We’re onto Miami

[SHOWTIME15]

The pats need this one badly. they can’t go 1-3 with the Dolphins having the tie breaker (effectively putting NE 4 games out of 1st place). This thread is for discussion of the Miami game only. If you want to complain about the defense, offense, or coaching, there are other threads for that. I for one am ready to turn the page after last night.

I am hoping Gordon makes his debut, which would allow Gronk to get more space because right now other D-coordinators are just bracketing him and allowing their DBs to win one-on-one matchups with Hogan, Patterson and Dorsett. I have high hopes we can take this one, but would not be surprised if we don’t win our next game until Indy next Thursday night.

 

[archstanton543]

I want to complain about the special teams. Can I do that here?

 

[RobertWeathers]

The pats need this one badly. they can’t go 1-3 with the Dolphins having the tie breaker (effectively putting NE 4 games out of 1st place). This thread is for discussion of the Miami game only. If you want to complain about the defense, offense, or coaching, there are other threads for that. I for one am ready to turn the page after last night.

I am hoping Gordon makes his debut, which would allow Gronk to get more space because right now other D-coordinators are just bracketing him and allowing their DBs to win one-on-one matchups with Hogan, Patterson and Dorsett. I have high hopes we can take this one, but would not be surprised if we don’t win our next game until Indy next Thursday night.

Agree. This really is a gut-check game.

If we think DET had a decent secondary MIA has 7 picks so far and Howard has 3 already.

Gordon has to play. Period.

 

[BradytoMosstoGronk]

Is it Saturday night yet?

Stop the damned skid. Let’s see Gordon produce this week, the offense get it together, and the defense pull their heads out of their a**es and play with some urgency and show they have some potential. The 2011 defense hung in at times, why can’t this one?

Is it really too much for one guy to ask for?

 

[jboston19]

I have a feeling this will be a busy week for transactions with regards to the Pats.

 

[mcmurtry86]

I have a feeling this will be a busy week for transactions with regards to the Pats.

Doubt it. What are they going to do other than maybe shuffle one of the backup OL off and add a RB or WR from the practice squad?

 

[archstanton543]

I have a feeling this will be a busy week for transactions with regards to the Pats.

Nah, not really. Who are they going to bring in at this point? Hell, Gordon is basically a hail mary pass.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Miami DE William Hayes has suffered a torn ACL.

Fins' Hayes tears ACL trying to avoid sack flag

 

[Kontradiction]

Gordon badly needs to go in this one or else this will be another loss. If the rest of the crew can't get open against Detroit, I don't see how they're going to do it against Miami. That front would simply tee off on Brady. Merely the threat of Gordon forces both safeties deep and demands a double (on top of the expected double of Gronk) on the deeper routes. If Dorsett, Patterson, and the backs can't get open after that, then we have serious problems.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

The OL & DL have to get back to the old "do your job" mantra.

 

[Kontradiction]

I also hope we see more bunch formations in this one to help guys like Dorsett and Hogan get a free release at the LOS. Defensively, hopefully Flowers and Chung are back. But either way I'm still expecting a big bag of suck from that unit until I see otherwise.

 

[fightingirish595]

This is a must win. Can’t be 1-3 and Miami at 4-0 with a game still to be played in miami

 

[BradyFTW!]

I also hope we see more bunch formations in this one to help guys like Dorsett and Hogan get a free release at the LOS. Defensively, hopefully Flowers and Chung are back. But either way I'm still expecting a big bag of suck from that unit until I see otherwise.

The last two weeks have really demonstrated to me how badly the defense relies on Flowers. He's the only guy who reliably commands attention and creates pressure: we probably lose the Texans game without him and I think there's a fair chance we win the Lions game with him.

As for Chung; I thought that if you could say nothing else for this front 7, you'd at least be able to say that they can hold their own at the LOS and keep from getting gashed on between-the-tackle runs. But last night proved that that's no given, so yeah any safety help they can get in the way of Chung returning is sorely needed.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Miami DE William Hayes has suffered a torn ACL.

Fins' Hayes tears ACL trying to avoid sack flag

Saw that play in real time, it was really weird to watch but an unsurprising consequence of the new sack rule. The NFL won't care, though, because they'll take a thousand Hayes ACL tears over one Rodgers collarbone.

