The Game Ball Thread: SB vs Rams

mwonow

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I had the same thought. Chung had the benefit of not having to make a tackle after breaking his arm though.
And as fans, we had the pleasure of not seeing the D implode after the injury
 

Bleedred

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I just want to reflect on how great a 1st round pick Sony Michel turned out to be. I don't think that the Patriots change in philosophy, if that's what it was, to run the ball down the throats of the Bills, Jets, Chargers and Chiefs would have been an option without Sony Michel. He has room to grow (as a receiver for sure) but he was an incredibly valuable piece this year.

Defense, Defense, Defense. I love it
 

bigq

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It was the don’t bend, don’t break defense.

And seriously- the only points the Rams scores was a 53 yard field goal. 53 fucking yards. That is a hard kick to make and I have a VERY hard time dinging the defense for that. This is as close to a shut out as you can get. Total dominance.
And the sack that preceded the FG made that kick so difficult. This was the best defensive effort I have ever seen from the Pats.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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I am going to recount when I am less tired but I have Jules for 23 first downs on 26 catches in the playoffs. That’s nuts. One of his catches today went technically as a lateral and a run so it’s essentially 23 for 27, because he was short a bit on that one. But it’s just really amazing.

Only 5 TDS for Edelman on 115 playoff catches, which seems a bit anomalous. But this year’s playoffs was really a microcosm of what he does.

He just moves the sticks between the 20s all night long. 9 Patriots TDS on the ground in the playoffs and only two through the air but there was really nothing outside the numbers and other than Gronk on a few really big plays and a grab by Hogan and Dorsett in the red zone, Edelman was just the engine that pulled the sled up and down the field.

If someone told you that the Patriots would have just two receiving TDS in the playoffs both by Dorsett, I would give them much of a chance. The ground game was incredible, but time after time after time it was Edelman moving the chains with tough catches over the middle where there is no room for error.
 

bigq

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Not sure you’ll ever see a player come up smaller in consecutive SB losses for two different teams. A special level of futility.
Didn’t he have 120 reviving yards tonight? That doesn’t seem like coming up small. He was pretty much the only thing the Rams had going on offense.
 

nothumb

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I just want to reflect on how great a 1st round pick Sony Michel turned out to be. I don't think that the Patriots change in philosophy, if that's what it was, to run the ball down the throats of the Bills, Jets, Chargers and Chiefs would have been an option without Sony Michel. He has room to grow (as a receiver for sure) but he was an incredibly valuable piece this year.

Defense, Defense, Defense. I love it
Hopefully Michel can spend his summer learning how to run option routes with Sweet Feet and Brady. Having him as a dual threat would make this offense truly unfair.
 

BaseballJones

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Not sure you’ll ever see a player come up smaller in consecutive SB losses for two different teams. A special level of futility.
He was covered by the best CB in football and had 8 receptions for 120 yards. He was their only offensive weapon.

His “drop” came when one guy actually had his left arm pinned and then a second defender hit him.

And then on the other long pass he was so wide open and Goff’s pass was a balloon and JMac made a phenomenal play.

How did Cooks come up small today exactly?
 

rodderick

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And the sack that preceded the FG made that kick so difficult. This was the best defensive effort I have ever seen from the Pats.
Yup, never felt like the Rams had anything going. Just utter domination of a very, very good offense. This was a vintage 2004 Patriots kind of win, but there's a 24-3 shellacking hidden somewhere in this game. Pats moved the ball reasonably well all night.
 

scottyno

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cooks stats looked way better because he had 45 yards vs the prevent defense when it was 13-3
 

SuperManny

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He was covered by the best CB in football and had 8 receptions for 120 yards. He was their only offensive weapon.

His “drop” came when one guy actually had his left arm pinned and then a second defender hit him.

And then on the other long pass he was so wide open and Goff’s pass was a balloon and JMac made a phenomenal play.

How did Cooks come up small today exactly?
Yeah that's an bad take given he was their best offensive player tonight and was knocked out last year.
 

Kliq

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The linebackers, Van Noy and Hightower were excellent against the run and the pass today; really probably the best defensive players in a game that was full of good ones.

Also, shout-out to Gostkowski. Yeah he missed the first kick but he bounced back and hit two more, both of which were not easy kicks, especially in the Super Bowl.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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cooks stats looked way better because he had 45 yards vs the prevent defense when it was 13-3
Yup, 6 for 75 when they were actually playing defense, but dropped two TDs. He was fine, but my #1 receiver has to bring in at least one of those balls.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Last post tonight then I’m going to sleep. Just so amped about this game and win.

