PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csAEY5EX8QE

I know I’m killing a lot of my readers anytime I post something to do with the playoff game from January but I really find it’s the best game to evaluate the Pats from because it was all on the line.

In other games you weren’t sure if guys were being rested, or if there was some experimentation going on. We can judge a lot from this game, so today we’re looking at the first half third downs. Third down in a playoff game is where the real players show up and make plays. And where the scrubs get exposed.

3rd & 5: Incomplete pass. Player who made the play: Rob Ninkovich getting just enough pressure to force an overthrow by Sanchez. It’s not always sacks that matter, and as we saw with Cunningham on Peyton Manning, just getting an arm in the QBs face and forcing an uncomfortable throw can be huge.

3rd & 18: Run stopped short. Player who made the play: Vince Wilfork who blew up a screen on 2nd and 13 forcing the Jets to stay conservative with a run on 3rd down. Meriweather and Sanders with the 3rd down stop.

3rd & 5: Successful Conversion: Player who didn’t make the play: Darius Butler, allowing too much cushion to Jerricho Cotchery and was unable to make the stop short of the first down. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but how can you be in soft slot coverage on 3rd and 5? Doesn’t look like Butler was ready for the snap so props to the Jets for going with a quick count and not letting the Pats get set.

3rd & 6: Incomplete Pass: Player who made the play: Mark Sanchez, mostly an overthrow, he had the time, but Brandon Meriweather’s presence surely gave Dustin Keller pause.

3rd & 6: Successful conversion: Player who didn’t make the play: Darius Butler, who was beat by Braylon Edwards for the long completion. Pats only rushed 3 and had all their initial coverages, but Sanchez was able to get outside the pocket and find Braylon down the sidelines. That’s two 3rd down conversions on Butler who clearly must be having nightmares about Braylon all off-season.

3rd & 4: Conversion via Penalty: player who didn’t make the play: James Sanders, who almost got away with a savvy veteran pass interference. The Jets love this quick passes and nothing can be more frustrating. Tough play for Sanders but one that has to be made in a playoff game, especially when he was in the position he was in. Seemed like he knew it was coming, just got caught with PI on Holmes’ right arm.

3rd & 4: Pass Broken Up. Player who made the play: Devin McCourty, who fought off the same move Sanders faced with Holmes on the previous third down. The difference was McCourty’s physicality at the line of scrimmage, which threw Holmes’ rhythm enough that he couldn’t corral the quick pass from Sanchez.

3rd & 5: Keller stopped short. Player who made the play: Dane Fletcher, who’s sure tackling brought Keller down short of the first down. It’s plays like these that get me excited about Fletcher, coming through when it’s all on the line.

3rd & 5: Edwards TD. Player(s) who didn’t make the play: Devin McCourty (and somewhat Brandon Meriweather). For the third time on 3rd down the Jets go with a quick inside pass but this time Edwards is too strong for McCourty to stop. Braylon drags him and Meriweather into the end zone.

Some general notes on all these third down plays:

  • Of the nine 3rd downs the Patriots faced, eight of them were four to six yards.
  • I would not qualify a lack of pass of rush as responsible for any of the conversions unless you want to say they should’ve gotten Sanchez when they rushed three and he completed the long pass to Edwards. But when you’re dropping eight I’d have to put that more on the coverage.
  • The quick three-step passing game was what the Jets went with most often since most of the third downs were short. 
  • The  Jets converted on 4 of 9 third downs in the first half which is about 45%. A killer playoff defense would be holding them to about 30%. The Patriots season average was about 49% so you’re really not seeing those two extra plays you need to win in the playoffs.

