Preseason Week 1 Stock Report
by Greg Knopping on Aug 13, 2010 11:01 AM EDT
in Patriots Game Reports
Email
Print
One thing that I like to do after each Patriots game is provide a "stock report" on the performance of a few individual players. The first preseason game was mostly positive, but there were a few players that didn't look too great.
Stock Up
Tom Brady: While he couldn't get the ball moving his first drive, he led the team all the way for a touchdown his second, bringing some good energy to the game in the process, while also looking quite sharp.
Randy Moss: Who said Randy Moss wasn't a good route runner? Moss made a couple of first down catches on comebacks to the sideline.
Brandon Tate: Was only targeted once, but made a beautiful 20-yard sideline catch, putting one foot down while dragging the other, keeping control of the ball in the process.
Patrick Chung: 2nd year safety was constantly around the ball, coming up with a couple of solid tackles.
Terrence Wheatley/Jonathan Wilhite: 3rd year cornerbacks made a couple of nice plays. Wilhite recovered nicely on a deep ball and made a big hit to force and incomplete on another play. Wheatley was solid in run support, and had a nice pass break-up near the goal line.
Brandon Deaderick: Rookie 7th round pick played a lot of snaps at defensive end, showcasing an ability to hold his ground against double teams, while also providing value as a pass rusher.
Marques Murrell: Wasn't a big name before training camp, but free agent acquisition who was primarily a special teams player with the Jets got the start, and provided some nice pass rush, finishing with two tackles a sack, and two quarterback hurries.
Gerard Warren: Former 3rd overall pick started at defensive end in place of Ty Warren, and provided some nice pass rush in addition to eating up blocks.
Sergio Brown: The rookie free agent out of Notre Dame was flying all over the field, and made a couple of big hits, including the one that caused an interception and sealed the game.
Brandon Spikes: Started at inside linebacker next to Jerod Mayo and was constantly around the ball and showing great instincts, combining for a total of eight tackles.
Zoltan Mesko: Rookie punter was solid in pinning opponents, finishing with a gross average of 43.6 yards on his punts. Also handled a bad snap on a field goal.
Dan Connolly: Did a solid job with the first unit at left guard. Also paved the way as a lead blocker for a BenJarvus Green-Ellis touchdown run.
Laurence Maroney: Didn't start but looked really solid. Had two touchdown runs and looked decisive in hit cuts.
Thomas Clayton/Chris Taylor: Both backs are long shots to make the roster, but both played well. Chris Taylor looked powerful and compact.
Brian Hoyer: 2nd year quarterback looked poised in his playing time, leading the Patriots to two touchdown drives. He never was rattled under pressure.
Julian Edelman: The unquestionable MVP of this game. He is so quick and shifty, over 75% of his yards came after the catch. Also, he was thrown at six times, and caught six passes.
Whose stock is down? Well, you're going to have to make the jump to find out!
Stock Down
Thomas Welch: Welch and the third team offensive line looked dreadful. Welch, particularly, looked slow.
Darius Butler: Had a bad illegal contact penalty in coverage on a Saints fourth down attempt, and couldn't stop Reggie Bush at the goal line a few plays later.
Tyrone McKenzie: McKenzie played alright, but he was bumped behind Dane Fletcher on the depth chart.
The 3rd String Offensive Line: I sort of already mentioned this unit, but they were really terrible. They made life very difficult for Zac Robinson, who was hit seemingly every time he dropped back to pass. These guys should have looked good, they were going up against the Saints' third unit as well.
Taylor Price: Price wasn't particularly bad, but he was very quiet, and couldn't come up with a catch the two times he was thrown at (although this probably was due to the fact that Zac Robinson had no time to throw more than anything).
Rob Gronkowski: Gronkowski had a solid first have as an in-line blocker. In the second half, his performance dropped sharply.
32 comments
|
2 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Great list.
I wouldn’t put Wilhite on stock up, though. Had a great break-up and a great hit, but he’s the reason the Saints got back in the game. Patrick Ramsey (Saints’ 2nd string QB) abused Wilhite with Adrian Arrington.
Also, I still think Gronk had a solid game when he was surrounded by solid players. I’m excited to see how he impacts the red zone passing game in the next couple weeks. The Patriots clearly worked on their red zone running game this week. I want to see passing next week!
Wilhite's stock definitely dropped.
He got burned pretty good on two occasions by the second-string offense. With the plethora of DBs that the Pats have (and the quality of play most of them exhibited last night), he’s got to be viewed as one of the bubble players that is now MORE likely to be cut than he was before the game.
Gronk has a lot to learn, but I'm still high on the guy
The replay of him running into Hoyer in the red zone was comical, but Hoyer recovered.
Keep the faith!
I was surprised we didn't see more of Gronk in the passing game.
But those 3 TE blocking sets were AWESOME.
Yeah, Wilhite was the one big miss of this list.
Missed tackles, poor coverage, and that deep breakup was an inch away from being a deep touchdown. The goal isn’t to barely get a finger on the ball at the last second, it’s to not provide a huge six-point target for the QB.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Aug 13, 2010 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Another down player
James Sanders. Got torched by Arrington, too. Looks like Wheatley’s making the roster after all….
Wheatley deserves another shot.
We was injured last year against the Colts and didn’t really get the benefit of developing throughout his second year. For all intents and purposes, this is really the year we should be looking for him to make the “leap.” Wilhite, conversely, has shown that he consistently makes the same mistakes over and over – a trend that’ll earn you a quick ticket off the Pats roster.
given that ...
