Preseason game 4 impressions NE @ New Jersy

[Box_O_Rocks]

Okay then:
-- Teach the rookie KR to make good decisions KO coverage done right.
-- No game planning, vanilla, base D approach reflects poorly on Warren/Burgess left side, Wright/TBC was a stouter duo (unless the Giants are right-sided runners).
-- Burgess needs to play across the line when setting the edge, he needs to step up and not get himself caught inside, his 4-3 heritage haunting him a bit, once he gets some more rust knocked off he'll warm up.
-- The Giants WR corps is not as formidable as some NE will face, the youngsters looked okay, but NE will need to do some healthy scheming to help them with a pass rush.
-- Hernandez, Edelman, & Welker, get'em healthy, keep'em healthy.
-- Taylor or Maroney? It doesn't matter, NE'll need both.
-- Ohrnberger grooming to replace Neal, trust Uncle Boxter when he tells you these things.
-- Wendell next up in the Hochstein rotation, trust Uncle Boxter when he tells you these things.
-- Notice Connolly taking wedge reps early in the game? Either Wendell and Big O are nipping at his heels in terms of Dante's trust factor or Kaczur is closer to returning then we know.
-- TE football, ayup it's acomin' to NE.
-- Aiken is making this team as a WR who plays STs.
-- Sanders is not trade bait.
-- Pierre Woods played well at RDE, he and Ninkovich rushing off that side together gave Bomar something to think about. Flashbacks to Vrabel lining up inside as a DL on passing downs.
-- Murrell needed more time to warm up at LDE, but he did okay too.
-- NT Kyle Love is making a case for NE to protect him on the 53, there's some quality beef on those hooves. Deadrick still wins the 7th slot due to DE depth issues, but I think I'd rather go into the season with Love as the #2 NT in place of Pryor or Wright.
-- NE had 5 healthy DL; Love and Lewis got all the extra work, which means the starting DL were being saved for the regular season, no more, no less.
-- Willingham took all the heat off Wilhite.
-- Sergio Brown looks halfway decent at Safey, he's going to be competitive for a 53 slot when I try to guess the next roster move.
-- Ross Ventrone needs more CB reps, he might be a decent 5th CB option in time, but on blitzes he needs to chase down the QB like he's an escaping hair stylist and not pull his punch.
-- Taylor Price needs to learn to lay out and drag his toes, but he's not bad for a rookie.
-- I've seen Safety played a lot worse then Buddy Farnham did out there.
-- Ojinnaka and Bussey are fighting for #4 OT, and I think 'naka gets on the roster week Two because Bussey should survive waivers for the PSquad.
-- Robinson is worth a PSquad slot.
-- I like Fletcher's progress as a conversion project, I want to see him in TC/preseason next year for NE.
-- McKenzie is doing okay in his conversion to 3-4 ILB, he was playing alongside a converting DE and behind a patchwork DL using 260 lb OLBs in place of 300+ lb DEs. I've seen a lot worse (Lua).

Offense: 24
QB: Brady, Hoyer (2)
RB: Maroney, Taylor, Faulk, Morris (4)
TE: Crumpler, Gronkowski, Hernandez (3)
WR: Moss, Welker, Edelman, Tate, Price, Aiken (6)
OT: Light, Vollmer, Kaczur, LeVoir (4)
OL: Connolly, Koppen, Neal, Wendell, Orhnberger (5)

Defense: 26
DL: Wilfork, Wright, Warren, Brace, Pryor, Lewis, Deadrick (7)
OLB: Banta-Cain, Burgess, Murrell, Cunningham, Ninkovich, Woods (6)
ILB: Mayo, Guyton, Spikes, McKenzie (4)
CB: Butler, McCourty, Wilhite, Wheatley, Arrington (5)
S: Meriweather, Chung, Sanders, McGowan (4)

Specialists 3
ST: Gostkowski, Mesko, Ingram

Suspended: Ojinnaka (If NE wants him after his suspension they have the option of releasing Aiken or Ninkovich or Woods to make room.)

Shadow: Alexander, Green-Ellis

PSquad: Bussey, Larsen, Brown, Love, Robinson, Clayton, last man rotation (Ventrone, Welch, Jenkins, Chris Taylor, Fletcher, Newman, Willingham, Williams, Myers, Carson Butler)

If NE reaches an injury settlement with Slater, can they re-sign him this season? If not, IR him.

