Patriots at the 1/2 way mark - 5 pleasant surprises & 5 dissapointments

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

What are your top 5 pleasant surprises and 5 dissapointments at the half way mark?

They could be either team group related or a player or coach alone.

Pleasant Surprises

1 - Safety group - Who knew how good of a tandem that the Brandon boys would be together on defense and so good that the alleged leader of the defense,James Sanders does not see much play.

2 - Tom Brady - I think many of us would have put Tom is the dissapointing catagory the first several games but seeing him gradually get back in the groove and stand tall and unafraid in the pocket again is something we hoped would happen by now .... and it has.

3 - Sabastian Vollmer - While SeaBass has yet to go up against the real tough guys at DE like he will in Freeney this week,he still looks extremely solid in protecting Brady's blindside and missing Light has been a bit easier with this rookies continued progression.

4 - Darius Butler - This rookie has made some big stops and has covered his man well and has taken away time from the veteran Shawn Springs which shows BB could very well think this kid is ready for a possible full time starting position in 2010

5 - Benjamin Watson - This TE was this years version of Matt Cassel who just about everyone thought he was a goner and cut before week 1 but he has made some clutch catches and played a big role in 2 wins this season and is having his best year yet,Ben has become a taget of Brady on 3rd and long and he has hung on to the ball this year.

(Runnerup: Edelman gets some love but with his injury he has to fall down a bit)

Dissapointments

1 - Joey Galloway - Is there any other choice at #1 but this player who many thought still had the speed and skills to become a super great #3 receiver? - Joey had never got in tune with this team and his diminishing skills and age were getting more obvious every game.

2 - The loss at the Jets was a dissapointment,especially after all the trash talking Rhodes and Ryan were doing

3 - The loss at Denver when the team had the game in control was especially dissapointing and losing to a former coach stings a bit more

4 - I was hoping the team would have broken the record of 72 points scored against the Titans but BB had mercy,They certainly could have if they wanted to in that game.

5 - The Colts,our biggest nemesis continues to find ways to win and remain undefeated..at least until this sunday

 

[PatsSox363804]

The loss to Denver was the worst but at least it seems like Pees has dialed up more blitzes since that game. Letting Orton sit back there and pick us apart was embarrassing.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Adalius Thomas has to be in the group of disappointments although he looks a heck of a lot better yesterday which was encouraging.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Adalius Thomas has to be in the group of disappointments although he looks a heck of a lot better yesterday which was encouraging.

He has played better since he missed that one game so I am holding off dissapointment as I think we will see improvement now and into the playoffs.

 

[borg]

Biggest surprise
1) Safety play...across the board
Followed by
2) Watson...although he is never the featured play maker, the man has been huge in clutch situations
3) Turnover ratio. The D has been making plays and the RBs are securing the rock. If only Brady....not going there
4) Moss...only because I thought age would catch up with him....wrong
5) TBC....He's gone from JAG to revelation....AMEN

 

[tobias funke]

I feel like one of the few people who never thought Joey Galloway was going to be a big part of the offense (especially if you've ever seen how many different routes he ran in TB).

And I also never thought the Pats would come close to cutting Watson.

As far as pleasant surprises and disappointments, I don't think it gets any more pleasantly surprising than Brandon McGowan. A no-name free agent coming off an injury who gave our secondary the physical edge it's been missing since Rodney started to slow down.

Disappointing: Fred Taylor + Sammy Morris. I understand injuries happen every year, and to everyone, but I was really hoping we could make it to the halfway mark with a starting-caliber RB. Maroney is finally starting to show a little bit of the physicality and toughness he did at the end of 2007, but he and Faulk can't do it alone through January.

 

[tombonneau]

I'd put into the disappoint category:

1. Lack of consistent four-man pass rush
2. Continued missed tackles by secondary

 

[Patspsycho]

Re #4, Butler has a lot of promise but still a long way to go. Twice yesterday he took his eyes off the ball. I think one of them ended up being a PI.

