Afterthoughts on “dress rehearsal“

[long distance]

1. It was indeed not a dress rehearsal. Interested to see how JG comes out of this rough night. The one thing his coaches raved about is that he doesn't let yesterday in today. If thats still true then it was good to have this reality check in preparations for Arizona. And it was good he saw TB in action going after him. Somebody wrote a nice pst about how theres different energy on the field with all 11 when TB is leading and hope JG can steal some of that.

2. The core team looks very good, D beautiful, magic. The new core guy is Valentine. Together with Brown they were monsters. Unbelievable. Kuhn and Knighton at the moment don't seem necessary. Flowers another great night rushing. Jonathan Jones to me is a core ST. I just can't see him cut. They couldn't even start returning on account of him. Coleman solidified his spot. Cyrus in the core as well with returns. I didn't see much of Harbor and I saw a lot of Develin. A lot of positives from A group.

3. It' s quite a significant drop off after that also with CBs. Grissom and Rufus are hardly moving anywhere and when they finally do they miss the tackle. A. Johnson showed energy but with little success tonight. Humber intereting option but on the too deep team. On the other hand Elandon Roberts is showing up, but can easily start on PS - he did look strong tonight..

4. OL not too bad. Karras needs some more time so I guess Kline will start week 1. They gave a lot of reps to Barker so maybe he is in the mix. Waddle looked good.

5. The guys that will probably make the team but don't understand it: Freeny is the only big LB after High and Collins but he looks like a statue. He looks even more lost in this new frenetic D looks. Again White is lost against a great D. Dobson likely makes it but I just cannot be sold on him. Maybe just babysits for Mitchell. Cameron Fleming I don't see much there. And Jordan Richards is too weak, always around never there.

6. The guys I really wouldn't like to see cut: J Jones, KGH, DJ Foster, Derby, Karras.
It would be really ironic to lose Foster with our RB group.

 

[manxman2601]

6. The guys I really wouldn't like to see cut: J Jones, KGH, DJ Foster, Derby, Karras.

I don't want to see any of the CBs cut. So much potential in that group.

 

[long distance]

I don't want to see any of the CBs cut. So much potential in that group.

I believe LeBlanc and Roberts can make it to PS. J Jones not - has just too much speed. He was unbelievable vs return. They are all at least a step behind Coleman and Cy. Butler and Ryan were incredible. I think CB is well covered for adding another valuable roster spot here.

Id prefer to keep the likes of Foster, KGH on the last spots. Even guy like A. Johnson can be a game changer in certain games, situations.

 

[long distance]

Oh yes, after tonight Bolden is another guy on my “he'll make the cut but why?“ list.
After seeing Gaffney, Foster and J Jones (and poor Bolden tonight), I think we have him covered. He is a great guy, but so are Knighton and Richards etc.

On the other hand Hogan is everything I hoped for and just what the doctor ordered for JG week1.
Julian was a little rusty, but I don't doubt he'll be a rock for Jimmy in Arizona. We can do it there!

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

I believe LeBlanc and Roberts can make it to PS. J Jones not - has just too much speed. He was unbelievable vs return. They are all at least a step behind Coleman and Cy. Butler and Ryan were incredible. I think CB is well covered for adding another valuable roster spot here.

Id prefer to keep the likes of Foster, KGH on the last spots. Even guy like A. Johnson can be a game changer in certain games, situations.

Roberts will not get to sniff our ps.
Its someones 53 for him

 

[long distance]

And most importantly - no injuries. Great night!

 

[Gronkowski123]

cannon fodder wasnt terrible tonight

 

[Ochmed Jones]

cannon fodder wasnt terrible tonight

No one has been harder on that putz than me, but I have to agree, he played better tonight.

Hopefully he continues to show interest throughout the year.

 

[meatface]

I'm going to be very surprised if Foster makes the 53, everyone here seems obsessed but he seems like a prime candidate for the practice squad

Sent from my KFSOWI using Tapatalk

 

[long distance]

Looking at our current and future RB picture losing Foster would look pretty stupid. We don't know what's he got against top D or how he blocks etc. - but the way he moves, the way he floats between bodies with a different speed, his elusiveness, effortless pass catching and running with the ball is just too much potential to play with.

 

[long distance]

Valentine went from what the **** pick to ****ing great pick in just a few months.

 

[DarrylS]

Remember the days of the "cut and paste" D backfield.. this is a very nice change to have so much talent and depth.. "hey Troy can you play corner??"

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Valentine went from what the **** pick to ****ing great pick in just a few months.

Yep, he's another great example of why I don't make instant judgements on draft day. Belichick has made me look stupid too many times.

 

[PScottman]

The game was very interesting to watch last night as it was the most unorthodox "third preseason game tune up" I think I've ever seen. Some general thoughts:

1. The very same reason Edelman is so good with Brady (altering routes mid-route without prior coordination) could make his and JG's chemistry actually pretty poor. It's a corollary to why many WRs fail here with TB - they have be REALLY DAMN SMART in seeing the same defensive read AND able to exploit that read to the gap left by that particular read. Edelman has mastered that talent - JG has not. When Edelman alters a route JG isn't thinking that way - he's still thinking Z-route right when Edelman sees cover-3 and heads inside or "sits down" in a gap instead.

2. Many people still to this day don't get the BB rushing the passer defensive scheme against running QBs. Test their minds and patience. Make them make 8 correct reads in a row, all the way down the field. Elway and Young were really amongst the few QBs that could consistently do that against BB coached defenses. There are a couple others, but most can't over the course of a game, so he keeps using it. Expect it against Tyrod Taylor even as Rob Ryan is sending 11 guys against JG every play and wondering why the first "HOT" read is wide open.

