A thread started in Gang Green forum with the below as a first post, excellent trolling Soxxx2
We are in the End Game now.
We are in the End Game now.
SB53: Pats vs. Rams Buildup
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
- Start date
So Boston news is required to sell papers in New York. Huh.Apparently nothing moves more NYC newspapers than hate buying...
Delicious salty tears.
Bertrand and Zolak are convinced that White was hurt early on in this one. They suspect a wrist / arm on his catch along the sideline.
Worth keeping an eye on this week
Worth keeping an eye on this week
I don't doubt this at all. We were all caught up in the moment, but White not being on the field for the OT drive should have been a tell
The last time Brady faced a Wade Phillips defense was the AFCCG vs Denver in which he was sacked four times, intercepted twice and knocked down 20 times. Phillips has similar personnel in LA that he did in Denver. Getting pressure without the blitz was the key.
He played in the 4th quarter though, so if the injury happened early, he was still good enough to be on the field late.
He was on the field for all the third downs in OT.
I do think he was banged up at one point though.
I wonder if the Pats are going to get one of the more favorable Super Bowl crowds they have seen in 15 years:
1. Atlanta is east, there are plenty of relocated New Englanders in the Southeast.
2. The Rams don't really have fans and they certainly don't have deep, generationally committed fans, looking to sell a kidney to get tickets. Actually leaving LA to go to Atlanta in February seems hardly worth it, one could imagine.
1. Atlanta is east, there are plenty of relocated New Englanders in the Southeast.
2. The Rams don't really have fans and they certainly don't have deep, generationally committed fans, looking to sell a kidney to get tickets. Actually leaving LA to go to Atlanta in February seems hardly worth it, one could imagine.
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Von Miller was / is a very different player than Donald...both great. Denver’s defense in 2015 was historic...the Rams are not in that league, despite Wade Philips
Game highlights here:
For quick reference, go to 15:45 and you can see White on field in OT. On the first 2 third down plays he chipped a rushed and released. On the last one he just headed out into the flat.
I was just going to say...this defense is not that D, not even in the same stratosphere. Not to be overlooked or underestimated by any means, but there's no comparison.
Yeah there's no comparison to the Denver defense. That defense had a front 7 of Malik Jackson, Sylvester Williams, Von Miller, Brandon Marshall, and DeMarcus Ware with a back end of Talib in his prime/Harris/Ward/Stewart. This Rams interior DL is better but not nearly as good on the edges. However, edge rushers hardly bother Brady. It's the interior pressure that does which concerns me with the Rams.
I think this was mentioned many times in the game thread. His absence was auspicious and it had to be an injury because there is no reason not to use the best offensive skill player the Pats have.
But he went completely unused. Burkhead snagged most of the carries. Something had to be wrong with his hands or arm. White did not touch the ball, but he's still a tremendous decoy. It is hard to imagine White just didn't get the ball in the 2nd half for game planning reasons.
That's not true.
He had a catch and a run on a drive with 5 min left in the 3rd.
Incomplete pass to him and a run on a drive to start the 4th.
He played all the 3rd down plays in OT and released into the pass patterns after chipping a rusher. Brady simply went to Edelman and Gronk on those plays.
He was also on the locker room video after the game--brief shot but nothing appeared to be wrong with him.
There's been so many 'this would be the best time for Brady to retire if he wins this game...'
Last year especially. But this year especially.
But I'm okay with him winning and just continuing to mess with the symmetry of his career.
Last year especially. But this year especially.
But I'm okay with him winning and just continuing to mess with the symmetry of his career.
Offensively, I expect NE to build a similar game plan to games against HOU. I imagine there will be a lot of hurry up to knock some wind out of Donald and Suh. Allen and Gronk will probably also play a big role with Gronk chipping then being a release valve a little more often than normal. That also might keep Phillips from using Talib on him.
Defensively, I hope Woods enjoyed the NFCCG because I sense he’ll be seeing a lot of Gillmore. Take the same approach to Cooks as they did to Hill and I think the defense has the beginning of a solid plan to defend LA. If Gurley is less than 100% this could be a game where NE is able to keep them around 20 points.
Defensively, I hope Woods enjoyed the NFCCG because I sense he’ll be seeing a lot of Gillmore. Take the same approach to Cooks as they did to Hill and I think the defense has the beginning of a solid plan to defend LA. If Gurley is less than 100% this could be a game where NE is able to keep them around 20 points.
I seem to also recall finding Derek Wolfe constantly in the Patriots backfield during that game. He was a monster. Unless I have my years mixed up.
Yes I thought I saw something but he came back to play so I thought well, must have been nothing. But maybe there was something after all.
BTW... Burkhead is a pretty solid football player. He's not James White, but he runs pretty well and is a solid receiver. Nice guy to have in the rotation.
A Cowboys fan I know had this to say.A thread started in Gang Green forum with the below as a first post, excellent trolling Soxxx2
We are in the End Game now.
"Plus I’m worried that if Brady gets the sixth stone, he’ll snap and wipe out half the Universe."
I think the Pats offensive approach this season has changed how Brady handles pressure. Very few deep dropbacks, everything is out quick, and with the best running game since maybe 2004 helping open up the PA and make the Pats more multi-dimensional, I think they are more prepared to handle pressure and mitigate a pass rush then they have been in a long-time. Also our receivers being healthy is a huge bonus; this isn't Brady's most talented arsenal but it may be his deepest. He has four guys he absolutely trusts on third downs (Edelman, Gronk, White and Hogan), Patterson is a fun tool and Dorsett can beat some defenses deep.
