2 Things About the Pats that make me feel confident

[Grahamhawker]

I feel much better that the Pats are playing this year's Seahawks instead of last years and playing the Seahawks instead of the Giants of 2007 to 2011.

A couple of reasons...

The Seahawks don't have the elite superstar defensive line the Giants had of Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora. Or the tall 6'4" to 6'5" WR's receivers the Giants had (Plaxico Burress). The Seahawks D-line is good, but not great. They can be run on and can be blocked.

The Seahawks' pass rush in the two playoff games against Carolina and Green Bay was not that good.

The Seahawks use a 4-3 speed rush. Smaller D-linemen. They consistently rush 4 guys. Those defenses the Pats smoked all season. Is there any D-Lineman on the Seahawks as good as Suggs, Dumervil or Suh who were shut down against the Pats? Yes, I do expect Brady to be sacked a couple times and take some hits like he did against the Ravens and Colts but it's to be expected but those were two of his and the offenses best post season performances of the Belichick/Brady era.

The Seahawks do not have the defensive front 7 of the Jets, Bills and Dolphins nor do they use the schemes of those teams. Rex Ryan uses a hybrid 4-3/3-4 with multiple exotic blitzing packages sending LB's and safety's at Brady never knowing where the blitz is coming from. The Seahawks rush the same 4 D-lineman every play which can be exploited by spreading them out with the hurry up no huddle offense and quick release as the Pats did against the Lions and Ravens.

The Seahawks are having some problems stopping the run as they did against the Panthers and Packers. The Pats have a deep power running game now.

The Pats have Gronk. He's a mismatch nightmare. I don't see them consistently stopping Gronk.

When the Seahawks can't get pressure they rely on their great secondary, well it's possible Sherman and Thomas won't be 100% in this game. That can be exploited. I hope they're 100%. I want both teams at 100%.

The Seahawks WR's are good play makers. I think the Pats have the depth in the secondary to cover them and also stop the run with good LB's. Remember, Andrew Luck is a scrambler and a great pocket passer....the Pats held the Colts to 7 points and kept Luck contained for the most part.

The Seahawks offensive game plan is actually pretty simple = run, run, run, run, pass, run, run, pass. Sometimes Lynch runs, sometimes Wilson scrambles. Sometimes an occasional pass down field. They trick you and bait you. They get you to stay committed to stopping the run and loading up the box which can leave WR's open down field for the big play. The key to playing the Seahawks is to just stay patient and keep two safety's deep. They get teams to panic in the 4th quarter, the teams get suckered and move the safety's down towards the line and have 7 to 8 guys in the box to try to stop Lynch or Wilson not respecting Wilson's arm. Then Wilson throws a bomb down field where their WR beats single coverage.

I think Pats win by 3 to 4 points. Something like 28 to 24.....or 31 to 28.

Interesting. Full of BS, but still interesting, somehow. I mean from a "we haven't heard from delusional fans from the New England area for quite awhile" perspective.

 

[hawkfan68]

I feel much better that the Pats are playing this year's Seahawks instead of last years and playing the Seahawks instead of the Giants of 2007 to 2011.

A couple of reasons...

The Seahawks don't have the elite superstar defensive line the Giants had of Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora. Or the tall 6'4" to 6'5" WR's receivers the Giants had (Plaxico Burress). The Seahawks D-line is good, but not great. They can be run on and can be blocked.

The Seahawks' pass rush in the two playoff games against Carolina and Green Bay was not that good.

The Seahawks use a 4-3 speed rush. Smaller D-linemen. They consistently rush 4 guys. Those defenses the Pats smoked all season. Is there any D-Lineman on the Seahawks as good as Suggs, Dumervil or Suh who were shut down against the Pats? Yes, I do expect Brady to be sacked a couple times and take some hits like he did against the Ravens and Colts but it's to be expected but those were two of his and the offenses best post season performances of the Belichick/Brady era.

The Seahawks do not have the defensive front 7 of the Jets, Bills and Dolphins nor do they use the schemes of those teams. Rex Ryan uses a hybrid 4-3/3-4 with multiple exotic blitzing packages sending LB's and safety's at Brady never knowing where the blitz is coming from. The Seahawks rush the same 4 D-lineman every play which can be exploited by spreading them out with the hurry up no huddle offense and quick release as the Pats did against the Lions and Ravens.

