1702 replies to this topic

[jsinger121]

I've been pleased with the play of Brandon Merriweather. People were calling him a bust halfway through the season, which was silly. He has a ways to go but he certainly shows promise. I think he can be a very good Patriots-type player.

There were way too many stupid personal foul penalties. That's something that clearly needs to get cleaned up. 15 yards is deadly.

I like Meriweather too. He is always around the ball it seems but I'd like him to dump his hands of stone. If his hands can improve he can be a very solid player.

[GreyisGone]

garrard really didnt play that well. the receivers were literally wide open in the first half. i could have hit those guys. very strange defensive gameplan to give that much room.

[Freddy Linn]

Brady's first incompletion was at 10:27 of the third quarter.

According to the NFL Network he had not only the best completion % in the playoffs, but in NFL history for over 20 attempts.

Edited by Freddy Linn, 13 January 2008 - 01:13 AM.

[Jack Sox]

''It was a dump-down game,'' Jaguars rookie safety Reggie Nelson sniffed. ''Anybody can go 26-of-28 in a dump-down game.''

And yet... no one has! Weird.

http://sportsillustr...ap.html?eref=T1

[bball831]

Brady, as usual, was brilliant. He completed all but two of his 28 attempts, for 262 yards, with three touchdown passes and no interceptions, for a glittering passer rating of 141.4.

How was that performance not a 158.3?

"I thought we played them tough," said Jacksonville linebacker Daryl Smith, "and they still hung 31 (points) on us. I don't know what more you can do."

I'm still a little suprised the Jags never adjusted. They just stayed back and kept waiting for the mistake that never happened.

Pasquarelli

[bostonbruen]

3-S.Gostkowski kicks 59 yards from NE 30 to JAC 11. 32-M.Jones-Drew to JAC 13 for 2 yards. Lateral to 20-S.Starks to JAC 15 for 2 yards (15-K.Washington, 36-J.Sanders).
1-10-JAC 15 (6:31) 9-D.Garrard pass short left to 32-M.Jones-Drew to JAC 27 for 12 yards (21-R.Gay) [94-T.Warren].
1-10-JAC 27 (5:59) 9-D.Garrard up the middle to JAC 28 for 1 yard (75-V.Wilfork, 54-T.Bruschi).
2-9-JAC 28 (5:25) 9-D.Garrard pass short left to 32-M.Jones-Drew to JAC 32 for 4 yards (55-J.Seau).
3-5-JAC 32 (4:49) (Shotgun) 9-D.Garrard pass incomplete deep right to 86-D.Northcutt.
Timeout #2 by JAC at 04:42.
4-5-JAC 32 (4:42) (Shotgun) 9-D.Garrard pass short right to 86-D.Northcutt to JAC 40 for 8 yards (37-R.Harrison) [96-A.Thomas]. PENALTY on NE-37-R.Harrison, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at JAC 40.

Look at the times of these plays. Note the timeout by Jax. As a Patriots fan, did you get a little deja vu? That is, was this a repeat of the SB against the Eagles? Pats make it a two score game. Jacksonville burns two minutes and a timeout before they get their second first down. At this rate, even if you add in the Harrison penalty, its going to take them 2 minutes and a time out to go 50 yards. So even if they scored on this drive, they put themselves in a position where an onside kick was the only option.

That probably was the case given the way the Pats O was going, but look at the first three plays. They gained 17 yards and used 1:42 (almost two minutes).

What I'm saying is Jax should have been in a two minute offense there given that they had to get 2 scores. 17 yards in 1:42 is not a two minute offense.

And I'm not just talking about the plays, I'm talking about the lack of urgency in getting back to the line etc. Just not there.

[dderemer]

How was that performance not a 158.3?

Low yards per attempt. It's the exact same criteria that made Brady's regular season rating lower than Manning's 2004 rating.

[bostonbruen]

For what it's worth, my desktop features a picture of Giselle throwing out the first pitch at a Red Sox game sporting a Sox jersey and a red undershirt with very hard nipples. I think I've had this photo as my desktop since 2005, but in any respect, before she was dating Brady. When ever I close one of these threads, this photo pops up. I have a hard time believing that the guy that is boning this chick is going to lose a playoff game. My thought is - if you can concur this shit . . . .well the NFL probably seems a little bit easier.

