Early impressions

[BradyBranch39]

Yep, just want to say I agree with a number of the observations in this thread. ANyone who didn't see the game should read this.

 

[DocE]

Nice pass protection tonight from the 1st string Oline, but I was not impressed with their run blocking at all. I thought Maroney ran hard, he just didn't have many holes as one of the other posts in this thread pointed out.

Edelman looks like a find, I was more impressed with his work with the offense than his punt return. It's pretty impressive for a mid major QB to come in and be able to play with New England's starting offense.

Brady was rusty at times, but he exceeded my expectations for his first game back. Moss was good tonight, but I hated to see him drop that screen pass. Galloway was not involved much and had a big drop in the red zone. Baker looked good in the passing game in the red zone, but benefitted from others taking coverage away.

I was not impressed with the 1st string defense tonight, with the exception of the pass rush which was good at times. Myron Pryor was the revelation as a pass rusher inside, but I need to go back and watch his performance in the run game before I give him too much praise.

We still seem to struggle with the short passing game, and several deeper passes by McNabb seemed like they were incomplete because McNabb was inaccurate, not because of our coverage. It could just be a case of preseason vanilla defense, I am certainly not panicking yet.

The much maligned James Sanders seemed to tackle more solidly tonight than he did last year. Wilhite looked good in coverage at times.

2nd team/2nd half

I thought Walter showed a few glimpses of being a good QB, but also examples of why he has struggled. He's not exactly cool under pressure, and at least once I saw him look down at his shoes as opposed to keeping his eyes down the field.

I watched Vollmer and was impressed with him.

Overall, very lackluster 2nd half performance from the offense. I hated to see the Oline fail to covert so many 3rd and short opportunities.

Defense also seemed flat in the 2nd half. Feel bad for Eric Alexander as he had real nice coverage on Lorenzo Booker and still gave up a long reception.

Terrence Wheatley was BY FAR my most disappointing player of the night. He continually got beat by guys who may not even make the Eagles roster. Hopefully, this is a wakeup call for Terrence because 2nd round picks should not perform like that.

 

[BradyFTW!]

That's interesting. If the stats back up the fact that more of Maroney's runs go for positive yardage than Morris, I wonder why the perception of this is the opposite to so many on here. That would include me btw, but my feeling would all be based on what I had seen from the games and not looking at the actual statistics.

I compiled the stats a few months back, and I'll see if I saved them (or, if not, if I can find the original post that I made). Maroney is stopped for a loss with significantly less frequency than Morris, and IIRC is about on par--maybe a little worse--than Fred Taylor circa 2007.

As for my takeaway from the game, I'm wondering if LeKevin should be worried about his job, considering the performances of Brace and Pryor tonight. I don't like to read much into one game, but those guys showed undeniable talent.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

We resume with 7:58 in the first Qtr - Gostkowski has just booted one 5 yds deep into the end zone and the Iggles took a touchback. Eric Alexander was the first coverage man into the picture, followed a step later by Brandon McGowan.

