A few thoughts on last night’s game
by hythlodaeus on Sep 15, 2009 2:57 AM EDT
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PrintI guess most of us expected Brady to look a bit rusty, but it was tough to watch in action. And it sure didn’t help that Welker joined in the sloppiness in the first half. Still, I’m not too concerned because the offense really stepped it up in the end, and they moved the ball pretty well between the twenties all day.
Getting Banta-Cain back looks like a pretty good idea now.
So does not shipping Watson out of town.
The offensive line does worry me, especially the left side. Brady added to the problems in the first half, where he lacked his usual pocket presence, but if the Bills can bring this much pressure, we are going to get trouble with some of the really good defenses down the road.
I loved the energy on defense. For years the Patriots were mostly a smart defense, a complex scheme worked by gritty veterans who just did their jobs and made their tackles. Last night there were swings and misses, but the added speed and athleticism was evident. Meriweather just flew all over the place, and the corners actually forced some dropped passes with hard, well-timed hits.
The Bills were a lot better than advertised, and we got lucky in the end, but
1-0 is 1-0 is 1-0.
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Amen
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Sep 15, 2009 3:11 AM EDT reply actions
Improvements
all the mis-steps or issues seem to be the things that could be improved with timing, practice and experience. I didn’t see any major blown coverages or mistakes that can’t be rectified.
Other thoughts: Bodden’s a definite improvement over Delta O’Neal, and he knows how to pack a punch as a big CB. Meriweather is an able replacement for Harrison AND happens to be freakishly quick. The D-line improved during the game, and the Pats are definitely using two packages – base, and pass-rush – which I like. Vollmer made an impact as a TE (hah, I picked it – he played TE in college and I wondered if Belichick would trot him out as one). Watson showed he’s best when running upfield as a Dallas Clark-type big WR/slot receiver type deal. Maroney is a very, very good KR, and showed flair as a HB. Toss plays weren’t working, and Maroney’s stats suffered.
The good signs outweigh the bad. Here’s hoping Mayo’s 100% very quickly.
Our crowd wasn't above cracking a few Deltha O'Neal jokes
and what on earth was up with Matt Light’s unit last night? He got pulled after that tripping call and was regularly beat by Schobel (sp?).
Keep the faith!
can't wait to see maroney get more carries.
i wnted him on the field more than taylor, but maroney is more successful in a 2-back system(and/or 3).
I think that Vollmer kid is going to work out.
If he puts on another 25-30 lbs (which his frame can definitely handle), he’s got all-pro potential.
As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he's talking about. --Shaun of the Dead
by JohnHannahRules on Sep 15, 2009 8:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Another quick thought.
Just saw the replay of the strip on the kickoff and caught a shot of our kicker (!) flying in there and scrapping at the bottom of the pile to retrieve the ball.
You won’t see many of the little fellas throwing down like that. Nicely done.
As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he's talking about. --Shaun of the Dead
by JohnHannahRules on Sep 15, 2009 8:36 AM EDT reply actions
Good comments
I agree with your analysis, especially about the energy on defense. And you’re right, too, that a win is a win is a win. In fact, you can’t spell 19-0 without the 1-0! But let’s not get that started just yet.
I'm not worried about Brady
Yeah, he was shaky at the start, but it was the first real game he’s played since blowing out his knee. You don’t suffer an injury like that and come back right away as if nothing happened. By the end of the game, he was his old self — there aren’t more than three or four QBs in the game who could lead a comeback like that, and he did it masterfully.
The only things that worry me are the offensive line, Mayo’s injury, and the defense in general. The line needs to get it together before the Pats start playing teams that can really bring the pressure, and you can count on the Bills getting tougher as the season goes on. Mayo is the leader of the defense and we can’t afford for him to miss much time. And I don’t know what it is about the defense in general that bugs me because I can’t point to any one thing, but the Bills offense put up 17 points in 23 minutes of possession and their offense was supposed to be in disarray. Sure, they came up big at the end, but the Bills haven’t learned yet how to put games away. Put the Colts or Ravens in the Bills’ shoes at the end of the game last night and it might well be a different story.
