What do you expect him to say? The fact is that when a similar play was to be made in the Regular Season against the Eagles, he didn't make the play then. So it clearly isn't a play he makes a thousand times. The pass was behind Welker who had to make an extremely difficult adjustment to even try to catch the pass.
He calls the plays, right? he gets so much praise for doing so whn it works why doesn't he get blame when it doesn't? He can't take a sack at the 1 in that situation. The Pats D was outstanding for 3 qtrs but unfortunately w/ the SB on the line they melted. The D did put them in position to win but they also put them in position to lsoe util that all time great SB drive by a 1st year starting QB. Delhomme played well, the Panthers played well but if NE's D plays well then Delhomme and the Panther O wouldn't have played well. 80 yd TD drive in the final minutes of a SB to give a 4 pt lead to their D who only needed to keep a mediocre O from going 80+ yds. They couldn't do it and blew the SB and undefeated season. They were undefeated to that point b/c of how great the O was, was it too much to ask the D to step up for once? They played well against choker Philip Rivers in the title game(rivers, LT and Gates were all playing hurt) but they needed one drive against a mediocre O. All they had to do was keep the Giants out of the EZ and they win. They failed like so many other times before in January. They gave up 17 or more in 5 of the 9 games. They should give up 17 or less in more than 6 of 9 games anyway especially w/ only 2 road games among those games. Most of those games were played in the elements in the NE which helps defenses. 2001: Oak- blizzard @ Pitt: Kordell Stewart SB Rams blow 14 pt 4th qtr lead 2003: Ten- 4 degrees Ind- choker opposing QB in the cold SB Car- 19 4th qtr pts 2004: Ind- choking opposing QB in the cold @ Pitt-rookie QB in 9 degree weather SB phi- D played well It's great that they got 8 TOs but it makes it more incredible how awful they were in 2 of the 3 4th qtrs. Brady has not played his best in postseason in recent years but they still have 2 SB apps and would have 2 more SB wins if the D didn't blow both games. Peyton sets records in '04, loses in div rd putting up 3 pts Brady sets records in '07, loses in SB after 80 yd TD drive to give team 4 pt lead very late. Brady doesn't have great team around him, reaches SB and leaves field late w/ lead Peyton doesn't have agreat team around him, loses at home in WC rd in '10.
Not sure if it was anything physical with McCourty... it seemed like teams really picked on him by getting him in a position where he'd have to chase post and fade routes, with his back to the QB. I think it's probably something that good coaches noticed on film from 2010. Then he started off with a couple of shaky games, and seemed to lose confidence. Sounds cliche but that's a huge factor for a DB. He played a bit better late in the season and took a lot of snaps at safety, so there's been some talk that Belichick may try moving him there. I doubt that happens full-time but wouldn't be surprised to see him back there in multiple DB formations. It'll be interesting to see what the Patriots do in the draft. They took care of the offense with free agency, for the most part anyway, but I'm not sure whether their top picks are used on DBs or on pass rushers, or both.
No, he can’t take a sack there. But the alternatives are to throw into coverage to avoid the sack potentially getting picked off, or throw the ball away which would a) stop the clock and b) result in a penalty for intentional grounding. Those two options are not better than taking the sack. If the blitzer was blocked then there wouldn’t have been an issue. But he wasn't. That's not on Manning. HAHA at the “all time great drive” comment. It was a dink and dunk with JR Redmond making the play of the drive by getting out of bounds. If he doesn’t make that play the drive doesn’t end w/ a 48 yd FGA. Had the offense done something with the ball when they had a chance to put the game away with a couple of first downs then the defense wouldn’t have been in the situation it was. The offense was a colossal failure in that game. Delhomme played well. Period. The offense played terribly in SB 42. They gave up 17 points or less in 6 of 9 games. Can we agree that giving up 17 points in a game considering the BEST defenses in football typically average 13-17 PPG. So, they were expected to give up 17 or less because they played a majority of their postseason games at home, but when they give up 17 to one of the best offenses of all-time in a dome it’s their fault they nearly lost. Okay, got it. Brady did not play well in those SB’s either. In fact w/o a top level defense Brady has ZERO SB Championships. Brady sets records in 07 but needs the defense to bail them out to even make the SB. The record setting offense then goes into the Super Bowl and scores a whopping 14 points. In 11 Brady gets a lousy Denver team, and then throws 2 INTs in the AFCCG and is lucky that the Pats defense makes a great play in the endzone allowing the Pats to go to the SB.