The Seahawks are having some problems stopping the run as they did against the Panthers and Packers. The Pats have a deep power running game now.

The Pats have Gronk. He's a mismatch nightmare. I don't see them consistently stopping Gronk.

When the Seahawks can't get pressure they rely on their great secondary, well it's possible Sherman and Thomas won't be 100% in this game. That can be exploited. I hope they're 100%. I want both teams at 100%.

The Seahawks WR's are good play makers. I think the Pats have the depth in the secondary to cover them and also stop the run with good LB's. Remember, Andrew Luck is a scrambler and a great pocket passer....the Pats held the Colts to 7 points and kept Luck contained for the most part.

The Seahawks offensive game plan is actually pretty simple = run, run, run, run, pass, run, run, pass. Sometimes Lynch runs, sometimes Wilson scrambles. Sometimes an occasional pass down field. They trick you and bait you. They get you to stay committed to stopping the run and loading up the box which can leave WR's open down field for the big play. The key to playing the Seahawks is to just stay patient and keep two safety's deep. They get teams to panic in the 4th quarter, the teams get suckered and move the safety's down towards the line and have 7 to 8 guys in the box to try to stop Lynch or Wilson not respecting Wilson's arm. Then Wilson throws a bomb down field where their WR beats single coverage.

I think Pats win by 3 to 4 points. Something like 28 to 24.....or 31 to 28.

I think there is some selective memory going on here. I think the biggest catch in SBXLII was the David Tyree catch. David Tyree isn't 6'4 or 6'5 but he's 6'. That's pretty comparable to the Seahawk WRs. The Seahawks receivers have made catches like that and are fully capable of doing it again. Here's something to juggle your memory a bit -
[youtube]Qb9NOyBjGtU[/youtube]

Besides it really doesn't matter because both teams are much different than those squads. So to even begin to compare is an exercise in futility.

 

[Pats fan1]

Those scores posted above are eerily similar to what Donko fans thought the final score would be.

Find the last team to score 31 or more on this squad. I'll wait while you look it up.

What was Sherman's and Thomas' health in those games? And how was their D-line then compared to now?

 

[Pats fan1]

Great post Gronkzilla. Other than the read option. As a Pats fan, what about the Seahawks concerns you the most? Where do you feel the Patriots are weak and don't match up well to the Seahawks strength?

To be honest I have a lot of faith in the Pats defense being able to contain the Hawks offense. Belichick loves to take away the strength of a team so I would imagine that would be the running game.

That being said, my concerns as with any other sane person lies with the defensive safeties and how they will impact the operation between the hashes. The Pats are solid all around but the weak spot is the offensive line. So protecting Brady against the 4-5 man rush and navigating the safeties is my answer.

Thank you Gronzilla. I appreciate the insight. I'm concerned about the Seahawk run defense up the middle and as most on here have voiced, the pass rush. The Seahawks haven't been stopping the run like they were at the end of regular season so far in the playoffs. They gave up 135 yds rushing to the Packers and 132 yards to the Panthers. They need to keep the Pats rushing attack under 100.

The Ravens held the Pats to only 14 yards rushing and the Pats put 35 points on them and confused the heck out of the Ravens' D with clever hurry up no huddle offense ineligible/eligible players. The Ravens know the Pats more than the Seahawks do. The Ravens' D and their offense are different than the Seahawks.

The Seahawks do not have the defensive front 7 as the Jets, Bills and Dolphins do. The Seahawks don't specifically game plan every year for the Pats, the Ravens and Jets do.

 

[Scottemojo]

Those scores posted above are eerily similar to what Donko fans thought the final score would be.

Find the last team to score 31 or more on this squad. I'll wait while you look it up.

What was Sherman's and Thomas' health in those games? And how was their D-line then compared to now?

They will be just fine. 2 weeks is a long time to get healthy for 25 year old guys. Your receiver group has some talent, but nothing we haven't seen, and shut down, before.
Our D-Line is better now than it was in 2012, and they got to Brady enough then too. In fact, they kind of brought that famous Brady panic mode to the surface. 2 intentional groundings, both the Oh SHit panicky type.

