Hernandez missing effect, Branch

[everlong]

Can we please not turn this into a hater vs homer bashing thread like so many out there?

Branch didn't have a catch yesterday and I only remember him being targeted once on the left sideline. That was after starting out 15/222 in the first two weeks which is a pro bowl pace. I'll rewatch the game off of the DVR to get a better idea later today but with Welker and Gronkowski going off you would think at some point Branch would have gotten off. I'm not sure who from Buffalo was drawing him most of the day but I'm curious to opinions as to if this was a case of a corner from Buffalo just shutting him down or were there no seams in the zone that are normally open to him because of AH missing?

Buffalo seemed to be switching coverage quite often between zone and man so I don't think it's a simple answer.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Can we please not turn this into a hater vs homer bashing thread like so many out there?

Branch didn't have a catch yesterday and I only remember him being targeted once on the left sideline. That was after starting out 15/222 in the first two weeks which is a pro bowl pace. I'll rewatch the game off of the DVR to get a better idea later today but with Welker and Gronkowski going off you would think at some point Branch would have gotten off. I'm not sure who from Buffalo was drawing him most of the day but I'm curious to opinions as to if this was a case of a corner from Buffalo just shutting him down or were there no seams in the zone that are normally open to him because of AH missing?

Buffalo seemed to be switching coverage quite often between zone and man so I don't think it's a simple answer.

You know what Bill says about taking one thing away, most defenses can manage that. I think Branch was being doubled (per Upstater who was at the game although Andy thinks he's hallucinating about what he saw) and drawing their best corner early on and that opened up matchup opportunities for Gronk and Welker. Brady was playing the hot hand, which is what you do until the coverage changes. Unfortunately mistakes (penalties and turnovers including a couple of real flukes) piled up and changed the momentum and the dynamics in the second half.

 

[everlong]

Yes I read that from Upstarter after making the thread. Interesting that they would choose to take away Branch and not Welker. Most of the day Welker seemed to be doubled as well but was still able to get open and Brady certainly seemed to have tunnel vision with Welker and Gronk.

 

[Rob0729]

Branch was targeted three times. Branch was blanketed most of the game. I don't know if he was double covered as much as Upstarter says. I could be wrong, but I just think he had a bad game.

 

[everlong]

Two of them must have been identical on the left sideline. I kept thinking am I remembering the same play twice or was it two plays. Curious to the third.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I think Buffalo was flooding the intermediate zones like the JETS tend to and challenging Brady to find a way to beat that absent Hernandez. He did early on, largely because Welker is a pit bull and a PITA even to double cover and Gronkowski is just a beast. I think the deep TD throw to Chad was Brady's way of sending a message...only it backfired because Mr. Yips inner child has a million thoughts running around in that football brain Bill is so enamored of and he loses focus. He's done this his whole career. It's just he was so prolific in Cincy relying on talent alone even as he was a large part of that teams continued dysfunction people didn't notice the lapses, and if they did he was usually pointing the finger or glaring at Palmer (and for me it was always a tossup as to which one of them was the bigger maddeningly talented screwup...) or doing something so entertaining a few plays later that it distracted them and they forgot about the drops or delving into what was causing them. I think Bill decided it was all Carson...

 

[everlong]

Agreed on the flooding of the underneath zones. Another reason Gronk hit on so many times up the seam. After the big cheers week two I really thought Chad would loosen up but apparently you're correct and he's just a head case. I do think Palmer was every bit part of the problem in Cincy and a rookie is proving that out now.

 

[Rob0729]

Two of them must have been identical on the left sideline. I kept thinking am I remembering the same play twice or was it two plays. Curious to the third.

I only remember two, but they said on the radio that it was three. One was out of bounds and uncatchable although Branch was covered pretty well. The other he was blanketed and didn't catch it. I don't know what the third one is either.

 

[BigMike]

Do The Pats Win with Hernandez Playing?

Brady would have at least 2-3 less int's and 2-3 more TD's with Hernandez in instead of Mr Chad Johnson. IMO....

We need Hernandez back soon, to give us an additional deep threat that Chad cant right now

 

[Haley]

That Ocho drop was horrific. I'll probably have nightmares about that one.

But the play that said it all for me was a seemingly inconsequential one. It was late in the 4th quarter and we were standing on the Bill's 1 yard line. We attempted 2 running plays to try and punch out a TD. When the same type of play failed twice in a row, we were apparently stunned. To help alleviate our confusion, we used up one of our precious timeouts.

We thought about what we would do. Formulated a plan. Yes, YES! It was all coming together now. With the time for discussion the confusion could be wiped away! We would all be on the same page now!! Boy, were those Bills in trouble now...

We're set up and ready to deliver the killing blow. Brady is calling for the snap, and ... nothing happens. Brady begins slapping around at the inner-thighs of Connolly in a way that was starting to look pretty invasive! The whole play, so carefully planned out over the course of the precious timeout, fails with a false start called on Mankins.

Now the drive ended up in a touchdown (barely ... off 4th down). However, I think the point here is that the offense just wasn't working together. It was functioning like a car with the timing maligned. Plays were sputtering ...and clanging ...and making a lot of noise without driving very far.

Personally I felt that the loss of so many starters completely threw this team out of wack. On the offensive side of the ball, no timing. On the defensive side, no depth.

While it was frustrating to watch, it is still only one game. Hopefully the team will learn from it and grow stronger. At this point in the season I don't mind being 3rd in the division. Maybe it'll help reduce some injuries if teams stop playing us like its the freaking super bowl!

 

[Garbanza]

Branch was covered, often doubled and obviously the focus of the defense....could be because Branch went off the week prior.

It was ridiculous how open Welker was all game. Single coverage - lb's on him....open....stupid.

Gronkowski is just an animal.

I have no doubt the Pats would have won the game had Hernandez played - even with the most putrid Pats defense of all time and four Brady picks.

Instead of focusing on Branch, what you all should be focusing on is the failure that is Chad Ocho-stinko.

 

[upstater1]

McKelvin was on Branch most of the game. But he was being doubled with a safety inside. Most of the time, Branch was trying to break down the sidelines but he was bracketed. He was also doing curl routes to the outside.

Welker's big day was partly because they had a safety dragging with him across the field and he was unstoppable.

I think the Bills clearly went in wanting to take Branch away. McKelvin is not very good, but clearly he is fast and can hang on the outside. When I was watching Branch he was running the same upfield routes. They didn't seem to do anything like have him come across the middle.

 

[Garbanza]

McKelvin was on Branch most of the game. But he was being doubled with a safety inside. Most of the time, Branch was trying to break down the sidelines but he was bracketed. He was also doing curl routes to the outside.

Welker's big day was partly because they had a safety dragging with him across the field and he was unstoppable.

I think the Bills clearly went in wanting to take Branch away. McKelvin is not very good, but clearly he is fast and can hang on the outside. When I was watching Branch he was running the same upfield routes. They didn't seem to do anything like have him come across the middle.

Why do that when Welker and Gronkl were doing fine. If Branch was going to be a decoy - so be it. Should open things up for that idiot Chad - what a waste of money that chump is.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I think we don't realize how important Hernandez is to this offense, he's a HUGE loss. He opens up the field for everyone, and is an incredible mismatch for defenses. Look at the games he's missed, the Jets playoff game, this game against Buffalo, it seems the offense, though potent, is more unstoppable when Hernandez is playing, and is out of sync when he's not. Can't wait until he comes back. Love Gronk, love Wes, but these guys are even better, and have more room to roam when Hernandez is around.