Tim Graham: The Pats camp was the most focused & competitive in the AFC East

[Rob0729]

Tim Graham, the AFC East blogger for ESPN, gave his reviews of what he saw while visiting each AFC East team by awarding different awards to different teams (most focus, most unfocused, most entertaining, most talented, etc.). He gave the Pats two of the most important awards in my book:

Most focused: Patriots. Bill Belichick is in his 11th season as head coach. Everybody knows what's expected. Patriots training camp is a very businesslike atmosphere, even when outside elements such as the Saints or a visit from Jon Bon Jovi infiltrate.


Most competitive: Patriots. Having another team on the practice fields, even when they were drilling separately, created a distinct edginess compared to other camps. The Patriots will hold similar sessions with the Atlanta Falcons, quality work that will make the Patriots that much more prepared.

How'd they look? AFC East camp musings - AFC East Blog - ESPN

Jets fans will love that they won this award:

Most unfocused: Jets. Of all the AFC East camps, the Jets were the least conscientious during my visit. This could be chalked up to the timing. I got to them last, and players had reached that antsy point where they needed a game. But the blithe atmosphere stood out to me nonetheless.

Yes, Graham gave them the most talented, but there could be something to Hard Knocks ruining the timing of the team. Bert Breer said he saw it in Dallas in 2008 where an immensly talented team that imploded by lack of discipline and egos that was fostered when the HBO cameras came to town.

 

[stinkypete]

No surprise that Pats camp was most focused and most competitive. I bet that, if the entire NFL were ranked, not just the AFCE, the Patroits, Colts and Steelers would all be up in the top 5 of both categories. It's a sign of a great team.

 

[Kontradiction]

No surprise that Pats camp was most focused and most competitive. I bet that, if the entire NFL were ranked, not just the AFCE, the Patroits, Colts and Steelers would all be up in the top 5 of both categories. It's a sign of a great team.

Indeed, and a well coached one at that. Hopefully it pays off big time this season.

 

[Buchanty]

Reasonable article from Tim Graham, I like the fact that he spreads the awards around although there is slim pickings for the Dolphins and Bills. "Most energetic" is fine if it is allied to efficiency.

As for the Jests - I didn't realize that trash-talking was regarded as entertainment, maybe for a minute or two but it grates beyond that. It was also interesting that they got the most talented when Revis wasn't in camp, unless he is taking a historical perspective because age begins to dull most talents but even then ......

Still it was way better than Peter King's MMQB Jets relishing their new role; Kevin Kolb, Tim Tebow grow into theirs - Peter King - SI.com which proves he has settled for being a "lickspittle" at best. Lickspittle is one of my favorite ****ensian terms and perfectly describes his journalistic style as he has become - "an obsequious flatterer" of the flavor of the day.

 

[Kontradiction]

Lets just hope Tom keeps his head on the ball and not on his wife

Uh oh~! Someone's jealous~!

 

[Gwedd]

Uh oh~! Someone's jealous~!

Bwahahahaha.....

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Reasonable article from Tim Graham, I like the fact that he spreads the awards around although there is slim pickings for the Dolphins and Bills. "Most energetic" is fine if it is allied to efficiency.

As for the Jests - I didn't realize that trash-talking was regarded as entertainment, maybe for a minute or two but it grates beyond that. It was also interesting that they got the most talented when Revis wasn't in camp, unless he is taking a historical perspective because age begins to dull most talents but even then ......

Still it was way better than Peter King's MMQB Jets relishing their new role; Kevin Kolb, Tim Tebow grow into theirs - Peter King - SI.com which proves he has settled for being a "lickspittle" at best. Lickspittle is one of my favorite ****ensian terms and perfectly describes his journalistic style as he has become - "an obsequious flatterer" of the flavor of the day.

I love it when I learn stuff reading this site

 

[Gwedd]

I love it when I learn stuff reading this site

yes. I also like "vapid" "bloviating" and "verbose". All three seem to be halmarks of sports writers these days.

 

[Rob0729]

Reasonable article from Tim Graham, I like the fact that he spreads the awards around although there is slim pickings for the Dolphins and Bills. "Most energetic" is fine if it is allied to efficiency.

As for the Jests - I didn't realize that trash-talking was regarded as entertainment, maybe for a minute or two but it grates beyond that. It was also interesting that they got the most talented when Revis wasn't in camp, unless he is taking a historical perspective because age begins to dull most talents but even then ......

Still it was way better than Peter King's MMQB Jets relishing their new role; Kevin Kolb, Tim Tebow grow into theirs - Peter King - SI.com which proves he has settled for being a "lickspittle" at best. Lickspittle is one of my favorite ****ensian terms and perfectly describes his journalistic style as he has become - "an obsequious flatterer" of the flavor of the day.

This is why I never really liked Peter King even when he was a Patriots rump swab. He writes like a team's PR department would when gushing over a player, coach, or team.

 

[Ring 6]

This is why I never really liked Peter King even when he was a Patriots rump swab. He writes like a team's PR department would when gushing over a player, coach, or team.

I ever liked Kings writing (or speaking) style. I never really agreed with te logic behind his opinions whether I agreed with the actual opinion or not, so I never considered him much of a good source of insight into football.
I think he is good at getting info quicker than others (not that he gets anything we wouldnt eventually know) and has a writing style that fits a mag like SI, but he has always seemed to me to be a good read for the novice fan.

 

[BlueThunder]

All those big woids mean someone has been watching O'Reilly on Fox.

That's about the only place I remember them being injected into a conversation.

Some here are known to be churlish and pecksniffian bloviator's of blatherskite and codswallop who nitpick other ninnyhammers here.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

This is why I never really liked Peter King even when he was a Patriots rump swab. He writes like a team's PR department would when gushing over a player, coach, or team.

I haven't bothered to wander over to MMQB yet today, not bored enough just yet, but it was interesting that he twittered early this AM that he was unable to watch the Denver game yesterday due to lack of NFLN in his hotel, but he wasn't going to let that impact his piece since he could just work off of highlights...LOL

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Jets already won the minicamp super bowl and went undefeated so why do they need to work hard now?

come on folks, keep up!

 

[TBradyOwnsYou]

Graham (the giant Tool) says:

Most physical: Bills. Head coach Chan Gailey went with pads from the first air horn, a stark contrast from predecessor **** Jauron. I could have picked the Patriots here because I saw their joint practices with the Saints and witnessed a lot of lively action, but over the course of camp, the Bills have done more hitting than anybody.

Can anyone confirm that the Bills did more hitting? From what I read about the Pat's TC was that they did a ton of full pads, two a days, etc... and with:

Most elementary: Bills. The combination of no playoffs for a decade, a new general manager, a new coaching staff and a new 3-4 defense mean more teaching moments at St. John Fisher than at any other camp I attended. A lot of work on fundamentals.

so much work on fundamentals could they really have been that much more physical than the Pats?