patfanken

Just some miscellaneous thoughts about this afternoon.

1. Wes Welker is the most unlikely superstar WR you can imagine. He is so OPPOSITE what you'd expect a dominant WR to look like, its almost mind numbing. Just picture a police line up of the elite WRs in the league. CJohnson, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitcgerald,, etc ....and then Wes Welker

b. Its interesting, that despite the fact that he's 30, and slight of stature, and takes a wicked beating every game; he is defining common wisdom by having what amounts to a break out season. He seems quicker, faster (and they are not the same thing) and more sure handed. But this is really the first year in his career, despite all his prior catvches, that Wes is playing more than just a slot possession WR role. THIS season he is running all the routes

c. Generally guys who enter their 30's and are in their NINTH season, do not improve their ypc by over 50% Welker in his previous 4 seasons only averaged just over 10 ypc He is currently averaging over 15 yp

d. The bad news is, what do the Pats do about his contract. On one hand how can you NOT reward a player who has been so consistently good for everyone of the 5 years he's been here, especially when he havng a record breaking season in his contract year.

On the other hand is it REALLY the wisest decision to pay him the going rate for his kind of production. Do you really want to pay a 31 year old WR over $10+MM for the next 3-4 years, especially one of his stature.

The problem with guys his size, is that went it starts to go south, it goes south very quickly. Troy Brown had his most productive seasons in his 9th and 10th years with about 100 receptions in those years. IN his last 4 season with the Pats he never topped 43 catches, which is ironic since it was in those years that the Pats offense was morphing into the passing juggernaut its become.s

The point being that while it seems like a no brainer to just pay him what ti takes, its really not that simple

2. Nat Solder- Image where the OL would have been if we haven't drafted this kid. His play has been so consistently good, its scary. You only have to watch what happened to the Jets when they had to replace just one key player on its OL;. Meanwhile the Pats have had to replace TWO, and have done so seamlessly.

All I heard today was how banged up the Steeler OL is, and how banged up the Jets OL is, and How banged up their Bears OL is. What we never hear is how banged up the Pats OL is. Why? Because we've managed to carry on without a hitch.

3. THe thought that Gronk and Nate are going to line up next to each other for most of the decade, not only sends shivers down MY spine, imaging how Ridley and Vareen feel. Don't forget that Gronk is one of the better rum blockers among TE's

4. I can't believe what a great pick up Brian Waters turned out to be. He's been here just over a month and it seems like he's been a Patriot forever.

5 I think people should better appreciate what the defense accomplished today. They controlled the league's best rushing offense. They went on the road and allowed a team which had averaged 35 points the last 2 game to only 13 non garbage time points. And they did it WITHOUT 2 key DL men (Wright and Haynesworth) without 2 of the top 3 CBs.AND without their defensive MVP. Not to mention that aside from an impaired Patrick Chung, an almost invisible Safety group

6, While it would be nice to see a defensive performance like we saw last night by the Ravens D, we shouldn't focus so much on the total yds the defense allows. Its STILL about the points, and the Pats performance in the Red Zone this year gives me hope that things will improve, much like they did last season.;

I would also point out that the 2001 and 2003 Pats defenses ranked 26th and 24th respectively in those Superbowl years

7. I'm not one of those people who believe that the Pats have made a radial shift to the 4-3, it still looks to me that the Pats DL is stll predominately looking to control the DLman as they rush the passer, like in the 2 gap, instead of just trying to get past them in a one gap.
Now this is just an impression. Hopefully one of you guys who tape the game and analyze it can confirm or deny that impression.

8. Hopefully we will at least get back Dowling, Boddin and Haynesworth for next week and we will start to see some impact plays from the Safeties no named Chung. I'd settle for at least hearing their names called for some positive results. Hard to evaluate the D, with so many key parts missing or playing impaired.

9. With Haynesworth and Wright out and Love getting hurt, it looks like having Brace and Deadrick waiting in the wings wasn't such a bad situation. Now its begining to look more like perfect timing. BTW can someone remind me of when these guys can start to practice with the team and how long do we have before we have to activate them or send them to IR.

10. Among the comments I heard by commentators that rang true was concerning the negative effect the lack of padded practices are having on certain aspects of the game like run offense - run defenee - pass rush and Tackling. I would really hope that the league and NFLPA would look to amend these rules after the season. I understand what they were trying to do, but they went too far and its affecting the game

11. And now its on to JETS WEEK!!!!!. The bad news is the Pats don't play defense as well as the Ravens do currently. The good news is, our QB isn't going to have a 33% completion rate. Let the games begin. Go find me Gunnails

nashvillepatsfan

Gunnails probably isnt in the mood for us tonight

tuckeverlasting

poor thing.

__________________
john clayton is super chicken and doug gottlieb is a thief .

Fencer

You just argued that run offense and run defense are both suffering as compared with prior seasons.

Umm -- how can you tell?

__________________
"To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness." -- Oscar Wilde

MoLewisrocks

It's not the size of the dog in the fight Ken, it's the size of the fight in the dog. Welker is a beast and a durable one. He kind of put it out there tonight in the presser that everyone in his unit needs to put in the kind of effort and attention to detail that he does. He's the one guy on this team who has matched Brady's intensity consistently since the day he arrived. Much like Tom after 2008, he has racheted the intensity up to another level. It's all about the guaranteed money, and he's earned a guaranteed deal that matches his entire previous deal. He's not going to back off any more than he did the last time. He and Brady are two guys you can count on to deliver and hold up their end of a deal barring catestrophic injury (and even then in a manner of speaking because they will come back). This guy can get on the field and stay on the field and consistently make impact plays. Screw your perceptions. Nem was convinced he was a mistake because of his.