-- 1st and 10 Phi 20: Phi I-form, 3-wide, 2R. NE 6-1 Heavy, Brace in for Pryor, Meriweather is down in press coverage on the slot man, Bodden is in press, Wilhite is 7 yds off the line, Sanders is the deep man out of the picture. McNabb tries to take advantage of the depth Wilhite is playing, but he one hops it to his receiver after a 3-step drop.
-- 2nd and 10: Phi T-form, 2 wide, TE R, shotgun. NE 4-3 pass rush. Draw, the RB bounced it through the right side "c" gap and Burgess pulled him down after 6 yds.
-- 3rd and 4: Phi T-form, 2-wide, TE L, shotgun. NE it's either a 4-2 nickel with Meriweather at SLB, or 4-3 pass rush with Adalius at MLB, Mayo at WLB, and Guyton at SLB - maybe someone with an HD TV/DVR set can get some numbers and clarify. Decent protection and good coverage, McNabb's "clock" struck twelve and he bailed out to the left running a good scramble drill with his WR for an 8 yd pick-up.
-- 1st and 10: Phi 3-wide, 2 L, TE R, shotgun. NE 4-3 heavy (Woods the WLB was off the LOS and shaded inside the slot). Slot WR in motion takes a reverse handoff, it looks like Adalius was at SLB and blew the play up forcing the runner to reverse field, unfortunately four DTs chasing a very shifty WR made for a modern Keystone Cops episode. Woods over-pursued, he should have held backside contain and trusted Mayo and the Safeties to back-up Adalius, Sey was the backside contain and he was outclassed by the shifty WR. Woods did get back to pin the runner against the sidelines and LeKevin Smith came across the field to push him out after 9 yds.
-- 2nd and 1: Phi I-form, 2-wide, TE L. NE 6-1 heavy. FB lead right side. Smith was doubled-teamed, Adalius was screened away by the double-team as he kept outside contain, Wilfork was comboed inside, Mayo came up and was picked up by the RG releasing off Smith, then kicked-out by the FB, that left James Sanders to make the tackle. 5 yds.
-- 1st and 10: Phi 4-wide, 3 L, shotgun. NE 6-1 heavy. Wilfork's rush flushed McNabb out to the right, but he was able to connect on the run for 7 yds.
-- 2nd and 3: Phi I-form, 2-wide, TE L. 6-1 heavy. FB lead left. Wilfork was double-teamed, Brace and Seymour both slanted down and were taken where they wanted to go. The TE came off the chip on Sey and blocked Mayo, the FB kicked out Woods, Sanders came up fast and closed the outside lane forcing the RB to into the inside lane and into Adalius' arms. 7 yds.
-- 1st and 10: Phi 3-wide, TE L. NE 6-1 heavy, man-free coverage. Screen left. Nobody read or felt that screen, Woods and Mayo were taken out by the screen and Meriweather made the tackle after 19 yds.
-- 1st and 10: Phi 5-wide, 3 R, shotgun. NE 6-1 heavy, man. Fade to the left side, incomplete, Bodden on Kevin Curtis.
-- 2nd and 10: Phi I-form, 2-wide, TE R. NE 6-1 heavy, man. Finally! The DL played gap control instead of trying to penetrate and this left Mayo clean to meet the FB in the hole, and Sey to upend the RB. No gain.
-- 3rd and 10: Phi 3-wide, 2 L, TE R, shotgun. NE 4-3 nickel, man. TBC forced McNabb up into the pocket then sacked him - good coverage, McNabb was still looking when he was pulled down at 3.5 mississippi. Loss of 4 yds.
-- FG 38 yds for 3 pts.

 

[APatrioticVirginian]

maroney gets a bad wrap on this board. He looked fine when i was watching him and the one time i saw him "dance" its because there was a defender in the way.

I saw that he almost stepped on his blue suede shoes!

 

[APatrioticVirginian]

I compiled the stats a few months back, and I'll see if I saved them (or, if not, if I can find the original post that I made). Maroney is stopped for a loss with significantly less frequency than Morris, and IIRC is about on par--maybe a little worse--than Fred Taylor circa 2007.

As for my takeaway from the game, I'm wondering if LeKevin should be worried about his job, considering the performances of Brace and Pryor tonight. I don't like to read much into one game, but those guys showed undeniable talent.

You should be worried about my quotes in your signature.:snob:

 

[JD10367]

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Football analysis and NFL stats for the Moneyball era - Authors of Football Outsiders Almanac 2009

That's nice. There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.

You seem to love Maroney, as do others. I don't like Maroney, as others don't.

Time will tell which group was right. So far, the proof is in the pudding. They picked up Morris and Jordan, and now Fred Taylor. Shows you how much faith they have in Maroney.

 

[reflexblue]

It was amazingly bad. A Patriot gets 6 yards and Herm says "good tackle". We get 10 yards and he says "just keep the ball in front of you".

It was definitely a laugh or cry scenario.

