Super article from CHFF about WWW that makes me feel better and trust in Bill.

[PatsWickedPissah]

I hate seeing Welker leave. He was a gutsy ironman who set an example of how to play fearlessly. But what happened post 2005/6 was that reacting to the Polian rule changes hamstringing the defensive backfield and LB pass coverage we decided to become the Colts whom us fans had previously disdained. Lots of points scored. Occasional massive routs of hapless unprepared opponents lacking the key defensive attributes required to castrate the precisely tuned race car offense. Then Tom Coughlin in that cold December 2007 game tried a new tactic that few had the personnel to implement. Up the middle unrelenting pressure with a well times occasional delayed blitz. Don't let the race car engines of Moss & Welker get off the line past 5 yards without a re-route and of course the requisite beneficial calls and good luck that makes every Champion.

I'm hopeful that this transition marks a more balanced approach on offense where Tom returns to being the QB whose favorite receiver is the open one, even if it's the 3rd option, instead of relying on Moss, Welker time and again so smart talented Ds can no longer focus on stopping the key player and disrupt the entire rhythm of a too finely tuned machine.

All this is futile if the long lingering ineptness in pass defense is not a major focus in both FA and the draft this year.

 

[upstater1]

The article conveniently ignores the failures of our OFFENSE in the last several season-ending losses to put up anywhere near the number of points that they had scored, on average, in the regular season. Thus, making that offense WORSE seems like a bad idea.

Most fans will point out, however, that the loss of Wes Welker, and the loss of Gronk in consecutive seasons, forced Brady to rely on single weapons who were not up to it.

I agree with that line of thinking wholeheartedly.

And it's not a regular season versus playoff argument either, since the Patriots moved the ball well in the playoffs, and scored, prior to Gronk's injury in 2012.

They also moved the ball well against the Giants in 2012, even with a hobbled Gronk.

 

[VJCPatriot]

And here's the other side of the coin. A statistical comparison of Amendola vs Welker. Welker blows him out of the water. But who knows maybe McDaniels told BB that the best direction for the offense is to become less dependant on Welker and involve other playmakers. Is less more? We're going to find out pretty soon.

Slot Machines: Danny Amendola Is The Poor Man's Wes Welker

 

[Mack Herron]

I'm hopeful that this transition marks a more balanced approach on offense where Tom returns to being the QB whose favorite receiver is the open one, even if it's the 3rd option, instead of relying on Moss, Welker time and again so smart talented Ds can no longer focus on stopping the key player and disrupt the entire rhythm of a too finely tuned machine.

I wish you guys who claim Brady has experienced some sort of regression would provide some stats to support your claim, keeping in mind the sheer number of times he targeted Welker is not evidence that he was doing anything besides throwing to the open receiver. How do you know that the distribution of targets does not simply reflect the distribution of talent (as the success rates suggest)?

 

[hodgey]

Numerous fans have made the same point about a crappy D for what 7-8 years now. BB drafts and free agents on D have been a disaster. Like I always contend its the GOAT that continues to make him look good. IF he fails to provide a top 10 D this year its time for him to go.... Who here doesnt desperately miss Romeo?

 

[BradyBranch39]

that article must have been mostly written before the Amendola signing, because if ditching Welker was the "right move," then signing OtherWelker was the "wrong move" that shoots holes in the entire article.

 

[Urgent]

Simply, getting worse on offense does not improve the team.

Welker at $6mm was perfectly affordable. Amendola does save $2mm a year over the next two years. If that $2mm savings is used to significantly upgrade the pass defense, then that makes sense. The downgrade from Welker to Amendola is well more than a $2mm difference.

Spending that money on Arrington doesn't really dent that defensive passer rating.

 

[Bruins29]

Simply, getting worse on offense does not improve the team.

Stats-fans.com

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I wish you guys who claim Brady has experienced some sort of regression would provide some stats to support your claim, keeping in mind the sheer number of times he targeted Welker is not evidence that he was doing anything besides throwing to the open receiver. How do you know that the distribution of targets does not simply reflect the distribution of talent (as the success rates suggest)?

Who is talking regression? The SB winning teams featured passes to Jags galore as well as the talent such that the Pats offense was not easily stifled as in the 2 SB losses and the Ravens AFCCG loss. The SB winning teams scored more points with that approach. The disrupt Welker and Moss approaches resulted in playoff losses with low offensive production. If your offense is a finely tuned focused racing machine it's more susceptible to strategic disruption by a DC with the right talent than a more diverse yet lower aggregate scoring machine.

BB's approach to defeating most opponents is to remove their go to guy from the equation. Our approach to offense used to be death from anywhere. May it be so again.