Thursday’s game offers tremendous growth potential

[Brady6]

Brady has no choice but to go to the rookies, it may not be ideal and we may lose the game on Thursday but over the long haul it is my belief that him having no choice but to go to Dobson, Boyce and Thompkins will accelerate their growth as players.

Oddly it was 2010 in week 2 against the Jets in which where Gronkowski and Hernandez started to become big parts of the offense, and it was largely due to Moss checking out of New England and only catching 2 of 10 targets along with Welker returning from major knee surgery.

Maybe we will get lucky again with are 2nd and 4th round picks, let’s just hope Boyce doesn’t have an itchy trigger finger. Either way I think we will learn a lot about these rookies on Thursday and that to me offers excitement and intrigue.

 

[Archeryaddict12]

I still can't see this offense being bad. I think the rookies learned alot last week from how the game needs to be played and their assignments. I expect big improvement but who knows. Not until 00:00 on the game clock Thursday night.

 

[supafly]

I am sure that Belichick expected some type of learning curve or growth period when he decided to overhaul the WR corps to improve on speed, youth, and talent in some areas.

What we're losing at the moment is some experience, but I have no problem with deciding to replace guys like Branch, Llyod (would've liked to see him retained as a lower tiered possession receiver, but not as a WR2), Stallworth, etc. Those guys weren't exactly setting the world on fire.

It will be a learning experience in a trial by error/trial by fire sort of way. There will be some facepalm moments for sure, but I agree that as the season progresses the potential is there to improve.

Right now we're going through the learning process AND some normal adversity when you add in Ridley's fumbling, Amendola's groin injury, and Gronk's comeback. Things will get better.

I don't agree with all of the moves made and would have liked to see a better WR2 right off the bat (and probably Welker brought back for another couple yrs), but Belichick needs to keep an eye on the future also in regards to the cap. In the end, we pretty much know the team will remain competitive.

 

[Sciz]

At this point, I just want a win and I'll take as many rookie mistakes as it takes for them to improve. If it's a 8-7 win off two FGs and a safety but the three rookie WRs each play 50 snaps, then I'll take it.

(Hi shmessy)

 

[The_Riddler]

Lets hope Dobson can suit up, unbelievable. Getting kind of ridiculous.

 

[VrabelJr]

Lets hope Dobson can suit up, unbelievable. Getting kind of ridiculous.

Please explain why it is ridiculous that we wouldn't play a WR with a hamstring injury.

 

[50-yard-line]

Lets hope Dobson can suit up, unbelievable. Getting kind of ridiculous.

Dez Bryant may not play next week with a foot injury - if he does, it's only because he had a long week. Roddy White has a hamstring and may not play, either, and he had a lot of trouble with it on Sunday. Jacoby Jones is gone for 6-8 weeks. Santonio Holmes didn't practice today, or was limited at least.

TE, WR, CB and S are the positions for injury. Next guy has to step up. It's that simple.

 

[the Patriot]

We're gonna beat this Jets team. We just have to slow the game down and not turn the ball over. It's going to be a great learning experience for the rookies. I imagine the Patriots' offense is in urgency mode this week.

 

[Brady6]

I don't agree with all of the moves made and would have liked to see a better WR2 right off the bat (and probably Welker brought back for another couple yrs), but Belichick needs to keep an eye on the future also in regards to the cap. In the end, we pretty much know the team will remain competitive.

Honestly I didn’t love the offseason moves either, however I will say in Belichick’s defense he did make the decisions on the premise that Aaron Hernandez would be here and not in Bristol County jail, if he had known that Hernandez was going to do something so stupid I truly believe he would of made an effort to sign or trade for a quality player.

In addition there were these other lesser factors:

• Donald Jones a solid wide receiver signed very early in free agency being forced to retire due to his kidney ailment.
• Jake Ballard being unable to fully recover from his devastating knee injury.
• T.J. Moe considered by many to be the most promising UDFA signing blowing out his Achilles tendon.
• Michael Jenkins and Levantate Hawkins not panning out.

This was likely the plan, or something along these lines:

Wide Receiver
1. Amendola
2. Dobson
3. Edelman
4. Jones
5. Thompkins
6. Boyce
7. Slater

Tight End
1. Gronkowski
2. Hernandez
3. Ballard
4. Sudfeld

You look at what could have been and it’s hard to fault Belichick, he really did get the **** end of the stick with a lot of moves. Like your signature says if Belichick can succeed this season it will be his greatest achievement yet, and for what it’s worth I would never bet against Belichick.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Brady has no choice but to go to the rookies, it may not be ideal and we may lose the game on Thursday but over the long haul it is my belief that him having no choice but to go to Dobson, Boyce and Thompkins will accelerate their growth as players.

