Did Edelman's blocking win us the Super Bowl?

[Bruins29]

Guys, lets summarize:
1. JE is more versatile than JJ by a longshot.
2. JE is a better fit for the pats right now given cap hit and other WRs here
3. JJ is a much better WR than most WR who have ever played
4. JE is a sold blocker - nothing HOF worthy
5. The TEAM won the SB by having players make plays all game (or at least the last /14 of it)
6. The OP is an idiot.

Does that about cover it?

 

[NG Pats Fan]

Sure, ifyou are a Fantasy Football owner. Me? I root for an NFL TEAM.

Who has 2 rings?

You are looking at it from a Fantasy perspective. Not a team perspective.

Edelman beat opponents in 5 different areas. Jones was the better WR.

Who cares primarily about the Hall of Fame? Watch what type of banner is unfurled this Thursday night.

I guarantee you, it ain't a HOF banner.

.

.

Super Bowl wins are team achievements

Edelman has tom brady. Jones has Matt Ryan. Think maybe that's a reason jones has 0 Super Bowls while Edelman has 2?

How many superbowls would Julio have with tom Brady?


Jones beats opponents in the most important area, and he's proven he's as tough and clutch as any WR in football. There's no way you will convince me Edelman has a bigger impact on the game than Julio. Defensive Coordinators like awake at night figuring out how to stop Julio Jones. Jones takes over the games offensively, changes the way defenses have to play a player. He still produces more than any other Wr in the league despite playing with an average QB and acting as a decoy at times


Who cares about the hall of fame? I do. Players who make it are some of the most incredible players we have ever seen in history

 

[shmessy]

BTW, if Edelman didn't break his foot in 2015, we are right now talking about the Patriots beginning their quest for a 4TH STRAIGHT Lombardi.

But, yeah, Jones is a spectacular WR .

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[shmessy]

Super Bowl wins are team achievements

Edelman has tom brady. Jones has Matt Ryan. Think maybe that's a reason jones has 0 Super Bowls while Edelman has 2?

How many superbowls would Julio have with tom Brady?


Jones beats opponents in the most important area, and he's proven he's as tough and clutch as any WR in football. There's no way you will convince me Edelman has a bigger impact on the game than Julio. Defensive Coordinators like awake at night figuring out how to stop Julio Jones. Jones takes over the games offensively, changes the way defenses have to play a player. He still produces more than any other Wr in the league despite playing with an average QB and acting as a decoy at times


Who cares about the hall of fame? I do. Players who make it are some of the most incredible players we have ever seen in history

"Jones has Matt Ryan. Think maybe that's a reason jones has 0 Super Bowls while Edelman has 2?"

You mean 2016 NFL MVP Matt Ryan?????

"Who cares about the hall of fame? I do.

Well, then enjoy the HOF game every August in Canton. I'm looking forward to Thursday night. Perspective.


...and btw, do you STILL not understand that if Edelman hadn't broken his foot in 2015 - - Thursday night would mark the beginning of the Quest for 4 Straight Lombardis???? So, please tell us all, again, who is more important to have had?

.

 

[JMC00]

Not trying to knock him or anything because i'll take him over most WR but him making a couple of blocks a lot of other WRs can make didn't win the Pats the SB.

I seem to remember outside of the insane catch, a catch on the GW TD drive and a catch on the drive Blount fumbled Pats kind of won in spite of Edelman. Think he was targeted something like 15 times and had almost has many drops as he did catches which think he had 4 or 5 receptions.

If the Pats had not won the SB and he didn't make the insane catch he would have been one of the players people on here would have been ****ting on after the SB

But that's no knock on him he just had an off game in the SB and still managed to have close to 100 receiving, another better day it's him with the SB reception record and maybe even the receiving yards record


OT sidenote it's nuts how 4 Patriots players are in the top 3 in receptions in the SB

#1 White- 14
#2 Demaryius Thomas 13
t-#3 Vereen, Welker, Branch, Rice, Ross 11

and Branch is actually on the list again because he had another game with 10 only other guy with 2 10+ rec SB games is Rice.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

"Jones has Matt Ryan. Think maybe that's a reason jones has 0 Super Bowls while Edelman has 2?"

