The Game Goat Thread: Wk. 16 at Indy

SeoulSoxFan

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A Scud Away from Hell
Everyone had something to contribute to this loss., from the special teams to Jones' picks to Hightower's whiff.

But my game goat award goes to the 8 penalties committed. That means both the players and the coaching staff get the blame.

Now they are 9-5 with Buffalo coming in town. Now that'll be the most important game of the season.
 

MuppetAsteriskTalk

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Special teams (Blocked punts, bad punts)
Defense (Wentz only had to throw 12 times because they couldn't stop a nosebleed)
Offense (Couldn't block my sister in the first half, terrible penalties at terrible times)
Refs (Deaf dumb and blind)
 

DeadlySplitter

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Wynn for multiple reasons
Jakob Johnson for blowing it on the blocked punt
Brandon King trying to do way too much on the FG onsides, or just misread the snap
 

Seels

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The Pats need a real LT. I've tried to be optmistic with Wynn but he just disappoints continuously.
 

Old Fart Tree

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The blocked punt, the false start from the one, the red zone pick: that’s the game. The Hightower whiff hurt but it never should have come to that.
 

Mystic Merlin

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Punt block protection - they very well may win this game without that fuckup
Run blocking - Meyers, Wynn, Onwenu had very rough games just based on the live tape. The others may have been poor too, but they stood out.
Hightower - I think he gets some underserved shit, but missing that tackle on Taylor ended the game.
Mac - he really bounced back in the second half but he made too many poor throws. The Leonard pick he should eat, but the INT on the Bolden out route was totally unacceptable.
 

Kliq

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Got to be the OL. Owned in run blocking all night, pass blocking left a lot to be desired as well. Punt block (not entirely the OLs fault but still a blocking issue) was the biggest play of the game. Too many dumb penalties.
 

Red Averages

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That was a 3 point game.

some key plays:
-blocked punt
-offsides leading to a FG
- Jamie Collins dropped pick 6
- offsides at the 1 yardline leading to a FG
- Mac missing Harry for a wide open TD on the flea flicker.
- Mac’s INT to end the first half when in FG range.

they played like absolute garbage for the first half and had all the reason to give up. And yet if any one of those changes they win the game.

I know we’re back to morale wins, like early in the year, but I took more positives than negatives out of that game. We’re onto Bufallo.

Just need KC to drop a game.
 

Marciano490

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I don’t want to comment on the refs for competitive purposes, but they let two of our players get creamed in the head with no repercussions. This shit is horribly dangerous and it’s really disturbing to see that let go. Hopefully, there are some serious fines levied, but LOL no that won’t happen.
 

BigSoxFan

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OL
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Hightower

Just way too sloppy to beat a good opponent on the road. Next week is big.
 

Eck'sSneakyCheese

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Offensive line looked awful in the first half. We saw what Mac can do when given enough time. Wynn has had a really bad year. Brown should be LT and Onwenu RT the rest of the year.

Hightower is smart enough to always be in the right spot but he just doesn’t have the ability to make the play anymore. We saw it multiple times tonight and really all year but most noticeably on the Taylor dagger.

The refs were completely blind tonight. The Pats shot themselves in the foot a few times to make it a hard enough game but the refs did them absolutely no favors. The amount of dirty hits the Colts got away with is disgusting.
 

DeadlySplitter

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Why did they not onside kick down 20-17? The game was over on one first down anyways, field position really doesn't matter there.
 

Mystic Merlin

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Why did they not onside kick down 20-17? The game was over on one first down anyways, field position really doesn't matter there.
I think they were concerned about field position in the event of a punt and wanted the Colts to have to field a kick and run with it (ie strip opportunity).

I think Folk fucked the kick up because it needs to be deeper
 

MuppetAsteriskTalk

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I know we’re back to morale wins, like early in the year, but I took more positives than negatives out of that game. We’re onto Bufallo.

Just need KC to drop a game.
I'm really excited about this team. Year 2 of the rebuild and fighting for best record in the conference. No quit in the team. The future is bright.

Bourne is fantastic on the podium. Edit: WTF I thought that was Slater and then thought the scroller said it was Bourne (and was thinking, wow they look alike) but it turns out it was Slater.
 

Ale Xander

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Well that was a disaster. Tempted to say everyone except Henry, Bolden, and Harry.

Onwenu for the fall start
McDaniels for calling a play that required Onwenu
Mac Jones for fairly bad game, 2 interceptions, getting Harry killed, and not doing well under pressure
BB for calling for a FG after the incompletion after the Onwenu fall start, even though it was a 13 point game and the Colts had Taylor and their line had been beating our line for much of the game, with fairly little time left. And for kicking off with almost no time left.


