Media reactions to the Pats-Eagles game

[jmt57]

Some reports and opinions from the media on the first preseason game of the 2009 season betweem the Pats and the Eagles.


Patriots win preseason opener, and Brady looks great by Shalise Manza Young of the Providence Journal

Looking dapper as always in his postgame press conference, Brady seemed glad to have the first game behind him.

"A preseason game doesn't have quite the same feel as a regular-season game. (But) it's a good first test for us," he said. "We're on a mission this year."

Bill Belichick lumped Brady in with the rest of the Patriots players when asked about the quarterback's play.

"There was probably - you can say this about ever play - there were some positive things and then there were probably some things that we needed sharpen up on in camp. That's true for everyone, including Tom."

 

[jmt57]

Question answered: Tom Brady is back

Question answered: Tom Brady is back by Jonathan Comey of the New Bedford Standard-Times

Tom Brady is back.

The Patriots' offense, even with Wes Welker and Ben Watson on the bench, basically looked like it had been digitally removed from the middle of their record 2007 season and spliced into last night's TV footage. It was Brady, comfortable in the pocket, dancing behind the same starting offensive line that gave the NFL its only 16-0 season, making precision throws.

Is one half of a preseason game a guarantee of success?

No, but if we're seeing the same players do the same things we've seen them do before, it's at the very least a good sign.

 

[jmt57]

Patriots at Eagles: 10 things we learned

Patriots at Eagles: 10 things we learned by Jonathan Comey of the New Bedford Standard-Times

Comey offers a paragraph on each of these topics:
1. The Patriots are stacked
2. Julian Edelman, welcome to the NFL
3. Darius Butler looks like a classic Patriot
4. Don Criqui is not objective
5. The Michael Vick news didn't exactly spread like wildfire on Channel 5
6. Vick to the Eagles is a great move for Philly
7. Brady is fine, part two
8. Don't get new special teams Scott O'Brien mad
9. Andrew Walter, don't get too comfortable
10. A bunch of other stuff

 

[jmt57]

Gut check - Pats at Eagles

Gut Check - Pats at Eagles by Chris Warner of Patriots Daily

The Defensive Forefront: Mixed reviews overall on the 4-3 defense. Great to see rookies Myron Pryor and Ron Brace getting into the backfield. Not so great to see Eagle LeSean McCoy average 5.5 per carry. NeitherGary Guyton nor Tully Banta-Cain provides the outside leverage of, say, Richard Seymour. Let’s call it a work in progress.

Warner also talks about the play of many other Pats, including Julian Edelman, Pat Chung, David Thomas, Terrance Wheatley, and the play of the entire rookie draft class.

 

[jmt57]

Who's hot and who's not, and game notes

Who's hot and who's not, and game notes by Mark Farinella of the Attleboro Sun Chronicle

Farinella gives his reasons for including Brady, Edelman, Baker, Pryor, Chung, Kaczur, Wilhite and Butler in the 'hot' category, relegates four players to 'cold' status, and places two players in a 'lukewarm' niche.

MYRON PRYOR: The rookie defensive end was active and around the ball in time with the first unit when it was in a 4-3 alignment. He was credited with one sack, although Derrick Burgess blocked his offensive tackle into Donovan McNabb's escape path to help make the sack possible.

 

[jmt57]

Julian Edelman quick to help

Julian Edelman quick to help by Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald

Wes Welker did not play last night. He stood on the sideline in street clothes. If you didn’t know better, you would have sworn he was out there, wearing No. 11, instead of No. 83.

That’s because there was this small, yet larger-than-life receiver who was one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets, who also returned punts, one for a touchdown.

It was rookie Julian Edelman, the former Kent State quarterback who has transformed into an NFL receiver/return specialist, making a great first impression with his play during last night’s 27-25 preseason victory over the Eagles.

 

[jmt57]

New QB Andrew Walter first off bench

New QB Andrew Walter first off bench by Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald

Andrew Walter glanced at his watch. He tried to remember when the Patriots had signed him.

