Greg Cosell's observations from Pats/Ravens

[SVN]

Cosell

 

[supafly]

Great read, lots of good stuff in there, thanks.

Some of the concerns--

A bit concerned about the NYG possibility to drop 8 into coverage with the 5 under/2 deep look.

Also concerned with the NYG secondary at times, they can be playmakers too. Webster is a pretty decent guy back there, as is Rolle. Phillips is not as good, but certainly viable.

Solder looked 'okay' but not as good as we will likely need him next Sunday, that's another concern that needs addressed. OTOH, I don't see a rusty Vollmer getting snaps over him too often, just a hunch.

I would like to go back and watch the man coverage looks that we saw in the 2nd half again.

Some of the positives are that I think this past game can be a good tuneup for what they need to address and work on. It certainly can't hurt.

Another positive is the fact that they were able to run hard w/ BJGE, and also the 5 long drives of 10+ plays; however, they need to cash in on TD's, rather than FG's. Even one more TD instead of a FG would have given us 27 on the day. While I don't know if that will be enough to beat the NYG, it should certainly keep the game very close.

 

[Gumby]

interesting...

Slater altered his path just as Brady released the ball so the throw was inaccurate

still wasn't a good place to be throwing the ball with 2-3 db coverage.

SOLDER:
Toward end of season I was kind of sold on Solder over Vollmer; thought he had surpassed him.
But now reading comments like this from experts I am wondering if my eyeball test & recollections were of Vollmer when he was hurting rather than at 100%. Tedy was also saying on podcast that he would put Vollmer over Solder out there (just not for whole game - as he is coming back off injury).
I just hope the coaches get the chance to make that decision (that vollmer is healthy enough to go if required.) But that requires him to be practicing hard this week.

 

[BSR]

Great read, lots of good stuff in there, thanks.

Some of the concerns--

A bit concerned about the NYG possibility to drop 8 into coverage with the 5 under/2 deep look.

I'm not sure I follow. Isn't this what we would love them to do? Drop 8 and rush only 3? Wouldn't that be them playing away from their strength? And if they do, as you mentioned, that would just make the run all that more effective.

I thought his points about the 2TE/3WR personnel was interesting. It caused Bal to play dime and allowed for some of those nice Hernandez runs. This formation, as well as 3TE formation, will be key against the Giants and will probably coincide with hurry up to keep certain defenders on the field.

 

[patfanken]

interesting...

[/B]

still wasn't a good place to be throwing the ball with 2-3 db coverage.

SOLDER:
Toward end of season I was kind of sold on Solder over Vollmer; thought he had surpassed him.
But now reading comments like this from experts I am wondering if my eyeball test & recollections were of Vollmer when he was hurting rather than at 100%. Tedy was also saying on podcast that he would put Vollmer over Solder out there (just not for whole game - as he is coming back off injury).
I just hope the coaches get the chance to make that decision (that vollmer is healthy enough to go if required.) But that requires him to be practicing hard this week.

I watched Solder closely in that game. Cossell was right he did get beat twice on inside moves, one for a sack and one for a hurry. Both were caused when he got too aggressive and reached for his man. But he was flawless on outside moves and power rushes, and was excellent in his run blocking.

It certainly wasn't perfect, and if you rated the OL, Solder would have come out last among the Pats OL, but that's more due to the excellence of the other guys rather than that he sucked.

I agree that he's going to get the start, but I think Solder is playing well, and that Brady will get the protection he needs to perform well. Not that I think he won't get sacked, hit and hurried on occasion.

BTW- Cossell gave us some good insight. I won't be surprised to see the Giants in some kind of 5 under and 2 deep for most of the game. From that alignment you can alternate underneath zone and man coverage, and selectively double with the safeties. Buy switching from man to zone you can cause confusion and doubt, without having to overly confuse yourself.l Even though you align with the same look, you can be flexible with your options..

I wouldn't mind seeing the Pats in this, only out of the 3-4, with one LB rushing and one droping.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

interesting...

Which begs the question, was the throw inaccurate?

The problem I have with all the observations is even the most skilled observers don't know exactly who was supposed to be doing what and if or how that effected a teamates performance.

