- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
- Messages
- 15,532
- Reaction score
- 27,568
There are still a LOT of questions that are to be talked about, but clearly this was a much better effort (most importantly) and a LOT better execution, which resulted in a rather easy road win. I'm not sure if this post will match my usual length because most of what I saw was fairly obvious to most viewers, and Ian isn't paying me these vast sums of money to tell you what you already know...... but sometimes once I get started, it gets hard to stop. 
So let's start to break it down and see where it leads us
OFFENSE:
1. Game Plan - As players like Burkhead, Gronk, Dorsett, and Hogan limped off the field, it was hard to think that we saw the game Josh wanted to see after the first half ended. But we did get that awesome first half and I thought there were a couple of factors that were interesting.
a. The Pats came out with 3 TE's right away, which was probably the last thing NO was expecting (along with almost all of Pats fans everywhere). It didn't really matter. The offense moved the ball just well enough on the ground to open up a passing game that amassed close to 300 yds in the first half.
b. HALLELUJAH!!!!! The screen pass is back in the game plan today and was really,really effective.
c. Overall, I think we can agree it was a much better game plan this week. Or was last week's game plan equally as good, just not as well executed????
d. I'm fine with having Brandin Cooks being a relatively minor focus this early in the season. Brady has yet to develop a true connection with most of his new receivers, and the Gronk TD was a great example. That play doesn't happen without 8 years of playing together. Plays like that create a lot of production when QB's and receivers have that "connection". It really wouldn't be realistic to think that it would be easy.....but it should come.....eventually.
2. QB - I feel badly for Mike Giardi. He now has to put away his "JG for starting QB" article for another week, because Brady just CRUSHED IT. He did it with his brain, his arm, AND his feet. He literally was toying with the Saints, especially in the first half. It was beautiful to behold. Things did slow down conciderably in the 2nd half, but that was to be expected, given the score
3. OL - Going on the road makes it tough on an offense line, but once again, the OL provided Brady with better than average pass protection, and improved slightly in their run blocking. Neither was what we'd ideally like to see as an end product, but more than OK for this point in the season.
BTW- I don't want to hear any crap about Solder and speed rushers. He did his job on 38 of the 39 times Brady dropped back. Good speed rushers are going to beat EVERY OT occasionally, and on the play he got beat, it was his technique that failed him (he was a fraction late coming off the ball and he needed to widen his first step), This error will be pointed out and fixed.
Kudos to Cannon for fighting through his ankle injury and I'd really like to see any breakdown in David Andrews' run blocking. I'm thinking he's the weak link in establishing a really good run game, but I could be totally wrong and would like to find out for sure.
4. RB's The running game averaged 3.8 ypc in this game, though I can't say that any of the RB's left many yards out on the field. What they DID prove is that the Pats will let any of them run with the ball. They ALL can catch it, and play multiple positions. That being said, Gillislee is clearly the first choice to run it, and White is still the first choice to catch it. But still we got some tantalizing flashes from both Burkhead (before he left the game) and Lewis, so we know this is truly a 4 deep RB group. I also subscribe to those who believe that Lewis is on a "pitch count" that they feel will get him healthy into the playoffs. So until their is an injury, Lewis is going to be the #4 option.
5. Receivers - I now fully believe that the use of the terms WR/TE/RB to describe the Pats recveivers is almost archaic RB's and TE's are often utilized spread wide, and WR's can be found in the slot and backfield on occasion. They are all just multi use receivers in Josh's scheme of things.
a. Gronk was Gronk and until he was hurt was having a moster game, including what was probably the worst drop of his career. I think there will be mediots who will still insist that it's his back that was hurt, but in watching the replay numerous times; you can see his leg whiplash in such a way that it is likely that it WAS his groin that was pulled. That might not be a good thing, but it is a LOT better than back injury.
b. There were 9 different receivers of Brady's passes today, none of them were named Duane Allen. That's going to have to change if we are going to win our next 3 games.
c. Like I said, I'm OK with what I've seen from Cooks and the amount of targets he is getting. BTW- he made a great catch to set up Gillislee's TD on what should have been an easy TD if Brady's pass was better. What I want to see from him each week is improvement. While I think he IS the Pats #1 WR, he IS a guy that a team can scheme to shut down with an effective double.
d. Dorsett had a nice game going before he got hurt. As long as the team doesn't ask him to run many option routes, he can be an effective player until that time when he gets fully integrated into the offense. He is a very nice pick up for your #3 QB.
e. Hogan deserves HUGE kudos for not only having a nice game, but for fighting through was was clearly a nagging leg injury.
f. I'm hoping Daniel Braverman gets a call to at least join the Pats PS. I remember thinking how much he looks like Jules when we saw him last year. Plus you can't have too many Jewish players on your team.