Missed long field goals and turnovers on downs don’t technically count as turnovers but they are effectively the same. Including the interception any one of those offensive drive enders without points or a punt could have changed the whole game in the first half. The Patriots obviously never trailed and if they ever had it could have been a much different game.

After those three series the Patriots defense forced punts after a 3 and out a 5 and out and a 3 and out.
 

BaseballJones

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Yup, 6 for 75 when they were actually playing defense, but dropped two TDs. He was fine, but my #1 receiver has to bring in at least one of those balls.
Calling those "drops" seems absurd to me. But YMMV I guess, depending on how badly one wants to crap on Cooks.

He was basically the only Ram to show up on offense today.
 

MuppetAsteriskTalk

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I'm not going to worry when the Pats start slow next season, or when they start slow in the 1st quarter of next year's super bowl.​
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Calling those "drops" seems absurd to me. But YMMV I guess, depending on how badly one wants to crap on Cooks.

He was basically the only Ram to show up on offense today.
Two hands on the ball = drop.

To be fair, I want to crap on him very badly so I’ll admit my bias. I was glad he was traded for the sole reason that I didn’t want to think about him this year.
 

BaseballJones

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Two hands on the ball = drop.

To be fair, I want to crap on him very badly so I’ll admit my bias. I was glad he was traded for the sole reason that I didn’t want to think about him this year.
Again, on the sideline play, he was double teamed, and one defender had his left arm pinned, and as he tried to catch it with the other hand, a second defender hit him. How you can call that a "drop" is beyond me.

And on the one at the goalpost, JMac came over and knocked it away just as Cooks touched it. That's not a drop either - that's a defender making a GREAT play.

But whatever. Who cares about Cooks? He's not a Patriot anymore and I don't care if those count as drops or not. The Pats won and I'm not gonna sleep all night.
 

DeadlySplitter

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Not sure you’ll ever see a player come up smaller in consecutive SB losses for two different teams. A special level of futility.
I feel bad for him as a person. but he's not a smart football player. glad we moved on after one year of him being a square peg in a round hole.
 

SuperManny

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Cooks was also open for about 20 yards before having to wait for the ball at the back of the endzone.

They show the full route at 15 seconds in.

 

Jettisoned

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There's really no reason to hate Cooks at all from a Pats fan perspective. The guy did his best for us and got knocked out of the Super Bowl last year on kind of an unlucky play. I am sad that he lost 2 Super Bowls in consecutive seasons. That being said, the thought of him making 2-3 huge catching and winning this game is infuriating, and I'm so glad it didn't happen.
 

lexrageorge

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The Rams punted 43 times during the regular season, and 5 times in their first 2 playoff games. Tonight they punted 9 times, which means they boomed nearly 16% of their total season punts in this one game.
 

Three10toLeft

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Cooks played like an idiot against the Eagles last year. First the brain dead leap in to the defenders arms, followed up with running around in circles inviting a defender to level him.

He seems like a great guy and teammate. But if he'd come back to haunt us this year, that would've really sucked.
 

DeadlySplitter

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man on the JMac play Goff's throw is late and high. we got him good.

I will have to rewatch the other "drop". If a left arm was pinned, did we get away with DPI then? :confused:
 

BaseballJones

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man on the JMac play Goff's throw is late and high. we got him good.

I will have to rewatch the other "drop". If a left arm was pinned, did we get away with DPI then? :confused:
Probably we did. It was handfighting but it was certainly enough contact to affect the catch.
 

Ed Hillel

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Cooks was also open for about 20 yards before having to wait for the ball at the back of the endzone.

They show the full route at 15 seconds in.

Yup, very slow read and terrible throw. Goff just isn’t very good, but he’s surrounded by top level talent. When he lost two of them (Gurley and Kupp), CLIFF.
 

DeadlySplitter

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here's the 2nd Cooks play at 11:20 of this highlights package.


Gilmore gets his hand hooked like a second (if even) before the ball arrives. that's one way to get away with DPI, bang bang.
 
Apr 7, 2006
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So happy for Edelman.

If this is Gronk's last game, he did himself proud, blocking AND receiving.

JMac making a signature play makes me smile.

Thought the refs did a nice job tonight. Let them play.

Loved watching Chung on the sideline...even though I HATED watching him on the sideline.

BB and "B-Flo Malcom Go!" did an incredible job. One for the ages.

My birthday today - 50. Ditto for the first Pats-Rams super bowl AND for the Scottish Game. Glad to be back in the win column. Apparently I LOVE BEING 50!!!!
 

