Rewatch Thread: NE vs. Miami (Week 4)

[PP2]

In the previous re-watch thread, I spoke about how the offense was just missing something- it's not 100% there. And that continued yesterday: Brady's decision-making is just off. He is ignoring open reads, and sometimes tunnel-visions/locks on the read he is most comfortable with- it's almost as if he makes up his mind pre-snap which indicates a lack of comfort level.

I think this can be attributed to the fact that just about every receiver he has is either new, or playing unfamiliar positions.

It's astonishing that despite this, we were able to pour 38 on the Dolphins. It's amazing to think about what this offense is capable of, once it really gets going.

 

[dustcover]

Ghost was kicking the ball into or through the end-zone for most of the day, but on one kickoff after a scoring drive, he pooch kicked it with the Phins getting field position around the 40 yard line. I immediately thought 'what-the-f&*#!'

What's the consensus, was it intentional in an attempt to catch the Phins off guard, or did he just shank the ball?

 

[Ring 6]

They absolutely have something with this kid. No question.

I thought it was interesting they ran him 25 times yesterday when at U of GA he averaged a little over 12 carries a game. That tells me
a) they needed him
b) hes knows enough of the offense.
c) hes healthy
d) the coaching staff had confidence in him to carry the load.

He had 20+ carriers in 7 of his last 8 as a soph.
His carries were down the last 2 years because he was splitting time with Chubb.

 

[RobertWeathers]

He had 20+ carriers in 7 of his last 8 as a soph.
His carries were down the last 2 years because he was splitting time with Chubb.

Yes.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Ghost was kicking the ball into or through the end-zone for most of the day, but on one kickoff after a scoring drive, he pooch kicked it with the Phins getting field position around the 40 yard line. I immediately thought 'what-the-f&*#!'

What's the consensus, was it intentional in an attempt to catch the Phins off guard, or did he just shank the ball?

I hope catch off- guard as that kick was awful.

 

[Boomer B]

A link to Jerry Thornton's breakdown on Barstool and a few highlights

Barstool Sports
–As far as the game itself, I’m going to start with the best Patriots player on the field yesterday: James Develin. It’s obvious by now that the plan going forward (at least until it changes, probably Thursday night) is to put James White in single back sets and run Sony Michel behind Develin. And it worked, with sometimes devastating effects. On Michel’s first good run of the opening drive, Develin stopped Raekwon McMillain dead in his tracks as he came in to plug the gap and sprung Michel for 8 yards. Two plays later was a pitch to Michel in which Gronk motioned in to seal off Cameron Wake while Develin and Cordarelle Patterson threw upfield blocks on the defensive backs and it went for 14. Later on a 1st & 10 Develin blew up Jerome Baker like he was the door to a safe, Michel broke a tackle by Bobby McCain and broke outside for 23. I really only saw one block Develin missed, on Michael Still shooting into the backfield, but Michel still managed to hit the C-G hole and pick up the 1st on his own. All in all, on a day full of superlative performances, Jimmy Neckroll stood out.


–Which is not to overlook current James White, who played one of his best games ever, in the non-Super Bowl category. His TD run that made it 17-0 and pretty much put the game out of reach was coaching tape porn of scheme, teamwork and improvising. With White as the lone back and the play flowing to the right, Shaq Mason and Marcus Cannon doubled Jordan Phillips. Dave Andrews was uncovered, so he came toward the playside to combo block Phillips, freeing Mason to bounce to the second level and take out Kiko Alonzo. That block, along with the one Gronk threw on Wake, allowed White to reverse field against the grain of the play and go in untouched.


–Which leads us to Josh Gordon. Because part of the reason that last sentence ends “untouched” is he was upfield, tossing Xavien Howard around at the goal line, finishing his block, playing to the whistle, doing all those little things coaches talk about that usually fall on deaf ears when those ears are connected to a “troubled” player. In all I think he had like 18 snaps. Playing exclusively as an up-on-the-line X-receiver, he converted that 3rd & 6 slant pass that set up the first field goal. He had an in-cut on 3rd & 3 in which he broke tackles from Torry McTyer and Maurice Smith to pick up 19. I don’t know what it looks like the exact moment when a grown man puts his **** together. But that block, that sort of attention-to-detail effort play, might very well be it.


–Tom Brady ought not have thrown those interceptions. There. I’m on record as having said that. I don’t want my silence on those throws be tacit endorsement of all his behaviors. Now, can we talk about his touchdown throw to White? Robert Quinn and Akeem Spence ran a tackle-end cross (“TEX”) which sent Quinn free into Brady’s perfectly symmetrical face. Falling backwards like a guy leaning back in a desk chair, Brady nevertheless lobbed a laser-guided mortar shell that perfectly hit its target in the corner of the end zone. In terms of the situation, that doesn’t crack his Top 400 touchdown passes. But for style points? It might have been Top 10.


–Probably nobody had a bigger bounce-back game than Josh McDaniels. He got everyone involved. That 55-yard touchdown to Patterson was exactly the kind of pick play the Pats never seem to execute. Miami was in man, so White came in motion to take out Howard, who was on Patterson. Minkah Fitzpatrick, in a total rookie move, stayed with White, leaving Patterson completely unaccounted for. Beyond that, McDaniels worked a good mix of run/pass, 1-back, 2-back and spread sets. Used comeback routes by Phillip Dorsett to get him open and yards after catch. Dwayne Allen was used to throw some crushing blocks (he positively earholed Brown on Michel’s TD that made it 38-0). McDaniels was just much more imaginative and balanced than he’d been the last two weeks.


