USA Today Punks McDaniels

[edgecy]

Guys. We've only played 5 games.

3 against division opponents. For one thing, I have never seen BB go all out against a division opponent, part of it may be because we face those teams twice, or may be out of the respect BB has for other teams to not run up the score when victory is guaranteed.

Two games that we played against other teams, one we dominated in every aspect of the game, and the other we lost after Corey went down, which, like it or not, is a HUGE part of our offense especially when in Week 3 we barely had any passing game going.

5 games into a 16 game season, a first year YOUNG (29 years of age for cryin' out loud) OC. We're 4-1. Yeah, I don't think I am going to lose any sleep over this just yet.

 

[zippo59]

I'm no expert but I think a lot of the offensive problems have been due to simply a lack of execution. Part of this is because of new faces at WR, as well as a little early season sloppiness.

I am confident that Bill would not put McDaniels in there if he didn't think he could do it.

 

[Drewwho]

I don't think you can say it's McDaniel's fault QUOTE]

I think that is why NEM wrote 'some of the blame' which I completely agree with!

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

I'm no expert but I think a lot of the offensive problems have been due to simply a lack of execution. Part of this is because of new faces at WR, as well as a little early season sloppiness.

I am confident that Bill would not put McDaniels in there if he didn't think he could do it.

If a team executes well enough, they can beat you doing just about anything. Denver's gonna run the ball. We all know it. Try and stop them. Colts are gonna pass. Most teams can't stop it.

The Pats are just not at the level to execute in the passing game, and are not the league's most dominant running team from an O-line point of view, we just happen to have two really good running backs with YAC, and a couple change-up backs as well.

I'm never happy with the offensive play calling when it doesn't work but somehow I feel that we are better off trying to make big plays in the passing game than going back to Weis's dinks and dunks.

Brady is going to have to overcompensate for the fact that the WRs aren't exactly were they should be. He's going to have to be a bit of a gunslinger until the WRs get with the program. So far, Brady has done the opposite, and been a game manager, throwing the ball away a bit too often. I'd like to see him take some shots downfield and put it where the WR is, instead of where the WR 'should be' in a perfect world.

 

[JoeSixPat]

It's an apples and oranges comparison, but I wonder if there aren't some similarities to Mangini's difficulties last season

Mangini, confronted with a lot of defensive injuries, defaulted to a very simple, conservative defense - and we were getting killed as a result. Finally, the remaining healthy guys convinced him to unleash the hounds, and the increased pressure showed dividends.

Now, McDaniels has an offense with lots of new inexperienced players - and as a result he's gone simple, vanilla, playcalling.

Maybe the players will step up and call on him to let them loose?

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

Just wondering, but what is the statute of limitations on the Brady and his WR's can't get in synch talk? personally, I've had enough of it. Either Brady is the superstar we believe he is and he just needs to put that familiarity crap aside and start putting the ball in someone's hands or he's not the creative, industrious game winner we thought we had. The former seems to be the truth but I'm getting tired of waiting for it to happen. I mean, are the new WR's just plain stupid and Tommy is just thinking over their heads or what?

As for McDaniels? He's earned a C grade at best. That good only because the Pats have rolled up some decent yardage but that bad also for some horrific calls ( like the 4th and 1 against Denver, which essentially ended the game) and for forgetting the screen play and the draw. I don't think Brady has handed off from the shotgun all year. Josh gets some minus points also for not using or connocting more plays to get Maroney off the edges instead of just up the middle. With our good blocking TE's and Evans, McDaniels ought to be able draw up something more often to jam the corner and get LoMo some space.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Just wondering, but what is the statute of limitations on the Brady and his WR's can't get in synch talk? personally, I've had enough of it. Either Brady is the superstar we believe he is and he just needs to put that familiarity crap aside and start putting the ball in someone's hands or he's not the creative, industrious game winner we thought we had. The former seems to be the truth but I'm getting tired of waiting for it to happen. I mean, are the new WR's just plain stupid and Tommy is just thinking over their heads or what?

