Bedard: Patriots coaches dropped the ball as well vs Seahawks

[SVN]

Patriots coaches dropped the ball as well against Seahawks - Patriots - Boston.com

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Can't say I disagree with anything other than his selective unit grading on a curve. He's absolving the majority of units while failing to cut two any slack which under the circumstances (coaches are supposed to put you in position to win, not flummox you) is to me a little unfair grading approach. Considering we lost by a point after leaving 6 gimme's on the field. Josh's whole we game planned not to run was the killer. Then when he needed to they couldn't. And they underestimated the opposing QB. Which happens with rookies. But they had seen enough by the 4th quarter that they never should have basically handed him the ball and said let's see what you've got buddy...knowing what we had in that secondary. But they did.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Couldn't agree more. Lots of players deserved blame as well, maybe a majority on Brady, but the coaches need to be better. Predictable playcalls out of predictable packages, horrible game management, lack of creativity in crunch time. The end of the 1st half was mostly blamed on Brady, but doesn't he have JMD on the headphone? If so, that's as much if not more on the coaches to alert him to call the TO.

 

[Deus Irae]

Ridiculous grade given to Brady, and he's off on a thing or two, but it's generally a pretty solid take. As for the head motion, I was remembering that as Connolly in another thread for some reason, but I saw the same thing. It's a definite tip off.

 

[IllegalContact]

it took several people to screw this one up

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

Pretty spot on; this was a game were no unit was free of blame.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Ridiculous grade given to Brady, and he's off on a thing or two, but it's generally a pretty solid take. As for the head motion, I was remembering that as Connolly in another thread for some reason, but I saw the same thing. It's a definite tip off.

Greg's takes are still slightly slanted based on his disappointment in Brady over the Welker drop and his assertion that the 2/5ths OL would be fine because all they need is Scar's magic touch to cover for a multitude of silly fan over reaction to lack of established talent.

 

[Boomer B]

How does he give the running backs a 4 out of 5 grade when we could barely run the ball?

 

[Jackson 2]

I consider Bedard a pretty keen observer. I don't always agree with everything he writes and/or says, but I do think his opinions are generally well-thought out and fair.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Pretty spot on; this was a game were no unit was free of blame.

That's true, but that's not the way he graded it.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

How does he give the running backs a 4 out of 5 grade when we could barely run the ball?

At best they deserve a 3 based on Woodhead earning a 5 and the other two eeking out a 1. Maybe he gave them credit for Vereen's last ditch tackle on that crappy punt that preceded Seattle's game winning drive. Although he could have also given them an incomplete since Josh admitted, in fact stood by his week long game plan not to run and to focus on passing. That only makes their job next to impossible when he intermittently turns to them because neither they nor the OL are prepared to deliver. And when one of the two young RB tandem goes down we apparently don't have a 2nd round RB who can sub into that unit...

 

[jal]

Re: Bedardatriots coaches dropped the ball vs seahawks

Bedard's analysis / remarks are way more useful than his grading (which happens on a mysterious curve). And I think in this case he is mostly spot on.

Brady was playing well up until his brain-dead INT to Sherman. OL mostly played well, although they couldn't open many holes in the run game. RBs - they barely got a chance so not sure if they didn't get the yards that were blocked for. Ridley had the one drop. Woodhead seemed to create a few yards that were not blocked for. Receivers were ok (Welker and Lloyd in particular). Hernandez had a drop, Welker shares some blame on the second INT. Gronk is clearly not full speed with that hip injury. Overall, the offense had a mixed day - moved the ball well on a great D but pretty sloppy in the red zone. Late game playcalling rightfully criticized - we again are either super conservative or needlessly aggressive. Have to show balanced offense (run and pass personnel) and be aggressive - I don't mind no huddle if it helps us get more first downs. Good news is that Gronk and Hernandez (as well as Mankins and Vollmer) will get healthier, and McDaniels should keep getting more comfortable. Offense is very good now and will be great in the long-run.

Defense is atrocious in the pass game. Pass rush outside of Chandler Jones is often non-existent and even he is inconsistent (would help him a lot if we could get pocket push from other directions). LBs doing a great job in the run game and actually holding up decently in the pass game. Secondary outside of McCourtey is a disaster, and even he is very inconsistent. We have some young players on the back end, so maybe they will get better, but I don't see where we will get the pass rush from. This is probably what sets the ceiling on our accomplishments this season.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Players who are playing through injury don't generally get healthy...they get increasingly banged up. The bye may help but that depends on the extent of the issues.

