Help Has Arrived: Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly

[mgteich]

Hopefully, we will have significant production this Sunday from Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly.
This should be an upgrade over the production from Hilliard, Hernandez (3 reps), Hooman and Thomas.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Hopefully, we will have significant production this Sunday from Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly.
This should be an upgrade over the production from Hilliard, Hernandez (3 reps), Hooman and Thomas.

significant production will not come from branch or winslow

 

[supafly]

significant production will not come from branch or winslow

And it's very doubtful to come from Fells either, at least this week. Hope I'm wrong and he at least is active, but I have my doubts.

Connelly should be back, that will be quite helpful.

If Winslow is able to pick up on some things this week already, mainly blocking assignments and make a catch or two--it'll be considered a major success by me, not to mention an improvement.

Ditto for Branch. A key catch or two is about all I'm expecting, although one that goes for a TD would be perfectly fine. I'm guessing that he splits reps with Edelman, so I'm not expecting him to see the field all that much, although 30 reps or so would be considered nice.

Either way, I agree with mgteich that it should be better than the players listed last week.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I don't see any chance the team looks as lost and bewildered as they did last week......in fact I don't know if it's possible for a team of this talent level to have it occur 2 weeks in a row.

If the Pats somehow do resemble last weeks team again in a Prime Time game in front of the world and with a possible bye week at stake,then I don't hold much hope they will ever get it together this year.

It's time for them to prepare,come and play like they mean it or go home with thier tail between their legs.

In fact I won't be upset if they lose going down in a blaze of glory,as long as the effort was there is what I would love to see,it wasn't there last week.

 

[juny]

I don't see any chance the team looks as lost and bewildered as they did last week......in fact I don't know if it's possible for a team of this talent level to have it occur 2 weeks in a row.

If the Pats somehow do resemble last weeks team again in a Prime Time game in front of the world and with a possible bye week at stake,then I don't hold much hope they will ever get it together this year.

It's time for them to prepare,come and play like they mean it or go home with thier tail between their legs.

In fact I won't be upset if they lose going down in a blaze of glory,as long as the effort was there is what I would love to see,it wasn't there last week.

Agree with your last statement. Since being the #1 seed doesn't guarantee a SB, I just want the team to stay healthy and get hot late in the season.

No doubt this week is a huge test w/o Hernandez. Luckily this division is weak so the Pats should be able to keep up even w/ a loss this week.

 

[Sicilian]

Ditto for Branch. A key catch or two is about all I'm expecting, although one that goes for a TD would be perfectly fine. I'm guessing that he splits reps with Edelman, so I'm not expecting him to see the field all that much, although 30 reps or so would be considered nice.

I'm not necessarily expecting more, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a productive day. When he came back from Seattle, didn't he have like 8 or 9 catches in that first week back? Granted he's not in the same physical shape now, but he's had rest, and my guess is Ed Reed will be patrolling Lloyd's side of the field, which will give Branch a little more leeway.

 

[Kontradiction]

significant production will not come from branch or winslow

Branch should contribute significantly. If we do what is best for the team and start Welker in the slot and throw Branch in there at flanker, it will be the best receiving corps we've had all season (assuming we show more three wide looks immediately as Winslow gets up to speed). Connolly is going to be the big factor. If he starts and stays in the game, the interior blocking gets a whole lot better and Brady suddenly has a better pocket to step up in.

 

[ctpatsfan1]

Branch should contribute significantly. If we do what is best for the team and start Welker in the slot and throw Branch in there at flanker, it will be the best receiving corps we've had all season (assuming we show more three wide looks immediately as Winslow gets up to speed). Connolly is going to be the big factor. If he starts and stays in the game, the interior blocking gets a whole lot better and Brady suddenly has a better pocket to step up in.

I think Connolly is the biggest upgrade this week and will improve the OL immensely.

 

[Sicilian]

I also think that the loss of Hilliard might be addition by subtraction. Not even because he's a bad player, it's just that I don't think a FB in today's NFL is a boon to an offense unless he's one of the elite. If he's not elite, you're better off having an extra TE, WR, or just using an OL for those rare goal line / 4th and 1 plays where you want a jumbo set.

This might force the pats into an offense that's better suited to Brady's skill set, which is having the most mismatches possible on the field at once. A FB rarely ever causes a mismatch anywhere, and Hilliard certainly wasn't going to.

 

[brdmaverick]

Yes, highly skeptical that we will have significant performances from any of the above mentioned players, but I am very hopeful that the other guys will play better.

 

[Jimke]

The main thing is that the players signed were better than the
players they replaced.

Last week's game was one of the poorest I've seen while watching the Patriots the last few years. They screwed up on both offense and special teams. They should have had two punts blocked.

 

[captain stone]

We really need Glass Vereen to provide a spark on offense now. I still feel/hope that a
Vereen/Ridley backfield, either from shotgun/under center, can be potentially devastating
on 3rd & 4-or-less.

Not only a Connolly return, but also a Nick McDonald return would be a big improvement
to our entire OL. And if Vollmer can withstand every-snap duties, then Cannon would be
available to try his hand at RG, a position at which he appears more capable to perform
at a higher level then at RT, when Thomas was his RG.
Our best, most realistic hope for the OL is likely to be an injury-free season from Vollmer,
McDonald, Connolly, Mankins & Solder; with Cannon, Thomas & Wendell as backups,
as more befitting their talent level on a conference champion.

I also wish that Gaffney would hurry the feckup and get healthy enough to be re-signed here.
I'm still worried that this offense relies too often on success inside the #s and therefore gives
the defense less room to cover.

 

[ATippett56]

A FB rarely ever causes a mismatch anywhere, and Hilliard certainly wasn't going to.

Lex Hilliard and Michael Who-Man(?) can't even block when called upon.

 

[Dutchmaster617]

Branch won't do anything, probably no running, only TE used will be Gronk, maybe some to Lloyd, mostly Welker for WR.

Pretty much as usual against BAL, 40+ pass attempts mostly to Gronk/Wes

 

[ATippett56]

Not only a Connolly return, but also a Nick McDonald return would be a big improvement to our entire OL. And if Vollmer can withstand every-snap duties, then Cannon would be available to try his hand at RG, a position at which he appears more capable to perform at a higher level then at RT, when Thomas was his RG.

Our best, most realistic hope for the OL is likely to be an injury-free season from Vollmer, McDonald, Connolly, Mankins & Solder; with Cannon, Thomas & Wendell as backups, as more befitting their talent level on a conference champion.

Donald Thomas needs to be cut and his replacement signed pronto!

 

[Kontradiction]

Branch won't do anything, probably no running, only TE used will be Gronk, maybe some to Lloyd, mostly Welker for WR.

Pretty much as usual against BAL, 40+ pass attempts mostly to Gronk/Wes

That's if Welker even sees the game.

And I think Branch will do more than you think.

 

[JackBauer]

Donald Thomas needs to be cut and his replacement signed pronto!

Thomas is fine for a #4 OG.

 

[captain stone]

I gotta admit, I was really hoping for a better performance from Thomas than he showed.

How about re-signing Matt Tennant? He was great at BC, from where many productive
OLmen came, and I thought he would've made a quality backup/potential starter at C/G.
Maybe Scarnecchia can squeeze out of him whatever it is he has to offer, esp if that is
more than what Thomas (or Wendell) has given.

 

[BananaRepublican]

Connelly should be back, that will be quite helpful..

Agreed, Connolly is the impact guy returning. That is the guy that will stabilize Tom's life and create some sense of normalcy.

 

[Triumph]

The heat is going to be on Brady.

I dont see how Branch wont be an asset since he and Brady know what each other is thinking.