[Edit : Franchise Record] Most Points Through 3 Games & Who Needs a Punter?

[SlowGettingUp]

Ben Volin:

119 points through three games is a #Patriots record. Previous high was 115 in 2002



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The 3.83 points per drive also is tops - beating out the 2007 team which had 3.37


I calculate that with no punts today, that makes a total of FIVE punts over three full games. That's less than one each half. If you look at Ryan's salary over the year that amounts to over $200k per punt so far although I suppose he does hold for kicks too.

 

[patchick]

JAX outpunted the Patriots today, 169 yds to 0. That's the only stat I can find where they came out ahead.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

That's the only stat I can find where they came out ahead.

I think they also gained more yards on their own fumbles.

 

[Fencer]

I suppose he does hold for kicks too.

In the Danny Aiken era that was an important contribution.

 

[borg]

Football Economics by Bill Belichick

Chapter 1: How to build the league's most potent offense

Primary QB..............6th round
Secondary QB..........2nd round

Primary "big" RB.....FA
Primary "scat" RB....FA
Depth RBs................FA, 4th, FA

Primary WRs............7th, FA, 2nd
Depth WRs...............FA, trade (swap 5th for 6th),*

Primary TE...............2nd
Depth TEs.................FA,FA,Future 7th

Kicker........................4th

*Did not include Slater

 

[Fencer]

Football Economics by Bill Belichick

Chapter 1: How to build the league's most potent offense

Primary QB..............6th round
Secondary QB..........2nd round

Primary "big" RB.....FA
Primary "scat" RB....FA
Depth RBs................FA, 4th, FA

Primary WRs............7th, FA, 2nd
Depth WRs...............FA, trade (swap 5th for 6th),*

Primary TE...............2nd
Depth TEs.................FA,FA,FA

Kicker........................4th

*Did not include Slater

You didn't include the OL. Unless I'm missing something, they're 1st, 2nd, 4th, 4th, 5th, plus various kinds of FA.

Also, Williams was technically traded for. And getting Blount as a FA related to having previously technically traded for him.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Football Economics by Bill Belichick

Chapter 1: How to build the league's most potent offense

Primary QB..............6th round
Secondary QB..........2nd round

Primary "big" RB.....FA
Primary "scat" RB....FA
Depth RBs................FA, 4th, FA

Primary WRs............7th, FA, 2nd
Depth WRs...............FA, trade (swap 5th for 6th),*

Primary TE...............2nd
Depth TEs.................FA,FA,FA

Kicker........................4th

*Did not include Slater

well, he was an economics major.....he's just rewriting the text books.

 

[borg]

You didn't include the OL. Unless I'm missing something, they're 1st, 2nd, 4th, 4th, 5th, plus various kinds of FA.

Also, Williams was technically traded for. And getting Blount as a FA related to having previously technically traded for him.

Williams: Fixed (I looked up DJ Williams by mistake)
Blount: released by Pittsburg....cleared through waivers....signed by NE as FA
O line: ignoring the big uglies....unless Solder can grab another TD

 

[Fencer]

Williams: Fixed (I looked up DJ Williams by mistake)
Blount: released by Pittsburg....cleared through waivers....signed by NE as FA
O line: ignoring the big uglies....unless Solder can grab another TD

Correct re Blount; I was referring rather to the previous relationship with him that led to that signing.

The OL are a big part of the offense, and not just literally. They're 5 of the 11 guys on the field, and on a few plays they're 6 of the 11.

 

[Froob]

Hearing the players union has filed a complaint for Ryan Allen. Interesting to see how that will be resolved.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I calculate that with no punts today, that makes a total of FIVE punts over three full games. That's less than one each half. If you look at Ryan's salary over the year that amounts to over $200k per punt so far although I suppose he does hold for kicks too.

Five punts and 20 FG/XP holds.

 

[borg]

The OL are a big part of the offense, and not just literally. They're 5 of the 11 guys on the field, and on a few plays they're 6 of the 11.

I did not know that. Thanks for the insight

 

[Gator Mike]

The scoring on every drive thing reminds me of an amusing story Former Florida Head Coach Ron Zook used to tell about when he was the Special Teams Coach at UF under Steve Spurrier.

As the story goes, Zook approached Spurrier before a Friday practice and asked for a little extra work on the punt team. His reasoning was that his punt team had a few injuries, and their opponents that week were especially dangerous returning kicks.

Zook spent several minutes making the request to a bewildered Spurrier, who finally stopped him and said, "Aw, don't worry about it Zooker. We're not gonna punt this week, anyway."

 

[borg]

The scoring on every drive thing reminds me of an amusing story Former Florida Head Coach Ron Zook used to tell about when he was the Special Teams Coach at UF under Steve Spurrier.

As the story goes, Zook approached Spurrier before a Friday practice and asked for a little extra work on the punt team. His reasoning was that his punt team had a few injuries, and their opponents that week were especially dangerous returning kicks.

Zook spent several minutes making the request to a bewildered Spurrier, who finally stopped him and said, "Aw, don't worry about it Zooker. We're not gonna punt this week, anyway."

Your story goes well with this article about Spurrier coaching the Redskins
http://espn.go.com/college-football...ulture-contributed-steve-spurrier-failure-nfl

 

[PP2]

Hearing the players union has filed a complaint for Ryan Allen. Interesting to see how that will be resolved.

That lazy punk never got off the bench all afternoon. Cut him.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

Meanwhile ...

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

IF this trajectory proves to accurately define the Patriots -- week 3 does not answer that question yet -- this is the most potent balanced offense I have seen, Patriots or otherwise.
Outside of the obvious of GOAT Brady as well as super-superstar TE Gronk, the strength of the Patriots may be their 'guys' aren't necessarily the most high paid headline making superstars.
Edelman (certainly a star) is an electric catchin' machine, Danny Amendola definitely is a Patriot, forgotten is Lafell and his 74 receptions will be back, and people forget that TE Chandler on largely lousy offenses averaged almost 50 catches per season the last 4 years.
That's 5 guys who have proven track records of being able to frequently win one on one battles for production. (Plus Dobson who I sense is on track to fit in that mold).

Run Game: We don't have the second coming of Barry Sanders or guys who are on anyone's elite list (in reality it is two castoffs). What we do have appears to be the perfect complementary running game tandem: Blount over-thru you and is hungry, Lewis darts around you and is hungry--- plus pass catch playmaking ability.
And an important compotent to any O -- an automatic kicking game, Gost!.

Finally, the OL looks like its cup runnith over. It's still early but this unit looks like flexible, solid, and capable with run and pass. If that continues .(doesn't even need to be stellar just satisfactory) the variety of Patriots options will make it very hard for defenses to sufficiently slow down the Patriot offense. Sure, it could get slowed down once or twice over the season. Who knows maybe a team or two can win a shootout. But overall this O is going to lay the wood to most defenses and it will do so with production from a variety of 'guys'.

 

[TommyD4207]

Meanwhile ...

The Bears may not score a point until Cutler comes back.

 

[Wordsmyth]

And Smokin' Jay doesn't care.