A dominant defensive performance coming…and why Brady has to maybe be a little smarter

[aluminum seats]

I think in the wake of all the catastrophic blunders on Sunday (and maybe it’s a good thing they were all compressed into one game) the pretty decent job by the defense sort of got lost.

The defense allowed 7 points per half, which is pretty much going to get the job down 99 percent of the time. Collins is back, and hopefully Hightower (and Easley) are back for Houston. There’s nothing so stabilizing as a great defensive performance, which is what the Pats need. A strong, clean, stable game. It’s similar to when a baseball team is reeling, a dominant pitching performance just settles everything the hell down.

The Pats are playing the Texans, led by Brian Hoyer. Their leading rusher last week was Chris Polk. I think this defense is going to come up absolutely huge on Sunday night.

That’s actually the only thing I was going to say, but I did want to make a point on this recent perplexing trend of Tom heaving the deep ball so much. (And this isn’t a McDaniels thing, the ball’s in Brady’s hands and he makes the decisions on his throws).

Tom Brady is, of course, a great quarterback. But he’s not perfect. I said two weeks ago that Brady was going to have to guard against impatience—to not feel that since this offense was effortlessly putting up 35+ earlier in the season it has to continue. It’s essential to understand every aspect of a game situation….he used to be masterful in that regard, and I think he’ll get back to it.

Let’s take a journey back to a simpler time…when the very idea of the Patriots being IN the Super Bowl was sort of mystifying…

The Patriots were big underdogs to the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. The Patriots won (you may recall.) Led by Tom Brady, here’s how the Pats’ offensive series went that game:

Punt
Punt
Punt
Punt
TD (right before half, starting field position Rams’ 40 off fumble)
Punt
Punt
FG (starting field position Rams’ 33 off interception)
Punt
Punt
FG

Brady threw for less than 150 yards. No picks. Super Bowl winner.

OK this is getting long. Anyway, point being Brady has to take what’s there. If it’s not there, punt. Any drive that ends with a kick is a good drive (doubt we’ll see another punt blocked this year). Skills players are coming back. Let this excellent defense play. Win games. Lather, rinse….repeat.

 

[NYPatsFan]

Brady's biggest weakness is trust. If he doesn't trust a guy, he won't throw to him unless he's wide open. Right now without Edelman and Gronk, Brady is is holding on to the ball too long. He needs to get rid of it quickly and trust his guys to run routes.

I agree with you about the defense. I expect them to play great on Sunday.

 

[patsinthesnow]

When Hightower returns: Stretch run defense & and run defense improves dramatically. Arguably best run D in NFL with Hightower & Collins in there. Hightower returning also frees up Collins more.
When Coleman returns: Better coverage on WR3, gets Chung off WR3 and onto TEs or pass catching RBs. Chung shut down Vereen and having him on Sproles instead of a WR would have helped. BB must really not trust Melvin to have Chung on WRs since the Bills game.

I still believe our full strength defense will get us to (and win) SB50. It's a shame we haven't had the full unit since the Cowboys game.

 

[Gronkowski123]

had for brady to play when his line can't block/receivers never get open.
maybe we should bench tom until everyone is back. can't let lour 38y/o qb take double digit hits every week.

 

[JMC00]

Some of his deep ball throws have been good decisions, LaFell has to do a better job.

 

[varjao]

The OP has great points, I agree and mentioned before that I think the team in general and the coaching are trying to take more from the game than the game is giving to us, and that's where **** happens, stop trying to fit a square in a circle. Play safe and mistake free football, punt 10 times if necessary, we are still a team capable of beating any team in this league, even in a ugly way.

 

[FourierSeries]

Yeah, the defense played well vs Philly. They played very well vs Denver until Hightower went down. No Hightower + no Collins, + no Coleman really hurt them in the 2nd half in Denver.

They climbed to 13th in total yards allowed per game, and are now 10th in PPG, but would probably have been 3rd had it not been for the STs/offense giving up points.

This team is going to be nearly impossible to stop in the playoffs once it gets back players on both defense and offense.

 

[PittPatriot]

Brady's biggest weakness is trust. If he doesn't trust a guy, he won't throw to him unless he's wide open. Right now without Edelman and Gronk, Brady is is holding on to the ball too long. He needs to get rid of it quickly and trust his guys to run routes.

I agree with you about the defense. I expect them to play great on Sunday.

I recall the 'ol saying "Tom Brady's favorite receiver is the open one."
I think post-2007, things have changed. Perhaps he got "too comfortable" with Wes and Moss, and that transitioned into Gronk and Edelman.
Is Brandon Lafell that bad? Yes, there are drops...but he is on the roster for a reason. So is Chandler. Keep going back to them and stop throwing picks. I'd have taken 3 points over the pick-6 that turned the game.
This Defense has played its heart out all year and deserves a better performance from the offense and also from the coaches to avoid stupid decisions and turnovers.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

had for brady to play when his line can't block/receivers never get open.
maybe we should bench tom until everyone is back. can't let lour 38y/o qb take double digit hits every week.

