Old story, but credible play-action threat is key for red zone scoring vs. the better NFL defenses.Defense. I wish we had the kind of defense where the team could have tried play action on first and goal, and not been worried about time on the clock.
The defense in the end of the half has been a problem in recent years too. The Jarvis Landry TD. Jordy Nelson. The Super Bowl. A few others too. Teams scoring TDs wth very little time and no time outs.
I am laughing uncontrollably at this fuckin' guy's picture.Honorable mention
last play, aka
Isn't the obvious answer: because they can't?This was the game to rush the passer. The Seattle offensive line is an embarassment. Why they didn't do this the whole game is a mystery.
And the rest of the coaching staff.Bill Belichick
Josh McDaniels
Matt Patricia.
Seahawks-Patriots was one of the few “circle it” games on the schedule the moment it came out. It is two of the league’s best teams, plus a rematch of one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever played, plus a collection of huge personalities (Brady, Sherman, Gronk, Carroll, Belichick, Russ) in a league that is running low on them. Not to mention, in a season of sinking ratings, this is the first Sunday Night game coming post-election and post-World Series. It’s a chance for the NFL to put its best foot forward and basically send the message that they’re back and ready to dominate your free time for the next three months.
So why is the league getting these teams together on such a screwy schedule? The Seahawks are being forced to fly cross-country after playing Monday night, to face a Patriots team coming off a bye and playing at home. I think, come January, we’ll be saying Seattle is the best team in the NFC. But asking them to play Monday night and then go 3,000 miles to play the league’s best team on five day’s rest? That’s too tall an order. Howard Katz and Co. dropped the ball on this one. And the NFL is at risk of showing the public yet another primetime dud.
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/11/12/nfl-week-10-patriots-seahawks-jimmy-graham-michael-bennett-richard-sherman-dan-carpenter-waltOne other reason this one could get ugly that is out of the league’s hands: the Michael Bennett injury. Bennett was a dominant force in Super Bowl XLIX, even after Cliff Avril left that game (and for those of you box score-only viewers, Bennett had no sacks in that game but had four hits on Brady, who consistently got the ball out quickly). Ernie Adams had said that containing Bennett was the New England offense’s top priority in that game. The Patriots likely slept a little more soundly on Saturday night knowing Bennett was ruled out.
That makes me feel a lot better, the author saying the game could get ugly (in NE's favor). Sheesh.
He was a gametime decision with a back injury; maybe he shouldn't have been active.The defence was massively disappointing tonight, but I also give a consideration to Chris Hogan, who looked disinterested at times. Two plays that stick out in my mind: his (lack of) blocking near the red zone earlier in the game during a play to Bennett -- if he had been blocking, it might've been a TD for Bennett. Secondly, he lined up in the slot to Brady's left, and Tom was screaming at him to motion, but he was looking the other way. Finally he realised Tom was talking to him and he finally motioned to the other side.
Seattle hadn't to this point been a great offense though, especially running the ball. Maybe they figured out their offensive line problems overnight? Or, the Pats D is bad.Is this just what happens to all defenses these days when playing a great offense? Seattle's vaunted D was a yard away from having 31 hung on them, just like the Pats.
This.The sad thing about the D: it is really healthy. Freeny is the only defensive player on IR; Branch is the only one on the injury report. There ain't no cavalry; this is as good as it's going to get.
I'm not sure if it was obvious on TV, but being at the game, I was shocked at how many times the Patriots DB's seemed to have no idea where they were supposed to be. They were on the wrong side of the field, covering the wrong guy.The play that I keep coming back to is the Seattle TD at the end of the first half. Sloppy zone coverage, miles of space between defenders, passing a WR off to space with no one picking him up for the easiest TD pass you'll ever see....I haven't seen defense that bad since the '91 Pats. Completely lost out there.
Pro tip: Coleman can't play. Logan Ryan can't play. McClellin can't play.
This one is just a math problem. You play one high safety, you can have one safety down in the box to cover the TE or the RB. Obviously they don't want to put a LB on Graham, so that leaves a LB on Prosise. It's pretty much unavoidable; one of your LB has to be able to cover.Single coverage of the RB, who's in the slot, with a linebacker in single press coverage is a recipe for disaster, which killed them a number of times late in that game.