Bedard's weekly grades

[BradyManny]

Light making a difference - The Boston Globe

I don't think Bedard is getting enough credit on here for being without a doubt the best analyst we have in this area, IMO. His weekly grades are something I look forward to every Wednesday. Maybe if the boston.com site weren't frustrating to use he'd get more attention.

He clearly watches the games over under a microscope, and has the knowledge to comprehend what he's viewing (say, unlike PFF, who he has taken digs at before - probably another reason I like him).

There's always interesting gems in these pieces, this one probably sticks out:

After giving up four pressures to the Eagles, including three to Pro Bowl end Trent Cole, on the first 12 dropbacks, Light has gone the next 67 giving up just one pressure: a hold against Colts lineman Tyler Brayton with 5:28 remaining in the second quarter.

To do that against players the caliber of Cole and Freeney is saying something.

Now, we would be remiss if we didn’t point out that the Patriots obviously came in with a game plan for Tom Brady to get rid of the ball fast against the Colts’ pass rush. And he carried it out.

His average time to get off a pass was 2.25 seconds, which is about a half-second faster than his season average. On 16 of his 42 dropbacks, Brady got rid of the ball in under two seconds. Just six took over three seconds.

or

To say the Patriots went into a prevent defense leading, 31-3, would be wrong. The Patriots blitzed nine times, and seven came after they built that lead. The Patriots also didn’t alter their coverages. They are a Cover 3 (safety and two corners deep), quarters (two safeties and two corners split the field), and Tampa 2 (two deep safeties and deep dropping linebacker) team at this point. And that’s what they did throughout against the Colts. The Patriots simply can’t play man-to-man, and that is the chief concern in the playoffs.

The whole thing is worth a read, every week.

 

[JackBauer]

Light making a difference - The Boston Globe

I don't think Bedard is getting enough credit on here for being without a doubt the best analyst we have in this area, IMO. His weekly grades are something I look forward to every Wednesday. Maybe if the boston.com site weren't frustrating to use he'd get more attention.

He clearly watches the games over under a microscope, and has the knowledge to comprehend what he's viewing (say, unlike PFF, who he has taken digs at before - probably another reason I like him).

There's always interesting gems in these pieces, this one probably sticks out:



or



The whole thing is worth a read, every week.

Agreed. Bedard is performing the invaluable service I used to look for from Breer when he was here. Definitely a must-read, IMO. Thanks for posting.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Yeah, the whole pay for content thing is unfortunate.

As for Bedard, he goes to NFL Films every week as I understand it and watches the Pats all 22 film with Greg Cossel as they break it down for their programming. I also think he learned some valuable lessons while he was in GB where as I recall he was pretty tough and outspoken when it came to the HC and GM there (partly because of their tight lipped demeanor ala BB) and then ended up looking kind of silly as they won it all after his mid season departure...

 

[MoLewisrocks]

It let me read the whole piece for a change...and it was worth it. Reveals that the inability to commit to the run has more to do with the OL than the OC or the RB by committee approach. And underscores how dependent this secondary is on pressure. Really nailed it on the WR's and the offense though. That unit doesn't have much of a margin for error and it remains our bread and butter. That is why Brady keeps working on it. And why Chad just gums up the works.

When you’re going up against a lot of zone, there aren’t going to be many tough catches. We counted four, with two coming from Wes Welker, who caught all 11 passes thrown his way. Gronkowski had three touchdowns, and the lateral showed off his athletic ability. Not many players his size can beat linebackers and safeties to the goal line. This, however, wasn’t one of his finest run-blocking performances, and Welker missed a screen block to Aaron Hernandez. Chad Ochocinco continues to be a disappointment. He makes a nice sliding catch on third down, drops the next pass thrown to him, and then obviously had no clue what play to run with 1:11 left in the first half and was pulled from the game for Tiquan Underwood, who knows the playbook better in eight days than Ochocinco does in five months. If he wasn’t getting paid $6 million this season, there’s little doubt he’d be cut loose. It’s a joke at this point.

 

[BradyManny]

It let me read the whole piece for a change...and it was worth it. Reveals that the inability to commit to the run has more to do with the OL than the OC or the RB by committee approach. And underscores how dependent this secondary is on pressure. Really nailed it on the WR's and the offense though. That unit doesn't have much of a margin for error and it remains our bread and butter. That is why Brady keeps working on it. And why Chad just gums up the works.

Good excerpt.

I find Bedard to be critical, but generally very fair. So his indictments of Ocho say something to me.

I think his harsh criticism of the run blocking rings true with what we've seen. It has been very poor of late.

For what it's worth, I normally find Bedard's pieces are free online, at least the day they come out. I don't know about going forward.

 

[JackBauer]

A bit concerning to hear about Waters. I wonder if they'll spell him more with Cannon down the stretch.

 

[BradyManny]

A bit concerning to hear about Waters. I wonder if they'll spell him more with Cannon down the stretch.

I agree that would be smart.

