UofApatsfan

This is a random thought, but it dawned on me as I was watching the Cardinals Panthers game. Both teams had a QB who was starting his first game with the team, and both teams got very little production from the tight end position last year.

Cam Newton as we know set a record for passing yards in a QB's first NFL game. Of his 24 completions and 422 yards, Shockey and Olsen had 7 combined receptions and 129 combined yards.

Kolb didn't put up the huge amount of yards Cam put up but he was just as effective with a 130 passer rating. Of his 18 completions and 309 yards, King and Heap combined for 4 receptions, 101 yards and a TD (the TD being a 48 yarder where the utilized play action and no one was covering King).

Those two examples stick out since neither team utilized the tight end position at all last year but they're not the only ones.

Joe Flacco had one of the best games of his career and in the process Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta combined for 7 receptions 104 yards and a TD.

Matthew Stafford had a breakout game where Pettigrew was a big target and Tony Scheffler caught a TD.

Rex Grossman also played much better than anyone expected while Chris Cooley and Fred Davis had a combined 7 receptions for 126 yards.

Sanchez, in addition to utilizing Keller like he always does, had a big play to Jeff Cumberland. The Jets two tight ends combined for 94 yards and a TD.

Colt McCoy's 2nd and 3rd favorite targets yesterday were Ben Watson and Evan Moore, accounting for 6 receptions, 80 yards, and both of Cleveland's touchdowns.



As far as this relating to the Patriots, does anyone think that the increase in teams using multiple tight ends is a reaction to how much success Brady had with Hernandez and Gronk last year? Belichick is almost always ahead of the curve doing stuff 1-2 seasons before every other team starts doing them, and this seems like the newest example. Maybe it's just my imagination and teams utilize two tight ends that much every week, but I don't remember so many teams having the tight end position account for 100+ receiving yards in the same week.

Calciumee

Possible, but how many have a player like Hernz? Nevermind a Gronk or 2!

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Calciumee

Also, except Rex Grossman, they are young QBs! (Kolb included) Could be that they are usually the main outlet when there are no downfield passes!

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borg

I seem to recall teams passing to TEs this century and last

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IllegalContact

oh c'mon, man.......must you ruin the 'musta been cuz BB invented it' party?

I mean, really......forget the fact that newton threw for over 400 yards and that steve smith caught 178 of them.......

Calciumee

And wasn't it alot of YAC with Smith?

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Uncle Rico

Pats are very lucky to have them both - -I seem to remember National Football Post had them ranked 1 (Hernandez) and 2 (R Gronk) before the '10 draft, ahead of Gresham.

That said, there does seem to be a remarkable influx of talent at the position the past few years.

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ctpatsfan77

If you calculate the passer rating for individual QBs to individual receivers, according to ESPN, Brady-Hernandez was #5, and Brady-GRONK was #1.

That's not to TEs only. That's to all receivers.

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ALP

no, the OP is right.....last season TE's were not used as much, and most definitely not used in the exact ways they were this opening week


the routes and roles the TE's seemed to play yesterday looked extremely identical to how the Pats used the TE's last season

its almost as if the other 31 teams got together and decided that they would all mimic the pats in TE use

Chris collinsworth actually said something to the effect of "the raves are trying to utilize the TE much like the patriots did last year" during the ravens steelers broadcast

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Last time I lived in New England the Pats became a Dynasty

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Patjew

I heard that too. Is it weird that it made me feel proud?

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