[drleather2001]

The Jags played a B.S. game. This only solidifies my argument that solely focusing on Moss will burn you seriously. Make Moss the only option for Brady, you're not the crappy Bills who were afraid to touch anyone on that Sunday night. Of course once again a B.S. fumble early on turned into 7 points. Obviously it wasn't the sole difference maker, but a 24-20 game is a whole lot different than a 31-20 game. I know I'm talking out of pure frustration here, but when you see overwhelming pressure coming like that why not just be smart about it and throw it to the sidelines? It's better to waste a down than simply giving the Pats the ball within 30 yards of the end zone because you know they'll score points off of it. And then when they're down by 11, they take their sweet old time driving down the field which ended with a bonehead interception. Listen to me Jacksonville and any other NFL team out there. You need to take shots down the field. Get greedy. It's the freakin playoffs. Jim Kelly would of showed more guts out there tonight. Throw it deep when you're down by two scores with 6 minutes left. You need a quick score. A stupid, B.S. game by the Jags that the Colts would of so easily won. This will be an AFC Champ rematch, and hopefully the Colts will show the rest of this pathetic league how to play the Patriots.

You wouldn't happen to be biased, would you?

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Kevin Faulk is absolutely the most underrated NFL playoff player in the history of forever.

[E5 Yaz]

This was posted Friday:

http://sports.espn.g...r...&id=3191628

But the point holds. I'm sure every team has them, but players such as Faulk and Troy Brown have always been gratifying to watch

[Harry Hooper]

Faulk can't be THAT important, the broadcasters in the AFC Championship last year didn't even mention he was out of action.

[CaptainLaddie]

The Jags played a B.S. game. This only solidifies my argument that solely focusing on Moss will burn you seriously. Make Moss the only option for Brady, you're not the crappy Bills who were afraid to touch anyone on that Sunday night. Of course once again a B.S. fumble early on turned into 7 points. Obviously it wasn't the sole difference maker, but a 24-20 game is a whole lot different than a 31-20 game. I know I'm talking out of pure frustration here, but when you see overwhelming pressure coming like that why not just be smart about it and throw it to the sidelines? It's better to waste a down than simply giving the Pats the ball within 30 yards of the end zone because you know they'll score points off of it. And then when they're down by 11, they take their sweet old time driving down the field which ended with a bonehead interception. Listen to me Jacksonville and any other NFL team out there. You need to take shots down the field. Get greedy. It's the freakin playoffs. Jim Kelly would of showed more guts out there tonight. Throw it deep when you're down by two scores with 6 minutes left. You need a quick score. A stupid, B.S. game by the Jags that the Colts would of so easily won. This will be an AFC Champ rematch, and hopefully the Colts will show the rest of this pathetic league how to play the Patriots.

Wait, what?

Really?

Because if you let Randy Moss stay open on every possession, the Patriots will score a fucking touchdown every possession. Yeah.

SEEMS LIKE A GREAT PLAN GOOD JOB.

[SpacemanzGerbil]

The Patriots offensive line put on one of the biggest clinics seen this decade. I find it difficult to focus on particulars when watching football at a bar but aside from that first possession sack, Brady had however much time he wanted to throw the ball tonight. The Jags D-Line is one of the very best in the business, despite missing Stroud and they spent the majority of this game either five yards off the play or on their asses. Start to finish, that group owned this game. In fact, if they started Mankins at corner instead of Gay, I'm almost convinced Garrard doesn't carve them up in the first half.

Of course, hopefully Indy or the Chargers will smarten up and sign on an internet dweeb so they don't play such pansy assed defense next week. That was clearly what Jaxy's problem was this evening.

Edited by SpacemanzGerbil, 13 January 2008 - 05:12 AM.

[JohnnyK]

The worst part about that game - it was over too fast. I got up at 4:30 in the morning, hoping to catch the second half, and all I got to see was the last 7 or so minutes...

[TheoShmeo]

A few thoughts

- There was so much to love about what Brady did last night that it's hard to boil it down to one thing, but if I had to it would be his discipline in taking what they gave him rather than forcing balls further down the field or trying to involve Moss more. For a guy who has been a highlight reel all year, reverting back in some respects to how he "managed" games in the past couldn't have been easy. That said, I'm not remotely surprised that he did what was needed to be done to win the game.