“What’s today’s date?” the reserve quarterback asked. “Not a lot of time.”

The former Raider joined the Pats Aug. 3, giving him merely seven practice days to prepare for last night’s preseason opener against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.

 

[jmt57]

Hobbs insists it's no big deal

Hobbs insists it's no big deal by Christopher Gasper of the Boston Globe

Hobbs said he has settled in with the team, but is still trying to pick up the defensive system.

“I want to show them I know the defense. That’s the only thing I’m focused on,’’ he said. “It’s more complicated than New England, the cornerback is more involved as far as reads.’’

Hobbs was looking forward to facing Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who was playing in his first game since he tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee last September.

“I think it’s going to be fun,’’ said Hobbs. “I’ve never seen it from that side. I tell the guys here that he’s a professional in every sense.’’

 

[jmt57]

Butler has been learning on the fly; speed of game biggest change

Butler has been learning on the fly; speed of game biggest change by Christopher Gasper of the Boston Globe

The daily battles with Moss and the rest of the New England receiving corps have been an on-field orientation that has helped smooth his transition from the University of Connecticut to the NFL.

Asked if he’s stopped to think about realizing his NFL dream when he’s trying to defend Moss, he laughed.

“You really don’t have time to do that when you line up across from that dude,’’ said Butler, the 41st overall selection in the draft.

 

[jmt57]

Edelman gets off to fast start: Rookie's debut is one to remember

Edelman gets off to fast start: Rookie's debut is one to remember by Chris Forsberg of the Boston Globe

As a herd of reporters gathered around Julian Edelman’s makeshift locker - the one he shared with fellow rookie Terrence Nunn, next to Tom Brady’s full stall - to talk about his dazzling NFL debut, the veterans nearby gave the seventh-round draft choice a little grief for the celebrity typically reserved for No. 12.

Rookies are supposed to do their talking on the field. And while Edelman’s play spoke volumes during the Patriots’ 27-25 exhibition triumph over the Eagles last night at Lincoln Financial Field, the veterans weren’t about to let him get a big head over it.

 

[WhoaDirty]

Great thread jmt, thanks for effort of finding (and posting) all these.

 

[jmt57]

With Brady back, Patriots outlook a lot healthier

With Brady back, Patriots outlook a lot healthier by Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe

This promises to be far from a humdrum exhibition season for the Patriots, because the truth is that Brady is not the only new player of note. The Patriots have undergone an interesting roster shake-up at some positions, most notably in the secondary, where the search to replace Asante Samuel continues; at running back, where Taylor has been imported as an adjunct to the injury-plagued Laurence Maroney (who has basically been a colossal tease); and at tight end, where Baker has arrived to replace, or at least push, Benjamin Watson, who enters his sixth season as an “athletic’’ partial achiever.

 

[jmt57]

Patriots-Eagles analysis: An encouraging start

Patriots-Eagles analysis: An encouraging start by Erik Scalavino of Patriots.com

The Pats’ pass rush: Tully Banta-Cain, in his first game back in a Patriots uniform, registered a sack of Eagles starting QB Donovan McNabb on a third-down play, forcing a Philly field goal.

“There was a little bit of coverage involved,” Banta-Cain explained. “I came off the edge and saw McNabb start to scramble. That’s obviously due to good coverage [by the Pats secondary]. And that gave me some time to get to him. Hopefully, I can build off that opportunity.”

Rookie defensive lineman Myron Pryor and newcomer Derrick Burgess also shared a sacked of McNabb, who was under constant pressure in the first half.

Besides the pass rush, Scalavino gives positive marks to Brady, Edelman, Baker, Chung, and the team for its discipline and focus for committing just two penalties. The rush defense, Galloway, Walter and Wheatley fell in to his 'needs work' category.

 

[jmt57]

Hector Longo's Big Shows & No Shows

Big Shows & No-Shows by Hector Longo of the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune

Eric Alexander/Pierre Woods — Both of these guys have been around for years, supposedly the linebackers of the future for this team. Neither stepped up in extended playing time last night. Alexander had two tackles, both coming in the second half against the third- and fourth-teamers. Woods cashed in for one assist.