DEFENSE
6. Game plan
a. I'd need a second and 3rd look to truly figure out what Patricia was trying to do, but I have to admit I was getting a little frustrated watching all those deep completions to wide open receivers.
b. Like I said in the game thread, it looked to me like on a few of those completions the Saints were running pattern's downfield that amounted to pick plays without actually being pick plays but rather very nice play designs that worked well.
c. When the film is broken down, I THINK we will see that the Pats used very little man to man coverage this week, so it often looked like Gilmore and Butler were getting beat worse than what was actually the case. Again, that is just an impression, When the all 22 becomes available I'm hoping someone can confirm or deny that impression
7. Front Seven - That was a MASSIVE improvement from the front 7 vs the run game. If you take way the garbage time 28 yd run on the last play of the game, the Pats allowed only 3.1 ypc in 17 attempts. Nothing can go well with a defense if it can't stop the run. We saw that only too well opening night.
b. The pass rush wasn't always consistent, but they did have their moments of putting pressure on Brees. Both Wise and Flowers kept him on the move on several occasions. Butler provided some pressure up the middle as well. Clearly a work in progress, but overall there was some significant improvement.
c. LB's - Roberts was solid in the middle, but I have to ask, where the f*ck is David Harris. Harris has always been a productive player for the Jets, INCLUDING last season. Is he really having a problem picking up the defense, OR....is it David Harris who has fallen "off the cliff" this season. I'd like to see some mediot at least pose the question.
Kyle van Noy played in 100% of the snaps this game. I don't know if that was because he has earned those snaps or if there is just noone else to play them?
8. DB's - Brees had over 350 passing yards, though about 150 came during garbage time. Hard to judge the play of the DB's based on the TV feed. Let us not forget that Drew Brees is going into the HOF and has put up TONS of yards against some very good defenses, So while I'm not thrill with many long (20+yds) completions, I'm not sure who is to blame. Was it the defensive scheme, the offensive routes, the score of the game, the lack of a consistent pass rush or the ineffectiveness of the DB's?? I'm sure it was all those things, but I wonder what the percentages would be.
a. Perhaps the most positive stat for the defense was that the Saints were only 4-12 in 3rd down efficiency. If you had asked me before I read it, I wouldn't have guessed it was that good.
9. Take aways
While it is still very early in the season, our LACK of take aways (1) is a little concerning to me. Part of the Pats consistent success over the years has been the fact they have usually wound up in the top 1o of the league in turn overs. Even the historically bad 2011 defense was in the top ten in TO's. A fact that helped them get to the superbowl. You can't expect the offense to drive the ball 70+ yds all the time to score. Every good scoring team has its share of short fields. Thus far this season, the Pats have only had one of those (and failed to score)
BTW- the 2-0 Ravens already have 10 take aways.
ST's - I'm bracing for the massive over reaction to Gotskowski's missed extra point from all the chicken littles who are ignoring that he is perfect so far in his FG's.
How far has the league gone to make sure no one will ever block another FG. In the Dallas/Denver game, the refs gave Dallas a 15 yd penalty when a Dallas player happened to have his hand on the back of a Denver player when he leaped to try and block the kick. It was clear in the replay that he wasn't getting any "leaverage" in aiding his leap, but that didn't matter to the "score at all costs league".
Since the league has forced me into believing that they are always out to get the Pats. I have to believe that since BB spends both time and assets into making the Pats to excel in the kicking the game, the league decided to take away that edge by simply making the kicking game irrelevant.
Why are they even bothering to make it seem that blocking a kick is even possible since they have pretty much legislated every possible way it can be done. These days the ONLY way to block a kick is if the offense f*cks up by kicking it low or screwing up the snap and hold, because there is now nothing the defense can do to create the cracks needed to attack the center of the line, and it is physically impossible to block a kick from the outside with a decent snap and hold.
10. Next week
a. Well the big question all week is going to be who is going to be available to play. Right now it doesn't look great'
b. With a rookie coming into Gillette, I wouldn't be surprise to see more man to man coverages and more pressure on Watson. Granted the Pats usual SOP vs a running QB is to play soft on the edges and keep him in the pocket, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Pats use some form of zone blitzes where they don't rush more than 4 or 5, but rather overload the middle or one side and try to get some instant pressure on the kid.
c. On the offensive side of the ball, the Texans have a perfect roster to take away the middle of the field from the Pats, especially if they don't have Gronk/Burkhead, Amendola, and Dorsett. The Texans can rush 3 and still get there when their 3 rushers are Watt, Mercelous, and Clowney.
