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....or more precisely, things that I already knew, but were reinforced.
Its taken me this long to get out of my Post Jets game funk. This won't be long, because in my absence, I'm sure most of the obvious NEGATIVE things have been discussed. However, as usual, please forgive me for any redundancies.
1. Deja vu - Was I the only one who noticed how much the Coles TD pass that sealed the game was so similar to the winning TD back in 2002. In both cases the ball was thrown to the same place in the endzone. In both cases as the ball was in the air it looked like it has as much chance of being a pick as a catch. In both cases the receiver was well covered. AND in both cases the ball goes through the defenders arms before reaching the receiver. Then when you add the facts that in both cases it was against the Jets. Both the last time the Pats lost 2 in a row. Both games are at Gillette. Both were the second game against the Jets... after the Pats beat the Jets at home early. Phew, now THAT is Deja Vu. You almost KNEW it was coming.
2. This game is just ANOTHER lesson that "on any given Sunday...." As I have stated on many occassions, the talent level on EVERY team is at a high level. No more that 10% separates the best from the worst IMHO, and a large part of that "difference" comes at QB. ALL the WRs are fast and remarkably athletic. All the OLmen are big, strong, and have quick feet. etc, etc, etc. IMHO it is the coaches and "systems" that each franchise has that ultimately makes the BIGGEST DIFFERENCE in the quality of the teams.
Does anyone think that if BB and his staff found themselves coaching the 53 players that now reside in Arizona that their record wouldn't be SIGNIFICANTLY better??? There is a lot of talent out there, but the record STILL is dismal
3. This is only the second time I really felt the Pats were outcoached in the BB regime. The Jets were almost Pats-like in their unconvential alignments and disguised defenses, while the Pats D looked rather static and vanilla. Whatever changes the Pats made, were seemingly countered by the Jets on both sides of the ball.
4. I am begining to wonder if the YEARS of success the Pats have had isn't wearing down that fine edge the Pats have had over the last 5 years. I'm NOT saying that the Pats are in decline, NOR am I saying the talent isn't there to be a contender this year. In fact I still believe that this is the most talented group the Pats have ever had.
No, what I am saying is that perhaps, at least last week, the Pats didn't really get up for a game against a team that it has beaten 7 times in a row. Perhaps, while they were giving them all the respect in the world in the media, they weren't really believing it in their hearts.
For the past 5 years the Pats' MENTAL TOUGHNESS has been legendary. I'm just wondering if keeping it going continually for 5 years hasn't worn some of it down. Is creeping complacency a potential problem, even short term. I don't think its a conscious thing, but more a function of their long term success?
5. Well I finally saw a FEW actual Play Action Passes on Sunday. I don't remember any being very successful, so maybe I was mistaken. However I am more convinced now that Brady is the reason we seem to eshew the PAP. I think HE believes that he can see the field better and get a quicker read by simply dropping back. He never looks completely comfortable doing a PAP, or at least AS comfortable as when he drops directly back. Maybe this is a aspect of his game he might want to work on NEXT year.
6. Tom wasn't the best QB on the field for the second week in a row. Several times his passes were off, even when they were caught. We lost a couple of 1st downs when errant passes were caught and tackles made because the receiver had to reach back for the ball, which if thrown better would allowed the YAC that would have gotten a first down. Conditions certainly weren't the best, but Pennington didn't seem to be bothered as much.
7. The other thing I seemed to notice isn't ANYONE'S fault. It just seems that lately the ball just isn't bouncing the Pats way. Take last week. Tipped balls are sometimes caught for interceptions, but MOST OF THE TIME, they drop harmlessly to the ground. Against the Colts, Brady had 3 deflected balls, and in ALL THREE were picked. One I could understand. Two is usually a matter of some good luck being involved, BUT THREE is just being UNLUCKY.
In a key moment early in the Jets game, Gabriel's fumble was a function of a good play by a Jet defender, but 9 times out of ten, that ball bounces OUT OF BOUNDS, but Sunday it stayed inbounds and it cost the Pats at a critical junction when they could have gone up 10 points on the Jets.
THIS ISN'T an excuse, its just an observation. Clearly the Pats have been the beneficiary of plays just like these mentioned. Because the league is so competitively close, we sometimes ignore how fickle the fates are in determining the outcome of games when the "bounces" don't even out during the course of a single game. I'm pretty sure they even out in the long term.
8. This week my beef with the coaches has less to do with the X's & O's and more to do with personel issues. In the first period several plays after Dillon's long run, the Pats had a second an 2 on the Jets 4 yd line. This is EXACTLY where Dillon has thrived this entire season. Instead Muroney goes sideways on a run and loses 2 yds, and Brady is sacked the next play and the Pats get only 3 and the Jet gain defensive momentum. IT WAS DILLON TIME and Corey was no where to be seen.
Also, like most I wondered why Seymour wasn't in the game in several critical goal line situations. I assumed he was either hurt, or ineffective because of his elbow. Clearly we will never know the truth, but I saw at least one replay where Richard was being knocked back.
9. On the Draft side - It almost hurt as much as the Jets loss, to see the Seahawks win ANOTHER CLOSE GAME. Damned.
BOTTOM LINE - it was game where the Jets took advantage of their bye, and the Pats seemed to overlook the Jets. Perhaps now the Pats will regain that Mental Toughness that got us to 3 superbowls. If not we'd better be prepared to eat a lot of crow. You know the "HATERS" have been waiting 5 years for a fall, that WE told them wasn't about to happen in the near future.
