Patriots OL snapshot

Mike, you were being kind in refer to the putrid SB performance of the OL as "subpar". Their horrific effort was reminiscent of their equally pathetic stink-bomb of a performance in the Pats 21-0 loss at Miami in December of 2006...when Jason Taylor and company used Tom Brady as a tackling dummy.

I tend to agree that their debacle in the SB was an aberration. As bad as the OL was, BB and his coaching staff also had by far their worst game of the season. They appeared to be both bewildered and distracted throughout the game...failing to make the necessary adjustments to contain the NY pass-rush. Furthermore, I still can't understand BB's decision to go for a first down on a 4th and 13, rather than attempt a 48 yard FG in a domed stadium.

In the SB, the Pats were outcoached, and out-schemed. BB likely knows this...and demonstated his confidence in his OL in April on draft day. If he were really concerned about his OL, the Pats might he not have selected OG/OT Branden Albert in the first round, rather than Jerod Mayo...and/or would have addressed the OL in later rounds?

Mike...do you agree that part of the blame for the Pats poor OL play in the SB falls on the coaches? Do you have any information concerning when BB found out about Nick Kaczur's "problem" with the feds? If he know about it prior to the draft, do you think that he would have drafted differently? The relatively late signing of free agent Oliver Ross leads me to believe that BB did not know about the Kaczur situation.

I'm sick of the OL being blamed for the Super Bowl loss like in TexasPat's comment. It's the "we need someone to blame" mentality. Let it go, people.

That comment made, it's bothersome to read that Neal is still not 100%. He is extremely underrated and important.

I don't care if it was the right side of the line... I can't believe the left side had the nerve to show up in Hawaii!! It made me sick to my stomach. And I don't care if they earned it in prior years but didn't get selected until last year. These guys have a lot of gall. Come out for the Super Bowl looking like you're going to your mother's funeral and then vacation the next week in Hawaii like some conquering hero. Please!

Every game next year better be 98-3 with the o-line steamrolling EVERYONE.

I never thought I'd agree with a Texan about much, let alone football, but I do agree with TexasPat that the O-line problem in the Super Bowl (tm) had more to do with the guys on the sidelines than the guys on the field. The Giants were better prepared and, obviously, had a better game plan to which the Pats didn't adequately adjust. It's easy to vilify the line, but how do you ignore the other 18 games. OC is has the same base opiate as heroin, which makes it just as addictive, so Kaczur has an uphill battle. But the Pats have a great history of plugging guys in, and for being the ones who are better prepared. I don't think the O-line will be the team's biggest weakness this year.

I think you need to couple the poor play of the OL with the Brady leg injury. The Giants pinned their ears back the whole game because they saw Brady wasnt moving in the pocket as normal. The pressure up the middle, all on the OL and coaches of course, but when the pressure came from the outside and there was an alley up the middle, a healthy Brady runs with it for a few yards slowing down the pass rush in subsequent plays. Of course, they wont say the injury was an excuse, but if you watched them all year like me, it was obvious.

The Giants Defense literally Beat Up the Pats O-Line in the Superbowl. This was the difference in the score at the end. They were unable to hold the line & keep our offense on the field, so by the time of the final win scoring drive, our defense was somewhat winded, & although they had a couple of opportunities in that last drive, ( Chasing Manning into a remarkable game saving pass, & The amazing Helmet Catch against Rodney Harrison), they could not make the game saving play, & were beat as a result.
It reminded me of the way the Pats played against the Rams for their first Superbowl Victory when we were the Smashers in Smashmouth Football. The Roles were reversed against the Giants.

If you want to point fingers as to why the Pats lost the Super Bowl, I hope you don't try to use one hand. Yeah, did the O-line look like there feet were stuck in mud? Yup! Did they have the best players out there? Most of the time.

But what about TB? Did anyone else see his lack of mobility during that game? How many times have we seen him get rushed, as intensely as in the Super Bowl, then take a step up or aside, and zing a pass for a first down? He's one of the best in the game at it and I don't think he did in once in that game. Would it have been a lot easier if the line had blocked better? Sure. But neither happened. So I'm not ready to hang this one on the O-Line completely. I really think that his ankle was much worse off than we suspected.

When you concede / "give up" on the threat of Randy Moss in a Super Bowl game, you make it a heck of a lot easier for a team to defend you. Even if he's double covered, you need to throw the ball to him once in a while, even just throwing it away in his direction to stay away from an interception, to put the fear of a long catch in the minds of the defensive co-ordinator of the other team..........it would have made them a little more tentative defensively and give another receiver an extra step on his defender. Bill Belechick being "Predictable" is the best neutralizer an opposing coach could have.

that pic is pretty funny...our o line looking that way and then they get the crap kicked out of them by ny. our o line lacks speed and discipline.

If Samuels holds on to that interception, do you guys still feel the same way about the O-Line? If makes that play, which I'm pretty sure even 07 Merriweather would have made, the game was over and we would be the greatest team of all time. I don't think I'd be hearing the bitching and moaning. Time to move on to 08-09. Merriweather's hands have.