Things I learned on Sunday -

[lobster]

8. I'm not proud of this thought, but with the Hasselbeck going down for at least a couple of weeks, I can't help but hope that the first round pick the Pats picked up in the Branch trade will start to move from the end of the round to the ealy 20's...maybe even better.

Is a #1 pick really worth that much to you that you would gloat over a players injury? Perhaps Bob Kraft will decide the Pat's should stop trading for #1 or #2 picks if there's a lot of fans who think like you do.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

6. That being said, what a revelation Assante Samuel has been the last few games. Most people have been saying that he's a nice nickel back. I thought he was a nice #2 CB. Well clearly he has been playing at a #1 CB pace the last 3 games. Why such an improvement....can you spell C-O-N-T-R-A-C-T S-E-A-S-O-N. Assuming the Pats have around $6-7MM in cap room left, I would like to see them extend AT LEAST one of Graham or Samuel before the end of the season.

Assuming your "contract season" theory is correct, wouldn't that be reason to not extend him? That would mean once you extend/re-sign him he'd go back to the same old Asante, except he'd be being paid for good Asante.

 

[alamo]

Is a #1 pick really worth that much to you that you would gloat over a players injury? Perhaps Bob Kraft will decide the Pat's should stop trading for #1 or #2 picks if there's a lot of fans who think like you do.

A rather severe reaction, PFK's original comment was hardly a gloat, more like an opening to mention what he thought of Seattle's chances at this time.

 

[BelichickFan]

Is a #1 pick really worth that much to you that you would gloat over a players injury? Perhaps Bob Kraft will decide the Pat's should stop trading for #1 or #2 picks if there's a lot of fans who think like you do.

A little self righteous, aren't we ? He's not paralyzed, he has a strained tendon. He'll get over it.

 

[alamo]

11. I loved the article that was posted here from the Buffalo paper it is a great assessment on what we are doing right here in NE and why the winning will continue. I have said on many occassions that the relative talent of the NFL is pretty much equal (+ or - 10%). That is why the Cardinals can essentially beat the "best team in the league" one week and lose to the Raiders the next, and why the Texans can beat the Jags...CONVINCINGLY

Not certain what article that is, but it might be http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20061023/5074811.asp

Never satisfied, Patriots aim higher
By BOB DICESARE
10/23/2006

What the New England Patriots have over everyone else is the understanding that they're a perpetual work in progress.

We see 28-6, they see 286 things they could have done better. We see a pinpoint touchdown pass to Doug Gabriel, their quarterback sees a throw he never should have made.

 

[Fencer]

Did anybody else notice/feel the "crispness" to the offense on that opening drive? It's been a while since I've felt that - good stuff. It was like one of those old-fashioned Charlie Weis-era opening drives, we were clicking and matriculatin' down the field.

Yep. And it was a point-of-emphasis too.

Love your username, by the way. Just please don't tell me that it's a reference to the Mohegan Sun.

 

[Brownfan80]

"Lights out?" This isn't the same kid being burned by Marty Booker on the hapless Doofins?

Asante gambles a bit, BB has commented on his baiting the QB. I'm sure Collier and Pees have protections set in place to turn him loose - his teammates are helping him set up the QB by executing their responsibilities.

For all the folks squaling about Hobbs having bad games, he's "shutting down" his side of the field often enough, allowing Asante greater opportunity.

The secondary, as a unit, has been playing very well within the overall defensive scheme, complementing the play of the other two units. I'll cheer loud for Asante's picks, but his opportunism doesn't develop in a vacuum as far as I can see.

Compare the first six weeks of his 2005 season to the first six weeks of this 2006 season and yeah, by contrast I'd say that this is lights out. lol

But I agree with your overall point, Box. You're the vid-wiz around here, I just go off of what I remember from a live once-over. Not the best basis for opinions most of the time (especialy in the secondary or WR corps).

Thanks for the booyah.

EDIT: And yeah I noticed that too about Hobbs' side of the field. As you probably know I'm firmly entrenched in the Hobbs-bandwagon.

