20 Sacks 2013 vs 13 sacks 2014

[Brady_to_Moss]

since chiefs game they have been much improved IMO

 

[Ring 6]

I don't think that stat means anything, unfortunately, when considered in context.

On an individual basis, this season's line has played worse. Brady & McD have had to work far harder to cover-up for lack of talent on the line than they did last year. For Brady, it's meant getting rid of the ball while on the verge of getting killed, getting the ball out as quick as possible, etc. For McD, it's meant leaving in more protection, running quick passing plays, and moving the pocket when we do want to go deep.

We can't cover up lack of talent forever. We need Stork & Connolly back, and we need Solder to play well consistently.

The line is certainly better pass blocking than it was last year through 7 games.
The thinking that Brady is doing something despite the line is wrong, at least as compared to last year.

Through 7 games, this year compared to last:

The Patriots have scored 35 more points.
Completed 62.1% vs 55.4%
Passed for 120 more yards.
Thrown 6 more TD passes
Thrown 3 fewer Ints
Been sacked 6 fewer times.

At this time last year in addition to being sacked 6 more times, Patriot QBs had thrown 32 more passes and completed 1 more for 120 FEWER yards.

In the running game, the 2013 team had 90 more yards on 2 more carries, for a 4.17 ypc vs the current 3.75.

Overall yards per play thru 7 weeks:
2013 4.78
2014 5.26

 

[shmessy]

I couldn't disagree more. Tom is playing well, but the OL has been good ever since the Cincy game. In fact, they were downright dominant against the Bengals and have been good even though they were missing two of those starters against very good fronts.

I particularly liked the 1st Vereen TD against the Jets. Not one Jets rusher DIDN'T have his ass on the ground. Brady could have sung the national anthem back there.

http://www.patriots.com/media-cente...-yard-TD/5bbcab20-7565-49f7-a5a6-ab20f9f44f08

 

[Gronkandez]

Yeah, the O-Line has been great the past few games. I'm not sure what's holding up the long term extension for Solder. He has been on top of his game.

 

[mosi]

Brady has a lot to do with it. He's moving around better in the pocket than I've seen him do in quite a few years. He's not feeling the ghosts right now and just playing completely instinctual, he's on fire.

The OL is still trash. 12 is saving it.

His past 3 weeks have been incredible watching him avoid sacks, he may not have looked like Romo throwing Watt off of his shoulders, but he wouldn't have even let Watt near him with how well he's moving.

He's rolling out and side stepping completely out of the pocket on almost every snap it seems, the only thing the OL is doing good is recovering after the DL's move Brady off of his spot to give him added time. But Brady is the reason they're able to recover at all.

Man I agree 100%. Brady has been very active in the pocket, moving around and avoiding pressure like someone years younger. I think the line has gotten better but it is made better by Brady.

 

[Gronkandez]

Man I agree 100%. Brady has been very active in the pocket, moving around and avoiding pressure like someone years younger. I think the line has gotten better but it is made better by Brady.

On top of that there are several plays per game when there is a jail break and Brady has to throw it away in a split second to avoid the sack/grounding/getting killed.

 

[BradyManny]

The line is certainly better pass blocking than it was last year through 7 games.
The thinking that Brady is doing something despite the line is wrong, at least as compared to last year.

Through 7 games, this year compared to last:

The offensive production correlates to Gronk. We didn't have Gronk to start last year, and the offense was a mess for it.

Again, these stats really don't mean anything. You can cite whatever stats you want, it really doesn't mean anything. The tape shows that on an individual basis, the various five guys we've trotted out this year have not blocked as well as last year, and that the team is aware of it, and adjusted for it.

 

[Ring 6]

The offensive production correlates to Gronk. We didn't have Gronk to start last year, and the offense was a mess for it.

Again, these stats really don't mean anything. You can cite whatever stats you want, it really doesn't mean anything. The tape shows that on an individual basis, the various five guys we've trotted out this year have not blocked as well as last year, and that the team is aware of it, and adjusted for it.

OK, so we will go with all of the facts lie, because of your opinion of what you would see on tape if you actually graded out the players. Gotcha. No point in having a conversation, is there?

 

[patsfanincleveland]

I have to disagree with this. The last two weeks the line play has been poor, not as bad as the first few weeks, but close. Lots of guys getting beat. But a combination of Brady being on fire and Gronk being back has covered it up.

Cincy game is a different story, because we had 5 decent OL out there. But without Connolly & Stork, we still have too many weak links.

The offensive production correlates to Gronk. We didn't have Gronk to start last year, and the offense was a mess for it.

Again, these stats really don't mean anything. You can cite whatever stats you want, it really doesn't mean anything. The tape shows that on an individual basis, the various five guys we've trotted out this year have not blocked as well as last year, and that the team is aware of it, and adjusted for it.

If you can't use stats...what is someone suppose to use?

Is someone suppose to use your evaluation and insight?

Good luck with that.

