maverick4
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Post-Game Notes on Offense, Defense, and Special Teams. Noted Individual Performances
Here are post-game notes on the team’s offense, defense, and special teams. Bear in mind this is only game 3; there is a long view still in perspective, and negatives from this game will likely be corrected by December. That said, in this snap shot in the season (defense and special teams to come in the next post)…
Offense
-The offense was rolling all game, yardage-wise. At one point early there were 3 straight drives of 12+ plays, 70+ yards driven. In the first half outside of the red zone there were lots of screens, fake double reverses, trap runs, and play action after establishing the run. Most plays had Brady under center, a bruising rushing attack which totaled about 100 yards by half time.
-The running attack and O-line was dominant/physical all game. Maroney ran great early on before his injury – decisive cuts, always moving forward even while falling down. Aside from his age, Fred Taylor is almost a perfect back – great vision, fast, smart, powerful, always moving forward, reminds me a lot of Marcus Allen in finding little openings to gain yardage. Sammy Morris has found a role as the short yardage back. Faulk was great, as always, as the 3rd down and shot gun back. I’m not sure why the offense got away from the run during the game, especially in the red zone and 2nd half (protecting a 9 point lead)…leading to the next point.
-Major red zone issues persist. 1 TD in 8 red zone chances now, through 2 games. The offense needs to stop using so much shot gun when we enter the red zone, seemingly trying to get Brady a TD every time we’re in the red zone. We had multiple long drives which died within the 5-yard line on failed shot gun pass plays. Our lone red zone TD was on repeated runs with Taylor. We had success driving the rest of the game, mostly under center and not in shot gun.
-Tom Brady is still very rusty, to be expected. He missed maybe a half dozen wide open throws, a few of which would have been TD passes. Not fully stepping into throws, consistently sailing them high, and is also lacking touch or feel on the softer thrown balls. He’s getting more comfortable with time; his deep throw to Baker showed he’s getting it back (slowly).
-Aside from Moss, the receivers are also dropping balls or running poor routes. Joey Galloway is below average, reminds me of Bethel Johnson: super fast, bad hands, bad routes, poor awareness/smarts. Galloway should have had a monster game today with 2 touchdown catches, but his bad feet, awareness, and hands negated two sure TD’s. Edelman also had two drops on wide open balls right in his hands.
-Randy Moss was clutch. All game was making extremely difficult catches in huge 3rd and 4th down conversions, and was still moving around receivers who didn’t know where to line up.
Defense
-The defense was solid once again. The unit has not given up 300 total yards of offense through 3 games now. It appears that Belichick’s confidence in his other D-line players after Seymour left, is unsurprisingly well founded (suck it, Tony Massarotti).
-The corners and pass defense played solid except for Wheatley. Leigh Bodden is excellent - good at press, doesn’t get fooled, solid tackler, never out of position. Springs was solid on the other side. Jenkins and White did not make an impact most of the game. Adalius Thomas completely shut down Tony Gonzalez all game. Wheatley still plays too far off the line and is still fooled by good route running.
-Wilfork’s injury is concerning. When he left the game, the Falcons had much success running against us with Michael Turner. We were fortunate that we made it a 2-score game, which forced the Falcons to get away from the run after Wilfork left. Guyton was decent in the middle, for the second straight game.
-The pass rush is still non-existent. Even when we send 5-6 rushers, the QB still has plenty of time to scan the field and not make a rushed throw.
-3rd down and long defense is still concerning. The unit still usually sends only 4 rushers and gives up the long pass over the middle. This has been an issue for more than this game.
-Great individual plays were made by McGowan, who made a tremendous forced fumble which was recovered by Sanders. Sanders also saved a huge gain multiple times.
-Random, but is anyone else noticing that Dean Pees is on the sidelines going nuts whenever the Pats actually make a 3rd down stop? I saw this at least 3 different times in the game, he runs out like a madmen and starts high-fiving his players.
Special Teams
-Special teams is poor. On kickoffs Gostkowski is in on several tackles (never a good sign). On the plus side, Hanson is booming punts.
