Some pre-game thoughts...

[patfanken]

....or a compendium of comments from yesterdays games and how they reflect upon today's action. (Yes I might be over extending my vocabulary using the word compendium, but I never fail to take the opportunity to potentially misspell an ostentacious use of the English language...There I did it again.


1. I was both disappointed and surprised to open my Sunday Globe to read about Assante Samuel's quest to "get paid". I have no problem with him wanted to get paid, BUT I do have a problem with the story coming out on the DAY BEFORE the freakin playoffs are to start.

Samuel went WAY down in my estimation for allowing this to happen. First he is going to be offered a contract by the Pats that would set him up for LIFE the day he cashes his multi-million dollar bonus check. Secondly, most likely he will be offered a BIGGER contract from someone else. While the Pats MIGHT pay him as a top 10-15 CB in the league, they are NOT going to pay him as a top 5 CB, which is what he is looking for.

BTW- the rest of the story which documents Samuel's rise from a disgruntled, hard to handle, HS QB is excellent Jackie McMullen is definitely the best writer on the Globe staff.

2. The good Ron Borges - His lambasting of the Raider's FO was hilarious. His of colorful metaphors describing their ineptness was Borges at his best.

3. The Bad Ron Borges - I guess he couldn't help himself throwing ANOTHER slap at BB, when correctly lambasting Nick Saban, he had to identify him as Biill Bellichick's "best friend".

4 There were a couple of interesting things we can gleen from yesterday's actions.

A. In the NFL any team can stop the opposing teams run game...even the Colts. NO TEAM can run if there are consistantly8 or 9 guys in the box as the Colts did on Saturday.

B. Jet fans must be thrilled to have the Herminator in KC. That was one WOEFULL offensive game plan that KC brought to INDY. On the other hand, their defense played fairly well.

C. It was kind of surprising to see 2 great runners like Johnson and Alexander look SO slow and lethargic as these 2 guys did in their games. Johnson looked positively disinterested.

D. I couldn't decide who to root for in the Dallas/Seattle game, thought in the end I was happy with the results. I'm fairly certain that on the road, this Seattle team ISN'T going to the superbowl, so our draft pick (22? is what it is), also Branch was the 3rd best receiver on his team in this game. Plus I really hate the Cowboys, and HAVE always hated the cowboys. Plus TO was a no show, and watching Parcell's painful post game press conference, was VERY satisfying. All in all a pretty good outcome.

E. Under the heading, Strange but True. Tony Romo will be going to the Pro Bowl and Tom Brady ISN'T. Though I think Romo IS going to be a quality starter in the NFL someday, his rise to preeminence over a 5 game period, is ANOTHER example of the Dallas media machine OVER hyping its players. BTW- If I ever do run for president, my first hire would be the Cowboy PR department.

5.When I hear the media pukes make fun of the Houston pick of Mario William, I can't help but think that they made similar fun of Julus Peppers a few years ago after his first uneventful season. Peppers, now a consensus probowler is an example that it takes a DLman a few years to reach their potential. Richard Seymour is the exception, not the rule, and he had the advantage of superior coaching here with Bill, Romeo, et al. While not flashy, the Williams pick will ultimately translate into more wins than some flashy offensive skill player. JMHO

6. Look for the Jets to try and use the no-huddle offense a lot. I don't know how the Pats will respond to this tactic, but I do believe that they will expect it and be prepared for it.

7. If I were the Pats DC, I would use a form of "lock up" defense on those 3rd and shorts that haunted them in November. A Lock up is a form of thight man to man in the short zones backed up with one or two safeties covering deep. Another good defense for the Pats that is less agressive is the 5 under zone. Again, BB hasn[t asked me, but I thought I'd offer.

 

[SVN]

another interesting thing to see...how the new players respond..we have so many of them
caldwell,gaffney,jackson,callaghan, maroney, gost....pats have post season exp but this roster might be most inexperienced in that regard

 

[captain stone]

1) I think that most of us feel the same as you, though that didn't stop BB from giving AS the love after his INT/TD.

2) and 3) No comment, because I don't read Bogus anymore.

4A) This is true, so therefore...4B) is true.

4C) LJ was probably worn out, and disheartened by the KC game "plan".

4D) Seattle's pick stays at #22, unless they go to the SB.

4E) Don't forget the ESPN PR department, the MTV of sports.

5) If memory serves, local hero Peppers was taken by the Panthers exactly where he should have been taken. Carolina wasn't about to eff up that pick, after passing on Vonnie Holliday in 1998. Instead, they chose DE Jason Peter, who was forever injured.

6) You nailed it, big time.

7) How much of those coverages do you think the Pats ran, and how successful were they?

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Samuels is the perfect storm of a me-first player attracting a media frenzy.

He takes big risks to get his picks, instead of playing consistently. And now the media has jumped on his bandwagon.

He is definitely going to play for somebody else next year. Money, fame, any number of reasons all point elsewhere next year.

But hopefully he will play consistently enough (beyond the big plays) to wrap up this season in glory for us. Fingers crossed.

 

[patfanken]

4D) Seattle's pick stays at #22, unless they go to the SB.


5) If memory serves, local hero Peppers was taken by the Panthers exactly where he should have been taken. Carolina wasn't about to eff up that pick, after passing on Vonnie Holliday in 1998. Instead, they chose DE Jason Peter, who was forever injured.

7) How much of those coverages do you think the Pats ran, and how successful were they?

As to the Peppers pick, I agree it was a no brainer for Carolina, I was just using the example to point out how it sometimes takes a little more time for a DL to mature, and next to a franchise QB, a probowl quality DLman is the hardest NFL comodity to find AND only second in importance.

IF Mario Williams eventually DOES pan out over the next couple of years, then the Texans might have the last laugh still. With all the great rookie RBs that showed up this year, improving their running game is probably the EASIESt thing to pick up.

I cant really tell you how often the Pats ran the coverages I recommended, I know they ran 5 under zone on third and short, but I didn't see much lock on. Its hard to determine the coverage when you don't see the entire field (the coaches tape). I would imagine that many were much more exotic than what I suggested. Like the one they used on Samuel's pick