- Thanks to a ridiculous performance by Brady and the rest of the offense, the fact that we never saw the Jax punter didn't bite them in the ass. That's not going to fly against Indy or SD. I don't know what they need to do or how they need to do it, but they just need to find a way to make some more stops on third down next week.

- How weird was it to see BB not throw that challenge flag? Whether it would have been overturned or not, it seemed like a call that needed to be challenged and I don't remember the Belichick Pats ever not responding in kind.

- It was very nice to see Stallworth with some meaningful contributions. For whatever reason, he hasn't totally clicked with Brady and the offense like Welker and Moss this year, but he still has some great skills and has seemed like a good team guy. That "almost TD" was gorgeous, but his catch and gut it out first down was a nice exclamation point at the end.

- Here's one more salute to Kevin Faulk. The guy is football's version of a PED-less Clemens. He gets better with age. If his name was Randy Moss, that one handed stab would have lead off SportsCenter or, failing that, would have at least been included in the highlight packages. But he's just the guy who Brady looks for when things are getting dicey, and he consistently delivers.

- Josh McDaniels gave whoever the Pats are going to face next week a few new wrinkles and looks to worry about. Unveiling plays that they worked on late this past week reminds me of what they did in Super Bowl 36 with the TD pass to David Patten and in other SB years.

- My heart wants Indy because I would LOVE to get a little payback for last year's game (in sort of a Sox-MFYs 2003-4 way) but my brain wants the Chargers.

- Last, if you have the NFL Network and haven't yet seen Path to Perfection, find a way to see it.

[Marbleheader]

I am hardly a Laurence Maroney fan, but he has impressed the hell out of me of late. Last night he made great decisions, hit the holes hard, and was running with purpose---something that his game lacks at times. He was moving the pile on several plays to get the extra yard, was able to get outside or run between the tackles. 5.5 AVG and 122 yards. It was great to see.

[CWiggum]

garrard really didnt play that well. the receivers were literally wide open in the first half. i could have hit those guys. very strange defensive gameplan to give that much room.

I completely disagree. He definitely was throwing to wide open receivers at times, but he also made some absolutely amazing throws. He was every bit as good as Brady was for the first three quarters, and if Northcut and Jones come up with those two passes (which were both perfectly thrown and eminentl catchable) we're probably looking at a tie game late in the fourth.

Of all the games I have seen at the Blade, this one ranks up there in terms of opponent QB play. Garrard was poised in the pocket, avoided pressure nicely, never panicked, made the proper reads, and delivered the ball on the money.

[Sille Skrub]

- Last, if you have the NFL Network and haven't yet seen Path to Perfection, find a way to see it.

Second. This should required viewing for any Pats fan.

The NFL Network is fantastic.

[doctormoist]

Kevin Faulk is absolutely the most underrated NFL playoff player in the history of forever.

Christian Fauria was commenting after the game and said that Faulk is regarded as the best athlete on the team. I don't know if he's talking about 2007, with Randy around, though.

[OBP>SLG]

You wouldn't happen to be biased, would you?

No. I have a ton of respect for the Patriots as a dynasty, but I'm still pissed off that they embarassed my Bills in Buffalo on national TV. In fact, I'm glad the Jags went with the defensive schemes that they did just so you guys have visual fuckin evidence that solely focusing on stopping Moss is going to get you burned seriously.

[jacklamabe65]

The Jags played a B.S. game. You need to take shots down the field. Get greedy. It's the freakin playoffs. Jim Kelly would of showed more guts out there tonight. Throw it deep when you're down by two scores with 6 minutes left. You need a quick score. A stupid, B.S. game by the Jags that the Colts would of so easily won. This will be an AFC Champ rematch, and hopefully the Colts will show the rest of this pathetic league how to play the Patriots.

Much easier said then done.

[OBP>SLG]

Wait, what?

Really?

Because if you let Randy Moss stay open on every possession, the Patriots will score a fucking touchdown every possession. Yeah.

SEEMS LIKE A GREAT PLAN GOOD JOB.

That's not what my strategy entails, but ok I'll accept your strawman argument.

[OBP>SLG]

Much easier said then done.

