The Game Ball Thread: Wk 16 at Ravens

SeoulSoxFan

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This is a sweet, sweet win. One of the most satisfying regular season wins in a long time. 
 
Patriots actually beat Ravens at their own game, by playing tough, hard-nosed football on both sides of the ball, that turned into a laughter late.
 
With tremendous joy and glee, here are the game balls!
  • Logan Ryan: 2 INT, just a baller
  • Entire OL: makeshift line with Mankins at LT and Joe Kline starting mostly keeps Brady upright, and mauls for running lanes all game. 
  • LGBT: what has gotten into Blount? Running harder and faster than he has all season. Extra points for awesome Lewis dance in the end zone
Honorable mention to Ridley for the Clock-Killing drive, and Slater & the rest of the ST for coming back strong (Ghost, Allen, etc.)
 
Happy Holidays everyone!
 
P.S. All the Baltimore fans blaming this on the refs can choke on a crab cake.
 

Stitch01

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Everyone.  That was fucking great, I hate the fucking Ravens.
 
Beat the bills with a skeleton crew then get healthy for two weeks.
 

Ed Hillel

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I want to hear it for Hightower, who has been really good the past 3 weeks. The whole fucking D was good except for maybe Gregory. The Pats show once again that they are a team that could beat anybody on any given week...and we all know they could lose to anybody on any given week as well. We all know that's technically true of any team in the NFL, but I think you still understand what I mean.
 
I thought the OL was fucking amazing, as well. What a job by Scarnechhia. I don't know how I could possibly back such a statement up, but if there's a better OL coach in the history of the NFL, I would love to see him.
 

SMU_Sox

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Game ball goes to those or us who went heavy on NE today. Kidding aside... our OLine. Decimated by injuries and comes up big. Perfect? Hell no. Good, yes.
 
Dec 10, 2012
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Ed Hillel said:
I want to hear it for Hightower, who has been really good the past 3 weeks. The whole fucking D was good except for maybe Gregory. The Pats show once again that they are a team that could beat anybody on any given week...and we all know they could lose to anybody on any given week as well. We all know that's technically true of any team in the NFL, but I think you still understand what I mean.
 
I thought the OL was fucking amazing, as well. What a job by Scarnechhia. I don't know how I could possibly back such a statement up, but if there's a better OL coach in the history of the NFL, I would love to see him.
I though Hightower was slow as usual in pass coverage, has hands of stone, and that the OL could have committed some fewer penalties (yes I realzie some of them was a referee issue).
 

Jnai

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Hard to imagine that this team, which lost maybe 10 of it's top 11 players from last year's AFC Championship Game squad, is back on top the AFC East and at worst a 3-seed in the playoffs.
 
Game ball to Belichick. What a wizard this guy is.
 

Ed Hillel

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Dan to Theo to Ben said:
I though Hightower was slow as usual in pass coverage, has hands of stone, and that the OL could have committed some fewer penalties (yes I realzie some of them was a referee issue).
 
Of course you did.
 

Stitch01

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Jnai said:
Hard to imagine that this team, which lost maybe 10 of it's top 11 players from last year's AFC Championship Game squad, is back on top the AFC East and at worst a 3-seed in the playoffs.
 
Game ball to Belichick. What a wizard this guy is.
Probably a four seed with a loss to the Bills, hopefully we don't find out
 

Super Nomario

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I thought the O-line largely struggled in pass protection - Brady didn't take many sacks, but a lot of that was Brady - but they came up huge in the running game late. Blount and Ridley ran like maniacs, too.
 
The early-season secondary was back. Baltimore was 0-6 with 1 INT and 1 DPI drawn on "deep" passes today. Smith had one nice run-after-catch play, but other than that Baltimore had to keep converting first down after first down ... and they couldn't do it. Ravens were 5 of 17 on third- and fourth- down. Ryan obviously stood out with the two picks, but Talib, Arrington, Harmon, McCourty, even Tavon Wilson all made plays.
 
Run D was solid, too. The final numbers (28 carries for 121 yards) don't sound that great, but Taylor had a couple long runs in garbage time. Rice and Pierce combined for 21 carries for 71 yards.
 
Also, Gostkowski was huge. 2 of 2 on FGs in windy conditions, 5 touchbacks in 7 tries. Nice game for Ryan Allen, too.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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Ed Hillel said:
I want to hear it for Hightower, who has been really good the past 3 weeks.
I'll take my penance here -- I've been on a Hightower witch hunt, but thought he played very very well today. Tough too...came back to play well after taking a hard shot

Edit: that's a "witch" hunt
 

ShaneTrot

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Dan to Theo to Ben said:
I though Hightower was slow as usual in pass coverage, has hands of stone, and that the OL could have committed some fewer penalties (yes I realzie some of them was a referee issue).
You may want to ask for a seeing-eye dog for Christmas. He was instrumental in stuffing the run, blew up a 4th down play and tipped a ball that led to an interception.
 