 

[patsfanincleveland]

OK, so we will go with all of the facts lie, because of your opinion of what you would see on tape if you actually graded out the players. Gotcha. No point in having a conversation, is there?

In Buffalo, the offense scores 37 points, Brady goes 27-37 with 4 TD's and that cat comes up with............................bad line play.

Until patsfans.com comes to realize that these weekly best D lines ever we seem to continually face might.....actually and periodically make play....we are going to keep getting stuck with these threads.

 

[shmessy]

The offensive production correlates to Gronk. We didn't have Gronk to start last year, and the offense was a mess for it.

Again, these stats really don't mean anything. You can cite whatever stats you want, it really doesn't mean anything. The tape shows that on an individual basis, the various five guys we've trotted out this year have not blocked as well as last year, and that the team is aware of it, and adjusted for it.

I agree that the OL was terrible the 1st 4 games of this season.

I'm not sure what the heck you and Gronkandez have been watching the last 3 games. Anyone who cannot see that there has been marked improvement (against 3 VERY good DL's, no less) is simply not watching.

 

[BradyManny]

OK, so we will go with all of the facts lie, because of your opinion of what you would see on tape if you actually graded out the players. Gotcha. No point in having a conversation, is there?

We can have a conversation about it. What do you think the tape has said?

 

[BradyManny]

If you can't use stats...what is someone suppose to use?

Stats have value, when applied correctly. But blindly taking 7 games in a vacuum and comparing them to 7 other games in a vacuum is really worthless when you are trying to make a statement about the play of one unit on the team, and we should aim higher than that.

 

[BradyManny]

I agree that the OL was terrible the 1st 4 games of this season.

I'm not sure what the heck you and Gronkandez have been watching the last 3 games. Anyone who cannot see that there has been marked improvement (against 3 VERY good DL's, no less) is simply not watching.

Improvement, sure, but Devey & Kline are not very good, and have not played well. The line was better in the Cincy game because they had five guys with enough talent out there. But in the last two, the performance hasn't been great. FWIW, I know Bedard agrees.

The lesson of this season has been the reminder of the value of an elite QB. Brady has been playing at an elite level the last few weeks, and like for huge chunks of his career, it is covering up deficiencies elsewhere in the offense.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

Ok, I just heard on WEEI that through seven games last year, Brady was sacked 20 times. Through seven games this year, he has been sacked 13 times. For all the talk about how bad the o-line has been, Brady isn't getting sacked nearly as much as he was last year. Don't have the hit totals, but I would assume they aren't worse than last year.

Sacks don't tell the full story.

What do the pressure, hurries, and hits on Brady look like this year compared to last?

 

[AzPatsFan]

The OLine has drastically improved during the Season. It was abysmal in the first 3 or 4 games, but has been solid afterwards

I agree that the rebuilding is progressing. But I would not agree that the job is finished. But I am encouraged by what it will likely be, by the Playoffs.

 

[AzPatsFan]

The line is certainly better pass blocking than it was last year through 7 games.
The thinking that Brady is doing something despite the line is wrong, at least as compared to last year.

Through 7 games, this year compared to last:

The Patriots have scored 35 more points.
Completed 62.1% vs 55.4%
Passed for 120 more yards.
Thrown 6 more TD passes
Thrown 3 fewer Ints
Been sacked 6 fewer times.

At this time last year in addition to being sacked 6 more times, Patriot QBs had thrown 32 more passes and completed 1 more for 120 FEWER yards.

In the running game, the 2013 team had 90 more yards on 2 more carries, for a 4.17 ypc vs the current 3.75.

Overall yards per play thru 7 weeks:
2013 4.78
2014 5.26

It is good sold, and encouraging information.

 

[Galeb]

Brady's pocket awareness and movement have been excellent this season. His pocket awareness/movement the last couple of seasons hasn't been as good as now or pre-2012. Do you remember the weird phantom "ducks" he had last couple of years? I haven't noticed any this year. I think that may be the facet that he focused on in the off season, and it shows.

 

[Ring 6]

Stats have value, when applied correctly. But blindly taking 7 games in a vacuum and comparing them to 7 other games in a vacuum is really worthless when you are trying to make a statement about the play of one unit on the team, and we should aim higher than that.

How can 7 games compared to 7 games not be a good measurement when you are comparing the first 7 games this year to the first 7 last year?
It's 100% of the information.

 

[AzPatsFan]

How can 7 games compared to 7 games not be a good measurement when you are comparing the first 7 games this year to the first 7 last year?
It's 100% of the information.

The only better measure would be on comparable number of pass attempts. We have that measure, too. The difference in pass attempts is miniscule, so the statistic is very valid.

Belichick set out to upgrade the interior O-line, drafted the talent to do so, has played that talent early, along with a pair of Dante's PS UDFA projects, and the 2014 13 versus 2013 20 sack results speak for themselves. The pass blocking is improved.

Why is it unexpected for Belichick to rebuild on the fly, successfully? He has done so early in the season, repeatedly.