The Game Ball Thread: Wk 6 vs Bengals

[SeoulSoxFan]

There can only be one game ball from me today. That goes to TB12:

• 29/35 with 376 yards & 3 TD / 0 INT

Honorary game ball to BB for ordering the late FUTD

P.S. Bungles really are a horrible & dirty team. At 2-4, Burfict and Jones can enjoy an early January vacation & fifteenth seasons with no playoff wins.

 

[jsinger121]

Brady
Gronk
Hightower

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

LOL

@cpriceNFL
Pats fans shouting "No discipline!" at Pac Man as he comes up the tunnel. He stops, looks at them and keeps walking.

 

[BaseballJones]

Brady
Gronk
Hightower

This is the correct answer and there really are no other acceptable ones.

Brady was almost perfect. Gronk was a beast. Hightower made play after play all day long.

Roberts would be an honorable mention.

 

[Ale Xander]

Offense: Gronk, White

Defense: Hightower, Butler

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

Hightower made play after play all day long.

HT is such a tough SOB. There was a sequence where he kept giving the sideline the thumbs-up and refused to come out after getting crunched.

 

[Dollar]

James White was huge today, so I'll give him my offensive game ball. Consistently open, good hands, and great finishing. Hard not to give it to Gronk, who was an absolute beast, but Brady really needed White out of the backfield today and he delivered.

Defensively I'll give to Hightower. That safety completely changed the complexion of the game, and he was solid throughout the afternoon.

 

[Van Everyman]

HT is such a tough SOB. There was a sequence where he kept giving the sideline the thumbs-up and refused to come out after getting crunched.

And he had a half sack w Sheard on the same series.

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

Gronk
Hightower
Brady

 

[McDrew]

TE's: 12-210-1TD.
Third Down Defense (5/12 success). Defensive backfield had multiple good pass defenses on 3rd down.

 

[Bergs]

Brady
Gronk
White

Hightower
Butler (Though he should've had that pick, and I think would have if he just went to the ground with it instead of trying to pop up)

 

[Eddie Jurak]

Brady
Gronk
Hightower

Exactly those three.

 

[Van Everyman]

Interesting that the PC hasn't started yet. Wonder if BB is talking to them about keeping their cool and playing a full 60 minutes.

 

[RedOctober3829]

Brady
Gronk
Hightower
Roberts

On to Pittsburgh. Win there and get a 2.5 game lead over them.

 

[ifmanis5]

Roberts was quiet in the pre-season when it was Flowers and Mingo time but he did very well today. Great value in the 6th round.

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

Yeah Roberts looks great. I don't recall hearing anything about him before last week.

 

[BaseballJones]

FWIW, Brady's two games so far:

28-40, 406 yds, 3 td, 0 int
29-35, 376 yds, 3 td, 0 int

57-75 (76.0%), 782 yds, 6 td, 0 int, 135.5 rating

Pats have scored 68 points in the last two games.

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

And he had a half sack w Sheard on the same series.

Not just the same series, it was the very next play.

 

[BernieRicoBoomer]

Not just the same series, it was the very next play.

I thought that was a run stuff though?

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

Balls, you might be right.

 

[Reardon's Beard]

12, 87, 54

 

[Ralphwiggum]

TB12 is 40 years old and has looked pretty much perfect so far this year.

Suck it, NFL.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Yeah Roberts looks great. I don't recall hearing anything about him before last week.

Till he got hurt, he was the Pats most disruptive defender.

 

[BaseballJones]

Very nice to hold Cincy to just 17 points without Collins on the field. I'm loving the Collins/Hightower/Roberts/Ninkovich LB group, when they're all healthy.

 

[EdRalphRomero]

TB12 is 40 years old and has looked pretty much perfect so far this year.

Suck it, NFL.

39.

 

[Ralphwiggum]

Close enough.

 

[steveluck7]

Very nice to hold Cincy to just 17 points without Collins on the field. I'm loving the Collins/Hightower/Roberts/Ninkovich LB group, when they're all healthy.

Roberts has been great for the past 2 weeks. Even the.play he missed in the backfield on the run, it looked like he simply over pursued more than was juked (even if fouts talked about RB making a move).
Also, while not a game ball, it was nice to see Mingo out there for real reps. It's good to not sink to a Pierre Woods level LB when a starter goes down

 

[JohnnyTheBone]

LeGarrette Blount
Brandon King
Martellus Bennett

 

[m0ckduck]

Dre Kirkpatrick for his doofus holding call that kept the Pats drive alive at 3rd-and-18 from their own 17. At the time of the foul, they were down 7-3, getting owned a bit, and that drive later went for a go-ahead TD.

 

[j44thor]

Dre Kirkpatrick for his doofus holding call that kept the Pats drive alive at 3rd-and-18 from their own 17. At the time of the foul, they were down 7-3, getting owned a bit, and that drive later went for a go-ahead TD.

If he doesn't hold Hogan probably makes the catch. Far from a silly call unlike the phantom Logan Ryan call.

 

[Ed Hillel]

Gronk was amazing in the last 20 minutes or so. I think he had around 150 yards and a TD.

Did anyone notice how often Rowe was in? Other than the pass breakup, I didn't hear his name at all and I'm wondering if that's a good thing.

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

What did the Pats O do different in the 2nd half? The TE's were so wide open I can't figure out why they weren't doing the same thing in the 1st half.

 

[DaveRoberts'Shoes]

Gronk was amazing in the last 20 minutes or so. I think he had around 150 yards and a TD.

