idle thoughts - the I can't sleep edition

[BlueThunder]

Great post. It is why the rest of us can sleep after watching a Pats game. We know you'll be up all night harvesting our dreams for all the good ideas.

I have one more for you to mull over: What is the rule on wedges in the kickoff game?

The Jets routinely had four or five guys side-by-side holding hands like 4th-grade girls playing ring-around-the-rosie as the returner started upfield. I thought wedges were against the rules on kickoffs and punts because Commissioner Goodell sucked so bad at ring-around-the-rosie as a kid.

Shouldn't there have been a flag on McKnight's return?

I did notice a semi wedge where 2 guys were holding hands......but then I realized that's just the way the Jet players swing

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Westhoff disguised his "wedge" well in the big return. Two guys holding hands and the 3rd just off them. Within the rules and well planned and executed.

Guys DO have a couple weeks to practice with the team coming off PUP so that they can be evaluated as recovered and get their timing back. Decisions to be made.

Maybe it's just me but I feel comforted seeing the ball in BJGE's hands.

 

[Kulko]

6. For all the kudo's that BJGE is going to get all this week, the fact is that he is a very average RB in the NFL. HOWEVER he has 4 qualities that BB values. a. He rarely loses yds b. he will always get at least what is given d. He can get those tough yds around the GL and Short yardage and d. He doesn't put the ball on the ground.

Fully Agree with BB here. BJGE is a very good back because of just this ability. He may not be elite, but he is what a team needs to win Superbowls.
I mean when the Jets knew that only runs where comming, he went up there throat for 50 yds in 8 yd chunks, needing just one or wo supporting passes from TFB.

8. In summary: The offense allowed 5 sacks. They only had one short field. The defense provided ZERO turnovers. Brady didn't have his best night missing a couple of open receivers deep, and looking confused and indecisive at times. The OL had its worst game of the year pass blocking......and we STILL came within a dropped pass from hanging a 37 spot on defense that held the Ravens to 10. Sorry, but I still can't get over that dichotomy. Are we just spoiled? Overly critical? Or what. Head scratching isn't it.

Totally Agreed

The defensive side:

1. If you look at the yds, 3rd down ratio, and some other stats there is certainly room to think the D showed some improvement. and they did. However they failed badly in a couple of key areas that ironically had previously been areas of accomplishment. One being Zero TO's. The other, red zone defense, where the Jets went 3 for 3.

Remember all the positive people (including me) were touting the fact that despite all the yds given up, the points allowed in non-garbage time, was starting to improve, Well here we did well in giving up only 250 total yds, but the 21 points we gave up are too many given how few yds were allowed. Last week we gave up over 500 yds, yet only allowed 19 points, and 6 of those were in garbage time.

Well I prefer yesterdays defense by a lot. 3 instances is too small a sample size to be concerned about red zone Defense yet, when it has been working good all year.
And the Jets where just so horrible at throwing, that there were no chances for turnovers.

3. Much better efforts by McCourty and Boddin this week

Given the minimal chances a CB in this league has, to do his job, I am very pleased with both of them yesterday. Plus DMC ran down MC Knight from behind on that KO return.

5. When the Jets started to gain some traction in the run game, I thought the Pats would move into a 3-4 look but it never happened. We rarely put immediate pressure on Mangold coming off HIS injury. I thought this would be part of the strategy. I was wrong.

I dont saw the necessarity to switch whats been mostly working. They had one or two drives where they could run, and then we tweaked the defense and were back to 1 yd and a cloud of dust.

6. Given that Revis is grabbing receivers past the 5 yd mark all the time, I found it odd the refs called that PI on him. Looked like a bad call to me.

Well I dont know if he does it all the time, but it was a very obvious call. He blatantly held and interfered all the way up to the second white line, which should be 10 yds past the line of scrimmage. And forget about the inidental tripping BS that the commentators saw, He just pushed him.

9. it looks like we got out of this game pretty healthy. Hopefully none of the guys we just got back aggravated any of their injuries

Horray for that one.

 

[Kulko]

its probably nitpicking but didn't the Raiders lead 7-3 for a drive in the Oakland game. But I get your point

Just checked it, they didnt. Whenever they had a lead we scored back immediately.