Wes is the perfect example for a Belichick constructed team to emulate on both sides of the ball. If you have enough talent to get here you have enough to be a playmaker if you make that your unwavering focus. You can get a little faster or quicker or stronger not to mention smarter. Don't settle for arriving - the goal is achieving. Don't allow narrow minded critics to pidgeon hole you. Be singleminded, figure out whatever it's going to take for you to be a difference maker and just do it.

It would go a long way if some of the young prospects and some of the veteran reclamation projects could muster a fraction of the unwavering determination the QB and his binky still exhibit regularly after years of success in the league.

NFL contracts are always a crapshoot and we waste enough money speculating on guys who never step up or once rewarded peter out. Invest in excellence and at least you send a message that is paramount in this largely blue collar system. Don't give Bill an excuse to chase the hype because that's not his forte and it's not how this team has won.

DarrylS

Enjoyable as always.. I agree about Welker, probably not going to be MVP, but defies the prototypical NFL WR.

One thing you left out was our running game, very impressed with both BJGE and Ridley.. even when Woodhead went down, we did not miss a beat. BJGE with the legs pumping and hanging on to the rock and Ridley's speed.

There was a deliberate intent to balance the game plan, to take some of the pressure off of TB.. the results were not as pretty, but the ending was good.

My concerns right now have to do with the health of the Defense.. it is being reported that Mayo has a sprained knee, will have to depend on Spikes and Guyton.. also Ninkovich left the game as well. Too many injuries this year.

__________________
"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

borg

1) WW:
On pace for....
2464 yds
20 TDs
160 catches.......Wasn't Moss paid $9 mill/year as a Pat. Our TWWofTDG (tiny white warrior of touchdown goodness) is gonna be rich

2) In the past two weeks, the Pats 1st and goal, inside the 5, rushing offense is 1 for 4 (BJGE TD). Buffalo pushed the O line backwards on 2 series (Light and Mankins were getting blown up by Buffalo) requiring Brady to bail 'em out and Oakland stood strong at the end of the game. This could be a big problem going forward. Looks like Brady will need to be passing on 4th and short when BB decides to go for it, and on the goal line.

3) Ds are starting to double the Gronk seam pass. Time to add a wrinkle or two

4) How about the confusion/mahem the Ravens D created vs the Sanchize. I'm so excited by the Jets O line failures that I actually believe we might get a sack next week!!!! In all seriousness, the Ravens were willing to give up the big play by creatively blitzing and just happened to score 3 TDs in the process. This Vanilla Pats D has to be scrapped this week. If not vs the Jets....WHEN?

__________________
"In the end, Belichick juiced Moss like an orange, and once all the good pulp was squeezed, he tossed Moss aside. "


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

PatsWickedPissah

While I agree completely, and your post bears repeating I'm PMing Ian to have you banned for even mentioning you-know-who.

__________________
Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as "bad luck." RAH

PatsWickedPissah

Look at Brady's stats so far this year and what stands out (OK besides the # of picks early in the season)? The # of plays OVER 20 yards. That's because of 2 players, Gronk and Welker. It's more remarkable that Welk this far in his career has moved his game up a notch. Yes he is running routes that the OC did not have him run previously AND he's wide open on most of them. Brady had a good game Sunday but not his very good game. He missed 2 deep balls to a wide open Welker who had clearly beaten the coverage deep. Scary.

Although on 2nd thought we were better off not scoring quickly as our D had more time to rest and less time to give up yards. The eat the clock run game served this problematic D very well vs the hurry up offense that scores quickly and gives the opposition more possessions per game. Take note BOB and BB. I'm certain that in looking at their D in game planning they got that offensive result on purpose.

__________________
Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as "bad luck." RAH

FreeTedWilliams

The First thing the Jets will do is put Revis on Welker. Rivas will hold Welker all day and get away with it like he always does. The Pats are still in serious trouble! Now with Mayo out, ouch. The Raiders went 90 yards in two plays, granted it was the end of the game, but that is exactly it, at this time you are suppose to let the guy catch the ball in front of you and tackle him in bounds and make them burn up the clock, no 90 yards in two plays!!!!

The Pats offense is looking better, and Riddley is looking good, but Woodhead went out of yesterday's game and did not return. Does that mean Vareen??? Unless Dirty Sanchez turns the ball over three times, I have a hard time seeing the Pats winning. Not only can't their defense stop anyone, is it me, or is EVERYONE open in the Pats secondary?? I can't even tell if they are playing man or zone! Everyone is open by ten yeards.

Once again, not even a hint of a pass rush. The Ravens have terrible corners, but Sanchez was literally ducking for his life. Still no hope in sight for this defense, no pass rush anywhere, nothing even close. You figure the Pats have (had) big leads in each of their four games, and still have a few last minute sacks and that's it. They don't even have pressures. Campbell was untouched yesterday, he was something like 8 for 8 on third downs. Feel good if you want to, BUT, unless something drastically changes, the Pats aren't winning anything with this defense...

__________________
The Jets look like a Super Bowl contender right now about as much as Rosie O’Donnell looks like a threat for the Miss America crown. -NY Post 12/19/2011


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.