Good win, but with Houston, Carolina, and Tampa in their future, this team will have to keep improving on their intensity and execution if they are going to wind up 4-1.
As always your comments, additions, and contradictions are welcome
So let's start to break it down and see where it leads usOFFENSE:
1. Game Plan - As players like Burkhead, Gronk, Dorsett, and Hogan limped off the field, it was hard to think that we saw the game Josh wanted to see after the first half ended. But we did get that awesome first half and I thought there were a couple of factors that were interesting.
a. The Pats came out with 3 TE's right away, which was probably the last thing NO was expecting (along with almost all of Pats fans everywhere). It didn't really matter. The offense moved the ball just well enough on the ground to open up a passing game that amassed close to 300 yds in the first half.
b. HALLELUJAH!!!!! The screen pass is back in the game plan today and was really,really effective.
c. Overall, I think we can agree it was a much better game plan this week. Or was last week's game plan equally as good, just not as well executed????
d. I'm fine with having Brandin Cooks being a relatively minor focus this early in the season. Brady has yet to develop a true connection with most of his new receivers, and the Gronk TD was a great example. That play doesn't happen without 8 years of playing together. Plays like that create a lot of production when QB's and receivers have that "connection". It really wouldn't be realistic to think that it would be easy.....but it should come.....eventually.
2. QB - I feel badly for Mike Giardi. He now has to put away his "JG for starting QB" article for another week, because Brady just CRUSHED IT. He did it with his brain, his arm, AND his feet. He literally was toying with the Saints, especially in the first half. It was beautiful to behold. Things did slow down conciderably in the 2nd half, but that was to be expected, given the score
3. OL - Going on the road makes it tough on an offense line, but once again, the OL provided Brady with better than average pass protection, and improved slightly in their run blocking. Neither was what we'd ideally like to see as an end product, but more than OK for this point in the season.
BTW- I don't want to hear any crap about Solder and speed rushers. He did his job on 38 of the 39 times Brady dropped back. Good speed rushers are going to beat EVERY OT occasionally, and on the play he got beat, it was his technique that failed him (he was a fraction late coming off the ball and he needed to widen his first step), This error will be pointed out and fixed.
Kudos to Cannon for fighting through his ankle injury and I'd really like to see any breakdown in David Andrews' run blocking. I'm thinking he's the weak link in establishing a really good run game, but I could be totally wrong and would like to find out for sure.
4. RB's The running game averaged 3.8 ypc in this game, though I can't say that any of the RB's left many yards out on the field. What they DID prove is that the Pats will let any of them run with the ball. They ALL can catch it, and play multiple positions. That being said, Gillislee is clearly the first choice to run it, and White is still the first choice to catch it. But still we got some tantalizing flashes from both Burkhead (before he left the game) and Lewis, so we know this is truly a 4 deep RB group. I also subscribe to those who believe that Lewis is on a "pitch count" that they feel will get him healthy into the playoffs. So until their is an injury, Lewis is going to be the #4 option.
5. Receivers - I now fully believe that the use of the terms WR/TE/RB to describe the Pats recveivers is almost archaic RB's and TE's are often utilized spread wide, and WR's can be found in the slot and backfield on occasion. They are all just multi use receivers in Josh's scheme of things.
a. Gronk was Gronk and until he was hurt was having a moster game, including what was probably the worst drop of his career. I think there will be mediots who will still insist that it's his back that was hurt, but in watching the replay numerous times; you can see his leg whiplash in such a way that it is likely that it WAS his groin that was pulled. That might not be a good thing, but it is a LOT better than back injury.
b. There were 9 different receivers of Brady's passes today, none of them were named Duane Allen. That's going to have to change if we are going to win our next 3 games.
c. Like I said, I'm OK with what I've seen from Cooks and the amount of targets he is getting. BTW- he made a great catch to set up Gillislee's TD on what should have been an easy TD if Brady's pass was better. What I want to see from him each week is improvement. While I think he IS the Pats #1 WR, he IS a guy that a team can scheme to shut down with an effective double.
d. Dorsett had a nice game going before he got hurt. As long as the team doesn't ask him to run many option routes, he can be an effective player until that time when he gets fully integrated into the offense. He is a very nice pick up for your #3 QB.
e. Hogan deserves HUGE kudos for not only having a nice game, but for fighting through was was clearly a nagging leg injury.
f. I'm hoping Daniel Braverman gets a call to at least join the Pats PS. I remember thinking how much he looks like Jules when we saw him last year. Plus you can't have too many Jewish players on your team.