If someone needs a Center perhaps NE can pick-up a 7th for Ghiaciuc before final cutdowns. He's about the only trade-able commodity I see.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I still have not heard a word as to what the deal is with Edelman and Hernandez. Welker seems to be doing ok as far as healthy goes, maybe not perfect, but at least he is out there getting banged arouond and surviving it

What is the deal, if you know, with Edelman and Hernandez?

They've been working with the trainers and are either at practice, but limited while reporters are there or in the training room while reporters are there. Neither are on IR yet. :confused2:

 

[Patspsycho]

What is the deal, if you know, with Edelman and Hernandez?

Probable, right shoulder.

 

[RayClay]

Maroney ran fairly well for his last game in New England. Obviously stats alone don't describe the marvelous 1 1/4 YPC of Fred Taylor. It's the way he ran that yard that's impressive.

 

[The Boston Patriot]

Maroney ran fairly well for his last game in New England. Obviously stats alone don't describe the marvelous 1 1/4 YPC of Fred Taylor. It's the way he ran that yard that's impressive.

Our O-line couldn't open a door at the local gin mill without help. Don't trash
the Taylor without acknowledging the obvious less than stellar play of our O
when a running play is called. They are easily the most pathetic run offense
in the NFL.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

Great breakdown, Box. What's your longterm view of Ohrnberger? Seems like he has some upside, maybe more so than people previously thought.

I also liked that you had McKenzie on your 53. It just seems insane to me to give up on this guy after he had a year wiped out wiped out with an injury.

 

[Nikolai]

Maroney ran fairly well for his last game in New England. Obviously stats alone don't describe the marvelous 1 1/4 YPC of Fred Taylor. It's the way he ran that yard that's impressive.

Yeah, I wouldn't knock Taylor that hard. Maroney's yards were all hard earned, because he wasn't seeing much in the way of daylight.

 

[resdubwhite]

Great breakdown, Box. What's your longterm view of Ohrnberger? Seems like he has some upside, maybe more so than people previously thought.

I also liked that you had McKenzie on your 53. It just seems insane to me to give up on this guy after he had a year wiped out wiped out with an injury.

Can't believe McKenzie gets canned either.

Anyone got an opinion on fletcher too? Read that he was doing quite well earlier on but not much recently.

 

[DarrylS]

Never believed that McKenzie would not make this team....

Need to take a good look at Jenkins for PS...

 

[Bostonian1962]

Nice write-up. I'll add that #86 Butler sucked. He missed a block on special teams. Later he was called for a penalty, and after that he dropped a pass. O.K., so he was going to make the team anyway, so....................let me agree with you on Sergio Brown. That dude just makes plays out there, and has all preseason. He's a special teams monster, and hasn't looked half bad on D either. I like the kid.

 

[BlueThunder]

Nice write-up. I'll add that #86 Butler sucked. He missed a block on special teams. Later he was called for a penalty, and after that he dropped a pass. O.K., so he was going to make the team anyway, so....................let me agree with you on Sergio Brown. That dude just makes plays out there, and has all preseason. He's a special teams monster, and hasn't looked half bad on D either. I like the kid.

Myers gets kept over Butler. Sure hope BB finds a way to keep Serrgio, even if it's on the PS as insurance.

 

[Kasmir]

Our O-line couldn't open a door at the local gin mill without help. Don't trash
the Taylor without acknowledging the obvious less than stellar play of our O
when a running play is called. They are easily the most pathetic run offense
in the NFL.

Tackles and TE's played decently. Interior line, especially Koppen and Ohren, were putrid on all the rushes in the first two series.

 

[Calciumee]

Good to see Brady to Gronk worked again

Gronk is joint first for TDs this Preseason!

Clearly becoming a favourite target for TFB!

 

[zoostation]

Good to see Brady to Gronk worked again

Gronk is joint first for TDs this Preseason!