Oddly it was 2010 in week 2 against the Jets in which where Gronkowski and Hernandez started to become big parts of the offense, and it was largely due to Moss checking out of New England and only catching 2 of 10 targets along with Welker returning from major knee surgery.

Maybe we will get lucky again with are 2nd and 4th round picks, let’s just hope Boyce doesn’t have an itchy trigger finger. Either way I think we will learn a lot about these rookies on Thursday and that to me offers excitement and intrigue.

Love your attitude, Sir! It will be a tough game on Thursday night, make no mistake. But if you don't go into it with a positive approach, what's the point?

 

[Ozymandias]

Lets hope Dobson can suit up, unbelievable. Getting kind of ridiculous.

Even if he suits up I don't expect much out of him. I can see a game similar to what Thompkins went through on Sunday for Aaron.

Dez Bryant may not play next week with a foot injury - if he does, it's only because he had a long week. Roddy White has a hamstring and may not play, either, and he had a lot of trouble with it on Sunday. Jacoby Jones is gone for 6-8 weeks. Santonio Holmes didn't practice today, or was limited at least.

TE, WR, CB and S are the positions for injury. Next guy has to step up. It's that simple.

I think Roddy White has a high ankle sprain. Regardless, I agree with your overall point. Injuries to key players are widespread all the across the league.

Fortunately, none of the season-ending variety has occurred to the Patriots... yet.

As for the topic at hand, somebody's got to step-up to fill the void. It's just that simple.

 

[Brady6]

Dez Bryant may not play next week with a foot injury - if he does, it's only because he had a long week.

We don’t play the Cowboys this season?

 

[TriplecHamp]

agreed, hoping for a coming out party for the rookies

 

[Brady6]

Love your attitude, Sir! It will be a tough game on Thursday night, make no mistake. But if you don't go into it with a positive approach, what's the point?

You look back at some of the teams recently that people have labeled “stacked” and who have glided through the regular season:

2011 Packers
2009 Colts
2007 Patriots
2006 Chargers
2005 Colts
2004 Steelers

The lack of adversity seems to end up hurting them when it really comes down to it, not since the 2003 Patriots can I remember a team that came out of the gate in first and finished the same way.

 

[fnordcircle]

There will be tremendous growth potential in my pants when one of our rookies hauls in their 2nd TD of the night in the first quarter.

 

[shmessy]

At this point, I just want a win and I'll take as many rookie mistakes as it takes for them to improve. If it's a 8-7 win off two FGs and a safety but the three rookie WRs each play 50 snaps, then I'll take it.

(Hi shmessy)

(confused...)

Hi Sciz, how's it hangin'?

 

[Sciz]

(confused...)

Hi Sciz, how's it hangin'?

I had a post disappear, and it was in reply to you

 

[50-yard-line]

We don’t play the Cowboys this season?

Obviously that's not my point. How many guys actually play all 16 each year? (Another reason I too miss Welker!)

The NFL is all about being healthy at the end of the year, after having enough to get to the playoffs!

The other thing about early injuries: they are where you learn about your depth, and where the second-teamers become first-teamers.

Injuries at the beginning of the year don't bother me so much, honestly, as long as they're not season-ending. Vereen should be ready for a monster December and playoff run; the kid receivers are going to get some much-needed game experience.

As long as we don't melt down, I'm with the OP here. It's exciting and it's going to show us what we really have, or don't have.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Anyone know how the Jets will play their CBs? Who will Edelman/KT draw?

 

[Brady6]

Re: Re: Thursday’s game offers tremendous growth potential

Obviously that's not my point. How many guys actually play all 16 each year? (Another reason I too miss Welker!)

The NFL is all about being healthy at the end of the year, after having enough to get to the playoffs!

The other thing about early injuries: they are where you learn about your depth, and where the second-teamers become first-teamers.

Injuries at the beginning of the year don't bother me so much, honestly, as long as they're not season-ending. Vereen should be ready for a monster December and playoff run; the kid receivers are going to get some much-needed game experience.

As long as we don't melt down, I'm with the OP here. It's exciting and it's going to show us what we really have, or don't have.

I actually misunderstood your post I thought you were speaking to the upcoming schedule.