Thursday’s game offers tremendous growth potential

[bradydaman29]

I hope Josh tries to pound the rock. Wouldn't mind seeing them start Ridley and run him alot - he should be the most well-rested of all the players and could have a monster game. Then if one of our other rbs could get going, like Washington/Bolden/Blount, that would set up the passing game nicely. If the pats can't get the run going, the Jets D Line is going to be coming after Brady hard and I don't think they will be able to get anything going offensively, in which case, the only way they win is if the Pats D can stymie the Jets offense and get some turnovers for touchdowns or good field position.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

You look back at some of the teams recently that people have labeled “stacked” and who have glided through the regular season:

2011 Packers
2009 Colts
2007 Patriots
2006 Chargers
2005 Colts
2004 Steelers

The lack of adversity seems to end up hurting them when it really comes down to it, not since the 2003 Patriots can I remember a team that came out of the gate in first and finished the same way.

The 2003 Pats started 0-2. . . .

 

[Wax Frog]

There will be tremendous growth potential in my pants when one of our rookies hauls in their 2nd TD of the night in the first quarter.

I, who once proudly bore the 'puerile' label at snother forum, salute you (with my HAND, of course).

 

[Wax Frog]

. Wouldn't mind seeing them start Ridley and run him alot - he should be the most well-rested of all the players and could have a monster game. .

Two hands on the ball or Gronk smash!

 

[crawhammer]

Brady has no choice but to go to the rookies, it may not be ideal and we may lose the game on Thursday but over the long haul it is my belief that him having no choice but to go to Dobson, Boyce and Thompkins will accelerate their growth as players.

Oddly it was 2010 in week 2 against the Jets in which where Gronkowski and Hernandez started to become big parts of the offense, and it was largely due to Moss checking out of New England and only catching 2 of 10 targets along with Welker returning from major knee surgery.

Maybe we will get lucky again with are 2nd and 4th round picks, let’s just hope Boyce doesn’t have an itchy trigger finger. Either way I think we will learn a lot about these rookies on Thursday and that to me offers excitement and intrigue.

Put down the Kool-Aid.

The point is to win football games, not to "accelerate the growth" of rookies who frankly have no place to go but up. And seriously, are you really drawing comparisons of Gronk and Hernandez to Dobson, Boyce and Thompkins? Clearly the former had far more baseline potential than the latter. Certainly you must recognize that?

 

[supafly]

The 2003 Pats started 0-2. . . .

They beat PHI 31-10 in their second game.

They lost the initial game to BUF 31-0 as we all remember, but they bounced back very nicely to win their next two games and start off 2-1.

They then lost the 4th game of the year to WAS by a FG, and never looked back after that.

You're thinking of the first SB in the 2001 season. They did start off 0-2 that year.

 

[crawhammer]

I still can't see this offense being bad. I think the rookies learned alot last week from how the game needs to be played and their assignments. I expect big improvement but who knows. Not until 00:00 on the game clock Thursday night.

The rookies learned a lot last week???

Dobson didn't play...so I guess he learned... nothing.

Boyce had one target, 0 receptions... so I guess he learned how to be a nonfactor.

Thompkins learned that doesn't belong on a professional football field... I mean considering he completely embarrassed himself.

Zudfeld learned how to deflect his one opportunity into a reception for the defense.

Big improvements forthcoming? Well, they couldn't be worse. Could they?

 

[crawhammer]

I am sure that Belichick expected some type of learning curve or growth period when he decided to overhaul the WR corps to improve on speed, youth, and talent in some areas.

What we're losing at the moment is some experience, but I have no problem with deciding to replace guys like Branch, Llyod (would've liked to see him retained as a lower tiered possession receiver, but not as a WR2), Stallworth, etc. Those guys weren't exactly setting the world on fire.

It will be a learning experience in a trial by error/trial by fire sort of way. There will be some facepalm moments for sure, but I agree that as the season progresses the potential is there to improve.

Right now we're going through the learning process AND some normal adversity when you add in Ridley's fumbling, Amendola's groin injury, and Gronk's comeback. Things will get better.

I don't agree with all of the moves made and would have liked to see a better WR2 right off the bat (and probably Welker brought back for another couple yrs), but Belichick needs to keep an eye on the future also in regards to the cap. In the end, we pretty much know the team will remain competitive.

Um, the opportunity to win is now with Brady. Belichick has not put this team in a good position to win now with Brady. In fact he has lowered their chances of winning probably pretty significantly. Obviously you don't build for 4 or 5 years down the line when you have a 36-year-old hall of fame QB at the helm; you surround that QB with as many complimentary pieces as possible to win now (oh like Elway has done in Denver for Manning).

