Pre-Post Game Observations, preseason wk 3 at Lions

[SHOWTIME15]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

They're also human beings, many of whom have wives and young children.

if they have wives and young children they need to evacuate them if they are so concerned. seriously, the sox stayed in Boston and played 2 home games and the storm didn't seem to bother them.

 

[everlong]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

3.) The o-line was miserable tonight. Vollmer's play was exceptionally disheartening because I wouldn't expect it from him. Light is in his first game back from surgery so I will give him a bit of a pass. Solder definitely struggled. So did the enterior of the line. Big Fs for everyone. I know it was up against Suh and Vanden Bosch; but show some effort.

I don't think Vollmer was as bad as you are saying. I thought Koppen, Connolly\Ornberger and Solder were schooled. The thing about it preseason or not is it was another athletic D-Line taking them to task just like the Giants (07), Ravens(09) and Jets (10). Preseason game three doesn't mean squat for the long term but the middle of the OLine has been one of the major reason this team has failed recently and it does make you wonder what will happen come playoff time if they run into an athletic DLine.

4.) Welker was the only guy out there who showed consistent effort on offense. Hopefully his neck injury is nothing. Mayo was the only guy on defense.

6.) Clearly Ochocinco is still struggling with the playbook. We may have to temper our expectations at the start of the year and he might take a few weeks into the regular season until he makes an impact. I never expected him to be more than an 900-1000 yard receiver anyway because Brady won't focus on him like he did Moss. I may say 800-900 yards now.

For all the Ocho talk Deion Branch doesn't have a catch in the preseason and although it's impossible to really dissect the receiver position from the TV views I haven't seen him open. I'm a little bit worried about Deion more than Ocho for the long haul.

8.) I was pissed off that the Pats players were fighting in between plays. They seem to get chippy when they are down. No call for it. Whether they started it or not, you act like Pros when you are getting your arses handed to you.

Actually with how chippy the Lions were I wish somebody on the Pats stepped up and drilled one of them during a play. This team lacks that nasty attitude that you see from a guy like Suh. You don't have to be dirty just nasty. Whoever the chump who came inside and tried to chop Mayo should get a fine for that. Every bit as bad as helmet to helmet as we saw with Rodney and Bobby Wade.

Also this won't be popular but the one guy who played well was whipping boy Darius Butler. Yes he got boxed out on the one TD but even on that he had the coverage he just lost his leverage to the inside being one on one. He broke up a couple of plays and was right on the receiver all night. I thought he showed better ball awareness than he has in the past. This is the big year three for him and I still think for all the crying around here about him that he has potential and he showed it tonight.

 

[doesntmatter1]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

I love this board. Some overreacting, some in denial. I, unlike most enjoyed this game from beginning to end. I was able to watch us truly be challenged in all phases of the game and not throw a brick threw my tv because it is preseason. Brady needed this because this is how he played in both our playoff losses. Brady used to respond better to pressure better than this. Maybe its him, maybe it our offensive coordinator, but this is the time to get it fixed. On to some analysis.

1.Wide Receivers- We have Welker and um.... yeah. This might be our biggest problem. Ocho gets manhandled way easier than I would have expected. He seemed to have more trouble with press coverage than anyone else and his drops just added to the problem. Is Branch even on this team. Really? Where is this dude. Edelman secured a spot with special teams alone. I've been on the fence about Tate but at least he had a catch unlike Branch. Slater is just so consistent when it comes to ST. Tough cuts.

2. Tight Ends- All of them are awesome. We already knew this but at least its something. Someone made a joke about fielding nothing but tight ends and that may be the best idea ever now lol.

3. Running Backs- This game reminds me why I am not a fan of BJGE. When Brady is having an off night, he cant rely on him whatsoever. Yeah I've seen the horrible blocking but still. If anything, this is what made it feel like the last Playoff game for me. We abandoned the run waaaaay too early and went strictly to Woodhead, thus tipping our hand. Running the ball repeatedly in a row might eventually lead to a big run and it definitely would of been better than Brady getting destroyed. Ridley most likely would of been more effective simply because he is a dual threat.

