The Game Ball Thread: Week 3 vs Texans

[SeoulSoxFan]

Ho. Hum. Game. Balls.

- Front 7: beastly all game
- Allen: don't poke the Puntator

And a hearty FU to Tony Gonzalez, who called this game a possible "gut check" win by Houston.

 

[tims4wins]

Allen
DL
Collins
Kickoff coverage
LG
CROWD

 

[axx]

The NFL Network admen... certainly more productive than the Texans

 

[Hoya81]

Give Jacoby a game ball for not making any mistakes and for his keeper TD run.

 

[Saints Rest]

My 3 Stars:
Easy as ABC
Allen
Blount
Collins

 

[mauf]

O-Line. Kept Brissett upright for the most part. Opened some big holes for LGBT; frankly, he should've been better for most of the game.

 

[Cellar-Door]

Special teams. Particularly Allen, Ebner, Mingo, and Bolden

 

[Ale Xander]

Allen
BB
Patricia
McDaniels
Collins

 

[MainerInExile]

The defense and special teams on a night the offense was clearly playing with one arm tied behind its collective back.

 

[Hendu for Kutch]

O-Line. Turned JJ Watt into a game thread punch line.

 

[JimBoSox9]

My game ball goes to HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA and Allen.

 

[Number45forever]

1. Coaching. Masterpiece, instant Canton worthy game plan. Belichick, McDaniels, Patricia, Scar. Perfect.

2. Special Teams. Dominant. Punishing. Ryan Allen.

3. Defense.

4. Jacoby. No mistakes. Made some plays.

5. LGBT. Chris Long. The O-Line. Ebner. EDELMAN.

We're on to Buffalo.

 

[Stitch01]

That was like being transported back to 2003.

Basically everyone but Cyrus Jones was pretty great.

 

[axx]

The defense and special teams on a night the offense was clearly playing with one arm tied behind its collective back.

Yeah, if Jimmy or Brady had played the Pats might have gotten 50+.

 

[mauf]

O-Line. Turned JJ Watt into a game thread punch line.

They double-teamed Watt on every play where I noticed. Then, they absolutely killed Watt's mortal teammates.

 

[Carlos Cowart]

Flowers, Collins, specials teams. Christ, everyone.

 

[nothumb]

Is there a football god of fumble luck? Like an ugly step-cousin of BABIP?

Have to be super excited about the defense and ST play though, I'm not trying to piss in anyone's cornflakes.

 

[Ed Hillel]

I am in awe that performance not only happened, but happened on a Thursday. That is incredible preparation and execution. Game balls to Collins, Jacoby, Blount, OL, Allen, and Trey Motherfuckin' Flowers, future All Pro.

 

[bankshot1]

send one to Goodell

ST were superb

kickoffs and punts and coverage was about perfect

 

[mikeford]

Ryan Allen basically gave the Texans an average starting field position inside their own 20. Give that man several game balls.

 

[Ralphwiggum]

Bill Belichick is the greatest coach in NFL history.

Not among the greatest. The greatest. There is no coach in the history of the league who can game plan like him.

So, Bill Belichick.

Also Jacoby for executing the game plan better than most NFL QBs do from week to week.

 

[H78]

Game ball goes to the crowd for chanting "Fi-re Rog-er!" and "T-B-12!" during this Blount interview on NFLN.

Bahahaha

 

[BigSoxFan]

Can I give a game ball to the Texans' OC? First quarter playcalling was as conservative and gutless as it gets. I know Pats were playing deep safeties but, shit, how many times can you run Miller into the line? Texans should have come out throwing early and often to see if they can get an early lead against a rookie.

 

[amarshal2]

Ryan Allen (I believe someone called for his head last week)
Jabal Sheard
Jamie Collins
Malcom Butler
Logan Ryan
Trey Flowers
LGBT
Jacoby Brissett
Julian Edelman
Nate Ebner
The o-line
McDaniels
Patricia
BB

Lotta credit in a game like that

 

[FL4WL3SS]

I'm not convinced the Pats would have done better with Brady. They would have opened up the playbook, given Watt/Client some chances and McD would have had a few drives where he outthought himself. Keeping it simple actually worked much more in their favor.

With that said, game ball to McD for keeping it simple, but also taking a few chances and getting the kid ready on a short week.

 

[riboflav]

Game ball goes to the crowd for chanting "Fi-re Rog-er!" and "T-B-12!" during this Blount interview on NFLN.

Bahahaha

The best was when LGBT said it must have been Marshall who picked against us.

