An Independent Patriots Blog
Great poll on PatsFans. What would you prefer? 2009, 2010, or 2011’s Patriots defense?
Personally I’m going with 2011. It was a lot easier decision when Andre Carter was still upright, but I’m still sticking with this year’s gutsy squad that has consistently made more impressive stops than the previous two years. And that’s not saying a lot, but it’s saying something.
Once again, the New England Patriots’ defense showed that it is the Achilles’ heel of this team. Going into the game Saturday, there were two players they needed to stop — Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush. Both were impact players for the Miami Dolphins, as Marshall had two explosive plays in the first quarter and Bush accounted for 139 yards from scrimmage. TAKE THAT Lions clinch playoff berth. Giants stomp Jets. Niners top Seahawks. Week 16 review. The Dolphins jumped out to 17-0 lead at halftime. But, as good teams do, the Patriots made the necessary halftime adjustments. In the third and fourth quarters, the Pats came out in a no-huddle, up-tempo offense that completely wore down the Dolphins’ defense and put up 27 consecutive points. With Tom Brady behind center, that no-huddle offense could be lethal in the playoffs. The Patriots just need to be aware the additional strain that will put on their defense if they go three-and-out in a no-huddle format, because the defense gets no rest and has no time to make adjustments.
Captain Comeback Week 16: Lucking Out, or not? | Cold Hard Football Facts
Brady passed Joe Montana to move into a tie for 7th all time in game winning drives (34). Crazily enough Peyton Manning (46) is 2nd behind Dan Marino (51).
FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | An Early Look at 2011 CB Charting
Devin McCourty is having a big sophomore slump, but he’s not the only one; Sam Shields and E.J. Biggers are also second-year corners who had excellent charting numbers as rookies but haven’t found as much success this season.
Aaron Hernandez & Rob Gronkowski – 2011 Sights & Sounds
https://www.patspropaganda.com/jullie-anne-aaron-hernandez-rob-gronkowski-3/
For a while there on Saturday, when New England was trailing visiting Miami 17-0 at the half, I was starting to wonder if anybody really wants the AFC’s top seed? The Patriots looked headed for a rare loss at home in December, Houston has suddenly has lost two in a row, while both Pittsburgh and Baltimore got beat handily on the West Coast in Week 15. Those are your top four contenders for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, and everybody looked headed in reverse to some degree.
But the Patriots (12-3) steadied themselves in impressive fashion and rallied to beat the Dolphins 27-24, clinching a first-round bye in the procees. With a win next week at home against Buffalo, New England’s eighth in a row to end the regular season, the Patriots would lock up the No. 1 seed and AFC homefield advantage.
New England proved again it’s a mentally tough team, unlike their chief AFC East rivals, the wilting Jets. Tom Brady started horribly against the Dolphins, at one point being 3 of 13 for 37 yards in the first half. But when the smoke cleared, Brady was 27 of 46 for 304 yards, with one touchdown pass and two rushing scores. Brady set a new single-season career high for passing yards (4,897), and Wes Welker re-emerged in a big way, with 12 catches for 138 yards, and a new franchise mark for receiving yards in a season (1,518).I know the Patriots have been knocked out of the playoffs after losing at home in the postseason openers the past two years, but I still think New England, with its defensive liabilities, becomes the clear-cut AFC Super Bowl favorite if it gets to play twice at Gillette Stadium in January.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/for-a-while-there-on-saturday-when-new-england/
Defensive Player of the Week
New England LB Jerod Mayo. Days after signing a rich contract extension, Mayo showed the Patriots they were smart holiday shoppers. He had 13 tackles and two sacks in New England’s 27-24 win over Miami. It was his second sack that helped the Patriots clinch the game. With eight minutes left and New England nursing a 20-17 lead, Mayo sacked Matt Moore and forced a Miami punt. The Pats scored on the ensuing drive, wrapping up the win.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/defensive-player-of-the-week-new-england-lb-jerod/