Ravens - Pats Postgame Discussion

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The Gr8est

The Gr8est

"It's time to shut up, Fat Boy!"
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OK we won and are going to the Superbowl.

Yay!

Now we have to discuss this so let's get started.

Positives:

1) Defense continues to improve. They saved our bacon with plays at the end of the game.

2) Huge game by Vince. Deserving winner of the MVP.

3) We played poorly and still won. That's a positive in anyone's book. Beats losing to an inferior Rats team in the playoffs like last year.

4) Overall the OL provided time for Brady to pass, just wish he could have used the time better.

5) Not a huge game by AHern, but still played well. I continue to be amazed by his feet. A better pass from Brady would have been a huge gain by AHern.

6) Gronk is just a beast, he did all he could be asked to do. Should have had at least one TD.

7) Sterling Moore continues to develop and look like a gr8 pickup. Huge plays at the end to help save the game. This will boost his confidence and help him going forward.

Negatives:

There are more negatives, for me, than positives, it wasn't a thing of beauty.

1) Poor game by Brady. He had two picks, two others called back due to penalties, missed open receivers, including Gronk for a TD, and a big play to AHern who was wide open with running room.

Why was Brady throwing into double coverage on the 50 yard bomb? Dumb turnover.

2) Coaches had a very uneven performance. The lack of challenge on Gronk's catch inside the 10 that may have cost us 4 points, and whose idea was it to go for a 50 yard bomb to Slater after Spikes' pick? If we make it that's gr8, but after the pick our defense got to go right back out on the field.

3) Nate Solder got beat on two inside moves. We need to tighten that up. That said will Sebastian Vollmer ever get on the field? He's taken up a roster spot all year. We could probably have Koppen back if we didn't IR him because we needed the roster spot. I've got to think that the Pats expected him to be healthier sooner than he was, but we also lost Ted Larsen last year while Nick Kaczur took a roster spot for a few weeks before being let go.

4) We are SO dependent on Gronk. That is fine if he stays healthy, but what happens when we lose him like today? We lose a receiver AND a blocker.

5) Yeah, I know Ridley fumbled two weeks in a row, but Woodhead and Welker fumbled today, and Brady threw two picks. We could have used his outside speed and counter punch to BJGE. He needs to be active for the Superbowl.

6) Where's Welker? Besides the muff that went OOB, he didn't show up much.

7) Turnovers. Pats were -3 and still managed to win. That is tempting fate though


That should get the discussion started.
 
I think Ridley and Ocho will be active for the SB...
By sitting out Ridley BB is letting him know fumbles can't happen EVER!!!
 
One more positive I'd like to add, but it's not just for this game it's for this season.

We are in good shape cap wise, and free agent wise. We don't have any players looking at long off-season rehab for injuries and that is huge (knock on wood since we have one more game to go).

As usual we have extra picks and returning picks from this year who we can reasonably hope to contribute next year in Ras I Dowling and Shane Vereen; and maybe even Ryan Mallett, who I am hoping can bring us a #1 pick from a desperate team when the QBs run out early.....and they will run out.

For now we get to play in the Superbowl. It's good to be the Pats.
 
Beaglebay said:
So Woodhead will be inactive?
Click to expand...

Notice that he went right back to Woodhead the very next play, and he once again put one arm out while he had the other holding the ball... :eek:
 
The Defense played stellar today. They held them to 3 after the fumbled return, got a turnover and made that critical stop on 4th down as well as before the kick that will live in infamy. The pressure early was awesome, but faded for quite a while. Fortunately it returned late. Averaging 15 points a game in the playoffs is better than their season average. They were on the RB like white on Rice (copyright Beaglebay.) Brady was off his game. His trophy comments likely surprised Jim, but they were true. His over the top TD was exciting, but could have gotten him killed. I feel that clunker of a performance will spur a solid SB performance. I am very happy the Pats won despite the turnovers.
 
Love the Gronk de-cleating of "T-sizzle"
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MhamDo7F9yI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
The Gr8est said:
Coaches had a very uneven performance. The lack of challenge on Gronk's catch inside the 10 that may have cost us 4 points, and whose idea was it to go for a 50 yard bomb to Slater after Spikes' pick? If we make it that's gr8, but after the pick our defense got to go right back out on the field.
Click to expand...

Actually, according to Trent Dilfer, the coaches did a good job of calling running plays to beat Baltimore's defensive alignment, and of hitting Gronk in the passing game when the D was in their favor. The Slater bomb, not sure what happened there, but the mere fact that they're throwing to Slater shows their need of a true deep threat. Everyone figured Baltimore would clog the middle today and try to take away the Two And A Half Men, and a strong outside deep game would help, but with Ocho inactive and Branch a non-factor they just had little options. But I definitely would've liked to have seen more plays designed to beat the inside rush (e.g. some over-the-head screen passes to guys like Woodhead or Faulk up the sideline).

Nate Solder got beat on two inside moves.
Click to expand...

I think Solder will be solid but they're expecting a lot of a rookie, putting up against guys like Suggs (and the Giants defenders he's going to face in two weeks).
 
