ESPN: Patriots must cope with the rookie wall

[JSn]

Patriots must cope with the rookie wall - AFC East Blog - ESPN

The Patriots expect their season to last another two months, and some of their important contributors already have played more games than they did in a college season.

Anyone worried about this? I think our S&C staff and coaches are prepared to deal with this. I also think the growing complexity of schemes likely helps the players stay focused. Still, it's not crazy to think there could be a bit for a slump for some young players.

 

[DarrylS]

With the exception of McCourty they have been rotated in and out and should be fresh.

Also suspect that BB and Crew have prepared them for such. Sometimes I think terms like the "Rookie Wall" are nothing more than something imagined by the bored press..

Winning, and believing in your coach makes everything easier..

 

[aluminum seats]

Had a thread about this recently. The ESPN article linked to is just a first-person account by an Ivy Leaguer who didn't play but says he got tired anyway. Not real scientifically rigorous.

I think the Pats will be fine.

 

[Lampshade]

Earlier on I was worried about a mass hitting of the wall, but McCourty and Gronk aside, there seems to have been some managing of the snaps.

Deliberately or not, Deaderick, Spikes, Cunningham, Hernandez have all seen fluctuations in their playing time. The same can be said for many of the 2nd year guys: Chung, Brace, Butler, Tate.

I'm not too worried about it.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

yeah....you could see the affect of this during Jets game. some of the rookies were serious dragging. running at half speed during the second half. the rookies looked beat. no way will they have the stamina to continue. :bricks:

 

[fair catch fryar]

I guess this could be an issue with some players, but between managing play time and hopefully gaining a 1st week bye w/ HF advantage they should be okay.

 

[Sicilian]

I think the perceived rookie wall is actually a combination of stamina concerns and opposing coaches starting to get film on these guys for the first time. As mentioned, the stamina issues for most of these guys should be manageable because only a handful play "starter" snaps every game. The gameplanning is something to think about, but I trust our coach to find ways to adjust to that as well as anybody in the league.

It's something to watch, but I wouldn't consider it a concern at this point.

 

[BSR]

I think it has to do more with mental focus than anything to do with stamina. These kids are probably in better physical condition than the vets but the mental focus has been more intense and for a longer period than anything they have had to deal with before. I'm sure there will be some burn out. That's why a bye week would be big for this team, as it typically always is.

 

[blackglass3]

It's crossed my mind with Bowl season fast approaching, but I think the team will get it figured out. The only one I really worry about is Cunningham...he needs to keep playing the way he has been lately. McCourty is a freak and will keep his DROY push going, and Gronk/Hernandez rotate in and out enough to stay fresh.

Think back...Jerod Mayo never hit the rookie wall as far as I can remember. And most other rookies didn't have starting positions in their rookie years (that I can remember off the top of my head, anyway).

Can a punter hit the rookie wall?

 

[SVN]

this is a typical result of sucess. espn likes will start to dissect every small thing. iam surprised thye havent mentioned the weather/snow yet for the rooks

 

[IllegalContact]

good reason to get the bye week.

 

[Willie55]

I read somewhere (can't remember) a lot of it is attributed to the fact that they play a full college season, when that is over they go straight into combine training. During a normal college year they would get a couple month break from football before going back at it. Then after the draft its non-stop mini-camps which lead straight into training camp.

 

[TheComeback]

Bruschi talked about this a few weeks ago and said that while the rookie wall is a reality, the Patriots know how to handle it and it won't be a problem. I don't think it ever has been for the Pats. The rookies who have been successful on this team have played better as the year went on, not worse.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Can a punter hit the rookie wall?

Only if it's from being a holder on FGs and PATs.....
12 games...44 punts (3 in each of the last three games)
48 TDs and 18 FG attempts.........

 

[unoriginal]

Had a thread about this recently. The ESPN article linked to is just a first-person account by an Ivy Leaguer who didn't play but says he got tired anyway. Not real scientifically rigorous.

I think the Pats will be fine.

It's the week-to-week practice grind that does it, not the actual games. They don't call it the rookie wall because rookies slam into it and start dropping like flies due to injury.

 

[Uncle Rico]

this is a typical result of sucess. espn likes will start to dissect every small thing. iam surprised thye havent mentioned the weather/snow yet for the rooks

Totally. I could just see the meeting:

INTERN: "Hey .. Belichick is really doing a lot with these rookies. Amazing job. Shouldn't we do a piece giving him credit, maybe give some credit to the players too?"

PRIDUCER: " ....Naaaah. There must be some way we can undermine this. I know .. let's find something on the 'rookie wall', isolate an opinion that supports the premise, and showcase it as a cause for concern for the Pats. Yeah, that's it."

INTERN: "but don't you think Belichick knows..."

PRODUCER: "SHUT UP!"

 

[Deus Irae]

Is the rookie wall something to be concerned about? It absolutely is. Is the rookie wall something the Patriots have been trying to avoid? I'd expect it is.

I'd expect that they are paying particularly close attention to McCourty, Gronkowski and Spikes.

 

[aluminum seats]

It's the week-to-week practice grind that does it, not the actual games. They don't call it the rookie wall because rookies slam into it and start dropping like flies due to injury.

Gee, thanks for clearing that up.

My point was that the linked article wasn't of much value. One guy's experience--and yeah, I think actually playing in the games might be a contributing factor--doesn't really tell anyone much of anything.

 

[blackglass3]

Is the rookie wall something to be concerned about? It absolutely is. Is the rookie wall something the Patriots have been trying to avoid? I'd expect it is.

I'd expect that they are paying particularly close attention to McCourty, Gronkowski and Spikes.

Thanks, I knew there was one guy I was missing. I forgot Spikes in my post.

Spikes and Guyton have been rotating, no? I haven't seen Reiss' breakdowns the last few weeks.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

if you listen to espn you'd think the pats are the only team with rookies and concerns.