It's first and goal on the half yard line. Everyone in the world knows they are running the ball. Stuffed. You lose a yard. Second and goal play action, Brady drops back under pressure, looking...looking, incomplete. The only man running a route that play? Only a beastly tight end, a man among boys, the great Rob...Wait that was Nate Solder? The left tackle just ran a post on second and goal? To quote the high pitched Jim Mora, "You kidding Me?!". Third and goal, and Brady never has a chance. He gets the ball in the shotgun and has to throw it immediately because the offensive line couldn't stop a nosebleed today. What a wasted series. Sure Aaron Dobson should have just stayed to the outside, and if Amendola knew where he was he would have rolled in for a touchdown. But they didn't and you have to live with first and goal inside the 1. And you can't convert. I have been saying it since he came back from Denver that Josh McDaniel's is an abysmal play caller. This is not the first time the Patriots offense has stalled. Maybe it is more evident this year because of the personnel on offense, but too many drives never get past three damn plays. Too many drives this year have been two pathetic runs, third and long, and Tom throws a screen at the line of scrimmage for no gain. Too many times conceding on a third and long, such as a draw play for two yards. Why not throw for a first? Why not call plays that get you closer to the sticks on first and second down rather than waiting for third? I put this blame on one man. Josh McDaniels.
Every time they show Tom Brady on the sidelines, he is sitting with McDaniel's. The guy who talks to him through his helmet? If you guessed Josh you would be correct. I am well aware that we have rookie receivers and injuries and all that, but that doesn't mean you can't call better plays. A guy like Hooman showed today that he can catch the ball. We have seen flashes of Dobson and Thompkins and what they can do. It's time to literally put the ball in their hands, and get some yards. Tom needs to take command like he used to. I haven't seen him take the time and read the defense as much as he has in the past. Sure, he still does it, calling out the "Mike" linebacker every play, but more often than not I believe he is just listening to McDaniel's and running the play. That should end this week with a painful performance against the Bengals.
You may think this is just an overreaction to today's 13-6 loss, but it isn't at all. This play calling has been so bad for so long, and it's time for a serious change.
Sidenote: You can wrestle guys in bars two weeks after surgery but you can't practice for 5 straight weeks and then play in a game that counts? Figure it out.
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