 

[DolphinJones]

Special Teams (especially Ryan Allen)
Jacoby
LGBT
BB the GM for adding tremendous depth on defense giving Hightower additional rest.

 

[H78]

The best was when LGBT said it must have been Marshall who picked against us.

I literally laughed out loud when he said that. Fantastic. Marshall had NOTHING to say.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Roger Goodell. I'm only half kidding.

That locker room must be such an amazing place right now. I think the suspension in a way may have focused this team more than they might have been if it had just been business as usual. Coaches have to be creative. Players all buying into doing their jobs and picking each other up. And everyone understanding that if they trust the plan they can succeed.

They know they can overcome adversity.

 

[dbn]

Patricia.

The defense seemed so well prepared. The players made the plays, and looked great doing so, but they were always in the the right place to make them.

Example: I think it was the start of the 2nd Q with the Texans backed up inside the 20 and Chung was up at the line facing a slot receiver, who went in motion, and Chung started to drop back into zone and then, as if a lightbulb went off over his head, crept back up to the line and at the snap ran down the running play from behind for a loss.

There was another - maybe Collins all over a play in the flat that otherwise would have been a huge gain - that stood out as a preparation win.

Another thought: when the Patriots were on D, the camera rarely showed what was happening in the secondary. Methinks that is because Osweiler never had an open receiver.

Can;t say enough good about the D tonight.

 

[Erik Hanson's Hook]

Mini-game ball to Shaq Mason for playing pretty well with one hand for three weeks

 

[riboflav]

Game ball to the defense. #SSS

 

[riboflav]

And let's not forget one of our favorite and most supportive owners of the past 20 months. Mr. Bob McNair, here's a game ball for you.

http://blog.masslive.com/patriots/2015/09/tom_brady_deflategate_texans_o.html

 

[Pandemonium67]

Yeah, give a deflated ball to Roger.

The Pats will be at worst 3-1 and tied for 1st, and I'm betting 4-0.
Brady will be fresh and somewhat inspired.
JG and JB have real game experience (and higher trade value).
BB has a better idea what JG and JB can do.
Josh McDaniels has a new toy to tinker with. What, you don't think the Pats are gonna use JB once in a while even after TB is back?

 

[E5 Yaz]

That locker room must be such an amazing place right now. I think the suspension in a way may have focused this team more than they might have been if it had just been business as usual. Coaches have to be creative. Players all buying into doing their jobs and picking each other up. And everyone understanding that if they trust the plan they can succeed.

They know they can overcome adversity.

 

[Mugsy's Walk-Off Bunt]

This is one of those lame fan-boy things, but I imagine "Jules" (aka "You're my guy") will be one of what I can only assume will be any number of Patriots who will have it in his head, and spread the word in the locker room, that the best gift they can give TB12 upon his return is an undefeated first four games. That it will really mean something to them to do that "for" him.

Game Balls to:

Edelman for that block on the Blount TD run
Bennett for his 6-yard run and for having so much fun in N.E. that his mercurial/oddball persona extends to him signing here long-term for less money than we might expect (fan-boy alert #2)
Malcolm Butler for terrific coverage AND tackling tonight
Brissett for that electrifying TD run
Parcells and Weiss for recommending him

 

[uncannymanny]

Special Teams.

Defense.

Coaching.

The above...WOW. On a short week, that was a rare performance.

Many, many individual non-offensive players, but in the name of DYJ, Jacoby played perfectly: did not give the ball up. The plays he made aside, he didn't make big mistakes. Great, mature performance. The running TD was a great early FU.

Blount. Punishing, and on my fantasy bench, but fuck yeah.

But D/ST. Holy cow.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Great team win - they all get them. But credit to Allen, ST, the defense and the secondary in particular.

Fuller is a good young player and Nuk Hopkins is a top five wide-out. The former had just three catches out of seven targets for 31 yards while Nuk was targeted eight times but only caught four balls for 56 yards (with a 16 yarder his longest). Osweiler didn't have much time but the Pats were great at taking away his first and second options all night.

 

[Dollar]

I missed the game because it started at 2:30am local here, so I just watched about an hour of highlights, and the Jamie Collins highlight video was mindblowing. I can't remember the last time I saw a linebacker play with such speed, vision, and power (maybe Urlacher or Ray Lewis at the apex of their careers). Just a brilliant game by Collins so he gets my game ball.

 

[Import78]

That game went better than it had any right too. Everyone played well in all phases. Allen was brilliant, but Ghost had a pretty good game too. I can't remember a single kickoff that ended with the ball at or past the 25.

Beyond that any time the D pitches a shut out they should get a ball.

