Making due with what you got and who is left

guppy wrote:New England, a 3-4 road team, went in to Baltimore, a 6-1 home team, on a hot streak, and, despite every analyst (except Coach Ditka) picking against them, blew out the Ravens.

I'm still not sure how they did it.

They did not show at Baltimore up with:

Vince Wilfork, starting nose tackle;

Sebastian Vollmer, starting right tackle;
Nate Solder, starting left tackle;
Rob Gronkowski, starting tight end;
Danny Kelly, starting defensive tackle;
Jerod Mayo, starting middle linebacker;

They did show up with Shane Vereen, but he pulled a groin in the first quarter.



So they used who they had. 


This is who they had:

-  their left guard playing left tackle;
-  guys nobody drafted at left guard;
-  center and right guard and left tackle they selected in the fifth round;
-  two undrafted wideouts;
-  two undrafted running backs;
-  a fifth round tight end with a funny name;
-  an undrafted fullback;
-  three undrafted defensive tackles;
-  an undrafted slot corner;
AND,
-  a sixth round pick at quarterback.


With that crew, they absolutely embarrassed the defending Superbowl Champions at their house.


So that lead me to the following question:


How does Bill Belichick not get Coach Of The Year?

George1963 wrote:

guppy wrote:New England, a 3-4 road team, went in to Baltimore, a 6-1 home team, on a hot streak, and, despite every analyst (except Coach Ditka) picking against them, blew out the Ravens.

I'm still not sure how they did it.

They did not show at Baltimore up with:

Vince Wilfork, starting nose tackle;

Sebastian Vollmer, starting right tackle;
Nate Solder, starting left tackle;
Rob Gronkowski, starting tight end;
Danny Kelly, starting defensive tackle;
Jerod Mayo, starting middle linebacker;

They did show up with Shane Vereen, but he pulled a groin in the first quarter.



So they used who they had. 


This is who they had:

-  their left guard playing left tackle;
-  guys nobody drafted at left guard;
-  center and right guard and left tackle they selected in the fifth round;
-  two undrafted wideouts;
-  two undrafted running backs;
-  a fifth round tight end with a funny name;
-  an undrafted fullback;
-  three undrafted defensive tackles;
-  an undrafted slot corner;
AND,
-  a sixth round pick at quarterback.


With that crew, they absolutely embarrassed the defending Superbowl Champions at their house.


So that lead me to the following question:


How does Bill Belichick not get Coach Of The Year?

Um, because the Ravens aren't that good and the Patriots are not the only team in the league with a lot of injuries.
You might think so by watching the tv or reading the papers or listening to you, but they're really not.
Here's a hint;
There's a team with more injuries that beat a better team at a tougher stadium yesterday.
You might not have heard about them because the media and their only fan on these boards doesn't constantly bring it up.
Any guesses?


You're probably thinking of your team.  What a surprise.  Did every analyst pick against them this week like they did against the Pats?  And just because you say that the Chiefs are a better team than the Ravens doesn't make it so.  How bout I talk like you....Um, the Chiefs aren't that good.  See?  I can say things too.   Just because you say K.C. is a tougher stadium than Baltimore doesn't make it so also. 


I don't "constantly" bring up being shorthanded, but facts are facts.  You simply don't lose most of your big weapons and not skip a beat.  Just don't.   The Patriots did an amazing job at Baltimore, played their absolute best game of the year under very difficult circumstances, missing more key players than anyone else, going to war with mainly guys that other teams didn't want, and guys that other teams didn't want to draft, with a new offense this year after last year's offense was pretty much completely gutted, with more rookies on the field than I care to count, receivers who are barely 5' 10", defied the odds, scaled the mountain, survived the trip into Hell, and defeated the Emperor's legions.  

And the only thing you're interested in doing is minimizing and poo pooing it like it was no big deal.  That's good.

All I know is, if you threw these constant hurdles of adversity in front of some other head coach, I'm sorry, but I'm just not seeing an 11-4 record, a division championship (5th in a row), and a second overall seed for the playoffs, after 15 games.  If it was some other guy, I'm seeing being out of the playoffs at this point.  But if this hypothetical other guy could also pull off the same thing as BB has, well, then I tip my cap to him, because he would be one hell of a football coach.

guppy wrote:

George1963 wrote:

guppy wrote:New England, a 3-4 road team, went in to Baltimore, a 6-1 home team, on a hot streak, and, despite every analyst (except Coach Ditka) picking against them, blew out the Ravens.

I'm still not sure how they did it.

They did not show at Baltimore up with:

Vince Wilfork, starting nose tackle;

Sebastian Vollmer, starting right tackle;
Nate Solder, starting left tackle;
Rob Gronkowski, starting tight end;
Danny Kelly, starting defensive tackle;
Jerod Mayo, starting middle linebacker;

They did show up with Shane Vereen, but he pulled a groin in the first quarter.