The one that stood out for me was the "highlite" of someone taking down Walters after he completed a pass. Someone should inform them that its a highlite if you get to the QB BEFORE he throws the ball.

 

[Patriots2001]

I was so impressed with the defense they put pressure on McNab sacked him twice and forced him to hurry passes.This is what we lacked the past couple of years but I feel we have the personel to make this one of the better defenses in the league.As far as Brady goes it's like he never left he just makes it look so easy the offense I have no concerns what so ever..Bottom line it's gonna be a good season!!!!

 

[reflexblue]

They were awful. They convinced themselves that BB was playing to "get back" at Reid and the Eagles for beating them last preseason in NE. LOL. At least I got a good laugh. I'm sure that's EXACTLY what BB was concerned about tonight...

I know i was thinking the same thing.....Hello Bradys in the game because hes rusty not because BB wants to get revenge for pre season loss.

 

[patchick]

We resume with 7:58 in the first Qtr

Just want to say thanks, Box. Your play by play is invaluable.

 

[fourthandmiles]

I have been giving Maroney benifit of the doubt because everyone that stands up for him here seems to put up a good argument. I am comming to this conclusion though. If BB can't make the scheme work that he wants Maroney to run in, he should scrap it. Even ship Maroney out to a team that has the line that can block for him.

Could it be that BB is simply stuborn and is insistent on Maroney? We always take in players that suddenly thrive here. Could this be a time when one thrives somewhere else?

 

[pats1]

you made some good points here.
!. Don't get too excited about the 4-3.......We did it against philly in the SB and I think this alignment had more to do with McNabb than a future change.A 4-3 is susceptible to screens,draws,mis-directions and quick hitches...........egads!...that's why the Patriots are the best at......drum roll......screens,draws,hitches,etc,etc against 4-3 teams(except the Giants....ouch!)

2.Wheatley is essentially still a rookie........that hitch pass to Macklin,who's is going to turn out to be the best WR in this draft.......I guarantee you,Asante Samuel,on his best day,would not have made that tackle....also,no LB or safety rotated over to that zone.

3.James Sanders does exactly what BB wants:be in position,make solid tackles.A strong safety in this defense makes up for poor LB coverage than running wild and blowing up plays.It's just not what BB wants from a safety.

Maroney....I don't know,I didn't see many holes tonite.The Pats are a left-handed team.They love to run to the strong side,over Mankins,Light and the TE.To me,Maroney is best as an I-back,which is best at the toss-sweep to the right.With the Pats' spread offense,the I formation is out of the question.......however,watch Maroney whwn Brady drops to pass and LoMo swings to the right.....this is open all-day and all-nite.If you think Kevin Faulk is dangerous on this play,Maroney would be devastating.

.....jusy my opinion,I could be wrong.

So what are you going to say when they use the 4-3 against the Bengals next Thursday?

You seem to be holding out hope that the Pats are suddenly going to switch back to the 3-4 within the week. It's not going to happen Deus; I've been telling you this for a week now.

 

[Sivy]

It was amazingly bad. A Patriot gets 6 yards and Herm says "good tackle". We get 10 yards and he says "just keep the ball in front of you".

It was definitely a laugh or cry scenario.

they were bad, but atleast the admited at the begining that they were gonna be unfair in their play calling and commentary.

 

[PatsDparty]

A few thoughts of mine (first team units in first half), which I'm sure will echo what has already been said:
-Brady looked great for his first game back. I thought on a few early throws he might have released the ball a bit early, but then got comfortable. One bad throw (int), as has been said already.
-Moss looked great out there as well. As well as Cassel played last year, you can see how much more explosive this this offense can be with Brady back. With that said, doesn't seem to be much of a drop off (obviously it's only been a half) without JMD's here.
-Baker looked very good in this offense. I think our TEs and WRs are going to create a lot of matchup problems for opposing Ds.
-I thought the overall D looked slow at times, and great at other times. Really liked the athleticism of our DBs, but a few incompletions were a result of McNabb being off target. Part of this may be the scheme the Pats play, b/c in the end, they tightened up as the Eagles moved down the field and held them to field goals.
-Guyton looked strong out in coverage. Seemed to be in the right places at the right time.
-Special teams: Good coverage on kick off and punt returns. Big improvement from last year. Edelman looked great out there. Also, as part of the offense, if Edelman can continue to head up field (as Welker does), rather than dance a bit (he did on occasion), he's going to have a valuable role in the offense.

