Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

[mookie1995]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

D&C today (along with esiason) were questioning the benching too. I think it was a tweet around 5pm that mentioned Wes got the same suspension as donte stallworth got for killing a guy. Wierd.

[walrus]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

D&C today (along with esiason) were questioning the benching too. I think it was a tweet around 5pm that mentioned Wes got the same suspension as donte stallworth got for killing a guy. Wierd.

Apparently some guys on the team(besides Wes) didn't like the benching much. What can a guy do, he comes back form knee reconstruction way faster than anyone thought, he makes a few jokes in a meaningless press conference and now he's a bad boy as he didn't toe the line. I understand Bill wants a team with his personality but what was said hardly warranted a suspension

[Jon]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

Wouldn't it be nice to have some "stars" beyond Mayo, Wilfork and Brady. I'd think a pass rush might help or maybe a wide receiver taller than a smurf.

Good thing the Pats have 9,000,0000 draft picks.

[IrishWildcat]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

Conservative playcalling against Indy in 06, the Giants in 07, Ravens in 09, and now the Jets in 10 have done them in. Not playing THEIR game, not taking chances.

So, a fake punt...in a one score game...on your own 40...in the first half...is somehow conservative?

Abandoning the run/screen/short pass offense that got you into the playoffs in favor of the "Let's test Cromartie deep with Brandon Tate, have our rookie TEs run option routes, and pray Matt Light can keep Jason Taylor out of Brady's face" offense is conservative?

It wasn't just one thing that cost the Patriots that game yesterday, it was a multitude of problems that finally came to the surface.

Youth and inexperience came back to haunt the Patriots on both sides of the ball. As mentioned already, Hernandez and Gronk seemed to be running the wrong way on routes... simple miscommunication, but in a playoff game it will kill you. There also seemed to be a lot of blown coverages in the defensive backfield, which is why Sanchez had a frigging field day. I went into this thinking that there was no way Sanchez would be able to win the game, but he'd be one of the reasons the Jets could lose it. I was clearly proven wrong.

Questionable playcalling, which I've already gone into.

Most of all, inability to execute when called upon. It pervaded the entire game, in every aspect. The defense couldn't stop anybody; passing, running, anything. They allowed the Jets to control the clock and keep our offense off the field. Not that it mattered because when our offense was on the field, the line couldn't block. They had trouble giving Brady time against three- and four-man rushes. Blitzes were a frigging nightmare. We dropped passes on third downs and in the red zone. As questionable as the call was for a fake punt...we didn't execute THAT right either. Lack of execution will KILL you in any game, at any level.

The Pats didn't execute, the Jets did. Simple as that.

[Chickens@NU]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

it wasn't just one thing that cost the patriots that game yesterday, it was a multitude of problems that finally came to the surface.

qft

[Jon]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

The Pats didn't execute, the Jets did. Simple as that.

Yep.

[pirate]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

It seemed like they got Andy Reid disease and decided there was no need to hurry up and score in teh 4th. I was disappointed in a lot of things, many mentioned...given all of that...if they don't give up a 40 yard return on an onside kick, they really have a chance. the second onside kick it looked like they forgot what they were doing...nobody really blasted into the front line...I thought the idea of that play was to kick it softly, outrun the ball, crush their first line of defense and have the kicker fall on the ball...only the kicker and one guy to the left did that...the rest all ran along with the kicker and Chung actually stopped and watched the Jet get the ball.

Before somebody says, "it shouldn't have come to that"...I know, but it did. The punt, that is on Chung...it was a good call, he isn't a rookie.

Agree on the screens comment, they did nothing to slow down the rush after the initial screwup. I was surprised they did nothing in the running game, save a reverse, that we haven't seen before. The whole game plan looked like it was vanilla, the announcers mentioned the compacting of our formation...why not run more empty and see who covers the TE when split out...the tight formation wasn't working.

Oh yeah....Hey lawfirm, don't watch the ball go over your head and act like it is no big deal.

[J.D.]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

The punt, that is on Chung...it was a good call, he isn't a rookie.

I'm torn. I would have said "great call" had it worked. What I have a problem with is the execution/communication. We'll never get the truth, but if you listened to the way Chung answered the questions, it was clear to me he was just covering for someone and that it wasn't really his fault. This tells me it was on the long snapper. Either he snapped it too soon or Chung didn't actually call for the fake.

Oh yeah....Hey lawfirm, don't watch the ball go over your head and act like it is no big deal.

I hear what you're saying, but that was all on Brady. I bet Green-Ellis figured he was just throwing it away.

[Jason A]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

Okay, so the NYJs are done for the year. That's refreshing but only in a jealous, vindictive way. (I'm jealous and vindictive, so I'm fine with it.)

The bottom line is that Pittsburgh has been to three Super Bowls since New England last won one, even though every time those two teams play in a big game, NE beats the living **** out of them. Not sure what to say about that, but certainly the Steelers are a great franchise and probably the greatest example of a winning organization over the last half-century of North American sports. They don't buy championships; they earn them. They draft well and develop well. NE needs to improve in order to get to this spot next year, so this offseason will be very important.

"We'll be back and you'll see," Rex said. Okay, we'll see, I guess.

[J.D.]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

Still think Brady is the best QB in football, but Roethlisberger does things Brady simply can't do....he might be a scumbag, but his combination of toughness, clutch play, ability to improvise and make plays is very impressive. Big Ben is a more clutch version of Brett Favre.

[pirate]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

Still think Brady is the best QB in football, but Roethlisberger does things Brady simply can't do....he might be a scumbag, but his combination of toughness, clutch play, ability to improvise and make plays is very impressive. Big Ben is a more clutch version of Brett Favre.

Scumbags are ambulance chasers or guys who spend child support on hunting trips. People who rape young girls aren't scumbags, they are criminals.

[walrus]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

NE needs to improve in order to get to this spot next year, so this offseason will be very important.

"We'll be back and you'll see," Rex said. Okay, we'll see, I guess.

The Steelers are Tough, the Pats are soft, pretty much as simple as that

[pirate]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

The Steelers are Tough, the Pats are soft, pretty much as simple as that

That probably is as accurate as any other critique, they used to have an edge to them that we rarely see anymore. Vrable, McGinnest, Bruschi, Law...there were some guys there that could dig down and produce a play when it was needed. It is all about team until there are 5 seconds left and then Jordan or Bird or Johnson needs to earn the money and hit the big shot. Whether it is scheme or individual, when was the last time a big play on D won a game for the Pats? In a game where it mattered? When was the last time special teams won a playoff game for the Pats? They make big plays when they are ahead 27-0.

I'm sure Tyson thought he'd eventually knockout Douglas, G'town thought 'nova couldn't shoot that well all night, the Rams thought eventually Warner and Faulk would win the game, OU thought Boise couldn't stand up to Oklahoma in crunch time, Seattle couldn't match New Orleans score for score...and at that moment, the underdog can go out and win the game. While the favorite is waiting for the odds to return to normal, the underdog grabs the odds by the balls and an upset is the outcome. The Pats looked like they figured eventually they'd start clicking and win the game...why else take 8 minutes to drive 45 yards? That kind of complacency, the inability to recognize things aren't working and 'properly panic' is the downfall of many companies and teams.

[Jason A]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

Twenty-five years ago today, New England played in its first Super Bowl: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/sp...-team-turns-25

[Priceless]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

Wes Welker says he doesn't deserve a new contract