Obviously, but at least try it when you're down by two scores with so little time left in the postseason. What do you have to lose? If you throw it away it's season over, but if you don't score quickly enough it's also season over.

[Havok]

I was a Stephen Gostkowski missed FG away from hitting my parlay. Burn in Hell... after the playoffs.

[amarshal2]

I love how OBP>SLG is the only one in America who's figured out a seemingly obvious blue print to beat the Patriots. Somebody get this guy an NFL head coaching job!!!!!

[amarshal2]

And admittedly while I haven't looked through this whole thread I haven't seen anyone else comment about how the chop block wasn't a chop block. The guy tripped over a Patriots player who was on the ground. I can't remember who it was, perhaps K. Brady.

[Nator]

Seconded. When the fuck is this going to get some credit? What a player.

I'll bet that after he retires, he is part of a ceremony honoring the superbowl teams back at Gillette, and he gets a huuuge standing-O when they call him out. I love that guy. The quintessential 3rd down back.

[DannyHeep]

This game was lost simply because the Jaguars stopped doing what was working for them in the first half.

Quick passes with the random shot down the field had the Pats on their heels.

Of course they couldn't really stop Brady so it may not have mattered.

Next week we play Indy (sorry SD) and we see if Brady can out score Manning.

[JokersWildJIMED]

I completely disagree. He definitely was throwing to wide open receivers at times, but he also made some absolutely amazing throws. He was every bit as good as Brady was for the first three quarters, and if Northcut and Jones come up with those two passes (which were both perfectly thrown and eminentl catchable) we're probably looking at a tie game late in the fourth.

Of all the games I have seen at the Blade, this one ranks up there in terms of opponent QB play. Garrard was poised in the pocket, avoided pressure nicely, never panicked, made the proper reads, and delivered the ball on the money.

Agreed, 100%...in fact, I cannot see how Peyton can play any better...problem is the Colts defense is so much better suited to stopping the Pats than the idiotic approach that Jax took... but that worry is for next week.

One question Chief though, is the stadium that quiet in person? Quite unbelievable watching the game at home, but as compared to places like Seattle or Indy, the Blade seems like a morgue and seems to provide no discernible home field advantage.

[Reverend]

This game was lost simply because the Jaguars stopped doing what was working for them in the first half.

Quick passes with the random shot down the field had the Pats on their heels.

Of course they couldn't really stop Brady so it may not have mattered.

Next week we play Indy (sorry SD) and we see if Brady can out score Manning.

I kind of agree, except maybe for the that-s'why'they'lost part. Anyone who's done any sparring has a memory of being in a bout where the other guy isn't showing any holes in his defense, he's not falling for feints, and he keeps hitting (or kicking) you.

JAX played a great first half. Great. As per Garrard versus the receivers, I saw Garrard making perfect throws to receivers running perfect routes (e.g. that cross in and then run out and grab the catch right before going out of bounds for the TD).

They played their game and played it well. And they were tied at the half. And kicking.

As far as what other teams (Indy/SD) can take from this, I figure: nothing. That Patriots will have a totally different game plan.

Instead of looking at the box score, what happens if we consider the expected game plan to performance. JAX is dangerous on the ground. Ergo, stop the run game and make them try to beat you with the passing game. JAX had a great day passing, and not just because the Pats D played poorly, so the game was close for awhile.

But I don't think anything crazy or unexpected happened. JAX played really well and lost.

Edited by Reverend, 13 January 2008 - 11:32 AM.

[DJnVa]

One quick thing I take issue with is the thought that a bad passing defense this week automatically means they suck next week as well. Granted Manning is better than Garrard, but every single thing that happens in one game does not automatically make it a trend that continues to the next. Yes, there may be problems in the coverage but there is also a chance that we had a combination of the defense wanting Garrard to pass and maybe Garrard simply having an unbelievable night. Also, they definitely tightened up in the second half, as Garrard was only 9-18 until the play with 12 seconds left. As bad as they looked in the first half, they held him to basically 50% in the second.

Besides, if one game makes a trend, Maroney will be on fire again and Brady will throw only 2 more incompletions.

[ragnarok725]

One quick thing I take issue with is the thought that a bad passing defense this week automatically means they suck next week as well. Granted Manning is better than Garrard, but every single thing that happens in one game does not automatically make it a trend that continues to the next.