 

[borg]

they were bad, but atleast the admited at the begining that they were gonna be unfair in their play calling and commentary.

Johnny Most says hello

 

[patfanken]

The 1st string offense looking good. The defense, as a whole, was ok. But, as you pointed out, they used the 4-3 primarily..

We agree. I think that BB just wanted to get a look at how players in a 4-3 looked. I'm sure we aren't changing our base D. Now is the time to do sh!t like that.

Edelman was getting open and making the catches.. And he has some nice runs afterwards.. And he was like a sponge, always talking to Brady after each series...

Like I said, he gave us just what we'd have expected if #83 had been out there, including the punt returning

I agree...

Its good to agree

Unless we went back in time to 1992, I believe you mean Patrick Chung.

OOOPS - senior moment. Went back in time again.

You must have watched a different game because Sanders did very well out there.. Laying the lumber on several occasions.

You know you may be right here. To me Merriweather really stood out, so Sanders playing a solid game would have paled in comparison through no fault of his own. I stand corrected. Sorry James

Not sure what you expected from Walter, but considering the fact that he has only been with the team a weak, he showed good poise, good arm strength, good decision making on his throws. Taylor didn't play tonight as far as I know.

I'm not sure either, and that's why I mentioned the lack of time in camp, and the playcalling. That being said, he was underwhelming.

what made you say this

I saw both Thomas and Baker make a play here and there, while Smith was invisible both as a blocker AND receiver. Its not that he sucked, but he didn't do anything to stand out either, and when you are in a close battle with 4 guys for 3 spots, you have to do SOMETHNG to stand out. He'll get another chance next week....and we'll see.

Vick isn't a QB. I don't understand why people insist on thinking that he is. He's a RB who happens to have good arm strength.. That's it..

You are right on there. If Philly fans are constantly complaining about McNab's lack of accuracy, they'll go nuts with Vick, even at his best, which was a several years ago. No I think Vick is more of a statement about Kolb's injury situation (what a wasted pick that turned out to be), and he'll the best possibility out there.

[/QUOTE]As for Walter, the fact you are being so brutal on him makes no sense and is uncharacteristic of you. Normally you'd, take into consideration the fact that he's only been with the team a week.. [/QUOTE]

Brutal??? Saying someone is "underwhelming" is not saying he's horrible, I just wasn't impressed though I acknowledged the circumstances. Its so "uncharacteristic" for you to be so sensitive to a players feelings...is he a relative?

Other than DeSean Jackson and Maclin, McNabb has had good WRs.. Avant and Baskett have been there for 3 years now. And they brought in Kevin Curtis last year. They had other good WRs as well.. The problem has always been McNabb more than his receivers.

They've been improving the last few years, but no other elite QB besides Brady has had to suffer through so many mediocre WR as McNab. BTW, one of the reasons Brady is superior to McNab is his ability to elevate those receiver. I will always contend that the Job Brady did in 2006, with THOSE receivers, was equal, if not better, than what he did setting all those records with Moss and Welker.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Nice post.

Really hope Wilhite, Guyton, Baker, and this pass rush keep up. Those are the main areas we needed improvement and so far so good.

 

[Ring 6]

I'm glad they didn't look that good, though its hard to gauge a game where almost a third of the players won't be there in 3 weeks.

I liked the fact that Brady threw a few bad balls. It would have been freakish if he didn't look a little rusty coming out for his first action in a year.

If they had given Julian Edelman #83 instead of #11, I doubt anyone would have known that Welker missed the game. It kind of makes me wonder if ANY slot WR in THAT offense, with THAT QB couldn't grab 100 balls a season.

