The Game Ball Thread: Wk. 14 @ Arizona

soxhop411

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On another note. This what? The 10th time a concussion spotter has screwed up the one job they were hired to do? It shouldnt need to be on a player to spot another player suffering from the affects of a concussion. And it even looks looks like the Arizona player who is lined up opposite Parker sees that parker isnt right? (The way he is pointing makes it seek like he saying “anyone else seeing this?”
 

Ed Hillel

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So what's happening with Uche? Advantageous matchups? Getting better at the little things? Healthy and/or stronger?
They were trying to mold him into Nink and realized he’ll never be Nink, but could be a damned fine Mathew Judon or Chander Jones. He’s a straight up pass rusher and they’ve finally unleashed him as such.

Edit - Actually, I’m probably short changing Judon a bit, but point being Uche’s been unleashed as a pure energy pass rusher and not been asked to do much more. Teams should prob adjust and run at him more often now.
 
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Shelterdog

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They were trying to mold him into Nink and realized he’ll never be Nink, but could be a damned fine Mathew Judon or Chander Jones. He’s a straight up pass rusher and they’ve finally unleashed him as such.
What's the evidence of this? I think we all kind of assumed they'd try and make him more of a multidown player, maybe even an off the ball linebacker, but they've really generally only used him as a pure edge rusher.
 

cornwalls@6

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On another note. This what? The 10th time a concussion spotter has screwed up the one job they were hired to do? It shouldnt need to be on a player to spot another player suffering from the affects of a concussion. And it even looks looks like the Arizona player who is lined up opposite Parker sees that parker isnt right? (The way he is pointing makes it seek like he saying “anyone else seeing this?”
I disagree about players getting involved. No spotting system is going catch everything, and players have to have more agency in their health and that of their teammates. I thought it was great NA intervened, and hope others will follow suit as well. Not arguing against the fact that the spotter last night screwed up, just that the more comprehensive the awareness, the fewer instances guys will keep playing when they shouldn’t.
 

lexrageorge

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Bedard was claiming that Belichick's job was going to be in jeopardy if the Pats lost last night, so he gets the honorary game ball.

Defense is good, and would be better if the offense had better games. Rebuilding the OL will obviously need to be a priority this offseason.
 

CoffeeNerdness

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A little joke from the game thread. I love the guy.
I know this is poking fun at my gamethread comment, but the guy did not have a good first half. He gave up on several plays that I saw, and he sat out for large chunks of the game when they were behind or tied. I think BB was sending a message tbh. Outside of the blowout games they've played, 72% snaps was his lowest % of the season. Message received? Because he definitely turned it up to close out the game (being completely unblocked helps too).
 

Bowhemian

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I know this is poking fun at my gamethread comment, but the guy did not have a good first half. He gave up on several plays that I saw, and he sat out for large chunks of the game when they were behind or tied. I think BB was sending a message tbh. Outside of the blowout games they've played, 72% snaps was his lowest % of the season. Message received? Because he definitely turned it up to close out the game (being completely unblocked helps too).
Have you watched many Pats games this year? They have been managing his time like that the entire season. You could be right about that, but I don't think so.
 

Ed Hillel

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What's the evidence of this? I think we all kind of assumed they'd try and make him more of a multidown player, maybe even an off the ball linebacker, but they've really generally only used him as a pure edge rusher.
I wasn't clear, I meant I believed that's what they've been trying to do in practice and weren't seeing the results, so they finally just said screw it and unleashed him as a pass rusher.
 

Mystic Merlin

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Bedard was claiming that Belichick's job was going to be in jeopardy if the Pats lost last night, so he gets the honorary game ball.

Defense is good, and would be better if the offense had better games. Rebuilding the OL will obviously need to be a priority this offseason.
Where did Bedard say that?
 

CoffeeNerdness

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Have you watched many Pats games this year? They have been managing his time like that the entire season. You could be right about that, but I don't think so.
As I said, outside of the non-competitive games v. Chi, Cle, Indy, Det. 72% was his lowest snap %. He's typically in the 80s.

