Week 10 - Nov 14 - New England

[Manimal]

I question our adjustments to the game as it unfolded.

Our corners coudln't cover, so we seemed to drop our LBs into coverage more and more to help out. Leaving a pass rush of Eason, Hood, Hampton + maybe one LB or DB every now and then. Result: nonexistent rush, and everyone was open anyway. Yet we did this all night long.

On offense, we seemed to panic down 10 points early. Down O-linemen, down Ward, with a QB who thinks he's gonna pull an Elway every play, we went pass happy with predictable results until the Pats went into the prevent. I would've liked to see us just go heavy jumbo and run it with Mendy and Redman. Maybe this wouldn't have worked either, we looked so dogshit unprepared and uninterested. But at least we would made the Patriots feel the game the next day. As it is, they put the lumber on us all night, and we lost badly anyway.

As for Tomlin and his coordinators: every head coach is different, with different skill sets. My take on Tomlin (not that I know anything, just inferring from what I read and see) has always been that he's a Wednesday-through-Friday coach, and not a Sunday coach. His strength is running a tight ship, keeping people focused, developing a gameplan. On Sunday, he watches and delegates.

It's hard as a fan to see the strengths of this kind of coach, but I bet they're important. I've read players write about coaches who run a sloppy, unfocused week of practice with a lot of time wasted, and the impact that has on Sundays. Of course, when you're watching your team get thumped by a team that looks way more prepared and focused, you start to want to see some signs of life when your coach is shown on TV.

[Manimal]

I had the sinking feeling during the game that Belichick and Brady laughed their asses off preparing for this game, finding stuff they knew would work.

[aj_law]

I'm not even worried, because I expect us to lose to Brady.

We seem to trot out the same gameplan against NE, every time, on offense and defense, and they always seem to have the answer to everything we try. I don't know why Belichick seems capable of being in our back pocket -- I thought he wasn't taping our signals anymore. But he does.

Belichick never looks more like a genius than he does against Pittsburgh.

Motherfucking this.^^^

Patriots (+5.5) easiest money I ever fucking made.

[aj_law]

Can you believe that Porky Pig looking mother fucking idiot Arians?

LSHTPICOMN!!!

Thanks.  Needed that.

[aj_law]

Is Polamalu hurt? Old? Has his role changed because of our shitty CB play?

Whatever the reason, he's not making big plays of late.

They briefly mentioned in passing last night that his role has...evolved (?), changed within the defense.  Supposedly, Timmons is that wildcard that can be anywhere or do anything.

If the last two weeks are any indication, ****ie might wanna consider switching things back.

[Finnegans Wake]

Is Polamalu hurt? Old? Has his role changed because of our shitty CB play?

Whatever the reason, he's not making big plays of late.

They briefly mentioned in passing last night that his role has...evolved (?), changed within the defense.  Supposedly, Timmons is that wildcard that can be anywhere or do anything.

If the last two weeks are any indication, ****ie might wanna consider switching things back.

Makes no sense.

If Timmons is now the "rover," he still has a base assignment he's responsible for.  Same as with Troy.  Different base responsibilities.  It's not a matter of an equivalent swap, you completely change what and where the rover can do, what his territory is, if Juan is taking over for Pola.  In short, Juan's always up close to the line, but he can drop back and cover, say, receivers or a TE or a zone.  Pola can play up or back, can drop or close on what's on the plate in front of him.  Basically, SS is a much more natural rover spot.  If LeBeau switched out roles, he's automatically limited the defense, no matter how good and fast Timmons is, which apparently isboth really good and really fast.

A thought: why not have them both roving, really screw up what the QB sees?  Troy looks predictable right now, and that translates to being less effective.

[aj_law]

Yeah, I didn't see how making that change would translate either.  It was just a comment made by Michaels and Collinsworth so maybe they were talkin' out of their ass?  Dunno.

What I do know is that Polamalu doesn't seem to be in the mix as much as we're used to seeing.  Maybe a play here and there, that's it.  Nowhere near the impact that you expect to get from your All World Safety.  Shit, it hasn't even been close to what we saw from him earlier this season.

I expected New England to get theirs following that massacre at the hands of the Clowns last week, but I thought it would be a close game.  I thought they'd come out with some intensity and ready to rip somebody a new one.  I thought they'd be able to match the Pastries blow for blow and pull it out by a FG or a come-from-behind-game-winning drive late in the 4th.

HA!

Home game?  Primetime?  That doesn't get you geeked up??  They looked like they were going through the motions.  Clearly, Brady was fired up.  As douchey as it might've made him look to the opposition, when he spoke, they motherfuckin' listened...and executed.  Why didn't anyone do the same on the home side?  Buncha aw' shucks, golly gee, what the fuck ever looks over there.  If the opposing QB getting up and angrily spiking the ball after a TD doesn't get your attention, you might as well just pack shit up and scurry off with your tail between your legs.  That weaksauce might work against the Miami's or Cincy's of this world, but it ain't gonna fly against the good squads.  

You let that happen in YOUR HOUSE??!!!  GTFO with that shit.

[Finnegans Wake]

I agree, aj.  Once upon a time, we might have had an ordinary stretch of season, but come prime time we'd look like world beaters.  Remember when we were the giant-killers, taking down the undefeated Pats and Eagles consecutively?  Bad enough we had a prime time loss to the Saints where our offense looked like it couldn't piss in a paper cup, this loss was the fucking Patriots, rubbing our noses in it and telling us not to poop anywhere but on the newspaper, or no treats.  Fuck.  That.

[Finnegans Wake]

Oh, and after the Saints loss, what was Ben's ever-so-humble and circumspect musing on the offense needing to get on track?

What now?  What you been doing the past coupla weeks???

[Brinker]

My worthless thoughts

1. First off Chris Collinsworth is a dick.  He did not have one good thing to stay about the Steelers all night.  I think he wants to blow Brady.
2. Injuries played a big part of the result
3. We have all seen teams try to make the QB beat us, why is the opposite not true.  Drop 8 into coverage and see what happens then.  Make the team try to beat you with the run
4. Something is wrong with Troy, his insticts just seem off
5. Cut ARE and Reed immediately
6. Getting in a shoot out is probably a bad idea
7. Mendy had 11carries, 11 for fuck sake.
8. Rob Gronkowski is not Tony Gonzales
9. WHY THE FUCK WAS BRADY'S TD NOT REVIEWED
10.  I have never hated a player more than I hate Beardy, when he spiked that ball, pissed beyond belief
11. First 3 picks in the draft next year better be oline, imagine what BB could do behind a great oline
12. Last night ruined my week, probably will not turn on the TV until Thursday

Brinker