Drafted 2 Backs and an OT - Whare's The Running Game?

[CrazyDave]

Call me Capt. Obvious, but wtf? Not to oversimplify, but the vulnerability of our secondary, especially this week with the recent cut to Bodden/Dowling IR news, was not exactly a secret. Would'nt you want to run the ball and control the clock in order to protect a weakend defensive unit?

 

[BelichickFan]

Sure good to have 2nd round pick Vereen on the sidelines while we have JAGs starting in the secondary.

 

[sbpatfan]

We went with OT, RB, RB, OG, TE and the only one actually playing is Solder. Vereen on the sidelines doing jack squat when our return game is inconsistent. Ridley looks good, but he never gets carries. Seems like a coaching issue to me. I can't believe for one second that Kevin freakin' Faulk is more dangerous in the run / passing game than Vereen, Ridley, Woodhead, or even the Lawfirm.

 

[NEPatriot]

Vereen was a scratch and the others weren't on the field as I recall. We've got too many RB's an no home run hitter.

 

[andrewgarrr]

Hasn't the game-plan against the Steelers always been to pass?

Isn't this pretty much known for all 31 teams in the NFL?

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Yesterday it's hard to complain because we were down double digits most of the game, hard to ground and pound in that situation.

The Buffalo and Dallas games though, there was no excuse for not feeing BJGE and Ridley more. I hope that's addressed come playoff time because Brady can't do it all himself.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Vereen was a scratch and the others weren't on the field as I recall. We've got too many RB's an no home run hitter.

How do we know we don't have a home run hitter, if Vereen never gets to be on the field. Same with Price. How can we tell if they NEVER get on the field. Vereen was one of the better all-around backs in college, behind a terrible O-Line, and still produced. Ridley has the 2 longest runs of the season for the Pats, and only has 25 carries all season. If they don't play, we'll never know what they can do for the team. Vereen may be the home run threat, Ridley may be Corey Dillon II, Price may be a deep threat, but we'll never know with them not playing.

 

[SyN65]

Its hard for the 2 backs to see the field when you have 3 other guys ahead of them who split carries. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why can't this team carry 2-3 RBs like everybody else? We have 5 RBs but no one in the secondary...LOL.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Yesterday it's hard to complain because we were down double digits most of the game, hard to ground and pound in that situation.

The Buffalo and Dallas games though, there was no excuse for not feeing BJGE and Ridley more. I hope that's addressed come playoff time because Brady can't do it all himself.

This is true, hard to run when you are already in the tank by 10 plus points due to the defense is the worst in the NFL.

Every team from here on out is going to be throwing like mad against us and what do we have rushing the QB? Veteran retreads who need oxygen after every other snap.

And what do we have in the secondary defending the pass. Moulton, Patch Adams, Ivebeenaho and Josh Barrett? Which one of those four puts fear in the hearts of opposing QB's?

We are at our best on offense when we can create mismatches and yesterday the Steelers did not give Brady many. We had Gronk and that was basically all she wrote.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

You can't look at yesterday. They were playing behind the entire game..they needed to put the ball in the play makers hands aka brady

 

[Triumph]

Hasn't the game-plan against the Steelers always been to pass?

Isn't this pretty much known for all 31 teams in the NFL?

Yes, but the Pats should have had a plan B if the Steelers had an answer to last years game plan. Who would have thought that the coaches over there would try to come up with something different after breaking down last years game? Crazy stuff right there.

It seems like Pittsburgh took parts from the 2010 Cleveland game where it seemed like Brady was sitting on the sideline for hours and then Jets 2010 post season game where Brady had tight coverage everywhere.

The old way to beat the Steelers is tired and worn out.

 

[CrazyDave]

It seems the concensus is that the secondary, while it may improve, will be a liability for the rest of the year, at least to some degree. That said, ball control would seem to be the best way to protect a suspect defensive secondary. Bad enough to have a 3 and out, but to do it while eating up only 2 minutes of clock time, and putting the D immediately back on the field is not good. We'd all better hopr the ground game gets going by Dec.