Its taken me this long to get out of my Post Jets game funk. This won't be long, because in my absence, I'm sure most of the obvious NEGATIVE things have been discussed. However, as usual, please forgive me for any redundancies.
1. Deja vu - Was I the only one who noticed how much the Coles TD pass that sealed the game was so similar to the winning TD back in 2002. In both cases the ball was thrown to the same place in the endzone. In both cases as the ball was in the air it looked like it has as much chance of being a pick as a catch. In both cases the receiver was well covered. AND in both cases the ball goes through the defenders arms before reaching the receiver. Then when you add the facts that in both cases it was against the Jets. Both the last time the Pats lost 2 in a row. Both games are at Gillette. Both were the second game against the Jets... after the Pats beat the Jets at home early. Phew, now THAT is Deja Vu. You almost KNEW it was coming.
2. This game is just ANOTHER lesson that "on any given Sunday...." As I have stated on many occassions, the talent level on EVERY team is at a high level. No more that 10% separates the best from the worst IMHO, and a large part of that "difference" comes at QB. ALL the WRs are fast and remarkably athletic. All the OLmen are big, strong, and have quick feet. etc, etc, etc. IMHO it is the coaches and "systems" that each franchise has that ultimately makes the BIGGEST DIFFERENCE in the quality of the teams.
Does anyone think that if BB and his staff found themselves coaching the 53 players that now reside in Arizona that their record wouldn't be SIGNIFICANTLY better??? There is a lot of talent out there, but the record STILL is dismal
3. This is only the second time I really felt the Pats were outcoached in the BB regime. The Jets were almost Pats-like in their unconvential alignments and disguised defenses, while the Pats D looked rather static and vanilla. Whatever changes the Pats made, were seemingly countered by the Jets on both sides of the ball.
4. I am begining to wonder if the YEARS of success the Pats have had isn't wearing down that fine edge the Pats have had over the last 5 years. I'm NOT saying that the Pats are in decline, NOR am I saying the talent isn't there to be a contender this year. In fact I still believe that this is the most talented group the Pats have ever had.
No, what I am saying is that perhaps, at least last week, the Pats didn't really get up for a game against a team that it has beaten 7 times in a row. Perhaps, while they were giving them all the respect in the world in the media, they weren't really believing it in their hearts.
For the past 5 years the Pats' MENTAL TOUGHNESS has been legendary. I'm just wondering if keeping it going continually for 5 years hasn't worn some of it down. Is creeping complacency a potential problem, even short term. I don't think its a conscious thing, but more a function of their long term success?
5. Well I finally saw a FEW actual Play Action Passes on Sunday. I don't remember any being very successful, so maybe I was mistaken. However I am more convinced now that Brady is the reason we seem to eshew the PAP. I think HE believes that he can see the field better and get a quicker read by simply dropping back. He never looks completely comfortable doing a PAP, or at least AS comfortable as when he drops directly back. Maybe this is a aspect of his game he might want to work on NEXT year.
6. Tom wasn't the best QB on the field for the second week in a row. Several times his passes were off, even when they were caught. We lost a couple of 1st downs when errant passes were caught and tackles made because the receiver had to reach back for the ball, which if thrown better would allowed the YAC that would have gotten a first down. Conditions certainly weren't the best, but Pennington didn't seem to be bothered as much.
7. The other thing I seemed to notice isn't ANYONE'S fault. It just seems that lately the ball just isn't bouncing the Pats way. Take last week. Tipped balls are sometimes caught for interceptions, but MOST OF THE TIME, they drop harmlessly to the ground. Against the Colts, Brady had 3 deflected balls, and in ALL THREE were picked. One I could understand. Two is usually a matter of some good luck being involved, BUT THREE is just being UNLUCKY.
In a key moment early in the Jets game, Gabriel's fumble was a function of a good play by a Jet defender, but 9 times out of ten, that ball bounces OUT OF BOUNDS, but Sunday it stayed inbounds and it cost the Pats at a critical junction when they could have gone up 10 points on the Jets.
THIS ISN'T an excuse, its just an observation. Clearly the Pats have been the beneficiary of plays just like these mentioned. Because the league is so competitively close, we sometimes ignore how fickle the fates are in determining the outcome of games when the "bounces" don't even out during the course of a single game. I'm pretty sure they even out in the long term.
8. This week my beef with the coaches has less to do with the X's & O's and more to do with personel issues. In the first period several plays after Dillon's long run, the Pats had a second an 2 on the Jets 4 yd line. This is EXACTLY where Dillon has thrived this entire season. Instead Muroney goes sideways on a run and loses 2 yds, and Brady is sacked the next play and the Pats get only 3 and the Jet gain defensive momentum. IT WAS DILLON TIME and Corey was no where to be seen.
Also, like most I wondered why Seymour wasn't in the game in several critical goal line situations. I assumed he was either hurt, or ineffective because of his elbow. Clearly we will never know the truth, but I saw at least one replay where Richard was being knocked back.
9. On the Draft side - It almost hurt as much as the Jets loss, to see the Seahawks win ANOTHER CLOSE GAME. Damned.
BOTTOM LINE - it was game where the Jets took advantage of their bye, and the Pats seemed to overlook the Jets. Perhaps now the Pats will regain that Mental Toughness that got us to 3 superbowls. If not we'd better be prepared to eat a lot of crow. You know the "HATERS" have been waiting 5 years for a fall, that WE told them wasn't about to happen in the near future.