The Game Ball Thread: AFCDG vs Chargers

Super Nomario

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Unreal. White is incredible really. I'm thinking back to 3-4 years ago when he was end of roster and we were debating keeping him vs Jonas Grey. Or that really fast track sprinter out of UF
Jeff Demps!

This is also why I'm not panicking on Michel's limited pass game role. It took a while for White and Vereen to make an impact there. Oh, and we have White, and we'd be dumb not to use him in passing situations.
 

bigq

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My son is 7/7 in seeing the Pats in AFC title games. Ridiculous.
So amazing. Doesn't seem fair given the Pats extended ineptitude prior to the Parcells regime (with deference to the 85 team and a couple of the Grogan led teams).
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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So amazing. Doesn't seem fair given the Pats extended ineptitude prior to the Parcells regime (with deference to the 85 team and a couple of the Grogan led teams).
Those Grogan led teams were pretty talented and their failings can be chalked up to ineptitude as well imho.
 

mulluysavage

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McDaniels - he only got a little bit cute a couple of times, not too cute too often! Overall kept the LA D off balance and guessing.

Flores - Blitzing! Pressure! Cover 0! It worked! That was fun.

Yes the best all-around performance in quite some time.
 

McBride11

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Jeff Demps!

This is also why I'm not panicking on Michel's limited pass game role. It took a while for White and Vereen to make an impact there. Oh, and we have White, and we'd be dumb not to use him in passing situations.
That's the guy! Glad we kept the correct RB
 

mauf

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The dominance began in the trenches, on both sides of the ball. The Chargers didn’t execute well, but a lot of that flowed from pressure on Rivers, plus the fact that it’s damn near impossible to stop the combination of a well-protected TB12 and an effective downhill running game. So, game balls for everyone on the line.

If I was going to single out a skill position player for kudos, it would be Michel, but as others have said, this was a quintessential team win.
 

WheresDewey

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After a performance that dominating, the whole team and coaching staff deserve a game ball. Hell, that was such a satisfying win that the guys on the bench, injured reserve and practice squad probably deserve one too.

On to Kansas City.
 

Saints Rest

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The dominance began in the trenches, on both sides of the ball. The Chargers didn’t execute well, but a lot of that flowed from pressure on Rivers, plus the fact that it’s damn near impossible to stop the combination of a well-protected TB12 and an effective downhill running game. So, game balls for everyone on the line.

If I was going to single out a skill position player for kudos, it would be Michel, but as others have said, this was a quintessential team win.
I’m with you 100% on your first paragraph.
As to your second, I think there are 3 stars there (beyond the sine non qua of TB12): Michel, White, Edelman. If I could only give one ball, I think I give mine to Edelman for the tone-setting two receptions where he was contacted a couple yards short of the first down marker, but simply out-fought and out-willed the Charger to gain the first down. I think those plays really established that the Pats were going to win the one-on-one battles.
A couple other of my favorite one-on-one battles:
— Andrews on some DL on a swing pass (?) to the left. No help, but a total win.
— Gronk, having started in an H-back spot, slid over to the middle and stymied the NT directly in front of Brady.
 

tims4wins

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If you take any consecutive two Rivers games this year and add up his incompletions, the high number you get is 26. He threw 26 incompletions yesterday alone.

D line gets my first game ball. Pressures on 55% of drop backs. This is a guy who had a 28 for 29 day earlier this year.
 

Bowhemian

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I think both the OL and the DL deserve game balls.

The OL was straight out road-grading the Chargers DL on most runs. One of the few times all season that they have been able to do that.

The DL was great against the run, although the Chargers didn’t run much since they were playing catch-up most of the game. They also had great pressure on Rivers, although a lot of that was the scheme put in by the coaches. Most plays had 5 or 6 guys rushing, which is pretty amazing.
 

RFDA2000

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My son is 7/7 in seeing the Pats in AFC title games. Ridiculous.
Same. He literally got teary after the Miami game that shall not be mentioned this year, because he doesn't understand that the Patriots lose sometimes.
 

loshjott

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Game ball to Sally Jenkins for absolutely bringing it in her column.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/tom-brady-bill-belichick-dont-worry-about-the-past-thats-why-the-patriots-still-have-a-future/2019/01/13/9a35261e-1767-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html?utm_term=.7a849b5f3152

The opening:

It was 20 degrees in Gillette Stadium, according to the newly installed thermometer that the light and breezy Los Angeles Chargers had to run past in the tunnel, onto a field clouded by the white frost exhaled from about 66,000 shouting mouths. Even colder, though, were the freezing hearts of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and the rest of these AFC championship game-bound New England Patriots, those ice-trapped fossils.
 

Import78

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It's interesting to me how deep we are in their collective heads as well. They kept talking about how the Pats are the roadblock they need to overcome. You'd think we play them every year in the playoffs. Looks to me like the 2001, 2004 and 2016 seasons.
 

ShaneTrot

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They physically whipped the Chargers in every phase of the game after the Chargers had whipped the Ravens. It was fabulous and awe-inspiring. Is Philip Rivers the greatest meaningless stats QB of all time?
 

simplyeric

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It's interesting to me how deep we are in their collective heads as well. They kept talking about how the Pats are the roadblock they need to overcome. You'd think we play them every year in the playoffs. Looks to me like the 2001, 2004 and 2016 seasons.
Also the 1996 season. Seems like ancient history, but I know it fed into the thing with some Steelers fans I know.
(even though they beat us in the playoffs the following year)
 

DJnVa

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More mic'd up:



"They can't stop us. They cannot stop us."


"All night long. Lionel Richie bro, all night long."
 

joe dokes

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Pretty good. Is it Sunday yet?
Two things stuck out:
--Bosa isn't much bigger than Brady;
-- a few times it looked like LA staff handed something to players after a play: smelling salts? ammonia capsules?
 

joe dokes

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This seems to be very common in the league. Always see ghost popping one before kick offs.
I figured. I guess I never noticed. And the first one, the guy had just made a play along the sidelines and was still on the field. That's why it stuck out.
 

Al Zarilla

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BB said I got so much respect for you, Rivers said the same, go get another one
It must tear up a competitive guy like Rivers to have to say that. I saw a similar exchange on MLBN between an Eagles player (didn’t get his name) and Drew Brees after their game. The Eagles guy said “go get a ring”, twice. Easy to say for him because the Eagles won it all last year.
 

j44thor

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Two things stuck out:
--Bosa isn't much bigger than Brady;
-- a few times it looked like LA staff handed something to players after a play: smelling salts? ammonia capsules?
I loved Brady saying "finish the game" and it was still the 2nd Q. He knew LAC had no answers.