This is a good point. If the Colts wind up in a shoot-out with the Chargers today and win 35 to 31 will people immediately write off the Colts' D despite their performance all year and their performance against the Pats in the previous match-up? I sure hope not. Recent performance is certainly something to consider, but it's not the be all end all when projecting performance going forward. The NFL is situational - it's a game of match-ups. After today we'll be able to analyze how well the team matches up against their opponent next week.

[drleather2001]

No... but I'm still pissed off that they embarassed my Bills in Buffalo on national TV.

n/m

Good luck with the Bills next year.

Out of curiosity, how did you think the Patriots defense played, and what do you think should be their strategy against the Chargers or Colts?

Edited by drleather2001, 13 January 2008 - 11:49 AM.

[Ed Hillel]

And admittedly while I haven't looked through this whole thread I haven't seen anyone else comment about how the chop block wasn't a chop block. The guy tripped over a Patriots player who was on the ground. I can't remember who it was, perhaps K. Brady.

I believe it was a crackback block and it was on Stephen Neal. From what I saw, it looked blatant and was clearly the right call. Someone missed his assignment (probably Neal) and Neal stuck his leg out to avoid the rusher from getting to Brady. People complained that it was a backbreaking penalty and in a sense it was, but it looked like an almost guaranteed sack if the defender had gotten by. I'd take 2nd and 24 (or whatever it was) to something like 3rd and 17 and with Brady getting crunched.

Bad blocking, good penalty.

[Harry Hooper]

And admittedly while I haven't looked through this whole thread I haven't seen anyone else comment about how the chop block wasn't a chop block. The guy tripped over a Patriots player who was on the ground. I can't remember who it was, perhaps K. Brady.

I'd have to see a replay again, but as I recall it, Neal briefly engaged the Jaguar lineman and was then falling back in the pocket away from the lineman when Koppen or Mankins came across and blocked the guy below the waist. It wasn't a textbook chop block, but I understand why the official called it.

[CWiggum]

One question Chief though, is the stadium that quiet in person? Quite unbelievable watching the game at home, but as compared to places like Seattle or Indy, the Blade seems like a morgue and seems to provide no discernible home field advantage.

This has been the subject of discussion on these threads a few times. I thought the fans brought their A game last night. Gillette can be quiet at times during the regular season, but the playoffs I have not seen it.

One thing I have noticed though is that it never sounds loud at Gillette on TV, for whatever reason.

[Jack Sox]

Last night for the first time in a long time it really felt as if Weis was running the offense again. I know it sounds kind of silly to be complaining about the offense, but for the majority of the year it felt much more like the players making the plays rather than the scheme. Last night was different. I've never been a huge McDaniels fan, but the creativity in his play callings last night was very impressive, to me at least.

Also, and DJ already touched on this but I don't see the Colts or perhaps even the Chargers being as efficient as the Jags showed on offense. One thing to really consider is just how truly large the players Jacksonville has. Belichick touched on it earlier in the week and he was dead on (shocking, I know), Jacksonville drafts them big. As a result, there were several match up problems. This won't be the case against Indy. I'm not saying Indy won't have a good game offensively, because they most likely will, I'm just saying if they're succesfful it will be much more because of their gameplan than match up issues. Plus outside of a freak catch and run from Addai last time we played Indy, Peyton wasn't overly impressive anyway. But we'll see.

Finally, whoever mentioned Kevin Faulk being supremely underrated was balls on right. In nearly every aspect as well. Hell of a player.

Edited by Jack Sox, 13 January 2008 - 12:07 PM.

[Freddy Linn]

Faulk is in the top 10 among all-time Pats in rushing yards (ahead of Craig James) and is in the top six in receptions, ahead of Cappelletti.

Remarkable that a 5'8" back had the biggest impact out of that Pats draft class. I would have bet a year's salary on Katzenmoyer.

[CaptainLaddie]

Let's break this down, DotB style.

The Jags played a B.S. game. This only solidifies my argument that solely focusing on Moss will burn you seriously. Make Moss the only option for Brady, you're not the crappy Bills who were afraid to touch anyone on that Sunday night.

What? No. Making the best wide receiver the only option for the best quarterback in football, and you will find the score going very quickly one way. Even if you have 6 DBs on the field at all times, then you're going to let Maroney burn you.

