- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
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It's a sad say of course, because of the travesty of justice perpetrated upon us all by the NYFL league office for their latest attempt to create parity in the league. It is also a sad day because we saw a number of very fine football players who WON'T be on the Patriots come Saturday evening. BB commented after the game on this, and I'm sure his feelings are shared by all his coaching brethren throughout the league. It must be tough to tell kids that for the moment their dreams have ended. Especially after watching them work so hard for the last 8 weeks doing everything you've asked of them. Unfortunately for us too many of them will likely wind up on OTHER team's rosters before Sunday comes around, but there WILL be room for 10 of them on the PS. Let's see how many come from OTHER team's rosters. As to the game.....
1. I've said enough about the perfidy of the media. Suffice it to say, I've had enough. Let me know what Chatham has to say , and give me a link when Reiss has written something and let the rest of them go F$ck themselves. I have no more interest in anything they have to say. When it's time for KO a week from Sunday, then I'll be at the bar watching the game, and not a moment before.
2. Could BMingo have had a more impactful introduction? Not if you scripted it. Multiple tackles, TWO forced fumbles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack (taken away by a penalty) at least 3 QB hits, and a pass defensed.
Well that's the good news. The bad news, well it's not really that bad, but he ISN'T Jaime Collins (not that many people are). He's not nearly as strong or as physical at the point of attack. He is never going to be a DPOY candidate. He's done as a pass rusher if the OLman gets his hands on him. And if he doesn't have a head of steam off the LOS, he can get manhandled by those guys who are 100 lbs bigger than he is.
However that being said, IF USED PROPERLY, (and you know he will be here), he can be an explosive situational player, because he has the kind of speed that you just don't see from that position. Most importantly he looks like he is a willing player. The kind of guy who will buy in and work at it. In case he doesn't know it, he just died and went to heaven. (and I think he does. )
IMHO for the near future he'll be playing ST's and backing up Collins, while he learns the D. He'll also be used as a situational player. That being said, I think that by the time the playoffs roll around, he'll be an integral part of the Defensive rotation, even if he never "starts".
Thanks for the parting gift as you went out the door, Mike Lombardi.
3. Obviously DJ Foster was the other player who flashed tonight. The kid just looks so comfortable catching the ball. He made a great catch on the play he fumbled. Not quite the explosiveness of Lewis, but close enough to make the first guy miss most of the time. He didn't have much blocking in front of him, but he runs with much more authority than James White.
If he hadn't missed so much of camp, James White would already have his bags packed, but I'm not sure the Pats will cut him just based on less than 2 weeks of work. White is what the Pats love most. He's dependable. They know what he can and cannot do. He catches the ball well out of the backfield and is a willing blocker. He runs like ****. But he is what he is. While I think Foster is the more well rounded player, the Pats might not want to take the risk just based on just 2 weeks work.
That being said, I think it will be Foster who gets the Tom Brady 4 game scholarship, which will give the Foster 4 more games to prove his dependability. I can't seeing him making it to the PS. Not after tonight's performance.
4. The biggest question of the off season has been the OL and even though all the answers aren't in, I think we are on track to be pretty good. I thought the overall talent was as deep as I've seen it in a while here. The loss of Volmer hurts a lot, but Marcus Cannon has had his best pre season of his career, and I feel a lot better about him.
I was very concerned when Solder went to the sideline with an apparent hamstring. I'm a lot less concerned now. He never went to the locker room and later could be seen standing by the OL group while Dante was coaching. He didn't even have an ice bag on his leg. I'm pretty sure (hoping) that it was a cramp of the hamstring that they worked out. He probably would have returned if had been a real game.
The announcers sometime made it seem like Brady was under constant pressure, but to my mind it was the Giant's secondary that was the problem. Most of the time, Brady never got to go to his first read, and even then he was throwing into very tight windows. And those times when Brady was forced to step up in the pocket he had a clean one BECAUSE of the good blocking.
BTW- did Cooper play at all tonight? He's been gone so long, I forgot to look for him
5. MBennett has been an overall disappoint thus far. Perhaps it could be all the over hyped expectations going into the pre-season games. But the fact is that he never was much of a force, even when Gronk wasn't there. I love his personna, so I hope that he works out well here. He certainly has the pedigree to do well.
6. On the other hand I think Chris Hogan will be the guy we all hoped that Brandon LaFell would turn out to be. And it needs to be said that this was Dobson's best preseason game. 3 catches for 60+ yards. That is what he needs to be. He is never going to be a 10 catch guy like Edelman. But he NEEDS to be the guy who averages the 15+ yds per catch guy who can stretch the D a little, and open it up more underneath. Tonight he "did his job".
