Only Two Questions: how does offense get back on track, & how to improve returns?

[mgteich]

1) How do we get the offense back on track?

2) How do improve the punt and kick return game?
============

The defense played very well yesterday until 3 players went down within a few minutes near the end. The offense and returners didn't have a high bar. They needed to score SOME points in the first half and not turn to he ball over quite so many times.

With regard to special teams, the coverage teams did fine (more props for the defensive players). It was our return game that sucked, giving us few yards and giving up a turnover.

 

[Big-T]

Re: Only Two Questions

1. Stop calling so many pass plays over the middle for 5-7 yards, everyone knows it's coming and teams are beginning to show signs of being able to stop it.

2. Stop running in straight lines right into the coverage guys! It's like the returners don't know they can move laterally as well as forwards in order to find a crease to spring a big return.

 

[KoolAid]

Re: Only Two Questions

1. Stop calling so many pass plays over the middle for 5-7 yards, everyone knows it's coming and teams are beginning to show signs of being able to stop it.

2. Stop running in straight lines right into the coverage guys! It's like the returners don't know they can move laterally as well as forwards in order to find a crease to spring a big return.

Yea, the return game is really bugging me. 52 guys on this squad, and not one of them can get past to 20-25 yard line all game! Edleman looks like he could fumble on any given return plowing into the coverage and then spinning around. Not gonna work.

 

[Big-T]

Re: Only Two Questions

Yea, the return game is really bugging me. 52 guys on this squad, and not one of them can get past to 20-25 yard line all game! Edleman looks like he could fumble on any given return plowing into the coverage and then spinning around. Not gonna work.

It looks like Edelman doesn't know he can call for a fair catch, no matter how good the kick & coverage is he always seems to try returning it when a fair catch would have been the better option.

 

[FalconHeavy]

Re: Only Two Questions

1) How do we get the offense back on track?

Get back to basics and start running the football a little more. what ever happened to run the ball to open up the play-action

Brady needs a little help here and he was harassed all day yesterday with GMen on his face most of the time. A legit run game will slow this blitz. There was a time when Brady used to eat the blitzing D alive. I'm not an expert but it appears somethings has changed.

God only knows what they gonna do next week as the Blitz happy thugs are waiting for us in meadowlands or wherever their new stadium is..

 

[RIpats88]

Re: Only Two Questions

honestly, its that 3rd WR spot that is hurting us on offense right now...and it is the reason belichick made the swap of Tate for Ochocinco.

Deion Branch is prone to dissapearing acts during games at a time so that leaves brady with essentially 3 targets...welker/gronk/hernandez that all operate in the middle of the field..thats why we are getting so many tipped ball interceptions this year.

the positive I saw last game is that Ochocinco was getting open but Brady was not throwing him catchable passes...that is something that can be fixed. if ochocinco becomes more of a factor in the passing game, then it helps fix our problems in that aspect of teh game

 

[JoeShmoe]

Re: Only Two Questions

1) How do we get the offense back on track?

Defenses are quite simply clogging the middle of the field with coverage guys and leaving 4 to rush. The o-line is playing really poorly the last few weeks, Brady's getting pressured too easily with too few rushers. Vollmer has looked like a turnstile. Its how the Jets beat us in the PO's last year, it's what Pitt did and it happened yesterday. Hardly an open secret now

With the middle zones clogged the TE's and Welker on intermediate routes (Brady s first reads always) are always covered. The main issue for me is how the outside receivers get no separation. There's never a deep ball, an out, a hitch and Brady doesn't trust these guys in man coverage one on one. Until he does or until we get taller, faster Z and Y guys we'll get forced to run (which we ALWAYS abandon) or have TFB forcing throws into tight coverage.

You can see on the plays the spacing looks ok, the play calling looks ok but the defense knows they can leave the outside guys one on one because they cant seperate

All this added to the fact that Brady just isn't making good reads and missing open guys and you have a funk...

 

[Bostonian1962]

Re: Only Two Questions

1) How do we get the offense back on track?

2) How do improve the punt and kick return game?
============

The defense played very well yesterday until 3 players went down within a few minutes near the end. The offense and returners didn't have a high bar. They needed to score SOME points in the first half and not turn to he ball over quite so many times.

With regard to special teams, the coverage teams did fine (more props for the defensive players). It was our return game that sucked, giving us few yards and giving up a turnover.

I was thinking about that first question this morning. Often times you can say, 'well, if we just get a LB in the draft', or 'if we can just add a DE in the draft'.

The scary thing to me is, we need a free safety, a strong safety, a couple of CBs, a pass rushing LB and/or DE. We need a RB, IMHO. We need another WR or two. We could use a center possibly. Despite our 17 325 lb DTs, we can't rule out another DT or two. My point is, we need alot of help.

I'm trying to figure out how, with all these draft picks over the last many years, our cupboard is so darned bare. Very strange. If it was not for all the hits in the Gronk draft, the cupboard wouldn't even exist. This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen, and I've been following the team since day one.

 

[DarrylS]

Re: Only Two Questions

I was thinking about that first question this morning. Often times you can say, 'well, if we just get a LB in the draft', or 'if we can just add a DE in the draft'.

