The Game Goat Thread: AFCCG @ Broncos

[SeoulSoxFan]

Valiant effort by the D. All undone by the OL, right down to the end where they almost pulled it out.

Brady & Gronkowski were just this close to a miracle finish, but who knew. It was an impossible-to-imagine scenario where a Ghost missed XP kick done them in.

What a kick in the nuts.

 

[Devizier]

That was actually a pretty great game. Gronkowski gets a game ball as far as I'm concerned.

Vollmer gets my goat, but pretty much everyone on the line can join him.

 

[AbbyNoho]

Earlier today I said that Gostkowski was better than Vinatieri, he just hasn't gotten the big moment to prove it yet.

So, I'm the goat.

 

[luqin]

1. marcus cannon
2. everyone else on the o-line
3. the week 17 no-show which could have given them home field for this game

 

[WayBackVazquez]

Brady
Ghost
Cannon
McDaniels
Honorable mention: Allen

 

[Boston Brawler]

Ghost and Cannon.

And the playcalling.

And taking a shit down the stretch and not securing homefield

 

[Steve Dillard]

Former patriots Cannon, Fleming and Kline

 

[GregHarris]

O line, Brady early, McDaniels late, Ghost

 

[axx]

BB. What was up with taking the ball? I actually liked the 4th down call but the play call was just silly, you need something that's high percentage. I'm sure I could come up with others.

Considering how poorly the offense played that it was only a 2 point loss is pretty remarkable.

 

[Turrable]

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

 

[Silverdude2167]

Welp, the team had far more injuries than everyone else and were close to going to the SB. I can't really complain, a few breaks and they are in the sb.

Good season, looking forward to 2016.

 

[Red Averages]

O-line couldn't stop them. Same story every time teams contain the Pats.

Hell of a job by the D to limit them to 20 given where Denver got the ball most of the game.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

As much as I've rooted for Allen all these years, he sucked today.

Cannon was so, so lost today.

 

[CR67dream]

Win the toss, Defer. KIck the field goal late. BB's worst coaching day ever.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

Kline
Kline
stork
Vollmer
Cannon
Fleming
Ghost
Allen
Kline

 

[Rook05]

Take the fucking field goal. Manning couldn't do shit with the ball so you know you're getting it back. What a colossal fuck up.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

Just how bad was the OL?

@MarcSesslerNFL Tom Brady took more hits in this game (20) than any QB in any game all year -- regular season or playoffs.

As Scar said this year, Pats had 2 rookies and 2 second-year players playing the interior. When Solder was lost, so was the SB.

 

[mauidano]

Win the toss, Defer. KIck the field goal late. BB's worst coaching day ever.

It all stops right there. He'll man up to it post game conference.

 

[Catcher Block]

BB for not kicking the FG on 4th down.
LaFell for running routes like it was a 5k fun run all season.
Brady/McD for not mixing cadence or hard counting when Miller is in the backfield every snap.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

1. Gostkowski. Hit an extra point and the game at least goes to OT.

2. Coaching. Soft coverage spots Denver a 7-0 lead. BB's decision to go for it on that first 4th down miss instead of taking points ended up costing them.
Last time he tried this against Manning he did it because he didn't trust his defense. This time he should have trusted his defense, after first series they came through for him.

3. Offensive line. They were a major disaster throughout most of the game.

Dishonorable mention: Brady, for the pick by Miller.

 

[bosox4283]

It has to be Ghost, sadly. In spite of Brady's poor start, some questionable play calls, and the missing offensive line, the game was ready for overtime if Ghost made that first extra point.

 

[Fishercat]

I'm putting this on the general and offensive coaching staffs.

OK, Marcus Cannon was getting abused out of his gourd today, definitely. The line let up a TON of hurries, more than I've ever seen. He was also responsible, solo, for Von Miller and Malik Jackson throughout this game. That's an insane assignment for a good offensive tackle, and Cannon is solidly below average for the role. They never gave him support, and I know they needed pass catchers out there, but every time he was abused it was one on one.

