In what can only be described as a mediocre showing overall, the New England Patriots were able to pull this one off.  I guess a W is a W, but I was hoping to see a number of things fixed after having 2 weeks to do so.  That being said, I do believe Cassel looked far better in this game than against Miami.  He was scrambling at times (more on that later), but he seemed to be making good receiver choices (if you discount not seeing Moss uncovered in the end zone).  At any rate, let's get into it.

Offense

• Cassel and Receivers - The bye week seems to have done Matt and the receiver corps some good.  The 66 yarder to Moss was a thing of beauty, something you'd see wonderboy throw.  Matt and the WRs went 22 for 32 with 2 interceptions throwing up 233 yards in the process - not bad.  Matt seems to be making better decisions and picking his receivers well.  That one bomb to Moss that turned into an interception was underthrown, but I'll give him that if it's all part of developing a long ball with The Real (Talented) #81.  Welker quietly puts up 8 for 73 while Gaffney does 3 for 35 very important grabs.
• Running game - Only putting up 144 yards rushing, the running backs were having a tough time with 43 rushing plays and a paltry 3.3 yard average.  Maroney was a disappointment with 10 touches and only 26 yards while Sammy Morris managed 16 touches and 63 yards.  Kevin Faulk went 7 for 32, but had the only 2 TDs for the running backs.  He was "Mr. Big Play" when the Pats needed it.  Jordan balanced Morris' precision with steamroller efficiency.
• Offensive Line - A better defense would've ground Cassel into the turf.  JHR has a better analysis in the postgame thread, but they have got to stop letting LBs and DBs into the backfield.  In addition, they're allowing defensed to jam the line and force RBs to work harder.  Maroney is bouncing off the line looking for holes; I can't blame that totally on him and gotta spread some of the demerits to the O line.

Defense

• Speed Package - According to the Boston Globe's Mike Reiss, the Patriots are sometimes employing a "speed package" which utilizes 1 DL, 4 LBs and 6 DBs.  I'll have to keep my eye out for this one.
• Third Down Conversions - Holding the 49ers to a 1 for 9 third down conversion efficiency, the defense was able to keep the Patriots' offense on the field for 40 minutes vs. the 49ers 20 minutes.  I always harp on this as a difference maker; In my mind, third down efficiency is the mark of a good offense and keeping low, the mark of a good defense.
• Defensive Backs - Both Rodney Harrison and Brandon Meriweather managed 1 big interception apiece, but the DBs seemed perplexed by the 49ers WR, Isaac Bruce.  Bruce came up with 2 TDs.
• Frank Gore - I said in my game preview that the Patriots had to contain Gore and they couldn't manage it, giving him 12 touches for 54 yards.  This is a D-line/linebacker issue.  They need to jam the line and plug up those holes or guys like Gore with chew them up.

Special Teams

• Stephen Gostkowski continues to absolutely spank the ball on kickoffs, putting the ball in the endzone with 3 touchbacks.  His 35 and 40 yard field goals were money.
• While G-Man is doing great, punter Chris Hanson continues to infuriate me.  A 25 yard out-of-bounder and a touchback are just not cool and situations like this.  His accuracy needs to improve or Belichick will be exercising more kickers.
• Ellis Hobbs continues to show he's one of the most solid and dangerous return men in the game.  He may not be a top 5 CB, but let's see Asante Samuel average 28 yards per return with a long of 35.  Way to go Ellis.

The day started off poorly for the Patriots, with two good returns wasted. The first drive went three and out.  After the defense earned a punt from Miami, the offense gave it right back. In the second start of his career, Cassel showed poor pocket awareness and bad decision-making, forcing a terrible interception on a screen pass -- a gift to Dolphins defensive end Randy Starks that hit him in the belly. Miami took the invitation and went 74 yards on 8 plays, capping their drive with a gadget-play TD run.  With quarterback Chad Pennington lined up in the slot, Ronnie Brown took a direct snap, faked an end-around hand-off to Ricky Williams and followed his pulling guard into the endzone, untouched.  Dolphins 7, Pats 0.

It was a harbinger of things to come.  Game summary and open post-game thread over the jump.