As for McDaniels? He's earned a C grade at best. That good only because the Pats have rolled up some decent yardage but that bad also for some horrific calls ( like the 4th and 1 against Denver, which essentially ended the game) and for forgetting the screen play and the draw. I don't think Brady has handed off from the shotgun all year. Josh gets some minus points also for not using or connocting more plays to get Maroney off the edges instead of just up the middle. With our good blocking TE's and Evans, McDaniels ought to be able draw up something more often to jam the corner and get LoMo some space.

I'm not ready to go that far in calling out Brady, but I do think he is going to have to get outside his comfort zone and be 'better' than the WRs. If they run the wrong route, he is going to have to do his own adjustments for a while. I know that is 'risky' and not playing it safe, but Brady has got to find a way to complete passes to his WRs, regardless of how well they run the route.

Clearly I am oversimplifying the situation to a degree, but Brady is gonna have to realize that these guys are not always gonna be where he wants on each play. Hopefully they get up to speed soon.

 

[Oswlek]

Just wondering, but what is the statute of limitations on the Brady and his WR's can't get in synch talk? personally, I've had enough of it. Either Brady is the superstar we believe he is and he just needs to put that familiarity crap aside and start putting the ball in someone's hands or he's not the creative, industrious game winner we thought we had. The former seems to be the truth but I'm getting tired of waiting for it to happen. I mean, are the new WR's just plain stupid and Tommy is just thinking over their heads or what?

As for McDaniels? He's earned a C grade at best. That good only because the Pats have rolled up some decent yardage but that bad also for some horrific calls ( like the 4th and 1 against Denver, which essentially ended the game) and for forgetting the screen play and the draw. I don't think Brady has handed off from the shotgun all year. Josh gets some minus points also for not using or connocting more plays to get Maroney off the edges instead of just up the middle. With our good blocking TE's and Evans, McDaniels ought to be able draw up something more often to jam the corner and get LoMo some space.

In the first three quarters of last game, there were three plays that had obvious to the naked eye miscommunications between Brady and a receiver. I think it would be safe to assume that there are at least that many that you or I cannot tell it happened. Don't you think that might have something to do with Brady looking a little off? NE has only had three TOs all season against teams that defensively cause that many every two games. Brady's conservative play is a big reason for this.

As far as McDaniels, the WR/QB disconnect obviously limits the number of pass plays that can be called. Because of this NE has used vanilla game plans.

I personally think that you are overreacting and showing a tremendous lack of patience.

 

[363839]

I'm no expert but I think a lot of the offensive problems have been due to simply a lack of execution. Part of this is because of new faces at WR, as well as a little early season sloppiness.

I am confident that Bill would not put McDaniels in there if he didn't think he could do it.

I agree with the first part of your post but I'm also sure that BB knows that just because he thinks McDaniels can do the job does not mean he will do the job.
Everyone is always being evaluated continuosly.

 

[363839]

I agree with the first part of your post but I'm also sure that BB knows that just because he thinks McDaniels can do the job does not mean he will do the job.
Everyone is always being evaluated continuosly.

Direct from the department of redundancy department.

 

[Oswlek]

Some of you guys have got to stop grasping at straws, and making excuses. McDaniels has been pitiful, plain and simple. Lack of imagination, lack of change, lack of adjustments, and very reluctant to do what this team can be very capable of doing.

We are fortunate, thus far, that we have not had to play good teams.....and in the Cincy game, if McDaniels didnt install the NEM offense in the 2nd half, who knows what would have happened there.

The inside passing game, in Cincy, opend up the great 2nd half running game which sparked the win. If he had come out and attempted to pound the ball in the 2nd half, the result may have been very different.

He needs a kick in the head....he is too inexperienced and he looks like he's afraid to make changes.... If he doesnt, the writer of this article is right on target. And we lose.

BTW, you should see some of the other great articles I have written.