You mean 2016 MVP Matt Ryan?????

"Who cares about the hall of fame? I do.

Well, then enjoy the HOF game every August in Canton. I'm looking forward to Thursday night. Perspective.

Ryan was MVP for one reason...Julio Jones. Ryan is slightly above average at best, Julio makes him look good. Any coincidence in the top 100 nfl players of 2017, jones came in at number 3 while Ryan was lower?

Whatever you think of Ryan, we can both agree he's no tom brady. And if jones got to play his whole careee with brady, who knows how many records together they would have shattered

 

[Wheelman]

Edelman's blocking is average. I don't think any of our receivers from 2016 were good at blocking.

 

[bormio]

Super Bowl wins are team achievements

Edelman has tom brady. Jones has Matt Ryan. Think maybe that's a reason jones has 0 Super Bowls while Edelman has 2?

How many superbowls would Julio have with tom Brady?


Jones beats opponents in the most important area, and he's proven he's as tough and clutch as any WR in football. There's no way you will convince me Edelman has a bigger impact on the game than Julio. Defensive Coordinators like awake at night figuring out how to stop Julio Jones. Jones takes over the games offensively, changes the way defenses have to play a player. He still produces more than any other Wr in the league despite playing with an average QB and acting as a decoy at times


Who cares about the hall of fame? I do. Players who make it are some of the most incredible players we have ever seen in history

Nothing is sadder for a HOFer than to never win a ring. To go to HOF events with everyone flashing that bling.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

Nothing is sadder for a HOFer than to never win a ring. To go to HOF events with everyone flashing that bling.

Not Julio Jones fault he's stuck in Atlanta

 

[RayClay]

Why do people get so silly about WRs and no other position? No one disrespects Edelman, Julio Jones is a great receiver. Their skill sets are so different, it doesn't even make sense to compare them.

 

[ViperGTS]

His block on the OT winning TE may have allowed White to score. His guy recovered and got to the play a second to late.

 

[shmessy]

Not Julio Jones fault he's stuck in Atlanta

That's because the GM in NE knows how to build a T-E-A-M and doesn't put a premium on individuals with HOF stats.

What is the primary reason for wins SB success? Individuals? Or personnel who can do many different things well?

Perspective.

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[NG Pats Fan]

That's because the GM in NE knows how to build a T-E-A-M and doesn't put a premium on individuals with HOF stats.

What is the primary reason for wins SB success? Individuals? Or personnel who can do many different things well?

Perspective.

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Julio Jones brings tremendous value to any team, including New England

 

[shmessy]

Julio Jones brings tremendous value to any team, including New England

No one said otherwise.

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[h0c2000]

What's an "Edelman-disrespecting-form"?

A misspelled strawman.

 

[Oswlek]

A misspelled strawman.

Ha! Damn phones.

 

[Ring 6]

How important was Edelman's blocking in SBLI? More precisely, if Edelman's blocks were average quality for a receiver, would we have still won?

Here is the issue. You overrate Edelman on a Patriot board, forcing Patriot fans who are realistic to sound like they are knocking him.

Is he a good blocker and a top effort guy, of course.
Is his blocking game-changing? No.

The first two you listed were not players who threatened the play. Nice job but if he misses those we still score.

The third is a pretty nice downfield block that may or may not have gained a couple extra yards.

The fourth was a nice job but not something spectacular.

@bormio listed four key blocks in another post:

1. Overtime touchdown by White. Edelman crackback block on Brian Poole #34, knocking him over. Without that block Poole would have had a good shot at White.
   
