NFL 2021 Season

[SparzWizard]

This Patriots team reminds me of the 2017-2018 Celtics. Get counted out for the major injuries but managed to be a few points 4th quarter shy from making the Finals.

[nickagneta]

I am kinda stupified that the Pats came out in horrible weather, in the cold and wind, on the road against a very good team that was in the AFC Championship last year, came up with a game plan Belichick thought could win the game, executed that game plan, won the game and people are complaining that the team didn't pass enough.

The team didn't have to pass any more than they did. They won running the ball down the throats of the Bills with the offense not turning the ball over. They won controlling the time of possession. They won by controlling the line of scrimmage.

This was never going to be a high scoring game. It was going to be a low scoring slugfest in that weather and the team that ran the ball the best was going to win. Bill saw that and the game plan shows that. The win shows he was right.

Throwing more doesn't mean the Pats would have won or won by more. Throwing more could easily have lead to less time of possession, with less yards made and more turnovers due to interceptions. It's not like Jones has much, if any, experience throwing the ball in high wind conditions with wind chill temperatures in the teens. There is a lot that could have gone wrong by throwing the ball more. What would passing more have accomplished? The team winning by more points than they did?

You don't get style points by throwing the ball x amount of times a game. The complaints about not passing in this game are just like the complaints you see in the Celtics game threads where people complain that the C's won but should have won by more points. A win is a win, whether you win by 1 point or 35 points or, in this case, by 4 points.

Belichick thought this game plan gave his team the best chance of winning and the team won. Not sure why people would second guess Belichick here given his history and the results of the game.

Nick I am very happy we won. And I think all of our fans are here. However do we really have to be a 100% results orientated? The 4th quarter yards were something like 110-5. It’s not fair to say we should have tried something a little different In the second half or 4th? Or that we had a decent amount of luck in that 4th quarter to win? Celtics have certainly had some wins over the years were they won and I didn’t like how they closed the game out also.

Results matter. There was a game plan. They stuck to it and executed it and won.

If the Pats suddenly started passing the ball and threw an interception or gave up a strip sack or got no first downs and ate up no clock and that led to a loss, everyone would be b!tching that Bill should have just stuck to running because it was working the whole game.

Fans just never seem to be happy sometimes. Coaches can't ever do right in fans eyes because the coach coached one way and the fans wanted him to coach another way. If the team loses, fans are unhappy because they wanted a win. If the team wins a close game, fans complain about not winning by enough.

The spoiled entitlement is off the charts with Boston fans.

[celticsclay]

I am kinda stupified that the Pats came out in horrible weather, in the cold and wind, on the road against a very good team that was in the AFC Championship last year, came up with a game plan Belichick thought could win the game, executed that game plan, won the game and people are complaining that the team didn't pass enough.

The team didn't have to pass any more than they did. They won running the ball down the throats of the Bills with the offense not turning the ball over. They won controlling the time of possession. They won by controlling the line of scrimmage.

This was never going to be a high scoring game. It was going to be a low scoring slugfest in that weather and the team that ran the ball the best was going to win. Bill saw that and the game plan shows that. The win shows he was right.

Throwing more doesn't mean the Pats would have won or won by more. Throwing more could easily have lead to less time of possession, with less yards made and more turnovers due to interceptions. It's not like Jones has much, if any, experience throwing the ball in high wind conditions with wind chill temperatures in the teens. There is a lot that could have gone wrong by throwing the ball more. What would passing more have accomplished? The team winning by more points than they did?

You don't get style points by throwing the ball x amount of times a game. The complaints about not passing in this game are just like the complaints you see in the Celtics game threads where people complain that the C's won but should have won by more points. A win is a win, whether you win by 1 point or 35 points or, in this case, by 4 points.

Belichick thought this game plan gave his team the best chance of winning and the team won. Not sure why people would second guess Belichick here given his history and the results of the game.

Nick I am very happy we won. And I think all of our fans are here. However do we really have to be a 100% results orientated? The 4th quarter yards were something like 110-5. It’s not fair to say we should have tried something a little different In the second half or 4th? Or that we had a decent amount of luck in that 4th quarter to win? Celtics have certainly had some wins over the years were they won and I didn’t like how they closed the game out also.

Results matter. There was a game plan. They stuck to it and executed it and won.

If the Pats suddenly started passing the ball and threw an interception or gave up a strip sack or got no first downs and ate up no clock and that led to a loss, everyone would be b!tching that Bill should have just stuck to running because it was working the whole game.

