Why was LT so pissed off during the post game interviews?

How is it game over with 6 minutes left?? It's still a one possession game. In reality, there were 4 possessions after that (granted, both teams trying to score on all of them). There's a very reasonable chance NE gets the ball back.

I can't stand the Patriots, and I agree the Patriots had a lot of luck on their side, but they also had to turn that luck into points - they did that on their own.

 

Well what Miami did was really stupid because they did it BEFORE the game - well before they got their asses kicked.

 

3 plays would have taken it down to 4:30-4:00 or so unless the patriots burned all their timeouts(unlikely). And the patriots had become one dimensional. The way that game was playing out, even if they had stopped them, NE wasn't driving 70 yards for a game tying TD. Not with the way the SD front seven was playing. And i'd say the odds were strong the chargers would have gotten at least 1 first down, which takes 2 more minutes off the clock or so. In fact that is why belichick was going for it on 4th/5. He was worried they may never get the ball back and that his offense couldn't march down the field for the TD again if they had to do so.

The only "drive" outside of the prevent defense before the half was the one after marty elected not to kick a FG from the 30 yard line that led to a fg by gostkowski.

 

They went for it on 4th and 5 because they were at the San Diego 40 - it was not worth punting at that point. As for NE not driving 70 yards for a game-tying TD, on the very next drive, they went 72 yards in 2 minutes. The only reason they stopped at a FG is that they ran the ball 3 times to run down clock.

Would they have still tied it and then won in OT? Who knows. But the game wasn't by any means over if they fall on that INT.

 

Hate to go old school, but if you don't want the other team dancing and celebrating on your field, then beat them. Pats did what other teams had been doing to the Giants all season in mocking the 'jumpshot' the Giants defense had been doing. No big deal. LT just lost his head, was frustrated and wanted to take it out on someone.

Wait now, so Merrimans, dance is not disrespectful in itself?

BTW, that pass Rivers tried to throw to LT on the flat though the LB was covering him like a cheap suit was one of the worst decisions I have ever seen in a NFL game.

 

They went 72 yards on the one big pass play of the game for them that came on 3rd and 10. And they still would have to have punched it in the end zone and hit the 2 pt conversation.

Also you are wrong on why they went for it. Earlier in the game:

New England - 15:00
1st-10, NE36 15:00 T. Brady incomplete pass down the middle
2nd-10, NE36 14:58 T. Brady passed to J. Gaffney to the left for 15 yard gain
1st-10, SD49 14:45 T. Brady passed to R. Caldwell to the right for 4 yard gain
2nd-6, SD45 14:08 T. Brady passed to T. Brown to the left for 4 yard gain
3rd-2, SD41 13:30 T. Brady incomplete pass to the left
4th-2, SD41 13:19 T. Sauerbrun punt, no return

That's 4th and shorter from an identical yard mark, and they punted. The difference here was the 6 minutes left and the fact he didn't think they would either get the ball back or have the time/ability to drive the length of the field for a TD/2 pt conversation.

 

What's your point? You said they couldn't have driven down the field late in the game. They did. Yes, it had some big plays. Most 2 minute drives do. So what?

Dude - things change as the time gets less. Of course you're not going to go for it at the 40 yd line early in the game when San Diego will be trying to score and make it a 2 possession game. You go for it later because you have less risk and more reward. There was certainly a CHANCE they wouldn't get the ball back, so you are willing to take more chances late. Almost every coach will go for it on 4th-and-reasonable late in the game on the opponent's side of the field - it's a no-brainer. You have to hold them to a 3 and out anyway, who cares if you do it at the 40 or punt it to the 20?

They went for it because there was a chance they wouldn't get the ball back - not because they knew they wouldn't.

Again, I'm not saying they still win the game. I'm saying the game is nothing close to being over at that point.

 

They actually showed this on tv last night. From what I could see, it looked like LT was walking toward a group of Patriots that out of nowhere just started jumping around. LT looked pretty pissed off because he was trying to shake their hand and instead it looked like they were pushing him around while they were doing the dance. Then they started exchanging words and LT walked away from it.

THey only panned to it for a second because CBS thought it was going to be a routine handshake and then they panned away the moment trouble started.

 

I think giving up a 35-6 lead in the second half of a playoff game comes pretty close.

 

Bingo.

There's not a defensive player out there that makes a sack and doesn't do some kind of dance. You don't see teams do what the Patriots did after the game yesterday, especially when a class act like LT is coming up to wish you a good game.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but go Colts!

 

So true, LT is all class, he scored around 30 touchdowns this year and how many times did he dance? None that I saw, he just hands the ball to the ref just like Earl used to.

 

13 minutes in the 4th quarter is not early in the game. And I said he went for it because they felt like they wouldn't either get the ball back or get it with enough time.

He was worried they may never get the ball back and that his offense couldn't march down the field for the TD again if they had to do so.-what I said. And they hadn't shown they could consistently march down the field if they had to.

What the heck is different with that statement and what you are saying?

Furthermore they did nothing passing wise except for that huge 3rd and 10 play. Nothing in the rest of the game even dictated it was coming. In fact the plays before SD put a good rush on brady. And if SD has the 8 point lead still, they definitely have safety help on both sides and let NE have the underneath play. It changed the way they had to approach the defense in that situation.

 

The first time I saw LT get angry was when Laurence Maroney tried to stop him and say something -- i'm guessing 'good game.' Maroney actually ended up grabbing LT's jersey to get him to slow down and listen.

 

It was certainly the Pats' due to dance on the logo, but that doesn't change the fact that it was low class. Name the number of times you've seen someone do that post-game, not in-game.

Evan

 

it is a curiousity isn't it

Rocket River

 

Vinatieri being damned good at his job and clutch to boot is an example of how the Pats are lucky? Does that mean every time LT does something good, it is his saving the Chargers ass and them getting lucky for it? The Tucky Rule is a pretty valid example of the Pats luck. Parts of yesterday's game definitely played to the Pats favor, but I don't think their kicker doing a good job can be labeled as luck.

 

The difference is you're turning it into meaning "game over", and I disagree. The game was nowhere close to over. It was only over if the Chargers get 2 or 3 first downs (and that's assuming that all the first downs take 3 downs to get).

Based on the 5 year history of the Patriots, I think it's absurd to say that they wouldn't have any shot of driving down the field in the final few minutes of a game to tie it.

 

Incidents are never looked at in a vacuum. Miami has a long history of thug-type stuff, so whenever you see anything like that, that's immediately what's going to come to mind. You reap what you sow.

The Patriots, while I think they are an arrogant, annoying bunch, don't have nearly the history of problems that the Hurricanes do.

 

How was this one on Marty? He didnt get stripped of the ball. It was the players who lost the game.

 

It's better than Houston fans talking about David Carr....while the Rockets have won 9 out of 10 games.