 

[FCB02062]

Yup...outcoached by Pete Carroll....

 

[everlong]

I agree with Bedard especially on the play calling. I think Gronk being banged up is being overstated and it's simply Josh not using him enough. Play action on that final drive with the lead or on the 3 and 1 from the 6 would have been set up nice with a high rate of success. Josh is basically turning the player who just had the best season ever for a TE into Daniel Graham. Nothing wrong with Graham here in his prime but they didn't pay him 9M/year because he wasn't worth it. Turning Gronk into just another O-Lineman is stupid.

 

[Deus Irae]

I agree with Bedard especially on the play calling. I think Gronk being banged up is being overstated and it's simply Josh not using him enough. Play action on that final drive with the lead or on the 3 and 1 from the 6 would have been set up nice with a high rate of success. Josh is basically turning the player who just had the best season ever for a TE into Daniel Graham. Nothing wrong with Graham here in his prime but they didn't pay him 9M/year because he wasn't worth it. Turning Gronk into just another O-Lineman is stupid.

Last year, Gronk played 16 games. He had 90 catches and averaged 14.7 yards a pop. This year, Gronk has played 6 games, clearly injured. He has 29 catches (on pace for 77) and is averaging 12.3 yards a pop.

So, Gronk is off of last year's record pace, but he's still putting up excellent receiving numbers, and he's already just 9 receptions shy of Graham's career high. The notion that Gronk is somehow being turned into Graham is simply without merit.

 

[everlong]

Last year, Gronk played 16 games. He had 90 catches and averaged 14.7 yards a pop. This year, Gronk has played 6 games, clearly injured. He has 29 catches (on pace for 77) and is averaging 12.3 yards a pop.

So, Gronk is off of last year's record pace, but he's still putting up excellent receiving numbers, and he's already just 9 receptions shy of Graham's career high. The notion that Gronk is somehow being turned into Graham is simply without merit.

I said turning him into Graham not that he become Graham. More of a fear than a current reality. I will admit I hadn't looked at his current stats and they do look better than the perception I had of his usage. However another way to slice those numbers is:

1327 yards last year and is on pace for 948 yards this year which is a 29% reduction. He had 17 TDs, 18 if you include the run which really was intended as a pass, and is currently on pace for 8 which is 53% off his pass total.

Yes it's true the running game has absorbed some of that production but yet Welkers numbers are slightly up on receiving minus TDs and Lloyd's production is ahead of what Branch was putting up last year and all this while minus Hernandez for a few games and Edelman for more than that. His targets are down while Welker and Lloyd vs Branch of last year are up.

I still think Josh needs to use him more.

 

[jal]

A healthier Gronk would give them better efficiency in the red zone, THAT is the biggest thing. They clearly aren't wanting for the yards. Another thing would be big plays in the middle of the field, which in my perception are down, although admittedly I haven't checked the stats.

It seems like our points / yard efficiency is down vs. last year - probably indicating red zone and big play problems (as well as special teams / defensive scores).

 

[BelizePats]

There is just so much blame to go around after a loss like that.
The last minute of the 1st haqlf and the entire second half were tough to watch. I still don't know how we lost that game. Yeah, I said "we"!

 

[Deus Irae]

I said turning him into Graham not that he become Graham. More of a fear than a current reality. I will admit I hadn't looked at his current stats and they do look better than the perception I had of his usage. However another way to slice those numbers is:

1327 yards last year and is on pace for 948 yards this year which is a 29% reduction. He had 17 TDs, 18 if you include the run which really was intended as a pass, and is currently on pace for 8 which is 53% off his pass total.

Yes it's true the running game has absorbed some of that production but yet Welkers numbers are slightly up on receiving minus TDs and Lloyd's production is ahead of what Branch was putting up last year and all this while minus Hernandez for a few games and Edelman for more than that. His targets are down while Welker and Lloyd vs Branch of last year are up.

I still think Josh needs to use him more.

Last year was a record setting year for Gronk. He set the TE records for yards and TDs. If he wasn't behind those paces, even if 100% healthy, that would be the shock. He's also had to stay in more because of the O-line problems in the first few weeks. His numbers are fine, and the Graham thing was entirely without merit.