Today's Positives

[Mike the Brit]

We won! Yes -- and comfortably, taking a knee in the red zone in the last minute. So let's think about some of the positives. Here are some to start with.

1. Tom Brady. TB was relaxed and imaginative. He reacted well to pressure by stepping up in the pocket and made some excellent plays.

2. The Wide Receivers. Brady spread the ball around and all of them came up with important plays at important times -- Troy, Reche and, of course, Doug and Chad.

3. Not giving up the big play on defense. Sure, there were times that the Bills moved the ball freely, and McGahee got more yards than he should have on a fair number of plays, but the Patriots kept the Bills out of the end zone. It's not something to take for granted.

4. Asante Samuel. Picks either stick or they don't. This week another one stuck. But the play in the end zone to break up a touchdown catch was great cornerback play.

5. Junior Seau. He's old, he's slow -- but he plays with heart and head. What a pick-up! I can't tell you how much better I feel about the linebacking with him inside rather than Monty Beisel.

6. Last, but not least -- Laurence Maroney. What a player! I don't know if there is another player in the NFL who could have made that kick-off return. Who else has that pace, power and crazy elusiveness? It's only a shame he didn't get it in for a TD. It still belongs on anyone's highlight tape.

 

[Patjew]

Nice post, MtB.

 

[shirtsleeve]

We won! Yes -- and comfortably, taking a knee in the red zone in the last minute. So let's think about some of the positives. Here are some to start with.

1. Tom Brady. TB was relaxed and imaginative. He reacted well to pressure by stepping up in the pocket and made some excellent plays.

2. The Wide Receivers. Brady spread the ball around and all of them came up with important plays at important times -- Troy, Reche and, of course, Doug and Chad.

3. Not giving up the big play on defense. Sure, there were times that the Bills moved the ball freely, and McGahee got more yards than he should have on a fair number of plays, but the Patriots kept the Bills out of the end zone. It's not something to take for granted.

4. Asante Samuel. Picks either stick or they don't. This week another one stuck. But the play in the end zone to break up a touchdown catch was great cornerback play.

5. Junior Seau. He's old, he's slow -- but he plays with heart and head. What a pick-up! I can't tell you how much better I feel about the linebacking with him inside rather than Monty Beisel.

6. Last, but not least -- Laurence Maroney. What a player! I don't know if there is another player in the NFL who could have made that kick-off return. Who else has that pace, power and crazy elusiveness? It's only a shame he didn't get it in for a TD. It still belongs on anyone's highlight tape.

Wow, I just posted this on the "beaten" thread, submitted it and here it is on its own thread....great minds!

 

[JoeSixPat]

I've focused on offense for most of my posts today and over the last weeks - and am happy to see some hints of a growing deep game, which is huge as that's been our achille's heel for quite some time.

But it's also worth noting how (unlike the Bills) this team doesn't kill itself with mistakes.

How many fumbles by receivers or RBs this season? How many lost? (Answer: trick question - no fumbles so far this season!)

And the Defense continues to dominate... 6 points today... I think that brings to total points allowed by the team to 80 through 6 games - and I think that includes Brady's INT against the Bills on the first play!

As impressive as Denver's 44 points allowed is, we're right there with them and Chicago - and as evidenced by AZ, Chicago's D isn't necessarilly as good as it might initially look.

Hold your opponents to less than 14 points a game and you've got a great chance to make a deep run into the playoffs and another SB ring.

That's my biggest positive of the day.

 

[mgteich]

I agree with all the comments so far, except for NEM's hyperbole with regard to our wide receivers. However, the wide receivers may indeed be as productive as last year's group by playoff time, and the best set of receivers that Brady has had to throw to. Add the TE's and Faulk and this could clearly be Brady's best group of targets ever.

After each game, the most important issue for me is not how we looked or even whether we won, it is the health of the players. I know we are a playoff team that could go all the way, with a bit of health, and a bit of luck.

