Week 4 vs Atlanta Falcons discussion

[Kontradiction]

I think it was schefter or breer who reported yesterday that gronk still has trouble regaining strength in his arm. That's not a good sign.

Nope. It most certainly is not, if true. Hopefully it's not because we could really use him the next several weeks given that we don't have any semblance of a starting TE right now. Hooman is what he is and S(D)udfeld has been extremely disappointing to date.

 

[borg]

Didn't see the Pats - Bucs game....but after reading Reiss' extensive coverage...what encouraged me most on D was that Collins started to assume the role that was expected of him this year..an athletic coverage LB that would offer a speed alternative to Spikes and Hightower. Reiss had him on 18 snaps mostly in the second half where he spelled Hightower in sub D. My beef with the LBs has always been their inability to keep up with TEs and releasing RBs.
NE has yet to face a competent TE through the first three games...but that will change against ATL. Tony Gonzalez is aging, but he still is a prime target that deserves attention and I am hopeful Collins progresses quickly. If Collins turns into THEE third solution at LB.....that would be HUGE for this D.

 

[JMC00]

I think it was schefter or breer who reported yesterday that gronk still has trouble regaining strength in his arm. That's not a good sign.

Same guy that said Brady was calling Lloyd and Branch (which Brady flat out denied), Rapoport.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Same guy that said Brady was calling Lloyd and Branch (which Brady flat out denied), Rapoport.

Ya but did Breer or Schedter report that first? I think rap did which means this is totally different and is probably true because he was suppose to play yesterday.

Pats gunna have to go back to drafting TEs again

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

So far this season when facing 3rd-and-more-than-10 yards, opponents are 0-for-10 converting against New England’s secondary. To take it a step further, when facing 3rd-and-7 or more, opponents are just 3-of-21 converting against them.

LOVE this stat :rocker:

They were always horrible at this

 

[JMC00]

Ya but did Breer or Schedter report that first? I think rap did which means this is totally different and is probably true because he was suppose to play yesterday

How can you say he was suppose to play? Reports earlier this month was the Pats hoped we would be back for Week 3 but Week 4 was the realistic target date.

 

[Kontradiction]

Same guy that said Brady was calling Lloyd and Branch (which Brady flat out denied), Rapoport.

Of course Brady would admit to that being the truth to the media right away, if that were the case, knowing full well that it wouldn't be a big deal.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Nope. It most certainly is not, if true. Hopefully it's not because we could really use him the next several weeks given that we don't have any semblance of a starting TE right now. Hooman is what he is and S(D)udfeld has been extremely disappointing to date.

Actually it was ian rappaport, not breer. Ian wrote article quoting fro rappaport's tweet.

Morning Huddle 9/23: Patriots Defense Has Been Stifling So Far, Gronk's Arm an Issue, Today's Links :Ian's New England Patriots Blog

 

[SB39]

Atlanta was sloppy today. Lots of little mistakes. Miami deserved to win, but Miami is not as good as their record would indicate.

You could say the same thing about the Patriots. Of the remaining undefeated teams, Denver is the only team that can say all their wins were in convincing fashion (note I am writing this before the MNF game against Oakland).

Even the newest media darling, the almighty Seattle Seahawks, struggled week 1 against a very mediocre Carolina Panthers.

 

[Froob]

LOVE this stat :rocker:

They were always horrible at this

Feels like the first 10 times it's happened in the last 5 years.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

How can you say he was suppose to play? Reports earlier this month was the Pats hoped we would be back for Week 3 but Week 4 was the realistic target date.

because reports said he would probably be back yesterday or next week. Sounds like he is still having strength issues which is a bad thing so of course he had to sit out yesterday.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I am delighted that the Pats are 3--0 and, as I have stated out here a few times in the last couple of days, no one will ask how they got to that record at the end of the season. The point is that they are undefeated after three weeks for the first time in several years. Let's just enjoy it! In addition, the Pats young receivers had an extended chance to get on the same page with a visibly frustrated Tom Brady (who, as he usually does, figured out how to win anyway with the help of a solid D) and it gave Gronk almost an extra month to get healthy.

That said, after being gifted by the scheduling gods with an extended preseason with their first three games against mediocre teams, including two at home, IMO, the Pats real season starts next Sunday night in Atlanta when they face one of the "Final Four" from last year's playoffs. The Falcons will play like their season is on the line (which it indeed might well be) in order to avoid falling to 1--3. This time next week, we'll know a lot more about both teams.

 

[Sfpat]

The important question is - should I play Ryan next week in FF (Smith and Pryor are my alternatives)?

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

The more i think about it...the more that i think the pats are catching the falcons in a bad spot. Coming off a road loss to push them to 1-2 when they were leading in 4th. Now they come back home...prime time where ryan is filthy good. And they know that 1 more loss they are 1-3. A big 1-3. ATL is a good team and will give the pats everything to not go 1-3.

If ATL drops to 1-3..it's going to be a HUGE hole to climb out of with NO in the division. Will be a tough challenge for the pats. Luckily they are banged up pretty bad. Obliviously the falcons need this win more then the pats

 

[doesntmatter1]

Am I the only one who doesn't fear the falcons? I don't think I ever have. They try to be balanced and actually run the ball too often. It really helps that roddy white is banged up because we can shut down team's #1 wideout(jones) when that is our goal. In years past we stopped megatron and fitzgerald.

We are also pretty good at stopping the run and we might not even have to face jackson. I'm well aware we could lose, but I truly feel that as long as our rookie receivers show up we'll be okay.

The team I want no part of is the saints. I felt it in my gut that they were going to destroy us in 09 and that feeling isn't completely gone.

 

[SONS_OF_BELICHICK]

I definitely dont see this as a must win.....but if the phins could beat them....we should be able to ...beat them....but its a great test for our young team.....

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I definitely dont see this as a must win.....but if the phins could beat them....we should be able to ...beat them....but its a great test for our young team.....

at 3-0..this is far far from a must win game..now a must win for ATL? Maybe

 

[goheels22002]

Thank god we drew two rookie QBs and Josh Freeman in our first three games. 3-1 won't be the end of the world

I think you're approaching this the wrong way. Opposing teams look at their calendars and circle the Patriots as the team against which they measure where they are. For Atlanta, a close game is a sign they are on track. They hope that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick don't blow them out of heir own dome.

If Gronk and Amendola are on the field together against the Falcons, it could be a wonderful day against the Falcons young secondary, especially if the defense can hold Ryan under 240 yards passing as the fish did on Sunday.

 

[Ring 6]

The more i think about it...the more that i think the pats are catching the falcons in a bad spot. Coming off a road loss to push them to 1-2 when they were leading in 4th. Now they come back home...prime time where ryan is filthy good. And they know that 1 more loss they are 1-3. A big 1-3. ATL is a good team and will give the pats everything to not go 1-3.

If ATL drops to 1-3..it's going to be a HUGE hole to climb out of with NO in the division. Will be a tough challenge for the pats. Luckily they are banged up pretty bad. Obliviously the falcons need this win more then the pats

You think they wouldn't try as hard if they were 2-1?
Both teams need the win equally as much, because neither team has clinched anything.

 

[pats4life12]

In my opinion this is our fist real game. Yes i know we have played 3 other games that count just as much. But i think this is the real first test to see how good our Patriots really are. Atlanta did lose to the Miami which surprised me but yet Atlanta is still the best team we have played so far this season.