Re: What Patriot fans are saying...

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Rams43
Some of these comments are jaw droppingly uninformed. Lol.

[www.patsfans.com]

How do the Patriots Matchup with the Rams?

In terms of matchups. Pats D vs their O. Pats O vs their D. I assume Gilmore will be on woods. And I bet Talib will cover Gronk.
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Random thoughts to all my fellow Pats fans:

I think Rams have the best secondary they'll go against this year...I think Talib on Gronk is a concern because the refs will let him get away with holding.

I think Rams have the best D line they'll go against this year and concerned about about wreaking havoc with a 4 man rush

Wade Phillips D vs Brady will or should be a big storyline. I think last time they met in playoffs was the Denver game. I think he's a great coordinator and has plenty experience going against the Patriots.

How much can Cooks help them with Pats intel??
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Have to think the pats will use the run to set up the pass against this defense if that is the case. and play keep-away from Goff

also, Kamara killed the Rams in the passing game. Think that bodes well for James white/burkhead out of the backfield.
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Its a game that should very much mirror what we did last 2 games..run hard, run often.

With Gurley struggling with injury their offense is now limited. I expect we will hear how great Gurley looks these next 2 weeks ..but dont buy it. His usage has caught up to him this season.

The trenches will decide the champion and the way our offensive line and defensive line have suddenly elevated their game ..you have to feel good going into it.
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Rams are loaded offensively. Woods and Cooks can take the top off any D. Their TE is a stud too. Obviously they got Gurley and an all pro line. Patriots defense are facing an offense just as deadly as the Chiefs were.

On defense, they got Talib back. He is one heck of a corner. Got out work cut out for us in Atlanta.
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Gotta run to slow down that pass rush. Set up play action. Utilize white in the passing game. Our ol is miles ahead of the ol wade phillips went against in 2015 and just shut down a fierce kc pass rush. Gronk and the wrs could be a concern jmd will need to get creative in the passing game and do the above.
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I feel like the chiefs have so many more weapons than the rams. I would put gilmore on woods and double cooks like they did with hill.
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Yeah, in some way, I think the Rams offense is very similar to the Chiefs, except the Chiefs have a better QB. Treat Cooks like Hill. Woods like Watkins. Everett like Kelsey, etc.

The Rams CB are much stronger. How are the Ram's LBs? How well do they cover RBs?
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Goff seems Bledsoe-like to me (talented, but not a great field general), and BB loved playing Bledsoe. On the biggest stage, I expect he can be defended. There is no questioning the talent the Rams have on both sides of the ball, but the question will be coaching in the highest possible pressure scenario.

Suh, for all his fear factor, has found himself on terrible run defenses. The Rams and Chiefs have about the same lousy Ds in terms of points allowed. A season of results don't lie, and you know BB will be looking at ways to exploit those weaknesses.

The Chargers had a solid O and a much better D than the Rams. The fact the Rams barely won a shootout with the Chiefs in LA suggests they are comparable, but I would take Mahomes over Goff every day of the week.
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What scares me is the inside pass rush and therefore interceptions. Patriots will have to control the clock and tempo again.
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The Rams defense is mediocre. #20 in points allowed, #19 in yards allowed, #32 (!!!) in yards per rushing attempt given up. Aaron Donald is a monster, but overall the Chiefs had a much stronger pass rush and got way more sacks than the Rams - Suh is a famous name who's a long way from his 2010-2014 prime now.

Their offense is obviously excellent and has some very good playmakers, but it was not not not on the Chiefs level. Goff is a very good QB, but is in no sense a next-level playmaker like Mahomes. He's strictly a pocket passer, and behind all the motion and mis-direction you have a young QB running a scheme that isn't that complex "under the hood" and who still has a lot of his reads spoon-fed to him by his coach before the play clock hits 15 seconds.
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I feel like the Saints would've been more of a harder offense to defend, Brees. Goff just seems like he may not be as ready and experienced. He's not bad, but nothing to really fear either the way our defense has been playing over the last couple weeks.

The toughest offensive matchup for us, we just played and defeated. They are weak and vulnerable against the run. We literally just had two games where we were able to stuff it down defenses throats'. Lets do this.
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It will be critical to switch up the defense after Goffs ear speaker goes off to confuse him
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I expect a similar game plan like they did with Rivers. However, Goff can run if he wants to but he prefers to sit back and pass.
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We will exploit their linebackers
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The only thing I would be concerned about if I were you is the potential for the Rams pass rush to tee off. The traditional way to beat Brady, when executed of course, is to rush four so you can flood the passing lanes, and hit him....a lot.

However what Brady has this year that is different is the pounding run game. This may keep the defense honest and they will have to play “guess that play” quite a lot. I know Aaron Donald and Co can definitely collapse pocket protection on a pass....but how are they on run defense?
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We just overcame three turnovers to outscore Mahomes. And Goff has not impressed in the postseason; he'll need to channel his inner Foles if the Rams are gonna have a chance.