Both the OL and DL for much of the game, getting beat in the trenches for much of the game, especially first 2 1/2 quarters.
KVN and the other ILB (High?) for the Taylor clinching long touchdown. (DMC was horrid on that play but will let it slide since he came up with the tipped ball for the int which got the game in range to steal). The LBS wen't good for much of the game either.
Davis or Jakob, whoever was responsible on the punt block.
The guy that went offsides on the COlts missed FG.
The ST coach

That's probably enough goats
 

Ale Xander

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Everyone had something to contribute to this loss., from the special teams to Jones' picks to Hightower's whiff.

But my game goat award goes to the 8 penalties committed. That means both the players and the coaching staff get the blame.

Now they are 9-5 with Buffalo coming in town. Now that'll be the most important game of the season.
Henry had a very good game.
 

mulluysavage

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Reads threads backwards
That was a 3 point game.

some key plays:
-blocked punt
-offsides leading to a FG
- Jamie Collins dropped pick 6
- offsides at the 1 yardline leading to a FG
- Mac missing Harry for a wide open TD on the flea flicker.
- Mac’s INT to end the first half when in FG range.

they played like absolute garbage for the first half and had all the reason to give up. And yet if any one of those changes they win the game.

I know we’re back to morale wins, like early in the year, but I took more positives than negatives out of that game. We’re onto Bufallo.

Just need KC to drop a game.

Feels like the 2-4 team showed up again.
 

lars10

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I don’t want to comment on the refs for competitive purposes, but they let two of our players get creamed in the head with no repercussions. This shit is horribly dangerous and it’s really disturbing to see that let go. Hopefully, there are some serious fines levied, but LOL no that won’t happen.
Mac also got hit in the head.. it was called, but still.
 

Cotillion

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Coaches and Players for coming out super unfocused after a bye week.
Special teams
Refs for forgetting that defenseless receivers penalty is still a penalty.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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I guess the way I look at the game was that the best thing in the game was the Colts’ offensive line. It was the difference when it had to be. There was plenty the Patriots could have done to overcome it and they failed but that really was the difference maker.

I wish Hightower had made that play to give them a chance, but fuck man they were already into the second level on second down. Best case scenario there is third and short needing only a first down to end the game.

3-3 on fourth down and keeping the third downs manageable. That 9 minute second quarter drive was huge. Their offensive line controlled the game.

Patriots had chances and blew them on penalties and awful special teams play but they were always playing catch up and forced into position to make mistakes because of that O line.
 

Mystic Merlin

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I mean, they hadn’t lost since…..2-4, so isn’t any loss by definition going to to ‘feel like’ that?

And those losses weren’t created equal anyways, the Saints game was incomparable to, say, the Tampa game.
 

radsoxfan

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Wynn
Hightower
1st half version of Mac
O-line not understanding D-line presnap movement
Jonnu Smith being terrible at everything unless he is wide open
 

Cotillion

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Feels like the 2-4 team showed up again.
This is a great call. It really felt like the Pats were doing just enough to shoot themselves in the foot. They then tried to right the ship, but still had those bad false starts/penalties crop up at the exact wrong time.

The FG was the wrong call. 2 Possession game builds in too many high variance plays that disrupt you with only 9 minutes or so left. If the Colts run the ball they can burn a min 2 mins off every 3 downs. So unless you get them quick (3 and out both times 4 minutes off clock) on both their possessions in between your two needed possessions, you are going to run out of time as you need one dimensional quick strikes on your two possessions.
 

koufax32

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If ever there was a “we’re on to Cincinnati” moment for this year’s team, this is it. It’s like a basketball game when 4 of your players have their worst game of the season at the same time. Take your frustration into practice that week, but that’s it.

I would really like the opportunity to face Indy in a playoff game. Also, I enjoy thinking that Taylor will be coming back to earth next year after his 14,762 touches this season. Glad we couldn’t make it to Indy this year for Christmas.
 

JOBU

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“we didn’t play well, we didn’t coach well” BB probably said this about 20 times in his post game presser
 

Super Nomario

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After the slow start the Pats pretty much dominated until the Taylor late TD. But I guess you're right that the 2-4 team made just enough mistakes to not win.
It wasn't really a "slow start," they had zero points through 3 quarters. I mean, I guess that is a slow start, but it's also a slow middle and starting to encroach into a slow late.
 

SMU_Sox

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Interior defensive line had their asses handed to them. Godchaux had a bad night. Guy had some bad plays too but made some as well. Special teams was atrocious on every single unit tonight minus the FG and EP teams.

Mac was up and down but 2 turnovers in a small number of drives game is killer. Offense has been so inconsistent this year. For all that they do well they make too many mistakes whether it is Hunter Henry not turning around on that fourth down, Mac’s ints, false start on the goal line, etc.
 