We’ll put our second half third down defensive analysis up as soon as the video is posted.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

https://www.patspropaganda.com/i-know-im-killing-a-lot-of-my-readers-anytime-i/

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I screamed so loud at this catch that I scared the shit out of my Patriots Princess. Which she kinda deserved for not paying attention. Sadly this was probably the most exciting moment of the 2008 season and we still lost.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/i-screamed-so-loud-at-this-catch-that-i-scared-the/

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There’s a perception out there that this season belongs to the New York Jets, and you can see why: They made it to the AFC Championship Game the past two seasons, including the 2009 season where they made it with a rookie head coach and rookie quarterback. Plus, they beat mighty New England in Foxborough in the 2010 playoffs. One problem: They still didn’t win their division either year, and I can tell you why in two words: Tom Brady. As long as he’s in the lineup, opponents are in deep kimchi. Since Brady took over as the Patriots starter, they won the AFC East eight of the nine years he’s been healthy. The lone exception was 2002 when they tied Miami and the Jets for the top spot but lost the tiebreaker to New York. So Brady’s a problem. A big problem. And as long as he’s upright the competition can sit down. Everyone plays for second.

Yeah, yeah, so he’s older, and he doesn’t have a legitimate deep threat, and the club could use a bona-fide running back and the pass defense has more holes than Storrow Drive. I heard about those shortcomings over and over last season, yet the Patriots were a league-best 14-2, coach Bill Belichick won Coach of the Year and Brady became the first unanimous MVP in league history. There’s a lesson there, and the lesson is never, ever, ever underestimate Tom Brady.

Clark Judge

https://www.patspropaganda.com/theres-a-perception-out-there-that-this-season/

Looking at how the Jets used the Packers defensive game plan to stop Patriots

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The week before the Patriots-Jets playoff game injured Jets guard Damien Woody tweeted that the Packers had the model to shut down the Pats seemingly unstoppable offense. Of course I was annoyed so I tweeted to Woody in reply, “the model is a game that the Pats scored 31 points in?”. He said it was, and I secretly worried that he might be right.

The truth was that without Kyle Arrington’s pick six and Dan Connolly’s miracle return the Pats very well would’ve lost to the Matt Flynn-led Packers. The offense sputtered all game, and Tom Brady saw more pressure than he had seen all season.

In looking back at the game it’s clear that the Packers mixed things up a lot on defense. They often rushed only three, dropping six into short zone coverages to take away the horizontal passing game, and only leaving two deep.

They ran the gamut of pressures and had success at times with everything. Delayed safety blitzes and crossing blitzes by the linebackers both resulted in sacks of Brady.

The difference between the Packers game and the Jets game for the Patriots was that they were far more effective in spurts against Green Bay, especially in the run game early on. Both Danny Woodhead and Law Firm busted long runs on the Pack. Neither had a carry longer than 10 yards against the Jets.

The Pats also got zero big plays from special teams or the defense in the Jets game that they got in the Packers game.

As Rex Ryan said afterwards, the Jets stopped worrying about the deep ball and just focused on taking away the short stuff. The Packers clearly had a similar focus, and even when Brady had time he was unable to hit Brandon Tate deep.

The thing that the Jets added on to the Packers defensive game plan was the use of faking injuries to stem the tide when the Pats offense was gaining momentum. One thing you notice with the Patriots is that when they dictate the tempo they will pound it down your throat. See Law Firm’s long touchdown scamper on the first drive for an example.

Once (or should I say IF)  Brady is able to establish a connection with Tate in a way that forces defenses to respect them the Patriots offense should be even tougher to defend. But even without a true deep threat I believe the Patriots offense will continue to be effective, especially when their running game is clicking. Their tight ends and backs are far too versatile and dangerous to be consistently shut down.

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November 11, 2006: The last time Tom Brady lost a REGULAR SEASON game at Gillette.

I know I’m setting myself up here for all kinds of smack about the last two playoff smackdowns that have taken place at Gillette in the playoffs, but still, Brady hasn’t lost a regular season game there in 3 plus seasons over 4 plus years. Regardless of playoff disappointments that’s still pretty impressive.

Also I hate this picture, but it’s a quality photograph if you were an unbiased observer, or a Jets fan of course.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/november-11-2006-the-last-time-tom-brady-lost-a/