Who needs to step up?

[RayClay]

Playoffs coming up. Obviously,I couldn't be more thrilled with this team. Brady, Moss, Vrabel and others have had special seasons.

But the playoffs are one and out and some players need to step up IMO, because playing to their potential might make the difference some game.

Ben Watson: This guy's built like a Greek god. He often looks like one on the field too. He stands like a statue leaving us to imagine the tremendous speed and power he's supposed to have.

Let's step it up, Ben. The potential train is leaving the station, it's put up time.

Eugene Wilson: This guy has all the talent in the world. Remember he was going to be a consensus All Pro in no time? Meanwhile the leaves of the calendar have peeled off like in a B movie.

Eugene just finished his fifth full season? Is that possible? Nobody's talking about All Pro anymore, that's for sure. Four seasons of sleep walking and injured lists.

Slap some cold water on your face Eugene. If you can't get excited about a contract year and a perfect season.....

Sure your an adequate safety who can cover. The "all the talent in the world train" is leaving too.

And to both guys, this is the playoffs, if you're breathing, your not injured so we don't have to guess every week, like we've had to so far. You're either on the Super bowl train or not.

I've got more happy holiday wishes, but i'll break it up.

 

[Keegs]

Watson definitely is irritating. It's almost like he is so damn talented and strong and fast that he has trouble putting it all together. Kinda reminds me of the real tall kid that was too uncoordinated to play basketball.

Watson has definitely made some awesome catches, great blocks, and great hustle plays.

but then sometimes he drops easy balls or just runs out of bounds and has trouble controlling his body. Ben seems to make all catches appear 10 times harder than they are, kinda like the opposite of Moss.

I like Watson but i get nervous when he plays and it's frustrating to watch him at times.

 

[FrontSeven]

Playoffs coming up. Obviously,I couldn't be more thrilled with this team.

Please, don't burst the bubble of happiness here until 4:28:32 EST Monday.

 

[RayClay]

Watson definitely is irritating. It's almost like he is so damn talented and strong and fast that he has trouble putting it all together. Kinda reminds me of the real tall kid that was too uncoordinated to play basketball.

Watson has definitely made some awesome catches, great blocks, and great hustle plays.

but then sometimes he drops easy balls or just runs out of bounds and has trouble controlling his body. Ben seems to make all catches appear 10 times harder than they are, kinda like the opposite of Moss.

I like Watson but i get nervous when he plays and it's frustrating to watch him at times.

Hey Keegs, Happy Holidays. I've enjoyed your posts lately, some funny stuff.

I'm not trying to be negative, just the opposite. No bashing, especially rookies and players coming off serious injuries.

This is when it counts and these are two talented guys that could really make a difference. Everybody here has played sports, I'm sure. sometimes you just don't get into the rhythm even in a great season.

It's just time to step up. Would be great to see talented players like that catch fire. It happens in big games sometimes.

 

[RayClay]

Please, don't burst the bubble of happiness here until 4:28:32 EST Monday.

I am so happy I'm ecstatic. Hoping a couple very talented players find a rhythm for the playoffs is a positive vibe.

Feel the warmth.

 

[RayClay]

Laurence Maroney and the offensive line:

These guys are hustling, these guys are trying. The O Line looks like world beaters one game and a little rough the next.

If we could stop almost handing off to opposition linebackers (LOL!) I think we'd have a hell of a running game. Well deserved rest, then let's get some pass and run blocking down for the playoffs.

The Defensive Line:

"The Defensive Line?" *the crowd gasps*

Of course the DLine gets A's on a regular basis. They should, they're the creme de la creme, the best IMO.

A's aren't good enough for the playoffs. I want all A+'s. I want to see offensive linemen dragging themselves off the field after a series, looking for their mommy. Crush, Kill, Destroy.

And no Three Stooges moves, Vince.

 

[WhiZa]

It Watson was Watson's first game back from an injury so I would give him a pass. He was on fire in the beginning of the season when he had a full set of practices under his belt.

Wilson, well he's a FA so I'm not complaining if he has a bad year especially with our safety depth. He should be cheaper to resign.

 

[RayClay]

It Watson was Watson's first game back from an injury so I would give him a pass. He was on fire in the beginning of the season when he had a full set of practices under his belt.

Wilson, well he's a FA so I'm not complaining if he has a bad year especially with our safety depth. He should be cheaper to resign.

Watson was hot at the beginning of the season. I hope he's healthy. I never like to criticize an injured player, but some are on and off the list so much, I can't remember what injury they have.

Do you know?

I really don't care about next year. I was hoping they might try Wilson at corner and i can't imagine he'll cost much , but...

I would like to see a little enthusiasm from him. If he can't get a little pumped and jacked, I don't know why they would want to sign him.

I think they go corner high in this draft anyway, though I don't know college personnel.

It just seems more likely than linebacker.

 

[RayClay]

Adalius Thomas:

OK, the inside linebacker experiment is on hold for a while. Bru and Seau are going to suck up that two weeks off and come back with a vegeance.

School's out for summer. You know how to rush from the OLB position, let's see some of the madness. I think Thomas and Vrabel can be better than Colvin and Vrabel, but we haven't seen it so far.

Further instruction in the D can wait for training camp.

 

[RayClay]

Don't see any threads about what we need to do for the playoffs, so I'll give this a bump.

Just my opinion on who has the potential to "step up" for the big games.

 

[GameDay]

The defense.

The Pats defense has a larger performance variation than the offense.
(More Jehyll and Hyde).
If the Pats D plays within their norm, that is 40-60% percentile, the Pats will win all.

 

[i support BB]

I think another WR like Stallworth or Gaffney will have to step up and make a few plays. Welker is not flying under the radar anymore teams know he's the real deal and Randy Moss is Randy Moss. I think one of those 2 guys needs to step up or Watson might need to play a bigger role in catching passes.

 

[ATippett56]

Watson definitely is irritating. It's almost like he is so damn talented and strong and fast that he has trouble putting it all together. Kinda reminds me of the real tall kid that was too uncoordinated to play basketball.

For once, I'd like to see Watson run over a defensive back. Watson goes down too easily upon initial contact.

 

[ATippett56]

Don't see any threads about what we need to do for the playoffs, so I'll give this a bump.

Red zone defense needs to step up for the Patriots. The New York Giants scored way too many touchdowns without Jeremy Shockey.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Red zone defense needs to step up for the Patriots. The New York Giants scored way too many touchdowns without Jeremy Shockey.

Talk to the tag...two of those were on him.

 

[Mxyzptlk]

2nd the shout-out of Ben Watson. This year, it looks like Brady is just resigned to throwing to him after looking at all his WRs, the RB in the flat, the cheerleaders, Bob Kraft, etc. It'd be nice if those two got their sync back just in time for the playoffs.

I'm not ready to say the D-line needs to step it up, but shEli had waaaaay too much breathing room most of the game last Sat.

 

[ALP]

hmm...

i think ellis needs to play like he did at the end of last game aginast the giants...

also some fire from asante would be nice....earn the cash MAN...

warren could play more like he did last yr...

sanders has also fallen of a little bit

on offense, watson almost looks dead...i had rather have a 3 wr set then the 2 wr and 1 te set....i like gaffney in there mroe then watson at this point

hopefully kyle comes back....our O line is doing great on pass protection...still have probs on run blocking for some reason...dont know why

donte might need to come up big in playoffs as well

 

[i support BB]

Anyone else think that the Pats are at there best when they just line up 5 wide and Brady in the shotgun all game long? And mix in some no huddle at times to keep the defense off balance. This probably wont happen because of the weather in NE in January, so we'll have to find a running game.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The defense.

The Pats defense has a larger performance variation than the offense.
(More Jehyll and Hyde).
If the Pats D plays within their norm, that is 40-60% percentile, the Pats will win all.

I'll exclude turnovers, players producing etc. as who needs to step up, but GameDay makes a great point.

Since 2001, in the Pats' 14 playoff games as it relates to the run defense, they have yielded 3.9 YPC. That's respectable. There were a few games in which teams had over 4+ YPC (in those games teams scored very well - Carolina 03, SD 06, PITT 04, etc.)

IMO, they need to limit the amount of quality running plays their opponent has during the game (stay out of 3rd and short and allowing the other team to wear down our defense over the course of a game).

If they can limit a team from pounding away at that D and give Brady and Co. more opportunities to score, their chances of winning go up expodentially IMO.

Besides, how many Super Bowl champions do you know that sucked vs the run in the playoffs? If the Colts can do what they did last year, so can the 07Pats vs the run.

 

[ATippett56]

Talk to the tag .....

Asante Samuel??????