Also, the Patriots are well under the cap so that line of argument is crap.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

They beat PHI 31-10 in their second game.

They lost the initial game to BUF 31-0 as we all remember, but they bounced back very nicely to win their next two games and start off 2-1.

They then lost the 4th game of the year to WAS by a FG, and never looked back after that.

You're thinking of the first SB in the 2001 season. They did start off 0-2 that year.

Yeah, my bad. . . .

 

[crawhammer]

Honestly I didn’t love the offseason moves either, however I will say in Belichick’s defense he did make the decisions on the premise that Aaron Hernandez would be here and not in Bristol County jail, if he had known that Hernandez was going to do something so stupid I truly believe he would of made an effort to sign or trade for a quality player.

In addition there were these other lesser factors:

• Donald Jones a solid wide receiver signed very early in free agency being forced to retire due to his kidney ailment.
• Jake Ballard being unable to fully recover from his devastating knee injury.
• T.J. Moe considered by many to be the most promising UDFA signing blowing out his Achilles tendon.
• Michael Jenkins and Levantate Hawkins not panning out.

This was likely the plan, or something along these lines:

Wide Receiver
1. Amendola
2. Dobson
3. Edelman
4. Jones
5. Thompkins
6. Boyce
7. Slater

Tight End
1. Gronkowski
2. Hernandez
3. Ballard
4. Sudfeld

You look at what could have been and it’s hard to fault Belichick, he really did get the **** end of the stick with a lot of moves. Like your signature says if Belichick can succeed this season it will be his greatest achievement yet, and for what it’s worth I would never bet against Belichick.

You talk like Belichick is on a roll of great achievements. He's not. And this offseason was perhaps his worst yet (and there have a few really bad ones).

That WR corps is pretty sad. Minus Jones (who was mediocre at best), it is the current WR corps, although Slater should not be on the list. It's 3 rookies (1 undrafted) and 2 injury-prone 'vets.' Really quite pathetic considering the QB is perhaps the greatest ever at his position.

And of course we can fault Belichick, without hesitance. He put this WR corps together. He let Welker go to Denver. He is to blame for the apparent demise of the offense, which just last season was the #1 ranked in the league.

You have lost your ability to critique Belichick with any objectivity.

In Bill We Trust uke:

 

[supafly]

Yeah, my bad. . . .

You don't mess up 1/100th of the time as myself, or most of us, so now you're simply back to earth with the rest of us

 

[Mack Herron]

Buckle up. Gonna be a bumpy ride until Gronk, Amendola and Vereen. Just gotta stay within spitting distance until then. It's all about getting hot in December.

 

[Oswlek]

You look back at some of the teams recently that people have labeled “stacked” and who have glided through the regular season:

2011 Packers
2009 Colts
2007 Patriots
2006 Chargers
2005 Colts
2004 Steelers

The lack of adversity seems to end up hurting them when it really comes down to it, not since the 2003 Patriots can I remember a team that came out of the gate in first and finished the same way.

Not only that, but if you polled fans early or mid season the last three years as to which teams are too beat up to be a factor in the playoffs, the top of those results would most certainly include:

2010 Green Bay
2011 NYG
2012 Baltimore

 

[Oswlek]

The 2003 Pats started 0-2. . . .

1-1, but I get your point.

 

[Brewskies]

Here I thought we would sail through the first three games and have a rough stretch against Atlanta, Cinn. and NO instead we start out rough against the Bills and I can't for the life of me understand how we are a 12 point favorite against the Jets after the first weeks play of both teams and now the injuries.

 

[ivanvamp]

Here I thought we would sail through the first three games and have a rough stretch against Atlanta, Cinn. and NO instead we start out rough against the Bills and I can't for the life of me understand how we are a 12 point favorite against the Jets after the first weeks play of both teams and now the injuries.

You, then, have a great opportunity to make a lot of money this week, right?

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Next man up, b****s.

Lotta injuries, wahhhhhh. Oh no, the game may be close, wahhhh.

I like the OP. Let's see what we've got.

By the way, one big complaint in the last decade or so has been... how do you know what you've got in the draft, when you've got to beat out a quality veteran at every spot?

I don't think we're quite "snake-bit" yet. Take a xanax.

 

[IllegalContact]

love the positive vibes, man.....it's like groovy

 

[grux]

It is time for the defense to step up and help carry the team. The offense is going to need help until the injured players return and the rookies mature.

 

[Uncle Rico]

It is time for the defense to step up and help carry the team. The offense is going to need help until the injured players return and the rookies mature.

It's way past time for this to happen. Too many veterans and high draft picks for it not to start happening regularly.