Stilll waiting for Joey Galloway to do something that makes me go WOW....or even go Nice.

I know people will talk about Baker's 2 TD passes, but what impressed me most was a running play where Thomas made a decent block screening the contain man, but Baker blew his man 5 yds off the ball. If there was a Jet fan watching that game, he's probably doing his best Bob Lobel impression and saying, "Why can't the Jets get guys like that".

The OL did a good job of keep Brady clean,

My biggest disappointment was when the Pats failed twice on 3rd and one.

Yes Martha, that was a 4-3. BB in his presser mentioned that they used it most of the time. They wanted to see some things in live action. To me it looked like they got decent pressure with it, but the run defense wasn't as strong.

Pierre was was setting the edge well from what I was, and TBC had a few nice rushes.

Is it just me or does Derrick Burgess look small...ish.

Seymour looks like a man among boys. I think he is going to have a monster season...if he stays healthy.

Vince showed he can get up field from the 4-3 DT, except he whiffed on McNab on one rush.

The thing I liked about Ron Brace, was that on one play I saw him double teamed and pancaked. The very next play he blew up the play and made the initial hit.

Eugene Chung showed me more in this one game, than he showed me in the 7 practices I went to.

Brandon Merriweather is ready to take it to the next level. James Sanders is not.

This looks to be a banner crop of rookies. Volmer looked like he can be an impact LT down the road, and will certainly get some time this year. Pryor, who I didn't even know was practicing, made a nice sack, and started the game. Butler had a pick and was very competitive out there. Chung is going to be a force on STs. He made a key block on Edelman's TD return, as well as his block. I mentioned Brace, and of course Edelman. That's 6 guys right there. Did Orenberger play?

Will someone explain to me how Wilhite was picked in the 4th round while Weatley was picked in the 2nd. Clearly you couldn't tell by their relative performances.

Andrew Walter was....underwhelming. I'm not sure how much of that was his fault. They didn't let him pass much, and the running game sucked. Did Fred Taylor get any touches, I don't recall him getting the ball?

I saw a couple of comments here that Blasted Moroney. Well I didn't see anything that he did poorly. Nothing that made me go OOOOHHH either, but I guess he's going to be the board punching bag no matter what he does.

I get the feeling that Alex Smith is losing in the TE battle.

KO coverage looked good. Punt coverage sucked

Funny how a good play like the punt return for a TD, can skew stats. Because of it Philly had a huge time of possession edge in the first half.

I think we'll see Brady play less in game 2

Does anyone know WHY Welker was out?

Jay Feely is NOT a bad QB, which makes me wonder why the Eagles took on Vick. Don't they have their QB of the future in Kevin Kolb, and Feely as #3 is better than a lot of team's #2. Where does Vick fit in? I'd rather have Feely than Walter.

McNab can't complain about not having any WRs anymore. It looks like the Eages have some good ones now.

I can't help but think that the PI on Moss should have been a noncall. Yeah Assante might have been a bit early, but not enough to make it a 40 yd penalty. I think the same goes for the one on Butler. First of all the pass was uncatchable. Secondly he ran into him inadvertently. MAYBE you could make an illegal contact call, but PI. Once again the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

The Pats tackling wasn't good overall, though Merriweather made some very good form tackles. I think BB will make note of that.

Well that's what I saw. What did you think?

Great post, but one severe error.
The PI on Asante has to be called, 100% of the time. He grabbed Moss arms before the ball got there preventing him from being able to make the catch. Early is early grabbing him a full second before the ball gets there isnt different than grabbing his arm when the ball is 2 inches away.

 

[Synovia]

Great post, but one severe error.
The PI on Asante has to be called, 100% of the time. He grabbed Moss arms before the ball got there preventing him from being able to make the catch. Early is early grabbing him a full second before the ball gets there isnt different than grabbing his arm when the ball is 2 inches away.

Yeah, that wasn't a close call. He grabbed his arm and pulled it down about 5 yards before the ball got there. I think a lot of PI is crap, but thats one that has to be called.