2011 New England Patriots thread

[deadheadskier]

Patriots need more wins like yesterday and fewer blowouts. Being able to perform under pressure is what the playoffs are all about. The Pats have sucked in the playoffs for several years now.

I thought Brandon Spikes had a helluva game.

 

[speden]

Carter stepped it up too, and I think part of that may have been due to Haynesworth getting more pressure. If Haynesworth can get healthy and improve his conditioning by playoff time, that could really change things for the better.

I see today the Pats may be interested in trading for wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. That might be a good idea since Ocho is a bust, Branch is getting old and has lost some speed, and Taylor Price hasn't done jack so far. If we were to lose Welker, we'd be in a world of hurt. Without the TE's we would have been toast yesterday. Getting another good quality receiver might be good insurance.

 

[deadheadskier]

Lloyd would definitely help if he gets the system. It's unfortunate that Ocho has been a bust.

 

[speden]

I think Belichick personally liked Ocho, and that probably clouded his judgement when they brought him in. He must have thought with the right coaching, Ocho could be the second coming of Randy Moss. But now it looks like Ocho isn't the player he once was, and maybe was more of an instinctive player that doesn't have the football smarts for the Pats system. I hope he can study hard over the bye week and try to turn things around. If they don't make a trade, they need either Ocho or Price to step it up.

 

[deadheadskier]

lolpatriots

surprised the score wasn't 35-10. Steelers kicked the crap out of the Pats today in all phases of the game.

did the miscall by the refs on the Gronk TD make a difference because it took a minute off the clock at the end of the 4th? Perhaps. Brady has driven the team for TDs in a minute thirty many, many times throughout his career where as I've never seen him score a TD from his 22 with 19 seconds to go.

Even if he did have that time, I doubt it would've happened today with the way the Steelers D (and O) dominated the Pats today. Steelers were BY FAR the better team today

 

[speden]

I kind of figured the Pats were going to lose that game. All week the press was hyping how Brady "owned" Dick LeBeau. That was an overstatement as most of those games were tough won battles, but I'm sure it fired up the Steelers. I thought it was a mistake for the Pats to defer to the second half when they won the toss. The Steelers were going to come out guns blazing and if the Pats took the ball first and scored it would have taken the wind out of their sails. Instead the Steelers gave the Pats a bloody nose to start the game, and after that they were completely rattled. They didn't match the physical intensity of the Steelers and we all know a top QB can slice the Pats secondary to shreds if given the chance. With the Pats offense pulling three and outs the grave was dug early.

So it's not looking like they will do much damage in the playoffs, assuming they still make the playoffs. The next few games could be pretty tough.

I did like the move of cutting Leigh Bodden, but the timing was a little off. In retrospect Belichick should have waited until after the Steelers beatdown to make the move. Bodden has looked slow and old all season and letting him hang around just because they paid him a lot of money sends the wrong message to the team. Better to let the young guys try to develop and hopefully by playoff time they will improve a little. I'm not giving up on their playoff chances this year, but clearly they are going to have to earn it since they are looking short on defensive talent right now.

 

[deadheadskier]

An 11-12 win team and early round loser in the playoffs is what the Patriots are until Bill figures out how to draft and assemble a defense again.

 

[bigbog]

Whenever they get together = entertaining football. Any additional time would've helped...couldn't believe the blown TD call. The receivers down the field, making space for passes over the middle zone, ala Steelers-style, seemed a definite MIA for Patriots. Not even an old-fashion screen attempted.
$.01

 

[drjeff]

If they beat the Giants next week, they're still right where I'd like to see them at the end of the 1st 1/2 of the season, I figure if each quarter of the season, they go 3-1, they're in good shape and in the playoffs, with a good chance at a division win and a home playoff game.

As any football fan knows, the REAL season doesn't start until basically Thankgiving, and Belicheck somehow year in and year out seems to figure out a way to get all phases of the Patriots going comeTurkey Day!

That being said, yesterday they looked flatter than the state of Kansas. No excuses being made, but if the refs had made the correct call with that late TD when it ACTUALLY happened, who knows???

