Targets, completions, etc.

[PatsFanInVa]

The gronk will return just when they least expect it

And will depart again just when we least expect it.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

As Gisele reminded us, Brady cannot both throw the ball and catch it. He also cannot block the D-lineman and drop back, etc. etc. etc.

There's a frustration here about WR quality, OL quality, and the possibility of (gasp) a Brady quality issue. One Gisele is plenty, right?

This is the problem with a team game. I think with more time in the pocket the Dobsons and Thompkins of the world look a little better. But it's not like they've scared people before. We have no history of either of them being scary good. Ditto Amendola. He's been "pretty good at getting open" in his prime, but never "OMG we're playing against Amendola, it's a nightmare for the DC!"

HOWEVER, given that information -- given the information of where this team already was going, w/much more defensive splash both in the draft and Free Agency -- I did not expect enormous #s. I did not think we had the receivers for it.

The O-line depletion at the last moment was the most worrying factor.
In Miami we could not overcome these various decrements (or if you prefer, Brady could not overcome them.) Since then, we have - against the Peterson-less Vikings and the Raiders.

That said: I cannot wait to see this D against some of the better teams on the sked, including Denver. I expect the offense to be better than it is now, but no more than middle of the pack. Of course it's possible that the names we now deride will hit some yet-unknown breakthrough and get much better... or that a healed thigh bruise will fix throwing mechanics and blah blah blah blah blah... I just see this as a 20-aerial TD team, and that's only because production increases.

This is not 2007. It's a somewhat exciting concept to me in some ways. This can be a ****-hot D; to some extent, necessity might be the mother of such defenses. If that's the case, we're starting to look like we have necessity in spades

Ok work time

 

[pencilneckgeek]

Given that several of LaFell's incompletions were long balls when Miami was crowding the line, I'm not worried about him doing his job. He just can't do that one, and we never expected him to. Dobson will make a better deep threat soon.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Call this more "hope" than prediction, but in the last game I did sense there was more of an effort to spread the ball around a bit more - and if the receivers can settle into knowing their routes (and give Brady the confidence they will be there) then I could see them employing the n0-huddle a bit more

Maybe not as much as last year but I think the more they do that, the more they will keep defenses off kilter and off of Brady

I just think the OL will look much better running the no huddle than not - but the receivers need to know their roles and routes - and Brady needs to throw to them

 

[supafly]

Seeing the names on that pass catching list is just a slap in the face reminder of how little talent we have at the skill positions. Our best options are a quality slot receiver masquerading as a #1, a one-legged All World TE and a decent third down back. Good times.

Even if we give you the benefit of the doubt and agree with you, these options are still much better than last year's receiving options, which saw us go all the way to the AFC Championship game with a 13-4 record at the time.

I still believe that we'd have lost (I hate to admit that) in the AFCCG, particularly since it was in DEN, but if Talib doesn't go down again early in the game, things could have been a lot closer--possibly even a victory.

 

[supafly]

Dobson will make a better deep threat soon.

I hope you're right about the above. I hate to be overly skeptical, but until Dobson proves himself a lot more, I am going to be cautiously optimistic.

We've been hearing all about Dobson's potential since the spring of 2013, so let's hope it's just an unfortunate case of being injured and slow to heal.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Thats troubling to me a TE who can catch shouldn't have any trouble learning the Pats Offense. Wright have shown that he has Big play ability and could be match-up nightmare but McDaniels for some reason put him in there for minimal plays???? I cannot even imagine what Peyton Manning would do with such a player a TE with a WR's body. We should be going Two TE's more Wright would give us a heck of alot more than both Lafell and Amendola combined. I hope they were holding him back for the upcoming games because if we play Offense the way we have the past few weeks KC and Cincy will smoke us and one of those loses would be in our own building.

"...because if we play Offense the way we have the past few weeks KC and Cincy will smoke us and one of those loses would be in our own building ... "
And the World will come to an end. Relax a mite.