I don't think anyone feels that McDaniels is without flaw, but it is you that is grasping at straws. Against Cincy they did virtually the exact opposite of what you had been saying. It wasn't that much different a game plan then the one they used in the Denver and Miami games, except it worked because the D wasn't as good.

People might take you more seriously if you didn't try to take credit for something that you weren't even remotely close to saying.

 

[FirstAndGoal]

I'm not ready to go that far in calling out Brady, but I do think he is going to have to get outside his comfort zone and be 'better' than the WRs. If they run the wrong route, he is going to have to do his own adjustments for a while. I know that is 'risky' and not playing it safe, but Brady has got to find a way to complete passes to his WRs, regardless of how well they run the route.

Clearly I am oversimplifying the situation to a degree, but Brady is gonna have to realize that these guys are not always gonna be where he wants on each play. Hopefully they get up to speed soon.

I don't think it's as easy as you guys are thinking it is. This isn't a west coast offense where you're slashing and playing angles. This offense is based on timing and creating opportunities down-field. The receivers run their patterns. Brady has progressions he goes through to determine who to throw to. If the safety doubles down on the primary, he goes to the secondary hoping that he's the single guy and that safety moving to the primary created some seam. The receiver may be running a completely different pattern because of that and Brady knows that because when he looked at the primary, he saw the double. The receivers adjust their routes based on the secondary reaction He can go through any number of progressions and each time, he's expecting something based on the coverage. The patterns that NE run are complicated. They take advantage of the secondary moving to cover receivers and the receivers do different things depending on how the secondary is playing that situation. Brady's checks are quick and are based on adjustments the receivers make. Safety's on primary so that means secondary should be single covered and cutting this way, etc. If the safety comes down and helps cover Gabrial for instance, that might mean that Chad runs a post instead of a slant and so on. Brady can't just start looking for receivers because they don't know the routes. If guys are out of position or don't adjust to what the secondary is reacting to, Brady doesn't know if the safety or corner or whoever bit or if he's hiding just out of his view. New England expects certain things to happen downfield and the way the receivers run their patterns is based on the expectation that the secondary will be moved out of position. The kind of passing you're asking Brady to do is west coast style and it is completely different. If Brady started adjusting in real-time, he would be holding the ball much longer because now he's doing what the receivers are supposed to help him with. .Have patience. It will take time but when it comes together, you're going to see the old Brady.

 

[Brownfan80]

.............................

NEM, we've been over this a million and a half times, and yet still you deny your own words. I won't even bother posting the link again because obviously it's pointless. But seriously, all the 'right and wrong' out the window, if you try to say that your pre-game prediction of the Bengal game is what occured then sir, you are either completely senile, or lying to yourself.

Because you sure aren't lying to any of us, at least not successfully. We've seen the posts and know what really occured.

 

[Oswlek]

NEM, we've been over this a million and a half times, and yet still you deny your own words. I won't even bother posting the link again because obviously it's pointless. But seriously, all the 'right and wrong' out the window, if you try to say that your pre-game prediction of the Bengal game is what occured then sir, you are either completely senile, or lying to yourself.

Because you sure aren't lying to any of us, at least not successfully. We've seen the posts and know what really occured.

It is bizarre. If NE has success, he claims that they did what he wanted. If they don't he lambasts them. All of this is completely irrelevent of whether they actually followed his blueprint.

At this point I am considering not even replying to him anymore.

 

[captain stone]

Just wondering, but what is the statute of limitations on the Brady and his WR's can't get in synch talk? personally, I've had enough of it. Either Brady is the superstar we believe he is and he just needs to put that familiarity crap aside and start putting the ball in someone's hands or he's not the creative, industrious game winner we thought we had. The former seems to be the truth but I'm getting tired of waiting for it to happen. I mean, are the new WR's just plain stupid and Tommy is just thinking over their heads or what?