DEFENSE
6. Game plan
a. I'd need a second and 3rd look to truly figure out what Patricia was trying to do, but I have to admit I was getting a little frustrated watching all those deep completions to wide open receivers.
b. Like I said in the game thread, it looked to me like on a few of those completions the Saints were running pattern's downfield that amounted to pick plays without actually being pick plays but rather very nice play designs that worked well.
c. When the film is broken down, I THINK we will see that the Pats used very little man to man coverage this week, so it often looked like Gilmore and Butler were getting beat worse than what was actually the case. Again, that is just an impression, When the all 22 becomes available I'm hoping someone can confirm or deny that impression
7. Front Seven - That was a MASSIVE improvement from the front 7 vs the run game. If you take way the garbage time 28 yd run on the last play of the game, the Pats allowed only 3.1 ypc in 17 attempts. Nothing can go well with a defense if it can't stop the run. We saw that only too well opening night.
b. The pass rush wasn't always consistent, but they did have their moments of putting pressure on Brees. Both Wise and Flowers kept him on the move on several occasions. Butler provided some pressure up the middle as well. Clearly a work in progress, but overall there was some significant improvement.
c. LB's - Roberts was solid in the middle, but I have to ask, where the f*ck is David Harris. Harris has always been a productive player for the Jets, INCLUDING last season. Is he really having a problem picking up the defense, OR....is it David Harris who has fallen "off the cliff" this season. I'd like to see some mediot at least pose the question.
Kyle van Noy played in 100% of the snaps this game. I don't know if that was because he has earned those snaps or if there is just noone else to play them?
8. DB's - Brees had over 350 passing yards, though about 150 came during garbage time. Hard to judge the play of the DB's based on the TV feed. Let us not forget that Drew Brees is going into the HOF and has put up TONS of yards against some very good defenses, So while I'm not thrill with many long (20+yds) completions, I'm not sure who is to blame. Was it the defensive scheme, the offensive routes, the score of the game, the lack of a consistent pass rush or the ineffectiveness of the DB's?? I'm sure it was all those things, but I wonder what the percentages would be.
a. Perhaps the most positive stat for the defense was that the Saints were only 4-12 in 3rd down efficiency. If you had asked me before I read it, I wouldn't have guessed it was that good.
9. Take aways
While it is still very early in the season, our LACK of take aways (1) is a little concerning to me. Part of the Pats consistent success over the years has been the fact they have usually wound up in the top 1o of the league in turn overs. Even the historically bad 2011 defense was in the top ten in TO's. A fact that helped them get to the superbowl. You can't expect the offense to drive the ball 70+ yds all the time to score. Every good scoring team has its share of short fields. Thus far this season, the Pats have only had one of those (and failed to score)
BTW- the 2-0 Ravens already have 10 take aways.
ST's - I'm bracing for the massive over reaction to Gotskowski's missed extra point from all the chicken littles who are ignoring that he is perfect so far in his FG's.
How far has the league gone to make sure no one will ever block another FG. In the Dallas/Denver game, the refs gave Dallas a 15 yd penalty when a Dallas player happened to have his hand on the back of a Denver player when he leaped to try and block the kick. It was clear in the replay that he wasn't getting any "leaverage" in aiding his leap, but that didn't matter to the "score at all costs league".
Since the league has forced me into believing that they are always out to get the Pats. I have to believe that since BB spends both time and assets into making the Pats to excel in the kicking the game, the league decided to take away that edge by simply making the kicking game irrelevant.
Why are they even bothering to make it seem that blocking a kick is even possible since they have pretty much legislated every possible way it can be done. These days the ONLY way to block a kick is if the offense f*cks up by kicking it low or screwing up the snap and hold, because there is now nothing the defense can do to create the cracks needed to attack the center of the line, and it is physically impossible to block a kick from the outside with a decent snap and hold.
10. Next week
a. Well the big question all week is going to be who is going to be available to play. Right now it doesn't look great'
b. With a rookie coming into Gillette, I wouldn't be surprise to see more man to man coverages and more pressure on Watson. Granted the Pats usual SOP vs a running QB is to play soft on the edges and keep him in the pocket, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Pats use some form of zone blitzes where they don't rush more than 4 or 5, but rather overload the middle or one side and try to get some instant pressure on the kid.
c. On the offensive side of the ball, the Texans have a perfect roster to take away the middle of the field from the Pats, especially if they don't have Gronk/Burkhead, Amendola, and Dorsett. The Texans can rush 3 and still get there when their 3 rushers are Watt, Mercelous, and Clowney.
Good win, but with Houston, Carolina, and Tampa in their future, this team will have to keep improving on their intensity and execution if they are going to wind up 4-1.
As always your comments, additions, and contradictions are welcome