I thought just based on the broadcast tape that Brady threw that ball right down the hash and Slater drifted a yard inside the hash as he began to look for the ball in the last several yards and that allowed the defender alone to be in position to even get a mitt on that ball not to mention the second db to close on it and land in potision to make a play on it once tipped. A better route runner and/or a more experienced receiver potentially draws PI on that matchup and if not the ball sails incomplete. That's why while in theory there is nothing wrong with the kill shot call, situationally it's not a call we are in position to be making because we don't have the personnel to execute it. Slater is a guy who can occasionally make a play on a perfectly thrown ball if coverage is blown and he's wide open. He has the speed to challenge deep but not the savvy to beat tight coverage. That's why he's a ST player and a 6th WR. And Brady is often in situations where he needs to have the option to make throws into windows in tight coverage. If we'd only had $6m to spend on a guy with that skillset...oh wait, we did, but we spent in on a charismatic binky instead.

 

[reflexblue]

Which begs the question, was the throw inaccurate?

The problem I have with all the observations is even the most skilled observers don't know exactly who was supposed to be doing what and if or how that effected a teamates performance.

I thought just based on the broadcast tape that Brady threw that ball right down the hash and Slater drifted a yard inside the hash as he began to look for the ball in the last several yards and that allowed the defender alone to be in position to even get a mitt on that ball not to mention the second db to close on it and land in potision to make a play on it once tipped. A better route runner and/or a more experienced receiver potentially draws PI on that matchup and if not the ball sails incomplete. That's why while in theory there is nothing wrong with the kill shot call, situationally it's not a call we are in position to be making because we don't have the personnel to execute it. Slater is a guy who can occasionally make a play on a perfectly thrown ball if coverage is blown and he's wide open. He has the speed to challenge deep but not the savvy to beat tight coverage. That's why he's a ST player and a 6th WR. And Brady is often in situations where he needs to have the option to make throws into windows in tight coverage. If we'd only had $6m to spend on a guy with that skillset...oh wait, we did, but we spent in on a charismatic binky instead.

Hes going to have a break out game next week, i can just feel it.

 

[TheComeback]

I'm not understanding why he can't write in complete sentences.

 

[PatsGirl2011]

I agree with his concern. I don't think the Giants are going to do what everyone expects. I think they may play the stand up D that the Pats used to do vs. Peyton Manning in 2003-2004 to confuse Brady. The Pats already seen the man D vs. the steelers and of course they played the Giants the next week. Hopefully they are prepared to run the ball more because I can also totally seeing them trying to flood the zones and then bringing blitzes on 3rd and long situations.

 

[IllegalContact]

the giants defense is not the ravens defense......they can't cover like the ravens and their pressure is from DL only with occaisional zone changeups with kiwanuka blitzing and tuck tangling with a TE

if I was the pats, I would keep the giants defense guessing by running the ball and setting up the play action and keeping manning off the field. the giants are dead last running the ball, and the newly rejuvenated DL plays right into that.....the giants OL gave up most of their sacks to a defender who had his hand on the ground. wilfork is on a tear and he needs to keep the pocket crushed and take manning off his spot.

I think the giants are prime for a beating

 

[IllegalContact]

I agree with his concern. I don't think the Giants are going to do what everyone expects. I think they may play the stand up D that the Pats used to do vs. Peyton Manning in 2003-2004 to confuse Brady. The Pats already seen the man D vs. the steelers and of course they played the Giants the next week. Hopefully they are prepared to run the ball more because I can also totally seeing them trying to flood the zones and then bringing blitzes on 3rd and long situations.

disagree......the pats are a better rushing team now.....the pats displayed the willingness to run and that what won for them last week...and not only that, but boley and blackburn aren't exactly bruschi and vrabel, and please....PLEASE just try to put kiwanuka on either gronk or hernandez.....it doesn't work.

you can't play a stand up and around defense against a 2 TE offense....especially not when one of them can handle a guy like ngata.

the giants can't afford to make any dramatic change ups to try to baffle brady.......they will wind up leaving huge areas of field open and a guy like hernandez to abuse that

 

[RobertWeathers]

the giants defense is not the ravens defense......they can't cover like the ravens and their pressure is from DL only with occaisional zone changeups with kiwanuka blitzing and tuck tangling with a TE

This. G-Men D has been playing well but agree- they do not have the physical skill in the secondary that the Ravens did.

I also think that their Lb core, while good are not at the same level as BAL's

I think the giants are prime for a beating

I'm not sure if I think the Pats will lay a beat-down on the G-Men, but I do think that the Pats will score more points than everyone thinks. The key question is how well the Pat's D plays vs Eli, Cruz and co. The G-men's running game does not scare me.