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From his column of ten predictions:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/don_banks/09/04/crystal.ball/index.html
I'm sorry, but I must be missing something. How does this o-line go from being arguably the best pass blocking o-line last year other than the Super Bowl to swiss cheese because they don't have one of their starters back from last season (at least for the first six games)?
I know the o-line looked like crap this preseason, but they played most of the preseason without Matt Light and his return in the last game did actually help to stablize the o-line quite a bit. This isn't the worst o-line the Pats have fielded to protect Brady in his career and he hasn't gone down. Why now?
I don't believe that teams "sending the house" to blitz Brady is going to make a difference because Brady was the most blitzed QB in the league last year. Few teams in the NFL have the front seven that the Giants had last year to disrupt the line like they did.
In fact, I hope teams blitz a lot because Brady has destroyed defenses who blitzed him far more than they have gotten to him. If you blitz Brady and fail to get to him, you are not going to win the game because Brady will put 30 plus points on you. Banks seems to be forgetting that Brady has one of the best pocket prescense in the history of the NFL and can step up to avoid the blitz even if the o-line cannot contain the edge rush.
4. Speaking of ironman quarterbacks, this will be the year New England finally has to come face to face with its greatest fear: Trying to win a game or three without Tom Brady. We're not predicting major gloom and doom for the Patriots, like a season-ending whatever to the league's reigning MVP. But with New England's offensive line suddenly a point of real concern, protecting the Franchise won't be as seamless as the Patriots have made it look in recent years.
While I can't see any opponent succeeding in bum-rushing Brady like the Giants did to great effect in the Super Bowl, I also don't imagine No. 12 is going to have forever and a day to stand back there in the pocket and perform surgery on his opponent's secondary, as was the case so many times in the Patriots' record-breaking 2007 run. Teams are going to be sending the house against Brady this year, because they saw what New York accomplished and will realize anew that giving him time to throw is nothing but a recipe for defeat.
Matt Cassel, you've been put on notice. Better be readier than you looked this preseason. Otherwise the only thing the Patriots will be perfectly inclined to this season is a modest losing streak while Brady heals.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/don_banks/09/04/crystal.ball/index.html
I'm sorry, but I must be missing something. How does this o-line go from being arguably the best pass blocking o-line last year other than the Super Bowl to swiss cheese because they don't have one of their starters back from last season (at least for the first six games)?
I know the o-line looked like crap this preseason, but they played most of the preseason without Matt Light and his return in the last game did actually help to stablize the o-line quite a bit. This isn't the worst o-line the Pats have fielded to protect Brady in his career and he hasn't gone down. Why now?
I don't believe that teams "sending the house" to blitz Brady is going to make a difference because Brady was the most blitzed QB in the league last year. Few teams in the NFL have the front seven that the Giants had last year to disrupt the line like they did.
In fact, I hope teams blitz a lot because Brady has destroyed defenses who blitzed him far more than they have gotten to him. If you blitz Brady and fail to get to him, you are not going to win the game because Brady will put 30 plus points on you. Banks seems to be forgetting that Brady has one of the best pocket prescense in the history of the NFL and can step up to avoid the blitz even if the o-line cannot contain the edge rush.
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