Am I the only one who thinks the Pats looked terrible?

[RayClay]

The fact that it's a preseason game makes winning/losing irrelevant but I thought the play of the Pats 1st team O/D was mediocre to terrible. The "backups" weren't any better. It reminded me of the Pats horrible play against average-good teams last year. The Dline got shoved around, the LBs as a group looked like crap and were always on the ground or behind the play and the best that can be said about the DBs is that they made the tackle...after the catch. The Oline still seems unable to pick up a blitz or keep Dlinemen from disrupting the play. Welker screwed up a blocking play causing the RB to get tackled early. Meriweather looks too small to be safety and whiffed badly on a tackle. The only bright spots I saw were Washington/Gaffney/Faulk. The rest of the team looked as slow and overmatched as they were last year against good teams. Please don't use the "it's only preseason" excuse because I've watched other preseason games and no team, not even those that lost, has looked as slow and overmatched as the Pats.

after the catch

I'm amazed I missed this.

You know it's a penalty when you make the tackle before the catch, right?

 

[Jacky Roberts]

The thing I noticed about the other night was how slow Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel looked. Thomas looked great, though.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Yep. One preseason game dominated by backups isn''t too early to push the panic button.

Objectively, I'd have liked TB to take them to the 'zone when he was in there and i wish they'd looked better against the run, but let's all take a deep breath. IMO, there's nothing wrong with a 1--3 or 0--4 preseason if (a) there are no serious injuries, (b) everybody learns something from each game and (c) the Coaching Staff is able to make the best possible decisions about 53 Roster spots plus the Practice Squad.

 

[desi-patsfan]

Spacecrime wins this thread with his first post.

 

[14thDragon]

The fact that it's a preseason game makes winning/losing irrelevant but I thought the play of the Pats 1st team O/D was mediocre to terrible. The "backups" weren't any better. It reminded me of the Pats horrible play against average-good teams last year. The Dline got shoved around, the LBs as a group looked like crap and were always on the ground or behind the play and the best that can be said about the DBs is that they made the tackle...after the catch. The Oline still seems unable to pick up a blitz or keep Dlinemen from disrupting the play. Welker screwed up a blocking play causing the RB to get tackled early. Meriweather looks too small to be safety and whiffed badly on a tackle. The only bright spots I saw were Washington/Gaffney/Faulk. The rest of the team looked as slow and overmatched as they were last year against good teams. Please don't use the "it's only preseason" excuse because I've watched other preseason games and no team, not even those that lost, has looked as slow and overmatched as the Pats.

Maybe we were watching different games. The Pats did not come out and wow anyone in the opener, but I have not seen an other team come out and look like Super Bowl teams yet either. The Saints looked lost, the Colts were not putting up points like a pin-ball machine, the Red Skins are not looking like anything more then a bottom feeder and the Titans starting QB was suspended for his opener. It is the first game of the preseason.

You concerns seem a bit out of place, given the fact that the first 2 Bucs O series against the 1st line D were 3 and outs. What exactly were you expecting 3 striaght plays for a loss? Yeah the 2s got burned by the ground game, and the new LBs looked lost in coverage. But they surendered only one touchdown as well, so it is not all bad. They also created a turn over.

The O looked less then the high powered juggernaut we have been drooling over, but all the ones were in street clothes and the twos started and the threes were back-ups. So lets not judge perfoamce yet. You claim the O-line got pushed around, I must have missed all those sacks they gave up. They got beat a couple of times, but opened up room for Faluk in the second series and for the most part kept the QBs safe. More importantly was the fact that there were zero flags. For an opener that is a great sign, the discipline is there, now some more technique and cohesion can be added as we progress.

All in all, there were some bad things, and some good things. The LB needs some work in setting the edge and keeping RB containment and diagnosing the right coverage for the middle of the field. If it does not improve by game three, then be worried, right now it is part of the low-light tapes. But your claim that the O and D lines got muscled around seems highly out of place.

 

[godef]

Remember the preseason game in Cincinnati a few years ago? I believe it was 2004 and we went on and won the Super Bowl.

What you look like in your first preseason game don't mean squat. Don't worry about it.

Actually, we didn't look all that much better when we played them late in the season. We won, but Palmer looked next to unstoppable.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

I don't care about points scored or wins or even the performance of the backups. What I care about is seeing improvements for the starting groups and I didn't see any.

See, this is what bothers me about your posts. You don't even care about the performance of the backups! I am pretty sure that the performance of the backups was the main focus of the coaches. The whole point to preseason games (especially the early ones) is to figure out the bottom of your roster. Who do you cut? It's not to come out with all guns blazing and PROVE to your fanbase that you are indeed a formidable team.

After all, it's utterly beyond belief to expect pro football players to to be able to rise to the challenge of playing with a new scheme and missing two receivers (who, by the way, weren't on the team last year).