So they used who they had. 


This is who they had:

-  their left guard playing left tackle;
-  guys nobody drafted at left guard;
-  center and right guard and left tackle they selected in the fifth round;
-  two undrafted wideouts;
-  two undrafted running backs;
-  a fifth round tight end with a funny name;
-  an undrafted fullback;
-  three undrafted defensive tackles;
-  an undrafted slot corner;
AND,
-  a sixth round pick at quarterback.


With that crew, they absolutely embarrassed the defending Superbowl Champions at their house.


So that lead me to the following question:


How does Bill Belichick not get Coach Of The Year?

Um, because the Ravens aren't that good and the Patriots are not the only team in the league with a lot of injuries.
You might think so by watching the tv or reading the papers or listening to you, but they're really not.
Here's a hint;
There's a team with more injuries that beat a better team at a tougher stadium yesterday.
You might not have heard about them because the media and their only fan on these boards doesn't constantly bring it up.
Any guesses?


You're probably thinking of your team.  What a surprise.  Did every analyst pick against them this week like they did against the Pats?  And just because you say that the Chiefs are a better team than the Ravens doesn't make it so.  How bout I talk like you....Um, the Chiefs aren't that good.  See?  I can say things too.   Just because you say K.C. is a tougher stadium than Baltimore doesn't make it so also. 


I don't "constantly" bring up being shorthanded, but facts are facts.  You simply don't lose most of your big weapons and not skip a beat.  Just don't.   The Patriots did an amazing job at Baltimore, played their absolute best game of the year under very difficult circumstances, missing more key players than anyone else, going to war with mainly guys that other teams didn't want, and guys that other teams didn't want to draft, with a new offense this year after last year's offense was pretty much completely gutted, with more rookies on the field than I care to count, receivers who are barely 5' 10", defied the odds, scaled the mountain, survived the trip into Hell, and defeated the Emperor's legions.  

And the only thing you're interested in doing is minimizing and poo pooing it like it was no big deal.  That's good.

All I know is, if you threw these constant hurdles of adversity in front of some other head coach, I'm sorry, but I'm just not seeing an 11-4 record, a division championship (5th in a row), and a second overall seed for the playoffs, after 15 games.  If it was some other guy, I'm seeing being out of the playoffs at this point.  But if this hypothetical other guy could also pull off the same thing as BB has, well, then I tip my cap to him, because he would be one hell of a football coach.

George1963 wrote:


OK. How about this.
Well coached teams don't have mediocre road records.

Two of those road losses could have easily been wins but for highly questionable calls by the zebras.  Could have easily been two more wins, two less losses.  All losses were close.  Not blown out in any game.  Fought til the end each time.


Add to that, I don't believe people deserve awards for putting out fires they themselves started.
There's very little that happened to them personel wise that couldn't have been forseen.

The injury prone TE is injured

He should have foreseen what happened to Gronk?      Just like last year Gronk should never have been blocking on the PAT team too, and its all Bill's fault for making a football player play football?  Whatever.


The injury prone WR has missed time

There is no such thing as someone being "injury prone".  Injuries happen, or don't  happen.  There is no Injury God in the sky who places a black cloud over the heads of certain unlucky, cursed players who he picks and chooses to impose injuries upon. 

The TE with character issues is in jail.

Character issues with that particular player were foreseen, and judged to be controlable and fixable.  Murder was not foreseen, nor could it have been.  It was a shocking betrayal to the organization so great in magnitude that it could not have been foreseen.  Character issues of lesser magnitude, yes.  Homicide, no. 

The overweight d lineman blew an ankle.

Yup, Big Vince's injury is Bill's fault alright.  Score a point for you.    


The rookie wideouts played like rookies.


Played like rookies Sept.-Nov.  What is their performance and the Pats' record in December over the last decade?  I'm not going to look it up, so I'll give you a chance to correct me and make me look foolish -- NE's record in December over the last decade is better than any other team's.  OK, I said it, now its your opportunity to show me the error of my ways.  That's what good coaches do with rookies - bring them along over the course of a season.

The RB with fumble troubles fumbles.

Your making my point.  A problem surfaces, and its managed and worked around until it gets corrected.  Its called making adjustments.  Also known as "coaching".

Nah hell, I'll just go back to the point.

How does Bill Belichick not get Coach Of The Year?

Because other guys have done better jobs.

Guys?  Plural?  How many?  2?  10?  15? 

Matter of opinion.   We'll see what the voters say.


Several of them. Including one who's dealt with more injuries than BB has who I don't even consider in the running for the award.

More?  How about just to starters, on both sides of the ball, not guys at the middle and bottom of the depth chart?  I doubt it.

  

George1963 wrote:

Injuries happen, or don't  happen.



