Help Has Arrived: Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly
 

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.

re: Help Has Arrived: Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly
 

significant production will not come from branch or winslow

re: Help Has Arrived: Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly
 

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.

re: Help Has Arrived: Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly
 

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.

re: Help Has Arrived: Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly
 

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.

re: Help Has Arrived: Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly
 

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.

re: Help Has Arrived: Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly
 

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.

re: Help Has Arrived: Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly
 

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

re: Help Has Arrived: Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly
 

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.

re: Help Has Arrived: Branch, Winslow, Fells and Connolly
 

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.