 

[borg]

Random thoughts:

1) Pats running left....whoever BB was targeting on the right side of the Jets D line has to be worried that fat Rex is about to ask him to bring his playbook into a private meeting. The Pats ran left early with limited success...and I started to get pissed....ah....but what do I know...because that meat was being tenderized for a 4th quarter feast...and it was delicious

2a) The Jets WRs complain about their O during the week, then proceed to drop balls on the first two series forcing punts. Pats D was handed those first 2 three and outs on a platter. This game could have gone in a different direction very easily

2b) WTF was Tannenbaum thinking taking Plaxico over Braylon Edwards? Plax and his hands.....nothing has changed since jail. P.S....that sideline catch /overturned call should have been called inconclusive.....and a catch IMO.

3) Welker going for that short punt reminded me of a certain Sox left fielder...Now Wes knows what contract he compares best to

4) Can the Pats hire whoever scouts Jets' DBs?

5) Points against...Pats have given up fewer points than the vaunted Jets...by 1 point

6) Great white north....Buffalo's secondary feasted off another QB...Do not ignore the team behind the curtain

7) BJGE...M o a M...Man on a Mission. The total commitment Ben showed on every play was impressive. He followed his lead blocked then launched his body through gaps...total commitment. A shining example of team ball and unselfishness. Good stuff. BJGE earns unlimited whirlpool visits this week

8) Hernandez looked a little chunky out their...or was that me

9) I thought Ghost could kick it through the endzone? Anyone see Janikowski yesterday. Raiders just let their guy tee it up from 50+ all day.

10) A common theme from Jets fans over the past few weeks....DEPTH. The Jets are thin at O line, RB, WR, TE. Depth is their achilles now and through the rest of the season. Of course the Jets fans blame their OC instead of the roster make up....have at it JEST fans

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

I have a lot conflicting thoughts after this game. I hope you find at least some of them interesting.

On the offensive side of the ball:

1. It is clear that no other defense he has seen in the last 2 years confuses Tom Brady more than the Jets. 4 of the 5 sacks came (imho) from coverage. It wasn't like Brady didn't have time to throw the ball He had at least 2 looks on each of those 4 sacks.
That defensive scheme and/or the players who run it, clearly cause him fits. Its by far the most indecisive we ever see Tom. (though it should be noted that he seemed to get more comfortable as the game went on.)

Now here's the conflicting part. If it wasn't for that dropped pass by Hernandez, the Pats would have put up 37 points on a defense that drives Brady nuts. Now how f**ked up is THAT!

2. Its also clear that after Volmer gets back, Thomas Welch will be back with the practice squad.

3. I think the offense missed have the dimension that Danny Woodhead gives it. With such Blanket coverage coverage of the other receivers, Brady didn't have a 3rd down back type to use for screens and drop downs. I hope he's back for Dallas Hard to believe that this offense can get better.

4 Welcome back to reality Steven Ridley. A little too much east and west, and not enough north and south Stevie. I still believe in you kid, but you had to know that the NFL wasn't that easy.

5. Think about how awesome the running game is going to be when we get Volmer back and Solder comes in as the 2nd TE

6. For all the kudo's that BJGE is going to get all this week, the fact is that he is a very average RB in the NFL. HOWEVER he has 4 qualities that BB values. a. He rarely loses yds b. he will always get at least what is given d. He can get those tough yds around the GL and Short yardage and d. He doesn't put the ball on the ground.

IIRC ASmith never averaged 4ypc Yet he was perfect for what BB wanted in a RB because he had those 4 qualities, even if he wasn't among the most talent backs in the league or even the division

Its not like BB doesn't want a dynamic RB, but until he lucks into one, BJGE can provide the kind of running attack that compliments the high powered passing attack well. He's not a guy who can run for 20+ several time a year, but he's not going to risk any opportunities to get 3-6 yds in order to try and hit that home run. BB appreciates that kind of dependability

7. I'm surprised that Welker was able to gain over 100 yds again. Even more surprised to see Branch managed 7 catches. I guess the scribes will have to postpone his football obituary for another week or two.

And speaking of the media, I thought the Jets did a pretty good job on Welker, yet he STILL had over 100 yds receiving. I wonder at what point the media is going to start to view him as one of the top receivers in the league. NO ONE in the league, has caught more pass than Wes since 2007 and NO ONE is more a more productive WR this year. Yet Wes is rarely mentioned among the top 5 guys.