Mayo and Hobbs join Alexander and Woods on the negative side of the ledger while Edelman, Guyton and Chung get gold stars from Longo.

 

[jmt57]

Tom Terrific: Confident, healthy Brady looks in midseason form already

Tom Terrific: Confident, healthy Brady looks in midseason form already by Hector Longo of the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune

Of the 23 snaps Tom Brady took last night, one should have left every Pats fan beaming.

Facing a second-and-goal at the Eagles 4, Brady stood in the shotgun, looked out into the secondary, located the mismatch, looked off the defense and zipped a TD strike to new tight end Chris Baker.

In the heat of battle for the first time in almost a year, Brady's knee didn't matter. The three-time Super Bowl champ was back — physically, mentally and emotionally.

 

[jmt57]

Tom Brady opens up, but not just to anyone

Of course, there has to be one writer that has something to complain about. In this case, it's whining about how some magazine I never heard of got a big exclusive (non-football related) story, rather than the local press.

Tom Brady opens up, but not just to anyone by Bill Reynolds of the Providence Journal

Welcome to the new landscape of sports journalism.

Because rest assured you will find out infinitely more about Brady in glossy magazines these days than you will ever find in a daily newspaper, or web site, or some blog somewhere. Celebrities don’t give it out for free.

That’s just the way it is, and particularly so with the Patriots, where saying next to nothing has long been almost an art form.

 

[jmt57]

Eagles bow in preseason opener

In the only Eagles story in a Philadelphia paper that I could find that was not all about Michael Vick, focus of the article was on injuries to their offensive line, missing the potential game-winning FG, and costly penalties.

Eagles bow in preseason opener by Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer

The mistakes happened early and often for the Eagles' starters.

On the second New England series, Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel grabbed Randy Moss' arm and committed a 46-yard pass-interference penalty, which led to a short Tom Brady touchdown pass. Samuel celebrated, thinking he had thwarted the long attempt, before he turned around and saw the yellow flag.

The Eagles committed six penalties for 90 yards in the first half.

"It took us out of situations and put them into good situations," Reid said of the penalties. "You can't do that."

 

[jmt57]

Patriots Polishing Edelman to Be Special Team Stud

Patriots Polishing Edelman to Be Special Team Stud by John Chandler of NESN

Watching back at Kent State University, in Ohio, Edelman’s college coach saw it right away, as his onetime quarterback flew downfield to make the game’s opening tackle on special teams.

“I came into the coach’s office and said, ‘Guys, I promise you the first thing Julian mentions will be that he made the first tackle of the game,’” said Golden Flashes head coach Doug Martin, with a chuckle.

Sure enough, when Martin answered Edelman’s phone call Friday morning, hello was replaced with, “Coach did you see my tackle?”

“He is one of the best pure football players I’ve ever been around,” gushes Martin, who has coached proven NFL players like Jaguars quarterback David Garrard and Browns do-everything man Joshua Cribbs.

“I’ve coached better quarterbacks, but I don’t know that I’ve been around a better competitor than Julian.”

 

[jmt57]

Patriots Observations

Running (Kind of) Patriots Observations by Jason Levine of Comcast SportsNet also has the obligatory praise for Brady and Edelman - along with why the Pats should trade for AJ Feely, while managing to find a way to incorporate a pair of pictures of young blonde women into his column.

 

[jmt57]

Brady timid but still shines

Brady timid but still shines by Brad Biggs of the National Football Post

Vick might have stolen the headlines at Lincoln Financial Field, but Brady still shined and was able to make it out of Philadelphia before the circus arrives today. He’ll be able to look back on his first preseason action since 2007 and feel pretty good.

“I was watching his footwork and he seemed a little timid. He was throwing off his back foot. Mechanically, he was a little off. Before when he would throw the ball, he would shift his weight and you’d see it go from back foot to front foot. I think he was a little timid, but he made some nice throws. He’s just not all the way back in my opinion.’’