Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a row

[Disco Volante]

Last week, the Chargers were ranked last in pass defense (32nd) but moved up to 31st after the game.

With the Chargers move up, the Denver Broncos now take their place as the statistically worst pass defense in the NFL. By the conclusion of Monday night Cassel will have faced 4 of the bottom 5 worst pass defenses in the NFL. (Broncos, Chargers, Jets, Dolphins)

Do you see Cassel being able to take advantage of this, or another night of shakey protection and misfired passes?

I feel if the protection can be better, the stage is set for Cassel to have his best game yet this Monday night at home.

 

[fumbrunner]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

Ouch. Didn't think that he has faced 4 out of the 5. Wow.

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

The Chargers problem, for example, has been a lack of pressure on the QB. Sound familiar? Well, last week, they were able to put pressure on the QB, and the pass defense looked vastly improved. The Broncos are a similar team, with good/great cornerbacks being killed by a defensive line that can't apply pressure.

Once again, it's going to be a battle of the resistible force vs. the movable object.

 

[Disco Volante]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

The Broncos are a similar team, with good/great cornerbacks being killed by a defensive line that can't apply pressure.

Indeed, strange to see a secondary with Champ Bailey being statistically worst in the NFL.

I'd be more concerned with a bad night from the O-Line than a average/bad start from Cassel. I'm expecting the O-Line to bounce back and Cassel taking advantage of his time.

However a good night by the O-Line and the mentioned average/bad start would worry me.

 

[Jimke]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

To test the Broncos' defensive backfield, Cassel has to throw the ball

more than 4 yards. Also, give Shanahan enough credit to have an all out

blitz against Cassel to rattle him.

It will be business as usual with the Patriots, elaborate schemes with

no pass rush.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

Also, give Shanahan enough credit to have an all out
blitz against Cassel to rattle him.

That's probably everybody's gameplan unfortunately-take the 'weakness' then do your best to hammer at it all night long so that even a mediocre pass defense can eventually succeed. Shanahan's one of the best coaches in the league-some say he gameplans a lot like BB-this will be another tough one for us I think. Plus traditionally Monday nights in general haven't been the kindest to the Pats.

Our OL's got their work cut out for them-again-and that'll probably be the case for a lot of the season. But as Cassel improves that burden should lighten a bit? At least that's how I HOPE it works out

 

[NYCPatsFan]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

Ouch. Didn't think that he has faced 4 out of the 5. Wow.

Subtle but insightful criticism indeed. If he and our offense can't get it done against the lowest rated defenses, what realistic chance will they have against the better ones? Good one.

Positive way to look at your point: better that he first gets valuable real time experience against poor defenses, which will hopefully improve him and our offense as they play the better ones.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

He needs better protection and a running game that keeps the defense honest. He could be playing against a respectable Division I secondary and have trouble if he's getting bullrushed by an NFL D-line that doesn't have to worry about the run. Clearly, he needs better pocket presence (aka, happy-feet NOT) and to get rid of the ball faster, but these things come with time and experience, which BB clearly wants him to get.

I'm still mystified by the play of what, for most of last season, was considered the best O-line in the league. For now, I'm sticking with my view that its bodies were inhabited by Aliens on SB day, that the Aliens now like playing in the NFL and that they decided to stay...

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

Who's healthy on the O-line right now? I'm not dumb; I don't think Cassel's "as good as Brady" as Uminyura says.... but he'd be a damn sight better, I think, with an O line keeping him upright. I know Kaczur got banged up, but honestly other than getting distracted by the whole "no start this guy no trade for that guy" debate, I just realized I have pretty much ignored the day-to-day details. So I am going by vague impressions...

- Is the O-Line doing for Cassel what they did for Tom?
- Is that O-line further diminished by injury? Again, from vague recollection.
- If the O-line IS healthy, how long until the league discovers a gambling pool among Pats O-line players putting thousands of dollars on how long it takes before O'Connell starts, spurred on by an anonymous message board poster?

#3 is a joke. Seriously guys, catch me up on the O-line points if you would. I'll start looking around at posts on the subject. It seems that even when healthy, they've been getting beat not on the edges, but straight up the gut, since the super bowl.

Stats-wise... how many hurries and sacks have they given up? We all know that offensive production can generously be termed as "off" right now.... but I remember during the season last year, this was supposedly the best O-line in football. Didn't believe it, but we were definitely top-10.

What about now? Is the drop-off in reality as steep as my vague impressions say? How much of it is being out of synch somehow? How much of it is some undefineable "I'll do it for Brady, not Cassel" or "I'll do it if we're on fire, not if we're struggling" bullhockey? Or is it the exact same weaknesses we saw last February in the Game That Shall Not Be Named?

Or, how much of it is injury?