There's a difference when a guy gives a canned answer and when he's clearly speaking what's on his mind... I don't know if you saw the interview where Welker made those comments, but he knows he should have come up with that ball. Brady didn't have to back-shoulder that one but probably was trying to throw it away from the safety that was coming from the inside. Like I said, it wasn't a perfect throw, or even a good throw, but it was extremely catch-able, and a play Welker usually makes maybe seven or eight times out of 10.
he has to do a better job reading the defense and calling a better play, he has to make a better play there. You can't have your P punting from the back of the EZ in that situation. It's an all time great drive to win a Super Bowl. Do you get extra points for not dinking and dunking? that is just so silly to say. 1:21 to play, at their own 17 yard line w/ NO timeouts left w/ the SUPER BOWL on the line. If that game gets to OT and SL wins the toss they are winning that game. One of the grestest drives in SB history. Delhomme played well, NE's D played an awful game. The O didn't perform up to their standards but they weren't awful, they didn't have a bunch of TOs and allow the opposing D to score or set up scores. The O then went 80 yds for a TD w/ the SB on the line to give their D a 4 pt lead late. 17 pts is good but again most of those games were outdorrs in cold/bad weather. They should have only been giving up 17 or less a game. In 2 of the 3 SBs they allowed 14 or more pts in the 4th qtr alone. Not good. The D was great for 3 qtrs, they folded in the biggest moments of the game for them. W/o Brady NE has ZERO SB appearances. NE still scored 21 pts vs. SD, you act like they won the game 9-6. again, in the Bal game he still led them to 20 pts. It's not like he led his team to 5 Fgs and no TDs to beat them.
Not only did the D hold the Rams to 17 points, they put 7 points on the board themselves with Law's interception for a TD. The O only scored 6 more points than what the D scored.
so that means it's ok to give up a 14 pt 4th qtr lead? The first and only time it has happened in SB history?
Dobbins sacked Manning in less than 2 seconds. How would you have liked for him to “read the defense better”? He may have read the defense perfectly. The block was not made. In fact as the ball is snapped Dobbins is up the field before the TE is even out of his stance. Manning had no chance. You are reaching. The plays were made by Redmond, Brown and Vinateri. Brady did what he was supposed to but you give him WAY to much credit for that drive. Delhomme played great in SB 38. The last drive doesn’t excuse their inept play the rest of the game. Had they played better the rest of the game they would have won. I find it extremely difficult to blame a defense that held their opponent to 17 points for a loss, especially considering their offense averaged over 36 PPG. Allowing 17 points or less is good no matter where the game is played. To expect any defense to hold a playoff team to under 17 points is unrealistic. Holding one of the greatest offenses to 17 points is an extraordinary achievement. Especially considering they also had to do the scoring (or set up the scoring). The D was great for 3 Quarters. The offense stunk for 58 minutes. Had the offense been able to do anything in the 4th quarter then maybe it wouldn’t have come down to a final drive. w/o Brady the Patriots have been to two Super Bowls. They scored 21 pts vs SD (7 of which were set up by a NE INT) but if not for the defense (and that LT and Gates were injured) would have given up for more points. The offense played terrible in the AFCCG. In the Baltimore game the offense had two opportunities to put the game away and failed each time.
Welker isn't going to hang his QB out to dry just like Brady isn't going to hang Welker out to dry on that play. But the play was extremely difficult to make. It's definitely not a 7 or 8 out of 10. He had a chance to make that same play earlier in the season and couldn't get it done. Imagine yourself in that situation running down the field at full speed then trying to adjust to a ball thrown behind you while jumping in the air and falling backwards. It's EXTREMELY difficult. Welker isn't going to blame Brady, but didn't connect on that play because of Brady's bad pass. Then Brady missed a wide open Deion Branch on the very next play.
