Patriots Nation What's going on Brian Philips Editor and staff writer here at Pats Pulpit dot com. bringing you another post game edition of Pats Pulpit Live another tough one guys I mean ever since the buy, it's been kind of it's been a slot. It's been a sludge kind of a slog effort here but another tough loss for the Patriots at home. we got a time to go over. I know there are some story lines that are gonna be predominant and that I know a lot of people are gonna be discussing and. Talk about I'm not I'm not going to be discussing probably some of the topics you guys want me to talk about I mean it's a huge loss with the with the Ravens winning in Buffalo today. they take a strangle hold on the number one seed. Obviously they control their destiny with the number one seed They have C after their victory over the Patriots and then the Patriots lost to Houston, but it's a huge loss for the Patriots and and and there's a million different reasons for it. I know that a lot of you are thinking that there is one main so. Reason and we're gonna go over the other ones. so we're just gonna touch on a few quick points. you know we obviously we have we have to talk about you know the elephant on the field. we have to we have to at least touch on the officiating worst worst officiated game. I can remember seeing in Foxborough one of the worst all around officiated games. Probably most of us have seen. I know looking at the comments right now. many of you guys agree here's the deal. I honestly don't think that NFL officiating is any worse in the NFL than it is that any other level that you see it's it's bad everywhere you go. I mean the entire you know College footballs. It's literally. it's littered with with poor officiating in College football. The the The difference. The difference being at this level is that you have so much visibility to it, especially on the game. like this and You've opened Pandora's box when you open it up to replay and you take it out of the out of the cruise hands. you give you give everybody so many looks at everything going on in the field and and the bottom line is a lot of this can be fixed. a lot of these calls can be fixed by simply taking taking guys off the field and going up to the booth go into the cameras letting technology work for you. obviously there's a referee's Union involved all these other. all these other things. I don't wanna go. I'm going to so so much farther into this that I wanted too, but. The fact of the matter is that we're we're we're simple and it's it's it's a problem and and baseballs well. we're just the reliance on human beings to make calls in in an environment where so much is going on the game is moving so incredibly fast and there's so many there's so many points of emphasis on every single play the Ever-changing rule book it doesn't make sense to have this many guys on the field making making calls and and why they why. Rely almost entirely on on technology to get these calls right you know is is is beyond me now that's not gonna that's not gonna keep you know a whistle from being blown before. Oh, you know a fumble occurs and keep the play from being blown dead. hey, it's it's you know in golf. They call it the rubber the Green right the Patriots obviously have have benefited from a ton of calls over the years. they've been hurt by some calls like we saw tonight The bottom line here is that while while those most calls had a massive impact on the game, the Patriots, the Patriots really got themselves behind the eight ball when you're down 23 to seven, this is this is what happens yeah when you when you can't move the football when one before your final offensive drive, you have, I believe it was 210 yards of total offense on 50 - three plays against the fifteenth ranked DVR defense and football you're at home You've traditionally played well in in in the cold that we didn't. We didn't see a ton. you know there wasn't the precipitation and the in the crazy winds like we've seen and a few of the games this year. I mean the performance itself. it's almost as if the referees and the officiating is taking this performance of the Patriots off the hook and and I don't think I don't think we should let them off the hook that easily the bottom line is the Patriots defense played their asses off and it's it's the same conversation. We have we've we've had the entire season. The Patriots defense playing their asses off the offense coming out to an extremely slow start. you wonder when they're gonna get it going tonight. they really never did get it going with the exception. Couple of splash plays and we'll talk about that in just a little bit, but. It's it's it's it's something that we've we've tried to. we've tried to smooth over with hey they will eventually find that will eventually get into a rhythm. Isaiah winds back things are gonna start jelling along the offensive line So eventually eventually things will catch on they'll get into a rhythm. They'll find their identity right. We keep saying they will find their identity and tonight was a huge step backwards when last week in Houston, they did the same thing laying an egg in the first half offensively their defense, letting up a couple of splash plays when they get behind the eight ball. The defense has to play flawless football, the West and the rest of the way and last week. Offense did a nice job of getting back into over them getting back into the football game and and a lot of it was the Texans defense. They're they're they don't play the past, particularly well. they were playing a not so I don't wanna say soft coverage. It wasn't a prevent type of defense, but they're playing a ton of man and they were playing a ton of cover for and they didn't really make a ton of adjustments. The Patriots were able to make adjustments and and really it was the law of averages catching up to them. You know they they complain they, they finally started to execute a few more. And they were able to score now last week. they didn't even give themselves a chance to win because the way they are moving the football by taking six minutes off the clock and their penultimate drive they they eliminated their own chance to win. That's another. that's another topic for another day which is pretty in excuse able if you ask me. But as it relates to this week, the same exact script we've seen all year coming out slow starts for the offense. Finally, they get the block punt and a spark. and and they're able to get things going offensively just just off of that block pot and and get things moving a little bit in the second half, but other