NFL Playoffs

[SoCalDukeFan]

I thought last year's Super Bowl was a great game to watch and I personally loved the outcome. How do we go from 41-33 to 13-3? Is the NE defense that much better this year? I guess the Rams offense was just much worse than the Eagles last year and Rams D better than the Eagles D. I don't know.

Goff really had his problems. Belichick saw a soft spot in the Rams O-Line and exploited it.

Really makes me appreciate last year's game even more.

SoCal

[HereBeforeCoachK]

The master certainly schooled the up and coming star coach....something McVay pretty much admitted post game. Sour Bill was one step ahead all game on both sides of the ball. One thing McVay did - which I think was a good idea to try - was staying in the huddle for a full 15 seconds before coming to the line of scrimmage. This did keep the Pats from making last second adjustments on defense, but after a while, it kept the Rams from getting any offensive rhythm. I think he shoulda scrapped that idea in the third quarter.

[budwom]

glad I watched it on DVR, only took 75 minutes to get thru it...though I live in New England, I am completely neutral on the Pats (I had an intense dislike regarding deflategate, Belichick's ornery nature, and some other stuff not to be mentioned here, but I have developed a grudging respect for the Evil Genius and Tom Brady...

Some of my pals who like the Pats point out something of a parallel between the Pats and Duke hoops...both five time champs (until last night), both widely despised (for some widely differing reasons, but a common thread is both teams are really good).

May the parallel continue in April with a sixth trophy for our lads.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

glad I watched it on DVR, only took 75 minutes to get thru it...though I live in New England, I am completely neutral on the Pats (I had an intense dislike regarding deflategate, Belichick's ornery nature, and some other stuff not to be mentioned here, but I have developed a grudging respect for the Evil Genius and Tom Brady...

Some of my pals who like the Pats point out something of a parallel between the Pats and Duke hoops...both five time champs (until last night), both widely despised (for some widely differing reasons, but a common thread is both teams are really good).

May the parallel continue in April with a sixth trophy for our lads.

Interesting....I think there is analogy between the two beyond just the long time success: one is Belichik's ornery nature and the PERCEPTION of K's ornery nature, projected onto him by millions of haters who think they know what he is like from watching him during games on TV. The other is the spoiled pretty boy type cheater image, which applies to Brady and to some Duke players in the past (not to this team).

All perennially great teams have their haters. With Duke, there's something extra with the hatred.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Interesting...I think there is analogy between the two beyond just the long time success: one is Belichik's ornery nature and the PERCEPTION of K's ornery nature, projected onto him by millions of haters who think they know what he is like from watching him during games on TV. The other is the spoiled pretty boy type cheater image, which applies to Brady and to some Duke players in the past (not to this team).

All perennially great teams have their haters. With Duke, there's something extra with the hatred.

I am generally very anti-Patriots but the one positive of a generally unpleasant game to watch was that I was surprised to see how upbeat and human Belichick was after the game - he was smiling, embracing his grandchild, and gave a much more normal, happy interview than normal. Hopefully this is a permanent change, but I doubt it.

The game itself was ugly. I appreciate good defense, but this was just not fun to watch. This season had a number of incredible games and the Super Bowl unfortunately was not one of them.

The ads were OK. I liked the Washington Post ad a lot. T-mobile had some decent ones. The Verizon one with Anthony Lynn and the first responders was very good. Budweiser can't go wrong with the Clydesdales. The NFL one with all of the players was great - I need to rewatch it to keep track of who was in it.

[budwom]

Interesting...I think there is analogy between the two beyond just the long time success: one is Belichik's ornery nature and the PERCEPTION of K's ornery nature, projected onto him by millions of haters who think they know what he is like from watching him during games on TV. The other is the spoiled pretty boy type cheater image, which applies to Brady and to some Duke players in the past (not to this team).

All perennially great teams have their haters. With Duke, there's something extra with the hatred.

yes, Duke haters must be so disappointed, not many guys easy to hate on this current Duke team...

[HereBeforeCoachK]

yes, Duke haters must be so disappointed, not many guys easy to hate on this current Duke team...

I agree - I've made a few similar comments over the months. You know they love to watch Zion, but just can't reconcile that with their inane mindless hate of Duke...for which they cannot give a reason...