I love this storyline: the league wants to promote the s out of this new wave of offense-minded talent, namely Mahomes and McVay. And the old dog Brady is going to topple them in succession.
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Conventional wisdom would be to use the run game to mitigate a really good Rams pass rush. Their run defense numbers weren't good in the regular season.

BUT... neither were ours, and we've clearly stepped that up in the postseason. This seems to happen every year to me. Running games and bad run defenses just don't translate consistently into the playoffs, especially the Super Bowl. Defenses are so amped, and the Rams definitely have players that can wreak havoc against our running backs.

I'm sure the Pats will identify matchups and schemes that allow them some runs, but don't be surprised if we can't get as much going on the ground as you'd expect.
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The Rams offence hasn't been the same since Kupp went down. He was their Edelman, go to guy. Think its much easier to defend now. Cooks is a bad hand catcher - make him go over the middle and grab them out of the air. His best play is the over the shoulder basket catch - need to take that away. Put Gilmore on Woods, who is their best receiver. Try and shut down the run and make Goff beat you because I'm still not certain he can do it. Think we can confuse him with different blitzes.

Same game plan for our offense as against the Chargers. Get the ball out quickly to neutralise Donald. Run at Fowler and use some misdirection to take advantage of their over pursuit. Kamara abused Littleton yesterday. I think White will do the same and have a big game. Talib isn't the same corner as years past and Peters is a gambler and can be done on a double move. I think we can put up points on this team, I really do. Stay balanced and stay out of long yardage and we win the game.

I feel really confident.
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I'd rather play the Rams than the Chiefs or Saints.
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just another variation of what we've seen the last 2 weeks........however, the last 2 teams actually earned the opportunity to play the next game
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Goff isn’t as physically talented as mahomes but the rams have a better defense.
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One interesting thing is that Belichick knows Cooks (from last year) and Woods (from his years in Buffalo) really well. We may not make the plays on them butt but it won't be for a lack of intimate knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses.

The Rams are largely a 3 WR team which plays to our CB strength. Their TE make big plays here and there but their talent and usage isn't comparable to Kelce.

On offense Edelman should be a tough matchup for them as Talib and Peters (the latter has been bad this year anyway) aren't short quick twitch types. Shutting down a stud like Thomas is one thing - shutting down Edelman, whose skillet is very different than Thomas', is a totally different game.
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The Rams D is a bit better than the numbers show. Talib missed time and is healthy and looks good. Suh was awful to start the year but has been coming on a bit. Their YPC allowed is inflated due to teams getting cheap yardage in pass situations.

The Pats D is playing better than their season numbers, same with the Rams. They did a decent job shutting down the Saints yesterday. That said, the Rams are vulnerable to TE and RB. If they put Talib on Gronk, Hogan or Edelman should be able to find openings. White/Burkhead will be key in the pass game

The key will be running and screens. The Rams love to get upfield and you can exploit that with misdirection and creativity. Not sure how the Rams can take White out without leaving someone else free
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The problem is gonna be Aaron Donald up the middle. Brady doesnt have as much problems with edge rushers, but pressure up the middle always throws him off.
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That game wasn't nearly as close as the score indicated. Phantom DPI, called back fumble on another bad penalty, and a pair of egregious pick plays...all in the second half, made it close.

The Rams offense was incredible at the beginning of the year because Gurley was unstoppable. And that left Cooks 1-1 all the time, which is a formula for long bombs. Gurley hasn't been the same of late - hopefully, the week off won't get him back to that point.

Mahomes > Goff. A lot.

Rams D is good, very good, but so is the Chief's D in Arrowhead.

It's a SB, so weird things will happen, no doubt. The key is the interior of NE's OL.
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Has Talib lost a step since his prime of 2013-15?
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Yup. And Peters is overrated to me. And the LBs and safeties are not otherworldly. LA relies on its stellar DL bigly.
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Here are my thoughts as of now without looking too deeply into it.

The Rams rush D vs Pats rushing O - The Rams had one of the worst rush Ds in the regular season but have really tightened up in the playoffs. They stone walled the Cowboys and Saints which are two good running teams.

I wrote it off when they did it to the Cowboys, but now that they did it to the Saints (While also having to worry about Drew Brees) it seems we can't count on running them over. This will clearly be the toughest rush D we have faced in the playoffs by far.

Rams pass D vs Pats pass O - Since getting Talib back their pass D has taken a step up. He isn't as good as he use to be but a solid CB none the less. He is their best CB. Peters is their #2 who has regressed badly and is a talented gambler who gets burned too often. Their #3 is debatable. I think they have an okay to good Pass D but match up badly against us.

