Tip of the Hat to Harold Nash

[shmessy]

GREAT JOB, man!

Saw many, many Dolphins cramp up all night long. Didn't see one Patriot with the same problem.

 

[silenthuntr7]

I think this was a seriously underrated reason for why we won the game.

On the other hand...I forsee a Dolphin coach looking for a new job soon...

 

[Hoodie]

wag of my finger?

Maybe they hid it from the cameras but I was really surprised to see the Dolphins and not the Pats dropping like flies with cramps.

 

[shmessy]

I think this was a seriously underrated reason for why we won the game.

On the other hand...I forsee a Dolphin coach looking for a new job soon...

I can't fathom how a Florida team would have such a tough time in the heat. Makes what the Pats did last night all the more impressive.

Evidently, Nash had emphasized the Tampa pre-season game as a precursor to the players and made it their practice exam for last night.

 

[Hudson Pats Fan]

Kudos to Coach Nash!!!! I also noticed that the Patriots were rotating their defensive players on almost every play. IE Dowling came out for one down after a deep ball was thrown in his direction(incomplete btw) and then immediately asked to come out. I saw Fletcher do the exact same thing and a few others. Excellent job by the coaches and players in preparation and execution of this game physically.

 

[reflexblue]

GREAT JOB, man!

Saw many, many Dolphins cramp up all night long. Didn't see one Patriot with the same problem.

Yes what ever he did he did an incredible job. That heat and humidity are killers.

 

[Tasco]

Agreed.
Gotta admit though, that we played mainly a no huddle offense, so we wore them out pretty soon quite heavily. The Fins instead just ran their normal offense without challenging our D physically.

 

[DarrylS]

Remember all those wind sprints at the end of each and every practice during TC??? Heat was not an excuse then and was not last night.

 

[unoriginal]

Agreed.
Gotta admit though, that we played mainly a no huddle offense, so we wore them out pretty soon quite heavily. The Fins instead just ran their normal offense without challenging our D physically.

Miami tried to get into a hurry-up several times in the 1st half, but the DTs kept drawing holding penalties from Miami's guards, which gave the Pats time to sub.

 

[jmt57]

I can't fathom how a Florida team would have such a tough time in the heat. Makes what the Pats did last night all the more impressive.

In my opinion that is because the Pats defense was doing a much better job of getting off the field than the Miami defense was. Maybe that's stating the obvious, maybe it's a chicken-or-the-egg thing, but regardless that part of the home field advantage turned into a home field disadvantage. Similar thing happened Sunday in Tampa when the Lions were on the field for 36 minutes and the Bucs defense was gassed by the second half.

In the first half Miami had that long opening drive, which was a bad sign considering the heat and humidity. But after that the Dolphins went 3-and-out, one first down, 3-and-out, one first down, and a one play kneel down on the rest of their first half possessions. On the other hand the Pats only had one 3-and-out while all the rest of the drives had at least three first downs. There was a no huddle drive that did end up with a punt, but in my opinion it was still effective as it probably helped to really wear the Dolphins down.

In retrospect, even though the score was only 14-7 at the half the Pats were in far better shape (literally and figuratively) than the Dolphins were at that point. The final stats for the number of plays and time of possession are deceiving because Miami had the ball for so much time during the last half of the 4th quarter, and the Pats had the one-play, 99-yard scoring drive in the midst of that.

Evidently, Nash had emphasized the Tampa pre-season game as a precursor to the players and made it their practice exam for last night.

I agree, I think the benefit of playing at Tampa in preseason is being vastly over looked.

 

[PatsDeb]

I was shocked too that it was the Miami players on the ground in between snaps and not our guys. Kudos to the coaches and the players. They prepared well for this obvious issue (how come the home team did not?). I also found it curious that Miami didn't go with their usual whites and make us wear dark blue. I know it is usually because the sun beats down and the dark color absorbs rather than reflects the light, but the game started when the sun was still out and why not use this to their psychological advantage?