[JNort]

I thought last year's Super Bowl was a great game to watch and I personally loved the outcome. How do we go from 41-33 to 13-3? Is the NE defense that much better this year? I guess the Rams offense was just much worse than the Eagles last year and Rams D better than the Eagles D. I don't know.

Goff really had his problems. Belichick saw a soft spot in the Rams O-Line and exploited it.

Really makes me appreciate last year's game even more.

SoCal

Wasn't this years Rams offense around 11th best in NFL history?

[Acymetric]

Wasn't this years Rams offense around 11th best in NFL history?

They really cooled off the back half of the year, I believe.

[chris13]

glad I watched it on DVR, only took 75 minutes to get thru it...though I live in New England, I am completely neutral on the Pats (I had an intense dislike regarding deflategate, Belichick's ornery nature, and some other stuff not to be mentioned here, but I have developed a grudging respect for the Evil Genius and Tom Brady...

Some of my pals who like the Pats point out something of a parallel between the Pats and Duke hoops...both five time champs (until last night), both widely despised (for some widely differing reasons, but a common thread is both teams are really good).

May the parallel continue in April with a sixth trophy for our lads.

You were right about Belichick outcoaching McVay upthread. I will put in a word for another old coach, Wade Phillips. He has a good game plan through the first 3 quarters, when the Patriots' adjustments and some fatigue appeared to take over for the Rams.

[budwom]

You were right about Belichick outcoaching McVay upthread. I will put in a word for another old coach, Wade Phillips. He has a good game plan through the first 3 quarters, when the Patriots' adjustments and some fatigue appeared to take over for the Rams.

Wade indeed would've been the hero if the Rams had produced ANY meaningful offense, splendid job by him for sure. There's a great Washington Post article up today about what Belichick did...completely new defense, they'd played man to man in the secondary all year, went to zone for this game, plus they created an entirely new role for DB Jonathan Jones...instead of refining what they do every week, Belichick is capable of ripping everything up and devising something new.
He really can be a jackass, but he knows football. (I can't believe how many times they lose a key player to free agency and he signs up some guy who was released by the Lions or something and keeps on winning.)

[JasonEvans]

Wasn't this years Rams offense around 11th best in NFL history?

10th, not 11th.

And why is that important? Because it means that zero, none, nada of the top 10 scoring offenses in NFL history won the Super Bowl. Offense #11 (it used to be #9, but the Rams and this year's Chief knocked it out of the top 10) was the 1999 St Louis Rams, who did win the Super Bowl.

-Jason "I think the phrase you are looking for right now is, 'Defense wins championships'" Evans

[budwom]

ESPN out (of course) with their ultra early power rankings for next year...of course they have the Rams first, Pats fourth. We'll see how that goes.

[JNort]

10th, not 11th.

And why is that important? Because it means that zero, none, nada of the top 10 scoring offenses in NFL history won the Super Bowl. Offense #11 (it used to be #9, but the Rams and this year's Chief knocked it out of the top 10) was the 1999 St Louis Rams, who did win the Super Bowl.

-Jason "I think the phrase you are looking for right now is, 'Defense wins championships'" Evans

Defense does seem the most consistent way to win a championship. Although of the teams in the playoffs didn't New England have the 2nd worst defense only to the Chiefs? They just really seem to know how to turn it up a notch come playoff time.

[CDu]

Defense does seem the most consistent way to win a championship. Although of the teams in the playoffs didn't New England have the 2nd worst defense only to the Chiefs? They just really seem to know how to turn it up a notch come playoff time.

A couple of things in this discussion (note: this is just a continuation of JNort's comment, not a rebuttal of it):

1. It is worth noting that we were a DE lining foolishly up one foot offsides and a team of officials absolutely blowing two obvious penalties (pass interference and targeting) on the same play from having a New Orleans/Kansas City Super Bowl. Two offensive juggernauts. And we were a missed FG away from the Rams having faced a team that obliterated them in December (Bears) in the Divisional round. So I'm not sure I'd take anything from this Super Bowl as a referendum on anything about the league. There were just so many games that were literally a play away from a different result.
2a. The Rams have been a much weaker offensive team since Gurley got hurt. He appears to have been the key to freeing up Goff to not have to carry the offense. His minimal role in the NFC Championship and Super Bowl suggest he wasn't right, and that makes a big difference as he was the best RB in football this year.
2b. The Rams were also missing Cooper Kupp, who was a key part of the Rams' early-season success, and would have helped in those underneath routes to keep drives alive and take the pass rush heat off Goff.
2c. With the absence of Gurley and Kupp, Goff's limitations were exposed. He's had some clunkers this year (most notably against the Bears), and there is still some doubt about how good he really is. This Super Bowl didn't do much to further the cause that Goff is an elite QB though.