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The New England Patriots' last preseason game against...drumroll please...their arch nemesis, the New York Giants.  The team that snatched victory from the hands of our boys from Foxboro...please.  It's a time for Belichick and the coaching staff to make some determinations about the roster, to test a few more theories and to get some final reps in before it matters.

As much as we've harped on the poor showing of our guys on the field, I've come to believe only the coaching staff truly knows why they played that way.  Ellis Hobbs playing soft for the past 2 games?  He may have been told to do so in order to prevent injury (he is recently off of the PUP, ya know).  Matt Cassel getting hammered?  Some folks have already pointed out he's played against first stringers vs. the 2nd and 3rd stringers Gutierrez and O'Connell have come up against.  And, as I've stated before, there's the mad scientist, Bill Belichick, cooking up who knows what and hiding large portions of the playbook.

Quarterbacks - We shouldn't read too much into this, but Tom Brady is in the projected starting lineup.  However many (or few) reps he takes doesn't matter; it'll be good to see him in a game situation, albeit preseason.  What happens to numbers 2, 3, and 4 is anyone's guess and I'm more confused than ever.  I will say if Belichick needs an open roster spot, he may look at one of these 3.

Running Backs - I am 90% that this gang of 5 (Maroney, Morris, Faulk, Jordan, Evans) is protected.  I firmly believe Belichick thinks teams are scheming against the aerial assault of the '07 season, so he's switching gears and emphasizing the run.  I haven't seen Jordan's hands, but we have Faulk for that; I believe Jordan's our redzone back.

Wide Receivers - Randy is Randy; he'll always have a starting spot.  Monday, the other WR spot in the projected starting lineup was empty, but now contains Jabar Gaffney.  This is interesting for a couple of reasons: 1) Wes is not there and may be recovering from his rib injury (I will bring him chicken soup and tea with honey and magazines...STOP THAT!) and 2) Jabar is the guy, not Chad.  Chad's play has improved through the preseason, but only the coaches know if he can move forward.  Even though CJ Jones made some plays in the last outing, he has not impressed me in the preseason; I think he's at risk.

Offensive Line - Matt Light returned to practice on the 25th, but is not seen in the projected starting lineup for thursday night.  It still adds a needed boost just to know Matty's back.  I won't go into each player in detail, but overall, possibly reading too much into it, Belichick is a little more confident in the O line as he's put Brady back there.  Again, Brady taking reps could change in a heartbeat, but that's my take.

Linebackers - Bruschi (obviously) and Mayo at ILB.  Not Victor Hobson, the veteran from NYJ, but Jerod.  Victor has struggled to transition from OLB to ILB and has, in my mind, been beat out by Mayo.  Victor is on the bubble.  At OLB we find Mike Vrabel and Pierre Woods.  This may mean Woods got the job over Crable, but it's still tough to tell.  I hope Crable isn't on the chopping block; I like him.

Cornerbacks -  We find Ellis Hobbs and Fernando Bryant and I think #3 will be Terrence Wheatley.  At one time, we were carrying no less than 10 cornerbacks and we're now down to 8 with the most recent roster cut being Jason Webster.  I believe this to be the most vulnerable group of all (we only carried 4 in 2007).

Safeties - For months I've been saying Rodney Harrison and Brandon Meriweather own these roles, but just realized they both play the SAME position - strong safety.  We may see both of them on the field at the same time, but not always.  Your free safety will, most likely, be John Lynch.  John will also assume the nickel role on passing situations and either James Sanders or Antwain Spann will jump in at free safety.  The Patriots have been placing a lot of emphasis on nickel packages so I'm interested to see how it plays out.

Special Teams - in the depth charts, CJ Jones, Wes Welker and Chad Jackson are listed as punt returners, while Chad Jackson and Matthew Slater take kickoff returns.  This could be a saving grace for guys like Jackson and Slater who may be on the bubble in other positions, but can contribute here.

Whew, if you made it through that, gold star.  My fingers are tired of typing and my brain hurts.  The older I get, the less I can cram in there and something, inevitably, has to leak out first.  Fire away with your predictions on who stays or just cut this story to shreds.  It's all good.

Every time I hear that monicker for a swashbuckler I think of the old joke my father used to tell me:

Father: Where are your buccaneers?
Me: I don't know.
Father: On the side of your buccanhead.

