Idle thoughts

[Metaphors]

I'll go OT a little here, but got to mention some coaching decisions and the lack (that I've seen) of commentary on them.

1) Tomlin on-side kick up by 2 late in the 4th quarter. No idea what was going through his brain on this one. Rodgers is a top QB but he gets sacked constantly and isn't known as a comeback guy (mainly because of his OL). The sheer lunacy of the call actually contributed to it almost working. Amazingly bad call...but still not the worst decision of the day.

2) Fisher not using his timeouts at the end of regulation. Miami with the ball on their 2, tied game with just under a minute to go. Titans with all 3 timeouts. Fins run and gain 3 or 4...and Fisher just lets them run out the clock to go to OT. WTF!!!! What was the downside of using the timeouts? Miami was never going to throw the ball. Stop them 3 times and possibly get possession on the Miami side of the field with 30+ seconds to go. The worst that could happen would be Miami getting a 1st down and going to OT...which is the situation Fisher just allowed to happen! The only explanation I have is that Fisher lost track of the game situation daydreaming about the contract he is going to get from Jerry Jones next year.

For all the commentators that said they would have dumped on Belichick even if the 4th-n-2 situation resulted in a win...well we now know that is crap on a stick. The 2 calls above were 100x worst and haven't heard anything (outside of brief shock during the game broadcast) from anyone. The only difference is that despite these calls, the Titans and Steelers came back to win. The ends don't justify the means...but a good end certainly mutes the criticism of stupid means.

 

[skri65]

In regards to Mayo, I don't think you can just "come back" from an MCL tear and play at the same level. He's been putting intense stress on that knee and I'd be very very surprised if that knee isn't hampering him. I think it's fair to say that his knee is NOT 100%, and thus Mayo is NOT 100%. I don't think he'll be back to his normal ways till next season.

 

[upstater1]

Cold games = shorter kicks.

It was freezing at the game today.

 

[DaBruinz]

Oh, on Ghost's kickoffs: Do any of you think it has something to do with the new wedge rules? Unless he's hurt, I was wondering if the shorter kickoffs allowed our special teams guys to cover a kickoff the returner without him being at full speed yet? NOt sure about this but has anyone noticed any difference in the trajectory of the kickoffs and whether or not they are a touch higher then before?

I have a suggestion for you.. Take a football and go outside and kick it.. see how far it goes.. Then, take that same football and put it in your freezer for 3 hours. After three hours, take it outside and kick it. Let us know the differences you see.

 

[The Dynasty]

Oh, on Ghost's kickoffs: Do any of you think it has something to do with the new wedge rules? Unless he's hurt, I was wondering if the shorter kickoffs allowed our special teams guys to cover a kickoff the returner without him being at full speed yet? NOt sure about this but has anyone noticed any difference in the trajectory of the kickoffs and whether or not they are a touch higher then before?

I think Ghost is battling a minor injury. Reiss posted something about this a few weeks ago that he isnt booming his kickoffs lately and probably the sign of a minor injury

 

[smg93]

I have a suggestion for you.. Take a football and go outside and kick it.. see how far it goes.. Then, take that same football and put it in your freezer for 3 hours. After three hours, take it outside and kick it. Let us know the differences you see.

DaBruinz, it's noit just the last game in BUF. It seems it's been several games now perhaps even including the dome games in IND and NO (that's totally unverified though because I like to block those games out from my memory )

I know what you're saying about the weather and all, everyone knows that especially after the clutch kicks of Adam V. a few years back. But I'm wondering if there's something more to this like a special teams philosophy that's willing to give up a few yards just to be sure that the coverage gets down the field and is able to meet the returner before he's at full speed.

 

[20HindSight20]

Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson, definitely. No one else is obvious, even now. No one else is obviously better ove the course of a season.

IMO you could safely add Brandon Marshall to that list. He's about to have his 3rd straight 100+ catch, 1,000+ yd season and this year he's doing it with Orton throwing to him. He's fast, tall, big, great YAC, great hands and is a matchup nightmare for DC's. I would take Marshall over Moss right now for sure.

 

[mayoclinic]

IMO you could safely add Brandon Marshall to that list. He's about to have his 3rd straight 100+ catch, 1,000+ yd season and this year he's doing it with Orton throwing to him. He's fast, tall, big, great YAC, great hands and is a matchup nightmare for DC's. I would take Marshall over Moss right now for sure.

Marshall was the other guy who I seriously considered ranking ahead of Moss, along with Wayne. But while he's been on a tear this season, he was inconsistent earlier. And he has major off-field issues. I didn't think it was clear cut.

Even if you take DeSean Jackson, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Marshall over Moss, that still makes only 6 guys. And I think Moss and those guys are pretty much lumped together in a 2nd tier just behind Larry Fitzgerald and the two Johnsons.

 

[patriotscpfc]

10. Bad day for the punter, I hope he's renting. Speaking of special teams, anyone one else notice that the Ghost is no longer booming his KOs into the endzone. Today ALL his KOs barely got to the 10. What's up with that?

I think he's hurt.

 

[mayoclinic]

Right now the Pats are 3rd place team next year. Miami has better young talent than the Pats do too and looks like a QB. Bad drafting, really killed the Pats. They will trade their #1 pick this year so they can draft 4 more mediocre 2nd round players. Patrick Chung played about 10 snaps yesterday.

See Patsfans, when you trade out of the 1st round you get 2nd tier talent. That's why Michael Oher, Vontae Davis and Clay Matthews Jr are future pro bowlers and Patrick Chung is another Brandon Merriweather clone. A hit or miss safety with big upside but not the talent which is why he went in the 2nd round.

