Pats 2 Key Aces Up their Sleeve: Faulk and........

[GoWhalers]

Guys, this is silly.

Brady's style is all about control -- if he can't make the play, he almost *never* makes a mistake by heaving it in there. In order to have that control, he's got to have 100% trust in his receiver to get to the right place for the ball. Remember him chewing out Ben Watson late last year, when he'd run a wrong route? A mistake by a receiver can turn into an easy interception for the defense, and that's something Brady will not tolerate.

That said, if Brady had that level of trust in CJ (like he does with Brown), then you would have already seen CJ out there. There's no way, with the Belichick philosophy of "we put the guys on the field who give us the best chance to win", that he's been quietly sitting on CJ, waiting for a chance to explode.

CJ will play Sunday, and may make a big catch a la Bethel Johnson against Seattle. But those types of plays are the only "trust" plays that Brady has with CJ -- throw it as hard and far as he can, so that either CJ runs fast enough to catch it, or nobody does.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

If you've been paying attention, you'd know that Watson has been battling a knee injury the past few weeks and hasn't been the threat to the secondary that he was earlier this season. Maroney and Evans are RB's and Mankins isn't a threat to their secondary.

I'm talking about trying to get to SD's one weak link on their D. Their secondary.

I'm not saying or predicting that CJackson will take over the game. Merely suggesting that the Pats would do well to utilize him in some way to diversify the attack and put a different thought into the SD D. 3-4 touches would be a help: 1-2 catches, an end around and a punt return or two. when I say "ace up the sleeve", I'm referring to an unexpected changeup that would catch SD off guard.

Never said anything about a "breakout" game. This game will be won by the team that has the most fringe players stepping up. CJackson would be a good candidate since Brady is going to have to find a way to get over that mountain of a front seven and reach the SD mediocre secondary.

Watson is an ok deep threat, he had the one deep PI call.

But generally speaking the Pats will win because of matchups and outsmarting opponents.

They don't have a regular deep threat, but at different times in the season Caldwell, Jackson, and Gaffney have gotten behind the defense, not becuase of their speed but their deceptive route running getting the corner to bite.

The question is will they get enough time to throw deep while at the same time being able to have single coverage on a receiver. It really depends how many players the chargers are sending on the rush.

I expect this game to be close in the first half and then the chargers will get winded and the rush won't be as effective, that's where the real damage will be done by the pats.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Guys, this is silly.

Brady's style is all about control -- if he can't make the play, he almost *never* makes a mistake by heaving it in there. In order to have that control, he's got to have 100% trust in his receiver to get to the right place for the ball. Remember him chewing out Ben Watson late last year, when he'd run a wrong route? A mistake by a receiver can turn into an easy interception for the defense, and that's something Brady will not tolerate.

That said, if Brady had that level of trust in CJ (like he does with Brown), then you would have already seen CJ out there. There's no way, with the Belichick philosophy of "we put the guys on the field who give us the best chance to win", that he's been quietly sitting on CJ, waiting for a chance to explode.

CJ will play Sunday, and may make a big catch a la Bethel Johnson against Seattle. But those types of plays are the only "trust" plays that Brady has with CJ -- throw it as hard and far as he can, so that either CJ runs fast enough to catch it, or nobody does.

CJ will play, the question is how many plays will he be out on the field for. Can't make a play if you aren't on the field.

 

[shmessy]

Guys, this is silly.

Brady's style is all about control -- if he can't make the play, he almost *never* makes a mistake by heaving it in there. In order to have that control, he's got to have 100% trust in his receiver to get to the right place for the ball. Remember him chewing out Ben Watson late last year, when he'd run a wrong route? A mistake by a receiver can turn into an easy interception for the defense, and that's something Brady will not tolerate.

That said, if Brady had that level of trust in CJ (like he does with Brown), then you would have already seen CJ out there. There's no way, with the Belichick philosophy of "we put the guys on the field who give us the best chance to win", that he's been quietly sitting on CJ, waiting for a chance to explode.

CJ will play Sunday, and may make a big catch a la Bethel Johnson against Seattle. But those types of plays are the only "trust" plays that Brady has with CJ -- throw it as hard and far as he can, so that either CJ runs fast enough to catch it, or nobody does.

