Mayo was a bright spot for me yesterday.

[rusH1023]

Overall, the team's performance was frustrating for me -- I'm officially out of my survivor pools -- but I will say that I NOTICED Mayo for the first time yesterday. Yes, I saw him before: I watched him record a bunch of tackles and noted that he was around the ball a lot. But yesterday, at least for me, I felt he was a tackling machine and I noted the aggressiveness I'd heard of.

Analysts said he was the real deal with his 7 tackles, all solo, against the Jets. Yesterday, he recorded 12 tackles, 8 solo.

I like it. Any thoughts or further analysis?

 

[signbabybrady]

Overall, the team's performance was frustrating for me -- I'm officially out of my survivor pools -- but I will say that I NOTICED Mayo for the first time yesterday. Yes, I saw him before: I watched him record a bunch of tackles and noted that he was around the ball a lot. But yesterday, at least for me, I felt he was a tackling machine and I noted the aggressiveness I'd heard of.

Analysts said he was the real deal with his 7 tackles, all solo, against the Jets. Yesterday, he recorded 12 tackles, 8 solo.

I like it.

Yeah but I have to beleive he was equally as responsible for getting torched on the ground and falling for the trick plays. I am not sure that anyone on defense or offense could be considered a bright spot yesterday.


I about the only bright spot I can come up with was Hobbs in the return game. This guy can really change field postion and is a real threat to take it the distance.

 

[rusH1023]

Yeah but I have to beleive he was equally as responsible for getting torched on the ground and falling for the trick plays. I am not sure that anyone on defense or offense could be considered a bright spot yesterday.


I about the only bright spot I can come up with was Hobbs in the return game. This guy can really change field postion and is a real threat to take it the distance.

I know what you mean, but I'm not posting with reference to the team's attempt to win. I'm pointing out individual effort and the fact that he's a rookie who impressed me more during a loss than he did during a win. Growing pains along the way, maybe. It's to be expected. But I liked what I saw. That's all. And yes, Hobbs continues to show he's not treading a plateau.

 

[BradyManny]

I've watched Mayo and Bruschi pretty closely these first two games, I've taken a 2nd look at both games largely to see how our young stud is doing. I'd say there's no doubting he has great speed, good strength, is a sound tackler, and pretty good in coverage. But I wish I had a better grasp of the game of football and the Pats system, and could make a better informed judgment on what the responsibilities of a given player is on any given play. It's not always clear. So having said that, I will say my best guess is its looked like there's been a couple of plays in each of the first weeks where we've seen some expected "growing pains" where Mayo has been out of position or slow to make a read. And that's to be expected.

A more informed & analytical person [than me] could probably come up with a better evaluation of his play so far. But I'd say he's exceeded my own expectations with the disclaimer that I expect a few plays a game where he might not be in the right spot or make the right decision.

 

[rusH1023]

I've watched Mayo and Bruschi pretty closely these first two games, I've taken a 2nd look at both games largely to see how our young stud is doing. I'd say there's no doubting he has great speed, good strength, is a sound tackler, and pretty good in coverage. But I wish I had a better grasp of the game of football and the Pats system, and could make a better informed judgment on what the responsibilities of a given player is on any given play. It's not always clear. So having said that, I will say my best guess is its looked like there's been a couple of plays in each of the first weeks where we've seen some expected "growing pains" where Mayo has been out of position or slow to make a read. And that's to be expected.

A more informed & analytical person could probably come up with a better evaluation of his play so far. But I'd say he's exceeded my own expectations with the disclaimer that I expect a few plays a game where he might not be in the right spot or make the right decision.

Exactly. There may be bumps, and I don't claim to be informed or analytical. Just a laymans observation, based on hearing about his performance against the Jets.

 

[BradyManny]

Exactly. There may be bumps, and I don't claim to be informed or analytical. Just a laymans observation, based on hearing about his performance against the Jets.

Oh, I hope you don't take my "more informed and analytical" to be a shot at anyone in this thread other than myself...I was merely opining that I couldn't come up with the analysis myself that I wish I could.

 

[maverick4]

Look at the highlight videos again.
On at least two of those TD runs, it was Mayo who was too aggressive and ran into the wrong hole, allowing Ronnie Brown to spring free.

Mayo is good, but he is a rookie still seeing things for the first time.

 

[rusH1023]

Oh, I hope you don't take my "more informed and analytical" to be a shot at anyone in this thread other than myself...I was merely opining that I couldn't come up with the analysis myself that I wish I could.

I'm in the same boat. I know no more than this: He's an inside linebacker who plays mic when Bruschi is subbed. He has played almost all snaps as a rookie and to me, looked aggressive and (mostly) decisive in his reads. I like his power, speed and style.

There's a lot more to it, I'm sure of that. And I posted in the hopes of hearing some more informed opinions, including yours.

Look at the highlight videos again.
On at least two of those TD runs, it was Mayo who was too aggressive and ran into the wrong hole, allowing Ronnie Brown to spring free.

Mayo is good, but he is a rookie still seeing things for the first time.

OK cool, there we go. My noticing him doesn't mean anything, but I guess 2 plays out of Brown's 30 doesn't count too much against him.