Waters had been a beast all year. We also should remember he sustained some kind of injury in the Jets game, obviously it wasn't enough to take him out the game for long, but he may be a little dinged up.

We need a healthy Waters at the end of the year. Our other starting Guard has not played to his expected level of play thus far, IMO. Mankins has had some mental lapses and isn't playing as disciplined as years past.

 

[Deus Irae]

Pretty solid read. Thanks, O.P..

 

[ALP]

i agree, good read, thanks

if the OP wants to link this article every wednesday, i would not mind

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Yeah, the whole pay for content thing is unfortunate.

As for Bedard, he goes to NFL Films every week as I understand it and watches the Pats all 22 film with Greg Cossel as they break it down for their programming. I also think he learned some valuable lessons while he was in GB where as I recall he was pretty tough and outspoken when it came to the HC and GM there (partly because of their tight lipped demeanor ala BB) and then ended up looking kind of silly as they won it all after his mid season departure...

That's inevitable with a bottom, upward technical approach.

Classic can't see the forest for the trees.

 

[Greg A. Bedard]

Yeah, the whole pay for content thing is unfortunate.

As for Bedard, he goes to NFL Films every week as I understand it and watches the Pats all 22 film with Greg Cossel as they break it down for their programming. I also think he learned some valuable lessons while he was in GB where as I recall he was pretty tough and outspoken when it came to the HC and GM there (partly because of their tight lipped demeanor ala BB) and then ended up looking kind of silly as they won it all after his mid season departure...

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. And I'm definitely up for constructive criticism.

To be accurate, I don't go every week week to NFL Films. I go once or twice a season. I went after the Eagles game this year.

My analysis comes from hours (8-10 for a game) of studying the TV copy and analysis on various spreadsheets.

I try to base everything I write on some sort of tangible evidence -- as much as possible in football.

I don't know where you got the last part from. I was the only Packers writer to pick the Packers to win the Super Bowl before the season.

I was tough but fair. McCarthy thought as much. Yes, of course, I had criticisms of him and Ted at times, but nothing that proved to be blatantly untrue and made me look silly. And nothing had anything to do with their tight-lipped-ness. That's not even close to being true. And I don't really care what Bill does or doesn't say. Doesn't affect my job. I'm not a beat writer.

At the time that I left GB, the Packers had just beaten the Vikings but lost at WAS and at home to Miami before that. All I said was I wasn't sure whether they would be able to put it together.

They went onto to lose to DET and barely made the playoffs at 10-6. It's not like they were a juggernaut or anything until the postseason.

In short, I firmly stand behind my entire body of work in GB and would be happy to field any questions about it.

If anybody has any questions or comments, feel free to email me anytime at [email protected].

All the best,
GB

 

[Deus Irae]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. And I'm definitely up for constructive criticism.

To be accurate, I don't go every week week to NFL Films. I go once or twice a season. I went after the Eagles game this year.

My analysis comes from hours (8-10 for a game) of studying the TV copy and analysis on various spreadsheets.

I try to base everything I write on some sort of tangible evidence -- as much as possible in football.

I don't know where you got the last part from. I was the only Packers writer to pick the Packers to win the Super Bowl before the season.

I was tough but fair. McCarthy thought as much. Yes, of course, I had criticisms of him and Ted at times, but nothing that proved to be blatantly untrue and made me look silly. And nothing had anything to do with their tight-lipped-ness. That's not even close to being true. And I don't really care what Bill does or doesn't say. Doesn't affect my job. I'm not a beat writer.

At the time that I left GB, the Packers had just beaten the Vikings but lost at WAS and at home to Miami before that. All I said was I wasn't sure whether they would be able to put it together.

They went onto to lose to DET and barely made the playoffs at 10-6. It's not like they were a juggernaut or anything until the postseason.

In short, I firmly stand behind my entire body of work in GB and would be happy to field any questions about it.

If anybody has any questions or comments, feel free to email me anytime at [email protected].

All the best,
GB

I've enjoyed your work. Please, come back here often.

 

[jal]

Greg - you have the best Patriots analysis out there and your Wednesday grades are my top Patriots-related reading every week. It's great to see someone actually breaking down the game as opposed to working the story angles. I want football, not soap-opera, and you deliver it, so please keep up the good work.

Quick question for you - you were among the first to notice that Brady may have suffered a throwing arm injury during our midseason slump...does his accuracy / zip seem back to early season form based on what you see on the tape?

 

[Greg A. Bedard]

Greg - you have the best Patriots analysis out there and your Wednesday grades are my top Patriots-related reading every week. It's great to see someone actually breaking down the game as opposed to working the story angles. I want football, not soap-opera, and you deliver it, so please keep up the good work.

Quick question for you - you were among the first to notice that Brady may have suffered a throwing arm injury during our midseason slump...does his accuracy / zip seem back to early season form based on what you see on the tape?

Yeah, he's fine now. He never lost velocity -- that usually happens with shoulder injuries -- but his accuracy was definitely off (usually more of an indication of an elbow issue.

He's back to his old self, even though it was really hard to judge him against the Colts. Their coverage was worse than the Patriots.