You're right for the most part, but in this game - - against this D - - he's not going to have much time to analyze. Maybe a post down the sideline, maybe a few sideline screens will be PART of the O plan. There just won't be many instances where he can sit back and analyze the field.

I expect SD to try to emulate what Miami and Detroit threw at Brady - - full out blitzkrieg. Without Watson at full speed (sore knee) and Graham (staying back more to block) there will have to be some adjustments to the Pats O. CJackson and Kevin Faulk could be two of those adjustments. I don't expect CJackson to catch 6+ balls or anything, but I do think they may look his way a bit more than usual as a changeup to the onslaught that will be coming at Brady. In that vein, we could see more three TE sets with Thomas, who knows? The one thing that is certain is the Pats are going to have to come up with a new wrinkle for the SD D. Not innovating for this specific game would be a recipe for disaster.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

You're right for the most part, but in this game - - against this D - - he's not going to have much time to analyze. Maybe a post down the sideline, maybe a few sideline screens will be PART of the O plan. There just won't be many instances where he can sit back and analyze the field.

I expect SD to try to emulate what Miami and Detroit threw at Brady - - full out blitzkrieg. Without Watson at full speed (sore knee) and Graham (staying back more to block) there will have to be some adjustments to the Pats O. CJackson and Kevin Faulk could be two of those adjustments. I don't expect CJackson to catch 6+ balls or anything, but I do think they may look his way a bit more than usual as a changeup to the onslaught that will be coming at Brady. In that vein, we could see more three TE sets with Thomas, who knows? The one thing that is certain is the Pats are going to have to come up with a new wrinkle for the SD D. Not innovating for this specific game would be a recipe for disaster.

I just don't think they can go away from the spread formation. They need to make them go nickel or if they are stubborn and stay in base 3-4 then get the linebackers to try to cover wr's.

 

[shmessy]

They don't have a regular deep threat, but at different times in the season Caldwell, Jackson, and Gaffney have gotten behind the defense, not becuase of their speed but their deceptive route running getting the corner to bite.
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Shmessy: There won't be enough time in this game against this D and their blitzes for that kind of play to develop. Any deep balls will be post patterns in a one-on-one situation for a tall, physical WR. If SD plays 8 in the box, there will be some opportunity for that.
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The question is will they get enough time to throw deep while at the same time being able to have single coverage on a receiver. It really depends how many players the chargers are sending on the rush.

I expect this game to be close in the first half and then the chargers will get winded and the rush won't be as effective, that's where the real damage will be done by the pats.
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Shmessy: I still don't understand this whole "let's tire them out" strategy. They had the bye and are playing at home. The Pats flew across the country for this game after having to play the wildcard game last week. "Tiring them out" is not really playing to our strength.

Ten characters

 

[shmessy]

I just don't think they can go away from the spread formation. They need to make them go nickel or if they are stubborn and stay in base 3-4 then get the linebackers to try to cover wr's.

I can see that. I hope that they do use 4 and 5 spreads. Brady won't have much time, so those WR's are going to have to fight for the ball because it may not be exactly pinpoint.

Once again, I'm saying using the quick post pattern in a 2 WR 2 TE situation would be used as a CHANGEUP to keep the SD D off balance when they think a run is coming.

 

[BradyManny]

Shmessy -

I agree 100%. I said something of this sort in a CJ thread earlier this week, but drew no response...

And yes, while I am one of those suckers that thinks every week is Jackson's next breakout week...

I really, really think this week could be.

Chad Jackson is going to be one of the Pats' best weapons against SD's blitz. Maroney & Faulk perhaps being the other two greatest weapons at their disposal.

If they blitz, CJ has the speed to make them pay by getting over the top of the D real quick.
Likewise, if Brady wants to get rid of the ball quickly, CJ had the hands and the speed to turn that into a bigger play.

Bottom line, don't be surprised if we see more of Jackson than we've seen all year.