OK, but what do you call a guy who's had them "happen" every year since ninth grade? And do you figure he has no greater risk of them "happening" in the future than anybody else? And do you base your whole offense on him? Give him a huge extension after 3 injury plagued seasons?
Educate me.



No, you educate me.  Tell me right now knowing what you know about Gronk's skill set, plus his injury history, that with your GM hat on, you would not pick him, that you would pass over him.  I'll listen.



Guess how many special team plays Gronkowski been in on since that one?

I don't know.  You've kept count?  Do you have the NFL package down there and watch every Pats game?  I thought you once said you would rather watch figure skating.




Yep. Just because I say the 11-4 Chiefs are better than the 8-7 Ravens doesn't make it so.

Great win by the Colts over the Chiefs.  Exposed the Chiefs for the frauds they are.





What was questionable about the call in the Jets game?


The call that was made for the first time in NFL history at the end of the game that took away an opportunity to go 15 yards or so to get in FG range to kick the winner.  The call that was made on the Pats that the Jets did the same thing earlier in the game that the NFL, upon review, determined should have been called on the Jets too, thus affirming what Bill Belichick had said post game.  The call that benefited the Jets that both NY tabloids touted as "we finally got a gift too" just like the Pats got a "gift" more than a decade ago with the Tuck Rule, and put it in that same "thank you very much ref" class as the Tuck Rule.  That quetionable call.




Merry Christmas  

Same to you.

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George1963 wrote:

So I guess you're right. The Patriots have had considerably more injuries than the Colts.
Or anyone.
Ever.
At least that's what you'd believe if you watch a Patriots game and hear the announcers bring it up every other play.


Overreact much?  The inspiration for this thread was really the Ravens game in particular.  Despite the fact that you say the Ravens aren't very good, they were 6-1 at home.  In addition to the guys on IR, the Pats were missing for this game their starting right and left tackles.  Then Shane Vereen went out with a groin in the first quarter.  McCourty went out with a concussion.  All of this said to me it was a recipe for disaster.  Then the complete opposite happened.  They gave the Ravens their worst home loss in their history.  That was truly a statement game, and one that few Pats fans saw coming frankly.  Given all the circumstances, the injuries, the rookies, one of whom made 2 interceptions, it was a real feel good win.  So excuse me if I blow off some steam about it on the Patriots board.  

And in doing so I never said anything negative about the Colts.  They have had some big wins, and I think right now they are just a tick below the Pats.  I think the Pats can beat them in Foxboro.  I'm not so confident if the game was in Indy.

Your whole argument is based on expectations.  Lets not revise history here now.  At the beginning of the year, with all the turnover at receiver, you had very LOW expectations for the Pats.  You said if Brady does something with this new crew, give him the MVP.  Now you want to say they were big favorites, and they are just doing what they should have done anyway.  You can't have it both ways. 

Expectations.  They change like the weather. 

George1963 wrote:


Patriots are always "est"

As in most awesome-est team in the history of the universe?  Ya, I guess.   




Nothing wrong with just envelopes.


They suck. If you're going gift cards, put a little thought into it. I gave my oldest a card to Bass Pro in an empty shotgun shell box.
I gave him a flashlight too. You have to have something to open.
Would a pair of jeans killed them?


I'm feeling you.  Maybe they needed someone to give them a hint what Dad likes. 





  A gift certificate to a good restaurant is always a good thing in my world. 


Mine too.
Applebys doesn't qualify.

LOL.





One of my envelopes this year had tickets to a college hockey game being played tomorrow at Fenway Park.  My son and I are going since his team is playing my team.


Football there in a couple of years I've heard.

BC - Notre Dame.  That will be the place to be that day.




I just learned that my son is bringing 2 of his friends to the hockey game today with us.  Nothing like watching outdoor hockey in a 100+ year old baseball park that just fresh off a World Series Championship (Oops, LR, isn't going to like that. lol.)   So now its me and 3 twenty-something year olds all Saturday afternoon and night.  I'll try to keep up best I can.  If I start to lag behind the youngsters I'll just visualize that Coach Belichick is in my face yelling at me, "DO YOUR JOB."

~Sheila~ wrote:Congrats on the win against Buffalo!    

guppy wrote:revisiting coach of th year.  BB came in third.  George is no doubt shaking his head and cursing the voters for giving BB even one vote.

Third is a decent showing..  Just not to George.

After all these posts on the above thread-- isn't it making "do"?  Due is a time-related function or due dilligence.  or-------in a sentence.
The Jets played like "do" in some games this past season.   
Enjoy Super Sunday!

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LRJets wrote:

After all these posts on the above thread-- isn't it making "do"? 


You are absolutely correct.      

"Make do":  To get by with; To use whatever is available due to lack of resources. 

Guppy doesn't have enough money, so he will just have to make do.