Bahdum, ssssss.  Thank you very much - I'm here all weekend.

Ugly is my word for this game.  Ugly, messy, stinky.  There were very few bright spots in what was an abysmal showing.  However, as I've mentioned before, relax.  This is preseason and it's not about winning, although winning would be nice.  It's a science experiement.  It's about putting players in situations and examining the outcome.  It's about getting as many players on the field as possible.  And it's about getting a look at players so coaches can decide who to send home.  A few rambling thoughts:

• A most excellent observation by standingpat during the game thread, the defense was "bend don't break" and very generic, as if BB was purposely "hiding" his good stuff.  This was evidenced by CB Ellis Hobbs playing very soft for the first part of the game.  Bucs QB Brian Griese made the same observation.
• Adam?  We heart you and thanks for the rings, but DANG!!  G-man spanks a 53 yarder.  2 games in a row he's money.
• Welker looked like he'd shaken off the rust from a post season groin injury which put him on the PUP.
• Cassel stretched out Moss midfield and I thought he was going to get crushed.  Brady never does that as it spells disaster for tall skinny guys like Randy or little skinny guys like Wes.  2 de-merits, Matt.
• Speaking of Cassel, he's in the fight of his career and he's losing.  No excuses at this point, because the vets were on the field.  Matt can't blame "The Chad" or CJ Jones for his woes when Moss and Welker were on the field for a crapload of snaps.  He managed only 3 points in 6 drives.  Not good.
• S Brandon Meriweather appeared to be in considerable pain when he left the game in the first quarter.  If it's serious, batter up - John Lynch.
• Kevin O'Connell, after looking pretty good in his first NFL outing against the Ravens, throws an interception on his first play against Tampa Bay.  Later, he admits he forced that one and the ball should've ended up in the stands.
• ILBs weren't plugging the gaps during Tampa Bay running plays.  Even veteran Bruschi was having a tough night.

General observations: There were some glaring individual mistakes on the field.  But, this is where I gotta say Belichick is smarter than me.  He's playing very basic, vanilla offenses and defenses.  There's nothing exotic nor is there anything special about what he's putting on the field.  It's all about evaluation in a "live" situation, against someone wearing a different helmet.

Buccanhead...I kill myself.

Who am I to question Bill Belichick? In fact, who am I to question anyone, for that matter?  But, this one has me on the fence.  Had Tank been in the Patriots system for a few years, you may not have seen him on the field for more than a few plays.  However, a veteran of other squads, the coaching staff needed to see what he had and what happened?  Whammo!  Boff!  Boom!  He's on IR with a knee injury.  I'm really bummed about this one.  Tank was never projected to start at safety; those roles are owned by Meriweather and Harrison.  But, Tank could've filled that magical hybrid role of safety/cornerback.  He would've played that "in between" nickel spot during pass defenses so critical for backing up the corners and giving the safeties time to react.  He would've given offenses fits.  But NOOOOOOOO!!  Tank's season is effectively over.  I was looking forward to seeing him play.

The pickup of Jeff Shoate is a mystery to me.  Do we really need to carry 9 cornerbacks?  You read that right NINE!  Most assuredly, some number of them will be cut.  What did BB see last Thursday that caused him to pull in another corner?  What does he know that we don't know?  Tons probably, but I'm not seeing it right now.  Head...itch...scratching.

DE Richard Seymour seems to be back.  On Thursday, he drew a holding penalty that lead to Adalius Thomas' strip sack.  Richard had this to say recently:

I'm feeling stronger. I feel good, just ready to get the season rolling," he said. "At the same time, there is a lot of work we have to do, a lot of fine-tuning. We're excited about the season coming up, and we're looking forward to finishing the season.

Seymour is one of the best DEs in the league and it's good to see him having a productive preseason.  Big, smart and experienced, he'll be unstoppable if he stays healthy.

Junior Seau and the team have yet to decide if he'll be back:

"Yeah, we talked, but again there is nothing to report," Seau responded. "Obviously, I have to be healthy enough to get in there and perform at a high level and right now I'm not ready."