Thanks for the kind words guys. I lurk on this board from time to time to see what the fans are concerned/talking about. I like listening to knowledgeable/objective fans.

We should do a chat or something at some point. I'm game for anything. I try to be an open book and as accessible as possible.

 

[ausbacker]

Yeah, he's fine now. He never lost velocity -- that usually happens with shoulder injuries -- but his accuracy was definitely off (usually more of an indication of an elbow issue.

He's back to his old self, even though it was really hard to judge him against the Colts. Their coverage was worse than the Patriots.

Thanks for the kind words guys. I lurk on this board from time to time to see what the fans are concerned/talking about. I like listening to knowledgeable/objective fans.

We should do a chat or something at some point. I'm game for anything. I try to be an open book and as accessible as possible.

Thanks for your fine work Greg. It's always refreshing to read informed commentary breaking down the intricacies of performance, execution and strategy amidst the interminable dross of those galavanting as media experts.

One suggestion for future writings (if you should embellish Patsfans), feel free to write a long and thorough article describing the decorated history of Jets suckage. That would be TIME Cover story worthy.

 

[TheComeback]

Good excerpt.

I find Bedard to be critical, but generally very fair. So his indictments of Ocho say something to me.

I think his harsh criticism of the run blocking rings true with what we've seen. It has been very poor of late.

For what it's worth, I normally find Bedard's pieces are free online, at least the day they come out. I don't know about going forward.

He should be critical, that's his job.

One thing I've learned about watching sports is that there's no use sugar-coating what you see happening on TV. Listen to the people who have the film and know what's really going on.

If the Patriots can't play man, they are going to have to rely on compressed zones to help them in the red area in the playoffs. They'll also have to get turnovers. We aren't going to shut anyone down.

As for the pass rush, they've shown potential at times. I'd be interested in knowing how effective Anderson's been recently, and whether his presence changes how teams handle Carter.

Getting a bye week can help this team tremendously. Veterans like Waters slow down late in the season because they're old. At least that seems to make sense to me. With all the injured players we've got on the team right now, that extra week can make a difference.

The team is far from perfect, but you can say that about every team in the league right now. Open field for the Pats as far as I'm concerned, especially if they can shore a few things up before the postseason. It also means one less team we have to play

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Promise us that you won't get all silly as your multi media gigs expand (or so they will) and that you won't ask stupid questions like how Bill feels about flexing the Tebow game and we will be ecstatic here. Once upon a time Felger was the best reporter on the beat. Then he became a columnist and talk show host wannabe and lost his mind. Reiss started out objective and has basically stayed that way despite the BS he's been forced to endure at the hands of some of his peers. Breer was a great X's and O's blogger but once he got to Dallas his world view became a little warped...Rap was doing OK out of the gate but he's too caught up in the silly stuff and guesting and retweeting these days. Then of course there is Wrong, who knows his stuff but can't quite let go of his demons... Don't even get me started on the PFW crew, who has more access than any of you and can't seem to make sense of it.

I know the field has changed. But this organization in this BB/TFB era has deserved better coverage than it's gotten. I'm not sure this fanbase deserves more, but it might have helped... For the most part folks here are less interested in who breaks a story than who gets the significant ones and the details right.

 

[jmt57]

For those interested in more analysis and opinions from him, Greg Bedard is hosting a chat session two hours from now.


Chat with Greg Bedard at 12:15 - Extra Points - Boston.com

 

[BradyManny]

More quality stuff from Bedard this week:

Patriots' beleaguered defense shows signs of hope - The Boston Globe

The Brady stuff is interesting - and matched how I felt, that his performance was quite strong outside of a couple mistakes and some drops.

If Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker don’t drop touchdown passes and Tiquan Underwood breaks harder and runs parallel to the end line on the final pass, we might be talking about Brady’s best game of the season.

The lack of production from the RB continues. And is disconcerting.

On the 51-yard pass to Donte Stallworth on the Redskins’ second drive on third-and-9, the Patriots were in Cover 3 with Slater as the deep safety and cornerbacks Devin McCourty and Kyle Arrington helping to divide the field. McCourty can’t let the receiver get behind him. Slater was correct in not providing help because Santana Moss threatened a vertical route before pulling up. McCourty looked like he had designs on undercutting the route but Stallworth stayed vertical.

1.5 for the secondary. Yikes. Fair though. He's very on point as usual.

Interesting observation:

Slater is only capable of playing deep. Whether it’s Cover 2 (two deep safeties), Cover 3 (one safety and two corners dividing the field into thirds) or quarters (two corners and two safeties dividing the field into quarters), he is no threat to blitz or cover the flat. Opponents will know this.

 

[JackBauer]

Logan Mankins (three hurries, two poor run blocks) had another rough go, mostly against tackle Stephen Bowen, who blew up Mankins at the point of attack on a big third-and-1 run that went for no gain in the fourth quarter.

Christ. I hope his poor play this season doesn't portend him coming up small, yet again, in the playoffs.