You are looking for reasons you will win. You might. But it won't be with 31 points. 28 is pretty unlikely too. Adjust your aim, start thinking how you can win with less than 20.

 

[bradynumber4]

Don't be too confident. I was cheering you on to get past the packers because I saw enough to know if we get ahead Russell Wilson can crumble under pressure. Green bay threw this game, they choked. NE won't be taking 18 yard field goals, and we won't need 5 interceptions to get two scores ahead.

I'm not saying we will definitely be up by two scores. But the pats capable of doing it and that's pressure on an average Seattle offense.

 

[Milehighhawk]

Don't be too confident. I was cheering you on to get past the packers because I saw enough to know if we get ahead Russell Wilson can crumble under pressure. Green bay threw this game, they choked. NE won't be taking 18 yard field goals, and we won't need 5 interceptions to get two scores ahead.

I'm not saying we will definitely be up by two scores. But the pats capable of doing it and that's pressure on an average Seattle offense.

The bolded is amusing, I guess we watched the end of two different movies.

 

[marymoorhawk]

The Seahawks do not have the defensive front 7 as the Jets, Bills and Dolphins do. The Seahawks don't specifically game plan every year for the Pats, the Ravens and Jets do.

Holy crap - you Pats fans that have come on this board do not rep your fanbase very well (actually, maybe you do?)

So far we have heard:

No way Pats trade McCourty for Thomas (one's a perennial All Pro - can you guess which one)

And now we don't have the front 7 of the division rivals of the AFC East?

Pats will score 31 points? We last gave up that many when?

Can this game start already? Please?

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Don't be too confident. I was cheering you on to get past the packers because I saw enough to know if we get ahead Russell Wilson can crumble under pressure. Green bay threw this game, they choked. NE won't be taking 18 yard field goals, and we won't need 5 interceptions to get two scores ahead.

I'm not saying we will definitely be up by two scores. But the pats capable of doing it and that's pressure on an average Seattle offense.

Here's why you won't ever be up by two scores.



The Pats run the same misdirection screen/dink and dunk offense that the Broncos run...........and the same offense that the Hawks big, fast and nasty ass defense feasted on in last year's Superbowl.

In case you haven't heard, #1 overall D, #1 passing D and #3 rushing D. So if you think scrapheap Blount is going to do anything against us in order to open up these cheap ass passing lanes, you're wrong.

See that's why the Hawks are #1 in defense, they choke off everything in the first 10-15 yards, choke off outside passing lanes and dare teams to throw high risk passes down the middle...........where the best free safety in football takes over.

 

[Vetamur]

I feel much better that the Pats are playing this year's Seahawks instead of last years and playing the Seahawks instead of the Giants of 2007 to 2011.

A couple of reasons...

The Seahawks don't have the elite superstar defensive line the Giants had of Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora. Or the tall 6'4" to 6'5" WR's receivers the Giants had (Plaxico Burress). The Seahawks D-line is good, but not great. They can be run on and can be blocked.

The Seahawks' pass rush in the two playoff games against Carolina and Green Bay was not that good.

The Seahawks use a 4-3 speed rush. Smaller D-linemen. They consistently rush 4 guys. Those defenses the Pats smoked all season. Is there any D-Lineman on the Seahawks as good as Suggs, Dumervil or Suh who were shut down against the Pats? Yes, I do expect Brady to be sacked a couple times and take some hits like he did against the Ravens and Colts but it's to be expected but those were two of his and the offenses best post season performances of the Belichick/Brady era.

The Seahawks do not have the defensive front 7 of the Jets, Bills and Dolphins nor do they use the schemes of those teams. Rex Ryan uses a hybrid 4-3/3-4 with multiple exotic blitzing packages sending LB's and safety's at Brady never knowing where the blitz is coming from. The Seahawks rush the same 4 D-lineman every play which can be exploited by spreading them out with the hurry up no huddle offense and quick release as the Pats did against the Lions and Ravens.

The Seahawks are having some problems stopping the run as they did against the Panthers and Packers. The Pats have a deep power running game now.