Fans just never seem to be happy sometimes. Coaches can't ever do right in fans eyes because the coach coached one way and the fans wanted him to coach another way. If the team loses, fans are unhappy because they wanted a win. If the team wins a close game, fans complain about not winning by enough.

The spoiled entitlement is off the charts with Boston fans.

I mean I think you have seen me post on here for like 12-15 years and I would be surprised if many people described as me entitled or pessimistic…

I’ll also add I thought our best record was probably 10-7 before start of season with a rookie qb. So everything for me is now house money.

[nickagneta]

I am kinda stupified that the Pats came out in horrible weather, in the cold and wind, on the road against a very good team that was in the AFC Championship last year, came up with a game plan Belichick thought could win the game, executed that game plan, won the game and people are complaining that the team didn't pass enough.

The team didn't have to pass any more than they did. They won running the ball down the throats of the Bills with the offense not turning the ball over. They won controlling the time of possession. They won by controlling the line of scrimmage.

This was never going to be a high scoring game. It was going to be a low scoring slugfest in that weather and the team that ran the ball the best was going to win. Bill saw that and the game plan shows that. The win shows he was right.

Throwing more doesn't mean the Pats would have won or won by more. Throwing more could easily have lead to less time of possession, with less yards made and more turnovers due to interceptions. It's not like Jones has much, if any, experience throwing the ball in high wind conditions with wind chill temperatures in the teens. There is a lot that could have gone wrong by throwing the ball more. What would passing more have accomplished? The team winning by more points than they did?

You don't get style points by throwing the ball x amount of times a game. The complaints about not passing in this game are just like the complaints you see in the Celtics game threads where people complain that the C's won but should have won by more points. A win is a win, whether you win by 1 point or 35 points or, in this case, by 4 points.

Belichick thought this game plan gave his team the best chance of winning and the team won. Not sure why people would second guess Belichick here given his history and the results of the game.

Nick I am very happy we won. And I think all of our fans are here. However do we really have to be a 100% results orientated? The 4th quarter yards were something like 110-5. It’s not fair to say we should have tried something a little different In the second half or 4th? Or that we had a decent amount of luck in that 4th quarter to win? Celtics have certainly had some wins over the years were they won and I didn’t like how they closed the game out also.

Results matter. There was a game plan. They stuck to it and executed it and won.

If the Pats suddenly started passing the ball and threw an interception or gave up a strip sack or got no first downs and ate up no clock and that led to a loss, everyone would be b!tching that Bill should have just stuck to running because it was working the whole game.

Fans just never seem to be happy sometimes. Coaches can't ever do right in fans eyes because the coach coached one way and the fans wanted him to coach another way. If the team loses, fans are unhappy because they wanted a win. If the team wins a close game, fans complain about not winning by enough.

The spoiled entitlement is off the charts with Boston fans.

I mean I think you have seen me post on here for like 12-15 years and I would be surprised if many people described as me entitled or pessimistic…

I’ll also add I thought our best record was probably 10-7 before start of season with a rookie qb. So everything for me is now house money.

Sorry Clay, my comments about spoiled and entitled aren't really about you, but about most posters on this site. You're right you are not pessimistic or entitled. My apologies for that.

That being said, I think you are wrong in your "throw the ball more" criticism here. It was unreal wind conditions. The cold and wind made the football slick, hard and difficult to handle. The wind and cold were real factors that were obvious judging by the kicking game of both teams(the wind literally moved so much from hand to foot on one punt that the punter shanked it)  and the amount of catches by the Bills that weren't made but usually would have been in more normal conditions.

It wasn't a normal game plan, but it worked in those conditions. I think we all know that under normal conditions, Belichick would have thrown a lot more, so criticizing him for not throwing more in a game he won by 4, on the road, against one of the best teams in the AFC isn't fair or justified, IMHO.

[nickagneta]

I am kinda stupified that the Pats came out in horrible weather, in the cold and wind, on the road against a very good team that was in the AFC Championship last year, came up with a game plan Belichick thought could win the game, executed that game plan, won the game and people are complaining that the team didn't pass enough.

The team didn't have to pass any more than they did. They won running the ball down the throats of the Bills with the offense not turning the ball over. They won controlling the time of possession. They won by controlling the line of scrimmage.

