Matt Chatham:Expect the Patriots to Change

[SVN]

http://www.footballbyfootball.com/column/mnf-expect-the-patriots-to-change

 

[New England Pride]

Great read

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

States the obvious but a great reminder for a fan-base that tends to panic far too soon, this organization adapts as well as any in the NFL, and that is a fact...that being said it will be very interesting how they approach this game tonight.

 

[Rob0729]

Zolak said the same thing that his sources say to expect them to do some significant adjustments. He said that he expects Tim Wright to potentially have a big role tonight. Would make some sense with Berry and Johnson not playing.

 

[Sicilian]

It's cliche, but I try to break the season into quarters and use that as my gauge. So after this game, I'll have a pretty good idea (in my own head at least) of what this team needs to work on, which aspects are trending up and which are trending down, etc. What will be important will be how the team looks then in the next four games compared to the first four. Are we seeing improvement in the subpar areas or are they stagnant? How are injuries and acquisitions playing into it?

I like doing it this way because it takes the emphasis off of any one game, where any number of factors can skew things. It gives you a better sample size to work with. Based on history I expect this team to improve on it's weaknesses and look better against Cincy, Buffalo, New York, and Chicago. Quality of opponent is also up, so the record in those games might be exactly the same, but how the team looks in the 2nd quarter will go a long way to setting my expectations for the rest of the season.

 

[patfanken]

Chatham shows again why he' s the best "analyst" in the local area. He always gives you either something new you hadn't thought of, or at least leaves you with something interesting to think about. He gives us something we rarely get from anyone else in the media, a degree of subtlety. With 22 moving parts on every play, the game can be a lot more complex and subtle than most fans think it is.

It could very well be that a lot of the problems with the OL that we've seen could be improved by a subtle shift in blocking schemes that we would never notice from watching on TV. Very probably we will see some different personnel on the OL tonight, playing different positions. So if things are better, most will think that's the reason for the improvement, but it may be the new scheming or formations that are the reason.

BTW- not for nothing, but after watching the SF OL, and the Bill's OL, I have to say, OUR OL is looking better in comparison. . Manuel took 9 QB hits from JJ Watt, ALONE! I know Watt is good, but not THAT good.

BTW-2 Is it me, or does it seem like overall there are more sacks occurring than in previous years

BTW- Demarco Murray is having a spectacular start to the year, with over 500 rushing yds already. He also has LOST 3 fumbles in just 4 games. Should he be benched?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Great article...

Money quote: "The biggest problem is when you try to take a current version of your team and panic that they can’t fit into previous versions of the franchise. Getting back to where you were isn’t the game. It’s taking this current version with its personnel tweaks and crafting it into the best possible—and likely different—team. "

I plead guilty

 

[PP2]

Great link, thanks for posting.

 

[New England Pride]

Great article...

Money quote: "The biggest problem is when you try to take a current version of your team and panic that they can’t fit into previous versions of the franchise. Getting back to where you were isn’t the game. It’s taking this current version with its personnel tweaks and crafting it into the best possible—and likely different—team. "

I plead guilty

I can't help it sometimes.

 

[SalemPats]

I'm excited about tonights game. How can we exploit the Chiefs secondary today while establishing the run which has been the strength of our team over the last year or so.

 

[Jackson 2]

Chatham is a top-notch analyst, in my view. I don't agree with him 100% of the time, but it's close.