Post-game analysis: Pats vs. Saints Preseason game 1

[pencilneckgeek]

Kraft sounded wasted during that halftime introduction.

Kraft always sounds that way, but I think he's just a lousy public speaker. Must be why he keeps hiring Cricqui and Cross to cover their pre-season games.

 

[patfanken]

A lot of good insights in this thread. It really makes anything I might have added in a separate thread redundant. Still I have a couple of thoughts. I missed the first quarter (a long line at the Friendly's), but I was left with the following impressions.

1. I feel a lot better about the back up QB situation. Hoyer's effort was the best, most poised, and controlled back up effort we have had in years. Even though Cassell was a revelation during the 2008 regular season, he sucked during the preseason.

He was poised under presure, and when he felt the heat, he threw it to the right guy. What NOW apparent to us all, was clear to BB, and the reason we haven't seen a vet QB brought in. Zack however DID look horrible.

2. I haven't seen his name mentioned, but I thought Kyle Arrington played a very solid game in limited action, and is going to make any decisions about how many CBs to keep very hard.

3. With the obvious emergance of Tate and Edelman, Welker's amazing recovery, plus the potential of Price clearly evident, Torry Holt is now firmly on the bubble. I was a big fan of the Holt signing and saw him playing a key part in the offense. Now I have to wonder if the Pats would keep him as the #6 guy, especially when he brings no ST's play to the table.

4. The news about Warren and Kazcur is horrible. Yeah I know Warren and Connolly looked like we can replace them without a sweat, but the fact is that TWarren is one of the most solid 3-4 DE's in the league, and will not easily be replaced, and if he has to be, it will severely impact our depth. The same can be said of Kazcur. This guy was a starting OLman in the NFL. He can be replaced, but again, our depth is affected.

5. Andre Murrell, with one preseason sack has now had a more productive carreer than his former teammated Vernon Gholston. He might still not make the final roster, but that is great irony

 

[Urgent]

Randy Cross was in regular season form last night...

Yeah, his analysis of Justin Edelman was spot on.
As was Criqui's critique of Pats wide receiver Randy Cross.

 

[Urgent]

Great breakdown, as always. I noticed this thread and it was the first one I ventured into. A couple of things I noticed...


... But one thing that we should all remember, before getting too pumped up, is that this is the first preseason game. There was a VERY vanilla gameplan from both teams.

Unlike many opening pre-season games, I thought this was less vanilla.

If the Pats blitzed 44% of the time, that's stepping outside the norm.
So was Brady spending most of the time under center, as opposed to the shotgun. Three TE formations. Definitely a departure, clearly things they wanted to work on.

 

[KevinFaulk-33]

At the end of the 3rd quarter I've seen two nice play by McKenzie that stopped two run.

I think he played lately just because him and Spikes are incompatible, the are two SILB while Fletcher is a WILB like Mayo. Am I right?

 

[BlueThunder]

I think most of my reactions were covered pretty well by most posters. One thing that did come to me was 'if we had Schobel in sub package, that defense would be real bad *****'....of course that thought is more based on want, not need. I thought pass defense(4 DL) was adequate. Nothing to be jumping up and down about but against team like Saints, they were good enough. Run D on the other hand.....Spikes is going to be a beast...<b>and we get other Warren back, that group is going to be stud and strength of Pats D once again.

I believe I heard that Ty Warren may be out for the year. Unconfirmed at this stage, but source usually is reliable.

 

[BradyBranch39]

1. I feel a lot better about the back up QB situation. Hoyer's effort was the best, most poised, and controlled back up effort we have had in years. Even though Cassell was a revelation during the 2008 regular season, he sucked during the preseason.

I've always felt pretty good about Hoyer but yeah, he was impressive last night.

 

[BradyBranch39]

As was Criqui's critique of Pats wide receiver Randy Cross.

I told my dad about this when I heard it and he was in disbelief that anyone could be that dumb.

 

[eom]

I believe I heard that Ty Warren may be out for the year. Unconfirmed at this stage, but source usually is reliable.

is your source michael holley on weei?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Ken brings the irony - win!

 

[Patspsycho]

Ken brings the irony - win!

Hey BOR, are you and Pats1 going to do the DVR breakdowns like you did last year?

 

[pencilneckgeek]

Hey BOR, are you and Pats1 going to do the DVR breakdowns like you did last year?

Are you volunteering for a backup role? :idea2:

 

[BlueThunder]

It's official. Ty Warren to IR .... Guess Holley was right on.

If Reiss or Holley leak something, it's usually gonna happen.

 

[Patspsycho]

Are you volunteering for a backup role? :idea2:

I plan to get a DVR for the start of regular season.

I was thinking that four of us could split a quarter apiece, and one poster breaks down one quarter.

I noticed that the breakdowns last year ran out of steam pretty quickly because one poster was trying to do a breakdown of an entire game which is a lot to do.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Brady looked so intense I was getting scared. This was just a preseason game. He might have a heart attack or kill someone during a playoff game.

Hopefully it will be a Raven, Jet or Colt:rocker:

 

[Joker]

Box!!!...where ya been?...had us worried there....

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Hey BOR, are you and Pats1 going to do the DVR breakdowns like you did last year?

I'm allowing projects to backlog so I can stop by and discuss the 1st preseason game so I doubt I'll find time for any indepth analysis. As things stand I've only read about the first six practices of Training Camp and watched the game on NFLN last night. :bricks:

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Box!!!...where ya been?...had us worried there....

J-man! Missed you too, but too many fires burning on the home front (and I'm NOT - curse my luck - talking about curvaceous and needy women) for me to spend a lot of time on the message boards for awhile. :help:

 

[Joker]

You take care of what's important...meanwhile, I'll hang around here snapping the carrot til your triumphant return....remember back in the days of the Roman empire, the emperor always had a lackey at his side during Caesar's triumphant return, whispering "you are only a Box O Rocks..."

 

[Patjew]

J-man! Missed you too, but too many fires burning on the home front (and I'm NOT - curse my luck - talking about curvaceous and needy women) for me to spend a lot of time on the message boards for awhile. :help:

It's great to see you back and I hope that all those fires get put out quickly.