 

[Triumph]

Woody on WEEI

Props to the new strength and conditioning coach. The Pats appeared to be in great shape and the Dolphins sucking wind.

It Is What It Is » Danny Woodhead on M&M: ‘The win is the only stat this team cares about’

Our strength coaches did an unbelievable job of getting us in great shape. When you’re at the end of a training camp practice and you don’t wanna run, but you are running, that stuff pays off. I think more than anything, the players making sure they do work hard during conditioning I think really pays off so you are ready for whatever may come.”

 

[Ring 6]

Re: Woody on WEEI

Props to the new strength and conditioning coach. The Pats appeared to be in great shape and the Dolphins sucking wind.

It Is What It Is » Danny Woodhead on M&M: ‘The win is the only stat this team cares about’

Our strength coaches did an unbelievable job of getting us in great shape. When you’re at the end of a training camp practice and you don’t wanna run, but you are running, that stuff pays off. I think more than anything, the players making sure they do work hard during conditioning I think really pays off so you are ready for whatever may come.”

I don't know how people can overlook the quality of this organization, its commitment to winning, the attention to detail, and the attitude in cultivates in players.

Every time a veteran comes here, they glow about how different it is than anywhere else.

Last night they said Waters said he 'needed the Patriots" as a 11(?) year vet he needed to be pushed and they really push you here.

That comment right there is about the stuff that is worth 2 wins a year.

 

[Triumph]

Re: Woody on WEEI

I don't know how people can overlook the quality of this organization, its commitment to winning, the attention to detail, and the attitude in cultivates in players.
Every time a veteran comes here, they glow about how different it is than anywhere else.
Last night they said Waters said he 'needed the Patriots" as a 11(?) year vet he needed to be pushed and they really push you here.
That comment right there is about the stuff that is worth 2 wins a year.

I thought Waters played great. I tried to watch him as much as possible. 1 false start last night, but hes only been around 8 days or so.

I like this OL. Cant wait until Vollmer and Cannon get on the field.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Re: Woody on WEEI

Can they control the climate in their practice bubble? If they can I bet BB had it turned up to 110 in there for practice.

 

[Ring 6]

Re: Woody on WEEI

I thought Waters played great. I tried to watch him as much as possible. 1 false start last night, but hes only been around 8 days or so.

I like this OL. Cant wait until Vollmer and Cannon get on the field.

I dont expect to see Cannon this year.

I do like the OL as well, and I saw some things from Connolly last night that makes me think he can be effective at C. He is VERY mobile for an OL. On one play he picked up a blitzer that came OUTSIDE THE DE. He snapped, and essentially pulled to get out there, and made it and made the block. I don't remember seeing a C move like that in a long time.

When Woody was here, and we used to like to run that toss sweep to Antowain Smith he used to pull from the C position to lead it, which is rare, and really quite and advantage. Connolly can do that.

We will have to see how he does in the running game vs behemoth 34 NTs, but I think Connolly for Koppen is lateral, not backward.


Besides, its quite obvious God wants Connolly on the field.

Last year Mankins held out so Connolly got the job. Then as soon as Mankins reported Neal got hurt so Connolly moved to RG.

Neal retires, Connolly gets the job. Waters comes in to take it away, Koppen gets injured and Connolly is the C.

I would make sure my health insurance was in force if Connolly was my backup.

 

[unoriginal]

Re: Woody on WEEI

I do like the OL as well, and I saw some things from Connolly last night that makes me think he can be effective at C. He is VERY mobile for an OL. On one play he picked up a blitzer that came OUTSIDE THE DE. He snapped, and essentially pulled to get out there, and made it and made the block. I don't remember seeing a C move like that in a long time.

Koppen has done that before. Not often (you don't want it to happen often, it's a scheme problem) but it happens several times a year. I once posted screenshots of him doing it against the Jets late in 2007.

Usually it happens in a shotgun-empty set where the center can see a deep safety running a delayed blitz.