Teams New England Patriots - The Pats

Remove this Banner Ad

Simple Jack

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 25, 2011
9,144
4,670
Melbourne
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Webber, Ricciardo, NE Patriots
Just finished the game. Wow.... and not a good wow. Google somewhat spoiled it for me when I saw 'miracle in Miami' or similar. I was actually hoping we'd be a few down with stuff all time on the clock so when Gostkowski put the FG through I was fearing the worst. It was worse.

At least KC ended up winning, otherwise that result would have been doubly annoying.

Brady taking the sack just before the half was almost surreal. Uncharacteristic to say the least. Agree with others, this team clicks and plays really well at times (maybe for a quarter or so continuously), but then has serious lapses. Not looking like a championship team but who knows with BB.

Also, I was insanely busy at the start of the season and had to go complete media blackout for about 8 weeks before massively catching up so haven't posted but my impressions so far this year:
Brady - wtf. 41.
O line as a unit - pretty decent. At times had stretches of decent run blocking and generally been pretty solid in pass protection. Brady is copping some hits but often getting heaps of time in the pocket first. Continuity is helping. Thuney, Andrews and Shaq Mason especially.
Michel - Not bad... getting into the games a bit more and seemingly trusted given so many carries... on fire! big gains on early downs opening up the playbook!... oh s**t, season over :(... oh good, not over :huh:... still seems to be not quite at his best for me but a game or 2 off.
Edelman - Great to see him back. Not at his best initially, improving and seeing some of his standard stuff now but still not as central to the offense as previously.
Gronk - Still upright which is good and been really important at key times late in games. Looks ******* stiff though, expecting some reduced playing time in the last few regular season games.
Gordon - Slotted in brilliantly. Hasn't done any stupid s**t on or off field. Fingers crossed.
Patterson - Classic BB favourite-type player. Versatile.
Devlin - :D
White - Just continues to get the job done.
Flowers - Absolute animal. Causing all kinds of damage up front.
Van Noy - Having a decent season, a few big impact plays.
Wise - Good year.
Hightower - A shell of his former self this year sadly.
The brothers' McCourty - Cool to have them playing together. Generally solid.
Gilmore - The start of last year is a seriously distant memory. He is absolutely locking down one corner of the field.
Special teams - A bit all over the place.
Defense - Same. Absolutely getting shredded at some points in games.

Big game next week for playoff positioning (well they all are unless the Texans fall in a heap). Team health is pretty good but even so I don't have big expectations this year.

I know better than to count out any Belichick team however ;).
 
Jul 15, 2007
9,634
7,239
Too far from my bed
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Boston Celtics, Patriots
Just watched the game myself without knowing the result - what an absolute s**t. That's the sort of sloppiness I expect from the Browns or Bills, not the Pats and not from seasoned pros like Gostkowski and Brady who combined to throw away at least 7 points. Our D got going, but was soft as hell early for the most part and decided to completely f about on that vital last play.

Though he's young, I put a lot of that debacle play on Jones who to my eyes on first viewing went half baked on the cover and tackle on the Dolphin's player who received the first pass (can't remember who it was) - he along with a few others will hopefully learn something from that at least.

And yeah, Gronk should have been no where near the field of play on that pass, Tannehill wouldn't have got within 15 yards if lucky from where he was.

All those yards to TB and good work from the receiving group should be acknowledged, that was some good stuff. O line was fantastic too, but it was all for nothing in the end.

I'm more dirty with that game more than any of the other losses this season because it was genuinely thrown away.
 
Jan 31, 2012
36,589
24,054
patterson lakes
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Boston Celtics
Though he's young, I put a lot of that debacle play on Jones who to my eyes on first viewing went half baked on the cover and tackle on the Dolphin's player who received the first pass (can't remember who it was) - he along with a few others will hopefully learn something from that at least.

.

I thought it was Chung, but regardless it was a pathetic effort to get barely any touch on Stills, who had to leap from a standing start with no momentum to catch. He should’ve been buried upon hitting the ground & game over.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Sep 9, 2012
6,140
9,021
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
NE Patriots
Nah it was Jones. Van Noy could've also made the leg tackle on Drake (?) down the sideline but sliding doors. I come away from the game more annoyed at Gostkowski, who I've been worried about for a year or so now. No confidence in him anywhere over 40 and he has missed some huge XPs in the last few years:
  • AFCCG 2015/16
  • SB 51
  • SB 52
He's a free agent beyond this year and I'd be surprised if we didn't let him walk.

Nonetheless I remain optimistic about this team: each unit has shown signs of really good play, the thing that's holding us back is consistency, particularly on the road. If we win out from here we'll be in good shape and I'd be reasonably confident in us actually emerging from the AFC (as good as they've looked history isn't on KC/Andy Reid's side here)
 
Jul 15, 2007
9,634
7,239
Too far from my bed
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Boston Celtics, Patriots
I thought it was Chung, but regardless it was a pathetic effort to get barely any touch on Stills, who had to leap from a standing start with no momentum to catch. He should’ve been buried upon hitting the ground & game over.

