USA Today Punks McDaniels

[Brownfan80]

Re: Getting back to the premise of the article

Either way if we don't see the Pats offensive play calling expanding soon, it becomes very difficult to envision a scenario where the Pats are comtinuing to squeak out victories.

Don't you think that as the season goes along and the WRs get more used to Brady that things will become more complex? You don't take out 4 years worth of WR continuity and then come out with the same complex offensive design with new guys. If we'd done that Brady would have thrown 8 INTs and 3 TDs and we'd be sitting at 1-4 instead of 4-1. We have a good running game. It can get us through the adjustment period. Who knows how long that will take? Only Brady and the WRs know. But if the offense can keep doing enough for TEAM football to keep taking place, then I'm not worried at ALL about the wins stopping. We haven't had fewer than 9 wins in all of Brady's tenure. Can you really say that 9 wins wouldn't get us the AFCE title this season? I'm not worried at all about how things are progressing.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Re: Getting back to the premise of the article

Either way if we don't see the Pats offensive play calling expanding soon, it becomes very difficult to envision a scenario where the Pats are comtinuing to squeak out victories.

While every game will be taken seriously, we have some real turds on the schedule coming up, so while normally I'd say they can't expect to continue to win while playing the way they have, this schedule makes it possible.

Let's just hope they don't play "down" to the level of their opponents in that stretch and develop some bad habits.

Instead, I would hope that playing such oppponents would give the offense the confidence and opportunity to start being more agressive as they tune up for the playoffs.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

A national newspaper with a damn good sports section comes out with an article that will probably start raising eyebrows all over the country about the way Josh McDaniels has handled our offense and before NEM can say two words about it, he's being attacked.

Yes, we all know that NEM has been riding McDaniels to start figuring out how to get our offense running right. And NEM has been bashed repeatedly for it.

Now, a sports jounalist is saying the same things NEM has been saying since the 2nd game of the season and you can't give NEM one single compliment for saying it first?

Have any of you been suggesting how the Pats could run the offense and had a national newspaper come out and make the same points?

I think you should give NEM some due credit. Some of our veteran posters have written long passionate posts on why NEM is wrong. How about those veterans writing long well-thought out posts on how they would use our offense instead of posting negativity towards other people?

 

[JoeSixPat]

A national newspaper with a damn good sports section comes out with an article that will probably start raising eyebrows all over the country about the way Josh McDaniels has handled our offense and before NEM can say two words about it, he's being attacked.

Yes, we all know that NEM has been riding McDaniels to start figuring out how to get our offense running right. And NEM has been bashed repeatedly for it.

Now, a sports jounalist is saying the same things NEM has been saying since the 2nd game of the season and you can't give NEM one single compliment for saying it first?

Have any of you been suggesting how the Pats could run the offense and had a national newspaper come out and make the same points?

I think you should give NEM some due credit. Some of our veteran posters have written long passionate posts on why NEM is wrong. How about those veterans writing long well-thought out posts on how they would use our offense instead of posting negativity towards other people?

I've been a bit surprised by everyone's reaction as well.

I began to change my tune in week 3, as I began to come around to NEM's line of thinking - not agreeing with him on everything but noting areas where the play calling left me scratching my head.

Since NEM and I are in a mutual disdain club I figured people might give NEM's comments a second look, as I'd normally be the first on the "NEM is full of crap" bandwagon.

Not so apparently - nor even a backhanded "even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then" comment.

But while many comments appear to be anti-NEM I think its just a Kool-aid factor where one can't criticize any aspect of the Patriots lest they be percieved as un-Patriotic.

And what fun would that be?

 

[rookBoston]

I read similar emotions on the board back in the Charlie Weis days, including (and especially) from NEM. The talk then was that Charlie would call ineffective running plays, try the play action too often especially in situations where no one could ever be fooled, etc. etc. etc.

And now the fans are pining away for the good old Weis days, as though it was great vintage wine.

I would like to see a little more tactical play calling from McD, but overall, I think he's doing fine. Not great. Fine. Like anyone else (to coin Belichick's favorite catch phrase) there's room for improvement.

He's still a rookie with a single red-shirt season under his belt. Give him some time to grow into his role.

 

[PatsSteve1]

The larger problem with the Patriots passing O is they aren't executing enough of the play that's called. many passes in the dirt, most long passes missed when the reciever was open, batted down passes at the LOS and Brady and the WR's not running routes so they're on the same page. Any play called that isn't executed correctly won't work. Even a so-called perfect play call. The Patriots 1st play of the 2nd half against Miami from thier own 9 yard line. Tha Patriots threw a bomb to Gabriel where he had his man by a step or two but the ball was overthrown. Miami had been playing mostly press coverage and playing the run. I though it a great call to try to open up the field to start the 2nd half and try to score on one play. It doesn't do any of that when you miss it.
The OC doesn't come up with the gameplan in a room by himself without any other input. BB has major input and it's well known Brady veto's or advocate's pass plays he dislikes or likes. Every play called goes through BB's headset, who could veto it, and on to Brady who could change the play.
The O coaching staff comes up with what they want to do against an opponent overall and in certain down and distance situations. They come up with plays that based on the teams talent they feel will work best. It all has time to improve during the long season and I'm not saying every play called I'm happy with. There's never been any year I've felt that way. But this is more than just playcalling.
I'd even add that maybe we've overrated some of the O talent and I'd offer up Watson as an example. All off season many of the media even said how he'd have be having breakout year. I don't see that in him. I see a staightlibe kind of speed guy that isn't quick in breaks or cuts and he doesn't seem to have great hands. I don't see him beaing a Gates, Gonzales or Ben Coates in his great years. Of course watching games on TV, and anyone else that's just seem them on TV has the same problem, seeing what's going on downfield is just impossible. All you see is when the ball arrives unless they show a good replay. Like last year I had no real idea just how bad the DB coverage was until I attended the Falcons game. I get to to Vikings and Colts games in succession this year and as soon as I see it's a pass I'm watching what happens downfield - I want to see for myself what's going on with recievers. Maybe after the bye week and the Bills games it'll all look better anyway.

