This and That (High Anxiety)

[MP-Logick]

Good points all around, and great writing.

Now, the last point about the Denver game is worthy of mention because by all means we should not win, based on our gut feeling going into that stadium. However, this season has really been one of opposites.

We thought the toughest games on our schedule would be the Jets twice, Indy, and SD. None of those were very difficult. And everyone swore the Pats-Jets would split.

Two automatic wins against Buffalo, right?

No way the G-Men break our home winning streak, as this is our vengeance game to prove Eli's last second-heroics were a fluke.

We own Pittsburgh. Take that game to the bank.

Shanahan is in Brady's head.


In conclusion, if the Pats beat Denver, it will be a fitting end to a season that saw many trends come to a close.

Couldn't agree with you more.

Hopefully our home playoff loss "streak" will end this year as well!

 

[DaBruinz]

Zeus - Great comments. However, I have to disagree with you on the following:

2. Penalty Box - The NE defense really hurt themselves with penalties on Sunday.
The 11 yard pass interference foul committed by McCourty came on 3rd and 8 from the Redskins 8 yard line. Not good situational football - all that was needed was a sure tackle and NE gets the ball in pretty good field position holding a 14-3 lead. This drive culminated in the Gaffney TD.
The Carter roughing-the-passer penalty negated the McCourty pick. Rather than NE ball at their own 38, the Redskins were 1st and 10 at the NE 11, leading to a 25 yard FG.
Wilfork's unnecessary roughness foul was inexcusable for a veteran player, turning what would have been 3rd and 14 at the NE 33 to 1st and 10 on the 18, eventually resulting in the Anderson TD.
I'm not saying these were bad calls (though the Carter penalty was hard to take). Rather, they represented three significant mistakes by the D that helped the Redskins put points on the board. Without the penalties, they don't put up 27 points, we've gotten a better (no, not great) defensive performance and a far more comfortable win.

The Carter Penalty and the Wilfork penalty were both BS calls. Carter hit Grossman above the knee, but he was also engaged with the O-lineman when it happened.

The reason the Wilfork penalty was bogus was the receiver was not defenseless and could have gotten up and tried to run the ball the way that Gronkowski had done earlier. Wilfork did not go in with a Helmet to Helmet hit. He led with his forearm.

Other than that, I agree.

 

[supafly]

Timothy Tebow says hi!

Thanks for the reminder.

Did someone say something?

I was busy "tebowing" in the other room...

I swear I heard his name in my head.

 

[Joker]

High anxiety???????????????????????????????

 

[Zeus]

Zeus - Great comments. However, I have to disagree with you on the following:



The Carter Penalty and the Wilfork penalty were both BS calls. Carter hit Grossman above the knee, but he was also engaged with the O-lineman when it happened.

The reason the Wilfork penalty was bogus was the receiver was not defenseless and could have gotten up and tried to run the ball the way that Gronkowski had done earlier. Wilfork did not go in with a Helmet to Helmet hit. He led with his forearm.

Other than that, I agree.

Thanks for the comments. If I might (respectfully) disagree, here's why I think these were bad plays by the Patriots.

The pendulum continues to swing toward player safety, so officials (rightly or wrongly) are going to err on the side of calling these types of penalties. That's reality and the players have to be conscious of that. In addition, we know that the Patriots scout the officiating teams - the Triplette crew has a reputation for calling lots of personals fouls and unnecessary roughness penalties.

I am more sympathetic to Carter - that one was more marginal and harder to avoid given his momentum toward the QB. However, all Wilfork had to do was touch the offensive player and the play was over. You and I may not like it, but, in today's NFL, they are going to make that call 100% of the time. Sorry, but I think Vince has to recognize that.

 

[Zeus]

Timothy Tebow says hi!

At least Tebow is a real story (although we both know that the nitwits in The Sporting Press are in the process of clubbing it to a bloody unrecognizable pulp).

A 45 second argument on the sidelines - sorry, not such a big deal.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Thanks for the comments. If I might (respectfully) disagree, here's why I think these were bad plays by the Patriots.

The pendulum continues to swing toward player safety, so officials (rightly or wrongly) are going to err on the side of calling these types of penalties. That's reality and the players have to be conscious of that. In addition, we know that the Patriots scout the officiating teams - the Triplette crew has a reputation for calling lots of personals fouls and unnecessary roughness penalties.

I am more sympathetic to Carter - that one was more marginal and harder to avoid given his momentum toward the QB. However, all Wilfork had to do was touch the offensive player and the play was over. You and I may not like it, but, in today's NFL, they are going to make that call 100% of the time. Sorry, but I think Vince has to recognize that.

That's another reason why the hari kari post game hysteriafest is so laughable.

A minimum two but really three Redskin scoring drives were Triplette'd and extended. It's been said that you don't win a Triplette game, you just hope to survive.

The McCourty observation was also correct. Why give them the opportunity to do what they do?

Finally, I think some need to really rethink the raison d'etre about being a football fan.

I worked the numbers and based on the last three quarters of the game, the defense prorated to 13 points and 342 yards offense.

The second half prorated to 14 points 368 yards of offense.

That's with both scoring drives "Triplette'd"

In the bad ole days, that game would have been lauded as a game of adjustments and the defense making the big play to win it.

Once you reach the point where wins need "style points" to be victories, it's time to really rethink the fan concept.

 

[stcjones]

Wasn't he working for a few weeks as a street performer down at quincy market, riding a unicycle and juggling ping pong balls and then landing each one on top of his 2 foot high pencil eraser shaped Afro?....could have sworn that was him....

Underwood was an undrafted FA in camp, has been cut twice since then, was on the street a month ago, but played (and not too well) at the end of the game while Branch was hurt and 85 was on the bench. The point is the shaky depth of the WR position. Should be of some interest given the importance of the passing game and Branch and Welker both limited today with injuries.

 

[shmessy]

At least Tebow is a real story (although we both know that the nitwits in The Sporting Press are in the process of clubbing it to a bloody unrecognizable pulp).

A 45 second argument on the sidelines - sorry, not such a big deal.

Tim Tebow is the biggest story in the Western Hemisphere.....and will be, at least all the way through mid-Sunday.

The Brady-O'Brien thing is already fishwrap even in New England.