Just went and had a closer look (not sure why I put myself through such things) and it was definitely J.Jones, and he was definitely half-arsed about it. Like watching a first practice during pre-season throw around. He wasn't the only one either.

Haven't seen any interviews, but credit to Dolphins if that was a set play (assume it was). That's the time and place to try it with the DBs all back and spread out - but still, there were about 4-5 relatively easy chances to shut that down. Just on the vision I saw, there were a number of Pats defenders not really doing the best thing in the circumstance.

E.g. why was Van Noy spying the QB who with a buggered ankle wasn't going to go too far without being chased down anyway and with basically only one play left in the game. Either go get him straight away, or flair back and fill space 10-15 yards off the LOS.

And I know Gronk isn't actually a safety, but as soon as you see them doing the lateral dilly dance, then do your job and become the last line of defence. Why was he 15-20 yards up the field. He should have been tracking 5-10 yards out, making sure the ball was always in front of him and using the side line as leverage - of course, as others have said, shouldn't have been on in the first place.
 
Last edited:
Dec 29, 2000
23,312
20,465
AFL Club
Adelaide
Was assuming that LA don’t lose a game therefore are on 13-3 whilst KC lose to Seattle in Seattle and end up 12-4. We, assuming we win all remaining games, end up no 2 with 12-4.

Well that dream gone and the number of penalties need to be addressed - kept the Jets in the game a few weeks ago and cost us tonight.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

So you obviously didn't watch the game haha...

From my memory of a game played like two months ago we won it comfortably. If you're asking if I remember everything about the game besides the comfy scoreline than no.
 
Jan 31, 2012
36,589
24,054
patterson lakes
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Boston Celtics
Well today confirms we won’t be doing much in the post season. Looking pretty inept on offence, particularly in oppo territory. No run game made us too easy to defend, as did the continual penalties!!

What was brady thinking with that pick?? 2nd & goal, pressure comes, throw the bloody thing dead! Game was shot after that.

We’re just so inconsistent from one drive to the next, it’s frustrating but a reality that we’re just not good enough.
 
Jul 15, 2007
9,634
7,239
Too far from my bed
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Boston Celtics, Patriots
Once again, Pats should have won but didn't do the simple things well enough. That is what is really frustrating. I know the officials have been ordinary, but how many times are we going to give them a chance to throw flags false-starts and holding penalties, they weren't all rubbish calls. It was bloody ridiculous. And Brady once again does something that I would say he is the last QB I would see do and throw that highly risky pitch for intercept late in the 2nd. He just doesn't do that. One of the things that makes him who he is is that he knows when to give it up and fight for another day.

I honestly wasn't tipping us for the the win. I just though Steelers would be too desperate and they would exploit our complete lack of an ability to stop the run to keep Brady off the field - which to some degree is what they did. That said, they weren't that sharp themselves and we could have taken it - Edlemen dropping easy catches, Gordon too. They are play extenders, momentum shifters and, more than likely, points on the board you leave behind. Then the flags and Brady with that int. ... just too much to overcome even for a decent team.

Positives: Burkhead looking better again (though Lewis was underused from what I could see). Defence was mixed bag, too easily gashed once again, but the secondary held up well enough and provided key plays. Special teams was the good standard I would expect from the Pats.

It's like every week there is one bit which looks better and another which looks crappy again. If we can get all the bits actually working, doing "your Job" if you like, at the same time, the season is not totally washed up. But, yeah, it's going to take some quick sharpening up and games falling our way (so we can get that home field advantage) if we're going to be seriously mix it up in the play-offs.
 
Last edited:
Sep 9, 2012
6,140
9,021
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
NE Patriots
It's like every week there is one bit which looks better and another which looks crappy again. If we can get all the bits actually working, doing "your Job" if you like, at the same time, the season is not totally washed up. But, yeah, it's going to take some quick sharpening up and games falling our way (so we can get that home field advantage) if we're going to be seriously mix it up in the play-offs.
This is basically what I've been saying all year - we can't get consistency across all three phases. One shows up, another turns to s**t etc. All cylinders firing I'd say each respective unit can match it with the best, it's just bringing it all at once has been near-on impossible this year.

This isn't a good team but we're actually solid at home, which is why I was hopeful we could make a run if we finished with the #2. On the road we're a complete mess and thus this season is 95% cooked.
 
Jul 15, 2007
9,634
7,239
Too far from my bed
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Boston Celtics, Patriots
This is basically what I've been saying all year - we can't get consistency across all three phases. One shows up, another turns to s**t etc. All cylinders firing I'd say each respective unit can match it with the best, it's just bringing it all at once has been near-on impossible this year.

This isn't a good team but we're actually solid at home, which is why I was hopeful we could make a run if we finished with the #2. On the road we're a complete mess and thus this season is 95% cooked.

Yeah, good call.