I think the real test is going to be next week. If the defense can harass a rookie QB who the Texans made look better than I think he really is, I’ll feel a lot better about the Pats’ chances this year.
What did you all think about the MNF announcers?
I seriously think that if Tony Kornheiser had been babbling non-stop throughout the game last night someone would have thrown their glass right through the TV set.
Jaws, Gruden and Tirico were terrific and struck just the right tone for the game in my opinion – no piling on whoever had the lead like a sea-saw.
Keep the faith!
You know, I agree with...
… you for the most part. I just have one question. Who the Hell is Todd Light?
Did you catch that? One of those guys kept calling our left tackle Todd Light.
We noticed it in the game thread,
and I had a theory that seemed correct. Every time Light got beaten by Schobel, he was Todd Light. The first time Light pancaked some guy to set up a decent jag back infield by Maroney, he was Matt Light again. Having to earn your name via good performances? I like it. If Ben Watson puts on another two-TD performance next week, he can be “Benjamin”, just how he likes it.
by Comedic.Sans on Sep 15, 2009 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions
My friend and I were laughing
how Gruden was arguing for an onsides kick but then lauded Belichick for just kicking it straight
"These players, a lot of other people didn't believe in them, but they believe in themselves. And that is all that matters."- Bill Belichick
High-flying defense...
While last night was not the most sound of defensive nights, I saw something from that Pats’ D and special teams that I haven’t seen since the ‘04 season: cruelty. Those lads were out to hurt people last night and they hit like they were angry at the opposition. Merriweather, in particular, had a few absolutely devastating hits. Also, in defense of the Patriots defense’s performance on the scoreboard, they had stopped the Bills’ last TD drive fair and square with a nice ten yard sack in which they collapsed the pocket utterly. That call ranks up there in lunacy with the ’05 AFC championship pass interference on Ellis Hobbes call.
Another thing that was good to see was how effectively the Pats adjusted. The defense was consistently bringing pressure on Edwards and hitting him hard. They were also pummeling receivers and anything else with a white jersey down field.
The D wasn’t the only side of the ball that adjusted, either. Matt Light was seriously begging for the nickname ‘Turnstyle’ at the outset of that game, but by the end of it, he was blocking very effectively, as was the rest of the O line. Brady started actually stepping into the pocket to hurl that ball. I thought the MNF crew did a really great job of breaking down Brady’s throwing mechanics and how ginger he was on that leg until that first play where he really transferred his weight to his front foot and threw like he meant it.
Personally, I think that the Patriots will get a lot better as the season goes on. Neither of our units has really worked all that much together in quite some time, and the Bills have a very crafty set of coaches. We brought the pain in the end and don’t forget that our defense’s average age is now in the mid-20s as opposed to over 30 which it’s been for a while. We may not have the big names yet (Patriots players BECOME big names, they don’t start with them), but young defenses DO catch fire. You saw it last night… they started hitting and got totally fired up… then they went nuts.
One more thing… here’s hoping the Raiders go 0-16. Sorry, Richard, but the worse your team does, the higher our 1st round pick is next year.
It's a 2011 pick
So this season doesn’t really matter.
"These players, a lot of other people didn't believe in them, but they believe in themselves. And that is all that matters."- Bill Belichick
Rookie salary cap
There is strong indications of a rookie salary cap in 2011, so a top first round pick, in that year, has less risk (ie: paying too much for a dud). Depending on the quality of the draft class, Hoodie can either use it or trade it away for lower round picks.
Blogger at SBNation's Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit
yes, if we're not interested...
…then some other team will surely be desperate for a QB and sell the farm for a first-rounder. The Raiders maybe? lol.
Keep the faith!
I had already considered that option...
… it would be nice if it were a team with a lot of young goodies or with a high probability for a really good draft pick for the following season. We’ll trade you a first overall pick so you can get that QB… FOR YOUR SOUL! Heck man, we’re the evil empire and we always prevail. Long live Emperor Kraft and Darth Hoodie.