Dollar

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Just watched the full highlights. Harmon made two HUGE plays, breaking up a long pass to Cooks and then bringing the pressure that caused the bad throw that was picked off by Gilmore. Harmon and J McCourty are my defensive MVPs.
 

Ed Hillel

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Just watched the full highlights. Harmon made two HUGE plays, breaking up a long pass to Cooks and then bringing the pressure that caused the bad throw that was picked off by Gilmore. Harmon and J McCourty are my defensive MVPs.
That’s why I laugh when people call BB cheap and say he doesn’t pay anyone. No, because he’s too busy spending 5 million on a playmaker like Duron Harmon and creating insane depth in the secondary. People STILL haven’t figured it out.

Cooks dropped the pass before the breakup, though, to be fair.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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These have pretty much all been mentioned, but indulge me with some picks beyond JE11, Gronk, and Gilmore:

1) Hightower and Van Noy...responsible for the amazing lack of production from RBs and TEs in passing game.
2) The refs... I reread the game thread and saw of ton of whining about calls that looked pretty reasonable to me. They let them play. Only egregious call was the hold on the Rams center.
3) JMac. He was terrific all game, even beyond the play on Cooks. Speaking of which...
4) Cooks. Nothing personal, I like him, but he left points on the field.
5) Develin and David Andrews. I call out Andrews after just about every game. Who’s a better center?
6) Flo. He don’t know that the boy he loves is Romeo.
7) Matt Slater. Great ST play made up for fucking up the coin toss.
8) Ryan Allen. Beyond the great punting, he made a great catch and hold on a terrible snap from Cardinal to nearly save the missed FG.
9) the SoSHer who stayed put in the couch.
 

scottyno

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Just watched the full highlights. Harmon made two HUGE plays, breaking up a long pass to Cooks and then bringing the pressure that caused the bad throw that was picked off by Gilmore. Harmon and J McCourty are my defensive MVPs.
Harmon had played 2 snaps this week before the Chung injury and 2 snaps all of the chiefs game, talk about the definition of next man up and being ready when your number is called
 

SMU_Sox

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Harmon had played 2 snaps this week before the Chung injury and 2 snaps all of the chiefs game, talk about the definition of next man up and being ready when your number is called
He always somehow makes a big play too.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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Harmon had played 2 snaps this week before the Chung injury and 2 snaps all of the chiefs game, talk about the definition of next man up and being ready when your number is called
Jason McCourty said that there's no backup for what Chung does on the field.

When he went out, players were genuinely wondering what the coaches will do to adjust.
 

GeorgeCostanza

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So happy for Edelman.

If this is Gronk's last game, he did himself proud, blocking AND receiving.

JMac making a signature play makes me smile.

Thought the refs did a nice job tonight. Let them play.

Loved watching Chung on the sideline...even though I HATED watching him on the sideline.

BB and "B-Flo Malcom Go!" did an incredible job. One for the ages.

My birthday today - 50. Ditto for the first Pats-Rams super bowl AND for the Scottish Game. Glad to be back in the win column. Apparently I LOVE BEING 50!!!!
Happy birthday mugs!
 

Dave Stapleton

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My son was born in November of 2001. He had seen 6 championships in his 17 years. Crazy.

Just a clinic by the coaching staff. That offensive scheme on the TD drive was a great adjustment.
 

HowBoutDemSox

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I liked this recap piece from the Ringer, breaking down some of the coaching X’s and O’s from a somewhat general level. Things like how they used stunts from the linebackers to get pressure on Goff, stayed aggressive with a cover-0 blitz to force the Gilmore interception, and on offensive went out with a heavy 2 TE, FB, RB, 1 WR set then went empty backfield with that personnel three straight plays on the drive that ended with the Michel touchdown.

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2019/2/4/18210071/how-bill-belichick-outdueled-sean-mcvay-patriots-rams-super-bowl
 

Eddie Jurak

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The defense. You just cannot score 13 points in a Superbowl and expect to win (indeed no team had ever done it), but the defense did that for us. Maybe Flores will be that Belichick guy who finally establishes himself as a top coach.

Within the defense, too many contributors to mention: Gilmore, JMcCourty, Hightower, Van Noy, Flowers, just to name a few of them.

Brady, Edelman, Gronk, Michel for 4th-quarter offense.
 

koufax32

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New video of Brady and Gronk up on FB similar to the one after the AFCCG. This time, the music is “Guess who’s back?” with the phrase “to be continued” at the end.

Tell me I’m reading into that please.
 

Myt1

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I knew that Edelman would get it, but Gilmore was incredible. Cooks had the most hollow 120 yards in Super Bowl history, and he didn’t Asante Samuel the interception. He was a machine.