It's in Atlanta There's some recent history there that would compel locals to root against the Patriots, as well as casual fans and fans of the other 31 teams. The Patriots will never have a neutral site crowd in their favor until Brady and Bill are gone.
Yes but are local fans really going to shell out for SB tix just to boo the Pats?
I'd put a wager on the crowd being at least 50% pro Pats or neutral (corp types who are there to say they were there). It is a much shorter flight for New Englanders who are looking to get out of the cold and let's face it the Brady run is a lot closer to the end than the beginning. The possibility that this is the last one is going to drive a lot more NE fans than LAR fans.
There also isn't any revenge factor at play given the last time these two teams met in the SB the Rams were in a different city. If they were still in STL I could perhaps see the fans flocking to ATL.
The two failed slants to Patterson—that were so utterly Gordon money plays—while the game was still 100% in doubt had me existentially stressed out. Hope he’s good.
While that might be true it doesn't ensure that Pats fans get tickets. It's hard to guess what sort of crowd might turn out for this game as the majority of people there will neither be Patriots fans or Rams fans.
Agree with this. I'm heading down for this one. Just for some anecdotal color, most Delta flights to/from Boston filled up very fast. You can see what locations are shopping for SB tickets at the below link as well (midway down the page). NY (11.5%) / Boston (10%) / Dal (7.5%) are leading the way, followed by LA (6.8%) and ATL (5.5%). I'd expect a neutral/favorable crowd, at the very least not loud when the Patriots have the ball.
https://seatgeek.com/super-bowl-ticket-tracker?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cj&utm_campaign=Skimlinks&cjevent=dbe5beb9179c11e9809103d20a240610
They used all three backs on the drive that starts at 7 minutes, but when White was in KC bracketed him (which opened things up for other guys). He was in the whole two minute drive except for the final handoff to Burkhead, but he was chipping and then releasing on every play to help the OL, so he was not a primary option. He was in on the third downs in OT, but they were all third-and-long so throwing to the back would not be a primary option. I don't see anything unusual in his usage patterns late; he just didn't end up getting the ball for a variety of reasons. It's not like throwing to Jules and Gronk was ineffective.
EDIT: I looked through all the second-half drives and White was in basically every time you'd think he'd be in (i.e, 3rd and more than 1) and played at least one snap on every drive, except for the INT one that was only two plays. I don't see anything weird here that would suggest an injury. I think the issues were 1) Pats trying to run a lot in the second half which led to more Michel / Burkhead 2) using White to chip in some passing situations to slow KC's pass rush 3) KC trying to take White away at points by using a DB or a bracket or both.
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Yup. We definitely missed Gordon there. Patterson simply can’t be trusted on vertical routes.
In the locker room post-game, Brady apologized to Patterson for missing him on a slant throw.
Is it weird how much the Rams don't scare me?
I see the line is Pats -2.5 and I want to go find it at -7.5.
I see the line is Pats -2.5 and I want to go find it at -7.5.
I kind of agree in that I considered both SD and KC scarier, but if there's one lesson we should've learned as Pats fans in the past 20 years, it's that the Super Bowl is NEVER easy. 2004 against the Eagles was the only previous one that wasn't a clencher.
Hard to be sure watching the tv, but It looked like for the second week in a row, Gilmore got burned long by diverting attention from his assignment in hopes of helping out teammates in coverage. Can they convince him to focus only on his man in "island" coverage?
Pats' two playoff wins - defense, points allowed:
- First half: 7
- Second half/OT: 52
- Quarters 1-3: 21
- Quarter 4/OT: 38
I know the Chargers were mostly in garbage time mode there but still. Once they have these teams buried, I'd like to see them stay buried.
- First half: 7
- Second half/OT: 52
- Quarters 1-3: 21
- Quarter 4/OT: 38
I know the Chargers were mostly in garbage time mode there but still. Once they have these teams buried, I'd like to see them stay buried.
Quoting this, so in a week and a half I can use it as my typical post about how fans go from super confident to terrified as we get closer to game time.
It's not like they're playing the Jets out there. Tall task to ask for complete domination of two 12-win squads when it's win or go home.
I’m weirded out by this as well. I feel like we’d win 7 or 8 out of 10 times. I shouldn’t because they have the roster to beat NE with a fearsome front four that can generate pressure without extra help.
It would definitely help relax me if we discovered that Gurley had contracted gangrene in his entire right leg.
That was a play where Mahomes scrambled around a bit. It's tough to stay with anyone that long.
Watkins did lead KC in receiving by a wide margin though Gillmore did end up on Kelce more in the 4th.
How will some of these inevitable media narratives for this Super Bowl play out...
- How will SpyGate be framed? Have the Pats put enough wins on the board to dispel it or will it remain the evil origin story?
- Will the Alex Guerrero as Yoko Ono story be re-vived again or one year on is it behind us?
- Last year had a few last rodeo feels for Brady/Gronk/BB so is this happy bonus time or truly the dark end?
Given that NY is relatively close to Boston, Dallas stands out as the odd duck. I guess football - and the Super Bowl - is that popular with Texans. The more delightful scenario is that fans of the former America's Team now need to follow the current America's Team if they want to experience a Super Bowl. Welcome aboard!
I'm not even trying to be weird or flip. I just think the Patriots are a much better team the way they're playing right now. The running game is just incredible.