3. This team can run the ball this year. Maybe not on 3d and 3 or 2 (but really what team in the league can consistently anymore?) but in all three preseason games there have been exploitable holes for all of our runners. It won't be "...cloud of dust" - teams are just too good, big, and fast at the DL, but enough to allow JB to not have to throw 50 times a game (hopefully!!!!) Balance is the main reason (besides the D) that the team could go 3-1 or 2-2 during the *&^%$ suspension.

4. It's been said, but too many good CBs this year. We're going to lose 1-2 to cuts - its just that simple. That said there were PLENTY of exploitable and wide open WRs last night. Newton just flat out missed them or his terrible WRs dropped the passes. 9/10 games Carolina is out to a good lead given how bad we were in the kicking game last night, but the entire Panther offense collapsed once the WRs thought the QB couldn't throw and the QB thought the WRs couldn't catch. It's another year of bend/dont break D with the caveat that I do think they'll get to the QB with the same or even a bit better consistency as last year (when I believe we were second to the Donks in sacks).

5. Repeat what I said about the CBs about the DL.

6. How in the Hell did Carolina make the SB? Seriously. The hated J-E-T-S would take that team apart.

7. Caveat to the above and closing thought: remember - the legitimately good Carolina D absolutely dismantled the team many here are concerned will be our first loss of the year.

 

[ChessToCheckers]

Very enjoyable 60 minutes. The D was amazing with the top tiers in the game. The O-Line played very well too. Deepest Patriots team at this time of year that I can recall.

The GOAT makes it look so easy. He just has "Presence".

I think JG is progressing. Not his best game, but still more than serviceable. I have faith that the coaches will figure out what he does best and game plan around it. He looks comfortable with up-tempo, which surprised me a bit.

CJ punt return exciting to watch. Wow!

DJ Foster also intriguing.

Overall, I'm excited that regular season 2016 is fast approaching and the Pats look really good!

I hope "The 31" are shaking in their collective boots!

 

[Ring 6]

Roberts will not get to sniff our ps.
Its someones 53 for him

Very doubtful anyone will cut their own player to put a late pick who missed his rookie year and just got beat out by UDFAS on their roster.
Every team has their ken Roberts type of guy.

 

[203Pat]

Two guys who stood out in a bad way to me are Jordan Richards and Knighton. Richards is who we thought he was, a 7th round talent. He is always late and can't seem to find anything that he is good at. Knighton didn't even play and when he does seems to get pushed around and just be there and not making any plays. Wouldn't mind if both were shown the door.

 

[scott99]

You have to be happy about Brissett's play. A rookie QB in a tough offense to learn has looked really good. We've seen a bunch of rookie QBs in the Brady era, and the two best I've seen in the last 15 years, were Jimmy G and Brissett.

 

[scott99]

Two guys who stood out in a bad way to me are Jordan Richards and Knighton. Richards is who we thought he was, a 7th round talent. He is always late and can't seem to find anything that he is good at. Knighton didn't even play and when he does seems to get pushed around and just be there and not making any plays. Wouldn't mind if both were shown the door.

Regarding Richards, even though he's a 7th round talent, we've had undrafted free agents make that 2nd year improvement (Butler for instance), I'd say Richards was better as a rookie, definitely has regressed.

 

[50-yard-line]

Watching the game again...rewinding, looking for different things.

Some impressions from the 1st Quarter:

Vincent Valentine is pretty good. Paired with Malcom Brown, they were eating up the interior Panthers' line. Not so much with Markus Kuhn, who was getting stood up one on one constantly.

Elandon Roberts came in on the second plan at MLB, shot a gap and stuffed Stewart. Really nice play.

Trey Flowers' sack was caused by Anthony Johnson, fighting off his block and picking Trey's guy. Nice play - those two in the middle can cause havoc. Even on Newton's scramble, where Jamie Collins hunted him, Johnson and Flowers were setting great push.

On offense, Marcus Cannon is eating up Charles Johnson, inside and outside - even with a facemask grab by Johnson.

James Develin hits like a truck out of the backfield.

Does Chris Hogan make Danny Amendola expendable? I wouldn't be surprised to see Hogan lead the team in yards at WR. Takes a ton of pressure of Jules.

Damn is Luke Kuechly good...just had to say it. He shot a lane on a sweep so fast, Karras had no chance to get near him.

On the play where LeGarrette Blount leaped the guy, Develin broke the hole wide open. Develin isn't going anywhere, I think.

On Duron Harmon's interception, Anthony Johnson had his hands in Anderson's face again.

Overall impressions: Valentine is making one of Alan Branch/Terrance Knighton expendable. Maybe they keep all three, but Valentine is strong in the middle. Brown is really good. Anthony Johnson would be my four/five interior guy depending on whether they keep both of Branch/Knighton. Kuhn played okay, but he was the weakest link on the interior DL.

Flowers and Chris Long can start and we'll be fine. Sheard/Nink are upgrades, but not by all that much.

Ted Karras was the weak link on a very good performance by the OL. Cannon stood out, and, surprisingly, Chris Barker did okay and was standing his guy straight up at the line.

Jimmy Garropolo really didn't play well. The sacks were mostly on him - taking his eyes off the downfield play too early. He made some nice throws, but looked very lost at times (the grounding was awful).

I don't get how some people think Tyler Gaffney's getting cut. He's pushing Blount right now and seems pretty close to a lock to me.

Clay Harbor closed on AJ Derby. Derby had a big drop on a 3rd down from Brady and Harbor made a couple of very nice wham blocks. I don't think TE3 is settled.