Does the play at 17 seconds here look like good effort?

https://www.nfl.com/games/patriots-at-cardinals-2022-reg-14?active-tab=highlights

That's what I was noticing in the first half. Yes, he did have one sack. I'm not grinding on the guy, I think he's great. I do however think that his first half last night was poor by his standards and he rode the pine for a bit due to effort.
 

Mystic Merlin

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The Pats winning this game is big for a claim like that because now he can preserve plausible deniability. But if we are gonna go with this line of thinking, why wouldn’t Bill’s job be on the line this coming week, too?
 

speedracer

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I disagree about players getting involved. No spotting system is going catch everything, and players have to have more agency in their health and that of their teammates. I thought it was great NA intervened, and hope others will follow suit as well. Not arguing against the fact that the spotter last night screwed up, just that the more comprehensive the awareness, the fewer instances guys will keep playing when they shouldn’t.
from my understanding, the spotters work in the booth and have access to video replay. Seems like it would be a significant benefit to have additional spotters at field level?
 

Dogman

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As I said, outside of the non-competitive games v. Chi, Cle, Indy, Det. 72% was his lowest snap %. He's typically in the 80s.

Does the play at 17 seconds here look like good effort?

https://www.nfl.com/games/patriots-at-cardinals-2022-reg-14?active-tab=highlights

That's what I was noticing in the first half. Yes, he did have one sack. I'm not grinding on the guy, I think he's great. I do however think that his first half last night was poor by his standards and he rode the pine for a bit due to effort.

He set the edge and that is what he is supposed to do. Because the runner hit a stacked line and cut outside and around a blocked Judon and it's likely he didn't see the runner coming around the corner.

He had 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a nice tackle for a loss on a 3rd and short in the second half.

As mentioned, they are managing his snaps after the drop off last season.
 

lexrageorge

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You cannot deny that he is coaching for his job. Every week in fact.
Just like every single coach in the NFL?

Where did Bedard say that?
Bedard's podcast statement was played on WEEI this AM. Bedard claimed he had uber-reliable sources within the organization that told him that Belichick would be fired this offseason if the Pats lost to the Cardinals. WEEI played his comments in their interview with Ty Law, and he laughed that a guy like Bedard would have those kind of sources in the organization.
 

riboflav

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His honest thoughts about the Patriots during the game were refreshing, basically saying they are not a playoff team.

Because they are not.

Squeaking in at #7 and then getting rolled by the Chefs, that's what the Patriots used to do to whatever tomato can they played in their first playoff game give or take for 20 years.

That said, credit to Belichick for rebuilding this defense, Ushe and Judon are monsters and he once again has found cornerbacks in the draft.

Rebuilt that shitshow of an offensive line in the off season and they'll be in business.
You just described a playoff team. No offense man but you’ve been sh*t posting them going back to last year when haha they made the playoffs. I’m sorry they may not win the SB every year.
 

joe dokes

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Just like every single coach in the NFL?


Bedard's podcast statement was played on WEEI this AM. Bedard claimed he had uber-reliable sources within the organization that told him that Belichick would be fired this offseason if the Pats lost to the Cardinals. WEEI played his comments in their interview with Ty Law, and he laughed that a guy like Bedard would have those kind of sources in the organization.
"If he lost to the Cardinals"?! But they'd wait until the offseaon to do it? That make no sense.
 

CoffeeNerdness

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He set the edge and that is what he is supposed to do. Because the runner hit a stacked line and cut outside and around a blocked Judon and it's likely he didn't see the runner coming around the corner.
Pretty sure you want to actually get beyond the line of scrimmage if you're setting the edge and the pursuit was weak. He played 82, 87, and 80% of the snaps coming into the game. They could be managing his snaps, but the evidence seems a bit thin. Anyway, I think he's amazing so there's probably not much more meat on this bone.
 

