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Shalise Manza Young has a solid little look at each unit on the team. With the initial flurry of 'oh my God Maroney is hurt' posts scorching my eyes, this is another chance to assess team depth...
http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/projo_20060904_04pats.31df9e3.html
To begin with, the Offensive and Defensive lines appear to be as solid top to bottom as you could want. If the game is won in the trenches, then we have to think BB's staff strongly believes in that rule.
Running Back starts this season with one more then previous years, and a pretty dependable utility back preparing to come back in a few weeks. Dillon didn't look over the hill this preseason, and if teams held him to pedestrian 'yards per carry' (YPC) it is helpful to note that he warms up slowly and does his true power running later in the game. Combined with Evans, Tommy can pound on Tampa defenses with twin sledge hammers - they will break. Faulk is still the New England third down miracle whose draws and screens, plus receptions out of the backfield, frequently move the chains on third and long. Maroney's injury isn't that serious if you consider he walked off the field and remained on the bench - if they had immediately taken him inside we might feel more apprehension.
TE - Thomas finished preseason on the dinged up list, but he should be back soon. Counting the next Chris Cooley (there you go with the high expectations for a rookie Box!
) in Mills, this is the deepest pool BB has had at his favorite mismatch position.
Safety - Hawkins took on Jacobs with a head of steam in the Giant game head-on, and stopped him cold. Sanders is showing all the signs of Rodney-itis. And what can you say about the duo of Rodney and Geno, they made their presence felt in the Giant game (and lets not get too upset over Geno missing a diving tackle on Jacobs - Seau getting turned out by the FB and Sully/Jarvis not being able to drive the edge of the hole tighter had a lot to do with that). Add in Andrews who didn't look bad for a rook, plus cross trainers Blue and Scott and this is another deep pool.
CB - Hobbs, Samuel, Gay, Scott, Wilson, Hawkins, and Andrews. Scott and Hawkins are slowing a bit, but they are pretty savvy and have a few tricks for situational play. Geno looked good getting back in the CB groove, and Blue will frustrate us initially if called on for regular work, but he has proven that he gets better with the repetitions. Andrews gets listed here because he has played CB in college and has the speed/quickness to develop if Collier and O-T-I-S forecast a need.
Now we start getting to the thinner spots:
QB - I'm worried about our starter - well, okay, maybe I'm not. And Cassell is trying really hard to clone Tommy, plus, it's awfully hard to complain about a kid who just seemed to get better and more comfortable in the pocket each game. (Now, if we can get his BamBam binky back, he'll be all set should he be needed).
OLB - Vrabel, Colvin, Banta-Cain, Woods. Vrabes and Colvin are working on legendary status for us, and TBC is just starting to hit his stride. That is going to be as impressive a threesome as when Willie was here. Woods is flashing an awsome future, while raw, you could see he had a much better understanding of technique and responsibility than would be expected in a UDFA pick-up. Lloyd Carr may have been down on him, but his staff did a decent job preparing this kid to be a Patriot All-Star. If he has to be thrown into the fire, look for steady improvement. This kid could force Vrabel inside permanently next year, and if TBC gets extended, the Tully and Pierre show are going to have fans doing the February hornpipe into Southern stadiums more often than not.
ILB - Bruschi, Vrabel, Seau, Davis/Alexander. Bru will be back in September, sometime, that will turn the position nearly inpenetrable when he comes back. Vrabel or Seau playing alongside him will automatically be better with Brigadier Bruschi directing the attack. Davis looks a lot better for all the extra repetitions this August. Should he wind up playing alongside Bruschi or Vrabel, he'll get the job done. Alexander may surprise us if he is forced into regular play, he's been threatening to make the team and has finally done it. In 4-3 sets, he may actually move ahead of Davis this season. Seau is the big question mark, what does he have left in the tank, how fast can he learn the defense and improve his reads inside, what kind of chemistry will evolve with Junior playing TJ-lite?
WR - Um, yeh, Troy Brown. Sigh
Special Teams - The coverage units have looked much stronger this season. With Fast Freddy (as they called him in Beefalo) in for punt returns, the team now has a threat capable of going all the way. Andrews as his primary back-up looked solid. Troy will be the crisis spot PR as always. Maroney, once healthy, will be killer as a KR, with Andrews and Faulk and Gabriel all likely to get the ball to the twenty, even if the blocking is abysmal.
In closing: The true weak spot is WR, but the addition of Gabriel suggests things will start to improve there around November (give him time to absorb Tommy's speaking eyes). Now quit petting the sweaty stuff, wash your hands, and practice your wave and your snow toss, your timing stinks.