7. It can't be said strongly enough, but this defense is missing BOTH their top DE's and it's been close to unstoppable this pre-season. THAT is how good this defense is
8. Bubble Players I think you HAVE to have on this team
a. DJ Foster - as I have already explained
b. Anthony Johnson - He's flashed for 3 straight games now, at multiple positions. BB clearly likes the concept of the quick inside guy would can be moved all over. He hoped he had him in Easley, (and production wise, he did) now I think he gets a second chance with AJ. We have a bunch of big power guys in Brown, Branch, and Valentine. Johnson gives us a different and needed skill set that can help situationally.
c.JJones - Even though he was beaten for the TD, he was right there. To me it's a lot like early Butler, when he was missing making plays by inches. Plays he now makes because of experience. Its his raw speed that separates him from LeBlanc, who I know has his proponents. One is going to make the team, hopefully the other gets to the PS.
d. AJ Derby - Despite Christian Furia's impassioned plea, I think Derby should be the #3 guy. Sad, for Clay Harbor, he didn't do much to lose the job. Derby just took it from him when he was hurt. In an ideal world, you'd love to have Derby on PS, but I doubt he'd get there.
e. Gruier Hill - KGH is that hybrid S/LB that needs to be on a roster. I've been harping on the need to have a guy with a Brandon Browner skill set on our roster. In an age of ever increasing giants at WR, we will be entering the season with a roster of midget CBs. Well maybe that guy who plays the big TE's or can walk out on the big WR's will end up being someone like KGH in time. In the meantime the kid is looking like a kick ass ST player.
9. Elandon Roberts, won my heart, even though he probably lost his chance to make this squad. Clearly he was hurting in the 2nd half, but never left the field, even though it was affecting his play. I can understand he what he was thinking. If I were his dad, I would be very proud. I hope he makes the PS, he's a good football player.
10. Lastly I can't help but mention Jacoby Brissett. I have to say, I can't remember seeing a rookie QB come in and look so much in command of his offense. The kid has a great presence about him as well as a plethora of physical tools. That being said, I hope I don't see him on the field for the rest of the year. I now have great hope for him, though I don't envy him.
It took a long time coming, and many imposters before him, however Jacoby Brissett WILL be the guy who replaces Tom Brady sometime in the next 4 years....and though he'll never be the GOAT, I predict he will be as good a replacement as we could hope for.
11. It's 1am now. I think than rather than do it now, I'll submit a post in the next day or two on how I think the Pats are going to prepare for this game, and what strategies that they will use to spring an upset over the Cardinals. Good Night all.
1. I've said enough about the perfidy of the media. Suffice it to say, I've had enough. Let me know what Chatham has to say , and give me a link when Reiss has written something and let the rest of them go F$ck themselves. I have no more interest in anything they have to say. When it's time for KO a week from Sunday, then I'll be at the bar watching the game, and not a moment before.
2. Could BMingo have had a more impactful introduction? Not if you scripted it. Multiple tackles, TWO forced fumbles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack (taken away by a penalty) at least 3 QB hits, and a pass defensed.
Well that's the good news. The bad news, well it's not really that bad, but he ISN'T Jaime Collins (not that many people are). He's not nearly as strong or as physical at the point of attack. He is never going to be a DPOY candidate. He's done as a pass rusher if the OLman gets his hands on him. And if he doesn't have a head of steam off the LOS, he can get manhandled by those guys who are 100 lbs bigger than he is.
However that being said, IF USED PROPERLY, (and you know he will be here), he can be an explosive situational player, because he has the kind of speed that you just don't see from that position. Most importantly he looks like he is a willing player. The kind of guy who will buy in and work at it. In case he doesn't know it, he just died and went to heaven. (and I think he does.
)IMHO for the near future he'll be playing ST's and backing up Collins, while he learns the D. He'll also be used as a situational player. That being said, I think that by the time the playoffs roll around, he'll be an integral part of the Defensive rotation, even if he never "starts".
Thanks for the parting gift as you went out the door, Mike Lombardi.
3. Obviously DJ Foster was the other player who flashed tonight. The kid just looks so comfortable catching the ball. He made a great catch on the play he fumbled. Not quite the explosiveness of Lewis, but close enough to make the first guy miss most of the time. He didn't have much blocking in front of him, but he runs with much more authority than James White.
If he hadn't missed so much of camp, James White would already have his bags packed, but I'm not sure the Pats will cut him just based on less than 2 weeks of work. White is what the Pats love most. He's dependable. They know what he can and cannot do. He catches the ball well out of the backfield and is a willing blocker. He runs like ****. But he is what he is. While I think Foster is the more well rounded player, the Pats might not want to take the risk just based on just 2 weeks work.