Raw product with a lot of upside.

 

[mayoclinic]

What are your top 5 pleasant surprises and 5 dissapointments at the half way mark?

They could be either team group related or a player or coach alone.

Pleasant Surprises

1 - Safety group - Who knew how good of a tandem that the Brandon boys would be together on defense and so good that the alleged leader of the defense,James Sanders does not see much play.

2 - Tom Brady - I think many of us would have put Tom is the dissapointing catagory the first several games but seeing him gradually get back in the groove and stand tall and unafraid in the pocket again is something we hoped would happen by now .... and it has.

3 - Sabastian Vollmer - While SeaBass has yet to go up against the real tough guys at DE like he will in Freeney this week,he still looks extremely solid in protecting Brady's blindside and missing Light has been a bit easier with this rookies continued progression.

4 - Darius Butler - This rookie has made some big stops and has covered his man well and has taken away time from the veteran Shawn Springs which shows BB could very well think this kid is ready for a possible full time starting position in 2010

5 - Benjamin Watson - This TE was this years version of Matt Cassel who just about everyone thought he was a goner and cut before week 1 but he has made some clutch catches and played a big role in 2 wins this season and is having his best year yet,Ben has become a taget of Brady on 3rd and long and he has hung on to the ball this year.

(Runnerup: Edelman gets some love but with his injury he has to fall down a bit)

Dissapointments

1 - Joey Galloway - Is there any other choice at #1 but this player who many thought still had the speed and skills to become a super great #3 receiver? - Joey had never got in tune with this team and his diminishing skills and age were getting more obvious every game.

2 - The loss at the Jets was a dissapointment,especially after all the trash talking Rhodes and Ryan were doing

3 - The loss at Denver when the team had the game in control was especially dissapointing and losing to a former coach stings a bit more

4 - I was hoping the team would have broken the record of 72 points scored against the Titans but BB had mercy,They certainly could have if they wanted to in that game.

5 - The Colts,our biggest nemesis continues to find ways to win and remain undefeated..at least until this sunday

I'll bite:

Pleasant Surprises

1 - The Defense. The defense has been the positive story of the 1st half as far as I'm concerned, and has carried the team. We're currently 3rd in the NFL in points allowed averaging just over 14 PPG, and 7th in YPG at 291. The defense has shown the best athleticism and aggressiveness that we've seen since 2004, despite the loss of veteran leadership, the Seymour trade at the beginning of the season, the loss of Mayo for 4 weeks, and numerous players being beat up with minor injuries (Wilfork, Warren). The defense is still coming together, but no one expected this good a performance this early in the season.

2 - The Secondary. The defense as a whole has been a pleasant surprise, and who would have expected that the Secondary would be the strongest part of our defense midway through the season? We're 4th in the league in pass defense, allowing just 179 YPG. Our CBs have been more than solid, especially compared to 2008, with Butler and Bodden emerging as a potentially first rate crew, and excellent depth at the position. Our safeties have been spectacular, with Meriweather-McGowan becoming an impact tandem and Chung show signs of beginning to emerge as a playmaker. James Sanders, the forgotten man, is tremendous depth at the position.

3 - Gary Guyton. Guyton really stepped up in Mayo's absence and took his game to the next level. Thomas-Mayo-Guyton gives us potentially a very strong 4-3 set of LBs. Again, the defense has been the biggest pleasant surprise of 2009 so far, and the LB unit has been better than expected, thanks in part to Guyton's progress.

4 - Lawrence Maroney. Playing his best ball since late 2007, running with aggressiveness and authority. The Pats need to commit to the running game more, because they will need it down the stretch, but LoMo has done his part.

5 - The OL. Has been very solid despite the loss of Matt Light. Vollmer has filled in well, Kaczur has stepped up his game, and Neal is having a terrific season. Mankins has surprising been a bit inconsistent, but overall the line has done well.