This was never going to be a high scoring game. It was going to be a low scoring slugfest in that weather and the team that ran the ball the best was going to win. Bill saw that and the game plan shows that. The win shows he was right.

Throwing more doesn't mean the Pats would have won or won by more. Throwing more could easily have lead to less time of possession, with less yards made and more turnovers due to interceptions. It's not like Jones has much, if any, experience throwing the ball in high wind conditions with wind chill temperatures in the teens. There is a lot that could have gone wrong by throwing the ball more. What would passing more have accomplished? The team winning by more points than they did?

You don't get style points by throwing the ball x amount of times a game. The complaints about not passing in this game are just like the complaints you see in the Celtics game threads where people complain that the C's won but should have won by more points. A win is a win, whether you win by 1 point or 35 points or, in this case, by 4 points.

Belichick thought this game plan gave his team the best chance of winning and the team won. Not sure why people would second guess Belichick here given his history and the results of the game.

Nick I am very happy we won. And I think all of our fans are here. However do we really have to be a 100% results orientated? The 4th quarter yards were something like 110-5. It’s not fair to say we should have tried something a little different In the second half or 4th? Or that we had a decent amount of luck in that 4th quarter to win? Celtics have certainly had some wins over the years were they won and I didn’t like how they closed the game out also.

That game could have gone either way and everyone would have been killing Bill if they didn’t eke out the victory. I’m glad the Pats are winning, but I’ve only felt like they’ve had one or two convincing wins against good opponents all season. If you can’t throw in the playoffs, it’s going to be a first round exit.

That is just developing your QB the correct way.  QB's don't need to throw.

You really going to go down that road?

Do I really need to quote the plethora of former players, former coaches and extremely knowledgeable football media types that have called Belichick's job of developing rookie QBs next level great? Do I really need to show all the stats of Jones and his Offensive Rookie of the Year performance thus far?

Your idea of how to develop a rookie QB has been shown to be dead wrong and long time professional experts and people who, you know, actually know something about football, unlike you, have not only said so but have lauded the way Belichick does it.

But sure, quadruple down on your ridiculous take. You're only embarrassing yourself, but sure. You go be you.

[celticsclay]

I am kinda stupified that the Pats came out in horrible weather, in the cold and wind, on the road against a very good team that was in the AFC Championship last year, came up with a game plan Belichick thought could win the game, executed that game plan, won the game and people are complaining that the team didn't pass enough.

The team didn't have to pass any more than they did. They won running the ball down the throats of the Bills with the offense not turning the ball over. They won controlling the time of possession. They won by controlling the line of scrimmage.

This was never going to be a high scoring game. It was going to be a low scoring slugfest in that weather and the team that ran the ball the best was going to win. Bill saw that and the game plan shows that. The win shows he was right.

Throwing more doesn't mean the Pats would have won or won by more. Throwing more could easily have lead to less time of possession, with less yards made and more turnovers due to interceptions. It's not like Jones has much, if any, experience throwing the ball in high wind conditions with wind chill temperatures in the teens. There is a lot that could have gone wrong by throwing the ball more. What would passing more have accomplished? The team winning by more points than they did?

You don't get style points by throwing the ball x amount of times a game. The complaints about not passing in this game are just like the complaints you see in the Celtics game threads where people complain that the C's won but should have won by more points. A win is a win, whether you win by 1 point or 35 points or, in this case, by 4 points.

Belichick thought this game plan gave his team the best chance of winning and the team won. Not sure why people would second guess Belichick here given his history and the results of the game.

Nick I am very happy we won. And I think all of our fans are here. However do we really have to be a 100% results orientated? The 4th quarter yards were something like 110-5. It’s not fair to say we should have tried something a little different In the second half or 4th? Or that we had a decent amount of luck in that 4th quarter to win? Celtics have certainly had some wins over the years were they won and I didn’t like how they closed the game out also.

Results matter. There was a game plan. They stuck to it and executed it and won.

If the Pats suddenly started passing the ball and threw an interception or gave up a strip sack or got no first downs and ate up no clock and that led to a loss, everyone would be b!tching that Bill should have just stuck to running because it was working the whole game.

Fans just never seem to be happy sometimes. Coaches can't ever do right in fans eyes because the coach coached one way and the fans wanted him to coach another way. If the team loses, fans are unhappy because they wanted a win. If the team wins a close game, fans complain about not winning by enough.

The spoiled entitlement is off the charts with Boston fans.