They have no one who can hope to keep with Edeman as Talib/Peters are clearly outside guys who like to play physically against bigger/slower WRs/TEs. Their best LB is Littleton who made the probowl but I think he is overrated and can't cover RBs. So the question is can their pass rush get to Brady? The way our line is playing I doubt it. They really are a one man pass rush show and this OL has played lights out recently.

Rams rush O vs Pats Rush D - The Pats have done well stopping the run and will probably continue to do so. After an incredible showing vs the Cowboys the Rams run O came back down to earth. They were mostly stopped by the Saints. The question he is how healthy will Gurley be in 2 weeks.

The Rams have a very good OL (according to PFF their center has sucked though). This will be an interesting match cause you need to wonder how much the Patriots plan to commit to stopping the run. They can if they really want to, but is that what they want to focus on? I think they keep to the 4-2-5 mostly and give up a little here.

Rams pass O vs Pats Pass D - The Rams passing offense is built around the WRs which bodes well for us. They have a great pair in Cooks/Woods but don't sleep on Reynolds. As many have said, they haven't been the same since loosing Kupp. Gurley has been a threat too but has looked worn down. Besides him they have no other TEs or RBs who are much of a threat to catch the ball.

Goff has looked out of sorts without Kupp and that should continue. I really like this match up for our defense as we've done well vs WRs and there is no other way the Rams can consistently pass down the field. It will be interesting to see if the Pats can get pressure on Goff. They have done well recently getting in the QB's face but this will be a pretty tough OL to do it against.

Overall my thought is this. If Gurley looks like he did vs the Saints then we will almost definitely win. Without him their offense becomes predictable and plays to our strength (Asking our CBs to limit WRs).

Our OL will probably do what it has all year and protect Brady well enough so he can do his magic. Edelman is playing like a complete beast and they have no answer that I know of. They don't have a guy who can cover White and putting Talib on Gronk would work well in their favor but it would be putting their best pass defender on arguably our 3rd most dangerous weapon.

I don't see how that will solve anything for them. As far as our run game I could see the Rams finally causing it to stall, but the instant they try to play the pass it will come alive again. The Patriots now demand a 7 man box most of the time or you will get gashed no matter how good your front 6 is.

It's true their defense slowed down the Saints but part of that was bad play calls and the Saints not going back to what was working for them (which is odd for a well coached team.) The Pats won't make the same mistake. It has been hard to hold the Pats to under 30 in the playoffs during this run. The Rams IMO don't have the D to do it.

If Gurley is healthy in 2 weeks then its game on and suddenly our D will need to make some tough choices. Maybe now they can throw us enough off balance to drop 30 plus on us. We've had issues with good pass catching RBs for a while now and that won't change in two weeks. If he is good to go this becomes a much closer and more unpredictable contest.
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Rams DL reminds me of the 07 Giants DL. Ugh. Pats need to use White in the screen game like the 1st half. Win the time of possession too. If there are any trick plays up McD's sleeve, now is the time.
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Aaron Donald ate the Saints o-line alive. He was beating his blockers in less than a second. Literally. And the Saints o-line>>>Patriots o-line

A defense doesn't have to be #1 across the board to be a nightmare and create turnovers.

As everyone knows and remembers, the Eagles pass rush was booty cheeks compared to the Giants and Falcons and THEY STILL made ONE play that ended the game and sealed the W for them.

We could dominate Suh and Donald all day long, but if it's a one TD game and Brady has the ball, those o-line will need to pray to whoever it is they pray to that Brady stays in that pocket, hangs onto the ball and releases that ball effectively.
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Key is the interior o-line holding up against Donald-Suh. If they hold up I think we win.

I like our match up for the secondary. Gilmore on Woods. Double Cooks. We need to blitz Goff and get pressure on him. He’s 23rd ranked against the blitz. I also think if we can rattle Goff he may not recover. He missed some very big throws late against the Saints.

He had Woods 2x that could have went for TDs. 1 he missed and the other was high and Woods couldn’t do anything with it after the catch. If Gurley is still not Gurley this Rams O is ordinary.

To attack the Rams I hope to see us attack their LBs with White in space. Every time the Saints targeted Kamara he was wide open against the Rams LB coverage. It was man to man and he abused them.

I was surprised the Saints didn’t go to it more. We also need to keep running. It keeps the D unbalanced and let’s us control the clock. I think they will put Talib on Gronk so we will need production from Hogan and Dorsett.

Patriots 31
Rams 23
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Talib on Gronk and bracketing Jules seems like their best bet. Take those two away using 3 guys and I think we really struggle if we can’t get the running game going.
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All the Rams have is Donald (who is not of this earth).
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I tend to think this game could come down to TB12 avoiding a critical mistake when Suh or Donald get there. I.e. Do we go up 14-0 or give them the ball and the momentum.