 

[captain stone]

The larger problem with the Patriots passing O is they aren't executing enough of the play that's called. many passes in the dirt, most long passes missed when the reciever was open, batted down passes at the LOS and Brady and the WR's not running routes so they're on the same page. Any play called that isn't executed correctly won't work. Even a so-called perfect play call. The Patriots 1st play of the 2nd half against Miami from thier own 9 yard line. Tha Patriots threw a bomb to Gabriel where he had his man by a step or two but the ball was overthrown. Miami had been playing mostly press coverage and playing the run. I though it a great call to try to open up the field to start the 2nd half and try to score on one play. It doesn't do any of that when you miss it.
The OC doesn't come up with the gameplan in a room by himself without any other input. BB has major input and it's well known Brady veto's or advocate's pass plays he dislikes or likes. Every play called goes through BB's headset, who could veto it, and on to Brady who could change the play.
The O coaching staff comes up with what they want to do against an opponent overall and in certain down and distance situations. They come up with plays that based on the teams talent they feel will work best. It all has time to improve during the long season and I'm not saying every play called I'm happy with. There's never been any year I've felt that way. But this is more than just playcalling.
I'd even add that maybe we've overrated some of the O talent and I'd offer up Watson as an example. All off season many of the media even said how he'd have be having breakout year. I don't see that in him. I see a staightlibe kind of speed guy that isn't quick in breaks or cuts and he doesn't seem to have great hands. I don't see him beaing a Gates, Gonzales or Ben Coates in his great years. Of course watching games on TV, and anyone else that's just seem them on TV has the same problem, seeing what's going on downfield is just impossible. All you see is when the ball arrives unless they show a good replay. Like last year I had no real idea just how bad the DB coverage was until I attended the Falcons game. I get to to Vikings and Colts games in succession this year and as soon as I see it's a pass I'm watching what happens downfield - I want to see for myself what's going on with recievers. Maybe after the bye week and the Bills games it'll all look better anyway.

Sounds good to me.

The Pats passing O vs. their passing D should make for some interesting bye week practices. Will the DBs practice tackling technique, I wonder.

 

[Oswlek]

A national newspaper with a damn good sports section comes out with an article that will probably start raising eyebrows all over the country about the way Josh McDaniels has handled our offense and before NEM can say two words about it, he's being attacked.

Yes, we all know that NEM has been riding McDaniels to start figuring out how to get our offense running right. And NEM has been bashed repeatedly for it.

Now, a sports jounalist is saying the same things NEM has been saying since the 2nd game of the season and you can't give NEM one single compliment for saying it first?

Have any of you been suggesting how the Pats could run the offense and had a national newspaper come out and make the same points?

I think you should give NEM some due credit. Some of our veteran posters have written long passionate posts on why NEM is wrong. How about those veterans writing long well-thought out posts on how they would use our offense instead of posting negativity towards other people?

This is not an accurate representation of what has happened with NEM. First, NEM is like the little boy that cried wolf. He has been bashing the offensive play calling and the OC for as long as I have been on the Pats messageboards. Second, NEM tries to take credit when the offense does well, whether or not they actually use his recommendations. Lastly, with all the turnover at WR, it is pretty clear that NE has scaled back their offense a little to ease the new guys in and try to avoid killer TOs. It seems pretty much universally understood that more diverse play calling would keep defenses on their heels a little, and I'm sure that we will see just that as the team grows together.

Nobody is saying that the playcalling is perfect and deserves no critiquing. What we are saying is that there are plenty of extenuating circumstances that are helping to cause the issues that people are attacking. The critics are setting themselves up for a "I told you so" when it should be clear to anyone following the team that what they are calling for will happen anyway.

 

[shmessy]

This is not an accurate representation of what has happened with NEM. First, NEM is like the little boy that cried wolf. He has been bashing the offensive play calling and the OC for as long as I have been on the Pats messageboards. Second, NEM tries to take credit when the offense does well, whether or not they actually use his recommendations. Lastly, with all the turnover at WR, it is pretty clear that NE has scaled back their offense a little to ease the new guys in and try to avoid killer TOs. It seems pretty much universally understood that more diverse play calling would keep defenses on their heels a little, and I'm sure that we will see just that as the team grows together.

Nobody is saying that the playcalling is perfect and deserves no critiquing. What we are saying is that there are plenty of extenuating circumstances that are helping to cause the issues that people are attacking. The critics are setting themselves up for a "I told you so" when it should be clear to anyone following the team that what they are calling for will happen anyway.

In other words: "A broken clock is right twice a day".