I mean I think you have seen me post on here for like 12-15 years and I would be surprised if many people described as me entitled or pessimistic…

I’ll also add I thought our best record was probably 10-7 before start of season with a rookie qb. So everything for me is now house money.

Sorry Clay, my comments about spoiled and entitled aren't really about you, but about most posters on this site. You're right you are not pessimistic or entitled. My apologies for that.

That being said, I think you are wrong in your "throw the ball more" criticism here. It was unreal wind conditions. The cold and wind made the football slick, hard and difficult to handle. The wind and cold were real factors that were obvious judging by the kicking game of both teams(the wind literally moved so much from hand to foot on one punt that the punter shanked it)  and the amount of catches by the Bills that weren't made but usually would have been in more normal conditions.

It wasn't a normal game plan, but it worked in those conditions. I think we all know that under normal conditions, Belichick would have thrown a lot more, so criticizing him for not throwing more in a game he won by 4, on the road, against one of the best teams in the AFC isn't fair or justified, IMHO.

You could be right, and I definitely get your point on observing the punt and the shank. I don’t know enough to say with 100% confidence how hard it is to complete a screen in those conditions. I do think it is fair to question if we could have done something differently when we had 5 yards in the 4th and and I think 60 total in second half. But we won so I don’t need to push it any more. Tp for the discussion.

[nickagneta]

I am kinda stupified that the Pats came out in horrible weather, in the cold and wind, on the road against a very good team that was in the AFC Championship last year, came up with a game plan Belichick thought could win the game, executed that game plan, won the game and people are complaining that the team didn't pass enough.

The team didn't have to pass any more than they did. They won running the ball down the throats of the Bills with the offense not turning the ball over. They won controlling the time of possession. They won by controlling the line of scrimmage.

This was never going to be a high scoring game. It was going to be a low scoring slugfest in that weather and the team that ran the ball the best was going to win. Bill saw that and the game plan shows that. The win shows he was right.

Throwing more doesn't mean the Pats would have won or won by more. Throwing more could easily have lead to less time of possession, with less yards made and more turnovers due to interceptions. It's not like Jones has much, if any, experience throwing the ball in high wind conditions with wind chill temperatures in the teens. There is a lot that could have gone wrong by throwing the ball more. What would passing more have accomplished? The team winning by more points than they did?

You don't get style points by throwing the ball x amount of times a game. The complaints about not passing in this game are just like the complaints you see in the Celtics game threads where people complain that the C's won but should have won by more points. A win is a win, whether you win by 1 point or 35 points or, in this case, by 4 points.

Belichick thought this game plan gave his team the best chance of winning and the team won. Not sure why people would second guess Belichick here given his history and the results of the game.

Nick I am very happy we won. And I think all of our fans are here. However do we really have to be a 100% results orientated? The 4th quarter yards were something like 110-5. It’s not fair to say we should have tried something a little different In the second half or 4th? Or that we had a decent amount of luck in that 4th quarter to win? Celtics have certainly had some wins over the years were they won and I didn’t like how they closed the game out also.

Results matter. There was a game plan. They stuck to it and executed it and won.

If the Pats suddenly started passing the ball and threw an interception or gave up a strip sack or got no first downs and ate up no clock and that led to a loss, everyone would be b!tching that Bill should have just stuck to running because it was working the whole game.

Fans just never seem to be happy sometimes. Coaches can't ever do right in fans eyes because the coach coached one way and the fans wanted him to coach another way. If the team loses, fans are unhappy because they wanted a win. If the team wins a close game, fans complain about not winning by enough.

The spoiled entitlement is off the charts with Boston fans.

I mean I think you have seen me post on here for like 12-15 years and I would be surprised if many people described as me entitled or pessimistic…

I’ll also add I thought our best record was probably 10-7 before start of season with a rookie qb. So everything for me is now house money.

Sorry Clay, my comments about spoiled and entitled aren't really about you, but about most posters on this site. You're right you are not pessimistic or entitled. My apologies for that.

That being said, I think you are wrong in your "throw the ball more" criticism here. It was unreal wind conditions. The cold and wind made the football slick, hard and difficult to handle. The wind and cold were real factors that were obvious judging by the kicking game of both teams(the wind literally moved so much from hand to foot on one punt that the punter shanked it)  and the amount of catches by the Bills that weren't made but usually would have been in more normal conditions.

