Was Jabar Gafney on the Team When We Played the Colts in Nov.? And other rants...

[PatsDeb]

I just can't believe how no one is giving the Pats any chance to win this game! Even Tim Fox (Tim Fox!!) said he thought the Pats were going to lose, but he hoped he was wrong. He thought the cumulative travel for two tough road games will make the Pats unable to rise to the occassion. I think BB will get them thinking, just win today and you can have a week off before the Superbowl. Brady looked very confident at his press conference; he didn't look tired at all.

Our passing game has looked so much better these last five weeks or so, and everyone poo poos that. I can't remember if Gafney was on the team yet in Nov., or if he was, he must have been new and didn't do much. Now that he and Reche are playing well (and Troy is his usual self), we at least have the threat of an explosive passing game which we didn't have then. That's gotta help us in this game. We kept it close last time with a lot less going for us.

Everyone talks about Manning and how he is "due" to have a great game since he's had two stinkers in a row. Couldn't the same be applied to our running game? What about Maroney indoors on turf? Isn't that where he shined in college? The one-sidedness of the story lines is incredible.

Last night on NFL Network the big story was about how "Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith are on the verge of NFL history..." Uh, don't they both have to get past a very formidable opponent first? They acknowldeged that Lovie Smith had to get by Shaun Payton before he could coach against his good friend Tony Dungy. No mention was made that Tony Dungy has to get past anyone.

If the Pats do win, they should dance in the press box rather than the middle of the field for all of the disrespect they have been shown by the supposed "experts" in the NFL. This time (as in other times past) the disrespect is real. Most of them predicted just one week ago that Indy had no chance. Now they are the second coming of the greatest team we have ever seen.

GO PATS! I hope and pray that you win (and think that you will!).

 

[DarrylS]

Love the "due" stuff, I have been playing the same Powerball numbers for 20+ years now.. does that mean I am going to win soon as I am "due"? The "due" argument is stupid and means nothing in the real world. just some figment that the scribes get hung up on.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Looks like Gaffney was signed after the bye week(was there for week 7 vs Buffalo)

5 MIA W 20-10 Did Not Play
6 Bye
7 @BUF W 28-6 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
8 @MIN W 31-7 1 4 4.0 4 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
9 IND L 27-20 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
10 NYJ L 17-14 3 65 21.7 33 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0


Would have been the third week when they played Indy, when the pats still had hope on Gabriel..

Today is a different story for the Colts.

 

[BelichickFan]

The Dungy-Lovie stuff makes me puke - although I have to root for the Bears in Game One as they're an automatic win in two weeks, IMO, if the Patriots win. If the Bears and Colts win I'm expecting some kind of Reality TV gay love scene next weekend between the two.

 

[pats1]

Gaffney was signed October 9, or the day after the Miami game.

 

[JR4]

But Gaff was still learning and not much of a factor. He had 1 catch before
that game and none in that game and Gabriel was still around.

PATs passing game is a lot better now. IMO.

 

[AzPatsFan]

People still confuse talent with team contribution. as Pioli has said we aren't recruiting talent as much as building a TEAM.

Doug Gabriel is a talented receiver.
Donald Hayes was a talented receiver.
Jabbar Gaffney is a talented receiver.

All proved that with their performance records in the NFL.

All three did not fit on a team on which they were members. They were not good fits for the role the Team needed.
Good Coaches are paid to be able to distinguish that fact.
Great Coaches do something about it and don't hide from the responsibility.

Belichick recognized that Gabriel had the receiving talent, but was a free lancer that wouldn't/couldn't preform in the complex timing system to force openings for a WR by plays made by other WRs. So he cut his losses and spent time with someone else who did display that ability. Square peg, round hole. Face the decision, cut him, spend the attention on a guy who could/might have that specific talent that the Team needed.

Andy Reid did the same thing in Philly. With the development of Reggie Brown an the return to health of Todd Pinkston, he had his possession types; he needed the game breaker long ball threat to replace TO. Jabbar was not and never has been that style of player although he has good speed. Square peg round hole. Face the decision, cut him; trade for Donte Stalworth who has that profile. A great Coach doing a great job.

Both Teams are the better for it.

There are still die hard Chicken Littles that say that neither Reche nor Jabbar are rising stars. Because they were unsuccessful elsewhere they must be bums. Not so at all.

Both have excellent pre-draft athletic skill evaluations as manifest by their second round draft selections. both have size 6'0' - 6'1" Both have speed 4.39 - 4.48. One needed to be lucky and recover from a nasty knee injury. The other had his perfectly good career stats downgraded by a cut as a prime Free Agent by a good team/Coach.