 

[sbpatfan]

It seems the concensus is that the secondary, while it may improve, will be a liability for the rest of the year, at least to some degree. That said, ball control would seem to be the best way to protect a suspect defensive secondary. Bad enough to have a 3 and out, but to do it while eating up only 2 minutes of clock time, and putting the D immediately back on the field is not good. We'd all better hopr the ground game gets going by Dec.

It doesn't help that the defense can't force three and outs either. I actually get nervous on third and longs. I expect the other offense to convert.

 

[NEPatriot]

How do we know we don't have a home run hitter, if Vereen never gets to be on the field. Same with Price. How can we tell if they NEVER get on the field. Vereen was one of the better all-around backs in college, behind a terrible O-Line, and still produced. Ridley has the 2 longest runs of the season for the Pats, and only has 25 carries all season. If they don't play, we'll never know what they can do for the team. Vereen may be the home run threat, Ridley may be Corey Dillon II, Price may be a deep threat, but we'll never know with them not playing.

I agree it would be nice to see if either is a threat.

 

[Deus Irae]

Ridley, Woodhead and the Lawfirm are all dinged up. The Steelers were pressing the receivers and keeping run support down low. When BJGE did run, he got drilled and was completely ineffective.

Vereen can't even get on the field with the current M*A*S*H unit that is the Patriots RB corps, so the only real option was a rusty Faulk. Given that, I'm not sure what more people want.

 

[Rob0729]

Everyone is crying about a deep threat, but I thought the bigger problem yesterday was the lack of commitment to the run. The Pats ran 3 times on 23 first downs. In the last 47 minutes, the Pats ran 44 plays and 7 were run plays. Of those 7 run plays, Brady was only under center for 3 of them and one of the other run plays was the stupid Hernandez end around.

The Steelers have struggled against the run this year. For the Pats to abandon it like they did was stupid. I don't bash Bill O'Brien, but he blew it yesterday.

 

[DaBruinz]

Its hard for the 2 backs to see the field when you have 3 other guys ahead of them who split carries. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why can't this team carry 2-3 RBs like everybody else? We have 5 RBs but no one in the secondary...LOL.

Most teams carry that carry "2-3" RBs also have 1-2 FBs... That can be as many as 5 spots.. The Pats have 5 RBs and 0 FBs.. See how that works..

 

[DaBruinz]

This is true, hard to run when you are already in the tank by 10 plus points due to the defense is the worst in the NFL.

Every team from here on out is going to be throwing like mad against us and what do we have rushing the QB? Veteran retreads who need oxygen after every other snap.

And what do we have in the secondary defending the pass. Moulton, Patch Adams, Ivebeenaho and Josh Barrett? Which one of those four puts fear in the hearts of opposing QB's?

We are at our best on offense when we can create mismatches and yesterday the Steelers did not give Brady many. We had Gronk and that was basically all she wrote.

The Pats did not force many on the Steelers, in all honesty. In fact, I was extremely disappointed in the offensive game plan (or lack there of)..

 

[Ron Sellers]

Its hard for the 2 backs to see the field when you have 3 other guys ahead of them who split carries. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why can't this team carry 2-3 RBs like everybody else? We have 5 RBs but no one in the secondary...LOL.

Then you end up with what happened to Tampa Bay. They cross their fingers hoping LeGarrette Blount will be ready to play and he isn't, so they have to go with career special teamer Earnest Graham. Then Graham tears his achilles heel and the only RB on the roster is some JAG named Kregg Lumpkin who has two career rushing attempts as their only RB.

RBs get injured as often if not more often than any other position because there are 11 opponents, most of whom are much larger than them, all attempting to inflict pain against them on every play. Going with fewer than four RBs on your roster does not seem like a solid plan in my opinion.