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Time to end preseason/early season myths


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Rob0729

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Several myths around this and other boards early this year have been resoundingly debunked. Let's go through them:

1.) Brady lost his passion for football/Football isn't a priority for him anymore - I never got this one. Was Brady supposed to be living his life as a monk? Fact of the matter is no one works harder than Brady. His offseason life may be different from when he was a 26 year old swing single, but the guy is the first one at Gillette and the last to leave.

2.) The game has passed Belichick by - Another head scratcher. The Pats haven't won less than 10 games since 2002 even without Brady in 2008. Belichick once again has shown he is ahead of the curve than anyone else when it comes to putting together a winner. The Pats are currently one of the best teams in the NFL and this is the third or fourth major overhaul in the Belichick era.

3.) Belichick should have hired an experience coordinator, but his ego is too big to do so and it will undo the team - Well technically, his ego could have stopped him from hiring an experienced coordinator, but ultimately it was the right choice. I think if the Pats hired a guy like Mike Nolan or another experienced guy, this team might be another year away from doing what they are right now. What Belichick did this year is masterful by really fitting the system to adapt to the changing parts. I don't know if a veteran coordinator set in his ways would be nearly as mallarable as Belichick has been this year.

4.) McCourty was a horrible pick - People cried about getting another CB. People cried about not drafting a pass rusher like Jerry Hughes. People cried about not getting Dez Bryant. Right now they were all wrong. McCourty is a rookie stud and could be a shutdown CB for the next 10 years. Bill Polian admitted on his web show that he made a mistake taking Hughes who has been Vernon Gholston-like so far. Dez Bryant has shown flashes of greatness, but probably never fit the Pats' system.

5.) The loss of Moss will not stretch the field and take away the short passing game severely crippling the Pats defense - After this team got used to the adjustment of life without Moss, this offense has been as good as the 2007 offense. Brady is playing better over the last month than he did in 2007. The loss of Moss has not been a negative effect.

6.) The signing of Woodhead was just gamesmanship with the Jets and he will be cut in a few weeks - I personally thought he might be able to take some plays away from Faulk before Faulk went down, but even my expectations have been great surpassed. Woodhead may actually be better than Faulk in almost every phase of the game other than blocking.

7.) The Patriots haven't been able to draft since the Super Bowl win years - Yes, you can argue that the 2006, 2007, and even 2008 drafts haven't produced much in actually draft picks; but the last two drafts have been spectacular. People forget that every team have bad spells in the draft. Right now there are three rookies on this team in the discussion for ROY. There are about a dozen first and second year players making impacts.
 
8. That is it impossible to have laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery and simultaneously gain weight. Rex shattered that myth.
 
9) Thank god we didn't trade James Sanders like a good majority of this board wanted to. Probably our best safety this season, and seems to be on top of his game in the biggest moments. One of the under appreciated Patriots.
 
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How about #8) BJGE is a mediocre back? Not to beat this horse into the ground, but he is on pace for a 900-950 yards season, 14 TDs, and 0 fumbles. That's the most productive stat produced since '04 when Corey Dillion put in his best season.
 
all very good points, and i was thinking the same thing last night....

where's everyone that had lost faith???
 
9) Thank god we didn't trade James Sanders like a good majority of this board wanted to. Probably our best safety this season, and seems to be on top of his game in the biggest moments. One of the under appreciated Patriots.

Chung says hello ;)
 
How about #8) BJGE is a mediocre back? Not to beat this horse into the ground, but he is on pace for a 900-950 yards season, 14 TDs, and 0 fumbles. That's the most productive stat produced since '04 when Corey Dillion put in his best season.

He is far better than I gave him credit for. I still don't think he is a consistent enough lead back to be that for the future and the Pats need to upgrade the position as a whole in the offseason.
 
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He is far better than I gave him credit for. I still don't think he is a consistent enough lead back to be that for the future and the Pats need to upgrade the position as a whole in the offseason.

Did you feel the same way about Laurence Maroney? Honestly?
 
8. That is it impossible to have laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery and simultaneously gain weight. Rex shattered that myth.

You misunderstood. It wasn't "lap band" it was Wright Brand. He had his stomach surgically encircled in bacon. That isn't weight gain. Ryan just crinkles and exudes grease every time he gets angry.
 
Remember one night driving home in the Labor Day "Hurricane", listening to some mediot, Damon something or other, who was contending that BB was burned out.. comparing him to the latter days of Shula et al.

Sarandis et al all followed like lemmings..
 
Did you feel the same way about Laurence Maroney? Honestly?

Pretty much. I though Maroney was better than people gave him credit for because of where he was drafted, but I never said he was a lead back. I actually thought he would be best suited as a third down/change of pace back.
 
I'm with you for 5 out of the 7, which is a pretty good percentage. :)
 
Pretty much. I though Maroney was better than people gave him credit for because of where he was drafted, but I never said he was a lead back. I actually thought he would be best suited as a third down/change of pace back.

For what it's worth, I think BJGE is perfect for this team. I don't think we need an all-star back, because obviously this is a pass first team.. we are going to exploit what Brady is very good at, for as long as that lasts.
 
1.) Brady lost his passion for football/Football isn't a priority for him anymore - I never got this one. Was Brady supposed to be living his life as a monk? Fact of the matter is no one works harder than Brady. His offseason life may be different from when he was a 26 year old swing single, but the guy is the first one at Gillette and the last to leave.
I'm not sure if Brady has played a better four game stretch aside from the 2007 NFL Season.

