An Independent Patriots Blog
Aaron Rodgers digs music.
The first time I saw this I thought it was a joke. And that the “hopeless romantic” Rodgers was a brilliantly gifted comedian. Then I realized it was real…
https://www.patspropaganda.com/aaron-rodgers-digs-music-the-first-time-i-saw/
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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTPgLnqkYs4
Here’s something for you Green Bay… and don’t tell me Aaron Rodgers would’ve made the tackle.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/heres-something-for-you-green-bay-and-dont-tell/
You know you’re have a good season when you’re randomly setting NFL records and winning games that you really shouldn’t have won. The Pats did both of those things against the Packers, moving to 12-2 with two more games to play.
The Patriots are now one win away from clinching homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Packers pulled the tricks out early, recovering an onside kick on the opening kickoff. The Patriots offense seemed to be inconsistent all day, but pulled out plays when they had to, getting contributions from who else, everyone.
The defense was very much who they’ve been all season. It’s an easy cliche to say the Patriots defense has gotten better all season long, but the truth is that they’ve been pretty consistently sub par, the only difference being when they get turnovers.
Tonight they only had one, though they should’ve had two (thanks TBC, who’s developing a bad habit for 3rd down-stop-nullifying penalties), and it was a close game that went down to the end.
Yes, the defensive line is really starting to miss Mike Wright, Myron Pryor and Ron Brace. They’re having a lot of trouble getting pressure up the middle.
Biggest problem of this game for the Patriots was the runs against their sub packages, a problem that reared it’s head for the first time since earlier in the season. A lot of this is tied to the absence of Wright.
Devin McCourty didn’t have an INT but he played a strong game, especially in run support.
Kyle Arrington with a pick six, about time he got one.
Nice to see Dane Fletcher and Eric Moore getting some pressure. Moore seemed to poop out a little bit after a strong start to the game. He’s doing a better job that Crazy Legs did, so he’s fast becoming someone to watch.
Pats need just one more win to lock the number one seed up, hopefully they get it in Buffalo and get a little extra rest for some of the walking wounded.
A realistic hope for AFC seedings:
Gonna take a Chiefs meltdown for Indy to get up to the 3 seed and thus have a really hard route if they’re going to make it to New England for the AFCCG.
Big play by PatChung again to hold Green Bay short of the first down on the second to last play. The ensuing confusion sealed the game. Had it been a first down they could’ve spiked it dead.
All in all BB will be able to turn the screws and demand a focused finish to the season. Sometimes games like this are just the scare you need to help you avoid an early letdown in the playoffs.
Of course he left the game four plays later with a head injury but I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of this in the coming weeks.
Usually it takes until after a good team that looks unbeatable gets beaten that we hear the “blueprint” song and dance, but this week NFL Network busts it out on the Patriots. Not that anyone actually believes there is a blueprint that the Packers minus Aaron Rodgers are capable of executing since they don’t have Peyton Hillis.
I’m going to let everyone in on a little secret. As someone who follows the Patriots as closely as anyone the blueprint to beating them is actually quite simple.
It’s really that simple. Of course it’s easier said than done, but the Patriots do not have a suffocating defense by any stretch of the imagination. They probably will in 2011, and definitely should by 2012, but right now in 2010 you can move the ball on them.
If/when the Patriots lose again you’ll see it coming because Brady will throw an interception, somebody will fumble, and the Pats defense won’t get any turnovers of their own.
Yes, as with any team, the key is running the ball on them like the Browns did. I chalk that performance by the Pats D up to just being a really bad day. Anyone who’s played sports knows that some days you just don’t have it. And that day in early November the Pats just didn’t have it. But generally the Patriots run defense has been solid despite what the statistics say.
But let’s remember that this weekend the Patriots starting down lineman in the 3-4 base defense, the one they use to stop the run, will likely feature Vince Wilfork with two rookies, Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick. There’s a chance we see Gerard Warren out there, but Ron Brace was concussed against the Bears and we haven’t seen Mike Wright or Myron Pryor in weeks.
The presence or absence of Warren could really be a huge factor in the game. Especially if Brace is out.
They’ll also be without their 3-4 Strong Inside Linebacker (aka the “Mike”) Brandon Spikes. So if ever there was a time that the Patriots might be a little weakened in their run defense this could be the game.
Even with Matt Flynn at the helm the Packers scare me. How many times have we seen a backup quarterback tear it up against our defense? Just off the top of my head I can remember the Eagles and Ravens in 2007, the Seahawks in 2008, the Panthers in 2009, and the Bills, Browns and Lions in 2010. Of course the Pats were 6-1 in those games but it was scary every time!
I don’t know how good Flynn is, but I’ve seen enough know that even backups can elevate their games against New England. So don’t take Rodgers sitting out as a sign it’s going to be an automatic domination.
There is a blueprint to beating the Pats, but it’s the blueprint to beating any good team. Don’t make mistakes.
Since it’s Packers week I could’ve been a jerk and posted just the Super Lowlights from 1996. Instead let’s take a look at that whole season which really was when many of the seeds of the first dynasty were planted.
Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Ty Law, Ted Johnson, Lawyer Milloy and Adam Vinatieri weren’t born clutch players who knew how to perform on the biggest stages. This season was as much a learning process for those guys, where they learned what it would take to win a championship.
On a side note I wouldn’t mind seeing these mid-90’s uniforms brought back as throwbacks at some point. I still have a reversible Drew Bledsoe one that I bust out from time to time.
Game Day!