It wasn't a normal game plan, but it worked in those conditions. I think we all know that under normal conditions, Belichick would have thrown a lot more, so criticizing him for not throwing more in a game he won by 4, on the road, against one of the best teams in the AFC isn't fair or justified, IMHO.

You could be right, and I definitely get your point on observing the punt and the shank. I don’t know enough to say with 100% confidence how hard it is to complete a screen in those conditions. I do think it is fair to question if we could have done something differently when we had 5 yards in the 4th and and I think 60 total in second half. But we won so I don’t need to push it any more. Tp for the discussion.

I do have to say, Bill does love sometimes running certain plays a bunch one half to set up a play for big yards in the 2nd half because the opposing defense is cheating in the direction of that play and get caught out of position by a change in that play.

So yeah, I was sitting there waiting for a play action to a slot receiver running a seam route out of a formation that the Bills were putting 9 guys on the line of scrimmage trying to stop the run. Or a screen pass out of a trap running formation. If timed right such plays could have made huge gains.

But it didn't happen. I gotta wonder if Jones complete lack of experience playing in super cold and windy conditions had something to do with it. Like, 2-3 years from now Jones will have played and practiced in some pretty extreme winter weather and gained a lot of knowledge about how to throw and play in those conditions. So maybe, 2-3 years from now, in similar conditions, Bill probably won't go with a "run every play" game plan.

[Moranis]

I am kinda stupified that the Pats came out in horrible weather, in the cold and wind, on the road against a very good team that was in the AFC Championship last year, came up with a game plan Belichick thought could win the game, executed that game plan, won the game and people are complaining that the team didn't pass enough.

The team didn't have to pass any more than they did. They won running the ball down the throats of the Bills with the offense not turning the ball over. They won controlling the time of possession. They won by controlling the line of scrimmage.

This was never going to be a high scoring game. It was going to be a low scoring slugfest in that weather and the team that ran the ball the best was going to win. Bill saw that and the game plan shows that. The win shows he was right.

Throwing more doesn't mean the Pats would have won or won by more. Throwing more could easily have lead to less time of possession, with less yards made and more turnovers due to interceptions. It's not like Jones has much, if any, experience throwing the ball in high wind conditions with wind chill temperatures in the teens. There is a lot that could have gone wrong by throwing the ball more. What would passing more have accomplished? The team winning by more points than they did?

You don't get style points by throwing the ball x amount of times a game. The complaints about not passing in this game are just like the complaints you see in the Celtics game threads where people complain that the C's won but should have won by more points. A win is a win, whether you win by 1 point or 35 points or, in this case, by 4 points.

Belichick thought this game plan gave his team the best chance of winning and the team won. Not sure why people would second guess Belichick here given his history and the results of the game.

Nick I am very happy we won. And I think all of our fans are here. However do we really have to be a 100% results orientated? The 4th quarter yards were something like 110-5. It’s not fair to say we should have tried something a little different In the second half or 4th? Or that we had a decent amount of luck in that 4th quarter to win? Celtics have certainly had some wins over the years were they won and I didn’t like how they closed the game out also.

That game could have gone either way and everyone would have been killing Bill if they didn’t eke out the victory. I’m glad the Pats are winning, but I’ve only felt like they’ve had one or two convincing wins against good opponents all season. If you can’t throw in the playoffs, it’s going to be a first round exit.

That is just developing your QB the correct way.  QB's don't need to throw.

You really going to go down that road?

Do I really need to quote the plethora of former players, former coaches and extremely knowledgeable football media types that have called Belichick's job of developing rookie QBs next level great? Do I really need to show all the stats of Jones and his Offensive Rookie of the Year performance thus far?

Your idea of how to develop a rookie QB has been shown to be dead wrong and long time professional experts and people who, you know, actually know something about football, unlike you, have not only said so but have lauded the way Belichick does it.

But sure, quadruple down on your ridiculous take. You're only embarrassing yourself, but sure. You go be you.

There are lots of ways to develop QB's.  They can sit for years like Rodgers (or a year like Mahomes).  They can have offenses catered to their skill set (Jackson).  They can be thrown to the wolves early (Allen).  Or they can be brought along like they are still in high school (Jones). 

Bill is very conservative.  He does everything that way, including how he has handled Jones.  It worked out last night because the defense came up huge on two red zone trips late in the game, but if the Bills don't blow those trips, the Patriots would have again lost a game they should have won by being too conservative.  At some point, they are going to need Mac Jones to win them a game, and thus far he hasn't been allowed to try to do that, so no one has any idea if he actually can.  There are a lot more pros to letting your QB throw it and make mistakes, so they can learn from them, rather than baby them and not allow them the ability to make mistakes.

