Hobbs Kickoff return- be honest

[MDD]

My quote at the time was: "What the h-ll are you doing?!?!?!"

My quote thirty seconds later was: "Well, that's why I'm here eating potato chips, and they're there."

 

[spacecrime]

Hester always has the go-ahead to run it out. Hobbs does not.

I didn't know this. Are you sure?

I think if you want to be a #1 corner and/or a return man, you have to be aggressive. I think players who think conservatively will not make good returners.

And I think that average return is a better judge of a returner than getting tackled on the 8 yard line once in a while. See what the average return is, and if you like it, don't try to change his attitude.

Anyway, he explnatin wsn't bs, as someone said. It was not a snap decision. He said that after he knelt in the Denver game, he felt it was the wrong decision, and said he would take it out next time. And he did.

 

[Mike the Brit]

OK, my honest thoughts (in order).

"Great. Go for it, Ellis!"

"Uh-oh, not such a good idea after all."

"Wow, he's through, going to be a nice return."

"My goodness, he could go all the way. But it looks like he's slowing and someone's catching him up."

"But it's one of our guys (Willie Andrews?)"

"YESSSS!!!!" :rocker:

 

[rabthepat]

He definitely should have taken a knee. It certainly did work out for us though.

 

[CTPatsFan]

I'm going to be honest, when Hoobs caust the kickoff deep in the end zone I was yelling "don't run it out". I was yelling "don't run it out" until he reached the 20. Then I started yelling "run the thing out".

Be honest, how many of you sad the same thing?

And I don't like what he said about "my job is to run , it not to take a knee". He job is to do what is best for the team and what the coaches tell him to do. If the coaches tell him, "never take a knee", then that's OK. But he makes it sound like it's all up to him.

I was screaming WTF is he doing???? Until he broke that tackle around the 20. Even my wife asked why is he running it out?

I didn't hear who it was on ESPN Radio this morning, but his jist was that Hobbs got the record because he didn't know any better. Any experienced kick returner takes a knee in that situation. That about sums it up

 

[BostonBullit]

lets not read too much into this, I'm pretty sure the fact that the O was having their way with the Jets D all first half came into play here. "so we start at the 10 or we start at the 20 or we start at our 1....who cares, Tom is going to spank them anyway so I might as well run it out"

 

[Patters]

I think there may be some situations where you do take out the ball, and Hobbs may have been aware of them. From his vantage point, he might have been able to identify a screw up in the coverage by the Jets. Certainly, the fact that the Jets failed to even disrupt his route suggests to me that something went terribly wrong for them early in the play. I was surprised he took out the ball, but I never said, "No, don't do it." That said, I would have been angry if the Jets had stopped him at the 10.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

That is the reason no one will (probably) ever break his record with a 109 yd TD - besides so few kicks being kicked that deep, so few people have the guts (and talent) to run it out.

I definitely wanted him to take a knee, because since the kick went to deep, he could've easily been down at the 10 yd line.

Essentially, this post sums it up for me........... There is a reason no one had ever taken a KR from 108 to the house ever before (or probably ever again).

I, like all of you, screamed at my set too. I quickly forgave his transgression

 

[DaBruinz]

I don't know if Hobbs did the right thing or the wrong thing. He has to make the split second decision as to how far he believes he will get based on his review of the field as he's catching the ball. Usually, you'd like to see the player err on the side of caution, but again, we don't know what he saw.

Hobbs got 18 yards and across the field before the 1st Jets player missed his tackle. Hobbs got another 10 yards before the 2nd Jets player missed his tackle. Then, Hobbs was gone.

What I found amazing is that Willie Andrews actually CAUGHT up to Hobbs from behind to help with Corey Mays on the blocking, not that Mays needed help. I think that the Pats moving Mays up to the 1st line of blockers on kick returns helped him. Last year, he was in the 2nd tier of blockers and he hurt the Pats.

 

[BelichickFan]

I think there may be some situations where you do take out the ball, and Hobbs may have been aware of them. From his vantage point, he might have been able to identify a screw up in the coverage by the Jets.