Ed Hillel

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As mentioned, they are managing his snaps after the drop off last season.
Don't forget, he also had covid last year, and the dropoff immediately followed. But with the emergence of Uche, they'd be foolish not to get Judon more rest.
 

johnmd20

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Remember this is a spoiled, spoiled fan base. A lot of the fans in the area and quite a few fans on this board constantly complained about Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia as the DC--and that's about as good as it gets.

That we're still complaining about draws on third and long that usually gain six, run clock, and make the field goal shorter after BB has been doing the same thing for twenty years--during which the Pats had the greatest run of success in football history--is beyond me.
Yes Josh, hard no Patricia. He helmed the defense that played the Eagles in the SB. They gave up a td on every drive. Then he went to Detroit and failed hilariously and the Rams got fizzled in the 2019 Super Bowl because genius Matty P was no longer there.

Not a coincidence. Now Patricia is running this lame and boring offense. Patricia is just not good, he’s a clown.
 

BigJimEd

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Just like every single coach in the NFL?


Bedard's podcast statement was played on WEEI this AM. Bedard claimed he had uber-reliable sources within the organization that told him that Belichick would be fired this offseason if the Pats lost to the Cardinals. WEEI played his comments in their interview with Ty Law, and he laughed that a guy like Bedard would have those kind of sources in the organization.
This is just silly. If Bedard has an uber-reliable source telling him such a thing, he wouldn't just mention it on his podcast. He'd be pushing it out there on all avenues. And it would be picked up by more than just some clips on talk radio.
 

tims4wins

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Yes Josh, hard no Patricia. He helmed the defense that played the Eagles in the SB. They gave up a td on every drive. Then he went to Detroit and failed hilariously and the Rams got fizzled in the 2019 Super Bowl because genius Matty P was no longer there.

Not a coincidence. Now Patricia is running this lame and boring offense. Patricia is just not good, he’s a clown.
Yeah I never really understood why Patricia was highly thought of even pre-2017. The 2014-2016 Pats had good defenses but not great IIRC by statistical measures, despite having a good bit of talent during that run.

2014: 12th in DVOA
2015: 11th in DVOA
2016: 16th in DVOA
2017: 31st in DVOA

Always felt like they underperformed their talent.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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Yes Josh, hard no Patricia. He helmed the defense that played the Eagles in the SB. They gave up a td on every drive. Then he went to Detroit and failed hilariously and the Rams got fizzled in the 2019 Super Bowl because genius Matty P was no longer there.

Not a coincidence. Now Patricia is running this lame and boring offense. Patricia is just not good, he’s a clown.
As poorly as the D played in the Eagles SB they did not in fact give up a TD on every drive. That's silly hyperbole.

The Rams got held to 3 points largely because the Pats changed defenses after the headset cutoff for Goff.....which the Pats got from a tactic Patricia had used that same season as Lions coach. This has been widely reported.

It's fine to criticize Patricia but some of the stuff I'm reading has zero basis in reality.
 

cornwalls@6

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Have you watched many Pats games this year? They have been managing his time like that the entire season. You could be right about that, but I don't think so.
This is my take as well. He broke down late last year, and it has appeared to me that they are managing him a little bit, I assume in the hopes of keeping him fresh for the stretch run/hopefully playoffs.
 

bsan34

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Bedard's podcast statement was played on WEEI this AM. Bedard claimed he had uber-reliable sources within the organization that told him that Belichick would be fired this offseason if the Pats lost to the Cardinals. WEEI played his comments in their interview with Ty Law, and he laughed that a guy like Bedard would have those kind of sources in the organization.
"If he lost to the Cardinals"?! But they'd wait until the offseaon to do it? That make no sense.
I think Bedard's bigger point was that the locker room was bad after the Bills loss, and that losing to the Cardinals with the following schedule - game against McDaniels the next week and a gauntlet of playoff teams after that - could very well result in the kind of ugly, bottom-falling out type of end of the season that could result in the Krafts deciding to move on. F&M played it up from there.
 