If you really think the Phins have more talent than the Pats, you might want to switch boards.

Vontae Davis a future pro bowler? Maybe, but not any more obvious than Darius Butler being a future pro bowler.

We didn't trade out of the 1st round to get Patrick Chung. We took him with our existing #34 pick in the 2nd. And Brandon Meriweather, with whom you compare him, was a "1st tier talent", to use your term, taken #24 in 2007.

Clay Matthews, I will grant you, has turned out much better than anyone expected.

 

[shmessy]

4) I think its more likely that the Pats lose 2 in row and Miami loses 1 of 2 than than the Pats win one of their last 2. Brady’s obviously hurt, can’t throw the ball downfield and he’s so worried about getting sacked he’s throwing the ball quick. They better hope for bad weather with the Jags.


Looks like a guaranteed San Diego at Indy matchup in the AFC. The 3-6 seeds are weak. Pittsburgh is the only scary seed if they get in.

By the way for next year the Jets will have a 3rd place schedule and they have right now the BEST defense in the league. And don’t be surprised if they pick up Richard Seymour and Adalius Thomas in the offseason. I can see Thomas going back to that defense of Ryan’s and being successful. If Sanchez gets just a little better they will beat the Pats.


Right now the Pats are 3rd place team next year. Miami has better young talent than the Pats do too and looks like a QB. Bad drafting, really killed the Pats. They will trade their #1 pick this year so they can draft 4 more mediocre 2nd round players. Patrick Chung played about 10 snaps yesterday.

See Patsfans, when you trade out of the 1st round you get 2nd tier talent. That's why Michael Oher, Vontae Davis and Clay Matthews Jr are future pro bowlers and Patrick Chung is another Brandon Merriweather clone. A hit or miss safety with big upside but not the talent which is why he went in the 2nd round.

Wow, you have it all figured out.

What's your prediction for the NASDAQ in 2010?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Chris Mortensen has come out and said the 2011 draft won’t have a salary cap, so that Richard Seymour pick, just became a 2012 draft pick after crazy Bill and the Krafts are through. VALUE, VALUE = CHEAP. And to think they could have had the 10th pick in the draft this year if they took the Raiders first offer of 2010.

Find me a quote from a reliable source that says that the Raiders were offering their first-round pick in 2010, and then maybe I'll believe you're not a troll.

 

[Sicilian]

Comparing Moss to Wayne is difficult. Wayne has such a good report with Manning that it's hard to say how he'd do having to switch to another QB. I'm sure he'd still be a pro bowler, but the comfort level wouldn't be there.

 

[Marqui]

Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson, definitely.

Ehh. If those guys were here, once they got open Brady would miss them just like he does Moss.

 

[WelshPat]

The best WRs this season have been Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne and Vincent Jackson.

Miles Austin i would put as 4th, if your comparing him to what he did in last years playoffs, Larry Fitz has been disappointing.

 

[MVPatsfan13]

See Patsfans, when you trade out of the 1st round you get 2nd tier talent. That's why Michael Oher, Vontae Davis and Clay Matthews Jr are future pro bowlers and Patrick Chung is another Brandon Merriweather clone. A hit or miss safety with big upside but not the talent which is why he went in the 2nd round.

Pick #58, Sebastian Vollmer doesnt agree with your assesment. Also how can somebody have big upside but not the talent? Doesnt that mean they have the talent, they just arent capable of fully using it?

My idle thoughts on yesterdays game:
Kyle Arrington was a GREAT pick up on STs
Meriweather needs to learn that you can hit hard AND wrap the guy up at the same time
Julien Edelman can BLOCK, wow that guy got jacked
They can pick stocks better than us, so lets try giving the offensive playbook to a chimp, we just might suprise a team that way. Paul Farrell's commentary: Chimp '99 champ! Makes monkey of Wall Street - MarketWatch
TBC continues to impress and Wright continues to justify his extension
Bodden doesnt have a great vertical

 

[BelichickFan]

Kyle Arrington was a GREAT pick up on STs

Yeah, going in he was 3rd on the team in ST tackles despite not signing onto the active roster until November 8 :

Quick production from Arrington - Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

He had two more yesterday, not sure how the others did around him. Great ST pickups, I wonder if he can play CB

 

[mgteich]

It is great when backups and special teamers can play other positions, like LeVoir ar #TE, Slater as KR/STer and occasional hback, Alexander (emergency LB) and Aiken as the #4 WR. Top special teamers can make the squad without such flexibility but it does help.

Yeah, going in he was 3rd on the team in ST tackles despite not signing onto the active roster until November 8 :

Quick production from Arrington - Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

He had two more yesterday, not sure how the others did around him. Great ST pickups, I wonder if he can play CB

 

[SoCal Pmen]

Secondly, we also have forgotten our RBs as wide receivers. Early in the 4th quarter on a third down pass, Brady forced a ball into a well covered Welker, when Kevin Faulk was totally UNCOVERED in the flat....no one within 10 yds of him. (I point out this play because it is not often that you get a camera angle that allows you to see this). I would think that delays and dump offs to our RBs would be VERY successful, especially as more an more teams send pressure on Brady.

I saw Faulk open on two separate occasions on a third down and for whatever reason, Brady chooses to force it into Welker or throw it deep. Maybe he lost his confidence with Faulk after that bobbled catch in Indy, I don't know. Its very frustrating to not see Brady spread the ball around like he used to.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Very concerned about Meriweather's tackling...

It's only one play, but Meriweather had the game over if he makes the fourth down tackle a yard short of the first down. He hit the receiver and didn't even attempt to wrap him up. Not sure exactly what he was doing, perhaps trying to deflect the pass? Just terrible situational football when a clean tackle finishes off the game.