Given that he should have been tackled at the 20 and they had a reasonable shot at him at the 10, I don't think so. It was just a very athletic play that he got away with. It wasn't some wide open return by any means.

 

[wistahpatsfan]

Hobbs was just on Dale and Holley and he told them that he'll be running it out on every kick he fields in the endzone. I heard that before and he said it again about ten minutes ago.

I wonder if it's a new philosophy the team's trying out to see what happens or how long they can get away with it? Maybe it's a new thing just for Hobbs that BB's OK with. I assume he is, because nothing happens without BB's consent on that team. Maybe they have so much confidence in the new offensive weapons that their starting point on the field is irrelevant. I don't know, but I thought his (Hobbs') comments were interesting

 

[BelichickFan]

Hobbs was just on Dale and Holley and he told them that he'll be running it out on every kick he fields in the endzone. I heard that before and he said it again about ten minutes ago.

I wonder if it's a new philosophy the team's trying out to see what happens or how long they can get away with it?

I'd be curious what the stats show for returns that come from midway into the endzone. It could be that the perception is that it's bad because we notice it more when they don't get to the 20 more than we do when they get to the 20-25.

Sounds like it's going to be an exciting year.

 

[DaBruinz]

I'd be curious what the stats show for returns that come from midway into the endzone. It could be that the perception is that it's bad because we notice it more when they don't get to the 20 more than we do when they get to the 20-25.

Sounds like it's going to be an exciting year.

Its interesting to not that Hobbs had 156 return yards yesterday on 3 returns. That gives him a 52 ypr average right now. However, lets look at the 2 kicks that weren't for the TD. Hobbs returned one from 2 yards in the endzone to the 27 yard line. The other was taken that the 2 yard line and brought out to the 21 yard line.... Not exactly great....

I'd like to see the Pats consistently start beyond the 29 yard line.

 

[MDD]

My initial sense in watching the run back was that the second wave of Jets were frozen a little bit, since they were surprised he ran it out.

 

[milwaukeebeers44]

Oh hell yes I said "don't run it out" with some expletives attached to that phrase. It's nice when it works, but I'm not so sure any of us would be too happy about it if he ran it out and fumbled at the 8.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

From one of my favorite movies "Major League":

"Nice catch*, Hayes...don't EVER do it again!"

Regards,
Chris

* Unnecessary basket catch, for those who never saw the movie.

 

[signbabybrady]

I was an st the game and thought I cant believe he was taking it out. a jets fan said that was stupid....so after the play i told the fan it was stupid but wow...

 

[PATSNUTme]

Hobbs was just on Dale and Holley and he told them that he'll be running it out on every kick he fields in the endzone. I heard that before and he said it again about ten minutes ago.

I wonder if it's a new philosophy the team's trying out to see what happens or how long they can get away with it? Maybe it's a new thing just for Hobbs that BB's OK with. I assume he is, because nothing happens without BB's consent on that team. Maybe they have so much confidence in the new offensive weapons that their starting point on the field is irrelevant. I don't know, but I thought his (Hobbs') comments were interesting

I saw that quote in the paper this morning. Even if the coaches have given him the green light, I question the wisdom of coming out and saying it.

 

[slam]

Technical question: Isn't the decision to bring the ball out or not really the decision of the up back who either blocks or signals to Hobbs to take a knee?

 

[pencilneckgeek]

Tuned in to the second half time to see them congratulating Hobbs (oops), so I didn't react immediately. However, I've always thought that the would-be blocker who turns around automatically to tell the guy behind him to take a knee whenever the ball is more than a yard into the end zone has no business playing the game. The difference between being on the 15 (by running it out in error) and the 20 once in a while is not so great compared to the potential of the big return (even if it only goes to the 40), so I'm of the mind that just about every kick should be run out. Of course, the 8 yards deep in the end zone version might manage to be an exception to that rule, but I digress. Good on Hobbs for sacking up and making a play. If he was brought down at the 21 like he should have been, it still would have been the right decision.