 

[WJenness]

As a Pats fan, I'm scared, to tell you the truth...

They Steelers didn't punt until there was 0:45 left in the game!

You're never going to win like that. The defense just can NOT get off the field on third down...

They are not looking good on the road at all.

In 4 road games, they are 2-2.

They have wins against MIA, who is one of the worst 2 teams in the league, (And could handily be #1 in that department if Peyton Manning was playing for the Colts), and OAK... who just lost 28-0 at home to Kansas <expletive_deleted> City...

They've lost to Buffalo and now the Steelers.

The second half of their schedule has some pretty tough games on the road. (NYJ, PHI)

I suspect that even if they get in to the playoffs, it will probably be another one & done situation...

The defense needs some SERIOUS help...

-w

 

[speden]

Gah! Just kill me now! What's with all these turnovers? It's like a great offense with fouled spark plugs. The defense looked half decent today but we couldn't seem to score any points. Woodhead returning kickoffs again, really? Has the guy EVER got it past the 20? How are we supposed to score with constantly lousy field position? Throwing passes in the direction of Ochocinco, really? If Brady wants to throw to him he should just assume Chad will make the wrong read and run the wrong route. That's the only way they are going to connect. And what's Gostkowski's problem? He used to have a good leg and now it's rare that he can kick it as far as the front of the end zone. Then missing a short field goal when we were desperate for points? Totally devastating. And Edelman just got sprung after making bail following a drinking binge and they thought he'd go out and set the world on fire returning punts? Yeah, he set it on fire alright, by handing the ball over to the Giants.

Now they have to go up for a grudge match against the surging Jets. The only hope for that game is that it looks hopeless. So maybe the offense won't play like they are ready to soil their pants. Maybe that gives the Pats a chance to win one. A three game skid would be pretty ugly.

 

[SkiDork]

as a Jet fan, I'm happy the Giants beat them but it makes our game next week much more difficult. The Pats are gonna be playing angry.

 

[Nick]

I was at the game tonight was a really good game unfortunate loss

 

[drjeff]

Please learn what a pass rush is!!! I don't care who is the quarterback, but if you're giving any NFL quarterback 4,5,6+ seconds relatively unpressured in the pocket over an over that's a BIG problem, especially with a secondary who seems to regularly be making BASIC core coverage errors like body and head positioning with respect to the person he's trying to cover.

I was slightly optomistic in the 1st 1/2 with the defense, as this is the time of year that I want to see is some incremental improvements, and they were showing that. The 2nd 1/2 though was very discouraging. Additionally I'm starting to get the feeling that Occo Cinco's days as a Patriot are numbered. If his key roll was to try and be a vertical threat and spread the defense down the field to free up the underneath receivers just a bit, it's not working. Teams have learned that you can jam the Patriots receivers within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage and essentially just have to defend a short field every down. Coach Belicheck is going to have a busy week of game planning and scheming to try and get this team going for this coming Sunday nights AFC East slugfest vs. the Jets

 

[deadheadskier]

So would Leigh Bodden had made such a bonehead play as Sergio Brown did to give the Giants the ball on the Pats 1 yard line at the end of the game? How about Brandon Merryweather?

 

[Rushski]

Sergio Brown play was awful. Secondary is awful on most plays. O-line, specifically Light and to a lesser extent mankins aren't helping much either...

 

[Warp Daddy]

I switched channels b4 the excitement and was amazed when i heard the outcome .

 

[drjeff]

Maybe if the Patriots could just play the Jets for everygame of the regular season

Impressive TEAM effort tonight! Even if I didn't even have a clue of what the names of about 1/2 of their defense was! :lol: nd if Andre Carter wants to keep having 4.5 sacks a game for the rest of the season, well that's fine by me!

Now 8 days off and then the Chiefs in Foxboro next Monday night

 

[SkiDork]

as a Jet fan, I'm happy the Giants beat them but it makes our game next week much more difficult. The Pats are gonna be playing angry.

I saw this coming.

 

[bigbog]

maybe if the patriots could just play the jets for everygame of the regular season

+1
..rotfl