Here's what I posted in another thread with some edits:

Hopefully a big middle finger to the critics of the defense, and that goes to the analysts and to our very own fans who have bashed the defense. IMO this was a defensive win--the offense, mainly the position of QB looked rather abysmal. Baltimore played good defense and the OL was very good to allow only 1 sack (with a few hits). Defense didn't choke too much after we turned the ball over 3 times and even came up big when we needed it. Unfortunately there are still people in the media and probably within the fanbase who credit the Patriots' victory to "Baltimore losing" over NE winning, and I've heard the "Lee Evans dropped the TD" when it was clearly a defensive play. Love to hear the critics over the next couple of weeks continue to doubt the "worst defense in the history of the game".

Moore made a tremendous play saving the TD by poking the ball out. I was actually pissed because at first I thought it was a TD on a picture perfect accurate throw and the defender was of course, turned the wrong way. But Moore made a good play to knock it out. The issue was that they couldn't get off the field on 3rd down but they made a good play to force the FG try at the end. Thrilling finish.

Overall, the defense came to play and did a great job containing the run. 3rd down killed them later on in the game, but the turnovers on offense were just sad. It was funny because when Woodhead came out of the end zone, I was saying out loud repeatedly, "ball security, ball security, ball security", and then he fumbled. That was incredibly underwhelming but they held them to 3 (I think) that drive. Offense can be described in one word: abysmal. Glad we have the 2 week stretch to get Gronkowski healthy.

Most importantly of all, we're going to the Super Bowl! Giants, we're ready (at least I trust we will be when we play them).

Edit: That Brady swan dive was epic to see. I'm so glad he didn't break his back or neck or anything, because that looked deadly. One of my favorite moments from Brady i've seen.

Hopefully this proves that the defense is at least somewhat capable of ending the game when they needed to. I hope we come up with great results against the NYG, and none of that David Tyree crap.

Both of Brady's INTs came from double coverage and attempting to throw in the middle of two defenders. The Edleman throw was just plain dumb and the Slater throw was horrible too. Also was not a fan of the easy missed Gronk TD and the lob to Gronk on the sidelines. I was also angry as hell when they went 3 and out with something like 1:40 left in the game. He was staring down A-Hern I thought, and that enabled Reed to make the good play. Not a great day for TB throwing the ball, he looked a bit like the TB we saw get knocked off by the NYJ last year.

Hope we use that as more motivation for the Super Bowl. Also hoping that no media outlets pick the Patriots to win. More motivation.
 
What's the word on Gronk? Apologies if it's in another thread.

Was it a foot, ankle, knee, "lower body" (I can imagine what BB would/did call it)
 
Funny when woody took the ball out i was also saying out loud "please dont fumble please dont fumble please dont FFFFFUUUUU!!!!"
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Patriots44 said:
What's the word on Gronk? Apologies if it's in another thread.

Was it a foot, ankle, knee, "lower body" (I can imagine what BB would/did call it)
Click to expand...

I think foot, perhaps? I know he was reported to have been wearing a boot in the locker room.
 
Patriots44 said:
What's the word on Gronk? Apologies if it's in another thread.

Was it a foot, ankle, knee, "lower body" (I can imagine what BB would/did call it)
Click to expand...

All we know so far are two facts:

1) he got it x-rayed when he went into the locker room, and
2) he was back on the field blocking for Brady's TD dive.

Extrapolating from that, it obviously isn't broken and they obviously thought it was good enough to tape up and send him back out.

Given the two weeks before the SB, and given the months he'll have to heal afterwards, I literally and seriously think that Gronk would play this upcoming game even with a foot amputation. He'll be out there. Besides, having a bum ankle won't hurt much; it's not like blazing speed is his game.
 
I'm now laid up after pulling a muscle patting myself on the back, but...seriously with this?
Flagg the Wanderer said:
It may have gotten better, but I got bored wading through smack talk in the other thread.

I'll repeat what I said before the playoffs began: I do not like this matchup. The Poets have every key strength on defense that is likely to give us trouble:
1) A specific kind of pass rush:
a) The ability to push the middle of the pocket
b) A DE/OLB combo on the same side that will not allow Mankins to provide inside help to light (and allow Light to cheat to the outside).
2) Smarts - ability to make quick reads and disguise looks
3) Ballhawking safety

Combine these three and Brady is pushed off his spot, forced to make quick reads against a complex scheme with talented players, and is likely to pay for any mistake.

And I'll add:
4) Bernard Pollard. Dude just still makes me nervous.

Still, I don't see the Ravens holding the Patriots under 24, and I don't see them putting up that many points. So I still see a Patriots win...I'm just not as comfortable as I'd like to be.
Click to expand...
C'mon now! Down to calling out the Pollard menace! I was off by *1 point!*

Good job, Flagg!
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That playcall before the two minute warning, on 2nd and 3. I don't get it. Out of all the plays we could call, I think we could have only done worse by letting Edelman run out of the backfield. What a terrible call when incompletions don't matter - we should never have let them have a shot at it.
Other than that, loved what I saw from the defense. Sure there were a few big plays coming out the Ravens here and there, but overall it was a solid solid performance. If they can contain the run game in two weeks and then just take Cruz out of the game, it'll be fun to watch.
 
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