Of course once again a B.S. fumble early on turned into 7 points. Obviously it wasn't the sole difference maker, but a 24-20 game is a whole lot different than a 31-20 game.

How was that a BS fumble? Really? It was bullshit? It was a real, honest-to-goodness fumble. I could say that the BS TD at the start of the game early on turned into 7 points, and a 31-16 game is a whole lot different than a 31-20 game. See? We can both make up bullshit excuses!

I know I'm talking out of pure frustration here, but when you see overwhelming pressure coming like that why not just be smart about it and throw it to the sidelines? It's better to waste a down than simply giving the Pats the ball within 30 yards of the end zone because you know they'll score points off of it.

The reason he didn't throw it away is because David Garrard has a much better football mind than you. He thought he could make a play (heck, he did it on the series before), and he didn't. Garrard was one of the five best QBs in the league this year, especially when it comes to not turning the ball over.

And then when they're down by 11, they take their sweet old time driving down the field which ended with a bonehead interception. Listen to me Jacksonville and any other NFL team out there. You need to take shots down the field. Get greedy.

Garrard's longest pass play this year was for 59 yards, against your Buffalo Bills. And that one was a short pass:

(2:49) 9-D.Garrard pass short middle to 11-R.Williams for 59 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
http://www.nfl.com/g...p;override=true

His next-longest was a long TD to Northcutt against the Steelers in that 29-22 win.

He also had a 43-yard pass ((5:09) (Shotgun) 9-D.Garrard pass short middle to 32-M.Jones-Drew to OAK 25 for 43 yards (23-C.Carr)) which was a short pass that went long. He had a 47-yard deep pass that was a TD.

My point is that Garrard's a very good QB, but to ME, it seems like the long pass is not his specialty. In fact, all season in passes of 31 yards or more, he went 4-for-15. 3 of those did go for TDs, but a 4-for-15 conversion rate is not a good one. For the record, Brady's was 13-for-25 (8 TDs), Peyton's was 9-for-23 (5 TDs), Romo was 7-for-14 (3 TDs), and Roethlisberger was 8-for-16 (5 TDs).

It's the freakin playoffs. Jim Kelly would of showed more guts out there tonight. Throw it deep when you're down by two scores with 6 minutes left. You need a quick score. A stupid, B.S. game by the Jags that the Colts would of so easily won. This will be an AFC Champ rematch, and hopefully the Colts will show the rest of this pathetic league how to play the Patriots.

I'm not sure what Jim Kelly has to do with any of this. But, throwing it deep is dangerous, as I'm sure you know, especially when you're not used to it. I think the other thing you're missing is that if the Colts do the same thing (taking away Moss), then the Pats will carve up the middle of the field, just like they did last night. The Pats also did something last night as well (on defense) that they always do - they took away the biggest weapon the Jags had, which was the running game. The Jags had 66 yards of rushing from their backfield and let Garrard try to beat them. He was unable to. The Patriots will not come into the game against the Colts/Chargers with that same game plan.

Despite what you think, football does not exist in a vacuum.

[OBP>SLG]

I have a question about the fake TD play with Brady. How in the world does the secondary fall for it? The fake seemed a little over the top with the jump and hand in the air. When do you ever see a QB do that on a running play? So I don't know how Jacksonville's secondary completely fell for that.

Edited by OBP>SLG, 14 January 2008 - 10:34 AM.

[OBP>SLG]

Let's break this down, DotB style.

What? No. Making the best wide receiver the only option for the best quarterback in football, and you will find the score going very quickly one way. Even if you have 6 DBs on the field at all times, then you're going to let Maroney burn you.

How was that a BS fumble? Really? It was bullshit? It was a real, honest-to-goodness fumble. I could say that the BS TD at the start of the game early on turned into 7 points, and a 31-16 game is a whole lot different than a 31-20 game. See? We can both make up bullshit excuses!


The reason he didn't throw it away is because David Garrard has a much better football mind than you. He thought he could make a play (heck, he did it on the series before), and he didn't. Garrard was one of the five best QBs in the league this year, especially when it comes to not turning the ball over.

Garrard's longest pass play this year was for 59 yards, against your Buffalo Bills. And that one was a short pass:



His next-longest was a long TD to Northcutt against the Steelers in that 29-22 win.