At the end of the interview, Seau also pointed out that even if he could return, the Patriots would have to have a need for his services.

I like Junior.  I like him a lot.  I just don't see where he fits at this point.  If Belichick brings him back, it would be a nostalgia move and not one based on logic, IMO.

Finally, there's 3 public training camp sessions left: tue-thu, 2:30-4:30.  Given the weather forecast for Foxboro, it looks like Wednesday will be the only day with a ray of hope.

I struggled mightily with which picture to put up here.  Was it Rodney, dualing like a warrior with NYG's Tyree, during the final minutes of XLII?  Was it any number of interceptions or hits against opposing receivers?  In the end, I chose this one because I think it's what it's all about.  Whatever you think of the guy, he means a great deal to New England and the fans.  A 5 year Patriot, 14 years in the league, HE...DAH...MAN.

Part of playing this position is a sense of swagger.  The final line of defense against all manner of offensive attacks, safeties need to play with an abandon not found with a lot of other players.  And they need to carry themselves with an attitude that says, "You want some?  Come and get it!  Try to get past me.  I'm gonna bust you up."  Often times they do.  They make receivers pay for their mistakes.  They make those acrobatic leaping gazelles remember they were in safety territory.  If a safety can't make an interception, he'll wait until you're stretched out, pulling down a pass, and then get him some.  Yeah, the good ones dare you to cross the line they've drawn on the turf.  The great ones want you to.

Rodney Harrison - Rodney owns this position for the Patriots.  He is the franchise safety and will be for the next few years.  With 14 years in the league, he's approaching that time when his body just won't be able to keep up with the position.  He's the mentor - teaching the younger dudes or passing on the system to the more experience free agents.  At any rate, starter is not even a question for this guy.  Someone will have to rip that position from his cold, dead fingers.

Brandon Meriweather - The heir apparent to Rodney's throne, Brandon will simply not see a lot of playing time until Rodney moves on.  There is, however, much talk of him playing a role at CB.  This could be an interesting one to watch.

Tank Williams - Tank's been around.  With 6 years in the league, he's still young enough to have an endless motor, but experienced enough to come up-to-speed very fast.  Plus, I like his name.  I see him starting along side Harrison in 2008.

Mark Dillard - There is almost no information on Mark.  What little there is, projects him to be to guy most likely to be cut.

James Sanders - James emerged as a player in 2007 and jumped in for Harrison when necessary.  In 2008, look for the 2 to split time to keep them both healthy.  They both play on the edge and, consequently, suffer because of it.

Raymond Ventrone - Raymond has had limited success with the Patriots and has been moved from active roster to practice squad a number of times.  That, in and of itself, does not bode well for him.  Look to see him cut if Belichick needs to make decisions about the roster.

To me, this is fairly obvious: Harrison with Sanders rotating in and out.  Brandon, and then Tank filling in when needed.  Dillard and Ventrone are either heading to the practice squad or chopping block.

 
via cache.boston.com 

As many of you know, Mike Reiss is a sports reporter for the Boston Globe and scribes about the goings on with our favorite team, the New England Patriots. Mike's fact-based writing style provides us Patriots nuts with great reference material; you will often see him quoted here, more so than any other reporter.

I knew Mike Reiss was prolific, but I realized just how crazy he was during the Goodell/Specter press conferences.  Reiss's Pieces , Mike's Patriots blog, was being updated constantly with the goings on.  I think it really connected us fans with what was happening at the time.

I've done enough jabbering.  Let's get to the Q&A.

A Colts blogger of ours did an excellent analysis suggesting it will take time for the Patriots's new acquisitions to add value to the defense.  Have Belichick and the front office done enough to fill the gaps between the old guard (Bruschi, Vrabel, Seau) and the new guard (Crable, Mayo) while our rookies come up-to-speed?