Both indicated the ability to jump to the NFL level of play. One led his team in his third season until injury struck a third of the way through his "breakout " season. The other has averaged over 42 catches a year every year he has been in the NFL, even while playing on an expansion team.
Now their talents fit this team, that they are now teammates and complement each other.

Square pegs in square holes. The Patriots WR corps, going forward, is better than last season.

While Reche is not better yet than Deon he has a greater upside potential as the "get open, catch, and occasional long ball threat" that Deon was limited in being able to do. Deon was a great at "get open and catch". He wasn't the occasional long ball threat at all.

While Jabbar has not yet demonstrated it by Patriots performance, he has a demonstrated much higher upside than Givens, as the "possession" type guy. His good but not great speed also prevents Defenses from collapsing on the possession receivers side of the field.

 

[mgteich]

If you consider Branch and Givens to be "stars" in the NFL, then Caldwell and Gaffney are indeed "rising stars". Given that low bar, they are current stars.

People still confuse talent with team contribution. as Pioli has said we aren't recruiting talent as much as building a TEAM.

Doug Gabriel is a talented receiver.
Donald Hayes was a talented receiver.
Jabbar Gaffney is a talented receiver.

All proved that with their performance records in the NFL.

All three did not fit on a team on which they were members. They were not good fits for the role the Team needed.
Good Coaches are paid to be able to distinguish that fact.
Great Coaches do something about it and don't hide from the responsibility.

Belichick recognized that Gabriel had the receiving talent, but was a free lancer that wouldn't/couldn't preform in the complex timing system to force openings for a WR by plays made by other WRs. So he cut his losses and spent time with someone else who did display that ability. Square peg, round hole. Face the decision, cut him, spend the attention on a guy who could/might have that specific talent that the Team needed.

Andy Reid did the same thing in Philly. With the development of Reggie Brown an the return to health of Todd Pinkston, he had his possession types; he needed the game breaker long ball threat to replace TO. Jabbar was not and never has been that style of player although he has good speed. Square peg round hole. Face the decision, cut him; trade for Donte Stalworth who has that profile. A great Coach doing a great job.

Both Teams are the better for it.

There are still die hard Chicken Littles that say that neither Reche nor Jabbar are rising stars. Because they were unsuccessful elsewhere they must be bums. Not so at all.

Both have excellent pre-draft athletic skill evaluations as manifest by their second round draft selections. both have size 6'0' - 6'1" Both have speed 4.39 - 4.48. One needed to be lucky and recover from a nasty knee injury. The other had his perfectly good career stats downgraded by a cut as a prime Free Agent by a good team/Coach.

Both indicated the ability to jump to the NFL level of play. One led his team in his third season until injury struck a third of the way through his "breakout " season. The other has averaged over 42 catches a year every year he has been in the NFL, even while playing on an expansion team.
Now their talents fit this team, that they are now teammates and complement each other.

Square pegs in square holes. The Patriots WR corps, going forward, is better than last season.

While Reche is not better yet than Deon he has a greater upside potential as the "get open, catch, and occasional long ball threat" that Deon was limited in being able to do. Deon was a great at "get open and catch". He wasn't the occasional long ball threat at all.

While Jabbar has not yet demonstrated it by Patriots performance, he has a demonstrated much higher upside than Givens, as the "possession" type guy. His good but not great speed also prevents Defenses from collapsing on the possession receivers side of the field.

 

[PatsDeb]

People still confuse talent with team contribution. as Pioli has said we aren't recruiting talent as much as building a TEAM.

Doug Gabriel is a talented receiver.
Donald Hayes was a talented receiver.
Jabbar Gaffney is a talented receiver.

All proved that with their performance records in the NFL.

All three did not fit on a team on which they were members. They were not good fits for the role the Team needed.
Good Coaches are paid to be able to distinguish that fact.
Great Coaches do something about it and don't hide from the responsibility.

Belichick recognized that Gabriel had the receiving talent, but was a free lancer that wouldn't/couldn't preform in the complex timing system to force openings for a WR by plays made by other WRs. So he cut his losses and spent time with someone else who did display that ability. Square peg, round hole. Face the decision, cut him, spend the attention on a guy who could/might have that specific talent that the Team needed.

Andy Reid did the same thing in Philly. With the development of Reggie Brown an the return to health of Todd Pinkston, he had his possession types; he needed the game breaker long ball threat to replace TO. Jabbar was not and never has been that style of player although he has good speed. Square peg round hole. Face the decision, cut him; trade for Donte Stalworth who has that profile. A great Coach doing a great job.