They were missing their starting RB and 2 starting WRs. Don't bring up last year unless you want us to point out that these same things you are griping about were even worse last year and we were one play away from going to the SB (which we would have likely won). In other words, we barely missed winning another Lombardi last season with the problems you claim still exist - an opinion gleaned from one preseason game... hardly enough data to draw a reasonable evaluation IMO.

No one was missing from the starting LB group and they looked bad.

The LB looked bad in your opinion. I disagree. The defense held TB in check for two consecutive drives before having one bad one. That is not looking bad or "terrible". Considering it was a meaningless game, the oppressive heat and humidity during that game, and the desire not to get injured, I am not suprised at their lackluster performance.

You are very articulate and logical in your responses, but you are failing to notice that your original conclusions based on one preseason game are illogical and emotional (bordering on hysterical) because you are not understanding the underlying reason for having these games (to evaluate rookies and lower-tier players) and it is simply impossible to draw fair and reasoned evaluations based on one meaningless preseason game of which the starters play about 2-3 series.

 

[patriotsdynasty12189]

The fact that it's a preseason game makes winning/losing irrelevant but I thought the play of the Pats 1st team O/D was mediocre to terrible. The "backups" weren't any better. It reminded me of the Pats horrible play against average-good teams last year. The Dline got shoved around, the LBs as a group looked like crap and were always on the ground or behind the play and the best that can be said about the DBs is that they made the tackle...after the catch. The Oline still seems unable to pick up a blitz or keep Dlinemen from disrupting the play. Welker screwed up a blocking play causing the RB to get tackled early. Meriweather looks too small to be safety and whiffed badly on a tackle. The only bright spots I saw were Washington/Gaffney/Faulk. The rest of the team looked as slow and overmatched as they were last year against good teams. Please don't use the "it's only preseason" excuse because I've watched other preseason games and no team, not even those that lost, has looked as slow and overmatched as the Pats.

Seymour, Warren, Bruschi werent playing. Moss, Stallworth werent playing. We always start off slow, remember Buffalo last year? Hit the panic button.

 

[stcjones]

Actually, spacecrime didn't refute anything I have said nor have any of you, unless you believe not addressing the points is equivalent to "refutation". Which, judging by the replies, appears to be common misconception among some on this board. Telling me that the defense was highly ranked, stastically, last year, doesn't refute my claim that the DL, LBs and DBs looked horrendous this year. He didn't address my points about the OL or WR blocking. He mentioned Brady which I made no mention of in my original post. He went on to speak about writing off the season and hoping for a top 5 pick, which are also things I didn't address in my post. Spacecrime's post would be a great teaching tool as an example of a strawman post but failed to refute anything I've said. I'm still waiting though. Maybe someone actually has some facts to dispell my concerns. I would be quite happy to hear them.

Troll alert.....Is this Bill Polian?????? Come out of the closet Bill!!!!!!!!

 

[Bigdogx]

Seymour, Warren, Bruschi werent playing. Moss, Stallworth werent playing. We always start off slow, remember Buffalo last year? Hit the panic button.

Sorry, i think the panic button is busy this week over at fenway.

I dont see why anyone would fret on losing a damn preseason game with half the team in street cloths!

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

Go back and read my post,I got the latest Vegas odds for you...get your dollars down now if you want some cash

I heard the Patriots have as good a chance as winning the Super Bowl as Charlie Weis has of fitting in pants with a size 34 waist,or as good a chance as BB wearing a disco shirt and showing some chest hair on the sidelines this year.

Gawd, you killed me with that one!!!!!!!!

 

[Real World]

Troll alert.....Is this Bill Polian?????? Come out of the closet Bill!!!!!!!!

I thought it might be Ron Borges.

 

[Real World]

Sorry, i think the panic button is busy this week over at fenway.

I dont see why anyone would fret on losing a damn preseason game with half the team in street cloths!

Oh, you're not a rational person then. (sarcasm)

 

[Wildo7]

Seems history really does repeat itself....against the Bucs no less

 

[tombonneau]

Ha. Great bump. I didn't look through the year-old posts, but I wonder if it's the same batch of Nervous Nellies biting their nails this summer.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I was actually thinking of old PF1996 the other night as I watched the replay of the SD/Rams game and saw his QB of choice (over Brady - the incomparable Marc Bulger) getting the snot knocked out of him again only to be replaced by Trent I'maconcussionwaitingtohappen Green...

 

[the Patriot]

Ah man, is this already starting.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

I was actually thinking of old PF1996 the other night as I watched the replay of the SD/Rams game and saw his QB of choice (over Brady - the incomparable Marc Bulger) getting the snot knocked out of him again only to be replaced by Trent I'maconcussionwaitingtohappen Green...

.lol. same thoughts here. PF1996's crap about Brady last year was annoying, yet I enjoyed the argument. Where is he this year?

 

[vyrago]

Am I the only one who won't read threads that begin "Am I the only one"? Especially when it is crystal clear from other threads that the poster is one of the herd instead of some lone clear-eyed oracle?

 

[SoonerPatriot]

See some of this moron's other classic comments in my sig line.