Here are post-game notes on the team’s offense, defense, and special teams. Bear in mind this is only game 3; there is a long view still in perspective, and negatives from this game will likely be corrected by December. That said, in this snap shot in the season (defense and special teams to come in the next post)…
Offense
-The offense was rolling all game, yardage-wise. At one point early there were 3 straight drives of 12+ plays, 70+ yards driven. In the first half outside of the red zone there were lots of screens, fake double reverses, trap runs, and play action after establishing the run. Most plays had Brady under center, a bruising rushing attack which totaled about 100 yards by half time.
-The running attack and O-line was dominant/physical all game. Maroney ran great early on before his injury – decisive cuts, always moving forward even while falling down. Aside from his age, Fred Taylor is almost a perfect back – great vision, fast, smart, powerful, always moving forward, reminds me a lot of Marcus Allen in finding little openings to gain yardage. Sammy Morris has found a role as the short yardage back. Faulk was great, as always, as the 3rd down and shot gun back. I’m not sure why the offense got away from the run during the game, especially in the red zone and 2nd half (protecting a 9 point lead)…leading to the next point.
-Major red zone issues persist. 1 TD in 8 red zone chances now, through 2 games. The offense needs to stop using so much shot gun when we enter the red zone, seemingly trying to get Brady a TD every time we’re in the red zone. We had multiple long drives which died within the 5-yard line on failed shot gun pass plays. Our lone red zone TD was on repeated runs with Taylor. We had success driving the rest of the game, mostly under center and not in shot gun.
-Tom Brady is still very rusty, to be expected. He missed maybe a half dozen wide open throws, a few of which would have been TD passes. Not fully stepping into throws, consistently sailing them high, and is also lacking touch or feel on the softer thrown balls. He’s getting more comfortable with time; his deep throw to Baker showed he’s getting it back (slowly).
-Aside from Moss, the receivers are also dropping balls or running poor routes. Joey Galloway is below average, reminds me of Bethel Johnson: super fast, bad hands, bad routes, poor awareness/smarts. Galloway should have had a monster game today with 2 touchdown catches, but his bad feet, awareness, and hands negated two sure TD’s. Edelman also had two drops on wide open balls right in his hands.
-Randy Moss was clutch. All game was making extremely difficult catches in huge 3rd and 4th down conversions, and was still moving around receivers who didn’t know where to line up.
Defense
-The defense was solid once again. The unit has not given up 300 total yards of offense through 3 games now. It appears that Belichick’s confidence in his other D-line players after Seymour left, is unsurprisingly well founded (suck it, Tony Massarotti).
-The corners and pass defense played solid except for Wheatley. Leigh Bodden is excellent - good at press, doesn’t get fooled, solid tackler, never out of position. Springs was solid on the other side. Jenkins and White did not make an impact most of the game. Adalius Thomas completely shut down Tony Gonzalez all game. Wheatley still plays too far off the line and is still fooled by good route running.
-Wilfork’s injury is concerning. When he left the game, the Falcons had much success running against us with Michael Turner. We were fortunate that we made it a 2-score game, which forced the Falcons to get away from the run after Wilfork left. Guyton was decent in the middle, for the second straight game.
-The pass rush is still non-existent. Even when we send 5-6 rushers, the QB still has plenty of time to scan the field and not make a rushed throw.
-3rd down and long defense is still concerning. The unit still usually sends only 4 rushers and gives up the long pass over the middle. This has been an issue for more than this game.
-Great individual plays were made by McGowan, who made a tremendous forced fumble which was recovered by Sanders. Sanders also saved a huge gain multiple times.
-Random, but is anyone else noticing that Dean Pees is on the sidelines going nuts whenever the Pats actually make a 3rd down stop? I saw this at least 3 different times in the game, he runs out like a madmen and starts high-fiving his players.
Special Teams
-Special teams is poor. On kickoffs Gostkowski is in on several tackles (never a good sign). On the plus side, Hanson is booming punts.
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