Asking serious questions here, from the POV of a guy who's been distracted by work and the elections. After all, it's the political "playoffs" right now.

PFnV

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

I'm still mystified by the play of what, for most of last season, was considered the best O-line in the league. For now, I'm sticking with my view that its bodies were inhabited by Aliens on SB day, that the Aliens now like playing in the NFL and that they decided to stay...

Most games it was an outstanding passo-line last year. But the SB plus the Ravens, Eagles and Colts they looked somewhat suspect. And they were not a great rushing o-line last year.

Part of the decline of the o-line is it sounds like the Patriots didn't just lose their starting QB, but o-line coach as well. One of the criticism of Cassel is he is not as good at directing the o-line. It might be our o-line can't figure out how to block unless the QB tells them how to do their job. That burden should not lie so heavily on the QB but be a greater responsibly of the o-line coach, OC and O-line players themselves.

It is also possible that TB absence from the film room might be hurting the team. Maybe Tom was doing much of the job that should be being done by the OC, because he is a better game planner than the guy getting paid to be an OC.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

It is also possible that TB absence from the film room might be hurting the team. Maybe Tom was doing much of the job that should be being done by the OC, because he is a better game planner than the guy getting paid to be an OC.

Interesting speculation. Along those lines I feel that Dante had always run a finesse system, but after years of dominance by Dante's techniques somehow last year opposing DCs finally gamed a methodology specificly designed to thwart that system (Eagles, Ravens Jints) and the Pats have not been able to counter the stronger DLs either straight up the middle inside, or around the ends speedrush. And the around the ends deficiency is exacerbated by poor TE blocking. In retrospect, Dan Graham's blocking was a critical missing piece last season.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

Plus traditionally Monday nights in general haven't been the kindest to the Pats.

I believe that the Pats have won their last 4 Monday night games. So on Monday they will be going for their 5th straight Monday Night Win. I am thinking your memory of Pats being bad on Monday nights is pre-Brady. Then again we are starting Cassel...

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

Most games it was an outstanding passo-line last year. But the SB plus the Ravens, Eagles and Colts they looked somewhat suspect. And they were not a great rushing o-line last year.

Part of the decline of the o-line is it sounds like the Patriots didn't just lose their starting QB, but o-line coach as well. One of the criticism of Cassel is he is not as good at directing the o-line. It might be our o-line can't figure out how to block unless the QB tells them how to do their job. That burden should not lie so heavily on the QB but be a greater responsibly of the o-line coach, OC and O-line players themselves.

It is also possible that TB absence from the film room might be hurting the team. Maybe Tom was doing much of the job that should be being done by the OC, because he is a better game planner than the guy getting paid to be an OC.

those are all very good points...one of the things that shanahan observed in his comments at his pregame conference call was how good brady was at going deep into the count to read the defense and pick out the rushers for his blockers...i can remember him doing that...manning does it too...even moving up and down the oline to give assignments until their was one second left on the clock...

and yes...it makes a lot of sense that they would miss him now in the film room....i hadn't thought about that...man, i miss him...i've been defending matt firmly out here, but he's light years away from TB on all the things you observed...

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

and yes...it makes a lot of sense that they would miss him now in the film room....i hadn't thought about that...man, i miss him...i've been defending matt firmly out here, but he's light years away from TB on all the things you observed...

But I think the point ought be, not Matt isn't as good as TB. We all know that. The point is TB did a lot of things that most QB aren't expected to do and it is unfair to expect MC to do. Or assume that KO'C would do if he was QB.

If TB is better at picking out the weaknesses of a defense than Josh, we shouldn't blame MC cause he can't game plan. If the O-line got dependent on TB to tell them what they need to do, we shouldn't blame MC for their failings.

Nor were these things that TB could do in 2001. But skills he has developed over time.

 

[jcdavey]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

the difference this week for you guys is

even without merriman, sd has a decent passrush

with a now healthy dumervill, denver's passrush is still pretty crappy

(doom being the main threat)

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

I believe that the Pats have won their last 4 Monday night games. So on Monday they will be going for their 5th straight Monday Night Win. I am thinking your memory of Pats being bad on Monday nights is pre-Brady. Then again we are starting Cassel...

You'd be thinking wrong. MY thinking was that 07 wasn't 'traditional'. Prior to 07 Monday nights weren't among our best.

 

[jcdavey]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

You'd be thinking wrong. MY thinking was that 07 wasn't 'traditional'. Prior to 07 Monday nights weren't among our best.

from wiki, you've been 5-3 on mnf with brady (not counting 07)

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Re: Cassel will be facing the statistically worst pass defense for the 2nd week in a

from wiki, you've been 5-3 on mnf with brady (not counting 07)

Yup-not bad but not among the best either,in fact not just a few of the vets said they prefer Sundays at 1. Personally I LOVE MNF or Sundays at 4.