[nickagneta]

I am kinda stupified that the Pats came out in horrible weather, in the cold and wind, on the road against a very good team that was in the AFC Championship last year, came up with a game plan Belichick thought could win the game, executed that game plan, won the game and people are complaining that the team didn't pass enough.

The team didn't have to pass any more than they did. They won running the ball down the throats of the Bills with the offense not turning the ball over. They won controlling the time of possession. They won by controlling the line of scrimmage.

This was never going to be a high scoring game. It was going to be a low scoring slugfest in that weather and the team that ran the ball the best was going to win. Bill saw that and the game plan shows that. The win shows he was right.

Throwing more doesn't mean the Pats would have won or won by more. Throwing more could easily have lead to less time of possession, with less yards made and more turnovers due to interceptions. It's not like Jones has much, if any, experience throwing the ball in high wind conditions with wind chill temperatures in the teens. There is a lot that could have gone wrong by throwing the ball more. What would passing more have accomplished? The team winning by more points than they did?

You don't get style points by throwing the ball x amount of times a game. The complaints about not passing in this game are just like the complaints you see in the Celtics game threads where people complain that the C's won but should have won by more points. A win is a win, whether you win by 1 point or 35 points or, in this case, by 4 points.

Belichick thought this game plan gave his team the best chance of winning and the team won. Not sure why people would second guess Belichick here given his history and the results of the game.

Nick I am very happy we won. And I think all of our fans are here. However do we really have to be a 100% results orientated? The 4th quarter yards were something like 110-5. It’s not fair to say we should have tried something a little different In the second half or 4th? Or that we had a decent amount of luck in that 4th quarter to win? Celtics have certainly had some wins over the years were they won and I didn’t like how they closed the game out also.

That game could have gone either way and everyone would have been killing Bill if they didn’t eke out the victory. I’m glad the Pats are winning, but I’ve only felt like they’ve had one or two convincing wins against good opponents all season. If you can’t throw in the playoffs, it’s going to be a first round exit.

That is just developing your QB the correct way.  QB's don't need to throw.

You really going to go down that road?

Do I really need to quote the plethora of former players, former coaches and extremely knowledgeable football media types that have called Belichick's job of developing rookie QBs next level great? Do I really need to show all the stats of Jones and his Offensive Rookie of the Year performance thus far?

Your idea of how to develop a rookie QB has been shown to be dead wrong and long time professional experts and people who, you know, actually know something about football, unlike you, have not only said so but have lauded the way Belichick does it.

But sure, quadruple down on your ridiculous take. You're only embarrassing yourself, but sure. You go be you.

There are lots of ways to develop QB's.  They can sit for years like Rodgers (or a year like Mahomes).  They can have offenses catered to their skill set (Jackson).  They can be thrown to the wolves early (Allen).  Or they can be brought along like they are still in high school (Jones). 

Bill is very conservative.  He does everything that way, including how he has handled Jones.  It worked out last night because the defense came up huge on two red zone trips late in the game, but if the Bills don't blow those trips, the Patriots would have again lost a game they should have won by being too conservative.  At some point, they are going to need Mac Jones to win them a game, and thus far he hasn't been allowed to try to do that, so no one has any idea if he actually can.  There are a lot more pros to letting your QB throw it and make mistakes, so they can learn from them, rather than baby them and not allow them the ability to make mistakes.

Clueless.

[ozgod]

I am kinda stupified that the Pats came out in horrible weather, in the cold and wind, on the road against a very good team that was in the AFC Championship last year, came up with a game plan Belichick thought could win the game, executed that game plan, won the game and people are complaining that the team didn't pass enough.

The team didn't have to pass any more than they did. They won running the ball down the throats of the Bills with the offense not turning the ball over. They won controlling the time of possession. They won by controlling the line of scrimmage.

This was never going to be a high scoring game. It was going to be a low scoring slugfest in that weather and the team that ran the ball the best was going to win. Bill saw that and the game plan shows that. The win shows he was right.

Throwing more doesn't mean the Pats would have won or won by more. Throwing more could easily have lead to less time of possession, with less yards made and more turnovers due to interceptions. It's not like Jones has much, if any, experience throwing the ball in high wind conditions with wind chill temperatures in the teens. There is a lot that could have gone wrong by throwing the ball more. What would passing more have accomplished? The team winning by more points than they did?

