The Superbowl Rewatch thread: the great defensive duel

[Ring 6]

Great stuff.
I'm equally interested in what the Rams did that bottled up the Pats so well. Seemed like they took away White and the dump downs more effectively than anyone every has, and everything downfield and to the sidelines was well covered.

I think the patriot defense limited the patriot offense. What I mean by that is the same situation caused the offense to be very conservative. We played “stay on schedule” offense (which is not what we do best) and were ultra conservative on 3rd down. You almost never see brady throwing 3 yard passes on 3rd and 8.
When they tied the game and we needed a TD it was a different offense and went right down the field.
This is what amazes me that people haven’t figured out about the patriots. Everything they do is interdependent and how they play is dictated by the score of the game.

 

[PP2]

How Belichick’s master plan unfolded

 

[Ring 6]

I think Sean McVay is going to be a great coach. He had the humility to tell everyone that he got outcoached last night and he didn't blame anyone but himself. That's the kind of coach a player would run through the wall for.

No hot takes.

 

[Redman443]

I’ve heard all year that this is the new nfl, offensive explosions every game 54-51. We proved that defense was back

 

[luuked]

Without Kupp and much of anything to speak of at the TE position, they just don’t have the personnel to take advantage of what the Pats were throwing at them. Kupp would have killed us had we thrown the split safety/C2 zone stuff at them last night. Their personnel is one of the reasons I said in the game thread that losing Chung really wasnt that big of a deal due to the opponent we were facing. Had it happened against, say, the Chiefs, it would have been much worse.

Yeah they were pretty much the perfect matchup with Kupp and Gurley out. CJ Anderson is not the player who will consistently give you headaches as a target on passing downs and his running style fits our front pretty well. You had a great point with Chung.

I am just amazed about how that offensive genius wunderkind McVay didn't see coming how BB would defend him and prepared for that. If you look at what Zack Dunn or other X/O people were talking about last week online then it should have been clear to McVay to study the Lions tape and prepare for that. But he had literally nothing. No idea, no wrinkles.. nothing.

 

[luuked]

Which pretty much ruins that nice narrative Romo had about McVay holding off with lining up and being clever to not let the Pats adjust. Or at least he didn't realize that BB was a step ahead of that.

 

[PP2]

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Interesting stuff from Brian Baldinger.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

 

[PP2]

 

[mgteich]

I agree. But last night, who were the heroes ? Not the "up and coming", but rather the OOOOLD grizzled vets : Wade & Bill.

Flores?

 

[manxman2601]

With regards to the second clip (Wise and Shelton) it’s worth noting their flirtations previously with the inactive list. A justified decision to activate them last night.

 

[PP2]

A breakdown of the drive that resulted in the only TD of the game, involving McDaniels drawing on a play (HOSS) in 22 personnel that was not part of the game plan, but something that had to be improvised. McD called it three times in a row.

An oral history of Pats' game-winning drive

 

[manxman2601]

Flores?

A lot of talk this year about teams wanting to find the next Sean McVeigh. I wonder if next year they’ll be looking for the next Brian Flores (hope not as he’s in the same division but worth considering after the way he coached last night and this year).

 

[manxman2601]

Does anyone know how this compares to Hightower/Collins?

 

[mgteich]

A breakdown of the drive that resulted in the only TD of the game, involving McDaniels drawing on a play (HOSS) in 22 personnel that was not part of the game plan, but something that had to be improvised. McD called it three times in a row.

An oral history of Pats' game-winning drive

For me, both defensive coaches and both defenses were truly awesome. Both offenses had been kept to 3 points with 10 minutes left in the game.

And then came Josh and the one WR (Edelman as the slot) set with Burkhead and Gronk on one side and Develin and Allen on the other. What is this? 1980? 1970?

Josh made this work, running different plays off this formation. And that was the game!
==============

The defenses and DC's were lights out. But, in the end, the patriot offense made it work with their keys on the field: Brady, Edelman, Gronk, Allen, Develin and the OL (and with Burkhead instead of Michell, giving them more flexibility).

 

[patchick]

Nice analysis of the defensive game plan:
How Belichick’s master plan unfolded

 

[hellolin]

Great stuff.
I'm equally interested in what the Rams did that bottled up the Pats so well. Seemed like they took away White and the dump downs more effectively than anyone every has, and everything downfield and to the sidelines was well covered.

Except for doing that, they had to leave Eldeman wide open in the middle some times.

 

[manxman2601]

 

[mgteich]

Nice analysis of the defensive game plan:
How Belichick’s master plan unfolded

I agree with everything except the conclusion and just how badly the patriots had outreached the rams. The game was even with 10 minutes left in the game. It was even until then, and anyone's game.

Josh decided on a plan and the offense executed (and the rams had no answer).