Receivers were open. Chandler was open in the end zone when Brady forced it to Amendola and threw a game changing pick 6.

Biggest offensive threat from the Texans is their passing game. Hopkins is ridiculous. He's the best WR Patriots will face this year.

 

[tasmlab]

Do we have any tape on Brian Hoyer?

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

I wouldn't underestimate anyone at this point...if we can lose to the Eagles, then we can lose to anyone

 

[RayClay]

People tend to think there's a strategy that will overcome physical lack. Brady was trying to get it in bunches because no one was open,or where they were supposed to be and his line never could protect forever, our offense wasn't built that way. In addition Pokey Antowain Smith could run it three times for a first down, not once for 8 yards, then get stuffed twice like Blount.

This is why I agreed with the onside kick, because we were being beaten physically,apparently on special teams too.

We need performance and crisp play from Amendola and Martin, more reliable first down plays from chandler and short yac routes for LaFell because he has never been a good deep receiver. He's fast, but doesn't run under control. He never did, I don't know why they think he will now. Of course he needs to step up too,but we don't have a choice to not use a veteran receiver, at this point.

If Blount puts his head down and gets 3 yards instead of zero, then breaks runs when available we'll be much better. He started to against Philly.

Move the chains through crisp play. Have a good week of practice.

 

[RayClay]

By the way,with gronk out, the break tackles, YAC LaFell has lots of opportunity. The only guys I want to see running 30-40 yards without the ball are Amendola or Martin. LaFell looks like thelittle league right fielder who just woke up to see a ball flying over his head. We've been there before, he's a bruiser, not a cruiser.

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

I wouldn't underestimate anyone at this point...if we can lose to the Eagles, then we can lose to anyone

But if they can beat the Patriots, then they can beat anyone; and they kinda beat the Patriots last week!

 

[Dutchmaster617]

Well Edelman broken foot is to blame for the best QB in football throwing hail Mary's early in the game with a lead.

Had his foot been okay his QB would be careful. Yes it was cute seeing Moss catch a td in triple coverage early 07 against NY or SD or both can't remember, thinking the cashier you signed from Dunking Donuts Saturday morning could do it is concerning though.

 

[kudzif]

I recall the 'ol saying "Tom Brady's favorite receiver is the open one."
I think post-2007, things have changed. Perhaps he got "too comfortable" with Wes and Moss, and that transitioned into Gronk and Edelman.
Is Brandon Lafell that bad? Yes, there are drops...but he is on the roster for a reason. So is Chandler. Keep going back to them and stop throwing picks. I'd have taken 3 points over the pick-6 that turned the game.
This Defense has played its heart out all year and deserves a better performance from the offense and also from the coaches to avoid stupid decisions and turnovers.

Are you watching the same games as everyone else? Lafell and Chandler have a role they are good as 3rd and 4th options but they are not primary receivers. They are no longer facing advantageous coverage, so now they have to beat people by themselves not feed of gronk and they can't. A good QB maximizes a receivers ability they cannot make them into hall of famer's.

 

[50-yard-line]

I recall the 'ol saying "Tom Brady's favorite receiver is the open one."
I think post-2007, things have changed. Perhaps he got "too comfortable" with Wes and Moss, and that transitioned into Gronk and Edelman.
Is Brandon Lafell that bad? Yes, there are drops...but he is on the roster for a reason. So is Chandler. Keep going back to them and stop throwing picks. I'd have taken 3 points over the pick-6 that turned the game.
This Defense has played its heart out all year and deserves a better performance from the offense and also from the coaches to avoid stupid decisions and turnovers.

Well, to be fair, that pick six was about as blatant a DPI as you can have. The guy intercepted Amendola and shoved him back as Brady threw the ball. Unreal how clear it was.

 

[PittPatriot]

Well, to be fair, that pick six was about as blatant a DPI as you can have. The guy intercepted Amendola and shoved him back as Brady threw the ball. Unreal how clear it was.

I saw it similar like Butler's SB interception. If you are going for the ball, they allow the contact. But I did not see Brady INT as closely as you did and have deleted the game from my DVR like an ex-girlfriend's text message.

 

[PittPatriot]

Are you watching the same games as everyone else? Lafell and Chandler have a role they are good as 3rd and 4th options but they are not primary receivers. They are no longer facing advantageous coverage, so now they have to beat people by themselves not feed of gronk and they can't. A good QB maximizes a receivers ability they cannot make them into hall of famer's.

Well, there has been speculation all week on sports radio about Brady "forcing" balls to guys he trusts and avoid the guys he does not.
But let me make sure you and I watched the same game because I sometimes just make sh*t up to be part of a larger conversation. Thanks.

 

[bbobbo]

I saw it similar like Butler's SB interception. If you are going for the ball, they allow the contact. But I did not see Brady INT as closely as you did and have deleted the game from my DVR like an ex-girlfriend's text message.

here it is. i think your interpretation is right--he's going for the ball, so they allowed the contact.