I normally support Belichick's aggressive playstyle, but if you're down by eight, how do you not take the FG in one or both of those opportunities? That Broncos offense was not moving the ball at all in the second half. You have to assume you get at least one more shot, and 4th and 1 from the 20 is not a spot where you're guaranteed a score if you get it. I imagine it's a decent swing but it's not 3 to 7 automatically. For a team with no running game, do you really want your game to hinge on a 2 point conversion?

Yes, Ghost is a minor goat in this game...but it's a fluke XP miss. Surprised it hasn't happened before, he was also responsible for half the points NE recorded in this game until there were 15 seconds left in the game.

 

[E5 Yaz]

O-Line didn't give the offense time enough to compensate for the missed PAT

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

Looking forward to Denver get absolutely waxed by whomever they play.

 

[Harry Hooper]

O-line couldn't stop them. Same story every time teams contain the Pats.

Hell of a job by the D to limit them to 20 given where Denver got the ball most of the game.

OL finished off its 2nd half slide in fine form today.

The GM who put those WRs and OLs on this team.

McD only had Brady rollout at the very end, too stubborn.

LaFell and Martin who cannot shake single coverage if their child's life depended on it.

 

[MiracleOfO2704]

The O-Line is going to get murdered. That might be a little unfair to them since they're pretty undermanned right now, but it's the difference. When Brady's pressured in some way on over half his dropbacks, you failed TB12. Period.

McDaniels didn't help. I kept seeing him go to that RB deep down the sideline play, but I don't think Bolden/White caught a single one. I get that you like the matchup, but after the first 2-3 times that the RB had to lay out to get fingertips on it, you probably need to rip out that page of the playbook. Plus the 4th down double pump fake to Edelman 5 yards short play. That was just putrid.

Gostowski, just because the difference between this and OT really was a missed XP. He's still great, but not hitting that was costly.

On that note, BB for suggesting the whole "snap from the 15 for a PAT" fiasco. (Kidding. For the most part.)

 

[brandonchristensen]

Pats needed to score 19 to beat Manning, just like we knew they did.

They didn't.

GOAT goes to:

- The OL, horrible all season long, horrible today.
- Gost, you can't miss that.
- McDaniels, terrible.
- BB, hate to say it, but you take the fucking points with 6 minutes left. You take the fucking points.
- Brady, forcing two picks. One which led to a quick TD.

Awful way to lose a VERY winnable game. Manning was absolute horse shit, especially after the first possession...but his numbers look good and that's all that matters.

 

[jsinger121]

Oline
Brady
Ghost
Edelman

 

[TSC]

It has to be Ghost, sadly. In spite of Brady's poor start, some questionable play calls, and the missing offensive line, the game was ready for overtime if Ghost made that first extra point.

Ghost was only responsible for 1 point in the game.

How many points were scored off of Brady's INT? How many points were lost when Belichick tried to go for it on two forth downs instead of trying for 3?

Not to mentions Ghosts miscue was in the first quarter, and the Pats were only down 7-6 at that point. Plenty of time for the team to pick up that one play.

 

[Dollar]

I put this one 99% on the offensive line, and 1% on Belichick and/or Ernie Adams (only for the first 4th down call... that's a must-kick situation). Brady wasn't sharp, but that's entirely because he had no time to work with and always had to be on the lookout for an unblocked defender on his blind side.

But maybe the biggest goat is losing to the Eagles, Jets, and Dolphins. Any one of those games ends differently, and the Pats win this game in a blowout at home.

 

[Tony C]

1: Gost - obviously.
2: the OL, Cannon and Volmer -- again, obviously.
3: Brady -- some bad picks, missed Gronk coming open on the 2 point conversion, and while any QB is going to be rattled by that amount of pressure, he did get some happy feet.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

OL
Josh McDaniels
Ghost
Pats' RBs

Worst game they've played all season. Fucking great time for it, assholes.

 

[yecul]

Hard to disagree with the decision making goat call. Defer on the kickoff as normal. Kick the FG in the 4th -- the D was standing tall and there was a lot of time remaining. Plus dont miss the XP.

Oh... and win HFA by beating one of the many shit teams played down the stretch.