Reiss: Time will obviously tell, but I'm going to say a definitive "yes" right now. One area that stood out to me at recent organized team activities was the versatility among many of the defenders, and how the Patriots have a lot of different parts that will allow them to do different things. I could be way off on this, but I think this defense is going to be a lot more dynamic than we've seen in recent years. I sense they're going to try some new things -- a little 3-4, a little 4-3, different sub-package combinations -- and I wonder how much the influence of new secondary coach Dom Capers is playing into that. It might be stuff that we don't see for a few weeks and then all of a sudden it pops up. In terms of the new defenders, I think Fernando Bryant looks like he's a starter at one cornerback spot. I also envision Jerod Mayo and Victor Hobson teaming up with Tedy Bruschi to provide a 1-2-3 combo at inside linebacker. I wouldn't be surprised if Brandon Meriweather is in the starting lineup at safety and much improved, with Tank Williams a major factor in sub packages, bridging the gap between safety and linebacker. On paper, the Patriots might be a bit weaker on the back end of the defense (it hurts to lose Asante Samuel), but I think they'll be stronger in the front seven. Overall, this rates as one of my top storylines going forward -- how will this defense be re-shaped? I might be reading the tea leaves wrong, but it's one reason I particularly enjoy following a Bill Belichick-coached team. Good luck figuring out what's coming next.

The Red Sox won the World Series, The Patriots narrowly missed having a perfect season and the Celtics are inches away from a championship. Have we become spoiled?  Are our expectations now too high?

Reiss: Can I turn this question over to safety Rodney Harrison? Entering his 15th NFL season, Harrison was asked this exact question at the Patriots Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament on Monday. His answer: "No question, fans are spoiled. Having a baseball team, world champions. A football team. Now possibly with our basketball team. Just a great legacy and history of winning championships around here. Hopefully it continues." As for my own opinion, I think Harrison is probably right in some respects. I'd just add that it seems to me that many fans realize this is a great era of sports in town that we'll be reflecting upon fondly when we all look back. Given all the ups and downs of the Patriots since their inception -- not just wins and losses, but ownership instability and off-field incidents -- I don't think any long-time Patriots/football fan who lived through that can ever really be considered spoiled.

Tom Brady won't be around forever.  Do you think the Patriots see something in Kevin O'Connell indicating he's the future of this franchise?

Reiss: I don't know if I would word it that way. Obviously, a team wouldn't draft a player in the third round, specifically a quarterback, if it didn't think it had a chance to be a big part of the future of the franchise. But in this case, I think it's as much as being a No. 2 as it is the possibility of being a future starter. More than 60 quarterbacks started at least one game last year in the NFL. That's an astronomical number, and a reminder of the importance of the backup spot. Can Matt Cassel be that guy? I don't think anyone knows the answer, because it's a question that can only be answered if he's thrust into that role, and he hasn't been. So in that case, I like the idea of improving your odds by adding a highly touted player to the mix. I also like the idea that Cassel's contract expires after this season and the team gives itself built-in insurance. That's just smart long-range planning. I'd also point out that there have been positive signs from Matt Gutierrez, a rookie free agent who signed with the club in 2007. The Patriots have been fortunate that Tom Brady has been an ironman, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't prepare for the possibility of having to call on a backup.

There's been a lot written about Chad Jackson and his return to full time play. Do you think he could be the Donte Stallworth replacement we're looking for?

Reiss: Yes, but I don't have the highest confidence at this point. Maybe it's that I caught out of the corner of my eye Jackson running the wrong route in the weekend mini-camp, when there wasn't a defense on the field. I don't want to base my opinion solely on that -- it would be short-sighted to do so -- but I also know there needs to be a trust and bond that develops between quarterback and receiver and that doesn't seem to be there at this point with Tom Brady and Jackson. That's what training camp is for, and it's probably fair to say that's why Jackson will be one of this camp's most intriguing stories to follow.

It's early and there's been limited access to Patriots voluntary camps (ie: Passing Camp), but which new acquisition do you see as adding value quickly?

Reiss: Not including the obvious choice of first-round pick Jerod Mayo, cornerback Fernando Bryant would be at the top of my list. I also think Victor Hobson is going to help, and people will be looking back and saying 'How could there not have been more interest in the free agent market for him?' The third name I'd add to the list is Tank Williams; much of today's game is played with offenses calling on three- and four-receiver packages, and he adds value as an extra defensive back who has linebacker-like skills.

A big Thank You to Mike Reiss for his time and thoughtful answers.  Very cool, Mike.  Don't forget to check out Mike's articles as well as Reiss's Pieces at boston.com