Honorable mention: Ben Watson, Tully Banta-Cain, Julian Edelman, Sebastian Vollmer.

Disappointments

1 - Red Zone Offense. Has to be the biggest disappointment so far. We're #3 in scoring in the NFL at just under 28 PPG and 2nd in total yardage at 409 YPG, but have left a ton of points on the board, costing us 2 wins so far. We should be averaging about 32 PPG. Fail to execute in the red zone against Indy and NO and we will probably add 2 more losses to our record. Our red zone execution is just not adequate for an elite team.

2 - The Pass Rush. Almost as big a disappointment as our red zone offense. We're just not getting enough pressure on opposing QBs. Derrick Burgess has been a major disappointment, and Adalius Thomas' benching was one of the big stories of the first half. Tully Banta-Cain has been a pleasant surprise, but overall the pass rush is just not where it should be. A better pass rush could make the difference between a good defense and a dominant one.

3 - The Play Calling. The offensive and defensive play calling has been mystifying at times this season. We started out very unbalanced on offense, and while we have become more balanced we have not shown much of an inclination to stick with the running game. We haven't used as much play action or screens as I would like to see, and are still too predictable on offense. On defense we've been more aggressive and attacking at times, but have reverted to a passive BBDB style at times (particularly against Denver) which fools no one. The lack of adjustments after halftime in our 2 road games with 0 second half points in both games combined in very concerning. Admittedly, Pees moving upstairs seems to have helped a bit.

4 - The 3rd Receiving Option. While Ben Watson has put together his best season yet, the Pats have yet to develop a reliable 3rd WR option to complement Randy Moss and Wel Welker. Joey Galloway was a huge disappointment. Julian Edelman and Brandon Tate have shown flashes. But we need more offensive diversity. I think this is directly releated to our red zone efficiency.

5 - The Running Game. Injuries to Fred Taylor and Sammie Morris haven't helped, and Lawrence Maroney has done his part. But the Pats need to commit more to the running game, especially if we want to keep Peyton Manning and Drew Brees off the field. The lack of running game against Tampa Bay was very mystifying.

Specific players worth mentioning as disappointments: Joey Galloway, Derrick Burgess, Adalius Thomas, Shawn Springs, Chris Baker. Ron Brace hasn't gotten playing time yet so it's hard to judge him, but I would have hoped to have seen something by now.

 

[mayoclinic]

Actually, on further reflection I would replace #5 under disappointments with:

5 - The Run Defense. While the defense overall has been solid, we currently rank #20 in run defense giving up an average of 112.5 YPG. Although we've given up only 2 rushing TDs, we've had trouble containing elusive runners like Fred Jackson, Leon Washington, and Ray Rice all season. We struggled with the Bronco's Wild Ponies attack, and while we did better against the Wildcat we still showed some breakdowns against Pat White and the Pistol.

 

[PatsDeb]

5 Pleasant Surprises:

1. We don't miss Richard Seymour.
2. Brandon McGowan & Brandon Merriwether have been great.
3. Our secondary isn't getting torched all over the place.
4. After a shaky start the first two weeks Tom Brady and the rest of the team are rounding into form.
5. Ben Watson, after looking like he might get cut at the start of the season, has been having a good year and actually catches pretty much anything thrown his way.


5 Disappointments:
1. We still have no pass rush (some might say we miss RS here, but we had no pass rush last year either).
2. Our running backs keep getting injured and Maroney has been inconsistent (although he looked good yesterday)
3. Joey Galloway didn't work out and we have no clear #3 receiver.
4. They didn't sign Vince Wilfork to a long term deal.
5. Our two losses could have been wins if we just played a little better (a total homer disappointment)

 

[fnordcircle]

Brandon McGowan is THE surprise of this team. That guy is ALWAYS around the ball and always makes stuff happen.

