- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
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Here we go:
- These injuries are concerning. The Pats are painfully thin at some positions. They are going to have to line up TEs at tackle if they lose anymore linemen... What? They did at times today? Hopefully Cannon and Jackson will be back soon. Vollmer will likely be back next week, but who knows. Lewis is a big loss, but the return of LaFell will minimize the blow.
- I gotta give it to Coach Gooch, Josh, and the rest of the coaching staff. This o-line is decimated more than I can ever remember and Brady was only hit once and sacked another time while the Pats rushed for 161 yards and a TD. I know Blount made some plays on his own, but when you have lost both your LTs, your starting RT, starting RG, you have your starting center from last year playing RT, and your most experienced player on the o-line is Josh Kline; I gotta give them credit for a spectacular job.
- Gotta hand it to the defense. Another very good game. Yes, they were aided by some bonehead drops by Washington that probably would have made it a much closer game, but they also made a lot of plays on their own especially in critical times.
- Not to complain about the game day thread (ok, I am about to), but I am getting tired of Logan Ryan bashing in there. One of biggest pet peeves is when people have made up their mind about a player and ignore everything good they do and then whenever they make an occasional bad play, they pile on complaining that player shouldn't be starting and they are awful. It is the Matt Light Syndrome. Ryan has been mostly solid and consistent this season. Better than Browner. Yet, he gives up on play in a game for 15 yards and people want to string him up. I just don't get it. The funny thing he has been more consistent in some games than Butler and everyone kisses Butler's ass for giving up a big play but being right with the receiver, but kill Ryan when he does the same thing. Not busting on Butler who was great today and most of the season, just pointing out how fans feel about each and since he is the Super Bowl hero he is treated different for the same level of play.
- I gotta say Justin Coleman is coming into his own. I felt he got burnt too much early in the season, but he has becoming far more consistent in recent weeks. Right now I think the Pats have a solid top three CBs, but I am concerned if any of them go down.
- I think Freeny did a pretty good job replacing Collins, but you can definitely see the difference in this defense with him and without him. Kinda funny to say on a day where the Pats only gave up 3 points before garbage time, but the pass rush was almost no existent for long stretches without him. The center of the field definitely had more openings. The guy is just so versatile and can cover so much of the field that losing him is like losing two to three players.
- Remember when there was concerns about the Pats' run defense early in the season? The Pats have given up 52 total yards and 2.0 YPC on the ground the last two games. Right now the Pats have the best run defense in the league.
- It is amazing that it took until week 9 in the season for Brady to throw his first real INT. Horribly stupid pass, but I can't believe it took that long.
- It still amazes me how much this offense can morph to whatever they need to match up against their opponent. Three games ago, Brady was the leading rusher with 12 yards. Today they pounded Washington into smithereens with Blount for 129 yards and a TD. And Brady still passed for 299 yards and two TDs.