Game Thoughts: Have you heard tonight was the dress rehearsal? edition

With the caveot that this is the preseason and everything we saw tonight may mean absolutely nothing in the regular season, here we go:

• I predicted that Revis would win DPOY of the year. Tonight makes me rethink that. I think it may be Chandler Jones. If tonight is any indication, no one is going to benefit from Revis being here more than Jones. I know it was only one night, but I think they are letting him be more aggressive than he was his first two years. In the past, he did a lot of delayed rushes. Tonight, they let him pin his ears back a bit. I think he will get 15 plus sacks and could get 20 plus sacks.
• Back to Revis. I know the Panthers' WRs will not be confused with some of the better receiving corps in the NFL, but Revis absolutely blanketed his guy. The only time he lost coverage was because he lost his shoe.
• Brady and the offense looked sharp tonight. Still a few blips like drops by Thompkins and LaFell, but mostly good stuff against a good defense.
• I think Shane Vereen is in for a monster year as long as he can stay healthy. He will never be a big time rusher in this offense, but he is going to be a hell of a receiving threat. When he can actually catch the ball (which was a problem last year with his wrist), teams haven't figured out a way to defend him when he catches the ball in the flat. And everyone could have predicted it was coming on his second TD.
• As optimistic I was when he was signed, I still haven't seen what the big deal is about Brandon Browner. The only time I notice him, he is giving up a big play. Granted not noticing a CB is sometimes a very good thing.
• I used to really like and respect Christian Fauria.
• Never thought much of Dan Roche.
• I still think Jim Garrapolo is the best rookie QB this team has had since Bledsoe (all due respect to Brady who was buried on a four QB depth chart). Had a couple of hiccups tonight, still showed a lot of good poise, pocket awareness, and decision making. Way, way, way too early to declare him Brady's heir apparent, but he is well on his way.
• I know the Panthers were coming off a short week, but this was a good ole fashion ass whopping. The biggest thing I was impressed with was the starting defense on third down.
• Edelman picked up where he left off last year as Brady's go to guy.
• Remember when everyone wanted to cut Stephen Gostkowski?

One side note is that we game planned for this game while the Panthers really didn't. They had announced that they would game plan for last week as opposed to this week.

edit:
it is pointed out later that we also did not game plan. I guess no game planning this pre-season.

Not so impressed with the following veterans:

James Anderson
Brandon Browner
Will Smith

I only got to watch the first quarter and a half(sort of).

Cf'nJ. That extra half second due to good coverage showed up quickly. Nink was also in on the first. The kid looked great. Think I also saw him drop back effectively enough Cam looked away (could definitely be wrong, newborn= sporadic attention at best).

I think we all got a good look at what Vereen can do in that "early" swing late in the second (Brady hit him maybe five yards downfield, and nobody was close from there to the promised land!).

Seriously though, Cf'nJ!

We have to give props to Nate Solder, didn't hear Hardy's name once.

I think Jamie Collins play tremendously with both Hightowers and Mayo out.

@MattLoveless: Jimmy Garoppolo's preseason stats: 24-37 (64.8%), 334 yds, 4 TD, 0 INT.

129.8qbr

Guys I was most impressed with:

Vereen, Thompkins, Revis, Garropolo, Gost!, Chandler Jones

Unimpressed with:

James Anderson, Roy Finch, Will Smith, any S except McCourty.

patsinthesnow said:

@MattLoveless: Jimmy Garoppolo's preseason stats: 24-37 (64.8%), 334 yds, 4 TD, 0 INT.

129.8qbr

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According to ESPN, there would be a bust in Canton waiting for a certain back-up Quarterback if he put those numbers up in the preseason.

Bortles and Garoppolo have looked very good this preseason. It'll be interesting to track both careers.

Thompkins gets the mental toughness award for responding to that awful drop right away with a great, sure-handed catch.

slash83 said:

We have to give props to Nate Solder, didn't hear Hardy's name once.

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That can't be, "Solder can't handle power".

I didn't get to catch much of the second half because I was totally at the gym getting so jacked (he said in a cry for attention), but how did Tyms look? Did he get any run with the 2nd team at least? Or mostly 3rd stringers?

Haley said:

One side note is that we game planned for this game while the Panthers really didn't. They had announced that they would game plan for last week as opposed to this week.

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BB insisted in his post game presser that there was absolutely no game planning.

skspikex2 said:

I think Jamie Collins play tremendously with both Hightowers and Mayo out.

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Can't wait to see him play along side both of those guys, I think he'll either be given more freedom to do his thing or we'll see less impact plays as they're split across the entire LB corps, our starters will rival the best trio in the NFL, while none of the 3 are the best, its very hard to find a starting group that can be this potentially great.

Simple Jack's Brother said:

I didn't get to catch much of the second half because I was totally at the gym getting so jacked (he said in a cry for attention), but how did Tyms look? Did he get any run with the 2nd team at least? Or mostly 3rd stringers?

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Good question, and while we're at it, can someone fill us in on the preseason stud on the other side of the ball (Malcolm Bulter)? I won't get to see the game until 1am...thanks.

Here are some Game thoughts.. Mother F NFL f'n gamepass, for f'n up my night on a absolutely, ishsy stream. Those are my thoughts on the night.

JDot said:

Here are some Game thoughts.. Mother F NFL f'n gamepass, for f'n up my night on a absolutely, ishsy stream. Those are my thoughts on the night.

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Uggghhh...sorry to hear that, my friend.

For whatever it may be worth to you, the NFL network is replaying the game in one hour at 1:00am Eastern time. I had to wait myself tonight.

Some nice plays by Tavon. Impressed by Flemming, Davis/52/53? in second half
I officially cannot stand Fall-away Fauria .. His Garropolo criticisms seemed forced..

JDot said:

Here are some Game thoughts.. Mother F NFL f'n gamepass, for f'n up my night on a absolutely, ishsy stream. Those are my thoughts on the night.

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Yeah GamePass stream went down right before the end of the first half. Prior to that though, I had a super high quality stream going. Any difference for you?

But seriously, still need input on Maclolm Butler and Tyms.

supafly said:

Uggghhh...sorry to hear that, my friend.

For whatever it may be worth to you, the NFL network is replaying the game in one hour at 1:00am Eastern time. I had to wait myself tonight.

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Ah, much appreciated. Was about to shut it down, going to stay up to watch the replay. Thanks..