One of my only complaints on the night was on their first drive at 3rd and 1 near the goal line they took a shot for the endzone with Gronk and wound up kicking the 3. I would have liked to see them try for the first down in that spot to give them a few more tries. At the time I thought they would need more than 3 to win though...

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

Dante and the offensive line.

I can't remember the last time the Pats (or most anyone) made it through a game with no penalties. Moreover, just one measly six-yard sack surrendered (after the game had been well-decided), and Brissett had adequate time to think about where he was delivering the ball all night. Against a DL reputed to be among the best in the league.

Special shout out to Cannon and Mason for sealing off the right side convincingly on JB's touchdown run.

And Blount haters need to understand that his frequent first down rushes for no gain, especially in the first half, just may be part of the game plan. Almost feels like Papi intentionally looking bad on a specific pitch to trick the pitcher into throwing it again when he's prepared for it.

 

[tims4wins]

Special shout out to Bill O'Brien for being completely out-coached. I mean that was as bad as it gets from a coaching mismatch. Last 2 Pats-Texans games the score is Pats 54, Texans 7.

 

[McDrew]

Ryan Allen tonight:
52 yards to HOU 11, Fair Catch, no return
36 yards to HOU 10, Fair Catch, no return
52 yards to HOU 10, Fair Catch, no return
57 yards to HOU 20. 0 yard return.
49 yards to HOU 15 Fair Catch, no return
47 yards to HOU 5, not returned
40 yards to HOU 4 Fair Catch, no return

Blount
24 rushes for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns, and TONS of clock

Brissett:
Did what he needed on 3 days prep. He wasn't spectacular by any means, but he played solid, smart, mistake-free football, and kept this team in a position to make good team decisions.

O Line:
J J Watt had 2 assisted tackles. Clowney had 1 solo and 1 assisted tackle. Brissett had time.

Special Teams:
Houston gained more offensive yards than the pats, but only crossed midfield once. Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers

Cornerbacks/Safeties
Hopkins and Griffin combined had 12 catches for 108 yards. The longest reception to either was 16 yards. No big plays=no easy momentum swings

The receivers:
HUGE blocking downfield to help the rushing game. Both long TD runs (Brissett's, Blounts) had WR's clearing lanes and taking on guys 10-15 yards downfield of the runner to give them a chance to make a move to extend the play for more yards. Edelman/Amendola were horrible fantasy picks (6/71yrds combined), but they blocked downfield like mad.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Special shout out to Bill O'Brien for being completely out-coached. I mean that was as bad as it gets from a coaching mismatch. Last 2 Pats-Texans games the score is Pats 54, Texans 7.

54-6! I was nervous before the game but settled in as soon as I saw all those conservative runs called in the first quarter. Belichick trusted his rookie more than Houston trusted their $72M man.

 

[SirPsychoSquints]

Dante and the offensive line.

I can't remember the last time the Pats (or most anyone) made it through a game with no penalties.

Snip.

The last time this happened was the bears in a loss at Denver last year

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201511220chi.htm

The previous instance was a Patriots victory against the Texans in 2013
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201312010htx.htm

 

[Eddie Jurak]

That was like being transported back to 2003.

Basically everyone but Cyrus Jones was pretty great.

Even Cyrus Jones, DB was good. It was just Cyrus Jones, PR/KR who sucked.

 

[Arroyo Con Frijoles]

And Blount haters need to understand that his frequent first down rushes for no gain, especially in the first half, just may be part of the game plan. Almost feels like Papi intentionally looking bad on a specific pitch to trick the pitcher into throwing it again when he's prepared for it.

I guess I'll have to check the tape, but I can't wait to find these moments where he intentionally found a defender at the LOS to run into to make sure he didn't gain any yardage. That's high-level stuff.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

Special shout out to Bill O'Brien for being completely out-coached. I mean that was as bad as it gets from a coaching mismatch. Last 2 Pats-Texans games the score is Pats 54, Texans 7.

Whatever coaches mentored him should be embarrassed. (Unless, of course, Bill O'Brien was a Manchurian coach.)

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

I seem to remember the Pats getting a penalty for a false start?

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

I guess I'll have to check the tape, but I can't wait to find these moments where he intentionally found a defender at the LOS to run into to make sure he didn't gain any yardage. That's high-level stuff.

You read too literally... I was alluding the play-calling for more vanilla unambitious dives into the line early in the game (and in given series) to keep defenses honest, and maybe (I have zero clue if this is true/possible) set up slightly different blocking schemes that seem to be more productive as the game goes on.

Or could be Blount and the OL wearing the Texans (and previously the Cards) down. Either way.