I imagine Gronk, Develin and White and maybe even Sony will chip less and give Tom a quick RB route or throw away opportunity. If the pressure from Donald is right up the middle and quick, pass pro by RBs isn’t as effective.

I would get them running sideways and throw the ball a bit more to open up the run since they’ve been very effective in the playoffs vs the run. Let’s see what happens after that adrenaline wears off and fatigue sets in and then pound the rock.
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Mahomes was by far the most talented qb that we faced this year. Goff isn’t as physically talented but he could pull a foles. I noticed he kind of panicked against the saints but maybe that’s because of the crowd noise.

The formula remains the same. Double cooks and beat up their WRs at the line. It’s not as important to keep goff in the pocket as it was with mahomes. Also it really depends on Gurley’s health for the super bowl.
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Goff is the anti-Mahomes. If he's pressured, he won't take a 20 yard sack, trying to hit a long TD, he'll check down every time. Need to tackle well, especially if Gurley's healthy. He's really the only guy on that offense that can be 'uncoverable'.
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To be fair, Aaron Donald is the best defensive tackle Belichick will ever have game-planned for.

Suh's a bum though. We'll hear how good he is these next couple of weeks, but you heard in that unfiltered locker room video what the players actually think about him.

Donald's totally legit though. It will be interesting to see what kind of plan McDaniels and Scarneccia come up with.
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I know every game is different but damn, if we can beat that Kansas City offense in their house. We are perfectly capable of beating the rams. Rams gave up 51 to the chiefs
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Oh I totally agree, and I expect the Patriots will have a handle on it. The Rams are more predictable (even with all their motion and fakes), but they're also more disciplined. They're not going to throw panic balls, take 20 yard sacks, or abandon the run in the first quarter.
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STOP THE RUN.

Eat them alive with the run game. LAR suck against the run.

Eat them alive with White, Da Burkmeister & Edelman. LAR LBs suck. “D.B.A.T.P.Cuts.”

Eat them alive with Gronk. LAR suck at defending TEs.

OL needs to continue playing at their current level against the LAR DL. Interior pressure is Brady’s weakness.

Attack their safeties & Peters.

CANNOT blink on ST. LAR are MOST DEFINITELY gonna try something with Hekker. Gotta stay alert on that.

Suh & Peters WILL be flagged for SOMETHING in this game. They just can’t help themselves :D

Pressure Goff. He will crack eventually.

BALL GAME.

NEP are SB LIII Champions & the chicken littles wonder how the hell we did it.....again.
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I know Brady isn't known for his running abilities. However, what do you think about some bootleg plays for Brady? Maybe catch the Rams off guard?

Also, McVay is a similar coach to Pederson. Meaning he will take risks. He isn't scared to fail. I think BB needs to learn from SB 52. Try a fake punt on a potential 4th and 3 or less.
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A plus side of playing the Rams is that the crowd in atlanta is going to be overwhelmingly Patriots fans. Rams fans were outnumbered in their own stadium in the Dallas playoff game, the week before the Super Bowl and the game itself is going to be dominated by New England fans. If it was against the Saints it would be heavy Saints fans.
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IMHO the singular, critical matchup is Pats OL vs Rams DL. If the Pats OL can provide Brady the kind of protection they did against the Chiefs as well as open some running room for Sony, Rex, White? The Patriots at minimum will be up by or within a score in the last couple of minutes.
Next, if the first half AFCCG D shows up to Atlanta for at least half+, this will be the Patriots' game to own (or not own).

In KC in January may, outside of Denver, be one of the most hostile places for an opposing team to play in. For the most part the team looked mentally as ready as could be hoped for. Hard to see this BB coached, TB led playoff savy team not looking as good if not better in a neutral site dome (if the OL pitches another solid game).

We'll see...
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Just wait for Cooks to catch a ball and run around in a circle until a patriots player hits him so hard he breaks his jaw...
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Toughest D line they will face all year. That's how the Rams beat New Orleans in the trenches. If they get pressure we all know how it ends...
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Donald's brilliance shows up most in plays behind the line of scrimmage. He finds a way through gaps and around blocks, to create losses. I suspect the Pats coaching staff will work hard to minimize that.
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I will only say that I think the term 'stud TE' doesn't fit with them. They have 2 virtually JAG young TEs. Everett had the best game of his career against the Saints thanks to one big catch but let's not over state the player he is. Both him and Higbee are not really factors in the passing game.
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Goff is an ok QB. He doesn't have the escape factor that Mahommes does. We will be able to successfully run that cover 0 or 1 man scheme against him and make plays in the backfield. I don't see the rams winning this. I can't remember the last time a wade Phillips D gave Brady trouble. He plays a lot of 2 high zone. Brady eats zone for breakfast.