2006 AFCCG, 2009 colts game (2&4), 2010 colts game (Manning int), 2010 bolts game, 2011 AFCCG, 2011 SB, 2012 ravens game.

All are exampels of games that another first down would have giving us the W. What happend to us?

Umm it's our defense that  has lost the ability to close it out,  think McGinest with the sack, Harrison with the interception. 

Blame the offense for the Super Bowl loss, putting up 17 points, and you have an argument. How many points do you expect our offense to score?

In response to BostonTrollSpanker's comment:

Maybe you are right. Overall we are not as clutch like we used to be.

In response to patriotsfan96's comment:

2006 AFCCG???? The defense gave up 32 points in the second half. And you blame the offense?

In response to BabeParilli's comment:

Guys, I'm not blaming anyone, just want to point out that Another first down, and all those games I meantioned are done deal. When the last time our O get a game winning 1st down to put the game away?

'96, I agree with you.  

It happens way too often - we get the ball back with a small lead and 4 minutes left in the game - all we need to win is to put together a drive that gets one first down - and we just can't do it.  Once upon a time, I would have taken Brady over anyone in that situation.  But the last few years, it's like watching a slow-motion car wreck - you know that he's going to throw a couple into the turf or way over someone's head, and then lead the O as they trudge off the field sometime before the two minute warning.

Sometimes (like last night) the other QB is able to do exactly what we couldn't, and manages to throw successive sideline passes to get down the field with time to spare - our D has to take its share of the blame when that happens.   Other times, our D manages to hold on and save the game in a heart-pounder. 

The point is that we ought to be able to count on the the best QB in the game to get one first down when it counts the most.

In response to LJB064's comment:

 

Yup! 2 seperate 2 score leads and 30 points are not good enough.   Damn TB can't even score 37 pts and on over 50% of his possessions or convert 3rd and 9's because the RB's can't get over a yard on 2 runs, any more.  Trade him!

In response to LJB064's comment:

I have heard somewhere that the Ravens have a pretty good defense, with a couple of certain Hall of Famers; also that the game was played in Baltimore.  Maybe New England sometimes has to lose to other good teams.

In response to pezz4pats' comment:

The defense kept the team in the game throughout the first half while the offense stumbled and bumbled. The defense stopped the Ravens on forth down. But it's all their fault because the offense can't get a first down.

 

OK if you say so.

In response to glenr's comment:

THE D DIDN"T STOP CHIT>  30pts is not bumbling around.  Get a clue rusty.

In response to pezz4pats' comment:

Ah the rusty whine. last escape of the clueless.

Ah the rusty whine. last escape of the clueless

 

No, I'd say the whine about the rusty whine is the last defense of the clueless.

And any one who thinks the D did enough to win that game is beyond help.

""One flew over the kuckoo's nest"", beyond help.

defense and offense both choked big time at the end of the game, but the defense actually had an excuse, they were getting hosed by the refs.....would have gotten off the field twice if not for the BS defensive holding calls.

In response to redsoxfan94's comment:

Really?  Both side of the ball had bad calls.  Offensive holding on Edelman?  Holding penalties when they didn't exhist.  Helmet to helmet not called.  Defensive PI and holding not called.  Wrong penalties called, right ones would have given the O more yards. 

I swear, some folks here only have the ability to see out of one eye.

In response to pezz4pats' comment:

i do believe the offense got robbed too, but the last two drives by the ravens were just about 100% products of the bad calls by the officials.

I was going to post something similar to this.  Since the 2006 AFC title game, Brady has been in 10 situations against quality teams (above .500) where he had a one-score lead and the ball in the final few minutes:

2006 Colts (AFC Title); 2007 Colts; 2009 Colts ("4th and 2"); 2009 Ravens (Reg season); 2010 Chargers; 2010 Packers; 2010 Colts; 2011 Ravens (AFC Title); 2011 Giants (SB46); 2012 Ravens

You know how many times the offense converted a first down to ice the game?  ONCE (Indianapolis 2007).  In the 9 situations where the defense needed to make a stop they were successful on 5 occasions.  In these situations, if the offense is only closing 10% of the time and the defense is closing 55.5% of the time, then the liability is clearly the OFFENSE. 

I think the Pats' issue is that they become too conservative on offense and cannot convert first downs as easily as they do during the course of a game.  Then they go so far as to go for it on FOURTH down when they don't have a good play for it (Indy 2009, SD 2010). 

The defense is also liable for letting each team march into NE territory and threaten to score but they are more effective at limiting the opposition to FG attempts (which some are missed) and turning it over on downs. 

If the offense was a little more aggressive and effective in these situations then the defense wouldn't be asked to make as many critical stops. 

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Bad play calling, wrong personal, missed tackels, zero pass rush, iffy refs and Brady being just another QB, not Brady, take your pick.

Our Defense has also lost that ability. I would like to see the Defense that played against the Titans show up this weekend. It's tough watching them lose like this because we were all used to seeing them pull games out in the same manor years ago. However, The season is young and we haven't come close to playing our best football yet.

In response to LJB064's comment:

Let's spread the joy. The run game disappears as well.

 

Let's bring Mallet in at those critical junctures.

In response to DelGriffith's comment:

Go get them pink hats tiger. Hate to break it to you, but the run game completely vanishes in those predicaments. Meanwhile, what is your solution to the incompetent QB crisis we have?

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I swear to god the defense would have to actually not step on the field and allow the oppossing team to march up and down for score after score, for some people to admit the defense played poorly. The defensive captain of this very team came out and said they stunk it up last night - yet people think it's the offense's fault for not "closing out the game". For christ's sake the offense scored 30 points on the road - even on their last drive they got a couple of first downs and took a couple of minutes off the clock between all the time outs. We punted and made the Ravens have to drive 80 yards...which they did with little effort!!

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