Lets Speculate: Why did Gabe get benched after the fumble?

[captain stone]

Yeah, I'm a team not a player guy - it's almost impossible to be otherwise in this era. But I'm almost sure I couldn't root for a guy wearing a Patriots' jersey who had just sat out 10 games - although the realization he'd be playing for free might move me off that stance

He would be playing for his next contract, also. So he would be a highly motivated Twig - good news for TB. Besides, who's to say that a new contract couldn't have been worked out during the last 2-1/2 months?

 

[BelichickFan]

He would be playing for his next contract, also. So he would be a highly motivated Twig - good news for TB. Besides, who's to say that a new contract couldn't have been worked out during the last 2-1/2 months?

Plus it's possible, though not definite, we could have franchised him and traded him for a #1. I guess they figured they'd better take the #1 they had in the bag.

 

[MDPATSFAN]

Looks to me like he was benched for actually running with the ball after making a catch.

Three times this season on early drives, Gabriel has used his Terradactyl-like wingspan to actually catch the ball in stride and make big YAC. He is then either pulled or avoided for the rest of the game.

This leads me to believe Pats receivers are expected to catch the ball and curl up into the fetal position---Tony Eason style. Risky attempts of picking up YAC will be punished harshly. Steve Smith, Santana Moss and Hines Ward type heroics are not welcome in New England.

 

[captain stone]

Looks to me like he was benched for actually running with the ball after making a catch.

Three times this season on early drives, Gabriel has used his Terradactyl-like wingspan to actually catch the ball in stride and make big YAC. He is then either pulled or avoided for the rest of the game.

This leads me to believe Pats receivers are expected to catch the ball and curl up into the fetal position---Tony Eason style. Risky attempts of picking up YAC will be punished harshly. Steve Smith, Santana Moss and Hines Ward type heroics are not welcome in New England.

Not at all, MDPF. We should be able to have both YAC and retain possession on most occasions. It's one thing when a ball is ripped from your hands, while you are being tackled by others; it's another thing entirely when you are unaware of the situation and allow your pocket to be picked, in a manner of speaking. An important matter to consider is: will DG learn his lesson, or is he just incapable of the concentration required to be successful in this offense?

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Intelligence, discipline, awareness and reliability are words not found in Doug Gabriel's scouting report. That such things have come to pass does not surprise. The trade for him was made out of desperation; so now another 5th-round draft pick has been wasted. It will be up to Jabar Gaffney, Chad Jackson, Reche Caldwell and Troy Brown to provide the consistency so critically vital to the success of the passing philosophy of BB, as practiced by TB.

P.S.: If the FO had held his feet to the fire, Meion the Twig would be in uniform this weekend. Pity.

P.P.S.: The site is a LOT faster now. Thanks, Ian. And for the B-Day E-Mail, too.

Gabriel had a very good reputation coming here, from the media, Raiders fans, and fellow players. Essentially, he has always been viewed as a hard working team player. I think your post is not reflecting what people seemed to feel about Gabriel when he became a Patriot. If you have something specific to tell us about Gabriel in college or scouting, that is fine, but right now you are swimming against the current as far as what the general opinion of Gabriel was, and perhaps what Bioli felt about him.

Since he is a Patriot, he may need to overcome some bad habits developed as a member of the worst organization in football, but I have not yet seen any proof that he is anything other than hard working. Perhaps he is not incorporated into the Patriot mindthink, but I think it is incredibly early to declare him a waste of a fifth round pick as though he is the next PK Sam.

If you have some great insight into his college days, than be specific.

 

[lobster]

There were a couple of very puzzling coaching aspects to this game:

1) Playing Hill ahead of Green and Seymour was absolutely bizarre! Hill is doing well in my view, but not nearly well enough to replace either Seymour or Green where the score was so close in a division game. Seymour was rightfully very angry about that.

2) Benching Gabriel - I have not recalled Belichick benching a player because of a fumble, especially after that nice run after the catch by Gabriel. Possibly that was McDaniel's decision, but Belichick is ultimately responsible.

3) Failing to establish the run isn't characteristic of Belichick when both Dillon and Maroney averaged 4.0 against in the 1st Jets game.

As I was watching the game and seeing Hill out there I was actually thinking Belichick must be trying to help out his protege Mangini by keeping the game competitive. Hopefully he won't try that again.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

There were a couple of very puzzling coaching aspects to this game:

1) Playing Hill ahead of Green and Seymour was absolutely bizarre! Hill is doing well in my view, but not nearly well enough to replace either Seymour or Green where the score was so close in a division game. Seymour was rightfully very angry about that.