In fairness, most teams are stronger in some areas and less so in others. Good teams that tend to go deep into playoffs obviously have less 'weaker areas' and/or are so good in enough areas that the 'weaknesses' can't be taken advantage of enough.

In the Pats case, the front LB/DL combo especially against the run has been pretty poor all year and is easily our most consistent weakness. That aside, we've seen at least glimpses of quality from just about every other area this season. The squad is quite healthy too and that can be huge come play-offs. The potential to get the machine firing at the right time is still there, so I've not totally checked out just yet.

What feels strange about this season is you rarely see a Pats team beat themselves, or make it harder even in the wins, as often as we have this season. Dumb throw aways, multiple drop passes, poor use of time management, incorrect personnel on the field, multiple before the snap penalties, special teams giving up poor field position - those sorts of things, one way or another, have cropped up way more often than you'd see in a typical Pats season in the BB era. A lot of these can be turned around pretty quick so, as I said, I'm not giving up yet, but expectations remain tepid that's for sure.
 
Sep 6, 2005
144,175
94,134
AFL Club
Fremantle
Bill Belichick won’t second guess Tom Brady
Posted by Mike Florio on December 19, 2018, 3:53 PM EST

Plenty of people have recently been second-guessing Tom Brady in recent days. Patriots coach Bill Belichick won’t do it, at least not publicly.

Asked during a recent press conference regarding Brady’s decision to not throw the ball to running back James White short of the end zone instead of throwing the ball to the end zone one snap before the final offensive play of the game for New England, Belichick launched into a lengthy defense of/deference to the 41-year-old quarterback.

“Well, again, Tom’s a very experienced quarterback in our system, very experienced playing against our opponent, Pittsburgh, last week,” Belichick said, via a transcript distributed by the team. “He has excellent judgment and decision-making abilities and so, again, when the play is called, the ball is not supposed to go to anybody unless it’s a screen pass or something like that. We’re not trying to throw it to one guy. All the questions about why don’t we throw to this guy — because there’s five guys out on the pattern and we’re going to try to do what’s best on that play. In Tom’s judgment, which I would certainly not second-guess his judgment, which given the game situation and the time and all of the things that went into that play, he made the best decision that he thought he could make at that time and I’m not going to second-guess it.

“You can second-guess it if you want to, but nobody knows better at that time, with the ball in his hands, where he feels like he’s got the best chance. If we complete a pass and the clock’s running and how much time that’s going to take and what we have left, that’s a split-second decision that he’s got to make. I don’t think anybody will make it better than him. You can second-guess it all you want, but that’s the person we have doing that and we have great confidence in him doing that. It’s a tough situation.”

That’s arguably the most Belichick ever has said to defend anyone, and it sort of feels like a modern-day equivalent of T.O.’s sniffling “that’s my teammate, that’s my quarterback” press conference, which was widely viewed as a passive-aggressive attack by Owens on Tony Romo’s decision to take a Mexican vacation during the bye week prior to a Dallas playoff game.

Belichick may not publicly (or privately) second guess Brady, but if Brady starts consistently making decisions that are conducive to second guessing, eventually Brady won’t be “the person we have doing that.”

And that continues to be the elephant in the room when it comes to Brady’s endgame in New England. The head coach routinely has made dispassionate decisions regarding players who can and can’t perform at the acceptable level, constantly choosing between players for roster spots and playing time. If Brady really is in decline, with a desire to avoid being hit impairing his decision-making by accelerating his internal timetable for choosing where and when to throw the ball, Belichick will know it — and Belichick eventually will do something about it, unless Brady does it first.

Tom Curran of NBCSportsBoston.com recently made the case that the decline is indeed unfolding before our eyes. Again, if our eyes can see it, Belichick’s already have. And the fact that he went so far out of his way to defend Brady could be the precursor to a far less charitable separation.
 
Jul 15, 2007
9,634
7,239
Too far from my bed
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Boston Celtics, Patriots
Gordon out (suspended) infinitely.

Well, it was a matter of time let's be honest. I was quite hopeful he would make it through the year ... I figured the off season would be the real test for Gordon. Looks like he couldn't even make it that far.

On top of that, he passed the 10 games condition that was placed on the trade, so we don't even get the Browns 7th round pick back. We effectively gave up a 5th round pick for a handful of games, many good quality, but still, hardly the bargain deal that most were starting to think it was.

On the plus side, Gronk, though he will never get back to his best, is looking better every week, Paterson is being worked into the rotation as a passing option bit more and there's still Dorsett in the stable who can do his bit. TB might target White a bit more again. There will be much gnashing of teeth around the place, but it's not something that the BB and co. can't sort out.
 
Jan 31, 2012
36,589
24,054
patterson lakes
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Boston Celtics
That’s a blow losing flash.

He’d given us another dynamic in the receive corp & stretched the field for us....really thought he was our X factor going into playoffs.

Brings Dorsett into the fold now who’s no slouch, but can’t help to think the ceiling on our offense capabilities lowered now.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Back