, which was the refs allowing the Patriots to get away with as much as Denver, is just looking for excuses. Excuses guarantee that the same thing happens again.

Brady wasn't perfect, but he played well enough to win if the weapons are there. Unfortunately, this season was 2006 again. It is what it is. The team will now have a chance to add bigger, tougher and faster TEs/WRs.

Blount and Ridley never had a chance, not really because of play calling, but because the Broncos had the time of possession locked up. Collins and Ryan learning on the fly isn't going to cut it in the AFC championship game against the best offense in football.

The wasted plays, like a bomb to Slater, really hurt New England early. That's more evidence this team needs to make a move on a WR talent.

 

[goheels22002]

01. The OL was average at best in another big playoff game.
02. There may be truth to the claim that Brady has developed a habit of seeing ghosts.
03. Brady was poor missing many open receivers today.
04. The receivers simply aren't good enough to win big playoff games.
05. The lack of run game was an egregious miscalculation on the behalf of McDaniels & BB.
06. The DL gets no pressure on Manning all game. The team needs pass rushers.
07. The DBs were poor all game.
08. Arrington is being overpaid by 3 million a year.
09. Talib isn't worth a big multi-year contract because you can't trust his health.
10. The better team won. I have no qualms accepting that.

That covers some of my thoughts. Out of all of that, the team was beaten by a better team today. I can't be down on this season as the Patriots overachieved and fought through some amazing adversity.

As good as the Patriots are, they have significant issues to address in the off season on both sides of the ball. It should be interesting to see it evolve.

Go Seattle.

This loss was not the fault of the offense. The points scored by the Broncos was not the issue, it was the consistent, time consuming drives and lack of turnovers forced by the defense. Youth and injuries were exposed by a Super Bowl team. There is nothing to be ashamed about.

If Wilfork, Kelly, Mayo, Spikes (with his head screwed on straight), and Talib for four quarters, been on the field, this would have been a different game.

 

[moejr]

Not true...our QB missed wide open recivers while their QB had pinpoint accuracy.

I will respectfully disagree.

 

[SVN]

Game kinda played out for the offense as expected. They geardd to stop the run and did a great job. Even didnt load the box . When they did we missed plays down the field.
Defensively, they wanted denver to run but manning refused to and kept throwing. Talib going down changed the defense . Loss.
Proud of this team but terribly disappointed .

 

[PatsSweFan]

Except that Kraft has nothing to do with the contract negotiations for Free Agents. But, yet, Kraft is "Dan Marinoing" Tom Brady. BTW, They got Randy Moss. Remember him? How did that turn out? 1 Great season and a big nothing when the chips were down.

Moss had a good season with Cassel and when Tom was back. Not HOF's seasons but great.

 

[Mack Herron]

On 6/1/2013 you would have expected these players to be in the starting lineup for today’s game:

• RB – Ridley (played as #2 RB carried just 5 times)
• WR – Amendola (played as #3 WR and did not register a receptions)
• TE – Gronkowski
• TE – Hernandez
• RT – Vollmer
• DT – Kelly
• NT – Wilfork
• MLB – Spikes
• OLB – Mayo
• CB – Talib (he did start but left in the 2nd quarter and did not return)

Considering the 10/22 anticipated starters on the team were not starting today I cannot be that disappointed to be honest. I am proud of the things this team overcame in order to make it to the AFC Championship game.

Denver has a similar list.

 

[Rick Sanford 25]

1. There's no way this was anything except an excellent big-game performance by Manning, even though ...

2. ... a number of his throws were risky. In particular, I agree with the announcers that when Arrington is underneath in tight double coverage, he should at least TRY to make a play on the ball, and if he had in that case, an INT was likely.

3. That wasn't a bad performance by Brady, but it was another of those games where his accuracy was mortal.

4. It's scary how much difference Talib makes.


5. It was the white-smurf receiving corps. If Edelman goes in the offseason, Collie is very likely to be back. Even if he stays, it could happen.

My only issue with Taliban is the guy can't finish a championship game. He was in Bolden's grill last year until he went down. Then Flaccid thought he was a QB again.

For as much as I like Collie, he doesn't look like he can run. He made that catch in the 4th quarter and still looked like he was limping. Love his route running though.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Every playoff that we have tried to use Slater has ended horribly. As soon as I saw it, I knew we were in trouble.

 

[mb6592]

The running game wasn't a complete no-show. That was on McDaniels. The Pats should have come out running the ball right down Denver's throat. Instead, they came out passing and letting Denver's defense dictate things.

If the offensive line didn't want to pass block all day and wanted to be able to inflict some punishment instead, they needed to show they could at least match Denver's intensity. 3 of the first 4 runs going for no yards effectively ended the running game. You just couldn't afford those three and outs against Manning today. The Pats would have needed to score in the 30's to win today. That would have taken a passing centric game plan w/ Brady being on target. Brady was either not Brady or was Brady in recent big games (depending on your opinion). Same for the offensive line.

 

[Bhelmet]

As AWESOME as this season was - this game was the antithesis of that - That was what PO'd me the most. Not that we lost, that we did not show up, really. I EXPECTED a SLUG-FEST on BOTH sides of the ball. WOW! Did I get neither. They OVER-ACHIEVED and I LOVE it - that is why I am not disappointed in the grand scheme of things. To go out the way we did - pretty effortless and GUTLESS - that ticked me off and came damn CLOSE top ruining the heart I saw from this team. Unfortunately, we are many pieces short and until that HEART comes out for the ENTIRE post-season we will not see glory again. We can fill the pieces, but we cannot FAKE heart. Here's to next year - hopefully better health and HEART for a longer time. SO close, yet SO far away!

 

[DaBruinz]

He said legitimate.

Yeah. They are legitimate. Maybe you and he should watch some more football and get more information before posting.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Denver is going to crush seattle or the 49ers