Post Game Thread Week 7 Pats @ Steelers

[DaBruinz]

It's the line. The middle can't hold up to allow for deep developing passes. Andrews is overmatched every game and Mason isn't a lot better (on the deep throws in pass pro). The reason Bennett wasn't involved as much in the passing game, he was left in so they could double team more in the middle of the line.

Sorry, but this just isn't true. What I saw yesterday was an improved middle where Andrews and Mason were picking up the late man coming in and properly passing off the guy they were blocking to do so.

Your claim that Bennett was left in so they could do more double teaming is just false. For passing plays, he was either on the sidelines or running routes.. He may have chipped a guy on his way out, but he was running routes.. He was just covered more often than not..

 

[The Brandon Five]

Not sure about that. My initial impression was that the player slipped and went down, never getting off the line of scrimmage.

But the O-Lineman cannot then wrap his arms around him and lay on top him.

 

[ivanvamp]

The Pats played a very sloppy game (two fumbles, and several special teams miscues) and they still won by 11 on the road in a very, very tough place to play.

I know the Steelers didn't have Big Ben, but that doesn't mean they would have won if he was there.

 

[aluminum seats]

What 3 or 4 games do you see them losing?

@Bills
vs Seahawks
@49ers
@Jets
vs Rams
vs Ravens
@Broncos
vs Jets
@Dolphins

Impossible to say at this point, considering injuries, unforeseen events, etc.

I'm sure last year looking at a similar list nobody would have said, "the Eagles...then the last two games against the Jets and Dolphins..."

 

[DaBruinz]

The kicker is becoming a problem. Love to be the cheerleader but not anymore. I don't trust the guy to make 30 yard field goals anymore, hell, I hold my breath when the ball is snapped for extra points. Sorry, he is one of the, if not thee highest paid kicker in football. Kick like you deserve it. Too bad Gould was just signed, I'd **** can his ass today before he really costs them an important game. Sorry, but when it all comes down to it he is playing like just another kicker wasting valuable cap space. Get your mojo back, kicker.

Sorry, Missile, but your statements are why you are just some poster on a message board and not the Patriots GM.. You're acting like Gostkowski doesn't give a flying f**k. Have you actually watched him? He gives it his all every time..

The idea that Gostkowski is "just another kicker" shows you don't know what you are talking about and aren't paying attention to all aspects of the game.

 

[DaBruinz]

Mitchell is looking like Chad Johnson the last few games.....INVISIBLE!!!!

He's a rookie.
He was hurt but playing.
Give the kid a break.. SMH

 

[DaBruinz]

The good news going forward is that Logan Ryan's benching should help in that area.

Don't know what you're talking about. Ryan wasn't benched..

 

[DaBruinz]

I thought he was better. Gave up the 1 TD but that's all I remember from him. Ryan gave up 2 or 3 of the 5 3rd down conversions the steelers got.

It was two.. To Cobi Hamilton.. Who made a fantastic play on one and the pass was perfect on the other while Ryan had good coverage..

Both were in the 2nd to last series of the game for the Steelers.

 

[aluminum seats]

He's a rookie.
He was hurt but playing.
Give the kid a break.. SMH

My initial impressions of Mitchell--both his physical tools and his personal make-up/mental approach to the game--were really good. He showed toughness coming back so quickly from that injury, etc. I realize the Pats have a lot of offensive weapons and the goal is to win games, but I think it would be great if Brady would make an effort to work with this kid.

He's gone a couple of weeks without a catch..would love to see him stay engaged and be a part of this offense.

 

[DaBruinz]

Mason can't play center. At all. Ever. The other three suggestions work. I salivate for Thomas. An O-line coach's dream.

How do you know that Mason can't play center at all? Because he hasn't? You do realize that he has taken snaps thee in TC, right?

 

[DaBruinz]

My initial impressions of Mitchell--both his physical tools and his personal make-up/mental approach to the game--were really good. He showed toughness coming back so quickly from that injury, etc. I realize the Pats have a lot of offensive weapons and the goal is to win games, but I think it would be great if Brady would make an effort to work with this kid.

He's gone a couple of weeks without a catch..would love to see him stay engaged and be a part of this offense.

Aluminum - Mitchell has been limited in practices both prior to the Cincy Game and prior to this week's game with a hamstring injury.. I didn't see him take a lot of snaps yesterday and I'm pretty sure that was by design..

 

[DaBruinz]

a) This transaction would first mean you'd need to find at least some 5M of cap space (I don't know the exact number Miguel suggests for a cap space you need to have at all time to be on the safe side during the season but I guess its over 5M) .. so f.e. you'd need to find a trade partner for Cannon at his 4.7M cap hit. He is the only one around 5M range you can cut without significant dead money in 2017 except for Bennett which I guess you'd like to keep. So .. is that realistic?