Did anyone notice how often Rowe was in? Other than the pass breakup, I didn't hear his name at all and I'm wondering if that's a good thing.

I was at the game and I noticed him in a fair amount, so I'm thinking he played a fair amount and was solid

 

[pedroia'sboys]

Couple thoughts

Robert's looked great again crossing my fingers but through two weeks looks like they could of hit on the lotto ticket.

Hope we haven't seen the best of edelman the foot is a concern.

I've tossed around Hightower and Collins in my head on whose more valuable to the Pats if they only could keep one. Collins inconsistency has changed my mind on the subject. Hightower is the heart and soul of the defense. Patriots should get lucky, linebackers aren't getting paid. Extend Hightower and franchise Collins if they can't come to an agreement.

 

[TomTerrific]

I was at the game and I noticed him [Rowe] in a fair amount, so I'm thinking he played a fair amount and was solid

Belichick mentioned in his presser in response to a Mike Reiss question that one of the adjustments they made in the 2nd half was to put Rowe on Green

 

[gtmtnbiker]

What did the Pats O do different in the 2nd half? The TE's were so wide open I can't figure out why they weren't doing the same thing in the 1st half.

I was wondering the same thing. My guess is that they stayed behind to help block in the first half.

 

[scottyno]

I was at the game and I noticed him in a fair amount, so I'm thinking he played a fair amount and was solid

24 snaps, mostly in the 2nd half as the nickle, in the first half Chung played nickle while Harmon came in as the 2nd safety

 

[DolphinJones]

Gronk
Hightower
Brady

Agree with Muppet’s order, when Hightower and Gronk are close to 100% they dominate. Good to see Eric Rowe on the field. Very surprised by the play of Elandon Roberts. Did not expect that from a 6th rounder.

 

[Super Nomario]

What did the Pats O do different in the 2nd half? The TE's were so wide open I can't figure out why they weren't doing the same thing in the 1st half.

I'm interested to look at this later, but I think a lot of this turned on a handful of plays. Almost every scoring drive had a play that netted about half the drive's yardage on one play, and most of the failed drives had a penalty or negative play that put the O in a tough position. They were not really successful yesterday with the standard quick-passing, move the chains O; the good drives were keyed by chunk plays:

Drive 1 (47-yard, FG): 32-yard pass to Gronk on 3rd-and-9
Drive 2 (33-yard, punt): Offensive holding put O in 1st-and-20
Drive 3 (15-yard, punt): Sack put O in 3rd-and-12
Drive 4 (75-yard, TD): 39-yard pass to Hogan, also got illegal contact on 3rd-and-18
Drive 5 (17-yard, punt): penalty put O in 2nd-and-17, sack put O in 3rd-and-22
Drive 6 (68-yard, TD): 38-yard pass to Gronk on 3rd-and-8
Drive 7 (53-yard, TD): 38-yard pass to Gronk
Drive 8 (62-yard, FG): 29-yard pass to Gronk, also got the holding call on 3rd-and-12
Drive 9 (50-yard, TD): 13-yard pass to Edelman on 3rd-and-5 with an 8-yard facemask PF tagged on

Maybe they were doing something different in the second half strategically, but it might have just been hitting on a handful of plays they didn't early.

 

[kenneycb]

I can't remember who said it but one tweet that was on ESPN during the game yesterday said something to the effect of how they played with mostly 1 TE sets in the first half, so might be something there.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

I can't remember who said it but one tweet that was on ESPN during the game yesterday said something to the effect of how they played with mostly 1 TE sets in the first half, so might be something there.

Not sure why, but Bennett had an unusually low # of snaps in the 1st half (13?)

 

[TheMoralBully]

Not sure why, but Bennett had an unusually low # of snaps in the 1st half (13?)

Maybe seeing if they could get away with resting his ankle. He has become so key, though. It's really nice having Gronk catch most of his passes 15 yards down field, and not having to run Edelman into the ground.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

James White was huge today, so I'll give him my offensive game ball. Consistently open, good hands, and great finishing. Hard not to give it to Gronk, who was an absolute beast, but Brady really needed White out of the backfield today and he delivered.

Lewis is eligible to return to practice as early as today, and then they have three weeks to decide whether to use a roster spot for him. I wonder what they will do. White has been pretty good in the role.

 

[Saints Rest]

Lewis is eligible to return to practice as early as today, and then they have three weeks to decide whether to use a roster spot for him. I wonder what they will do. White has been pretty good in the role.

OTOH, they could also leave him on PUP for a couple more weeks and extend the decision time.

 

[CoffeeNerdness]

 

[Stitch01]

Wonder how many draft picks sabotaging their own communication system is going to cost them.

http://www.csnne.com/new-england-patriots/source-new-england-patriots-communication-system-failed-during-game

 

[Ed Hillel]

Here's Burfict stomping Blount's leg after the last TD:

 

[Van Everyman]

The fact that all the penalties were on the Pats was outrageous. Thing is, I thought the refs generally called a decent game. And if Mike Pereira were still head official, I think that crew would be ripped a new one. But in Blandino's world...

 

[DJnVa]

Here's Burfict stomping Blount's leg after the last TD:

Brady spotted it.

And then the sniper got Burfict.

 

[mwonow]

Here's Burfict stomping Blount's leg after the last TD:

Can't wait for the Blandinofication of this one. Repeat offender, clear video evidence, doesn't play for Jets or Ravens...but against the Pats. Poor Deano is in a pickle!