Jimbodandy

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It was mentioned upthread but Judon had some issues setting the edge. If, if, there was a message being sent, that was likely it.


"We gotta have that edge"
View: https://twitter.com/NFLFilms/status/1600965973283987456
Yep, couldn't agree more.

Getting to the QB is super important, but he was giving away the edge. Frankly, I'm not sure what Dogman is looking at there, saying that Judon "set the edge". There's no contain there. And it wasn't the only time last night.

I still think that Judon had a good game, but Uche was getting to the QB without selling. Uche displayed discipline, where Judon lost it multiple times.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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I think Bedard's bigger point was that the locker room was bad after the Bills loss, and that losing to the Cardinals with the following schedule - game against McDaniels the next week and a gauntlet of playoff teams after that - could very well result in the kind of ugly, bottom-falling out type of end of the season that could result in the Krafts deciding to move on. F&M played it up from there.
What are Bedard’s sources on the locker room stuff? He doesn’t have a press pass from what I understand.
 

Shelterdog

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Yes Josh, hard no Patricia. He helmed the defense that played the Eagles in the SB. They gave up a td on every drive. Then he went to Detroit and failed hilariously and the Rams got fizzled in the 2019 Super Bowl because genius Matty P was no longer there.

Not a coincidence. Now Patricia is running this lame and boring offense. Patricia is just not good, he’s a clown.
The guy was the defensive coordinator from 2012-2017; they made three superbowls winning two in that span (including perhaps the single greatest defensive call in the history of the game against seatle), were a top ten defense in points scored every year he was DC and made the conference championship every year. If that's what a no good clown does, we should sign up a few more.
 

DJnVa

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I disagree about players getting involved. No spotting system is going catch everything, a
They are obviously not going to catch everything, but when the player injured is the player that had the ball and is the focus of the hits, that's a tough one to miss. It's not like some gunner on the punt coverage unit got jacked off screen.
 

tims4wins

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I think Bedard's bigger point was that the locker room was bad after the Bills loss, and that losing to the Cardinals with the following schedule - game against McDaniels the next week and a gauntlet of playoff teams after that - could very well result in the kind of ugly, bottom-falling out type of end of the season that could result in the Krafts deciding to move on. F&M played it up from there.
Of course this is plausible. I had the exact same thoughts about the downstream effects of a loss last night. But it’s hard to believe Bedard had an actual source say this.
 

tims4wins

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The guy was the defensive coordinator from 2012-2017; they made three superbowls winning two in that span (including perhaps the single greatest defensive call in the history of the game against seatle), were a top ten defense in points scored every year he was DC and made the conference championship every year. If that's what a no good clown does, we should sign up a few more.
Underlying metrics were much worse than the points ranking. We know how much offense and special teams and game situation can factor into points allowed. They were a slightly above average D for most of Patricia’s tenure.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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Of course this is plausible. I had the exact same thoughts about the downstream effects of a loss last night. But it’s hard to believe Bedard had an actual source say this.
He doesn't. He's the smarmiest asshole I've ever seen on Twitter and that's saying something.

If he had access to the locker room I'd at least hear him out. But he doesn't.
 

Deathofthebambino

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What are Bedard’s sources on the locker room stuff? He doesn’t have a press pass from what I understand.
Zero, no sources.

He's throwing shit against the wall, so people will tune into his podcast. It's clickbait, or whatever they call the podcast version of click bait.

Get people talking, like F&M, and people here, and inevitably, it will get you eyes and ears and paid.
 

Van Everyman

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I know his production has been inconsistent (tho I have liked having him in this group, he adds a fair amount of talent) but Agholor seems like a really good dude.

Tara Sullivan was saying they should create a system for players to be able to flag this stuff and call it the Agholor Rule.

The Bedard stuff was in full bloom on NBCSB this week, I turned it off. The “bottom falling out” thing isn’t the craziest theory but going full on “Bill is Coaching for His Job” angle was such a moronic extrapolation I couldn’t bear to watch it.