The Breakdown and Running the Table

LittleBoyBlue

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We lost it to New England and were still in the game in the 2nd half.
We ran the ball 16 times for 100 yards. We could have used that to have more TOP. Keeping NE off the field and less opps for them to score. As it ended up we lost the TOP real bad. 21 minutes to 39 minutes.
Our defense was out on the field WAY too long. I dont remember if it was simply our defense not being able to stop NE or was it that our offense just didnt extend drives enough?

Running Game
We were successful with the run. Although we were behind for a while... when we got close we should have controlled the clock more... we had 100 yards on 16 carries. Thats 6 plus yards per. NE average less than 3 yards per.


Get a more balanced attack and we can win out and run the table. Its that simple.
 

ABQCOWBOY

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YoMick;1848252 said:
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We lost it to New England and were still in the game in the 2nd half.
We ran the ball 16 times for 100 yards. We could have used that to have more TOP. Keeping NE off the field and less opps for them to score. As it ended up we lost the TOP real bad. 21 minutes to 39 minutes.
Our defense was out on the field WAY too long. I dont remember if it was simply our defense not being able to stop NE or was it that our offense just didnt extend drives enough?

Running Game
We were successful with the run. Although we were behind for a while... when we got close we should have controlled the clock more... we had 100 yards on 16 carries. Thats 6 plus yards per. NE average less than 3 yards per.


Get a more balanced attack and we can win out and run the table. Its that simple.

Early on, our defense was in awe of NE I think. In the second quarter, we came alive and our offense scored very quickly. At one point, we had scored like 17 points in the 2nd quarter and our offense had only been on the field for a total of 5 minutes or something crazy like that. If you think back to that game, our defense was on the field for a lot of snaps in those first two quarters. They helped that along by sustaining drives but in that second quarter, our defense was on the field for something like 21 snaps. Because of the Fumble by Brady, the subsiquent return for a TD by Hatcher, and the 15 play drive for a TD by NE, our defense was basically on the field for what amounts to 20 plays with out the offense ever taking the field. We execute our Two Minute offense to score and then it's half time. Our defense comes out in the 3rd quarter and stops NE cold on a 3 and out. Romo drives the field in 3:32 to score again and our defense is right back out. NE goes on offense for another sustained drive of 10 plays and a TD, our offense takes the field but kills themselves with a penalty and we're three and out. At that point, we were done. Too many snaps against the defense and too long on the field. I made a post on this after that game but it is my opinion that a defense is good for about 40 to 50 strong plays. After that, you start hitting the wall unless your just so deep that you can afford to rotate all over the field. We had something like 32 defensive snaps in the first half and by the time the middle of the 3rd Quarter came around, we were at about 45 and just gased. The 4th quarter had to be horrible for our defense. In that quarter alone, our defense was on the field for all but 2:18. 23 additional snaps. From the 10 minute mark of the 3rd quarter, NE scored on every drive.

I'd say that it was a combination of a couple of things. We let them get up early. We were a victom of our own success, both defensively and offensively. We were so efficiant, so dominating for a period of about 20 minutes that it served to wear us down late in the game. Basically, NE did to us what we have to do to them if we want to beat them.
 
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