Clearly those guys are 'anti-shortites'. and something should be done. Welker is being "short changed". Guys like Chris Carter are being very "smal minded". It seems certain people will go to "no length" to disparage Welker's accomplishment. Why isn't Mike Reiss "on top" of this?

8. In summary: The offense allowed 5 sacks. They only had one short field. The defense provided ZERO turnovers. Brady didn't have his best night missing a couple of open receivers deep, and looking confused and indecisive at times. The OL had its worst game of the year pass blocking......and we STILL came within a dropped pass from hanging a 37 spot on defense that held the Ravens to 10. Sorry, but I still can't get over that dichotomy. Are we just spoiled? Overly critical? Or what. Head scratching isn't it.

The defensive side:

1. If you look at the yds, 3rd down ratio, and some other stats there is certainly room to think the D showed some improvement. and they did. However they failed badly in a couple of key areas that ironically had previously been areas of accomplishment. One being Zero TO's. The other, red zone defense, where the Jets went 3 for 3.

Remember all the positive people (including me) were touting the fact that despite all the yds given up, the points allowed in non-garbage time, was starting to improve, Well here we did well in giving up only 250 total yds, but the 21 points we gave up are too many given how few yds were allowed. Last week we gave up over 500 yds, yet only allowed 19 points, and 6 of those were in garbage time.

2. Good thing we got back Dowling and Haynesworth.....I guess, Neither managed to show up on the stat sheet with a tackle, sack, or pass defended. In fact I asked myself all night if Dowling was even in the game. Now I understand I'm being overly critical. Both had missed a couple of weeks and both were "limited" at practice all week, so I guess I should be just grateful they made the effort they did. Still disappointed, since I was excited to see them back.

3. Much better efforts by McCourty and Boddin this week

4. Defense was still very vanilla this week. Rarely did they blitz, and when they did blitz, the stunt rarely freed someone up. For the most part the Pats lined up pretty much the same way every play. So while the offense has morphed into the Colts, its starting to look like the defense is starting to morph into the dreaded Jags;

Is BB waiting for later in the season to show some creativity or at least create some of the same confusion in an opposing QB that we saw in Brady. Curious. Maybe BB will implement some stuff after the bye when everyone is healthy and have had a few games under their belt.

5. When the Jets started to gain some traction in the run game, I thought the Pats would move into a 3-4 look but it never happened. We rarely put immediate pressure on Mangold coming off HIS injury. I thought this would be part of the strategy. I was wrong.

6. I think Gary Guyton is a better special teamer than a full time ILB. He is a liability vs the run. I would really would like to see Fletcher get a shot at the position. Spikes was OK, but still hit the wrong hole a few times when he filled. Now giving up just 97 yds rushing, isn't a bad job. But I expected better. The Mayo gap has appeared.

7 Ninko is VERY under rated. Very solid," do your job" kind of player

8. James Iheadibo isn't the answer at S, but he played way above my expectations this afternoon, as Chung and he pretty much shut down Keller and minimized the possibility of big plays. Kudos to the local kid.

Defensive Summary - Better....not good, but better, nonetheless. That wasn't a good offense, and Dallas, with all its flaws presents a much more difficult challenge and they are coming off a bye We can't count on Romo just coughing up a game to us. We just aren't that lucky.

Special teams - Mezko had a great day punting the ball, and KO coverage sucked. I think that about covered it.

Miscellaneous:

1. Jet fans might be building a statue to Joe McKnight as we speak, but in reality, the credit should all go to Westhoff, his schemes, and his players' execution. The timing and blocking of almost all of the KOs was just consistently excellent. So good even an opposing fan can appreciate it.

2. Its clear that Mark Sanchez's biggest problem is consistency. I find it hard to fathom how the QB who made their 3 scoring drives look so easy, could make those 7 three and outs look so hard. I'm just glad he's not our QB Right now he's not even the 2nd best QB in the division.

