The Game Ball Thread: Week 13 at Buffalo
- Thread starter SeoulSoxFan
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Exactly what I was going to post except without Burkhead. Although you're probably correct to include him.
Burkhead and Gilmore stand out. Glad B.B. didn’t cut them after a few weeks when they were so disappointing.
THE MOST PRODUCTIVE PLAYER IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
I mean, BUF scores three points. Lee’s performance was basically good enough for the win.
(I wonder if the BUF castoffs have their own drinking club on the Pats...)
I mean, BUF scores three points. Lee’s performance was basically good enough for the win.
(I wonder if the BUF castoffs have their own drinking club on the Pats...)
Burkhead was disappointing? Pretty sure he had a fumble but also few TDs before he got hurt.
Anyway, I’d add that Ghost did great in the first half when the outcome was ostensibly in doubt.
Bills coaches. They have to know BB snagged Gilmore b/c he’s a tall CB. Yet they throw 2 endzone jumpball isolations to the guy he’s covering. It’s a gift that keeps giving.
He had 1 TD, 18 yards rushing and 49 yards receiving before her got hurt in the first 2 weeks.
Before today he had 166 rushing yards and 179 receiving. I'd call that disappointing.
I thought Gilmore and Burkhead would be fine, but there was a lot of talk about how they were both busts.
"When the game was in doubt, 0-0, the Patriots allowed the Bills to march all the way down the field before stopping them. They allowed 0 points on the drive, but at that point their yards/drive was a horrible 66.0."
I think that one guys from FO just dropped Brady out of his Top 5 QBs of all time after this week. I mean, he was barely in the top 5 and had to play another 4-5 years to really cement it, so after today's performance he's somewhere between Flacco and Michael Bishop.
He’s kind of disappointing the way Amendola was disappointing last year – he doesn’t put up big statistics in the aggregate, he got dinged up almost immediately but seems to make what he does count.
Burkhead had three carries for 15 yards in game 1, 3 receptions for 41 yards and a TD in game 2 (in the first half IIRC maybe even first quarter) before getting hurt and being out five games. He then had 7 catches on 7 targets against the Chargers. And he has been terrific the last two weeks.
Like a lot of Patriots he doesn’t put up big numbers because they have so many skill guys they rely on. But especially since that he’s supplanted Gillislee in short yardage situations the last several games he seems and put up 5 TDs in the last two weeks, he seems to be working out fine.
I'm out of market, so I mostly have only seen the nationally-televised games and some NFL Red Zone highlights, but from what I have seen the White/Lewis/Burkhead hydra of RBs has seemed just plain awesome this year. So good to see Lewis back to his former form. All three have looked fantastic to me, in the limited viewing I've had.
edit: when the NEP run the ball well (which, obviously, has a TON to do with the OL), they are unstoppable. I LOVE it when the running game gets going.
edit: when the NEP run the ball well (which, obviously, has a TON to do with the OL), they are unstoppable. I LOVE it when the running game gets going.
Post-bye, the Patriots have played 4 games, and what's particularly impressive is that they are putting teams away early and not looking back. Here are the time points at which they took a 2-score lead that then lasted the rest of the game:
Denver: 13:38 minutes remain, 2nd quarter
Oakland: 5:23, 2nd quarter
Miami: 8:29 2nd quarter
Buffalo: 9:02, 3rd quarter
I do not mean to imply that a 9+ point lead is completely insurmountable (duh), but I do think this is a decent was to quantitate the feeling of the game being "in control." No great opponents here, but not letting bad teams linger is a good trait.
Also, apologies if some of those times are a bit off, NFL.com game logs are oddly formatted. But the general point certainly stands.
Denver: 13:38 minutes remain, 2nd quarter
Oakland: 5:23, 2nd quarter
Miami: 8:29 2nd quarter
Buffalo: 9:02, 3rd quarter
I do not mean to imply that a 9+ point lead is completely insurmountable (duh), but I do think this is a decent was to quantitate the feeling of the game being "in control." No great opponents here, but not letting bad teams linger is a good trait.
Also, apologies if some of those times are a bit off, NFL.com game logs are oddly formatted. But the general point certainly stands.
Brady played a really good game, especially in the context of his less than great final stats. Buffalo was getting good pressure and their secondary is good. Brady did an amazing job moving in the pocket and finding underneath guys all game. The throw down the sideline to Amendola was great. The INT would have been a defensive PI if it was anyone but Gronk.
Outside of TB12, I'd give it to the entire defense. Buffalo marched down the field on their first drive and it looked like it would be a slugfest all afternoon. Then they only allow three points. Fantastic.
Outside of TB12, I'd give it to the entire defense. Buffalo marched down the field on their first drive and it looked like it would be a slugfest all afternoon. Then they only allow three points. Fantastic.
Kyed brought up Malcom Brown on Nesn.com---seemed like the interior line was getting much more push forward than usual.
Check out Fleming in two big running plays.
In the 44-yard Lewis run, Fleming drives a guy about 10 yards back before pancaking him.
In the 2nd Burkhead TD run, Fleming helps Shaq on a double team and then releases to blow a linebacker (#52) completely out of the play.
Pretty strong work from your #4 OT.
In the 44-yard Lewis run, Fleming drives a guy about 10 yards back before pancaking him.
In the 2nd Burkhead TD run, Fleming helps Shaq on a double team and then releases to blow a linebacker (#52) completely out of the play.
Pretty strong work from your #4 OT.
That's nice and all, but the interior D line also allowed some pretty nice runs by McCoy.
Can anyone attest to the whereabouts of Willie McGinest on Sunday? Do we know for a fact that he is not actually “Eric Lee”?
Using win probability from profootballreference.com the Patriots went over 90% and never dipped below at the follow stage:
Denver: 18 minutes into the game
Oakland: 21 minutes into the game
Miami: 17 minutes into the game
Buffalo: 32 minutes into the game
What I love most about the OL is that every game you see 69-year-old Dante Scarnecchia fist pumping and shouting out there. He has every bit of a younger man's passion for the game (or Belichick's). I hope the only way he leaves Foxborough is on a gurney, many years from now.