Or maybe we need one
Realistically drafting Brady’s replacement in two years makes sense. Then he’ll learn a couple of years on the bench.
We're screwed if he has to play this year or next year
But assuming he makes the leap O’Connell couldn’t, he could be the next Matt Cassell after that. That’s still a huge dropoff from Tom Brady, so we might be looking for a franchise QB anyway, but it’s enough to win with.
He looked as composed in that final preseason game
as Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez. And the last time Belichick showed such faith in a relative unknown who beat out a few vets/higher draftees was some guy named Tom.
by Comedic.Sans on Sep 15, 2009 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions
There's a big difference between preseason and regular season
So let me share what I’ve seen of Hoyer against my grad school alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, and in the Big Ten in general.
Last year, he completed 19 of 44 passes. Wisconsin’s defense stunk on ice last year.
The year before, he did much better: 22 of 36 for 323 yards with a couple of TDs. Nearly half the yards came after the catch, including 80 by Devin Thomas on a swing pass that went for one of the TDs. Hoyer didn’t do that great on downfield passes against a team that had a mediocre defense.
Overall, he barely completed 50% of his passes last year. In three years as a starter, he lost pretty much every game he played against a decent opponent, frequently by blowout. He didn’t get drafted because there are maybe three coaches in the world who could turn him into a serviceable NFL quarterback; fortunately for him, Belichick is one of them. He has some raw talent and occasionally even showed some flashes of brilliance in college, but he needs intensive tutoring over a hell of a lot longer period than a single preseason before he’s capable of playing in an NFL game that counts without looking like Ryan Leaf.
Brady, by contrast, started out seventh on Michigan’s depth chart and clawed his way to the top, and when he got there, he showed himself to be one of the best QBs in the Big Ten. Yes, he was still a marginal NFL prospect, but he had much better numbers than Hoyer ever did and he showed he had the mentality and will to make himself into a top QB. He’s also a pretty smart guy, and not just in a football sense — he graduated from Michigan with honors, and that’s a pretty damn good school. Take a guy with all those qualities and give him to Belichick and we all know what happens.
Comparing Hoyer to Brady is laughable. A more realistic comparison would be Cassell. And as good as Cassell was last year, remember that his performance was still a huge dropoff from Brady and he had three years to learn under Brady and Belichick before he had to play. And while he didn’t play in college, you might recall that he got beaten out by the slightest of margins for the starting job at USC by Matt Leinart, who was by any standard a great college player. That suggests that Cassell has more natural talent than Hoyer. So he had more talent and more time to learn and still wasn’t anywhere near as good as Brady. Just like Hoyer could be in a couple years, but not now.
I was thinking more of comparing him to O'Connell, Walter
He came in as an undrafted nobody and won his spot over stiff competition by a Patriots third-round pick who the coaches had raved over, an ex-NFL starting QB with a big arm, and whoever was in free agency after the other two left (including AJ Feeley).
I wasn’t directly contrasting him to Brady; it’s just worth remembering that the last time the coaches took a flier on their fourth-string guy, it worked fairly well. They must know what they’re looking for.
by Comedic.Sans on Sep 15, 2009 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions
And you wouldn't want a single one of those other guys playing for us either
Hoyer beat them out not because he’s great but because the rest of them aren’t. Hoyer has a bigger upside, but his ceiling is Cassel, and that only if he does absolutely everything right over the next few years.
He's good enough that the Pats didn't seem to pursue Feeley
or any other free agent QB. And you can’t tell me a year after Brady’s injury that they aren’t aware of the risks of being without veteran QB backup.
by Comedic.Sans on Sep 16, 2009 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions
He's not that good and they know it
They’re banking on Brady not getting hurt again. Think about it — if he goes down, Hoyer’s going to get thrown to the wolves because he’s just not ready. The Pats would have to sign somebody before the next game, and whoever they got wouldn’t be very good or he’d already have a job in the NFL.
So we could sign somebody now. Now tell me who you want to cut so we can bring in another mediocre QB.