 

[chingachgook]

Yep. And it was a point-of-emphasis too.

Love your username, by the way. Just please don't tell me that it's a reference to the Mohegan Sun.

Nope... straight up Last of the Mohicans reference... I was kinda skeptical about this whole "receiver chemistry" thing, but after reading about all the sight-adjusting and stuff that goes on, looks like Brady and Bill weren't just blowing smoke, it takes time to get everybody on the same page. Think we're starting to see this happen - still not there yet, but there were definitely a couple times when you could almost feel it coming together, on both sides of the ball.

The offense had some moments of the aforementioned "Weis-ian" crispness, and the defense had that "feel" it used to - attacking, turnover-producing, qb-confusing (you X's and O's/DVOA guys can prolly tear this down, but it just FELT more like the "good old days" with Charlie & RAC )

It's only 6 games, but i just have a much better "feeling" about this squad than I did last year.

Too kool-aid-ey?

 

[patfanken]

Thanks for all the responses- some additional comments and replies:

1. Kudos to Flying Fungi, who pointed out the lack of Play Action Passes (PAP). I didn't see EVERY offensive play last Sunday, but I saw most of them, and I can't remember a SINGLE play where play action fake to the running back was made before a pass.

I just can't understand why, when you have such a good running threat, you don't take advantage of it. The only thing I can think of is that Brady doesn't like taking his eyes off the secondary to perform the ball fake....and that is kind of a weak explaination.

Still everytime the Pats are in a third and 4 or less situation, they constantly either line up in a shot gun or simply drop back from under center. It baffles me. They are giving the defense a free ride on the potential run. They don't even do a PAP on first down, where they have a tendency to run the ball. In fact the closest thing they ran to a PAP was the abortive fake reverse, screen pass that ended up in a vicious sack of Brady. Maybe its a start.

2. Sorry for the "that being said", just a literary device that clearly didn't work.

3. Thanks to those who defended me on Hasselbeck's injury. It wasn't my intent to gloat. I just opined on how that injury would affect the Pats draft. BTW- I think the Seahawks can win that division with a 10-6 record, and that would give the Pats a pick in the early 20's, and still get the Hawks into the playoffs with a home game. So that's pretty good karma all around.

4. As much as I wish ill will to Branch for his selfish actions during his hold out, (not the hold out itself, but the threat to hold out to the 10th game, become a year long, potentially divisive distraction, while he was STILL under contract), I'm pretty sure he will put up decent numbers out there...once Hasselbeck returns. He is a talent, and because he can create separation, due to his quickness, he will catch more than his share of passes. However I still believe that while he is being paid as a "GAME BREAKER", he isn't.

 

[Gumby]

3. Thanks to those who defended me on Hasselbeck's injury. It wasn't my intent to gloat. I just opined on how that injury would affect the Pats draft. BTW- I think the Seahawks can win that division with a 10-6 record, and that would give the Pats a pick in the early 20's, and still get the Hawks into the playoffs with a home game. So that's pretty good karma all around.

Only good Karma all around in that scenario if Seahawks get knocked out in first or second round; if they make it back to the SB; then their pick is either 31 (or god forbid 32).

then all your "gloating" would be for naught.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

1. Kudos to Flying Fungi, who pointed out the lack of Play Action Passes (PAP). I didn't see EVERY offensive play last Sunday, but I saw most of them, and I can't remember a SINGLE play where play action fake to the running back was made before a pass.

I just can't understand why, when you have such a good running threat, you don't take advantage of it. The only thing I can think of is that Brady doesn't like taking his eyes off the secondary to perform the ball fake....and that is kind of a weak explaination.

Still everytime the Pats are in a third and 4 or less situation, they constantly either line up in a shot gun or simply drop back from under center. It baffles me. They are giving the defense a free ride on the potential run. They don't even do a PAP on first down, where they have a tendency to run the ball. In fact the closest thing they ran to a PAP was the abortive fake reverse, screen pass that ended up in a vicious sack of Brady. Maybe its a start.