Rico Guapo

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DL & OL: Got man handled on both sides of the ball.
Mac: Hate to say it but he forced the ball into super tight windows repeatedly and was lucky to only get picked twice.
Coaching : 8 penalties, poor execution, seemed like Indy had the right play call dialed up to counter everything NE was doing on offense for the first three quarters.
 

MuppetAsteriskTalk

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Interesting. Mac saying all the right things but admits that they didn't practice well this week and that a lot of the team felt the same.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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ST with absolutely massive negative plays that we are usually making fun of on Sundays when it’s the Bengals or whoever.

Made the cardinal sin of not forcing the opponent to beat them. Because of ST the Colts never absolutely HAD to make a play on offense after their first TD drive until literally their last drive of the game. That can’t happen.

Offense could have been more prepared early, of course.
 

PedrosRedGlove

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DL & OL: Got man handled on both sides of the ball.
Mac: Hate to say it but he forced the ball into super tight windows repeatedly and was lucky to only get picked twice.
Coaching : 8 penalties, poor execution, seemed like Indy had the right play call dialed up to counter everything NE was doing on offense for the first three quarters.
This is absolutely true. But in the context of the game tonight, down 2-3 scores and needing to comeback, I didn't mind it too much. He could've turtled after making a couple costly mistakes but he stayed pretty fearless trying to drive the ball down the field and they needed that to have any chance.

The decision to kick the FG with 9 minutes left is rough. It just seems so unlikely to get the ball back twice in that time frame given how the Colts were moving the ball all night.

I can't remember a game where it felt like EVERY penalty was untimely. Just shot themselves in the foot at any hint of momentum through the first 3 quarters.
 

Silverdude2167

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Clean up the simple mistakes and they probably win this game... the same story as the 2-4 start so at least we know they can do it.

Now can anyone explain to me why hitting a receiver in the helmet as he is trying to catch the ball is not a personal foul for hitting a defenseless receiver? These refs were not why they lost, but they were garbage.
 

Hoya81

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Interesting. Mac saying all the right things but admits that they didn't practice well this week and that a lot of the team felt the same.
I wouldn’t be surprised if guys are on edge given all the turmoil happening around the league.
 

Cotillion

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The one good thing is seeing the team compete to get back into the game. That's the only moral victory.

Hopefully they take some lessons from this game and get back to winning ways. As someone mentioned, this was like the early season team showed up tonight. Just so many mistakes at the most inopportune times.
 

americantrotter

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The early season team showed up, but didn’t stick around all game. Wynn was awful. The energy didn’t match theirs but I was waiting for someone to punch us in the mouth and see what happens. I know there are no moral victories, but what looked like a game I should turn off turned into a game that went to the wire.

I’m pissed we could have won this game if we did just a few more things right, but at the same time we fought back and we have an adversity game that didn’t just luck into a win.
 

luckiestman

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Hightower overran the run that sealed the game.

Whoever missed block on teams

Mac had bad turnovers but led a nice comeback.

Pats on the road got down 20 and still almost made the comeback; that’s a loss you can live with normally,; tougher with the Chiefs stealing that game against the Chargers. Seemed like the game turned on the double ejection but it was a big hole to climb out of.
 

lars10

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It wasn't really a "slow start," they had zero points through 3 quarters. I mean, I guess that is a slow start, but it's also a slow middle and starting to encroach into a slow late.
I suppose.. but I think there were a number of factors for why they didn't score until the fourth obviously.. but one of the main was the fact that the colts got a TD and a second TD off of the blocked punt very early. The colts did play decent defense on the first few drives..and obviously intercepted Mac at the end of the first half.. but a lot of things had to go exactly right, or wrong, for that to happen.. I'd be interested to see if any of that is repeatable.
 

greek_gawd_of_walks

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College coaches always say this about first year players around this time: they're closer to being sophomores than freshmen.

Mac wasn't the reason they lost. There were a ton of plays (one huge one by collins on a pick and an offsides on a fucked fg look huge). But he made a good sum of bad throws. Also he led some dudes like agholor across the middle into certain peril.

Mac looked very much the frosh at times tonight. He had nice moments too, but before that pick at the half I looked to my dad and said "you need three points here minimum". Three there tilts the way you play the rest of the game. Can't turn it over there.

Special teams sucked too.
 
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DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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They were just flat. With a few exceptions, they all played in sub par fashion.

Hopefully this refocuses them and they can make effective adjustments going forward. I know this is the goat thread but this loss doesn't seem concerning. Furthermore, Jones showed some playmaking down the stretch. Perhaps its illusory but it makes it hard not to be bullish on him/the team long term.