[chris13]

Wade indeed would've been the hero if the Rams had produced ANY meaningful offense, splendid job by him for sure. There's a great Washington Post article up today about what Belichick did...completely new defense, they'd played man to man in the secondary all year, went to zone for this game, plus they created an entirely new role for DB Jonathan Jones...instead of refining what they do every week, Belichick is capable of ripping everything up and devising something new.
He really can be a jackass, but he knows football. (I can't believe how many times they lose a key player to free agency and he signs up some guy who was released by the Lions or something and keeps on winning.)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...=.a580dc1c1276

I think this is the article. When you factor in the Belichick is also the GM, it's clear to me he's the best NFL coach ever and it's not really that close. What makes him so good is that he picks the players and then he can fit the players into an opponent specific game plan that might be 180 degrees from what they've done all year.

I think you could make a fairly strong argument that Bill Belichick is the best coach of any major American sport, ever.

[duke79]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...=.a580dc1c1276

I think this is the article. When you factor in the Belichick is also the GM, it's clear to me he's the best NFL coach ever and it's not really that close. What makes him so good is that he picks the players and then he can fit the players into an opponent specific game plan that might be 180 degrees from what they've done all year.

I think you could make a fairly strong argument that Bill Belichick is the best coach of any major American sport, ever.

I'm not a huge fan of Belichek but it's hard to argue with your opinion.

[cato]

It is worth noting that we were a DE lining foolishly up one foot offsides and a team of officials absolutely blowing two obvious penalties (pass interference and targeting) on the same play from having a New Orleans/Kansas City Super Bowl. Two offensive juggernauts. And we were a missed FG away from the Rams having faced a team that obliterated them in December (Bears) in the Divisional round. So I'm not sure I'd take anything from this Super Bowl as a referendum on anything about the league. There were just so many games that were literally a play away from a different result.

The amazing thing about this Pats run since 2002 is how many close games they have survived along the way. The tuck rule in 2001. The first three Super Bowls wins by a field goal each. The Seahawks goal line choke job. The Atlanta collapse. The chiefs meltdown.

Football is famously a “game of inches,” which often comes down to “which teams makes one or two more plays.” What are the odds the Patriots would be that team in so many games over the past two decades?

[howardlander]

The amazing thing about this Pats run since 2002 is how many close games they have survived along the way. The tuck rule in 2001. The first three Super Bowls wins by a field goal each. The Seahawks goal line choke job. The Atlanta collapse. The chiefs meltdown.

Football is famously a “game of inches,” which often comes down to “which teams makes one or two more plays.” What are the odds the Patriots would be that team in so many games over the past two decades?

Well, you also have to remember the close losses. How many times out of 10 does David Tyree succeed in catching the ball with his helmet? How about the pass Wes Welker dropped in whatever Super Bowl that was? NE could have just as easily won both of those games. Even last year's game could have gone to NE.

Howard

[HereBeforeCoachK]

The amazing thing about this Pats run since 2002 is how many close games they have survived along the way. The tuck rule in 2001. The first three Super Bowls wins by a field goal each. The Seahawks goal line choke job. The Atlanta collapse. The chiefs meltdown.

Football is famously a “game of inches,” which often comes down to “which teams makes one or two more plays.” What are the odds the Patriots would be that team in so many games over the past two decades?

They're very experienced and very well coached...so you would expect better than average performance on close calls. Of the 8 Super Bowls before this one, they had won 5 and lost 3 (under Belichick/Brady) and all 8 could have gone the other way...ESPN had a really good breakdown on that last week. So 5-3 is slightly better than 4-4 so I'd say the Pats were on schedule.

Now as far as close games earlier in the playoff structures - I've no figures on that.