They lost this game in so many ways yet could have won it in so many others. The team should be playing one more game. Losing that opportunity was a team effort top to bottom.

 

[AbbyNoho]

Brady/McD for not mixing cadence or hard counting when Miller is in the backfield every snap.

I doubt they could do that with the crowd noise. Unfortunately, it was a factor.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

I like the decision not to kick the FG. We couldn't move the ball for shit all day and had some rhythm. You need to get the ball in the end zone at some point and this was our best chance up to that point since the first quarter. Coaches should be going there on 4th and 1 a lot of the time anyway, irrespective of this particular game situation.

Oline was awful all day. Playing on the road was immense because nobody could hear so we didn't have a lot of options for varying the snap count and the Denver Dline just had us pegged. They were timing every snap perfectly.

Credit to Denver but I don't think we really got outplayed. It was an extremely even game. Both defenses dominated both offenses, we outgained them by a lot, but we were hurt by the situational necessity of being behind at the end and then we came up one play short.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

Does anyone have any doubt that they would have won this at home? So many close opportunities to get the HFA wrapped up. The shitty calls in the first Denver game, the Eagles debacle, the Miami giveaway.

Denver has been one of the most fortunate team in the league no matter how you cut it. But that's how the ball bounces.

 

[Rico Guapo]

OL
Play Calling (Coaches)
Brady

 

[Sportsbstn]

Bill was the goat, no doubt. Dumb dumb call not to kick the FG. Oline gets co-goat.

Defense was awesome

 

[Manzivino]

1) Everybody who took a snap at offensive lineman today

2) Solder's bicep and Lewis' ACL

 

[DegenerateSoxFan]

Belichick. For outthinking himself (I knew when they elected to receive, that this was going to be shades of the game that shall not mentioned) and not going all out for an earlier win that would have kept them out of this house of horrors.

The O-line, especially Cannon. Couldn't give Brady 2.5.

Mcdaniels. Awful playcalling, especially in the first half.

Ghost. The missed XP was the difference.

I'm conflicted on Brady. He hung tough despite having no time to throw, but he tossed up up some bad ones.

 

[EL Jeffe]

Dion Lewis' ACL. He was such a weapon; just a really tough loss. White was okay as a receiving back, but Lewis was a genuine threat.

Oh, and that missed extra point.

 

[McBride11]

I think BB / McDaniels are the goats of this game. BB not taking at least one of those FGs. And BB/ McDaniels not adjusting some O line protection to help Cannon. Miller owned him and I rarely remember him getting an RB or TE on that side.

Solder's injury appears to have been the nail in the coffin. Den was able to utilize the Pat's kryptonite; pressure with a 4 man rush.

 

[JokersWildJIMED]

Horrible job by BB. The greatness of Gronkowski almost made up for the OL but the FG is the absolute right call at the six minute mark. Also gotta change up the cadence as Miller and Ware were reading something all day

 

[NortheasternPJ]

I'd give Edelman the Goat but I'm Not sure he even played today.

 

[Silverdude2167]

Can someone tell.me how Denver gets off the ball so quickly? No way they were onside on all those plays especially the first 4th down.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

Gronk did set the record for a TE receiving yards in a championship game though!

 

[eddiew112]

In hindsight, it looks bad not to take the points but I have no problem with them going on 4th down both times, especially the 1st time. It took a miracle for us to score that last touchdown when Denver's D finally tired out a bit.

The amount of times the O line failed to even get a finger on Denver's front was staggering. Constantly getting whipped when it was 3/4 vs 5.

 

[ngruz25]

I only noticed LaFell on a replay, once. How is that possible?

 

[stp]

OLine, Ghost and BB. I couldn't understand BB's decision not to kick the FG and also to a lesser extant changing up doing what they've done all year by taking the ball to start the game. My guess was he was confident on scoring and putting the Broncos down right at the start.

 

[brandonchristensen]

I like the decision not to kick the FG. We couldn't move the ball for shit all day and had some rhythm. You need to get the ball in the end zone at some point and this was our best chance up to that point since the first quarter.

Or kick 3 FG's and win.