than that there was no sustained. There was no real true solid sustains drives. There was no no cohesion between Tom Brady and his receivers and the offensive line had probably and we gotta go back to the tape. We say it every week but probably the worst game of the season collectively as. Unit James Ferentz complete disaster at Center today Complete disaster they had issues with with with with what's with play timing, we saw it on that final drive where they were looking to run with the jet screen Touch Pass play the James White and it was a delayed snap or everything had to be slow down. these are the fine tune the the little things the fine tuning that you that you these are the problems you're gonna run into when you're on your third string Center Mason You have to go back to have to go back to the tape. You know once once it comes out on Tuesday, but I've been an artist supporter of Shaq Mason and a huge I've honestly he's having a good year. I know the narrative is he's not having a great year because he had a couple of poor plays against Dallas and it just seems to be the thing to do to talk about Shaq Mason well in reality, the film shows the guy is still an absolute Baller today did not appear so you know when we get the tape out on Tuesday and we'll see where the Mass communications were what was going on. That Chris Jones did blow past him for a for a hurry earlier in the game, that was a straight up one -on- one situation we'll have to see how the rest of it plays out, but the the the entire unit today was was really really bad. One of the worst games from ESPN pass blocking rates metric at least through three quarters they they had one of the one of the six worst pass blocking games of the season. That's according to Seth Walder from ESPN and their and their ESPN stats Department I mean it was just a poor performance all the way around. so you have to lean on this defense who consistently made plays in the second half and made adjustments. they were amazing, forcing turnovers. getting stumped big stops down the stretch. getting the football back for this offense. in this offense really only only able to sustain anything by by accessing trick plays and it's been and I'm excited to get back and look at the numbers. Look at my charting numbers because Their success rate on on trick plays is massive. I mean it's it's it's been the primary driving force of this offense all year when they need a big play. It's either a pump block which they have four this year. defense needs to get the ball back form and and if they can't get anything sustained on offense, they try to cap drives with or spark drives with a trick play and it worked a couple times tonight. Obviously with with the James White you know half back pass for 30 - five yards to get things going in the fourth quarter down the Street I have to get things going but and then and then obviously to start the game with the flea flicker on that opening drive, they gave him the the seven nothing lead in the first quarter that Tom Brady fleet Liquor now. How sustainable is a trick play based offense. Not it's it's not you know. Eventually you know, teams are going to be sound and they're going to be ready. on a lot of a lot of these secondaries that the Patriots are taking advantage of this year in particular teams like like the Eagles who who really struggle with communication guys like Ronald Darby, you know these are the kinds of secondaries you can take advantage of but you know down the stretch if they play if you know if they face a team like like like a Pittsburgh in the playoffs, where where the defense is. On all cylinders, you're not you're not going to be able to execute these plays not to mention they are not supposed to be this high success rate. You know, hit this high hit rate that they're hitting at right now. and if if this is what you're what you're basing all of your chunk, Yarded Jerome it's it's trick plays. then you've got some real issues. You've got some serious issues and I think there's a little bit of blame to go around for everybody and I think a lot of it starts with with Josh McDaniels and some of his. And some of his some of his play design. I think the interception today to Matt Lacrosse was a part of that again. I have to go back. We're gonna see the tape on Tuesday. I'll have some pieces out this weekend and yeah, we'll talk about it but but a lot of it goes to play design and then you know Tom Brady's accuracy. You know how much can you blame a quarterback to accuracy when he's being hurried over 40 percent of the time 50 percent of the time It's it's tough. It's tough to say, but the fact of the matter is they've been they've been too conservative to start games. They haven't been able to keep up and they're constantly constantly playing from behind against these quality teams. you're gonna you're going to run into issues with pass protection because teams are gonna be able to blitz and then we're gonna start. we're continuously seeing press man coverage against everybody and really the the the team has no ability no past catchers to have the ability to truly separate on a consistent basis outside of Julian Edelman, which we saw again tonight, I believe it's another eight catches on 12 targets James White. White combined for 19 of the 30 - six passing targets tonight, so it's again it's the same story. It's the same conversation. We keep having every single week now I know you guys. I know you guys wanna talk about the officiating. let's see we do have a couple of questions a couple of questions from Twitter Mateo the check Republic. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna try to pronounce. I'm sorry. I'm not gonna try to pronounce the last name the Passing game to Edelman is not working as far as he's referring to the screen passes. why is McDaniels still attempting it because because of these these quick screens are really to be honest the last couple of weeks they've actually they shy away from quick screens on this tunnel, screens and bubble screens For whatever reason, I'm not sure I actually want to see more of them. I wanna see more of them, but I wanna see them to different personnel. I wanna see them to Nikki Harry. I wanna see them incorporate kill Harry into this short passing game because it is exactly what he excel that at Arizona State think Dez Bryant in that run after the catch, how tough he was to bring down when he was in his Prime. That's the kind of guy that's the kind of body type you have and then they killed Harry, a guy that when you get him going downhill with the ball is right after