:rocker:
http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/projo_20060904_04pats.31df9e3.html
To begin with, the Offensive and Defensive lines appear to be as solid top to bottom as you could want. If the game is won in the trenches, then we have to think BB's staff strongly believes in that rule.
Running Back starts this season with one more then previous years, and a pretty dependable utility back preparing to come back in a few weeks. Dillon didn't look over the hill this preseason, and if teams held him to pedestrian 'yards per carry' (YPC) it is helpful to note that he warms up slowly and does his true power running later in the game. Combined with Evans, Tommy can pound on Tampa defenses with twin sledge hammers - they will break. Faulk is still the New England third down miracle whose draws and screens, plus receptions out of the backfield, frequently move the chains on third and long. Maroney's injury isn't that serious if you consider he walked off the field and remained on the bench - if they had immediately taken him inside we might feel more apprehension.
TE - Thomas finished preseason on the dinged up list, but he should be back soon. Counting the next Chris Cooley (there you go with the high expectations for a rookie Box!
) in Mills, this is the deepest pool BB has had at his favorite mismatch position.Safety - Hawkins took on Jacobs with a head of steam in the Giant game head-on, and stopped him cold. Sanders is showing all the signs of Rodney-itis. And what can you say about the duo of Rodney and Geno, they made their presence felt in the Giant game (and lets not get too upset over Geno missing a diving tackle on Jacobs - Seau getting turned out by the FB and Sully/Jarvis not being able to drive the edge of the hole tighter had a lot to do with that). Add in Andrews who didn't look bad for a rook, plus cross trainers Blue and Scott and this is another deep pool.
CB - Hobbs, Samuel, Gay, Scott, Wilson, Hawkins, and Andrews. Scott and Hawkins are slowing a bit, but they are pretty savvy and have a few tricks for situational play. Geno looked good getting back in the CB groove, and Blue will frustrate us initially if called on for regular work, but he has proven that he gets better with the repetitions. Andrews gets listed here because he has played CB in college and has the speed/quickness to develop if Collier and O-T-I-S forecast a need.
Now we start getting to the thinner spots:
QB - I'm worried about our starter - well, okay, maybe I'm not. And Cassell is trying really hard to clone Tommy, plus, it's awfully hard to complain about a kid who just seemed to get better and more comfortable in the pocket each game. (Now, if we can get his BamBam binky back, he'll be all set should he be needed).
OLB - Vrabel, Colvin, Banta-Cain, Woods. Vrabes and Colvin are working on legendary status for us, and TBC is just starting to hit his stride. That is going to be as impressive a threesome as when Willie was here. Woods is flashing an awsome future, while raw, you could see he had a much better understanding of technique and responsibility than would be expected in a UDFA pick-up. Lloyd Carr may have been down on him, but his staff did a decent job preparing this kid to be a Patriot All-Star. If he has to be thrown into the fire, look for steady improvement. This kid could force Vrabel inside permanently next year, and if TBC gets extended, the Tully and Pierre show are going to have fans doing the February hornpipe into Southern stadiums more often than not.
ILB - Bruschi, Vrabel, Seau, Davis/Alexander. Bru will be back in September, sometime, that will turn the position nearly inpenetrable when he comes back. Vrabel or Seau playing alongside him will automatically be better with Brigadier Bruschi directing the attack. Davis looks a lot better for all the extra repetitions this August. Should he wind up playing alongside Bruschi or Vrabel, he'll get the job done. Alexander may surprise us if he is forced into regular play, he's been threatening to make the team and has finally done it. In 4-3 sets, he may actually move ahead of Davis this season. Seau is the big question mark, what does he have left in the tank, how fast can he learn the defense and improve his reads inside, what kind of chemistry will evolve with Junior playing TJ-lite?
WR - Um, yeh, Troy Brown. Sigh
Special Teams - The coverage units have looked much stronger this season. With Fast Freddy (as they called him in Beefalo) in for punt returns, the team now has a threat capable of going all the way. Andrews as his primary back-up looked solid. Troy will be the crisis spot PR as always. Maroney, once healthy, will be killer as a KR, with Andrews and Faulk and Gabriel all likely to get the ball to the twenty, even if the blocking is abysmal.
In closing: The true weak spot is WR, but the addition of Gabriel suggests things will start to improve there around November (give him time to absorb Tommy's speaking eyes
). Now quit petting the sweaty stuff, wash your hands, and practice your wave and your snow toss, your timing stinks. :rocker:
