Armen Da Pats Fan
2nd Team Getting Their First Start
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2004
- Messages
- 1,633
- Reaction score
- 38
All I can really say is "Wow!"
I was pleasantly surprised by the Pats performance on Sunday.
Bill Belichick continues to impress me for his ability to see things in players and teams and schemes that most of the rest of us do not see.
So here are some key areas where I would like to humbly review my expectations vs. what the Pats actually delivered on Sunday.
1. Offense - I expected this to be a strong area on this team. My expectations were met.
I did not expect Wes Welker to be so strong so soon. He took hits and ran routes to precision. I passed on Wes for my Fantasy because I thought he would be slow getting up to speed. I will regret this, now, I know!
I did expect the tight ends to be heavily in the mix and they were. Hernandez' drop in the end zone notwithstanding, they were pretty much perfect. Great to see Gronk delivering a TD "Gronked!" to the Cincy defender!
Brady had all day to pass behind the O-Line, so I guess it's time to print up the "Logan Who?" t-shirts and sell them outside fo Foxboro!
2. Defense - I expected that this young defense would grow into itself and be pretty good by mid-season. I worried about these early games.
To paraphrase a line from the movie "Blow": "My friend, if you give me solid secondary play, I have no more worries."
These guys were simply AWESOME! The D-Line was pressuring Carson Palmer early. The LBs were active and hitting. Gary Guyton even gave us his best Tedy Bruschi impression on his INT/TD!
But I was most impressed with the young guns in the secondary, which was the area I thought would take the longest to gel. They were tight in coverage, for the most part, and hitting and pumping each other up all day!
TO & Ocho put up what had to be the quietest 19 catches for 212 yards and 1 TD in the history of the league!
I railed about drafting McCourty. I was wrong. This kid looks like he is going to be something special!
3. Special Teams - I had no expectations because I just don't follow special teams that much, but starting with the opening kickoff when we went down to drill the Cincy kick returner to Tate's TD to start the second half, this group demanded my attention.
4. The Running Game - The subject of so much off-season banter, I felt like I should include this here.
I expected a weak RBBC performance.
I got Fred Taylor looking like Fred Taylor from his days in Florida Field! Okay, not that bombastic, but the old-timer still ran hard and solid. You cannot argue with a 5.1 avg and a rip-off run off of 24 yards to keep everybody honest. I would have liked to see The Old Gator get the ball a little more, actually, but when you win like this - dominant in all phases of the game - I ain't complaining!
Also, because I have been an open critic, I was glad to see Laurence Maroney nowhere in sight in the running game. I think the writing is now clearly on the wall for SloMo. Looks like they are just keeping him around for she-ites and giggles, or in case of injury.
And finally, Kevin Faulk, we love you so much! Please don't ever change!
I was pleasantly surprised by the Pats performance on Sunday.
Bill Belichick continues to impress me for his ability to see things in players and teams and schemes that most of the rest of us do not see.
So here are some key areas where I would like to humbly review my expectations vs. what the Pats actually delivered on Sunday.
1. Offense - I expected this to be a strong area on this team. My expectations were met.
I did not expect Wes Welker to be so strong so soon. He took hits and ran routes to precision. I passed on Wes for my Fantasy because I thought he would be slow getting up to speed. I will regret this, now, I know!
I did expect the tight ends to be heavily in the mix and they were. Hernandez' drop in the end zone notwithstanding, they were pretty much perfect. Great to see Gronk delivering a TD "Gronked!" to the Cincy defender!
Brady had all day to pass behind the O-Line, so I guess it's time to print up the "Logan Who?" t-shirts and sell them outside fo Foxboro!
2. Defense - I expected that this young defense would grow into itself and be pretty good by mid-season. I worried about these early games.
To paraphrase a line from the movie "Blow": "My friend, if you give me solid secondary play, I have no more worries."
These guys were simply AWESOME! The D-Line was pressuring Carson Palmer early. The LBs were active and hitting. Gary Guyton even gave us his best Tedy Bruschi impression on his INT/TD!
But I was most impressed with the young guns in the secondary, which was the area I thought would take the longest to gel. They were tight in coverage, for the most part, and hitting and pumping each other up all day!
TO & Ocho put up what had to be the quietest 19 catches for 212 yards and 1 TD in the history of the league!
I railed about drafting McCourty. I was wrong. This kid looks like he is going to be something special!
3. Special Teams - I had no expectations because I just don't follow special teams that much, but starting with the opening kickoff when we went down to drill the Cincy kick returner to Tate's TD to start the second half, this group demanded my attention.
4. The Running Game - The subject of so much off-season banter, I felt like I should include this here.
I expected a weak RBBC performance.
I got Fred Taylor looking like Fred Taylor from his days in Florida Field! Okay, not that bombastic, but the old-timer still ran hard and solid. You cannot argue with a 5.1 avg and a rip-off run off of 24 yards to keep everybody honest. I would have liked to see The Old Gator get the ball a little more, actually, but when you win like this - dominant in all phases of the game - I ain't complaining!
Also, because I have been an open critic, I was glad to see Laurence Maroney nowhere in sight in the running game. I think the writing is now clearly on the wall for SloMo. Looks like they are just keeping him around for she-ites and giggles, or in case of injury.
And finally, Kevin Faulk, we love you so much! Please don't ever change!
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