   
2. Initially blocks Robert Alford #23, and also blocks safety Ricardo Allen #23 at the same time. Of course, Hogan here was blocking Jalen Collins 32. Since Amendola barely made it over, there is a good chance the Edelman blocks were both critical, although Allen may have been too late.
   
   
3. Block of Alford 23 during White swing pass OT 11:55 (2:13 in the clip) . A pretty good block, doubtful White gets the first down without this.
   
   
4. Cut block on linebacker De’Vondre Campbell 59 allowing White to get TD. (1m:30s)

I think most people, even on this Edelman-disrespecting-forum, would agree that Edelman's blocking technique is better than a typical wide receiver's. But did this make a difference?

No one here disrespects Edelman.

It's a difficult to question to know. If Edelman had average blocking ability for a receiver, which of these 4 plays would have succeeded?

No change on the first 2. Possibly a couple yards on the 3rd. Unknown in the 4th because the player was not at the point of attack. Nice block but just getting a piece would have kept 59 out of the play.

A case could be made I think that none of the four plays would have succeeded. In any case, it would have been much riskier.

No it can't.

If you agree that Edelman's blocking was (a) superb and (b) critical, then this raises the next question: why doesn't anyone talk about it! I've read a lot of articles/videos on Edelman's value to the team in the wake of his injury: his quickness, his sync with Brady, his clutch play, his intelligence, his versatility, his "heart", even his passing. But I've never seen his blocking mentioned. And I never see blocking mentioned when assessing receivers either. Why?

WR blocking is a bonus and as noted is rarely critical to the success of many plays.

Also if people have other key blocks in SBLI feel free to add them.

One extra comment on (1): this may not have been a designated block in that Edelman might have had to select the right guy to block based on the defense post-snap. I mean, it's a nontrivial read to select Poole at all. The others the blockee was designated pre-snap.

(Edit: Reminder that the main question I am asking is this: If Edelman had average blocking ability for a receiver, which of these 4 plays would have succeeded?)

Average blocks would have had the exact same results on 3 of the 4 and probably the same but at least similar on the 4th (which actually was a pretty average diwnfield block)

I love Edelman's effort, drive and willingness to block and not alleys have that but you are making a mountain out something that isn't a mountain.

 

[Ring 6]

Sure, if you are a Fantasy Football owner. Me? I root for an NFL TEAM.

Who has 2 rings?

You are looking at it from a Fantasy perspective. Not a team perspective.

Edelman beat opponents in 5 different areas. But no argument - - Jones was the better WR.

Please show me a real fan who prefers his players make the HOF instead of winning rings.

Hall of Fame? Watch what type of banner is unfurled this Thursday night.

I guarantee you, it ain't a HOF banner.

.

.

So LeGgarette Blount is a better RB than Le'Veon Bell because Blount has 2 rings?

 

[shmessy]

No one said otherwise.

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And once again, Jones is a BETTER Wide Receiver.

The better player at one position does not mean success for the team over the better all-around player.

Ryan Grigson could have taken Malcolm Brown with the 1st round pick in 2015. Instead he went for the "best athlete" and staked his GM-ship on it when they truly needed OL protection for Luck.

BB is now trolling him by driving past his house and laughing "How you like losing your job over your WR whom I just picked up for my 3rd stringer QB!".

It is all about TEAM BUILDING.

The Hall of Fame is a lovely place though.

.

 

[K. Dog]

Edelman's flea flicker block

Do Your Job 2 has a section discussing Edelman's blocking during the flea flicker in the 2016 AFC Championship against the Steelers. The wide receiver coach said Edelman's block was "critical" and Belichick called Edelman's blocking "the key play" (or maybe it was the other way 'round).

Anyway, the flea flicker against the Chiefs failed tonight apparently due to a missed or failed block. Obviously Edelman is missed in many areas in the offense, but I wonder if his absence blocking made a difference on that play. I actually don't know, haven't looked at the replay.

There was a another thread on the significance of Edelman's blocking in SBLI I started last week - my opinion there was his blocking was likely critical to numerous key plays.