3. I would appreciate it if anyone could tell me how I can get the MHK logo on my name plate. I should have done it earlier

4. Stats that made be go WOW.

a. Wes Welkers fumble of that punt was the Pats FIRST fumble of the year.
b. Brady's pick in the red zone was the first one he'd ever thrown in Gillette during the regular season - over 300 throws

5. The NFL network is offering he ability to stream any game after its over for $30 for the season. I'd be interested to know if anyone has that service and how they like it. It would be interesting to take another look at games

6. Given that Revis is grabbing receivers past the 5 yd mark all the time, I found it odd the refs called that PI on him. Looked like a bad call to me.

7. The replay was the correct call on the Branch play. When a player is down, as Branch was, the play ends the moment someone touches him. All the ball movement and the fumble itself came AFTER Branch was touched.

8. That soft sharp keening you hear in the background are Jet fans WHINING as usual about how the refs are in the opposing team's pockets. I'd take it personally, except its the same whine EVERY week

9. it looks like we got out of this game pretty healthy. Hopefully none of the guys we just got back aggravated any of their injuries

OK on to the Dallas game - Beating the 2 teams I love to hate the most in consecutive weeks would make this old man a very happy one.

ken

"3 and outs" and turnovers are not correlated. Of all the INT's this year, only one came a "three and out".

During the course of a drive, there are more plays. More plays mean more chances for the offense to screw up.

Six of the INT's this year, came deep into the drive.

If you want "three and outs", expect less turnovers because the punt is actually a turnover.

How this works should be a function of the opponent.

As a mentioned earlier, I think the San Diego game has been the best defensive effort.

Eliminate Gates
Zero big plays
Make the gaff prone Rivers prone some gaffs.

This site should not get into the habit about getting mad about yardage and third down conversions and claim we "luck" into turnovers; then with "3 and outs" lament about turnovers.

 

[Don Kipines]

2. Good thing we got back Dowling and Haynesworth.....I guess, Neither managed to show up on the stat sheet with a tackle, sack, or pass defended. In fact I asked myself all night if Dowling was even in the game. Now I understand I'm being overly critical. Both had missed a couple of weeks and both were "limited" at practice all week, so I guess I should be just grateful they made the effort they did. Still disappointed, since I was excited to see them back.

3. Much better efforts by McCourty and Boddin this week

4. Defense was still very vanilla this week. Rarely did they blitz, and when they did blitz, the stunt rarely freed someone up. For the most part the Pats lined up pretty much the same way every play. So while the offense has morphed into the Colts, its starting to look like the defense is starting to morph into the dreaded Jags

Just a couple of things -- Dowling didn't play, but Haynesworth did and I thought he did some good things. He stood up Brandon Moore a few times and forced Greene to cut back two or three times. It wasn't anything big, but he did okay.

On the blitzes, I'll have to go back and look, but it seemed to me they came with more than a few. They sent at least a couple of corner blitzes (McCourty didn't get there, Arrington did) and they had Ninkovitch blitzing inside on the Holmes touchdown.

I thought the Pats did a lot of good things on defense yesterday. Good solid tackling for most of the day -- they didn't give up really any extra yards. No big gashes in the running game. A bunch of 0-2 yard runs, putting the Jets in third downs and second-and-longs. The DL play looked better and I also liked Ihedigbo, who hit some guys and gave them more than Barrett has been giving them.

It's not the best formula for winning, because they're still going to need 25-30 points on offense to win every week, but they're slowly tightening things up on D.

 

[goheels22002]

Just a couple of things -- Dowling didn't play, but Haynesworth did and I thought he did some good things. He stood up Brandon Moore a few times and forced Greene to cut back two or three times. It wasn't anything big, but he did okay.

On the blitzes, I'll have to go back and look, but it seemed to me they came with more than a few. They sent at least a couple of corner blitzes (McCourty didn't get there, Arrington did) and they had Ninkovitch blitzing inside on the Holmes touchdown.

I thought the Pats did a lot of good things on defense yesterday. Good solid tackling for most of the day -- they didn't give up really any extra yards. No big gashes in the running game. A bunch of 0-2 yard runs, putting the Jets in third downs and second-and-longs. The DL play looked better and I also liked Ihedigbo, who hit some guys and gave them more than Barrett has been giving them.

It's not the best formula for winning, because they're still going to need 25-30 points on offense to win every week, but they're slowly tightening things up on D.