This is incorrect. The Patriots would only have to play a pro-rated amount of Thomas' salary. They have more than 9 M in cap space.. Thomas current Salary is $8.3M or a tad over $488K per game. If it happened this week, there would be 10 weeks left, so he'd count $4.88235M against the Pats cap.

b) For 2017 you would have two tackles at 21M (an extension to Solder might or might not happen) increasing the OL budget (f.e. Cannon goes) for more than 5M. Is this the way BB does business?

The Pats currently have more than $50M in cap space. Using $10M on Thomas to protect your franchise QB isn't a bad thing. And that number could be lowered with an extension.

c) They have an already difficult math situation to sign big FAs (Hightower, Bennett, Collins, Sheard + RFA Butler). They will have an estimated 70M in cap space but apart from big FA's they'll need it to sign a number of middle range FA's as well + drafted rookies (this time also 1 rder) and others to fill the roster.

The math isn't difficult at all. @Miguel has shown how it could work very easily and still have money left over.

 

[aluminum seats]

Aluminum - Mitchell has been limited in practices both prior to the Cincy Game and prior to this week's game with a hamstring injury.. I didn't see him take a lot of snaps yesterday and I'm pretty sure that was by design..

Nah, he played 31 snaps, pretty decent chunk. That's a lot of route-running not to catch a ball.

 

[DaBruinz]

There were sloppy, uncharacteristic plays on all three phases. But I am more upset with the special teams unit. A missed PAT, inadequate punt coverage, a botched punt, and a fumbled punt return. Too many breakdowns

What do you mean by "inadequate punt coverage"? Brown had ZERO returns.. None.. Zilch. I think you mean Kick-off coverage which allowed the Steelers to start with the best field position anyone has had on kick-offs against the Patriots when they got to the 32 yard line in the 3rd quarter.

The lack of a pass rush concerns me, not because of the lack of sacks (although NE was one of the teams that led the league in sacks last year) but the lack of pressure on QBs, especially on 3rd down. I think our secondary is solid, but if you give a quarterback enough time to throw, then even the best cornerbacks will suffer because of it. Hopefully, Bill sees this and can make a trade to get someone like Aikeem Hicks or Aikeem Ayers.

Chiuba - How can you be concerned with the lack of a pass rush when the Pats only rush 3 or 4 on 90% of the pass plays the Steelers had? The game plan was to be conservative and make Landry Jones beat them by being perfect..

James White had a great start, but was strangely quiet for the rest of the game. I was expecting Gronkowski to have a much bigger game. He seemed a bit under-utilized in the passing game. Martellus Bennett was all but invisible. I'm concerned he may not be healthy

Bennett wasn't on the field as much as I expected. They seemed to go with more 3 WR sets than with 2TE sets in the Passing game. Bennett was out there on many of Blount's good runs, however. Not sure why they didn't have him more involved in the passing game.

 

[Marqui]

Don't know what you're talking about. Ryan wasn't benched..

I know you don't know what's going on. Early in the 4th quarter Ryan was benched for Coleman after getting beat for 2 3rd and 10 conversions in a row and didn't play for the rest of the game.

 

[DaBruinz]

Not sure about that. My initial impression was that the player slipped and went down, never getting off the line of scrimmage.

He's at least a yard beyond the line of scrimmage.. He was blatantly held. Saw this happen numerous times..

 

[DaBruinz]

Nah, he played 31 snaps, pretty decent chunk. That's a lot of route-running not to catch a ball.

31 snaps? In which game? The Pats had just 26 passing plays yesterday and 35 passing plays last week. You're making the incorrect assumption that Mitchell was out there only for passing plays.. I guarantee you he was on the field for running plays as well.

 

[DaBruinz]

I know you don't know what's going on. Early in the 4th quarter Ryan was benched for Coleman after getting beat for 2 3rd and 10 conversions in a row and didn't play for the rest of the game.

Marqui - You're the one with the hard-on for Ryan and can't be bothered with facts. Ryan wasn't benched at all during the game. Ryan was the one who made a play on the ball on a pass to Cobi Hamilton with less than 2 minutes left in the game.

You really shouldn't tell people they don't know what is going on when you are the blind one.

 

[patsinthesnow]

I know you don't know what's going on. Early in the 4th quarter Ryan was benched for Coleman after getting beat for 2 3rd and 10 conversions in a row and didn't play for the rest of the game.

Why Martellus Bennett's playing time dipped in Patriots' win

Just checked on NFL Gamepass. You're right. Ryan was benched for Coleman in the slot in the 4th quarter.

Landry Jones was 9/20 54 yards 52.1 QBR in the 4th quarter vs. Butler/Rowe/Coleman. That group has earned a 2nd week.

 

[HeadHunter]

I asked this in the game thread yesterday, but we all know how that can go....

I noticed that the Steelers O-lineman would pull down our D-lineman (not sure who it was each time) to the ground. Is that considered holding?? I though it was and I saw it several times in the game and the refs were not calling it. Just would like some clarification on this.