Brandon Deaderick first year
Sergio Brown first year
Terrence Wheatley has less than year in nfl because of injury and played very few games
Chris Taylor first year
Marques Murrell has 3 years in nfl and played in 36 nfl games
Murrell should be starting to come into his prime and very experienced so shouldn’t be in poll and compared to first year people
Wheatley always had shown glimmers of potential so he should not be in poll
the remaining three are more unheralded
They're all pretty unheralded...
…and I think most people had written off Wheatley and Murrell from the final roster.
by Richard Hill on Aug 13, 2010 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Murrel will get better with more reps.
Maroney DID dance on one play, and that had me yelling at the TV, which in turn was at Maroney.
And that wilhite breakup on the deep ball was pretty much 95% luck. He didn’t really get his hand on it from what I’ve seen, and he wouldn’t have made the tackle if the WR caught it.
I'm also a Raider Fan dammit!!! RAIDER NATION!!!!
Down with Big Brother!
murrell with ...
3 years and 36 nfl games under his belt, he should be coming into his prime
the past scouting reports have him listed as average backup
his performance in exhibition should not be complete surprise given his past
murrell will have onus to prove himself in regular season that he is better than just an average nfl backup
Well... I meant starting reps. Not really subbing in.
Jarvis Green was a great backup when subbed in, but he really didn’t have starting experience, and it showed.
That’s kind of my impression on Murrel. He was mostly a special teamer, and he hasn’t really started, or played much on our team defense.
I'm also a Raider Fan dammit!!! RAIDER NATION!!!!
Down with Big Brother!
murrell may have ...
competition with germaine cunningham
we’ll have to wait until next preseason game to see where he is at
originally i thought
murrell was a newbie or had no games experience
Watch that Maroney play again if you can
He was immediately met with two unblocked defenders after the handoff. Can’t fault him on that one.
Keep the faith!
Eh. I think you are right.
ut I think I was wishing he cut tot he left, away from all those guys. But maybe he wouldn’t be able to do much fro there either.
I'm also a Raider Fan dammit!!! RAIDER NATION!!!!
Down with Big Brother!
I'll bet if you watch the replay of that LoMo run ...
that he was probably early to the line (or the line was late opening the hole).
We run a timing block run offense. If the timing is off, and the runner is early, the runner has to dance (part of being ‘patient’). If the timing is perfect, the runner just hits the hole in stride. If the runner is NOT patient he gives up on the hole and tries to run elsewhere – usually without good results.
I'd like our runners and OL to be more spontaneous(I can't think of that other word now...), or not as "planned out."
If we depend on everything being perfect on a run, then 90% of the time, things will not go your way.
I hope the whole timing thing is not the case, but it certainly seems so. Maroney needs slightly more chemistry with his OL blocking, and maybe SLIGHTLY better vision. I think he could make a great tandem with BJGE.
I'm also a Raider Fan dammit!!! RAIDER NATION!!!!
Down with Big Brother!
Folks put too much of that on Maroney
Most of his ‘dancing’ last year occured while our OL was in constant flux due to all the OL injuries. Once things settled down, and the RBs and the OL got reps together on a more consistent basis, it went fine.
Another running back who you could catch ‘dancing’ a lot was Jamal Lewis. Back when he was with the Ravens, they also ran a running game based on timing blocks and in his ‘bad’ years you would see him take all these little stutter steps as he approached the line. In his good years – such as the one that took him over 2000 yards of rushing – you didn’t see hardly any of that. The difference from year to year wasn’t Lewis. He always was pretty much the same downhill bull runner. But his OL stayed perfectly healthy and consistent that one magical year.
It’s pretty much analogous to running the hurdles in track. If you over stride off one hurdle, you have to short-step the next one. A running back wants to get his feet set just under and behind him so that he explodes into the hole.
In the end, folks get too bent over it. It doesn’t really mean all that much.
Im a big Maroney supporter, but I do sometimes expect some things from him that maybe I shouldn't.
I think he performed very well yesterday, and I believe he will have his best season this year. I don’t think he’ll dance that much either.
I'm also a Raider Fan dammit!!! RAIDER NATION!!!!
Down with Big Brother!
wouldn't a zone run scheme
be better for lo-mo since he likes to “dance”…just wondering
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
mmm might have answered my question
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
With a zone-block scheme
He might’ve been able to put up numbers like Clinton Portis’s in Denver – 5.5 ypc. He wouldn’t have to get the timing right to hit holes made by man-on-man blocking, he would have holes opened for him by multiple blockers hitting single defenders.
However, that means you’d have smaller, lighter O-linemen keeping pass-rushers off Brady. After 2008, I’m not sure anyone could say only having small men between Brady and defensive players is a good idea.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Aug 13, 2010 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions
btw - the only real alternative model is a zoned blocking scheme
such as Shanahan uses. In that model, the runner is expected to free-lance more, picking out which zone (‘gap’ actually) to dive into.
That worked great for him for many years in Denver. However, a lot of folks argue that it uses cut-blocks that are borderline illegal. It also is usually run with a slightly smaller set of offensive linemen – who may not be as good at pass protection. Given that Tom Brady is so important to us, I think you’ll agree that pass protection is an important thing …
would a stretch play like what the colts do work for lo mo?
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Could do
but for anything where the Pats want to get an RB outside the tackles, they usually do an RB screen or swing to Faulk or Morris. The extra delay usually lets the bigger (in comparison to zone-blocking teams) Pats O-linemen get out to make blocks on defenders.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Aug 13, 2010 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions
def put wilhite on the roste bubble now
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Media requests: Please email patspulpit at gmail.com
Related FanPosts on Pats Pulpit
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