This was the most solid defensive performance yet. The Jets were forced to fight for what little yardage they got and the tackling was superb all day long. This was the most unremarkable performance by the Jets against the Pats of the past few years - a credit to a defense that kept everything in front of them. When the Jets had opportunities to come up with plays or a drive to take the lead, they were met with stout Patriots run defense and excellent tackling inside the sticks.

 

[Triumph]

Don't get your panties in an uproar. No it is a fact that BJGE is never going to be a RB who can generate big plays, or who has a lot of physical "talent" The point of my observation was NOT to be negative about him. Quite the opposite. The point was to say that DESPITE the lack of physical talent (of course that's relative to the NFL) he has 4 other qualities that make him an asset to the Pats offense.

But it should also be clear that that he's not even the most talented RB on his own team, Ridlley is clearly a more explosive runner, and and as he develops and proves that he can pass block and not fumble, he will surely start to take snaps away from Bennie

Really? You can tell all that just by watching Ridley on a dozen or so carries?

People are always writing off BJGE but he is money. Never has fumbled.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

I guess I can't help but feel that if BJGE were a 1st or 2nd round pick, he'd have way more support than he seems to around these parts.

From last season to today, the man has 18 TD's. Using that same comparison:

Adrian Peterson: 19 TD's ( 1 rec.)
Fred Jackson: 12 TD (2 rec.)
Matt Forte: 11 TD (4 rec.)
LeSean McCoy: 16 TD (4 rec.)
MJD: 9 TD (2 rec)
Darren McFadden: 14TD (4 rec.)
Arian Foster: 19 TD ( 1 rec.)
Peyton Hillis: 15 TD (2 rec.)
Chris Johnson: 13 TD (1 rec)
Michael Turner: 16 TD
Jamaal Charles: 8 TD (4 rec)

Also, Benjarvus does. not. fumble. Obviously, using 1 stat to compare him to the rest of the league doesn't do everyone a ton of good, but when you look at the fact that he scores plenty of TD's, and doesn't cough the ball up - what's not to like? He also runs hard, hits holes, doesn't tend to get caught for negative yardage, and I personally was very reminded of clock killin Corey Dillion in closing out that win yesterday.

Also, it really seems that his teammates are consistently effusive in their praise for his play and even more so for his attitude and work ethic. I hope in a few years we look back on him as the Troy Brown, Kevin Faulk, Tedy Bruschi, Tom Brady type Patriots that just brought it every single day. Us fans love those guys.

 

[loofasisgeek]

Don't get your panties in an uproar. No it is a fact that BJGE is never going to be a RB who can generate big plays, or who has a lot of physical "talent" The point of my observation was NOT to be negative about him. Quite the opposite. The point was to say that DESPITE the lack of physical talent (of course that's relative to the NFL) he has 4 other qualities that make him an asset to the Pats offense.

But it should also be clear that that he's not even the most talented RB on his own team, Ridlley is clearly a more explosive runner, and and as he develops and proves that he can pass block and not fumble, he will surely start to take snaps away from Bennie

I don't often post, but had to respond in this case since the post was both obnoxious AND stupid.

"Panties in an uproar" WTF. Grow up. You might as well say "Hi guys, anyone want to have a flamewar? Let's have a flamewar!"

"he's not even the most talented RB on his own team" Is the only component of RB talent "explosiveness"? He doesn't fumble, he moves the chains, he takes what is there for yards. Why aren't those qualities part of talent? That's like saying speed is the only skill needed for WR. Was Chad Jackson "more talented" than Wes Welker?

 

[IndianPat]

Yeah, man. Lay off the "panties in a ...." kinds of comments. Not if you want genuine discussion. Gives a bad taste to your opinions, which in general are good.
BTW, Welker gets his props in the national media. Quite a bit actually. Michael Irwin was on Jim Rome last week - when asked about Megatron, he said that Welker is the best receiver in NFL. Everybody gushes about Welker.

 

[Triumph]

So far, BJGE is leading the NFL in rushing this week.

Not bad for a scrub whose about to lose carries to a Rookie.

 

[Metaphors]

its probably nitpicking but didn't the Raiders lead 7-3 for a drive in the Oakland game. But I get your point

The Pats actually answered that drive with a TD. I just find it amazing that the defense has faced 50 or so drives but has never faced the threat of going down 2 scores.

exactly. It sort of looked ugly at times, but despite all that, we always seemed to be in control of the game.. However, it was hard NOT to think about the Alge drop in the playoff game, after Hernandez missed that opportunity.