Of course the Pats didn’t pursue Feeley too hard, but it’s not because they think Hoyer’s ready to step in if Brady gets hurt — he’s not. Belichick is taking a calculated risk that Brady doesn’t get hurt again. The odds are very much in his favor, and he’s obviously decided that it’s more important to carry greater depth at other positions. I suspect Law Firm would have been the one to go, but would you rather let him sign with some other team — and he would get a contract — in order to sign a mediocre backup QB, or would you rather keep him for when Maroney, Taylor, Morris, or Faulk leaves?
Since you asked
Slater to IR – they’ve got a good replacement in that new special-teamer they signed from the Browns, and they have to have him in the 53 because of practice-squad signing rules anyway. And I don’t consider Feeley to be a “mediocre backup QB” – he torched the Pats the last time they played, and he just happened to be in the unfortunate position of being the odd guy out in a potential Hall of Fame QB, a born-to-be-Wildcat guy, and a second-round draft pick QB-of-the-future. (And yes, I know he’s off the table now, but he wasn’t when they chose to go solely with Hoyer).
by Comedic.Sans on Sep 16, 2009 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions
So based on one game, he's not mediocre?
And that a game in which he threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown?
Joey Harrington had a pretty good game against us in 2006. Why not sign him?
Jake Plummer beat us up pretty badly in 2005. Maybe he’d come out of retirement for the Pats?
How about Gus Frerotte? He’s had some good games against the Pats.
Anybody can have a good game here or there. A guy who has completed 56% of his passes, gets six yards per attempt, and has just a couple more interceptions than TDs on his career is the very definition of a mediocre backup QB. Feeley is a poor man’s Trent Edwards, only without the smarts or the potential for improvement.
And that guy from Cleveland? He’s Bret Lockett, and he just played his first NFL game. But if he didn’t even figure into the Browns’ plans, he’s filler added to the roster for depth at DB, not a “good replacement” for Slater.
Belichick
likes picking guys up who’ve had success against the Pats. Greg Lewis had one good game; hired. Wes Welker had one good game; hired. Why not Feeley?
And that Lockett kid showed up around the ball on special teams a couple of times; that’s all anyone could really say about Slater lately. And from what I saw Browns fans say about him, he’s very quick. That’s pretty much Slater’s resume to this point. So yes, good replacement.
by Comedic.Sans on Sep 16, 2009 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Sure, Greg Lewis had one good game
Then he got cut because he’s just not that good, so he’s probably not the greatest example for you to use. But that’s exactly why not Feeley — because you don’t cut somebody from your roster who is useful to sign a mediocre backup QB who you hope will never play a single down unless you have no choice.
Lockett was around the ball, sure, but he was only involved in one tackle. So how much good did he really do? The fact is that he is filler, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he gets cut later in the season, especially if Belichick decides to bring in another linebacker while Mayo is out.
or wait a few picks for they guy he wants for less
by Patsfan4life on Sep 15, 2009 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Belichick with a first round, first pick
would be a terror on draft day trades. He’d whisper to the first round, second pick team “so, we know you want x, what’d you give me for him?” and get a pick out of them. And then he’d go to the third team and say “so, we know you want y, what’d you give me for him?”.
After half a dozen second, third or fourth round picks added, he might STILL draft an Adrian Peterson or Jerod Mayo. Just think of it. Haha.
by Comedic.Sans on Sep 15, 2009 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Sure it does
If the Raiders do well this year, they get a tougher schedule and worse draft pick next year. If you believe, as I do, that any improvement on their part this year is more a function of luck than anything else, then an improved record this year could easily mean a worse record next year, especially if Seymour leaves in free agency. In turn, that means a better draft pick for us.
Very true
In that case, we might want them to do pretty well. A 2010 top-ten guy ought to help them instantly, potentially translating into a 2011 pick of 18-32ish. A 2010 guy picked 18-32 might not make the starting roster, so they’d have much the same team to start off with, netting a 1-17 2011 pick. That’s very loose, of course, but it’d be nice if it works out that way.
by Comedic.Sans on Sep 15, 2009 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions
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