Clearly becoming a favourite target for TFB!

true...but it was obvious Gronk phucked up a few plays earlier when TB threw the ball to an "empty" corner of the endzone

 

[BlueThunder]

true...but it was obvious Gronk phucked up a few plays earlier when TB threw the ball to an "empty" corner of the endzone

If Gronk is this good as a rookie.....can't wait until he's got some experience!!:rocker:

 

[bucky]

Okay then:
-- Burgess needs to play across the line when setting the edge, he needs to step up and not get himself caught inside, his 4-3 heritage haunting him a bit, once he gets some more rust knocked off he'll warm up.
-- Ohrnberger grooming to replace Neal, trust Uncle Boxter when he tells you these things.
-- Pierre Woods played well at RDE, he and Ninkovich rushing off that side together gave Bomar something to think about. Flashbacks to Vrabel lining up inside as a DL on passing downs.
-- Sergio Brown looks halfway decent at Safey, he's going to be competitive for a 53 slot when I try to guess the next roster move.
-- McKenzie is doing okay in his conversion to 3-4 ILB, he was playing alongside a converting DE and behind a patchwork DL using 260 lb OLBs in place of 300+ lb DEs. I've seen a lot worse (Lua).

The quoted items are what I want to comment on:

Ohrenberger has a an awful technique problem where he lunges at the defender in pass pro. This caused him to get beat clean twice and the QB to get hammered. I would not want this guy protecting Brady until this issue is resolved.

I don't think Burgess' problem is rust. The man has never played LB in his life. That's his problem. And I don't think it's a resolvable one.

I agree that Woods actually looked very good at DE. Almost makes me think they might go with 6 DL and convert Woods to DE as a contingency.

Sergio Brown looked good in games 1 and 4, not so good in 2 and 3. And I'm talking about both Defense and ST here. Still, I don't think he makes the team over a guy like Slater (who probably won't make it either). His ST play is too inconsistent.

Unlike you, I was not impressed with McKenzie. I think he is truly on the bubble.

 

[Kontradiction]

I don't think a vanilla gameplan reflected poorly on Warren. Watch the first couple of series again. In the run game, he was taken out by a single blocker. The RT had his way with him. Glad you feel that way about Burgess. I don't agree with it, but I'll defer to you in that area as it makes me feel better about the subject. Agreed on Taylor and Maroney. Not so sure about Ohrnberger. He's going to have to improve loads before he's ready to supplant Neal. Interesting observation on Connolly. Agreed on Aiken making the team, but it's not because of his abilities as a WR. He's making it as a special teamer. I would be shocked to see him crack the top five, and get past Edelman and Hernandez, unless injuries were to occur. Agreed on Sanders, Love, the D-Line projections, and Brown (not judging him on one play alone when the rest of his work in preseason has been commendable).

Also agreed on Price. He has a lot of work to do, but has all of the physical tools to be successful in this league. Anybody expecting him to make an instant impact should have checked themselves. He played in a run first offense on college and is coming into a brand new system. He's a project. One that, hopefully, won't take too long... but a project nonetheless. I liked what Farnham did as well. With McKenzie, he should earn a roster spot simply because he's the stronger run stuffing SILB than Guyton is. Guyton is a coverage ILB who would be best served on third downs. I didn't like seeing blown assignments over the middle of the field, personally. But that's something we should expect to see with the growing pains of a young defense. Hopefully they can get that worked out over the course of the season. We're only going to go so far with a good offense alone.

 

[RayClay]

Our O-line couldn't open a door at the local gin mill without help. Don't trash
the Taylor without acknowledging the obvious less than stellar play of our O
when a running play is called. They are easily the most pathetic run offense
in the NFL.

Obviously Maroney gets the starting line, but still was only average, which is why he'll be cut. I know, I read it in the papers.

 

[RayClay]

Yeah, I wouldn't knock Taylor that hard. Maroney's yards were all hard earned, because he wasn't seeing much in the way of daylight.

You must be mistaken. Maroney doesn't run hard, he dances. Any yards he gets are due to wind conditions, sunspots or a superior line.

Fortunately he will be cut soon so we can have a great running game.

 

[reflexblue]

Maroney ran fairly well for his last game in New England. Obviously stats alone don't describe the marvelous 1 1/4 YPC of Fred Taylor. It's the way he ran that yard that's impressive.

We have to get rid of Maroney, hes affecting Taylor, on a number of those epic 1.5 yard carries, i saw Taylor hop and skip at the line. If i didn't know it was Taylor i would have thought it was Maroney doing his two step.

Maybe these guys are hoping and skipping over blockers laying on they're backs, maybe that was the problem.