Bill Belichick should lead the league in whipping his papers down on the sideline in frustration.
It’s occurred fairly a bit these days, however hit the boiling level in Minnesota.
The Patriots head coach was cussing and kicking fairly a bit throughout the Patriots Turkey evening bout with the Vikings.
And with good purpose.
The Patriots may have overwhelmed Vikings. They ought to have overwhelmed the Vikings.
Mac Jones and the offense lastly regarded like they’d a clue. They lastly obtained it going, with Jones trying way more just like the quarterback we noticed final season.
No matter.
The Patriots had been their very own worst enemies, shedding 33-26 to the Vikings. Against the Vikings, tt was loss of life by stupidity.
They regularly killed themselves by making careless errors, and repeating them at key junctures of the sport. Some of the errors had been bodily, others had been psychological. It ran the gamut.
It’s mind-blowing, really.
Belichick groups have at all times mastered all of the little particulars that win video games.
Not this crew. It will get an ‘F’ relating to beating groups by how cleanly they play the sport.
Sure, there will likely be quite a lot of discuss a landing being taken away from the Patriots on what seemed to be a Hunter Henry catch, that was later dominated an incompletion.
But trying on the massive image, the sloppy play really killed them. Not a missed landing name.
Rookie Pierre Strong bumped into the punter on a 4th-and-3 to present the Vikings one other set of downs with the five-yard penalty, which led to the successful rating 4 performs later.
Belichick actually tore into Strong on the sideline after that. He knew what giving the Vikings offense meant. His protection struggled all evening to include Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, et al.
But giving them one other probability after you lastly compelled them to punt? That was lethal and Belichick knew it.
On protection, they’d penalties that prolonged drives. They had three 15-yarders, with nook Jonathan Jones drawing two 15-yard facemask penalties. Myles Bryant had the opposite with a private foul for a late hit.
All of these drives led to factors for the Vikings. In all, 5 defensive penalties led to first downs.
“We just had too many mistakes they took advantage of, and that was the difference in the game,” stated Belichick. “You can point to a lot of things. Any of them would have made a difference. Collectively, we just have to do a better job here.”
On offense, their clock administration was atrocious proper earlier than the half after they had been attempting to attain within the ultimate minute.
Henry caught a move however didn’t get out of bounds so the clock stored working, and compelled a timeout. Later within the drive, Mac Jones determined to slip down with nobody open, as a substitute of throwing the ball away to cease the clock. Ultimately, they ran out of time, settling for a subject purpose.
It was the little issues. They had been sloppy with the small print.
They had six penalties for 55 yards.
If they’ll’t do these issues, if they’ll’t keep on their P’s and Q’s, they aren’t going to have the ability to beat the nice groups. It’s that straightforward.
They can get away with it in opposition to the Colts, Jets, and so forth. They can’t in opposition to a crew just like the Vikings who’ve an explosive offense. And it’s not going to get any simpler with the Bills on deck.
After the sport, defensive captain Devin McCourty known as a spade a spade.
“We gotta do a better job, penalties hurt us on drives, making drives longer without them having them make a play,” stated McCourty. “Just giving them free yards so we’ve gotta do a better job at that.”
How shocking had been the errors to McCourty, who has been part of loads of Patriot groups who by no means shot themselves within the foot?
“When you get in this league, when you play against the better teams, it’s a heavyweight fight,” McCourty stated. “They’re going to make some plays, they’re going to make some mistakes . . . these games come down to who makes a few more plays than the other team. We’ve been in these games throughout my whole career . . . we just have to find a way to win. That’s what it is this time of year.”
As talked about, the Patriots did have one landing known as again on a questionable name, however that’s not why they misplaced.
In a detailed sport, it’s the little errors makes a distinction. The Patriots, who dropped to 6-5, know that.
“You’re playing against good teams, good quarterbacks, good skill players, good defensive guys on the other side,” McCourty went on. “Our offensive moved the ball up and down the field. They did a great job. We have to find a way to get one more stop on defense than they did.”
The protection, together with not with the ability to cease Jefferson, stored extending drives. The particular groups had a kick return taken to the home, together with the pivotal roughing the kicker.
And the offense wasn’t capable of handle drives earlier than the half, and on the finish of the sport.
Hard to beat the nice groups, while you’re beating your self.
Source: www.bostonherald.com