An Independent Patriots Blog
Man in middle Mayo the Patriots’ leader on defense – USATODAY.com
“When he was a rookie, he didn’t play like a rookie. He didn’t act like a rookie,” Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork said. “He was intelligent on and off the field. You name it, he had what it takes.”
From the disrespect being laid on the Patriots at every turn this week you’d never know that this team was the number one seed in the AFC, with one of the best offenses in football, and one of the greatest coaches of all time.
Let’s plot out all the talking points this week that the media are hitting on:
These are just the big ones, but seriously, I have yet to hear one single mediot think the Patriots even have a chance in this one. So I don’t know how Vegas still has the Pats as 3 point favorites (down from 3.5 earlier this week).
This doesn’t feel like 2001 where it was truly David vs. Goliath going in, but it’s not that far off. But to be honest I really kind of like it this way. The media can disrespect the Pats, take their words out of context, and generally paint them as a team that is lucky to be there.
But the reality is that the Giants better be ready for a fight that goes down to the end. This Patriots team has not lost a game by more than a possession this year. And the more pressure and negativity that is piled on Brady, the more likely I think it is that he turns in a performance for the ages.
We’ll see how it plays out on Sunday, but this familiar feeling of being an underdog suits New England, and puts them in a position they’ve frequently won from. I guess Vegas knows that too…
“You know I don’t like giving out a lot of injury information, but please keep Rob in your thoughts and prayers,” said an emotional Bill Belichick at a press conference today. “He has been downgraded from day-to-day and all we can do now is hope for the best and that Rob might have as much comfort as possible in whatever time he has left.”
Gronkowski, New England’s leading receiver, missed the team’s practice yesterday and his high ankle sprain has spread even higher — into his kidneys, liver and lungs.
“Right now we’re working to keep the high ankle sprain for getting to his heart,” said Dr. Thomas Gill, Patriots team physician. “If it gets that high, there’s nothing we can do.”
The Patriots say their 22 year-old tight end has a “do not resuscitate” order, or DNR, in place should the ankle sprain stop his breathing.
rob-gronkowski-said-to-be-hour-to-hour-as-his-ankle-sprain-takes-a-turn-for-t… – StumbleUpon
This is a joke for those who’s comedy recognition is tainted by the seriousness of Super Bowl.
Having played Super Bowls indoors and outdoors, the one thing I noticed is that in the second half in games indoors, defenses start to tire. Think back to the Super Bowl against the Rams in 2001. Also against Carolina in 2003. It gets warm inside, and defenses usually exert more energy than offenses. Defenses also ride on emotion more than offenses do, so you start to tire physically and emotionally, and offenses have the upper hand in the second half. I don’t know how much being indoors would affect adjustments, but usually explosive players on grass are even more explosive on turf. There are explosive players on both sides of the ball in this game, for both teams.
Tedy Bruschi
https://www.patspropaganda.com/patriots-giants-super-bowl-21/
Jeff Jacobs Column: Mangini’s Take On The Super Bowl Matchup – Courant.com
I know Mangini is a dicey topic for Patriots fans, but I have to admit I agree with Jacobs’ glowing review of what he’s brought to ESPN. Despite what happened with Mangini when he was with the the Jets (from his leaving to Spygate) what is undeniable is that he knows the Patriots from the inside better than anyone else in the media. So when he talks about the Pats, I listen. Doesn’t mean you have to.
“That’s why I think where New England is going to have to win is outside with Deion Branch. If the Patriots are going to be successful, Branch could and should have a big game. If Chad Ochocinco plays and does anything, he could help out there. You saw Branch hit the 61-yard home run against Denver, because everyone was worrying about inside. There is going to be some single coverage, whether man-to-man or zone, it’s still going to be a corner vs. wide receiver matchup. "A lot of teams will play with two deep safeties for an extra layer of defense.
The Giants will go more with an extra man down in the box, will hit Gronkowski, will keep it all cloudy between the hashes, where New England’s tight ends and [slot man] Wes Welker typically make plays. They’ll say, ‘OK, can you beat us outside? And can you do it before our defensive line can get to you?’”
Gronk… No Boot… No Limp. Be afraid Giants. Be very afraid.
(via Twitvid)
Cosell Talks: The Patriots vs. The Slot Machine : NFL Films Blog
Cosell on Patriots Alert!!!! I think one of the options Cosell doesn’t mention is using Patrick Chung in coverage on Cruz as well. Chung’s had his issues in coverage this year, but he’s still a better match up than Edelman in my book. As always I’m sure it will be done by committee, but this is where Belichick’s experimentation during the season can pay off a little bit. The Giants can’t be sure exactly what they’ll see.
What I find truly fascinating in Super Bowl 46 is the matchup of the Giants 3 wide receiver personnel versus the Patriots pass defense. As we know, Victor Cruz almost always aligns in the slot when the Giants go 3 wide. Cruz was the most productive slot receiver in the NFL in 2011. I charted every one of his catches in the regular season and the 3 post-season wins, and the numbers were truly revealing. 75% of his receptions, and 77% of his yards came from the slot. There is no question that’s a strong tendency.
Recall what Cruz did to San Francisco’s Carlos Rogers in the NFC Championship game. Rogers was the slot corner in the 49ers nickel sub-package. He had an excellent year in that role, a Pro Bowl year. In the first half, with Rogers predominantly matched man-to-man, Cruz had 8 catches for 125 yards.
The paramount point is Cruz is a very difficult assignment in the slot. As I turn my attention to the Super Bowl, I’m struggling to get a handle on the Patriots matchup approach. All season, Bill Belichick has mixed and matched in his secondary, using an unforeseen combination of undrafted and street free agents, and wide receivers like Matt Slater and Julian Edelman.
When the Patriots and Giants played back in early November, the nickel corner was Philip Adams, who three weeks later, was released.
I’d agree, but I think finding the proverbial deep threat that is also smart enough to play in the Patriots system will be a tough challenge. Randy Moss was special in that way. There’s a growing contingent of Pats fans who are okay letting Welker walk, and spending that money on defensive backs and new […]