4. Oline- I didn't want us to get destroyed but we all knew this was a possibilty. Good learning experience for us though. My one true dissappointment was Vollmer. I didn't expect him to struggle the way he did. We just need more power upfront and maybe Cannon can give it to us.

5. Playcalling- Obrien might be ******ed. Run the ball more. Damn. What pisses me off the most are the screen plays. Years ago I used to view us as one of the best screen team teams in the league. Now its just so predictable and has no variation whatsoever. The majority of our screens go to welker or edelman and its like no other reciever is allowed to catch a screen. We dont even run middle of the field screens anymore.

6. Safties- The return of James Sanders. Hardly knew he was gone. I didn't see Merriweather patrolling the deep field this game and we just happened to have deep balls thrown left and right. I don't think that was a coincidence. #43 had many opportunities to make an impactful play and failed everytime. I felt bad for the dude. All of the other safeties were okay i guess.

7. CBs- Rough night for all of them. I've seen McCourty defend deep balls a bunch of times better than he did tonight but he also broke up a few balls though. Butler played with a lot of effort for once(best jam ever on that pi play) but his status is still a ?. I still like arrington but he has to get his head around.

8. Dline and Pass Rush- That quick little running back kept getting to the corner but for the most part we were okay. The pass rush came back down to earth but the lions were getting the ball out pretty damn quick.

 

[Sivy]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

Watching DMac, you could tell that he was not running at full speed. I was wondering about that myself.

About the O line, dont worry. That aint nothing a few screen passes and a good game plan wont fix.

The D, was not fired up so I'm not worried, its not like they really tried and failed, they just didnt bring it like they did the first 2 games.

Ocho is fine, Brady just didnt have time to let anything devlope so he couldnt really get to him. 4 quarters with more fun plays and some screen plays and the D will cheat in, and stop rushing so much. Football is more than one play, its an entire game.

(side thought) As a High school footbal ref, I see games up close and personal, and if I were a coach I would focus 99% of my time on D, and I would dink and dunk all day long on O. Someone is almost always open short and you keep doing that and def will have to come up and play to that or you are going to kill the clock and win close games all the time, and after they do that..then you hit the big play.

Also, the lions were beating the pats pretty good at half time when it counted last year and the pats still one. My point is they game plan when it matters,and they play 60 mins. Did they last night? No and no.

 

[goz421]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

It seems to me that part of coach B's strategy is to let them get busted up like this once early in the season to humble them. Remember the Rams last year.

It seems evident by the large amount of players out.

 

[dhamz]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

It seems to me that part of coach B's strategy is to let them get busted up like this once early in the season to humble them. Remember the Rams last year.

It seems evident by the large amount of players out.

So Bill's strategy was to allow constant pressure up the middle and let the Lions D Line take turns crushing Brady for a half?

 

[atomdomb]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

Would Bill ever use a game like this to play possum?

 

[dhamz]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

The only real concern I have based on the third of the four glorified scrimages that is the preseason is the thing that the Lions exploited the weakness which has doomed the Pats in recent playoff games. There isn't much of an offensive counter when teams are blowing up your interior offensive line with their base 4 man rush. Detroit did it with only 2 of their 4 projected starters (Fairley and Vanden Bosch didn't play).

There are not many teams in the NFL that can do that so but the one's that can will be there in January/February.

 

[dhamz]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

Would Bill ever use a game like this to play possum?

Would he go into this week with something less than a full regular season gameplan because winning was not his goal? Yes.

The rest of it - the O line dominated, the QB hit repeatedly in the first half, virtually every player on defense getting beat in their 1 on 1 assignments? His team being totally uncompetitive as he said after the game? He wouldn't want any of that.

 

[Patjew]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

if they have wives and young children they need to evacuate them if they are so concerned. seriously, the sox stayed in Boston and played 2 home games and the storm didn't seem to bother them.