And I kinda get it, from a marketing perspective. The NFL, largely through self-inflicted injury, has a major shortage of bona fide, recognizable stars. How many football players can you put in a commercial and people will actually recognize who they are? Brady, Gronk, OBJ, Rodgers, and Watt might be the only ones that the public at large would recognize, and in the last 2 years every one of them except Brady has lost a season to injury. Then there's maybe 10 others that someone who actively watches the games would reliably recognize. Then there's the guys who you have to say who they are in the commercial because a football-watching audience will reliably not know who they are: "hey, look, it's Vikings pro bowl receiver Stefon Diggs!" If the NFL has to lose a bunch of guys that nobody cares who they are to injury in order to protect the few that are genuinely recognizable names and faces, then they'll make that trade.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Gordon badly needs to go in this one or else this will be another loss. If the rest of the crew can't get open against Detroit, I don't see how they're going to do it against Miami. That front would simply tee off on Brady. Merely the threat of Gordon forces both safeties deep and demands a double (on top of the expected double of Gronk) on the deeper routes. If Dorsett, Patterson, and the backs can't get open after that, then we have serious problems.

Even Gordon as a decoy would be great. I thought Bill was going to put him in last night but maybe they were being cautious with the hamstring.

 

[Kontradiction]

The last two weeks have really demonstrated to me how badly the defense relies on Flowers. He's the only guy who reliably commands attention and creates pressure: we probably lose the Texans game without him and I think there's a fair chance we win the Lions game with him.

As for Chung; I thought that if you could say nothing else for this front 7, you'd at least be able to say that they can hold their own at the LOS and keep from getting gashed on between-the-tackle runs. But last night proved that that's no given, so yeah any safety help they can get in the way of Chung returning is sorely needed.

The defense relies on the offense putting up points and Brady being able to be Brady. At that point, they can get away with playing GTFB. But if they employing that type of strategy and the offense isn't moving the ball or ringing up points, it's the recipe for a lopsided blowout.

 

[PatsDeb]

Nothing to do but hop back on the train and hope for the best. Even if Josh Gordon isn't ready to go, I hope they dress him up as a decoy and send him long. He's played with way crappier QBs than Brady and made some great plays. I wish they would have done this last night and maybe we could have taken the pressure off of some of the guys who were out there and scored more than 10 paltry points. And, yes, I know the Pats play a complicated scheme and you (normally) can't just throw a guy out there, but last night was pathetic. Double cover Gronk and you are good to go. If Gordon had been out there he would have taken the pressure off of Gronk and others, at least until they figured out he was just a decoy.

 

[HailHydra]

The Dolphins are like the Lions in many regards on offense, but on defense, are better. Tannehill is 10-1 (or something close) in his last chunk of games, and could easily put up big numbers against this Foxborough Middle School defense (he has a 121 rating so far...). Kenyan Drake hasn't been great so far, but should be able to get 4+ yds/carry against us, while Frank Gore, I pray, doesn't pose too much of an issue. If I recall, their TE's aren't too relevant, but they have a very deep group of WRs - Stills, Parker, Amendola, etc. Our defense really needs to step up this game, because the Dolphins are a very underrated team, and could give an upset. The Dolphins secondary is headlined by Howard and Jones, but they have some weaknesses across the rest of the secondary. I don't think we can set up the run until we can effectively set up the pass, so it will be critical for us to do that. If Gordon plays, then it's a big difference, since you have their best CB likely on a guy who won't be catching a bunch, but can leave easier coverage for the rest of our team. But be careful, this could be another upset if we don't score 28+

 

[PatsFan2]

Agree. This really is a gut-check game.

If we think DET had a decent secondary MIA has 7 picks so far and Howard has 3 already.

Gordon has to play. Period.

Thats whether he knows the Offense or not Gordon can get by on his physical ability alone he's that dam good!.

 

[Chevy]

Re-watch the game. Look behind Brady when he's on the bench. There, in the background, clearly labeled on the handset of one of the field phones, is the name of our savior. Yes, that label reads Ernie. This is the week Ernie works his magic, finding all the little things the Pats did wrong, extracting the root causes, while also identifying the tells and mistakes the Dolphins have made so far. Have faith.