Both Teams are the better for it.

There are still die hard Chicken Littles that say that neither Reche nor Jabbar are rising stars. Because they were unsuccessful elsewhere they must be bums. Not so at all.

Both have excellent pre-draft athletic skill evaluations as manifest by their second round draft selections. both have size 6'0' - 6'1" Both have speed 4.39 - 4.48. One needed to be lucky and recover from a nasty knee injury. The other had his perfectly good career stats downgraded by a cut as a prime Free Agent by a good team/Coach.

Both indicated the ability to jump to the NFL level of play. One led his team in his third season until injury struck a third of the way through his "breakout " season. The other has averaged over 42 catches a year every year he has been in the NFL, even while playing on an expansion team.
Now their talents fit this team, that they are now teammates and complement each other.

Square pegs in square holes. The Patriots WR corps, going forward, is better than last season.

While Reche is not better yet than Deon he has a greater upside potential as the "get open, catch, and occasional long ball threat" that Deon was limited in being able to do. Deon was a great at "get open and catch". He wasn't the occasional long ball threat at all.

While Jabbar has not yet demonstrated it by Patriots performance, he has a demonstrated much higher upside than Givens, as the "possession" type guy. His good but not great speed also prevents Defenses from collapsing on the possession receivers side of the field.

Good analysis (much more technical than I could put into words). I also thought the passing game improved greatly when they took the focus off of Watson and went back to a more "dink & dunk" underneath style. Then the occassional deep ball was there, where it wasn't in the early part of the season. Don't know if this was a cause of the receivers getting better in the system, or an effect. What do you think of Watson? I know he was injured for a while, but I don't think he's been that great this year, injury or not. He certainly was not the break out tight end everyone predicted. Last week in SD I thought the 1st two INTs were the result of him running a different pattern from what Brady expected (although I swear the one right to the defender was because Brady was having trouble with the shadows and didn't see the guy - Watson is right behind the guy making the pick on the replay).

 

[patsox23]

While Reche is not better yet than Deon he has a greater upside potential as the "get open, catch, and occasional long ball threat" that Deon was limited in being able to do. Deon was a great at "get open and catch". He wasn't the occasional long ball threat at all.

AZ, REALLY enjoyed your post, but wanted to respond to this passage, which is something I've read before around here. I think Deion WAS a deep threat - maybe not constantly, but I can think of many deep passes/TDs he caught during his time in N.E.

Otherwise I agreed with everything you wrote.

 

[wdkantro2]

AZ, REALLY enjoyed your post, but wanted to respond to this passage, which is something I've read before around here. I think Deion WAS a deep threat - maybe not constantly, but I can think of many deep passes/TDs he caught during his time in N.E.

Otherwise I agreed with everything you wrote.

Every receiver in football will occasionally go downfield except for some guy who is insanely slow. In 05 Branch averaged something like 12.5 yards per catch- that is certainly not a stat of a guy who goes downfield. A real downfield guy like Randy Moss averages 15+ yards per catch.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Good analysis (much more technical than I could put into words). I also thought the passing game improved greatly when they took the focus off of Watson and went back to a more "dink & dunk" underneath style. Then the occassional deep ball was there, where it wasn't in the early part of the season. Don't know if this was a cause of the receivers getting better in the system, or an effect. What do you think of Watson? I know he was injured for a while, but I don't think he's been that great this year, injury or not. He certainly was not the break out tight end everyone predicted. Last week in SD I thought the 1st two INTs were the result of him running a different pattern from what Brady expected (although I swear the one right to the defender was because Brady was having trouble with the shadows and didn't see the guy - Watson is right behind the guy making the pick on the replay).

Watson was on track to have a "breakout" year prior to injury, as it is, he has had a very good year as a receiver, elevating his performance to the next level, but his fumbles drop it below excellent. He isn't a natural receiver with great hands, I see his troubles since coming back to be a result of the layoff focusing on his knee's recuperation and not on developing his consistency in receiving. I don't know if he'll get his timing with Tommy back before the end of the season - but he's still playing (as of today) as well as last season which wasn't that bad. Further, his blocking is greatly improved. We're working with a plus for that reason.

Having Reche and Jabar develop has taken the burden off Watson - it might also be that Watson's injury was critical in their elevation. We can now be confident the Pats' receiving corps (WR/TE/RB) is operating at their highest level of the season and offers a diverse array of weapons for any situation. And we can always have hope the early season Ben Watson will reappear, helping spread the Colts defense with Reche and Jabar.

Go Pats!