I'm guessing you don't have kids.

 

[Triumph]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

Was Brady in the shotgun last night?

 

[PatsBoy12]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

Maybe, just maybe, the better team won? The Lions looked All-World tonight
and brought back some horrid memories of SB42 the way they tooled our
entire team. BB has some serious work to do before the first game.

You should be banned for this comment, sir. It's utterly ridiculous. I'll chalk it up to overreaction.

THERE WAS NO GAME PLANNNING FOR THIS GAME.

HALF OF THE DEFENSE STAYED IN NE.

MATT LIGHT WAS IN HIS FIRST REAL ACTION ALL OFFSEASON.

The only thing that any of us should be mad about is that the Patriots did show a lack of effort at different points in the game. However, this is no different than how they played against the Rams in the preseason a year ago. Let's not jump off the bridge holding hands.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

I'm throwing out last nights game VS Lions. Clearly it wasn't same Pats team from last 2 Pre Season games. It's like they lay down play disinterested NOT to show too much. I didn't see that "Fire In Brady's Eyes" from start. Its funny I read Brady said he needs to get hit few times and get his body used to it for season. I dunno something just didn't feel right IMO.

As far as Lion's, they DEFINITELY came to play!

 

[JoeShmoe]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

One other thing. we drafted 2 RBS in the 2nd/3rd rd, why on earth when all was going to mush, didnt we try and establish a running game. If BJGE isnt working why not try Ridley?

I hoped those draft moves were to get a more balanced O and take the game off Brady's shoulders when he and the blocking is suffering. If were never going to fix that we'll surely struggle again in the PO's

 

[Sivy]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

One other thing. we drafted 2 RBS in the 2nd/3rd rd, why on earth when all was going to mush, didnt we try and establish a running game. If BJGE isnt working why not try Ridley?

I hoped those draft moves were to get a more balanced O and take the game off Brady's shoulders when he and the blocking is suffering. If were never going to fix that we'll surely struggle again in the PO's

I dont think Ridley even came with the team..

 

[LesPaul]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

In all honesty the offence stunk, period. I don't care if this was just a pre season game. When you execute as poorly as they did last night it shows they are capable of playing just as poorly in the playoffs. There is no EXCUSE for poor execution from your starting unit.

 

[The Boston Patriot]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

Let's not lose control........ There was no defensive game plan and it was a vanilla nickel all day.......... As the initial poster said, the only thing that is a concern is the lack of execution. You're not stopping anyone with that defense out there tonight, but at the very least, you have to execute.

Poor tackling, dropped int's (many).... just poor fundementals.

The defensive was the least of my worries. The offensive sucked royally along with Brady being one of the worst performers. Spin that any way you want.

 

[Sivy]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

The defensive was the least of my worries. The offensive sucked royally along with Brady being one of the worst performers. Spin that any way you want.

A game is 60 min, not one half and one drive of the 3rd quarter

 

[Patriot Missile]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

A game is 60 min, not one half and one drive of the 3rd quarter

I do remember being behind the 8 ball last Novemeber against the Lions, just to have the Pats scream off like 25? consecutive points. I don't give a @#$% about some preseason game, I'm just glad Dante has some good film to work these new guys.

 

[Ring 6]

Re: Pre-Post Game Observations

I don't know about that. I think the Pats are far better than they were tonight and not as good as they were last week. We have seen many teams dominate in the preseason and have losing records and others who suck in the preseason and go to the playoffs. We can't read too much into tonight just like we shouldn't have read too much into last week.

It is the preseason. Belichick tried something last week and something different this week. The Pats had a four man front attacking defense last week and a three man front (which switched to a four man front after a while) more passive defense this week.

What game were you watching? They played the same scheme, they just were awfiul at it, or on the other hand they finally faced a capable offense. There is a lot of work to do. Hopefully Haynesworth, Spikes, Cunningham, Bodden, Brace will be back soon, we are going to need them.