2019 Game Goat Thread: Wk. 17 vs Dolphins

[ninjacornelius]

Football is a strange game. You typically only get a few possessions and situations often dictate what you're going to do.

If you count everything... Pats had 11 possessions.

* Hard to criticize the play-calling on the 3 TD drives. So toss those out and you're down to 8.
* Throw out the final possession, where there really weren't any options, and you're down to 7.
* The calls on the end of 1st half "drive" were certainly questionable - but it was 2 run attempts. now you're down to 6.
* On the FG drive - Pats did start 1st and goal with a no gain run. 2nd and goal was a good shot to Harry - better throw and I bet he brings it down. At that point, you probably aren't hoping for a run on 3rd and goal from the 7. down to 5.
* Of the 4 "punt" drives... 2 were 3-and-outs, each with 2 runs. Not great results, but not pass-happy. down to 3.
* One "punt" drive did end with 3 straight passes - a penalty did lead to 3rd and 20... so little hope for a run on that play. Maybe an earlier run could've helped? down to 2.
* last punt drive started with 2 runs, but was set back by a sack on 2nd and 6 and an illegal shift penalty to negate a big gain and bring up 3rd and 15 (not a running spot). down to 1.
* interception TD drive was only 2 plays.

This is very interesting and provides some necessary context. I don't know if running the ball more would have helped, but what seems obvious is that their offensive production doomed them. I haven't had any reason to watch Miami this year (thank God), but by the numbers, their defense was historically bad. According to DVOA, their defense was the 7th worst of any team in the past 35 years going into last week. They were giving up 2.68 points per drive (worst in the league). They forced the fewest punts per drive and gave up the most TDs per drive of any team in the league. There isn't a single defensive metric in which Miami is above league average. The fact that the Patriots offense, at home, playing for a bye, could not score more than 24 points against this unit is unfathomable to me. Throw in the pick-six, which ended up being the margin of victory, and you get one of the most shocking Patriots offensive performances I can remember.

 

[54thMA]

And a little longer ago, Josh McDaniels.

And while we're at it, Mangini, Crennel this year (I kept hearing the announcers babbling about how he drew up some brilliant defensive scheme vs the Patriots as he knows their tendencies), on and on it goes.

The infuriating part is have any of the coaches from his coaching tree gone on to greatness; ok the jury is still out on a few of them, but in general, no, they just come up with ways to beat the Patriots while shitting the bed vs everyone else.

And speaking of which, can anyone name a team that has fucked up as many Patriots seasons while accomplishing nothing otherwise than the Dolphins.

Off the top of my head, 1980, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2015, 2018, 2019, although in two of those instances, they went on to win the Super Bowl, but they did screw up their playoff seeding, although in truth in 2004 even if they had ended up 15-1 and tied with the Steelers, they lost to them head to head and would have had to go on the road for the AFCCG.

That franchise is the true definition of ants at a picnic, just beyond annoying.

I look forward to them being barely mediocre in 2020 and still finding a way to screw up the Patriots playoff seeding once again.