onward to 19-0

Pats play a real team and play a serious defensive scheme along with their
normal offense. Result: a three-touchdown victory. Next up: The Jets....this
should be fun!
Tom

On Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:41:57 GMT, "Tom Littleton" wrote:

Pats play a real team and play a serious defensive scheme along with their
normal offense. Result: a three-touchdown victory. Next up: The Jets....this
should be fun!
Tom

Respectfully, I saw this quite differently. Here's my take on this game:

The first half that looked pretty much like all of the first halves in the
previous three games: we were still trying to go deep down the middle on
nearly every play, while facing yet another strong, up-the-middle D-rush on
nearly every play. Meanwhile, our defense was being bullied by Pittsburgh's
ground game. If not for some sputtering near our goal line, the first half
would have ended in a tie, instead of 14-11, Pats.

But the Pats offensive coaching staff came out for the *second half* with the
scheme that had worked brilliantly for the *first nine weeks* when they were
facing a hard rushing D: lots of short, quick, and mostly out passes. I think
there were 5 straight quick outs to Welker to open the second half, followed
by many more short outs and quick in-routes to other receivers, and they
marched right down the field on each 2nd half possession.

It was a thing of beauty. And I was whooping and hollering in joy!

That scheme totally took the Steelers blitz right out of the game and wore
their D-team out, kept our offense out on the field long enough to keep *our*
defense from getting worn out, and also opened up the field for the occasional
deep pattern - and that beauty of a flea-flicker (that Moss totally sold by
dropping the first lateral :-)

It was, in fact, the *only* change they made in this game, as far as I can
see. The defensive scheme was the same as it always is, and in the first half
it didn't look good at all against Pittsburgh's enviable running game. (Wish
*we* had a running game. Maybe next year).

The difference is Pittsburgh couldn't stick with a straight run game once they
were down two scores early in the 3rd quarter. Once they had to go to full
drop-back down field passes against our superior deep coverage, our rush was
able to get their quarterback out of his comfort zone, and the rest was
history.

If the Pats had only gone to the exact same short pass strategy in the
previous three games against *far weaker* teams that were banking on the
blitz, the results would have been the same as this game ended: a comfortable
stroll on the way to victory. Stubbornness is no way to run an NFL offense!


So....I'm feeling *way* better about the Pats chances in the playoffs now that
they remembered what got them to 9-0 this season (not to mention those
Superbowl championships). There's little chance McDaniels will forget this
lesson again ;-)

Now we've got two games at home that ought to be utter walk-overs, before
going down to the Meadowlands to wrap up the regular season, 16-0. Mixed
feelings about that last game - I was a Giants fan for many years before the
Pats joined the NFL, and they're still my second favorite team. I really don't
enjoy watching their pre-season match up for that reason. And I'm hoping for a
good clean game with a respectable score there, as well.

As for the other two games: the Pats are gonna lay it on the Jets, for sure.
It's gonna be a classic school yard thrashing - and CBS will have it's A-team
doing the coverage, so they're expecting something big, too :-) Then we'll get
to play kick-the-fish with the Dolphins - and hopefully Shula will come by the
broadcast booth to comment on the carnage ;-)

/daytripper (wheeeeeeeeeeee doggies! this should be fun!)

"daytripper" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:41:57 GMT, "Tom Littleton"
wrote:

As for the other two games: the Pats are gonna lay it on the Jets, for
sure.
It's gonna be a classic school yard thrashing - and CBS will have it's
A-team
doing the coverage, so they're expecting something big, too :-) Then we'll
get
to play kick-the-fish with the Dolphins - and hopefully
/daytripper (wheeeeeeeeeeee doggies! this should be fun!)

If sports has taught me anything in life, it would be not to predict the
future.
-tom

"daytripper" wrote in message
...

Now we've got two games at home that ought to be utter walk-overs, before
going down to the Meadowlands to wrap up the regular season, 16-0. Mixed
feelings about that last game - I was a Giants fan for many years before
the
Pats joined the NFL, and they're still my second favorite team. I really
don't
enjoy watching their pre-season match up for that reason. And I'm hoping
for a
good clean game with a respectable score there, as well.

/daytripper (wheeeeeeeeeeee doggies! this should be fun!)

I have an awful feeling the last game against the Giants might be
meaningless, and here's why:

The Cowboys have already clinched the NFC East, so all the Giants are
playing for is the Wild Card. If they beat Washington at home this week,
they're in. If they lose, they'll have to wish for loses from the Titans and
the Vikings. If they both win, the Giants will probably have to win @
Buffalo, who are also fighting for a Wild Card spot in the AFC.

Whoo, enough of that, wiping the sweat off my forehead.
Bottom-line; if the Giants beat Washington this week they can rest against
Buffalo and New England and prepare for the Wild Card game, which I believe
Tom Coughlin would do instead of trying to play spoiler and risk injury to
advance in the playoffs.
-tom

"Tom Littleton" wrote in message
newsX%6j.946$W27.899@trndny09...
Next up: The Jets....this should be fun!
Tom

Wish I could get a dime for every time "SpyGate" is mentioned.
Mangini!
-tom