 

[DaBruinz]

Overall, the team's performance was frustrating for me -- I'm officially out of my survivor pools -- but I will say that I NOTICED Mayo for the first time yesterday. Yes, I saw him before: I watched him record a bunch of tackles and noted that he was around the ball a lot. But yesterday, at least for me, I felt he was a tackling machine and I noted the aggressiveness I'd heard of.

Analysts said he was the real deal with his 7 tackles, all solo, against the Jets. Yesterday, he recorded 12 tackles, 8 solo.

I like it. Any thoughts or further analysis?

Honestly? Mayo's stats were a product of the defense's poor play. Mayo did nothing outstanding. In fact, Mayo was the one who blew the coverage on David Martin's TD reception. Martin was Mayo's responsibility.

Color me unimpressed.

 

[BionicPatriot]

Look at the highlight videos again.
On at least two of those TD runs, it was Mayo who was too aggressive and ran into the wrong hole, allowing Ronnie Brown to spring free.

Mayo is good, but he is a rookie still seeing things for the first time.

Yup. I like what I've seen but yesterday wasn't impressive at all. It's more of exactly what we should expect. Good games, and learning experiences. Yesterday was a learning experience, that's why we had a TE running over the middle of the field uncovered all day. Mayo will improve.

 

[BradyManny]

I'd like to take a closer look...you guys are saying that the TE was Mayo's responsibility, but so far, AD & Harrison have covered TEs more than he has, Mayo has been picking the RB up out of the backfield far more than he's been covering TEs. I'm not trying to give him a free pass b/c like I said, I agree, there will be growing pains, but I have a hard time blaming him for some of those plays yesterday until I see some more replays of them.

 

[DaBruinz]

I'd like to take a closer look...you guys are saying that the TE was Mayo's responsibility, but so far, AD & Harrison have covered TEs more than he has, Mayo has been picking the RB up out of the backfield far more than he's been covering TEs. I'm not trying to give him a free pass b/c like I said, I agree, there will be growing pains, but I have a hard time blaming him for some of those plays yesterday until I see some more replays of them.

On normal plays, I'd agree that it was someone else's responsibility. However, Thomas was on the Rush. Harrison was on Mayo's right side and up near the line. Martin was to Mayo's left. And it was an empty back-field. Meriweather was back playing center field. If it wasn't Mayo's responsibility, then I don't know whose it was.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Mayo had to have some culpability on Brown's repeated runs up the middle. Plus, it seemed like most of his tackles were 20 yards downfield.

There wasn't one defensive player or coach who looked good yesterday. Even Hobbs on defense was giving Camarillo way too much room. The DL and ILB's were matadors. The safeties were on another planet. No pressure from the OLB's. No adjustments from the coaches. The only one I can't remember specifically being bad was Deltha O'Neal, but he probably was, too.

 

[Warren94]

Yeah yesterday's game was awful on all levels. Growing pains for Mr. Mayo, however I feel he will have the smarts to do well. Hopefully Guyton will take Bruschi's place in the near future. just my 2 cents.

 

[BradyManny]

On normal plays, I'd agree that it was someone else's responsibility. However, Thomas was on the Rush. Harrison was on Mayo's right side and up near the line. Martin was to Mayo's left. And it was an empty back-field. Meriweather was back playing center field. If it wasn't Mayo's responsibility, then I don't know whose it was.

OK - sounds like there's no denying it on that play - but the middle of the field was a weakness yesterday all around, and I think its spreads further than Mayo's inexperience. I could be wrong, but on first glance, they passed more on early downs - and therefore against our base D - than either the Jets or the Chiefs did, meaning Bruschi was on the field for more pass plays than in previous weeks.

 

[DaBruinz]

Mayo had to have some culpability on Brown's repeated runs up the middle. Plus, it seemed like most of his tackles were 20 yards downfield.

There wasn't one defensive player or coach who looked good yesterday. Even Hobbs on defense was giving Camarillo way too much room. The DL and ILB's were matadors. The safeties were on another planet. No pressure from the OLB's. No adjustments from the coaches. The only one I can't remember specifically being bad was Deltha O'Neal, but he probably was, too.

The defense, in general, got burnt by the same formation 4 times. What is funny is that its was an off-shoot of the play we run with Faulk where we direct snap to him.

The DBs gave their receivers way too much respect. there was no reason to be so far off them They are not that physical.

 

[DaBruinz]

OK - sounds like there's no denying it on that play - but the middle of the field was a weakness yesterday all around, and I think its spreads further than Mayo's inexperience. I could be wrong, but on first glance, they passed more on early downs - and therefore against our base D - than either the Jets or the Chiefs did, meaning Bruschi was on the field for more pass plays than in previous weeks.

I might have missed something. I am fallable. That's just what I saw. If someone else can chime in on it, that would be great.

I can chalk it up to growing pains, but it still wasn't impressive.

 

[BradyManny]

I might have missed something. I am fallable. That's just what I saw. If someone else can chime in on it, that would be great.

I can chalk it up to growing pains, but it still wasn't impressive.

No, I wasn't questioning your read on Mayo or on that play - I was merely suggesting that there were plenty of breakdowns defensively yesterday, and additional areas of concern for the day.