He's the real replacement for Rodney, not Meriweather and I hope they lock him up soon cause he's gonna be a key guy for us for years if they do.

 

[ALP]

pleasant

1. safeties

2. O line

3. watson

4. defense

5. maroney

dissapointing

1. galloway

2. baker

3. injuries

4. playcalling at times

5. cb's inconstistency

 

[Ochmed Jones]

My biggest surprise of this season has been the play of the secondary as a whole. They are not giving up as many the big plays as they did last season and doing a good job of holding opposing teams to under 20 points a game.

Individually I have been surprised at the play of TBC.

My biggest concern remains our offenses play on the road. (London aside). They just don't seem to make plays on the road. And our offense is full of playmakers. Some migt point ot the loss of Welker early in the season, but an entire offenses production should not be held hostage by anybody other than the QB.

I am still concerned about O'brien at our OC and not sure if BB didn't rush this guy into the deep end of the pool a bit too soon.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I think Tully Banta Cain was an excellent player for this team 3 years ago and I was sad to see him go to SF and was just as happy when he returned.

Some here called him and still call him a JAG - Well,If he is a JAG then what are some of our other pass rushers called? - because Tully is more capable of pressuring the passer than Adalius,Burgess or anyone in the front 7

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Brandon McGowan is THE surprise of this team. That guy is ALWAYS around the ball and always makes stuff happen.

He's the real replacement for Rodney, not Meriweather and I hope they lock him up soon cause he's gonna be a key guy for us for years if they do.

Had the ball not gone out of bounds, there was a real chance for a turnover on his punch-fumble yesterday......

 

[unoriginal]

Disappointments:

Patriots' DTs, especially Jarvis Green: No pass rush to speak of. Thank god for Mike Wright.

Back 7's hands: 7 INTs so far and one is by Randy Moss on his only play on defense. 2 passes at least have been tipped into the air by defensive backs and caught by a receiver.

The difference between an average and good pass defense is turnovers.

Linebackers / run defense: Brandon McGowan is leading this team in tackles. Brandon Meriweather is second.

 

[spacecrime]

I'm not worried about the last two. I don't care about breating records just to break a record, and what the Colts do or don't do are not a Patriots surprise.

Other than that, your list is a good one.

Disappointing: Fred Taylor + Sammy Morris. I understand injuries happen every year, and to everyone, but I was really hoping we could make it to the halfway mark with a starting-caliber RB.

Whether you like him or not, Maroney is a starting quality back.

Morris is not a starting quality back. His yards per carry isn't close to Maroney's.

It would be a disappointment to me if Taylor made it to the halfway point and then got hurt so that he was lost for the season. Far better to me for him to miss the early games and be healed and rested for the playoffs.

 

[Deus Irae]

It should be noted that this is about surprises, not expected positives or negatives

Positives:

Meriweather's improvement combined with McGowan's fearlessness has dramatically upgraded the safety 'position'

TBC has been much more of an impact player than I expected

Guyton has been able to handle the starter's role. He may not be more than serviceable, and he's still a major liability against the run, but that's still more than I expected from him on 1st and 2nd down.


Negatives:

Galloway's reported unwillingness to work hard, and the resulting problem at WR3

Moss and his refusal to fight for the ball in the air

The abysmal run blocking of the offensive line for most of the season

Burgess.... Has he earned a spot on a milk carton yet?

 

[patsfan-1982]

Pleasant Surprises

1 the safeties they have played great so far

2 the whole rookie class

3 the corner back's they have been good so far

4 mike wright he has played pretty good

5 maroney he's number's are not great but when they give him the ball more he's doing a good job

Dissapointments

1 no passrush

2 AD on the fumble that got called back he showed he still has speed i dont know why he is not geting it done are the pats not useing him right ?

3 the return game punt and kick return's they have not been bad but they have not been good they are missing hobbs in the kick return game

4 the seymour trade

5 the loose to the jets