As for McDaniels? He's earned a C grade at best. That good only because the Pats have rolled up some decent yardage but that bad also for some horrific calls ( like the 4th and 1 against Denver, which essentially ended the game) and for forgetting the screen play and the draw. I don't think Brady has handed off from the shotgun all year. Josh gets some minus points also for not using or connocting more plays to get Maroney off the edges instead of just up the middle. With our good blocking TE's and Evans, McDaniels ought to be able draw up something more often to jam the corner and get LoMo some space.

I agree with the general gist of this post, and of the Inside Slant piece; however, I believe that the Belichick/Weis offense will become more complete as the season progresses, although I do not believe that McD is ready to be the OC of a SB contender, at least not yet. I also have doubts about the combined abilities of Gaffney, Caldwell (2 Steve Superior WRs, after all), Gabriel and Jackson to fully grasp this fairly complicated offense, even by season's end. Now if these 4 had Troy Brown's smarts, and his everything elses, then I would feel completely confident about the positive prognosis of our passing game.

As for the running game, it appears that Maroney does indeed run better behind a FB. Evans' blocking is improving, yet the traditional I-Formation seemed to be infrequently used vs. Miami. I don't have tape of the game, so maybe I'm off-base here. Some runs to the outside also would have helped.

Finally, is the fact, that the pats' sloppiest offensive performances have come at home, merely coincidence, or the byproduct of the poor playing surface? Perhaps BB is legitimately concerned, and not blowing smoke, after all.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

EVERYONE knows it's all Brady's fault (sarcasm).

 

[JoeSixPat]

COP OUT PLEASE. These are pros, they have been around, for the most part. This crap of them not playing together is ridiculous. Plain and simple, it has been asinine play calling....


Sorry, but thats the way it is.....

These guys dont need excuses, they just need to have the lousy hand they have been getting dealt, stopped. Either get a new dealer, or change the decks.

More like rationalizing... trust me - I'm giving you credit for your comments in this regard long before USA Today decided to call McDaniels out... I've done so in many threads because frankly I think you deserve some credit here - especially given the flak you've taken for it... and of course because I generally agree with you.

Just the fact that I'd give you credit and agree with you alone should suggest to others that you're not full of crap on this one, as everyone knows how much I enjoy challenging you on such issues!

But the fact is that OCs do opt for simpler plays based on the personnel at hand, and their general experience or experience in the system. And in case you forgot, that's what they did with Brady in 2001 - and quite successfully I might add.

Although we're 4-1 I too question how "successful" we've been. And by now, the offense HAS been playing together long enough, so that if they rationalized simple play calling up to now, I'd say that after the bye is a perfect time to start mixing it up a bit more.

 

[Joker]

Relax NEM

we could have Pete Carroll as head coach

 

[fgssand]

You're also calling for Samuel to be traded for Moss, so I'd say your ideas are worth about as much as toilet residue.

As for the conservative gameplan, they're obviously trying to give the passing offense time to get in synch, which they obviously need by the results of many of our passing plays. This gameplan has resulted in a 4-1 record.

I think the haters need to stop expecting 45 points a game and enjoy that we're getting through a period that would derail most offenses pretty cleanly.

Could be truth to what you say....the one game where the Patriots were really expected to need a lot of points was Cinnci - they sure got them.

Passing game is essential and it figures to be way more advanced come games in December, Jan and Feb than Sept & October.

 

[shmessy]

Guys. We've only played 5 games.

3 against division opponents. For one thing, I have never seen BB go all out against a division opponent, part of it may be because we face those teams twice, or may be out of the respect BB has for other teams to not run up the score when victory is guaranteed.

Two games that we played against other teams, one we dominated in every aspect of the game, and the other we lost after Corey went down, which, like it or not, is a HUGE part of our offense especially when in Week 3 we barely had any passing game going.

5 games into a 16 game season, a first year YOUNG (29 years of age for cryin' out loud) OC. We're 4-1. Yeah, I don't think I am going to lose any sleep over this just yet.

Exactly. Regarding the 16 game season (and the fact that we have to play the division opponents later on) Belichick is playing CHESS, while all the folks calling for McDaniels to open up the playbook now are all playing CHECKERS.