I guess we're watching the same play and seeing different things here. It's a little difficult getting past your well-established track record of going as far out of your way as anyone to take credit away from Brady when the Patriots do well and to lay the blame at his feet when they fail. Best example is from a couple of posts back: HAHA at the “all time great drive” comment. It was a dink and dunk with JR Redmond making the play of the drive by getting out of bounds. That's just an insane statement to make, sorry. I've read lots of accounts of that drive and Charlie Weis basically told him, "Only take what they're giving you. Don't force anything. And don't make any mistakes." There were less than 90 seconds left after the kickoff. They had no timeouts. They were deep in their own end and were one mistake away from losing a game they'd been winning all day long, despite being heavy underdogs. Let's look at that drive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUFbjCD2taw - Protection breaks down on first play from scrimmage, Brady is pressured almost immediately, dumps the ball off to Redmond vs. taking a sack - Next play is another short pass to Redmond, Brady spikes the ball on the next snap - Next play there's good protection; looks downfield before taking the check-down to Redmond (nice run after the catch, and gets out of bounds as you noted) - Next play is an overload blitz from the Rams; Brady rolls right and throws it away - Next play is the big completion to Brown; catches the ball 15 yards downfield and runs another eight or so before stepping out - they're in range now, but there's time to get closer - Next play is a short completion to Wiggins to around the 30; spikes the ball on the next snap and Vinatieri comes in So if this drive doesn't "count" in your book for some reason because Brady took what was given to him and didn't try to make any stupid throws, then so be it. Brady moved the offense more than 50 yards in around a minute and 15 seconds with no timeouts. And what do you think the Rams were doing defensively on that drive, aside from a couple of blitzes? Zero coverage? No, they obviously were taking away the deep stuff. I'll take "dink and dunk" all day if that's the result.
His pre snap read needs to be better, he has to call a better play. Again, he gets so much praise for calling plays when they work- why doesn't he get criticized when they don't? It was an awful job to have 4th down at his own 1 yd line. Brady did nothing, the ball magically got into the hands of those players. Delhomme was good, the Pats D was BAD inept would be turning it over and putting your opponent in great spots. Their O was not inept. Congrats on 3 great qtrs but when it was winning time what did they do? Are turnovers part of the game? 21 & 20 pts were not bad point totals.
Nice post. It is an all time great drive in SB history and w/ a 1st yr starting QB(Brady wasn't quite Brady at that point in his career) it makes it even more amazing.
Nobody is denying the fact the Brady is amazing or has done amazing things. Recently though when the offense has been more centered around him, the Pats have struggled compared to their previous success in the playoffs. The offense looks less crisp and consistent and the defense has played worse. One of the reasons the Pats might be struggling is because Brady has had trouble on connecting on passes down the field and they are attempting less. It does seems as some Pats fans say that the Pats are planning to get a better overall offense. If they can have a respectable run game, that offense becomes even scarier. Remember against us this year they ran the ball down our throat and when we tried to stop to run they abused us in the pass. Part of this is because we had a lack of defensive personel, but you see how a more balanced offense could pick defenses apart like the Ravens, Giants, Steelers, etc.
That doesn't mean anything. Compared to their past it is struggles. Just like when the Yankees went on a 9 year drought with 2 WS appearances and one missed playoff appearance only they were "struggling". I would say the Steelers and Giants have struggles like the Pats. The Giants had some bad collapses in 09 and 10. The Steelers had to deal more with injuries/off the field issues that on the field struggles.
This is the 2nd best era of Giants football in the SB era, Pitt is in their best era outside of the 70s- they haven't been struggling.
Absolutely! If a D can hold an O as good as the Rams was to 17 points while putting 7 on the board, I don't care at what point in the game they give up those 17 points and score the 7 themselves. Only having to score 13 points on O to win the game is ridiculous. How many games are won when an O scores 13 points? The O only managed to score 3 more points than the D did when the Rams tied the game.