Whether or not he's been able to perfect the Pats complicated passing offense in his limited and injury-riddled time here is now irrelevant, McD and BB have a responsibility to find a way to use our most explosive receiver this week. After that, it's up to CJ to perform.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

The hype machine is in full spin. We're painting the chargers to be the 85 bears. They gave up 25 point to the browns of all teams. 41 points to the bengals, 30 to the chargers, 21 to buffalo.

Just quote me as saying the pats are gonna pull of a shocker and I would not be shocked to see a commanding victory.


Don't believe the hype.

 

[shirtsleeve]

I'm not saying Chad will break out here, but isn't the definition of a breakout game a game where you haven't done much at all then boom, you make a lot of plays? You would have said the same thing about no production from David Thomas, then he comes out of nowhere and has a big game against Jax. Gaffney had 140 yards all year before last week! The Pats will need to do something unexpected to beat SD. I don't know what that unexpected thing will be, but throwing CJ at them wouldn't be a bad idea.

On a side note, this is a great example of why Boston is such a tough place to play. Just because there was some stupid rumor when we drafted him that "Chad will replace Deion," and he hasn't produced much as a second rounder, he is automatically a bust. Real fair

Excuse the late response. I was in a shouting match with a couple of bone head Pats haters here at work.:enranged:

I was just bustin' em about getting villified.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

the pats are efficient with better overall depth in my opinion.

The tire them out strategy is very simple.

1. The more plays the pats offense(particularly passing) have, the more time the front seven need to rush the passer. meanwhile the pats are rotating receivers, rotating tight ends, putting evans in, rotating rb's.

If merriman plays the entire game and doesn't come out, he is going to be swiss cheese the 4th quarter.

2. The more the pats are on the field, the less the chargers are on the field. aka "clock killin"

 

[shmessy]

the pats are efficient with better overall depth in my opinion.

The tire them out strategy is very simple.

1. The more plays the pats offense(particularly passing) have, the more time the front seven need to rush the passer. meanwhile the pats are rotating receivers, rotating tight ends, putting evans in, rotating rb's.

If merriman plays the entire game and doesn't come out, he is going to be swiss cheese the 4th quarter.

2. The more the pats are on the field, the less the chargers are on the field. aka "clock killin"

You know, you ARE killin' me with the "Let the 3,000 miles from home - no rest Patriots tire out the bye week fortified - home field San Diego Chargers" theory. Tiring THEM out is last the last thing the Patriots will accomplish.

Please. Stop.

I think the pats can win this game. It will be their biggest test of the season. But winning will not happen because the Chargers D becomes exhausted.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

You know, you ARE killin' me with the "Let the 3,000 miles from home - no rest Patriots tire out the bye week fortified - home field San Diego Chargers" theory. Tiring THEM out is last the last thing the Patriots will accomplish.

Please. Stop.

I think the pats can win this game. It will be their biggest test of the season. But winning will not happen because the Chargers D becomes exhausted.

I am not saying tiring them out will be the sole factor.

I'm just saying Merriman has never been in a playoff game. They are gonna be on an emotional high the first 10 minutes.

The Pats have been known for wearing teams down and then second half they start to pull away.

And I am a firm believer that pass rushers can be worn down especially if they throw continuously and then add no huddle in there and go on a 9 play drive.

You are looking at it as the cumulative weardown of the season and I'm looking at it as the cumulative weardown of continuous rushing with limited breaks between rushes while he's chasing down the qb or chasing down the player with the ball.

 

[stcjones]

........Chad Jackson.

Yup, I'll probably get villified here for this, but follow the reasoning.

Jackson has been running better the past few weeks, the groin injury seems to have dissipated.

That front 7 of San Diego will be crowding the box and sending the posse after Brady - - they saw what happened in Miami and against Detroit with the blitzing and they have that style.

Brady is obviously going to have to get rid of the ball very quickly so look for a lot of cuts/slants.......but also a few quick screens to the sidelines. Also, a quick timing pattern deep down the sideline to test the mediocre SD secondary. The scouting reports also say that the SD D has been guilty of over-pursuit at times. End arounds and double reverses (Charlie Weis' faves - to the consternation of us all) may find their way into the Pats game this week.