TV must show a different game than what happens at Gillette.
Hill came in for one maybe two series, period.
When the waste of a roster spot was in, the Jets ran up the middle. Hill at LDE finished each running play upright, dancing with the RT. He was not engaged in stoping the run. BB pulled Hill and went with Wright. Hill is a bust.

The real issue is Sey's sub-par play. Injury? Lack of desire after a big contract? Whatever.

Green is not a run stoper. Warren's absense was wisely exploited by The Puffin.

 

[PatsSteve1]

Hill at LDE finished each running play upright, dancing with the RT.

* He's trying to get Emmitt's spot on Dancing With The Stars -

The real issue is Sey's sub-par play. Injury? Lack of desire after a big contract? Whatever.

* DL's need to use thier hands to play off blockers. I believe the elbow is somehow involved in the use of his hands - There's some connection there.
#83 averages about 5 sacks a year. He has 3 so far. I would guess his tackle numbers are around his average. He never was a numbers guy. There's a number of guys not making big, game changing plays we've become accustomed to. IMO, coaches, players alike have been off thier normal games at various times this year.

 

[captain stone]

Gabriel had a very good reputation coming here, from the media, Raiders fans, and fellow players. Essentially, he has always been viewed as a hard working team player. I think your post is not reflecting what people seemed to feel about Gabriel when he became a Patriot. If you have something specific to tell us about Gabriel in college or scouting, that is fine, but right now you are swimming against the current as far as what the general opinion of Gabriel was, and perhaps what Bioli felt about him.

Since he is a Patriot, he may need to overcome some bad habits developed as a member of the worst organization in football, but I have not yet seen any proof that he is anything other than hard working. Perhaps he is not incorporated into the Patriot mindthink, but I think it is incredibly early to declare him a waste of a fifth round pick as though he is the next PK Sam.

If you have some great insight into his college days, than be specific.

No personal insight, of course, just the info provided by the pre-draft pubs, online, and programming e.g. the post-season bowls, combine, specials, etc. He hasn't completely shaken that rep during his first 3 years in the league, either. Then again, 3 years with the faiders will do that to a guy.

Bottom line is, he needs to keep his head in the game. I do hope he makes me eat my words, however.

 

[RayClay]

Last time Faulk fumbled I believe he remained in the game. And I don't think BB would have benched Dillon for his fumble because it is a little different when you are in a pile going to the ground with bodies keeping you from getting a knee down and guys doing whatever it takes to get that sucker away or loosen your grip.

FWIW Felger today said that Gabriel hasn't been talking to media but Buckley (leave it to the baseball geek) apparently approached him the other day in the locker room and just flat out asked if he was angry about being benched. His terse response was "just write what you think". Felger said if he was taking it constructively he might have responded differently. This sounded like he was not a very happy camper. That's a risk BB runs with these new guys especially. Will it motivate him to show us all, or disenchant him to the point he looses interest. In Oakland the tough love routine and discipline was always a hard sell.

BB is going to engage in behavior modification. If we lose some players along the way, those are players that might do something stupid at the worst possible time.

Faulk is just light on his feet. He fumbles when he gets cranked despite doing his best to work on ball security, I believe.

If somebody takes ball security as a joke, he needs to read the company manual on the subject.

This ain't the Raiders and I'm very glad.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

BB is going to engage in behavior modification. If we lose some players along the way, those are players that might do something stupid at the worst possible time.

Faulk is just light on his feet. He fumbles when he gets cranked despite doing his best to work on ball security, I believe.

If somebody takes ball security as a joke, he needs to read the company manual on the subject.

This ain't the Raiders and I'm very glad.

Me too.
I think you nailed BB's philosophy. It's won 3 SBs so unless he gets disasterous results for quite a while, he'll stick with it.

One other thing great about BB is that he has shown that he is willing to modify HIS behaviour/tactics if they're proven demonstrably wrong. Just don't expect him to suddenly abandon what's worked because of recent statistical anomalies.

 

[oldskool138]

It could be as simple as belicick implementing a new rule to cut down on the fumbles. If you fumble your out of the game, no matter the opponent or the score. Fumble and your done till next week.

I don't remember seeing dillon playing after he fumbled in the Indy game. I could be wrong though. But I don't remember seeing him in there.

Just a theory.

That's kinda dumb. Let's say, Bruschi intercepts a ball and during the run-back fumbles the ball...Is BB going to bench him? Brady has fumbled this year and Cassel hasn't played one down.

I think that there's more to the Gabe story than just the fumble. Good luck getting the truth from BB or Gabe.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

So why is Gabriel still in Belichick's doghouse? I just don't get it . . . .