That game and also the Cleveland game last year. The Pats left the door unlocked and the Jets blew out their ACL trying to kick it in.

That's surprising about Dowling. You would have thought that if he was healthy enough to be activated that he could have been used to be a big body on Plex, or a quicker than a S guy to cover Keller. I find it a little disturbing that BB had him active, yet didn't play him.

The only thing I can think of is that Belichick doesn't want Dowling to be playing at less than 100%. While he was healthy enough to play in a pinch, I'm not expecting him to see the field until he isn't on the injury report.

BTW- a couple of questions about PUP.
When/if the come off the PUP, don't they have a couple of weeks to practice with the team BEFORE they count to the 53 man roster?

They can practice after week #6 and must be removed off PUP by week #9. Once activated, the Pats have 3 weeks to put them on the roster or IR them. So this means the PUPies can stay off the roster as late as week #12.

I know they can't practice with the team, but are they allowed to go to meetings, film study, and work out at the facility while on PUP?

I'm not sure if they are allowed to go to meetings (I've read before that they can), but I'm pretty sure they are expected to rehab at team facilities and with team training staff.

Amen to that, brother. I'd like to see how this defense operates with a full slate of players getting snaps for a couple of weeks

Not just the defense. When Hernandez and Gronk are 100% (and neither were yesterday) along with Welker, the offense is wildly efficient. An issue the Jets had yesterday and teams will have in the future is that it seems to be impossible to counter the Pats will personnel. The Jets ran 7 DB sets a lot of the time and the Pats brought the TEs in tight and ran the ball. When the Jets went heavy, the Pats spread the TEs and had favorable matchups. The Pats can dictate matchups without substituting. So defenses not only get stuck with the wrong people, but no huddle keeps them on the field and they get gassed.

The Ravens are the only team that seems to have the potential to stay base and defend the Pats effectively. But even they struggled when the Titans and Hasselbeck were able to avoid attack them with multiple formations.

 

[borg]

I guess I can't help but feel that if BJGE were a 1st or 2nd round pick, he'd have way more support than he seems to around these parts.

From last season to today, the man has 18 TD's. Using that same comparison:

Adrian Peterson: 19 TD's ( 1 rec.)
Fred Jackson: 12 TD (2 rec.)
Matt Forte: 11 TD (4 rec.)
LeSean McCoy: 16 TD (4 rec.)
MJD: 9 TD (2 rec)
Darren McFadden: 14TD (4 rec.)
Arian Foster: 19 TD ( 1 rec.)
Peyton Hillis: 15 TD (2 rec.)
Chris Johnson: 13 TD (1 rec)
Michael Turner: 16 TD
Jamaal Charles: 8 TD (4 rec)

Also, Benjarvus does. not. fumble. Obviously, using 1 stat to compare him to the rest of the league doesn't do everyone a ton of good, but when you look at the fact that he scores plenty of TD's, and doesn't cough the ball up - what's not to like? He also runs hard, hits holes, doesn't tend to get caught for negative yardage, and I personally was very reminded of clock killin Corey Dillion in closing out that win yesterday.

Also, it really seems that his teammates are consistently effusive in their praise for his play and even more so for his attitude and work ethic. I hope in a few years we look back on him as the Troy Brown, Kevin Faulk, Tedy Bruschi, Tom Brady type Patriots that just brought it every single day. Us fans love those guys.

Great comparisons. BJGE's agent is licking his chops right now. Best bargain in the NFL, besides the Gronk

 

[fumbrunner]

What's with this fascination with long runs? If a RB isn't breaking a 30 yd run, he is considered average and not up to snuff. Seems like the Maroney fanboys have shifted over to Ridley's camp.

This team plays with the lead more often than not. What this team needs is a guy that could push for positive yards and not turn over the ball. That is essentially what BJGE did yesterday and it was a thing of beauty. We have not seen that type of clock-killing play since Corey Dillon. If the pats had taken that approach against Buffalo, they would be 5-0 right now.

