main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Patriots 2005 Season Discussion

Discussion in 'Archive: Boston, MA' started by Wildstar02301, Feb 12, 2005.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Jedi_Outcast77

    Jedi_Outcast77 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 10, 2003
    Hopefully both can return soon as the offense could use a little spark. They haven't been as productive lately as they were early in the season.
     
  2. DarthWormie

    DarthWormie Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2004
    Well, losing 3 starting linemen, a starting receiver, starting running back and starting fullback will snuff the spark out of any offense in the NFL.
     
  3. Jedi_Outcast77

    Jedi_Outcast77 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 10, 2003
    Good game yesterday against the Saints. The defense is really starting to put things together now, even though they are still giving up some big plays it hasn't been nearly as bad as it was at first. The return of Bruschi and Seymour and the addition of Ellis Hobbs have helped to make improvements in the D. Not to mention the new guy Evans that the Pats got from Miami, that guy can move! Looking forward to next weeks game against KC in Arrowhead, that will be a very big game.

    On a sad note...
    Coach Belichick announced after the game yesterday that his father, the man who helped to shape him and is such a huge part of who he is today, passed away on Saturday. Many condolences go out to him and his family.
     
  4. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    Yeah, I think I did hear about BB's father passing away at the tail end of the game yesterday. :(
     
  5. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    Michael Felger's report card

    Overall, pretty decent grades, with the lowest being a C+ by the secondary, but Felger did note that the grades could've been better if they didn't let the Saints back in the game late.
     
  6. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    This week's power rankings:

    ESPN.com: #13
    CBS SportsLine: #13
    SI.com: #14
    FoxSports.com: #16

    These things generally start coming back into agreement around Thanksgiving, as you see by the first three sets of rankings. Fox Sports' rankings, because of the statistical formula used, will probably be the last to "join the pack". There is also a link on ESPN's power rankings to the SportsNation ranking, which is a fan-based ranking, as you have to rank at least 5 teams in order to even look at them.
     
  7. Jedi_Outcast77

    Jedi_Outcast77 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 10, 2003
    Well the T.O. saga is finally over! The arbitrator ruled that the Eagles were 100% in the clear over their decision to suspend Terrell Owens for his actions, recently and up to this point. This has put an end to T.O.'s season and puts an even bigger gap in between the Eagles and their chances of making the playoffs.
     
  8. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    Put much of the blame for this latest loss on the receivers; 3 of the 4 picks Brady threw today were in the hands of a receiver before the Chief defender caught it. And yes, I know Brady was also high on a lot of throws, but the picks I mentioned likely should've been caught. After a shaky first half, the Patriot defense stiffened enough in the second half to give Brady a chance to get back into the game.

    The good news is that of the remaining games, only the Bucs game is against a team w/ a winning record, and weather could be a factor in that game. The Jets visit Foxboro next Sunday.
     
  9. Jedi_Outcast77

    Jedi_Outcast77 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 10, 2003
    I think you're being a bit too easy on Brady there. The throw he made on his first 2 picks were way over the heads of both Branch and Brown, the 3rd one was definately catchable as it bounced through the WR's hands, and I lost interest in the game so I never actually saw the 4th one. Brady was very off yesterday which is extremely uncommon for him to have that bad of a game. However once again the biggest loser in that game yesterday was the defense. KC pretty much ran when and where they wanted to, with the exception of a few great plays by the line and LB's during red zone situations, Larry Johnson had his way with the Pats. THen when they weren't running Trent Green was pasting the ball all over that open mid-field that the secondary just can't seem to cover this year. At least they get a chance to play at home next week and recharge their batteries.
     
  10. DarthWormie

    DarthWormie Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2004
    I agree, alot of the media has been treating Brady with kids gloves over his performance. The Tim Dwight bobble that led to the 4th INT I'll give Brady a pass on but as for the others. he definitely has some fault in. The fact that the receivers are stepping up and taking the fault is something that the players on this team always do. The never blame another teammate. The fact is Brady's accuracy was just terrible yesterday. Go back and look at most of his completions and you'll see that some very nice catches were made on badly thrown balls. Another sign that his accuracy was not right yesterday was him actually wearing a glove (non throwing hand) in the second half. The guy never wears one, so he must have know his grip on the ball wasn't what it should be.
     
  11. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    Michael Felger's report card

    Not many high grades from Felger; the special teams got a B, and that's it. Mostly Cs and Ds all around, and the secondary, once again, got an F. Brady, BTW, was close to an F himself, getting a D-.
     
  12. Jedi_Outcast77

    Jedi_Outcast77 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 10, 2003
    On a different note the Colts kept their streak running strong with a win against the Steelers last night, putting them at 11-0! It will be interesting to see if they can keep that up through the rest of the regular season.
     
  13. DarthWormie

    DarthWormie Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2004
    Well, the Mike Cloud era in Foxboro is over...again.
     
  14. chewykingwookie

    chewykingwookie Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2005
    I have Brady on my fantasy team and ended up costing me the match this week. If I didn't lose McNabb I would have done better. lol
     
  15. DarthWormie

    DarthWormie Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2004
    Hey guys,
    Not sure if anyone here is interested, but I may have 2 tickets available for this Sunday's Pats game against the Jets. If anyone is interested in them, drop me a PM.
     
