Mike, what’d you think of the officiating?
I’m not one to get overly bothered by bad calls. There were surely a few marginal ones that went against us Sunday, but ultimately I think it all evens out unless you’re talking about the game against the Ravens earlier this year that was a debacle of epic proportions and really took something away from the game. That’s replacement refs for you.
ReFo: Texans @ Patriots, AFC Divisional Round | ProFootballFocus.com
ReFo: Texans @ Patriots, AFC Divisional Round | ProFootballFocus.com
While much was made of a breakout game by Shane Vereen (who in fairness made some big plays in the passing game), it was the offensive line who stole the show, particularly on the left side. Logan Mankins may not have earned an All Pro nod this year, but he showed on his day his ceiling is as high as any guard in the league. Combined with a superb performance from Nate Solder ( 5.6) they made it so their runners always had something to work with. Mankins had a great deal of joy at the second level, finding his way to Barrett Ruud on a series of pull blocks where he enforced his will on the smaller Texans linebacker. Solder himself had a lot of joy here, seeking out second level defenders and attacking them with power whether it was a linebacker (2.21 to go in the third) or defensive back (such as with 13.06 to go in Q2). Bigger tests await them next week but more of the same and it will be hard for Baltimore to slow them down.
I think the Ravens certainly showed how physically and mentally tough they were to go out there and come from behind and beat Denver in a tough environment. That showed a lot of character, resiliency and toughness. Our game with them this year, our game with them last year, went down to the last possession, the last play, however you want to look at it. Our other games with them over the years have usually come down to that too – the final possession or sometimes the final play – even going all the way back to ’09, unfortunately not the playoff game but in the regular season. That’s what we’re going to prepare for this week – a tough team, mentally and physically, that has a lot of talent, that’s very confident. They’ve gone on the road and won. I don’t think that will phase them. We just have to go out there and play and coach better than they do and that will be a big challenge but that’s what we have to do.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/i-think-the-ravens-certainly-showed-how-physically/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M4vxpAlkbs
2004 AFC Championships – Indianapolis Colts vs New England Patriots – Full Game (by Robert Park)
How about a little AFC Championship game history today?
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
https://www.patspropaganda.com/2004-afc-championships-indianapolis-colts-vs-new/
Tom Brady’s desire for more does battle with a crop of young QBs – NFL – Michael Rosenberg – SI.com
A major issue for the Ravens will be how their older players on defense will respond to playing yet another road game after playing 174 snaps in a six-day span already this postseason. The Patriots offense operates with an up-tempo approach, frequently using quick snaps to catch opponents when they’re winded and to prevent them from getting lined up properly. That approach is why the Patriots lead the NFL with 1,191 plays from scrimmage during the regular season.