 

[PatsSox363804]

The defense is giving up 12.8 pts a game this season which is infinitely better than last season and with the receivers looking better every week I like where this team is heading. Brady also raised his QB rating almost 8 points today, and is still on pace for 27 TDs and over 3000 yards in spite of the increased running game and struggling with the receivers. I have to say I like Gabriel more and more every week, I don't think Tom could believe he made that TD catch.

 

[Mike the Brit]

I like Gabriel more and more every week, I don't think Tom could believe he made that TD catch.

That was clear at Brady's post-game press conference. He was angry with himself for forcing the ball into coverage -- said that Gabriel baled him out with a great play.

 

[DCPatsFan]

That was clear at Brady's post-game press conference. He was angry with himself for forcing the ball into coverage -- said that Gabriel baled him out with a great play.

That was a risky throw, I was horrified when I saw him making that throw, and relieved to see Gabriel make a great play, coming back towards Brady to catch it

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

That was a risky throw, I was horrified when I saw him making that throw,

Something I suspect we Pats fans will have to get used to. We've seen him force throws into the end zone only to have it picked off on more than a couple occasions. He forced throws into the endzone in the last two SBs, both of which resulted in INTs. He also did this at Mile High last year. If he hasn't corrected this yet, I'm not sure he'll ever. And in fairness, forcing throws into the endzone sometimes leads to TDs as we saw today.

 

[lapatsfan]

I think Chad Scott has been playing solid lately too!

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

If I may be permitted...

7. Corey Dillon's two TD runs. He didn't have 100 yards today nor did he have any highlight runs, but those two TD runs were some great, tough short yardage running against a redzone defense.

 

[Patriotic]

Is Hyperbole like a Super Bowl.?

No. Hyperbole is like Super Bull.

 

[patsox23]

Gabriel's instinct to come back to the ball was maybe the best thing I saw today. We know he has the size, the speed and the attitude. But that aggressive, smart play is extremely enouraging, considering it was one little aspect of one (big) play in the game.

 

[satz]

8.Let me add another .Cadwell`s back diving catch for a first down when TB under threw by 3 yards or so.Cadwell seem to be in the action all the time .He dropped a long one but i think he does not have the speed of a #1 and it was a hard run.

On short 3rd down he is developing into the goto guy for TB.

 

[shmessy]

8.Let me add another .Cadwell`s back diving catch for a first down when TB under threw by 3 yards or so.Cadwell seem to be in the action all the time .He dropped a long one but i think he does not have the speed of a #1 and it was a hard run.

On short 3rd down he is developing into the goto guy for TB.

Alot of folks are pointing to his 4.9 ypc average yesterday, but I thought Reche was excellent. A couple of first downs and the short yardage is due to a couple of strategic (read: setting up the Bills D for future long bombs as Box noted) screen plays.

One that was incomplete was when Caldwell clearly beat his man deep, Brady throw a badly underthrown ball, Caldwell adjusted, came back and almost made the catch of the game (to tie with Gabe's TD) on the ball. One other incomplete his way was badly underthrown.

He was thrown to 8 times and had 5 completions. There was only one "drop" and that one (while I don't completely agree with Dierdorff putting all the blame on Brady's throw) was not a given.

 

[shmessy]

9. BTW, I have been pretty critical of Heath Evans, however the block he laid on Take Spikes during Corey's first TD run was a thing of beauty. Nice job.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

9. BTW, I have been pretty critical of Heath Evans, however the block he laid on Take Spikes during Corey's first TD run was a thing of beauty. Nice job.

Wasn't it just. Heath and Ben have both improved their blocking dramatically from last season. Dave Thomas may even be a tad better blocker than Ben. Mangurian, and I suspect Scarnecchi, has done some excellent work here. It's obvious the Team still misses having Grahambo on the field, but those other three are bringing wood and laying the lumber too.

I did read some criticism of Ben's pass blocking against Buffalo, he had trouble with it in preseason too. We'll see what the tape shows, but the only opponent (to date) who has truly disrupted the O-line's pass blocking has been Buffalo - and we know how well that has worked for them in regards to winning games.