Jackson is the wildcard in this game. SD does not have much film on him, and here is where the Pats can give themselves some breathing room against 8 in the box.

Along with this, I expect a big game from Kevin Faulk. His backfield blitz pickup is very good and his jitterbug style will complement Maroney's cutting style. I agree with Reiss and Borges (pain>>>>) that Corey Dillon's run style doesn't really match up well with the SD D.

You know what.....I have to agree with Faulk especially...I still have to hold my breath every time the guy gets the ball....but what a clutch player he has been for us once again this year. I was dead wrong on him. Yes he is a liability quite often...BUT in my opinion, his positives outweigh the negatives. He has been huge so often this year.....as for Jackson....he WILL be a star in this league IF he can stay healthy...be it this year or next.....(I would prefer this year....and this upcoming game).....The guy has too many skills to NOT be a star.......GO PATS....good post....

 

[PlattsFan]

How can Chad Jackson have a break-out game if he can't run any patterns?

Look, I'm all fine with Jackson's season. It's a typical rookie season for a WR. But he obviously has no idea how to run a pattern in the regular offense. No real harm in that; it's a complicated offense for a WR. He'll be much better next year. But ... that pretty much precludes him from having a "break-out" game. He may connect on one long go route, he may turn a quick WR screen into a nice play, but the odds are against it. And those are the only kinds of "patterns" he can run.

As for "tiring them out," an offense can always tire a defense out if they hold onto the ball. Doesn't matter who played last week or not. But it's sort of a nice after-effect of dominating time-of-possession. I don't think the Patriots can actually head into the game with a "let's get them tired" game plan.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

How can Chad Jackson have a break-out game if he can't run any patterns?

Look, I'm all fine with Jackson's season. It's a typical rookie season for a WR. But he obviously has no idea how to run a pattern in the regular offense. No real harm in that; it's a complicated offense for a WR. He'll be much better next year. But ... that pretty much precludes him from having a "break-out" game. He may connect on one long go route, he may turn a quick WR screen into a nice play, but the odds are against it. And those are the only kinds of "patterns" he can run.

As for "tiring them out," an offense can always tire a defense out if they hold onto the ball. Doesn't matter who played last week or not. But it's sort of a nice after-effect of dominating time-of-possession. I don't think the Patriots can actually head into the game with a "let's get them tired" game plan.

Not saying that "let's get them tired", jsut saying they need to get the rushers heads spinning with screens, draws, and like they did on faulks td last week. If in conjunction with a quick pace at times, they can exploit the rushers aggresiveness. It will be a combination of factors.

We need to acknowledge Merriman is just a second year player and we need to exploit his experience along with his fellow OLB.

 

[PlattsFan]

Not saying that "let's get them tired", jsut saying they need to get the rushers heads spinning with screens, draws, and like they did on faulks td last week. If in conjunction with a quick pace at times, they can exploit the rushers aggresiveness. It will be a combination of factors.

We need to acknowledge Merriman is just a second year player and we need to exploit his experience along with his fellow OLB.

Ah, OK. Yeah, I agree with that. They need to run some of those quick WR screens with a WR out in space against one guy, some counters and whams against the OLBs ... just a lot of stuff happening at different angles to Merriman. Try to get him doing more than just barreling upfield. If you can get behind him or force him to try to make plays beyond the LOS, you blunted a major force ..

 

[sieglo]

Why is there this obsession with Chad Jackson? Give it up already. He's not Maroney; his contributions this year will likely remain minimal. Next year we'll know more.

 

[TripleOption]

Yeah, at first I thought those stats were from Givens rookie season and you were calling him a rookie bust.

12 Games 9 Catches 92 Yards 10.2 1 TD

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Why is there this obsession with Chad Jackson? Give it up already. He's not Maroney; his contributions this year will likely remain minimal. Next year we'll know more.

I think it's because us fans expect perfection that's why we see threads criticizing Jackson, Matt Light, Hobbs, even Dillon ealier in the season, and McDaniels. We never see threads commending Brady, Dan Pees, etc.

We are spoiled and need to soak up every minute of this enjoyable ride because once it's done we'll never see anything like this in out lifetime again with the Pats and NE.