The Pats have Gronk. He's a mismatch nightmare. I don't see them consistently stopping Gronk.

When the Seahawks can't get pressure they rely on their great secondary, well it's possible Sherman and Thomas won't be 100% in this game. That can be exploited. I hope they're 100%. I want both teams at 100%.

The Seahawks WR's are good play makers. I think the Pats have the depth in the secondary to cover them and also stop the run with good LB's. Remember, Andrew Luck is a scrambler and a great pocket passer....the Pats held the Colts to 7 points and kept Luck contained for the most part.

The Seahawks offensive game plan is actually pretty simple = run, run, run, run, pass, run, run, pass. Sometimes Lynch runs, sometimes Wilson scrambles. Sometimes an occasional pass down field. They trick you and bait you. They get you to stay committed to stopping the run and loading up the box which can leave WR's open down field for the big play. The key to playing the Seahawks is to just stay patient and keep two safety's deep. They get teams to panic in the 4th quarter, the teams get suckered and move the safety's down towards the line and have 7 to 8 guys in the box to try to stop Lynch or Wilson not respecting Wilson's arm. Then Wilson throws a bomb down field where their WR beats single coverage.

I think Pats win by 3 to 4 points. Something like 28 to 24.....or 31 to 28.

Can you really not see the bias in your own posts?

We dont have the defensive front 7 of the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins.. and in another thread said our DBs were inferior to NEs.. so..how is you think we have the number defense in yards and points allowed ..again? Yes, we dont have one DE who gets all the sacks..instead we rotate and play a defense that spreads it out. Instead of one 18 sacks guy, we have several 5 to 8 sack guys. That doesnt make it easier to defend, that makes it harder.

You keep referencing how the Packers moved against us all day long. You really should go back and watch the game. When we handed them the ball with great field position, they couldnt move the ball into the end zone, and by the second half they were ending up with 3 and outs. You say our offense was flummoxed and theirs moved easily..but we ended up with more yards passing and rushing than them.

Gronk is good. No doubt. But hes not a nightmare for us. We have excellent coverage LBs and a SS safety that will limit him.

And you keep hanging your hat on an injured Thomas and Sherman. Sherman didnt even miss a play in the game he got hurt. Two weeks later you think he will still somehow be limited? Thomas missed part of one series with a dislocated shoulder, not the bad type..and came back and finished the game. We shut down Green Bays receivers after their injuries, and Green Bay has far better receivers than the Patriots.

I dont want to sound like a delusional homer. There are plenty of reasons this will be a close game. You just arent finding them and seem to be posting from ignorance.

 

[bradynumber4]

The Seahawks do not have the defensive front 7 as the Jets, Bills and Dolphins do. The Seahawks don't specifically game plan every year for the Pats, the Ravens and Jets do.

Holy crap - you Pats fans that have come on this board do not rep your fanbase very well (actually, maybe you do?)

So far we have heard:

No way Pats trade McCourty for Thomas (one's a perennial All Pro - can you guess which one)

And now we don't have the front 7 of the division rivals of the AFC East?

Pats will score 31 points? We last gave up that many when?

Can this game start already? Please?

We don't need to score 31pts. We're capable of limiting you to less then 20. I'm not saying we will definitely win, but the key to beating Seattle is to get ahead and make you chase the game, because that can lead to more mistakes. Green bay was doing that well for 55 minutes then fell apart because they had the mindset of being afraid to lose. NE with Belichick has a different mentality.

 

[volsunghawk]

Those scores posted above are eerily similar to what Donko fans thought the final score would be.

Find the last team to score 31 or more on this squad. I'll wait while you look it up.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I had to go find it.

@Indy in 2013, and it required a blocked FG returned for a TD. 34-28.

And that, folks, is the only time since Wilson became the QB - 3 seasons - that a team has scored 31 or more on Seattle.

For comparison's sake, it's happened to the Pats 9 times in that same timeframe, including 3 times this season alone.

 

[volsunghawk]

Somebody (not me, I'm feeling too lazy) should see if the Packers @ Seahawks game was the single worst offensive performance in the history of the NFL for an offense that was the beneficiary of five turnovers. If not, it has to be close; most of the time when one team gets five turnovers from the other, the momentum shift is huge and they SMOKE their opponent; and this was a healthy overall Packers offense.