2.) The game has passed Belichick by - Another head scratcher. The Pats haven't won less than 10 games since 2002 even without Brady in 2008. Belichick once again has shown he is ahead of the curve than anyone else when it comes to putting together a winner. The Pats are currently one of the best teams in the NFL and this is the third or fourth major overhaul in the Belichick era.
This may be Belichick best coaching job considering the number of rookies and second year players on the New England Patriots defense. Also, injuries to Ty Warren and Leigh Bodden prior to the start of the season could have been too hard to overcome.

3.) Belichick should have hired an experience coordinator, but his ego is too big to do so and it will undo the team - Well technically, his ego could have stopped him from hiring an experienced coordinator, but ultimately it was the right choice. I think if the Pats hired a guy like Mike Nolan or another experienced guy, this team might be another year away from doing what they are right now. What Belichick did this year is masterful by really fitting the system to adapt to the changing parts. I don't know if a veteran coordinator set in his ways would be nearly as mallarable as Belichick has been this year.
Bill O'Brien has done quite a nice job calling plays in this four game stretch.

4.) McCourty was a horrible pick - People cried about getting another CB. People cried about not drafting a pass rusher like Jerry Hughes. People cried about not getting Dez Bryant. Right now they were all wrong. McCourty is a rookie stud and could be a shutdown CB for the next 10 years. Bill Polian admitted on his web show that he made a mistake taking Hughes who has been Vernon Gholston-like so far. Dez Bryant has shown flashes of greatness, but probably never fit the Pats' system.
Wheatley was a horrible pick in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Butler has regressed in 2010. McCourty corrects the aforementioned 2008 second round draft selection.

5.) The loss of Moss will not stretch the field and take away the short passing game severely crippling the Pats defense - After this team got used to the adjustment of life without Moss, this offense has been as good as the 2007 offense. Brady is playing better over the last month than he did in 2007. The loss of Moss has not been a negative effect..
Bye Bye Randy Moss. Hello Deion Branch!

6.) The signing of Woodhead was just gamesmanship with the Jets and he will be cut in a few weeks - I personally thought he might be able to take some plays away from Faulk before Faulk went down, but even my expectations have been great surpassed. Woodhead may actually be better than Faulk in almost every phase of the game other than blocking.
Woodhead is the next Kevin Faulk for the New England Patriots.

7.) The Patriots haven't been able to draft since the Super Bowl win years - Yes, you can argue that the 2006, 2007, and even 2008 drafts haven't produced much in actually draft picks; but the last two drafts have been spectacular. People forget that every team have bad spells in the draft. Right now there are three rookies on this team in the discussion for ROY. There are about a dozen first and second year players making impacts.
2007 - Meriweather
2008 - Mayo

At least the first round draft picks for the New England Patriots with regard to the 2007 and 2008 NFL Draft were not busts.
 
Count me amongst those who was way off on the BJGE/Maroney thing.
 
For what it's worth, I think BJGE is perfect for this team. I don't think we need an all-star back, because obviously this is a pass first team.. we are going to exploit what Brady is very good at, for as long as that lasts.

Much of his success needs to go to the play of the OL and the TE's. He is getting some huge holes to run through.

I do think the Pats need to address the RB situation and upgrade. I dont think they need a superstar, just someone that can be a full time back and get 15-20 carries a game. I think the Pats can keep BJGE around in a back up role, just not him be the dominant back. I see the Pats RB group in 2011 being: draft pick/FA signing, BJGE, Woodhead, Faulk if he can return and doesnt retire.
 
Not really a myth, but this should end any doubts about the Pats ability to get into the end zone consistently. The Pats have scored 48 touchdowns for an AVERAGE of 4 per game. That puts them 10 TDs in front of the #2 team. To put into perspective, that 10 TD differential is the same difference between the #2 team (Indy) and the #22 team (Cincy). That is sick! Particularly when you consider half their games have come against teams in the top 12 in scoring defense.

I guess it also exposes the myth of "ranking by yards". The Pats have the 13th ranked offense.
 
One myth that has been dispelled time and again but a lot of people don't seem to want to recognize is that on the occasions that the offense struggles, it rarely has anything to do with play-calling.

Brady doesn't go out there and blindly run whatever he hears in his ear piece, and the coaches don't call plays without putting thought into various ways they can be altered at the LOS depending on what the defense is showing. And on every passing play for the Pats, there is no real "primary" receiver, just a "1st read" -- if that player's not open, there are anywhere from 1 to 4 others.

After a sub-par offensive performance, when people say things like "we really should have been using play action more" or "whatever happened to all those screens we used to run?" they should take a second and think about what Brady, Koppen and O'Brien are seeing that we're can't.

Like, say, where are the safeties? Does it look like they'll bite? Are they playing far back enough that the receiver can make a site read and run his route underneath them? Is the defense showing man or zone? Are they showing enough pressure that Brady might not have time to complete the fake before someone's on him? Or re: the screen - are you worried about a zone blitz? Has the defense been chipping backs coming out of the infield at all? Might the D be considering dropping 8? Or even, is the Mike yelling "watch the screen, watch the screen?"

Usually, whenever it seems like there was some type of play that the coach should "obviously" have been calling, it wasn't being called because it was so obvious that the defense were doing things to protect against it.

What O'Brien really deserves praise for these past four games -- well, really, for every game since Moss' departure -- is how well he, BB, Chad O'Shea and Brady have worked together to gradually devise an offense that takes advantage of the present strengths of the Pats' offense, which at this point, is polymorphousness and versatility, due to their trio of TE's (especially Gronk who at this point is the triple threat -- pass protect, run blocking, and receiving) and Woodhead, who is a RB who can run routes like a receiver, maybe even more so than Faulk (heresy, I know).
 
How about this one: Without Randy Moss, Wes Welker would be nowhere near as effective.
 
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