catch is gonna be nasty and we saw it tonight on the play. But obviously was not called it was ridiculous. Yes, it was a touchdown the fact that the fact that you can't review that play because it's not a scoring play, but if they had called that a touchdown, they would go back and review it, I know it's ridiculous, but that's a good example of what they need to start doing with the kill. Harry get him involved in the offense. They haven't played the Josh Gordon roll when he's on the field, which really isn't much right now. I will see the snap count tomorrow morning, but that was I believe he's only target of the game. I I think it was his only target of the game but that's short. Passing cons, You know these short underneath passing concepts or where we need to see a guy like Harry get the football unfortunately, if you're running them to to Julian Edelman, you're gonna be in a situation where he's already drawing looks from a tight press corner and a safety coming in from the top or the back side and choking him off as he crosses over the Middle. So I mean he's getting so much attention as it is I think that's I think that's why we'll see them shy away from it again. but honestly, the reason you need to go to this quick experiences when you're when you're having trouble against the past. Need to get the ball out of Tom's hands as fast as possible. this is what you look at this. These are the kinds of plays that you need to run now. we saw it against the Jets in week seven. We saw the same thing That's probably Tom Brady's best game as far as deceiving stat lines because I was looking at it this morning and and they were packed. He was pressured on 40 percent of his drop backs from based on my charting 40 percent of its drawbacks. He was pressured in week seven as you remember, they still basically clobbered the Jets at home, but a ton of it was this. Tunnel screens swing screens from different personnel and different formations Julian Edelman coming out of the back field on swing screens. we saw a quick quick passing a quick screens to fill up door set when there's a little bit of off coverage now, we're not seeing a ton of off coverage right now, obviously, but and then the quick short passing game. But when you're down 20 - three to you know 20 - three to seven you, you can't afford to dink and dunk and teams have Quite aware that the New England wants to do that and so they are taking away a ton of that short stuff and if you're not able to beat them deep and you're not able to make them pay then you know these are the kind of performances that that you end up getting now. we did see a little bit of you know, drawing some penalties and drawn some flags. obviously Phillip door set in the first half in the first quarter would have like to see another one at the end of the game. Obviously, I'm sure I'm seeing some comments on here About about that final pass interference call that needed that that that wasn't there, but you know these are the kind of things that when you start airing the ball down the field, you're going to be able to draw some of those flags, but you need to be able to also win some of those match ups and and make some of those plays down the field and we're just we're just not seeing it right now. So I mean it's it's tough. yeah, I know I'm seeing I know some of you guys want want me to talk more about the officiating? What I mean, what more can really be said though right like what are you? what are you? I mean. The game is you know I I know I know it was ridiculous. I know some of these calls were absolutely absurd but guys this. this team is not playing good football right now. since the by week they really haven't played well they they they beat the eagles on the road, but the Eagles, the Eagles are really not that great of a football team right now. they're they're not a cohesive unit. Dallas. Obviously we know what's going on with Dallas. They're complete dumpster fire The Bills went into the into Dallas and completely steam rolled the Cowboys and then and then you know we have this the same the same problems over the last couple of weeks for that, but yeah, so I mean now that the the Ravens are in the driver's seat moving forward There we go sorry Rivers Ravens are in the driver's seat, moving forward and and and really well. what's really huge about this loss is the fact that the Patriots can go into Cincinnati next week. Now we expect them to take care of business in Cincinnati against the team That's one and 12 coming off of a loss today against against Cleveland. But now you're you're in a dog fight for the division and you know this. this is a serious. I mean this is this is really crazy. Bills coming off a huge loss today you know a tough loss at home against against the Ravens like we were talking about, but if that the bills can can take care of business next week and then they get they get the Patriots on Saturday. from believe it's a 425 start on Saturday, the 20 -first I think it is so weird kind of a weird time frame. Everything is gonna be a little out of sorts, but it'll be in Foxborough and that could be a game that could potentially decide the AFC East which is a None of us thought we'd be having at this point in the season. quite frankly, we're not used to having this conversation right it's usually not you know it's usually not up in the air this late in the year so that's that's that's pretty much the the long and short of it when it comes to this loss. so guys thank you for following along. Make sure you're following us on Twitter at Pat's Pulpit follow me on there as well. if you if you are so inclined at BP Philips underscore SB. yeah. We got it. I mean it's it's gonna be it's it's gonna take a little while to get over this lost if it's a great football game outside of the fact that the things that seem to be decided by you know not on you know the factors that were outside of the the two teams hands, but bottom line guys. Patriots have to play better and it's it's just I know it's not what a while you guys wanna hear, but the fact of the matter is if if you're if you're this is the quality of football that they're gonna put forward. I really don't have much of a chance in the playoffs, so you know if you'd like to. A different result today, but now it is it is what it is. so yeah, thanks again for following along guys and we will we'll catch you later on in the week with some hopefully some some film review clips and things of that nature and then we will we will see you guys after next weekend's game in Cincinnati so until then thanks for following along and go Pats.