Our First String Offense AND Our First String Defense Looked Awful

[manxman2601]

OK, thanks for settling the thread. A question: how much do you think that each was a matter of lack of individual talent and how much a lack of cohesion and the ability to read and react?

In positive news, Garoppolo seemed better than Cassel, Hoyer or Mallett ever were in pre-season, and Lewis and Harper looked like players.

In pre-season I always suspect BB and his coaches are trying things out so I don't worry too much. If they're consistently bad then that's certainly a worry.

Here's a quote from BB today on his conference call:

"Part of it is depth and part of it is straight out evaluation." Belichick. "We knew we weren't playing for the AFC championship."

 

[obgod3]

When has a pre-season game ever determined what the team will do in regular season games? In particular for the patriots who use the time well in evaluating....here in Denver they are already claiming how great the defense will be for the donkeys...give me a break.

I spend like 15 minutes watching pre-season games.

 

[Oswlek]

In pre-season I always suspect BB and his coaches are trying things out

No need for suspecting! Upgrade that to straight up fact.

I suspect Bill will even play around with things in regular season games, like NYJ2 last year. Admittedly, sometimes a lesser team just outplays you, but there are times when the entire approach is too odd to think the team really thought it gave them the best chance to win that particular game.

 

[mgteich]

And the 2008 Patriots went 0–4 in the preseason. Heck the 2007 Patriots only went 2–2.

NO ONE has said that preseason records matter. If preseason PLAY don't matter, I would expect folks to stop pushing for Harper being on the roster.

 

[mgteich]

My biggest concern is pass defense.

Honestly, how did the CBs look?

Haven't you been reading this thread. It doesn't matter how anyone looked.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Agree with the OP's point. The starting O & D looked awful. To say otherwise denies reality.
I'm hoping that starting next Friday we see some of the walking wounded return.
And let's use some cap $ to sign Mathis to shore up the OL.
We have it within our power to at least address that problem while CB remains problematical.

 

[mgteich]

The Offensive Line is the elephant in the room. We just presume that our running game will be fine when Stork and Vollmer return. I'm not at all sure.

 

[manxman2601]

The Offensive Line is the elephant in the room. We just presume that our running game will be fine when Stork and Vollmer return. I'm not at all sure.

Our OL couldn't have looked much worse than it did last year and things worked out OK. Let's wait until the regular season before getting overly worried.

 

[JMC00]

Just find it hilarious to call the first string offense awful when all of the first string receivers were out and only 2 of the OL that started had played a regular season NFL snap.

Maybe if they were all out there and looked bad I could buy into it a little.

 

[manxman2601]

@MikeGiardi 13m13 minutes ago
Couple injury updates. Stork is close to a return. Lafell recently got boot off. Later than expected. No panic though.

 

[mgteich]

Our OL couldn't have looked much worse than it did last year and things worked out OK. Let's wait until the regular season before getting overly worried.

I don't want to experience what we did on this board last year as we waited for the OL to establish themselves.

But sure, we could start the season 2-2 and still have a fine chance at the Super Bowl.

 

[manxman2601]

I don't want to experience what we did on this board last year as we waited for the OL to establish themselves.

But sure, we could start the season 2-2 and still have a fine chance at the Super Bowl.

Are you saying you got this thread in early to get all the bad mojo out of the way. Nice and Machiavellian

 

[mgteich]

Just find it hilarious to call the first string offense awful when all of the first string receivers were out and only 2 of the OL that started had played a regular season NFL snap.

Maybe if they were all out there and looked bad I could buy into it a little.

Why are you ignoring the defense? The run defense would have looked better with Mayo and Hightower playing, but Brees and his offense would have looked better with Spiller playing.

Brees marched down the field four times unopposed. The result was four TD's, one of which became a field goal when an easy reception was dropped in the end zone.

 

[Ivan]

NO ONE has said that preseason records matter. If preseason PLAY don't matter, I would expect folks to stop pushing for Harper being on the roster.

Unlike regular season team play is pretty much irrelevant, as is unit play, it's about individuals and seeing who can do what and who should make the cut. I worry about vested players performing poorly but I'm not going to worry it the play gets blown up because a guy who won't be here misses a tackle or block. If they get through the pre season healthy and add some good new pieces that's good enough for me.

 

[Oswlek]

Why are you ignoring the defense? The run defense would have looked better with Mayo and Hightower playing, but Brees and his offense would have looked better with Spiller playing.

Brees marched down the field four times unopposed. The result was four TD's, one of which became a field goal when an easy reception was dropped in the end zone.

Granted. Now what should I take from that moving forward?

 

[reflexblue]

My take: Its a Freaking pre-season game. For as long as ive been on this site people have been jumping off bridges (sometimes myself included) over how the team performed in pre-season games. I'm DONE with that, it doesn't matter, because in the end when the games count BB and the team come through. Its nice to win them because winning is more fun than losing but they're meaningless in the scheme of things except to evaluate players and if they can play and where they can play the best.

 

[neuronet]

NO ONE has said that preseason records matter.

Except Jets fans.

 

[Danger Zone]

In pre-season I always suspect BB and his coaches are trying things out so I don't worry too much. If they're consistently bad then that's certainly a worry.

Couldn't agree more.

Last night's game was all about getting players practice, trying things out and evaluating how everyone did. It wasn't about winning the game.

 

[goheels22002]

Let's just face it. The Patriots just aren't good anymore.....Now make sure you tune in Monday for "The decline of Brady" show on Felger and Mazz.

 

[JMC00]

Why are you ignoring the defense? The run defense would have looked better with Mayo and Hightower playing, but Brees and his offense would have looked better with Spiller playing.

Brees marched down the field four times unopposed. The result was four TD's, one of which became a field goal when an easy reception was dropped in the end zone.

What, got no response for my post so you changed the subject to the defense?


So you think BB and MP were scheming the defense for this game? Butler and Brown at CB with McCourty and Harmon at Safety and most of those big plays don't happen.

McCourty wanted no part of playing CB last night.

Last time BB and MP schemed against Brees

17 of 36 (47.2%)
236 yards
2 TD
1 INT


This is the f**cking Lions '11 preseason game all over again where the Pats looked bad and the sky was falling yet 6 months later were playing the last game of the season and were a drop (or Gronk injury) away from winning another SB