Most important offensive player this week?-SURPRISE!

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Dan Koppen is the most important player in this game offensively for the Patriots,Not only must he get the ball snapped securely to Tom and protect im but he must go face to face with Jamal Williams who is one of the best D-Linemen in the game today and has been a monster at his position...if Koppen performs well the Patriots chances are good, If he gets beat all day-then we will see you in training camp.

All offensive players must perform well sunday in order to win,but IMO Koppen must have the game of his life to pull this one out.

 

[spacecrime]

Dan Koppen is the most important player in this game offensively for the Patriots.

I don't know. Hockstein has done a darn good job when Koppen was out.

I'd go with Brady. If I had to go with Koppen/Cassel or Hochstein/Brady there is no doubt in my mind which I'd choose.

In fact, if we had to lose one player, I'd pick Koppen over Brady, Dillon, Maroney, Caldwell, Gaffney, Watson, Graham and Light.

 

[denverpatsfan]

OL-DL obviously is key.

But doesn't Koppen go up against Wilfork in practice every week? Is the Chargers NT better than Vince??

Also Light has had plenty of practice against Jason Taylor over the years. Is steroid boy better than Taylor??

Don't look for the Pats line to be surprised/overwhelmed this week. They have seen this before and will be ready for it.

 

[SVN]

when i saw 'Surprise' in the thread i thought it was another chad jackson thread.

 

[BelichickFan]

Brady is always our most important offensive player.

 

[Flying Fungi]

Brady is always our most important offensive player.

seriously...

 

[Daisymazze]

Light better heave a damn good game. All of them really, but I am sure they are studying our Miami loss closley. Hopefully this time we will be ready. Brady is important but his job is a lot harder, if not insufficient, if he isn't protected.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Williams plays a penetrating NT style. Like Casey Hampton of the Steelers does.

Koppens/Hochstein and a Guard, have seldom had problems neutralizing Hampton and the Steelers, even when the Steelers had much better run defenses, than this current, inferior, Bolts team does.

Wilfork's game is forced by the coaches to be more fundamentally sound. Results ? 3.5 YPC versus 4.2 YPC

That's why they play the game!

 

[upstater1]

Other than Brady. Brady is a given.

IMO, our most important player will be Maroney. The Chargers are not great tacklers. If the game is close going in the third quarter, advantage Patriots, because the Pats will start running the ball, and I look for Maroney to get some huge gainers at that point.

The only thing against my theory is the Chargers blitz, which will require a lot of faulk and Dillon to block for Brady.

 

[SVN]

most important for us this week...our WR's ..if we end up picking up the blitz these guys have to get open consistently

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Kelvin Kight - I just don't know why he gets overlooked so much.

 

[Flying Fungi]

Kelvin Kight - I just don't know why he gets overlooked so much.

lost in a sea of gators

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

lost in a sea of gators

Gators up to your Borges would distract you I guess.

 

[DaBruinz]

OL-DL obviously is key.

But doesn't Koppen go up against Wilfork in practice every week? Is the Chargers NT better than Vince??

Jammal Williams is better than Wilfork. How much better is the real question. I think that Koppen should be able to handle Williams, but it will be tough.

Also Light has had plenty of practice against Jason Taylor over the years. Is steroid boy better than Taylor??

Matt Light has been schooled pretty regularly by Jason Taylor. Merriman is right up there with Taylor. You can expect Graham and Watson to be helping out with Merriman A LOT.

Don't look for the Pats line to be surprised/overwhelmed this week. They have seen this before and will be ready for it.

I don't think that the Pats line will be surprised. However, they may get beat for 2 or 3 sacks. Which is fine by me as long as the defense can hold up its end of the deal.

 

[denverpatsfan]

I certainly hope that you are wrong. I thought the Pats had the best NT in football. If these guys are as good as advertised and they can run it up the middle we are cooked!!

Yes I realize Light has been schooled recently, but he has had some success in the past and will be ready for that kind of player. Yes they will need to keep Graham in to help.

I hope this doesn't turn into one of those Pats games fromthe early 90's when the line was so bad that they kept 2-3 TE's in for EVERY passing play to max protect. From what I read here and elsewhere they make it out to be that way.

I was trying to find something positive here. I still can't believe this guy can be better than Vince. We will find out on Sunday I guess.

How many 1st round picks did this team get in the last few years. I guess it would be a surprise if they were NOT this good.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Whoever has to block Shaun Phillips will be the most important offensive player this week. I'm pretty sure Merriman will be doubled with Graham's help (the best pass-blocking TE in the NFL) so that will leave Phillips one-on-one with the tackle he lines up opposite. On 1st and 2nd downs, Phillips usually lines up on the D's right side, so this means Light has him. On 3rd-and-long (passing downs), Phillips and Merriman usually flip-flop, so this means Kaczur (or O'Callaghan) will have him.

Having watched the Chargers aplenty this year (thanks to all the AFCW games shown out here), I'm not exaggerating when I say Phillips is better than Colvin in terms of bringing the heat. Even when he doesn't get a sack, he almost always has a hand on the back of the QB's jersey when the ball is thrown. He's a FA after this season and depending on how well he does against NE, I wouldn't be surprised if this forum is talking about him as a possible acquisition in the offseason.

Regards,
Chris

 

[DaBruinz]

I certainly hope that you are wrong. I thought the Pats had the best NT in football. If these guys are as good as advertised and they can run it up the middle we are cooked!!

Yes I realize Light has been schooled recently, but he has had some success in the past and will be ready for that kind of player. Yes they will need to keep Graham in to help.

I hope this doesn't turn into one of those Pats games fromthe early 90's when the line was so bad that they kept 2-3 TE's in for EVERY passing play to max protect. From what I read here and elsewhere they make it out to be that way.

I was trying to find something positive here. I still can't believe this guy can be better than Vince. We will find out on Sunday I guess.

How many 1st round picks did this team get in the last few years. I guess it would be a surprise if they were NOT this good.

The KEY to the Chargers turnaround was their fleecing of the Giants. Getting Rivers and Merriman as well as some others (I don't remember) really helped.

The fact that the Chargers have also made a great deal out of their picks has also helped.

 

[zippo59]

I certainly hope that you are wrong. I thought the Pats had the best NT in football. If these guys are as good as advertised and they can run it up the middle we are cooked!!

I was trying to find something positive here. I still can't believe this guy can be better than Vince. We will find out on Sunday I guess.

How many 1st round picks did this team get in the last few years. I guess it would be a surprise if they were NOT this good.

It's really hard to tell. Williams has been great for a while where as Vince is relatively young. Even if Williams is better, than doesn't mean that Wilfork is bad.