Losses to both KC at Arrowhead and the Bengals at Foxboro were part of the 4 losses in my 12-4 prediction. The O line issues will be resolved by mid-season, and the new players will make a bigger, tougher, better blocking line and much more fearsome in the Playoffs. I'd feel better if the depth were better though, even as BB is forcing experience on the UDFA PS types. and retained the incumbents Wendell and Connolly.

Wright just got here; he is still learning the Playbook. His time will come. LaFell is taking his mobile blocking plays, and Flemming is playing 6th Tackle/TE, while Gronk is Gronk.

 

[ATippett56]

I hope you're right about the above. I hate to be overly skeptical, but until Dobson proves himself a lot more, I am going to be cautiously optimistic.

We've been hearing all about Dobson's potential since the spring of 2013, so let's hope it's just an unfortunate case of being injured and slow to heal.

I hope so because I'm starting to get tired of watching LaFell called for offensive pass interference penalties let alone offside on a kickoff.

 

[AzPatsFan]

As Gisele reminded us, Brady cannot both throw the ball and catch it. He also cannot block the D-lineman and drop back, etc. etc. etc.

There's a frustration here about WR quality, OL quality, and the possibility of (gasp) a Brady quality issue. One Gisele is plenty, right?

This is the problem with a team game. I think with more time in the pocket the Dobsons and Thompkins of the world look a little better. But it's not like they've scared people before. We have no history of either of them being scary good. Ditto Amendola. He's been "pretty good at getting open" in his prime, but never "OMG we're playing against Amendola, it's a nightmare for the DC!"

HOWEVER, given that information -- given the information of where this team already was going, w/much more defensive splash both in the draft and Free Agency -- I did not expect enormous #s. I did not think we had the receivers for it.

The O-line depletion at the last moment was the most worrying factor.
In Miami we could not overcome these various decrements (or if you prefer, Brady could not overcome them.) Since then, we have - against the Peterson-less Vikings and the Raiders.

That said: I cannot wait to see this D against some of the better teams on the sked, including Denver. I expect the offense to be better than it is now, but no more than middle of the pack. Of course it's possible that the names we now deride will hit some yet-unknown breakthrough and get much better... or that a healed thigh bruise will fix throwing mechanics and blah blah blah blah blah... I just see this as a 20-aerial TD team, and that's only because production increases.

This is not 2007. It's a somewhat exciting concept to me in some ways. This can be a ****-hot D; to some extent, necessity might be the mother of such defenses. If that's the case, we're starting to look like we have necessity in spades

Ok work time

MIami was a case of Summer Heat, and injuries. For you youngsters, the Pats never won in Miami for the first 13 years that the Dolphins came into existence. They were always scheduled there in early September, and the shallow Pats never deep with talent would ALWAYS wilt in the second half Summer sun.

This year we had only three LBs, and on the DL, Sealver Siliga, Chris Jones and Mike Buchanon and Easley were dinged and unavailable. So we had to play Chandler, Vince, Velano and Ninko along with the LBs as ironmen. And they couldn't do it; and wilted in the Miami heat just like the shallow limited-talent Pats teams used to do.

I look forward to Miami coming to Foxboro to play in a blizzard Nor'easter. We may only have 1 Great receiver but we have a full roster of good ones. So many that we can't activate them all.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Although we're talking about impressions and un-measurables (the Wilted-in-Miami hypothesis,) it's as compelling an argument as any, particularly to describe the defense. The supporting argument - that the D went on to improve markedly - supports that impression.

But the offense has continued to struggle. They've been doing enough to win games with a lot of help from the D... As I say, I'm ever the optimist and look at a number of factors as arguably fixable. But there's no heat data that explains the Pats' production in the passing game.

There are the "no weapons" guys. There are the "Brady decline" guys. There are the "Worst O-Line in the world" guys. If "O-Line Play" turns out to be the winning answer to Pats Jeopardy 2014, that's somewhat good news, because it's a single-point failure that foils multiple seemingly redundant connections (e.g., Brady to Edelman, Brady to Gronk, Brady to Dobson, etc.) Now if that single point failure can't be fixed... not so good.

Even worse if the single point failure is Brady. I just don't think it is.