You don't get style points by throwing the ball x amount of times a game. The complaints about not passing in this game are just like the complaints you see in the Celtics game threads where people complain that the C's won but should have won by more points. A win is a win, whether you win by 1 point or 35 points or, in this case, by 4 points.

Belichick thought this game plan gave his team the best chance of winning and the team won. Not sure why people would second guess Belichick here given his history and the results of the game.

Nick I am very happy we won. And I think all of our fans are here. However do we really have to be a 100% results orientated? The 4th quarter yards were something like 110-5. It’s not fair to say we should have tried something a little different In the second half or 4th? Or that we had a decent amount of luck in that 4th quarter to win? Celtics have certainly had some wins over the years were they won and I didn’t like how they closed the game out also.

Bill said that if they had to they would have thrown the ball, but the way they managed the game they didn't have to.

Belichick insisted that the play-calling would have gone in another direction had the Bills gone ahead and forced the issue.

“I think if there had been a different kind of game and we had needed to throw there in the fourth quarter, we would’ve thrown,” Belichick explained.

“We were able to manage the game the way we did and that worked out alright for us.”

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/07/sports/bill-belichick-joked-about-how-patriots-can-approach-late-season-rematch-against-bills/

[nickagneta]

Right now, the most likely pairing for the Superbowl in many sports books across the country is New England vs Tampa Bay. If that happens it would be a great ending to an incredible biopic on either Brady or Belichick.

[Moranis]

I am kinda stupified that the Pats came out in horrible weather, in the cold and wind, on the road against a very good team that was in the AFC Championship last year, came up with a game plan Belichick thought could win the game, executed that game plan, won the game and people are complaining that the team didn't pass enough.

The team didn't have to pass any more than they did. They won running the ball down the throats of the Bills with the offense not turning the ball over. They won controlling the time of possession. They won by controlling the line of scrimmage.

This was never going to be a high scoring game. It was going to be a low scoring slugfest in that weather and the team that ran the ball the best was going to win. Bill saw that and the game plan shows that. The win shows he was right.

Throwing more doesn't mean the Pats would have won or won by more. Throwing more could easily have lead to less time of possession, with less yards made and more turnovers due to interceptions. It's not like Jones has much, if any, experience throwing the ball in high wind conditions with wind chill temperatures in the teens. There is a lot that could have gone wrong by throwing the ball more. What would passing more have accomplished? The team winning by more points than they did?

You don't get style points by throwing the ball x amount of times a game. The complaints about not passing in this game are just like the complaints you see in the Celtics game threads where people complain that the C's won but should have won by more points. A win is a win, whether you win by 1 point or 35 points or, in this case, by 4 points.

Belichick thought this game plan gave his team the best chance of winning and the team won. Not sure why people would second guess Belichick here given his history and the results of the game.

Nick I am very happy we won. And I think all of our fans are here. However do we really have to be a 100% results orientated? The 4th quarter yards were something like 110-5. It’s not fair to say we should have tried something a little different In the second half or 4th? Or that we had a decent amount of luck in that 4th quarter to win? Celtics have certainly had some wins over the years were they won and I didn’t like how they closed the game out also.

Bill said that if they had to they would have thrown the ball, but the way they managed the game they didn't have to.

Belichick insisted that the play-calling would have gone in another direction had the Bills gone ahead and forced the issue.

“I think if there had been a different kind of game and we had needed to throw there in the fourth quarter, we would’ve thrown,” Belichick explained.

“We were able to manage the game the way we did and that worked out alright for us.”

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/07/sports/bill-belichick-joked-about-how-patriots-can-approach-late-season-rematch-against-bills/

except they did need to throw, the Bills just blew the game at the end bailing the Pats out. 

[Phantom255x]

OMG there are rumors that Demaryius Thomas passed away at age 33

Very tragic if true. RIP 

Update: It seems now there’s some more tweets confirming this from real sources…

[SparzWizard]

OMG there are rumors that Demaryius Thomas passed away at age 33

Very tragic if true. RIP 

Update: It seems now there’s some more tweets confirming this from real sources…

Wow. So young. I still remember very warmly that he was catching passes from Peyton Manning. They are saying from a medical issue.. RIP.

[SparzWizard]

Kansas City defense stepped up tremendously. Mahomes loves feasting on the Raiders