Really liked the physical play on both sides of the ball. Fun to see. Made Baltimore look tentative and unprepared and Baltimore needed this game desperately.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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Super Nomario said:
Run D was solid, too. The final numbers (28 carries for 121 yards) don't sound that great, but Taylor had a couple long runs in garbage time. Rice and Pierce combined for 21 carries for 71 yards.
 
Is it me or having Siliga stabilized the run D?
 
SS put up a +2.6 run D via PFF before today's game (vs. -18.8 for Chris Jones and -5.3 for Vellano.) I think Pats may have found a depth rotational DT for next year in Siliga.
 

Super Nomario

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SeoulSoxFan said:
 
Is it me or having Siliga stabilized the run D?
 
SS put up a +2.6 run D via PFF before today's game (vs. -18.8 for Chris Jones and -5.3 for Vellano.) I think Pats may have found a depth rotational DT for next year in Siliga.
I think you're right. SIliga's emergence has also made Hightower look better (doesn't have to shed blockers on the second level all the time) and Chris Jones / Vellano (don't have to play at the nose and get double-teamed).
 

smokin joe wood

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I agree with all of the praise for the offensive line but I wouldn't include Cannon. Multiple penalties and missed assignments. Get well Seabass.
 

JMDurron

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Logan Ryan - those weren't catches that I'd expect every DB to make (PS - shame on you, DMC), but he made two excellent quick-reaction INTs.
The entire Offensive Line.  I did not believe in them.  One more week like this, and I will.
Joe Flacco.  He was completely incapable of hitting his open WRs early in the game, his injury was a key factor that I feel no sympathy for whatsoever.  It's about damn time it happened to a Patriots opponent when the Patriots actually played them, and mattered in the game.  
 

Euclis20

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smokin joe wood said:
I agree with all of the praise for the offensive line but I wouldn't include Cannon. Multiple penalties and missed assignments. Get well Seabass.
 
If only...he's been on IR since October.
 

Kliq

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Flacco's knee was obviously bothering him in the first half, which stopped him from getting in a rhythm and put Baltimore in the hole early. Great job by the defense all-around, Duane Harmon and DMC made some really good plays on the ball, and Ryan was obviously clutch. Nink and Jones put good pressure on Flacco, and I thought Siliga made some nice plays. Good win to re-establish the faith in New England after last weeks debacle.
 

PaulinMyrBch

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I agree with all of the praise for the offensive line but I wouldn't include Cannon. Multiple penalties and missed assignments. Get well Seabass.

I was expecting them to pull off the helmet and 61 jersey and Shaggy from Scooby Doo would be dripping with sweat. We've seen Cannon better than that. Hopefully it was a one week aberration.
 
Dec 10, 2012
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ShaneTrot said:
You may want to ask for a seeing-eye dog for Christmas. He was instrumental in stuffing the run, blew up a 4th down play and tipped a ball that led to an interception.
 
Really liked the physical play on both sides of the ball. Fun to see. Made Baltimore look tentative and unprepared and Baltimore needed this game desperately.
1) I don't celebrate Christmas
2) Never said anything about the run
3) Should have caught it
 

mpx42

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I really hope Vereen is okay. The offense kind of fell off a cliff after left the game...Bolden just doesn't replace that skillset.
 

dcmissle

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What will Shaughnessy write about this week?
 
 
Since Francesa's ass will be in hiding till Friday -- and I expect few if any of the 16 ESPN *experts* to post -- here is an early Christmas present:
 
http://bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/ron_borges/2013/12/plenty_of_punch_in_patriots
 
Some of us were channeling BB in the Ravens thread earlier this week -- the RUNNING game.  I will happily take 142/175 every single week.  That's the way you go after these guys, especially on the road.
 
It was a lot of fun being there, in the company of more than a few Pats fans.
 

Van Everyman

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1) I don't celebrate Christmas
2) Never said anything about the run
3) Should have caught it


A good rule of thumb is that when you are more negative than Ron Borges, it's time to take a break:

Having established the physical tone desired, the Patriots then took the ball away from the Ravens three plays after Blount&rsquo;s touchdown when the much-maligned Dont&rsquo;a Hightower made a beautiful play on a pass intended for Jacoby Jones, perfectly executing his drop and thus being in position to tip Joe Flacco&rsquo;s pass, which was intercepted by rookie corner Logan Ryan at the Patriots 47.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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JMDurron said:
Joe Flacco.  He was completely incapable of hitting his open WRs early in the game, his injury was a key factor that I feel no sympathy for whatsoever.  It's about damn time it happened to a Patriots opponent when the Patriots actually played them, and mattered in the game.  
 
Flacco wore a knee brace for the first time and all the excuses come out from the media covering the game. Brady's been wearing one for 4 years and not a fucking word.
 

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mikeford said:
Not to mention Flacco has sucked all year well before donning the knee brace
 
Yes, when your game is primarily based on throwing the ball up for grabs and hoping your WRs pull them down or draw a flag then you are going to have long, extended periods of sucks.  And like we saw last year, occasional hot streaks when everything is going your way.
 
Basically, I'm saying that Flacco sucks