The scary thing to me is, we need a free safety, a strong safety, a couple of CBs, a pass rushing LB and/or DE. We need a RB, IMHO. We need another WR or two. We could use a center possibly. Despite our 17 325 lb DTs, we can't rule out another DT or two. My point is, we need alot of help.

I'm trying to figure out how, with all these draft picks over the last many years, our cupboard is so darned bare. Very strange. If it was not for all the hits in the Gronk draft, the cupboard wouldn't even exist. This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen, and I've been following the team since day one.

Vollmer, McCourty, Hernandez, Gronkowski, Solder, Mallett, Spikes and a few all others wanted to say hi!!!

This team is being rebuilt on the fly, how would you like being a Indy or Miami fan.. the former took a nose dive when Manning got hurt.

It is difficult to stay at the top, but to whine every day about how bare the cupboard is, is tiring..

 

[LasVegasPatsFan]

Re: Only Two Questions

I just dont see the KR getting any better. Past few weeks we saw Woodhead, Slater, McCorty, and Welker returning kicks. I dont understand why BB didn't keep Tate just for return duties. Hell, we saved a roster for Slater for ST.

 

[Big-T]

Re: Only Two Questions

I just dont see the KR getting any better. Past few weeks we saw Woodhead, Slater, McCorty, and Welker returning kicks. I dont understand why BB didn't keep Tate just for return duties. Hell, we saved a roster for Slater for ST.

Because in pre-season Tate was awful returning kicks, most of the time he couldn't even make it past the 10.

 

[RIpats88]

Re: Only Two Questions

Defenses are quite simply clogging the middle of the field with coverage guys and leaving 4 to rush. The o-line is playing really poorly the last few weeks, Brady's getting pressured too easily with too few rushers. Vollmer has looked like a turnstile. Its how the Jets beat us in the PO's last year, it's what Pitt did and it happened yesterday. Hardly an open secret now

With the middle zones clogged the TE's and Welker on intermediate routes (Brady s first reads always) are always covered. The main issue for me is how the outside receivers get no separation. There's never a deep ball, an out, a hitch and Brady doesn't trust these guys in man coverage one on one. Until he does or until we get taller, faster Z and Y guys we'll get forced to run (which we ALWAYS abandon) or have TFB forcing throws into tight coverage.

You can see on the plays the spacing looks ok, the play calling looks ok but the defense knows they can leave the outside guys one on one because they cant seperate

All this added to the fact that Brady just isn't making good reads and missing open guys and you have a funk...

the thing is, brady was missing Wide open receivers and making some poor decisions in throwing the ball...3 balls thrown ocho's way were uncatchable.

thats not something I expect brady to do the rest of the season...to fix this offense we need brady to be brady...which means making good reads of the defense and throwing accurate balls to the open man

because yesterday, brady didnt look like the elite qb that he is

 

[Jangles]

Re: Only Two Questions

1) How do we get the offense back on track?

We need a legitimate WR. The guys we have are all small, and slow. They're only good for quick cuts, and short to intermediate throws. We need someone who can stretch the field. I'm not suggesting we need a Calvin Johnson, or Larry Fitgerald, just someone who can get some separation and get downfield.

I agree that the offense needs a balanced running attack, but Brady is one of the best QBs in the league. It's silly to take the ball out of his hands just for the sake of running the ball. The tight ends we have are great, but again, they aren't burners flying downfield. They're also young and prone to rookie mistakes.

I think our need at WR is so critical, we need to grab whoever we can in free agency, and pay whatever we need to get them.

2) How do improve the punt and kick return game?

The answer is Dan Connolly

 

[borg]

Re: Only Two Questions

honestly, its that 3rd WR spot that is hurting us on offense right now...and it is the reason belichick made the swap of Tate for Ochocinco.

Deion Branch is prone to dissapearing acts during games at a time so that leaves brady with essentially 3 targets...welker/gronk/hernandez that all operate in the middle of the field..thats why we are getting so many tipped ball interceptions this year.

the positive I saw last game is that Ochocinco was getting open but Brady was not throwing him catchable passes...that is something that can be fixed. if ochocinco becomes more of a factor in the passing game, then it helps fix our problems in that aspect of teh game

I see it as a #2 WR issue.....Branch scares no one

 

[NinjaZX6R]

Re: Only Two Questions

I did have a problem with one of the plays. I think Woodhead was the RB and it was third and short.
Giants were in a 4 man line with a double A gap blitz. So, it looked like a 4-6 Bear Defense.
I've seen Brady (not in this game) audible to a toss play (ie Jets beatdown game 45-3). Yet, we saw Woody get stuffed for a loss.

 

[resdubwhite]

Re: Only Two Questions

1. someone in WR has to lighten the load on Welker. He was brilliant even after he went down with his shoulder. Taylor Price. You need t oget healthy and you need to get on the field.
Would love to see Vereen come in and show us what he has. And play calling. For me, with 1:54 on the clock we call an outside run, the player ends up oob and we have to spedn a TO to get him back to our side is unforgiveable. Run it down NY's neck and let them spend the TO.


2. Can't see it getting resolved this year.

 

[satz]

Re: Only Two Questions

Fustrating to see tate return 1 for a TD again this week. He was the spl team player for the week 2 weeks ago.With the money we paid we could have kept him for this one purpose .

for now a FA

WR and Safety is needed.