The Game Goat Thread: Wk 17 @ Miami

[AB in DC]

Looking at snap counts:

- Only 16 defensive players were on the field for more than one snap. I haven't compared with other games, but that seems awfully low.
- Collins and Mayo were basically the only LBs in the game
- McCourty/Chung both played about 90% of the snaps despite injuries
- Interior DL only rotated three guys (Brown/Hicks/Branch) for the most part -- all three had the most snaps they've seen all year.
- Cannon/Fleming had 100% of the offensive snaps at OT with five guys rotating among the interior positions.
- Amendola had only 23 snaps, Chandler only 14 snaps.

Only 33 players total played five or more snaps on either offense or defense.

 

[Silverdude2167]

Looking at snap counts:

- Only 16 defensive players were on the field for more than one snap. I haven't compared with other games, but that seems awfully low.
- Collins and Mayo were basically the only LBs in the game
- McCourty/Chung both played about 90% of the snaps despite injuries
- Interior DL only rotated three guys (Brown/Hicks/Branch) for the most part -- all three had the most snaps they've seen all year.
- Cannon/Fleming had 100% of the offensive snaps at OT with five guys rotating among the interior positions.
- Amendola had only 23 snaps, Chandler only 14 snaps.

Only 33 players total played five or more snaps on either offense or defense.

This makes sense based on what soxhop posted earlier. This team really was just playing out the string.

“@NEPD_Loyko: Text from someone close to the team: ”We only had 37-38 players who were full-go today“ #Patriots”

 

[RedOctober3829]

Belichick on with EEI now and says they were trying to win and get the #1 seed when asked about pulling Brady earlier. Seems audibly pissed that the question was even raised. He also said that they were running the ball alot because Miami was playing a lot of nickel defense and that was the smart play to do.

 

[genoasalami]

The talk show mentality here is getting kind of tiresome.

The problem yesterday is really simple. The team that suited up -- particularly on offense -- was a bad team. Period. Don't scapegoat Belichick because he had nothing to work with yesterday. The offense is missing its two best linemen (Solder, Vollmer), its two best RBs (Lewis, Blount) and basically its two best WRs (Edelman of course, and Amedola played but was not close to healthy) then yesterday shouldn't have been a surprise. At least 25 other QBs yesterday had a better supporting cast than Brady. What exactly did yall expect?

In other words, the Patriots didn't tank the game yesterday. They really were that bad. It's frankly delusional to believe otherwise. You can complain all you want about a conservative game plan in the first half, but the team couldn't move the ball in the second half, either, except for one good swing pass to White. But there was no way that yesterday's offense was going to score a lot of points.

Exactly ...just because BB is the coach and Brady is the QB does not mean they can not field a crappy team that has little shot of winning. What did Miami have to do on defense?? Cover Gronk?? OK then who were they afraid of?? Jackson, a 32 year old RB that was on the street two weeks ago? LaFell?

Miami had more weapons on offense than the Pats had...and to think the Pats were 10.5 point favorites...

 

[dcmissle]

Belichick on with EEI now and says they were trying to win and get the #1 seed when asked about pulling Brady earlier. Seems audibly pissed that the question was even raised. He also said that they were running the ball alot because Miami was playing a lot of nickel defense and that was the smart play to do.

Yes, and that speaks volumes about the running game.

Yes, he sounded pissed, and he was among friends. Not finest hour. Shitshow performance and QB emerges with high ankle sprain.

 

[PayrodsFirstClutchHit]

Mulluysavage is not getting enough of the blame for starting the game thread so early.

Let's get a poll started for who starts the playoff thread. I nominate terrisus.

 

[RedOctober3829]

Mulluysavage is not getting enough of the blame for starting the game thread so early.

Let's get a poll started for who starts the playoff thread. I nominate terrisus.

One person I know shouldn't start it: me.

 

[AB in DC]

Yes, and that speaks volumes about the running game.

Yes, he sounded pissed, and he was among friends. Not finest hour. Shitshow performance and QB emerges with high ankle sprain.

Fixed. Huge difference between (low) ankle sprain and high ankle sprain - one's a 1-2 week injury, the other is a 1-2 month injury.

 

[BernieRicoBoomer]

Mulluysavage is not getting enough of the blame for starting the game thread so early.

Let's get a poll started for who starts the playoff thread. I nominate terrisus.

I say @PseuFighter if we are on to Cincinnati.

 

[Stitch01]

Its been reported as a high ankle sprain.

 

[DJnVa]

Its been reported as a high ankle sprain.

It has been, but so far only Albert Breer has said that I think.

 

[Van Everyman]

Even the more responsible posters here are all talking as if it was an obvious decision for what the Patriots should've done yesterday. Forget about home field. Pull all the starters and you risk having guys who aren't ready for the playoffs. Worse, you have guys like SJax, who you now may depend on because of all the injuries, having no rhythm in a playoff game situation because they have only been receiving passes and handoffs from a backup quarterback.

I get that even the great Belichick is fallible. But his choices weren't great. The last six weeks have been largely about getting that second string ready for big game situations – that's the luxury you have when you rattle off 10 wins to start a season and play in a division like the AFCE. It's necessarily a messy, even ugly process, which is why some of us predicted the Pats to go 11-5.

But as he proved with Matt Cassell in 2008 and a number of times since, Belichick usually gets guys to play the way they're supposed to when the chips are down assuming he has the time to coach them up. And in this case he has.

It still may not be enough given the scope of the injuries, but when all is said and done I believe the last six weeks will bear fruit come playoff time.