That being said, I think it will be Foster who gets the Tom Brady 4 game scholarship, which will give the Foster 4 more games to prove his dependability. I can't seeing him making it to the PS. Not after tonight's performance.
4. The biggest question of the off season has been the OL and even though all the answers aren't in, I think we are on track to be pretty good. I thought the overall talent was as deep as I've seen it in a while here. The loss of Volmer hurts a lot, but Marcus Cannon has had his best pre season of his career, and I feel a lot better about him.
I was very concerned when Solder went to the sideline with an apparent hamstring. I'm a lot less concerned now. He never went to the locker room and later could be seen standing by the OL group while Dante was coaching. He didn't even have an ice bag on his leg. I'm pretty sure (hoping) that it was a cramp of the hamstring that they worked out. He probably would have returned if had been a real game.
The announcers sometime made it seem like Brady was under constant pressure, but to my mind it was the Giant's secondary that was the problem. Most of the time, Brady never got to go to his first read, and even then he was throwing into very tight windows. And those times when Brady was forced to step up in the pocket he had a clean one BECAUSE of the good blocking.
BTW- did Cooper play at all tonight? He's been gone so long, I forgot to look for him
5. MBennett has been an overall disappoint thus far. Perhaps it could be all the over hyped expectations going into the pre-season games. But the fact is that he never was much of a force, even when Gronk wasn't there. I love his personna, so I hope that he works out well here. He certainly has the pedigree to do well.
6. On the other hand I think Chris Hogan will be the guy we all hoped that Brandon LaFell would turn out to be. And it needs to be said that this was Dobson's best preseason game. 3 catches for 60+ yards. That is what he needs to be. He is never going to be a 10 catch guy like Edelman. But he NEEDS to be the guy who averages the 15+ yds per catch guy who can stretch the D a little, and open it up more underneath. Tonight he "did his job".
7. It can't be said strongly enough, but this defense is missing BOTH their top DE's and it's been close to unstoppable this pre-season. THAT is how good this defense is
8. Bubble Players I think you HAVE to have on this team
a. DJ Foster - as I have already explained
b. Anthony Johnson - He's flashed for 3 straight games now, at multiple positions. BB clearly likes the concept of the quick inside guy would can be moved all over. He hoped he had him in Easley, (and production wise, he did) now I think he gets a second chance with AJ. We have a bunch of big power guys in Brown, Branch, and Valentine. Johnson gives us a different and needed skill set that can help situationally.
c.JJones - Even though he was beaten for the TD, he was right there. To me it's a lot like early Butler, when he was missing making plays by inches. Plays he now makes because of experience. Its his raw speed that separates him from LeBlanc, who I know has his proponents. One is going to make the team, hopefully the other gets to the PS.
d. AJ Derby - Despite Christian Furia's impassioned plea, I think Derby should be the #3 guy. Sad, for Clay Harbor, he didn't do much to lose the job. Derby just took it from him when he was hurt. In an ideal world, you'd love to have Derby on PS, but I doubt he'd get there.
e. Gruier Hill - KGH is that hybrid S/LB that needs to be on a roster. I've been harping on the need to have a guy with a Brandon Browner skill set on our roster. In an age of ever increasing giants at WR, we will be entering the season with a roster of midget CBs. Well maybe that guy who plays the big TE's or can walk out on the big WR's will end up being someone like KGH in time. In the meantime the kid is looking like a kick ass ST player.
9. Elandon Roberts, won my heart, even though he probably lost his chance to make this squad. Clearly he was hurting in the 2nd half, but never left the field, even though it was affecting his play. I can understand he what he was thinking. If I were his dad, I would be very proud. I hope he makes the PS, he's a good football player.
10. Lastly I can't help but mention Jacoby Brissett. I have to say, I can't remember seeing a rookie QB come in and look so much in command of his offense. The kid has a great presence about him as well as a plethora of physical tools. That being said, I hope I don't see him on the field for the rest of the year.
I now have great hope for him, though I don't envy him. It took a long time coming, and many imposters before him, however Jacoby Brissett WILL be the guy who replaces Tom Brady sometime in the next 4 years....and though he'll never be the GOAT, I predict he will be as good a replacement as we could hope for.
11. It's 1am now. I think than rather than do it now, I'll submit a post in the next day or two on how I think the Pats are going to prepare for this game, and what strategies that they will use to spring an upset over the Cardinals. Good Night all.