Given how reliable BJGE has proven to be, I see no reason for BB to reduce his workload. If fact, I would be perfectly happy to see him carry the ball as often as he did yesterday.

 

[Patspsycho]

Don't get your panties in an uproar. No it is a fact that BJGE is never going to be a RB who can generate big plays, or who has a lot of physical "talent" The point of my observation was NOT to be negative about him. Quite the opposite. The point was to say that DESPITE the lack of physical talent (of course that's relative to the NFL) he has 4 other qualities that make him an asset to the Pats offense.

But it should also be clear that that he's not even the most talented RB on his own team, Ridlley is clearly a more explosive runner, and and as he develops and proves that he can pass block and not fumble, he will surely start to take snaps away from Bennie

"Don't get your panties in an uproar"? Ken, you asked for it.

You and every other anti-BJGE keep tunnel-visioning on the fact that BJGE will not rip off a long run. That's just ridiculous, especially considering you don't get points for that unless they end in TDs.

 

[Ice Cold Bruschi]

#1- That is not a "fact", just your opinion.

Yeah, well that's just your opinion man. (Big Lebowski) - YouTube

 

[PatriotFan77]

Don't get your panties in an uproar. No it is a fact that BJGE is never going to be a RB who can generate big plays, or who has a lot of physical "talent" The point of my observation was NOT to be negative about him. Quite the opposite. The point was to say that DESPITE the lack of physical talent (of course that's relative to the NFL) he has 4 other qualities that make him an asset to the Pats offense.

But it should also be clear that that he's not even the most talented RB on his own team, Ridlley is clearly a more explosive runner, and and as he develops and proves that he can pass block and not fumble, he will surely start to take snaps away from Bennie

Your original "fact" about Green Ellis was that he is "very average". I'm just disagreeing with you based on objectively looking at the statistics from last year and through week 6 this year. His rush yards and touchdowns are higher than the league averages for RB's over that time, those are facts.

Now, if I can be subjective for a minute....BJGE is hardly an average running back. When the majority of RBs in the NFL barely approach 1,000yds let alone go over that total, he did it on a pass first, pass happy, 2 to 1 pass-run ratio team. And his totals thus far and on pace to surpass last year. An avg back would be more like a Brandon Jacobs or Knowshon Moreno type who run for league avgs of around 800yds and 8 TD's. A "very average" back would be like a Tim Hightower/Jahvid Best type guy who start for their teams but don't produce a whole lot offensively.

As far as Ridley being better, I'm not sure what you are seeing that the coaching staff isn't. If he was clearly more talented, don't you think he would have been on the field for the 4th quarter, not BJGE?

 

[Metaphors]

Your original "fact" about Green Ellis was that he is "very average". I'm just disagreeing with you based on objectively looking at the statistics from last year and through week 6 this year. His rush yards and touchdowns are higher than the league averages for RB's over that time, those are facts.

Now, if I can be subjective for a minute....BJGE is hardly an average running back. When the majority of RBs in the NFL barely approach 1,000yds let alone go over that total, he did it on a pass first, pass happy, 2 to 1 pass-run ratio team. And his totals thus far and on pace to surpass last year. An avg back would be more like a Brandon Jacobs or Knowshon Moreno type who run for league avgs of around 800yds and 8 TD's. A "very average" back would be like a Tim Hightower/Jahvid Best type guy who start for their teams but don't produce a whole lot offensively.

Can't reality be somewhere between BJGE is a JAG and he is among the elite RBs? Instead of saying he is "average", how about saying he is limited? He is a between the tackles guy that doesn't make defenders miss. Nothing wrong with that but he doesn't have the skills/inclination to bounce outside if the running lanes are blocked.

That being said, BJGE best feature is that he gets 100% out of his skill set. That makes him reliable and predictable, which is a good fit for this team. Lots of backs are more skilled but are unable to maximize their abilities.

As far as Ridley being better, I'm not sure what you are seeing that the coaching staff isn't. If he was clearly more talented, don't you think he would have been on the field for the 4th quarter, not BJGE?

Why even compare them? They bring different strengths to the table. Against a team like the Raiders that crashed big guys between the tackles, Ridley will have more success by being able to get to the edges. Against a Jets team that was spread out much of the time, BJGE's ability to quickly identify and hit the right hole was the right fit. Tastes great and less filling.