Seriously, let this sink in for a minute. A healthy Packers offense gained 306 net yards with a +3 turnover margin.

Nope, Arizona at Oakland in 2006.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/b ... 220rai.htm

Fun fact: Teams that force 5+ turnovers are 237-16 since the 2002 realignment. Green Bay just joined a pretty exclusive club (of which the Cardinals are like the president with 4 of the 16 losses).

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

Don't be too confident. I was cheering you on to get past the packers because I saw enough to know if we get ahead Russell Wilson can crumble under pressure. Green bay threw this game, they choked. NE won't be taking 18 yard field goals, and we won't need 5 interceptions to get two scores ahead.

I'm not saying we will definitely be up by two scores. But the pats capable of doing it and that's pressure on an average Seattle offense.

Have you even watched a Seahawks game during the Russell Wilson era? He "can crumble under pressure"? He is the epitome of the exact opposite of that. When almost every Seahawks fan, and the entire rest of the nation, had completely given up on him, he was firing his guys up, saying it wasn't over, saying they were still going to win a game everyone else watching had already given up on. And this isn't the only time he's done that. There are quite a few games he's done that in. Watch this clip and tell us he "can crumble under pressure".

[youtube]3vpGmcmrM10[/youtube]

Of course, you probably already knew what I just wrote, which means you're just a troll looking for a little attention that you never received as a kid.

 

[Gronkzilla]

I think as expected, some Pats fans are coming over here and bringing a little too much bravado. Remember Pats fans, this is a Hawks fan site lol, if you don't have an objective opinion, then you are asking for it. I just wanted to address two responses that I disagree with below:

Those scores posted above are eerily similar to what Donko fans thought the final score would be.

Find the last team to score 31 or more on this squad. I'll wait while you look it up.

I've seen the above "thought" expressed several times around the forum and I wanted to make something clear. If you are expecting Tom Brady and the Patriots to crumble like the Peyton Manning led Broncos then you are going to be in for a rather large shock come 2 Sundays from now. This Patriots team is tough and it starts with Brady. Brady does not wet his pants like Manning when he gets punched in the mouth, he gets back up with fire and comes right back at you. Even in the two SB losses to the Giants Tom put the team in position to win both games, it was our defense that let us down. The defense has been the failing factor for the Patriots since 2004 (Now we have the best defense since 2004 and Belichick is in a schemers paradise with Revis).

There was another poster above who stated something along the lines of "The Pats run the same dink and dunk offense the Broncos use". I should've quoted it but forgive me. Anyways, that couldn't be further from the truth. The Patriots mold to their opponents, the Broncos stick to what they are good at. That is the MAIN reason the Patriots are going to put up more of a fight then the Broncos did. This Pats team doesn't give a crap about what they have done well in past games, they are focused on "execution" of the game plan. They have done an unbelievable job at adjusting their offense this year to counteract the strengths of the opposing defense. Prime example is to look at the way they attacked Indy vs. Baltimore.. which leads me to the 2nd quote.

The Ravens held the Pats to only 14 yards rushing and the Pats put 35 points on them and confused the heck out of them.

The Ravens did not "hold" the pats to 14 yards rushing. The Patriots decided to forgo the run in favor of a quick passing attack where Brady was releasing the ball on average around 2 seconds. That completely neutralized the pass rush in the 2nd half of the game. I mean, the Pats did not even ATTEMPT a run in the 2nd half besides a Tom Brady scramble and a few knee downs.

This exemplifies my point earlier that the Patriots are a chameleon on the gridiron. They execute game plans at such a high level that they can beat two separate opponents in back to back weeks in polar opposite ways. I'm not saying this to say the Pats will find the perfect way to attack the Seahawks, but I assure you they will bring a smart game plan to the table on Sunday and execute at an elite level. They are coached to "Do Their Job". Their ability to adapt is their greatest asset on Offense and Defense. Both the Hawks and the Pats defensively are probably the two best adjusting teams at halftime in the NFL period.

