Boston-Homer

Divisional Weekend Recap

This past weekend saw a lot of crazy happenings. The Ravens lost a 14 point halftime lead, the Packers looked like world beaters (they are), and the Pats were over-matched.

Here were the questions I had asked last week regarding the games, and some quick thoughts in hindsight.

Baltimore AT Pittsburgh

Can the Ravens move the ball on the Steelers?
No, they could not. The scores the Ravens got were all based on Steelers' mistakes. When do you think the players will begin to realize that when the ball is on the ground the best thing to do is pick it up?

Can Joe Flacco protect the ball?
Nope. He threw a huge interception in the third quarter which completely turned the tide of the game.

Can Pittsburgh's line protect Big Ben?
The Ravens pressured Big Ben, but the Steelers made that big 3rd and 19 play. This Steelers line is the key to the Jets game this Sunday (I just threw up in my mouth).

Green Bay At Atlanta Falcons

Can Atlanta play better than their average offensive and defensive stats?
No they can't. The Falcons were completely over-matched in every facet. Matt Ryan still has some growing to do. How good is Aaron Rodgers? My goodness.

Can Matt Ryan hold his own against a very good defense?
Ryan threw 2 picks and only had 189 yards total passing. This Packers defense is very good, and I think Jay Cutler will have his work cut out for him.

Can James Starks run like he did against the Eagles?
Starks ran for 66 yards. He had 25 carries, so the Packers were determined to run the ball and melt the clock.

Seattle AT Chicago

Can the Seahawks continue their momentum from last week?
Unequivocally no. This game was a total mess, the Seahawks looked terrible. They looked like they had made it as far as they expected and that was it. Greg Olsen had a huge catch early and it sucked the air right out of the Seahawks.

New York Jets AT New England

Can Mark Sanchez deal with blistering cold?
Yes, yes, and yes. Sanchez was outstanding on Sunday. He took care of the ball, made some great throws, and had his receivers make some superb catches. He dealt with the cold, with a loud crowd, and that pathetic Pats pass rush.

Can the Pats defense hold up for 60 minutes?
They did not hold up well at all. The defense was good on Sunday night. I thought they did a decent job, however, they allowed big plays at bad times. Their youth showed in that they struggled to play from behind (they had not been behind at halftime of any game since Thanksgiving). That is a different type of defense, time will tell if this young defense will grow into a Super Bowl defense.

How are the Jets going to stop this offense?
Here is what I wrote last week...

"Pressure Brady like the Giants did in the Super Bowl. Brady is human, and getting to him and around him will bother him a lot. It also throws off the timing of a lot of the offense.

The Jets will also have to win the turnover battle. The Pats dominated the turnover battle this season. They were +28 overall, ridiculous. Jets taking care of the ball will be huge, Sanchez cannot throw a pick."

They did both those things very well. They took care of the ball and made Brady nervous in the pocket.

Coming tomorrow... my 2010 New England Patriots Obituary...