Points to ponder from BB's Monday press conference:
http://www.patriots.com/mediacenter/index.cfm?ac=audionewsdetail&pid=21953&pcid=85

Q: Is it an incorrect assumption to think that the more opportunities you complete down field the more opportunities that's going to open for him maybe underneath?

BB: Possibly. That would be kind of a normal conclusion, but again you can't control how the defense plays. There are some defenses sometimes they just accept that there's going to be a couple of balls down the field and they're going to live with those, but they're going to continue to take away the short and intermediate passes and figure that the lower percentage throws are down the field. Yeah, you might hit a couple of them, but you're not going to hit a high percentage of them. They're going to keep coming. Again, that's not in your control offensively. You have to react to that.

Play action is time consuming, watching time consuming plays the one thing that happened consistently was Tommy getting a visitation he didn't want - at least 4 times for official sacks. I can't take credit for this next observation, nor can I remember which forum prodigy made it to credit them properly, but a RB diving into the line for play action, isn't available for blitz pick-up on the edge. Schobel, Kelsey, Denney, and the occasional Spikes/Fletcher/Crowell surprise had a higher priority than freezing the Linebackers and Safeties for a heartbeat - at least that is my interpretation of the coach's actions.

 

[Oswlek]

Points to ponder from BB's Monday press conference:
http://www.patriots.com/mediacenter/index.cfm?ac=audionewsdetail&pid=21953&pcid=85
Play action is time consuming, watching time consuming plays the one thing that happened consistently was Tommy getting a visitation he didn't want - at least 4 times for official sacks. I can't take credit for this next observation, nor can I remember which forum prodigy made it to credit them properly, but a RB diving into the line for play action, isn't available for blitz pick-up on the edge. Schobel, Kelsey, Denney, and the occasional Spikes/Fletcher/Crowell surprise had a higher priority than freezing the Linebackers and Safeties for a heartbeat - at least that is my interpretation of the coach's actions.

This is one of the things that I agree with NEM on. I understand that PA passes take time to develop and the OL has struggled against Buffalo, but it hasn't been just that game. With the running threat that NE poses and Brady's abilities at selling the play fake, I cannot see how it wouldn't help.

I can see all of the rationale behiind it; slow to develop, QB must take his eyes off the play, etc. but I do think it has been underutilized.

Considering how often they used PA passes even when the run wasn't a threat at all, it surprises me that NE is treating it almost as if it a trick play of some sort. Hell, Indy and NYJ probably use PA more often than not on non-obvious passing downs.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Hell, Indy and NYJ probably use PA more often than not on non-obvious passing downs.

The Jest play many of the same opponents the Pats do, do we have any data on how many plays using play action were productive? Did the play action at least slow the LBs and Ss from dropping into coverage?

With so may folks hollering for limiting the hits Tommy takes, does keeping the RB handy for edge rushers vice play action make any sense? Tough call for some of us.

 

[jczxohn1]

Points to ponder from BB's Monday press conference:
http://www.patriots.com/mediacenter/index.cfm?ac=audionewsdetail&pid=21953&pcid=85
Play action is time consuming, watching time consuming plays the one thing that happened consistently was Tommy getting a visitation he didn't want - at least 4 times for official sacks. I can't take credit for this next observation, nor can I remember which forum prodigy made it to credit them properly, but a RB diving into the line for play action, isn't available for blitz pick-up on the edge. Schobel, Kelsey, Denney, and the occasional Spikes/Fletcher/Crowell surprise had a higher priority than freezing the Linebackers and Safeties for a heartbeat - at least that is my interpretation of the coach's actions.

Thanks, Box. C'est moi. Another negative to play action is it removes the RB from an outlet receiver role.

 

[FilPats]

Assuming your "contract season" theory is correct, wouldn't that be reason to not extend him? That would mean once you extend/re-sign him he'd go back to the same old Asante, except he'd be being paid for good Asante.

Yeah. It's really a double-edged sword. If Asante gets the contract he wants, would he be as motivated? I recall what happened with shawn kemp in the NBA.