He also had a 43-yard pass ((5:09) (Shotgun) 9-D.Garrard pass short middle to 32-M.Jones-Drew to OAK 25 for 43 yards (23-C.Carr)) which was a short pass that went long. He had a 47-yard deep pass that was a TD.

My point is that Garrard's a very good QB, but to ME, it seems like the long pass is not his specialty. In fact, all season in passes of 31 yards or more, he went 4-for-15. 3 of those did go for TDs, but a 4-for-15 conversion rate is not a good one. For the record, Brady's was 13-for-25 (8 TDs), Peyton's was 9-for-23 (5 TDs), Romo was 7-for-14 (3 TDs), and Roethlisberger was 8-for-16 (5 TDs).


I'm not sure what Jim Kelly has to do with any of this. But, throwing it deep is dangerous, as I'm sure you know, especially when you're not used to it. I think the other thing you're missing is that if the Colts do the same thing (taking away Moss), then the Pats will carve up the middle of the field, just like they did last night. The Pats also did something last night as well (on defense) that they always do - they took away the biggest weapon the Jags had, which was the running game. The Jags had 66 yards of rushing from their backfield and let Garrard try to beat them. He was unable to. The Patriots will not come into the game against the Colts/Chargers with that same game plan.

Despite what you think, football does not exist in a vacuum.

CaptainLaddie, read your comments section in your profile.

[Gambler7]

I have a question about the fake TD play with Brady. How in the world does the secondary fall for it? The fake seemed a little over the top with the jump and hand in the air. When do you ever see a QB do that on a running play? So I don't know how Jacksonville's secondary completely fell for that.

Since I don't know when...at least the last 4 years... the Patriots have run a very similar play but they actually do directly snap the ball to Faulk with Brady acting like it's a high snap, and it's always in a goal line situation. They actually used it in Superbowl 38 against the Panthers for a two point conversion, and earlier in the year as well. Most likely most of the defense assumed again they snapped it to Faulk, that combined with Brady's amazing sell of completely turning his back to the defense, and there you have it.

Edited by Gambler7, 14 January 2008 - 10:40 AM.

[jsinger121]

Since I don't know when...at least the last 4 years... the Patriots have run a very similar play but they actually do directly snap the ball to Faulk with Brady acting like it's a high snap, and it's always in a goal line situation. They actually used it in Superbowl 38 against the Panthers for a two point conversion, and earlier in the year as well. Most likely most of the defense assumed again they snapped it to Faulk, that combined with Brady's amazing sell of completely turning his back to the defense, and there you have it.

They also used it last year in the divisional playoffs against San Diego on a two point conversion to tie the game at 21.

[bsartist618]

Since I don't know when...at least the last 4 years... the Patriots have run a very similar play but they actually do directly snap the ball to Faulk with Brady acting like it's a high snap, and it's always in a goal line situation. They actually used it in Superbowl 38 against the Panthers for a two point conversion, and earlier in the year as well. Most likely most of the defense assumed again they snapped it to Faulk, that combined with Brady's amazing sell of completely turning his back to the defense, and there you have it.

Exactly what I was just writing...
The sell may have looked over-the-top, but it was just replicating how it looks when they actually do the direct snap to Faulk.

[OBP>SLG]

Since I don't know when...at least the last 4 years... the Patriots have run a very similar play but they actually do directly snap the ball to Faulk with Brady acting like it's a high snap, and it's always in a goal line situation. They actually used it in Superbowl 38 against the Panthers for a two point conversion, and earlier in the year as well. Most likely most of the defense assumed again they snapped it to Faulk, that combined with Brady's amazing sell of completely turning his back to the defense, and there you have it.

Yeah, his back turned was probably the selling point there. It was a nice trick play down at the goalline. I just thought with Brady being overdramatic with the fake that Jacksonville wouldn't bite.

[Maalox]

And admittedly while I haven't looked through this whole thread I haven't seen anyone else comment about how the chop block wasn't a chop block. The guy tripped over a Patriots player who was on the ground. I can't remember who it was, perhaps K. Brady.

It was called on Neal but it was actually Mankins. It looked like a chop block to me.

[JokersWildJIMED]

SB 38, plus didn't they run the exact same play against SD last year in the playoffs to get their 2-point conversion to tie the game...