Like I have said earlier, this game will be one for the ages. Of course I'm rooting for the Patriots but it is surprising to hear so much bravado from both Pats fans and Hawks fans. Both teams are the #1 seed for a reason. One is the defending champs who get all the respect in the world. The other is not even close to what you faced last year in the damp pants Broncos.

 

[SirTed]

Two things I'll grant our visiting Pats fans:

1. No way, and I mean, NO WAY do any Seahawks fans expect a final score similar to last season. The Pats are a lot tougher than the Donks. I think most around here have a ton of respect for NE.

2. The Hawks as currently constructed don't have a pass rush as good as the Bills and MAYBE the Ravens. The biggest reason for this is injuries to our best run stopping DT (Mebane) and our best interior pass rusher other than Michael Bennett (who rotates inside and out) in Jordan Hill. Like most, I'm concerned about our ability to get after Brady, but I'm actually more concerned with our ability to stop the run in certain sub situations.

 

[bradynumber4]

I'm not a troll. I'm just telling how I saw it in that game. I saw the whole game not just the last 5 minutes. Also not giving up doesn't mean you can't still choke. Whether he had given up or not, Green Bay lost that game. If it had been the other way round and Seattle been up 19-7 with just over two minutes left, you'd be thinking the same thing.

Seattle had fallen apart for most of that Packers game. Don't see how this isn't obvious, and the point I was making, is if you do it again, and fall behind ( and it doesn't have to mean 5 interceptions), it will be very difficult for you to come back from it, because you win games based on stopping the other team rather then blowing them apart. NE won't be taking field goals on 4th and inches from goal, unless it's 30 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

I've seen the above "thought" expressed several times around the forum and I wanted to make something clear. If you are expecting Tom Brady and the Patriots to crumble like the Peyton Manning led Broncos then you are going to be in for a rather large shock come 2 Sundays from now. This Patriots team is tough and it starts with Brady. Brady does not wet his pants like Manning when he gets punched in the mouth, he gets back up with fire and comes right back at you. Even in the two SB losses to the Giants Tom put the team in position to win both games, it was our defense that let us down. The defense has been the failing factor for the Patriots since 2004 (Now we have the best defense since 2004 and Belichick is in a schemers paradise with Revis).

I don't think anyone (aside from a few homers) who think the Patriots will crumble like the Broncos did in last year's Super Bowl, which is why you see many of us saying it's going to be a close, hard-fought game, with the Seahawks likely taking it right at the end or in overtime.

I think Tom Brady will probably put your team in a position to win this one too. But I think your defense is going to let you down again. Nothing against them; they're a good unit. They're just up against a historical defense that makes the big stops when the game is on the line, and an offense that never quits, almost always finds a way to score when they need to, and has the comebacks to show for it.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I'm not a troll. I'm just telling how I saw it in that game. I saw the whole game not just the last 5 minutes. Also not giving up doesn't mean you can't still choke. Whether he had given up or not, Green Bay lost that game. If it had been the other way round and Seattle been up 19-7 with just over two minutes left, you'd be thinking the same thing.

Seattle had fallen apart for most of that Packers game. Don't see how this isn't obvious, and the point I was making, is if you do it again, and fall behind ( and it doesn't have to mean 5 interceptions), it will be very difficult for you to come back from it, because you win games based on stopping the other team rather then blowing them apart. NE won't be taking field goals on 4th and inches from goal, unless it's 30 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter.

But you're wrong, Russell already has 10 come from behind wins in his short career, as you saw last weekend, and as you saw against the Falcons two years ago.

You keep throwing out ill perceived premises based on false national media perceptions of the Hawks. Russell isn't elite, Russell is a game manager, Russell can't lead his team back from deficits, Russell can't pass from the pocket. Russell isn't clutch.

False. False. False. False. False............and False.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

But you're wrong, Russell already has 10 come from behind wins in his short career, as you saw last weekend, and as you saw against the Falcons two years ago.

The infographic during the NFC Championship game said he had 14 comebacks, which was good for 4th best among all active quarterbacks. Make that 15 now in three years, which is three more than the 12 Aaron Rodgers has, according to another infographic in that game. He's 4th among all active quarterbacks on a list that includes multiple sure-fire Hall of Fame quarterbacks who have been playing for more than a decade now.