  16. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    This week's power rankings:

    ESPN.com: #15
    CBS SportsLine: #16
    SI.com: #15
    FoxSports.com: #19

    Yes, DVOA puts them at #19, and the worst passing defense in the league. On the bright side, Aaron Schatz does say it's nearly impossible for the Patriots to lose the division. If the Pats win 2 of the 3 remaining games against the Dolphins and Jets, the Bills would have to run the rest of the division table and beat either the Broncos or Bengals to match the Patriots at 8-8. Not likely to happen.

    In other news, WEEI reported that both Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk participated in practice today. It's looking like one or both of them will be available against the Jets Sunday.
     
  17. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    A solid defensive effort by the Patriots today, allowing only 3 points by the Jets in a 16-3 win. The pass rush, especially, was big today, sacking Jets QB Brooks Bollinger twice and keeping the pressure on him much of the rest of the time. Rookie corner Ellis Hobbs also picked a Bollinger pass in the 4th quarter. Offensively, Brady did enough to win, and the return of Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk provided a boost to the ground game, which produced 146 total rushing yards.

    The 7-5 Patriots travel to Buffalo next Sunday.

    Edit: Forgot to mention that with a field goal late in the second quarter, kicker Adam Vinatieri became the Patriots' all-time leading point scorer, passing Gino Cappelletti for the honor.
     
  18. Jedi_Outcast77

    Jedi_Outcast77 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 10, 2003
    Big difference between watching the Tom Brady from last week and the Tom Brady from this week. Last week his passes were thrown over the heads of the WR's, but this week he was so on target that the ball was zipping through the hands of the WR's and bouncing off of their chests.

    Overall it was a great game. Neither team has been playing exceptionally well lately so it was a great smashmouth game with the Pats hitting a little bit harder. The running game definately looked good and the defense looked even better. Next week it off to Buffallo to face the sorry sorry Bills who lost yesterday by 1 point after leading most of the game :oops:.
     
  19. DarthWormie

    DarthWormie Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2004
    I had heard rumors of this back on Friday, but it's true. This morning Sports Illustrated named Tom Brady their 2005 Sportsman of the Year.

    [image=http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/archives/SI%20Sportsman%20Cover%202005-thumb.jpg]
     
  20. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    Michael Felger's report card

    Felger couldn't decide if Sunday's performance was actually a good performance or whether it was the result of the (bad) quality of opponent, so he gave the Pats the benefit of the doubt and gave them pretty good grades, the worst of which was a C for the offensive line. Brady, the defensive line, and the coaching staff all got an A-.
     
  21. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    This week's power rankings:

    ESPN.com: #12
    CBS SportsLine: #14
    SI.com: #15
    FoxSports.com: #19

    As Aaron Schatz notes in the comment for the Patriots on Fox Sports' rankings, the Patriots could become the first team in the history of the 16-game schedule to start resting starters after 8 wins. They can actually clinch the division this week with a win and a Dolphins loss against the Chargers. Since they would then pretty much be locked into a home playoff game on "Wild Card Weekend", they can rest starters after clinching and not lose much.
     
  22. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    Another dominating December game for the Patriots with a 35-7 win against the Bills, and that was even with Tom Brady on a sore leg, which was later described as a bruised calf. True, Brady had 2 INTs, one on a good play by the defender and the other on a tipped ball, but he also threw 2 TDs and ran for another. Dillon also finally showed signs of returning to form w/ a 100-yard rushing day. The defense, though, was really the key, not allowing the Bills on the scoreboard until very late in the game. They gave up a big play early, but even then, the scoring bid was foiled in the end zone on an interception by Asante Samuel.

    Unfortunately, Miami didn't cooperate, as they won their game with a second-half rally. This means the Pats can clinch the division this coming weekend with either a win Saturday @ home against the Buccs or a Miami loss against the Jets Sunday.
     
  23. Jedi_Outcast77

    Jedi_Outcast77 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 10, 2003
    It may be true that the Bills' offense just isn't there this year, but the Pats defense still did a great job of keeping pressure on the QB and holding the running game back. That tip by Tedy Bruschi at the end of the game was pretty sweet too! All together the "D" looked great and really seems to be flowing just in time for the playoffs.

    As for the offense :eek:! Great efforts by the WR's to catch some wobblers that Brady had to toss out there, like the left-handed shovel pass, and Dillon getting a score and passing 100 yards. Another thing that you just don't see (although I can understand why) is QB's taking it to the opposing defensive backs and dropping a key block every once in a while. I love seeing Tom Brady step up and drop a shoulder to trip up an incoming defender and I don't care what the ref's say, that was a clean sweep that Brady put on the defender yesterday :mad:.

    The defense will have a big challenge in front of them on Saturday when they face the Bucs. Tampa Bay's passing game is kinda hot-and-cold but their running game, with Cadillac Williams, Pittman, and Allstot (sp?) is tough.
     
  24. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    Michael Felger's report card

    Mostly As and Bs, as befits a dominating performance; the only C was given to the special teams. The defensive line was rewarded with an A+ for having their best game since Pittsburgh in Week 3.
     
  25. Wildstar02301

    Wildstar02301 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 7, 2003
    This week's power rankings:

    ESPN.com: #9
    CBS SportsLine: #8
    SI.com: #13
    FoxSports.com: #18

    Our Patriots appear to be on the move up again, with, as you see, the team moving back into the top 10 on ESPN's and CBS SportsLine's rankings. Aaron Schatz, speaking for Fox Sports, says, however, to save the "Patriots are back" talk for when they beat a good team convincingly. And save the "hater" mail...he's a local boy from Sharon, it turns out.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.