PATSNUTme

I was thinking the other day how Koppen does not get enough credit or appreciation.

He stepped in as a rookie in 2003 and has played well every year since then. He was starting center on 2 SB winnig teams and the 2007 team that went 16-0. He did male the Pro Bowl that year.

All he does is call the line plays, get the ball back to TFB, and oh yes take on beasts like Casey Hamton, Kris Jenkins, and the like. There has only been 2 games since 2003 that I have noticed him get beat. One was the SB againts the Giants when the entire OL was getting beat and the other was in San Diego when J. Williams knocked him back several times.

He's not mentioned as being one of the elite NFL centers, but he's having another solid year and I'd hate to replace him.

Box_O_Rocks

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Lampshade

Well said. He's having a very good year again, but usually only gets mentioned when he has a bad play. I never worry about him, never worry about his line calls, and never worry about bad snaps.

JackBauer

Koppen has been a valued contributor for some time, but calling his performance this year "very good" is a bit of an overstatement. I'd say he's been mixed, at best. Though he has looked better (the entire OL has) since Mankins returned.

jmt57

True, the only time a player like Koppen is mentioned is after a penalty or sack, a bad play or a bad game like the ones you mentioned. Similar to long snappers, the less often they are noticed, the better they are playing.

Thursday will be a big challenge for Koppen and the coaching staff, facing DT Ndomakung Suh.

betterthanthealternative

This is one of the two story lines in the game (the other being Johnson vs. our D backs). The only way the Detroit D will slow down the Pats is if Suh has a monster game. And he is very capable of it.

DaBruinz

I've noticed Koppen getting beat numerous times since the 2007 SB. Including the play-off game against Baltimore when Koppen blew the Protection that allowed Ray Lewis in on Brady, resulting in a sack.

Koppen was horrible in the Jets game this year and was mediocre against Buffalo. He handled Casey Hamption this year, but Hamption isn't the player he used to be.

Koppen is one of the players I don't expect back next year unless it's as a reserve..

Lampshade

The call was fine, Maroney just got blown up by Lewis.

Buffalo was quite possibly one of the best games he's ever played. He was absolutely dominating in the run game.

Jets game I really don't fancy re-watching.

I'll be as shocked as it's possible to be if he's not starting center next year.

Ilikehappyppl

I like Dan and the whole O-line for that matter, just a great group we have this year and have had in years past.

DaBruinz

Wrong. The call wasn't fine. First off, it's the center's responsibility to pick up any LB who may come through the interior on a delayed blitz. Koppen didn't. Second, Koppen actually opened up the hole that Lewis came through because Koppen slid over to help Mankins even though Mankins didn't need help. Lastly, Maroney was over behind Neal and Connolly, where he was supposed to be. He was lucky to get as much of Lewis as he did. Maroney didn't do a lot of things right, but that is one of the things he did do correctly.

We'll just have to agree to disagree because Buffalo wasn't that great a game for Koppen. Not in pass protection.

Oh, go back and watch the Baltimore game as well. I'm fairly certain that Koppen was the one who blown up by Haloti Ngata for the 2 sacks of Brady.