–By example, on that last possession of the half, McDaniels went to the Pats 5-man protection packages, with the line sliding according to who Brady identifies as the Mike, which they number in the 70s. So for instance, with 5:00 to go, the call was “72,” meaning White was the lone back and he released, catching a ball for the 1st. Just out of the 2:00 warning, it was a “74,” meaning an empty backfield, and Gronk caught a 14 yarder on 3rd down. Miami’s front had the Patriots O-line going to group counseling last season. These were some welcome adjustments all around.


–As happy as I am about this win and the performances of the receivers, I’ll still admit that watching Danny Amendola catch passes from Ryan Tannehill is like seeing your kid play with his stepdad.


–Also high on the bounce-back list is the Patriots Front 7. Or Front 6. Sometimes Front 5. However many they were using yesterday, the group that got vivisected by a weak Lions offensive line last week might have been the best non-Develin unit on the field. Danny Shelton in particular stood out, first working against Daniel Kilgore and later Travis Swanson. Dont’a Hightower looked like the Hightower the Jets offered birthday cupcakes and tens of millions of guaranteed dollars last year, not the guy who’s been playing with all the speed and intensity of a school custodian so far this year. They mixed up their alignments from play to play. Smoothly. With none of the communication problems Matt Patricia exploited last week, where things were so confused they might as well have been calling the signals out with bugle calls.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

A link to Jerry Thornton's breakdown on Barstool and a few highlights

Barstool Sports
–As far as the game itself, I’m going to start with the best Patriots player on the field yesterday: James Develin. It’s obvious by now that the plan going forward (at least until it changes, probably Thursday night) is to put James White in single back sets and run Sony Michel behind Develin. And it worked, with sometimes devastating effects. On Michel’s first good run of the opening drive, Develin stopped Raekwon McMillain dead in his tracks as he came in to plug the gap and sprung Michel for 8 yards. Two plays later was a pitch to Michel in which Gronk motioned in to seal off Cameron Wake while Develin and Cordarelle Patterson threw upfield blocks on the defensive backs and it went for 14. Later on a 1st & 10 Develin blew up Jerome Baker like he was the door to a safe, Michel broke a tackle by Bobby McCain and broke outside for 23. I really only saw one block Develin missed, on Michael Still shooting into the backfield, but Michel still managed to hit the C-G hole and pick up the 1st on his own. All in all, on a day full of superlative performances, Jimmy Neckroll stood out.


–Which is not to overlook current James White, who played one of his best games ever, in the non-Super Bowl category. His TD run that made it 17-0 and pretty much put the game out of reach was coaching tape porn of scheme, teamwork and improvising. With White as the lone back and the play flowing to the right, Shaq Mason and Marcus Cannon doubled Jordan Phillips. Dave Andrews was uncovered, so he came toward the playside to combo block Phillips, freeing Mason to bounce to the second level and take out Kiko Alonzo. That block, along with the one Gronk threw on Wake, allowed White to reverse field against the grain of the play and go in untouched.


–Which leads us to Josh Gordon. Because part of the reason that last sentence ends “untouched” is he was upfield, tossing Xavien Howard around at the goal line, finishing his block, playing to the whistle, doing all those little things coaches talk about that usually fall on deaf ears when those ears are connected to a “troubled” player. In all I think he had like 18 snaps. Playing exclusively as an up-on-the-line X-receiver, he converted that 3rd & 6 slant pass that set up the first field goal. He had an in-cut on 3rd & 3 in which he broke tackles from Torry McTyer and Maurice Smith to pick up 19. I don’t know what it looks like the exact moment when a grown man puts his **** together. But that block, that sort of attention-to-detail effort play, might very well be it.


–Tom Brady ought not have thrown those interceptions. There. I’m on record as having said that. I don’t want my silence on those throws be tacit endorsement of all his behaviors. Now, can we talk about his touchdown throw to White? Robert Quinn and Akeem Spence ran a tackle-end cross (“TEX”) which sent Quinn free into Brady’s perfectly symmetrical face. Falling backwards like a guy leaning back in a desk chair, Brady nevertheless lobbed a laser-guided mortar shell that perfectly hit its target in the corner of the end zone. In terms of the situation, that doesn’t crack his Top 400 touchdown passes. But for style points? It might have been Top 10.


–Probably nobody had a bigger bounce-back game than Josh McDaniels. He got everyone involved. That 55-yard touchdown to Patterson was exactly the kind of pick play the Pats never seem to execute. Miami was in man, so White came in motion to take out Howard, who was on Patterson. Minkah Fitzpatrick, in a total rookie move, stayed with White, leaving Patterson completely unaccounted for. Beyond that, McDaniels worked a good mix of run/pass, 1-back, 2-back and spread sets. Used comeback routes by Phillip Dorsett to get him open and yards after catch. Dwayne Allen was used to throw some crushing blocks (he positively earholed Brown on Michel’s TD that made it 38-0). McDaniels was just much more imaginative and balanced than he’d been the last two weeks.


–By example, on that last possession of the half, McDaniels went to the Pats 5-man protection packages, with the line sliding according to who Brady identifies as the Mike, which they number in the 70s. So for instance, with 5:00 to go, the call was “72,” meaning White was the lone back and he released, catching a ball for the 1st. Just out of the 2:00 warning, it was a “74,” meaning an empty backfield, and Gronk caught a 14 yarder on 3rd down. Miami’s front had the Patriots O-line going to group counseling last season. These were some welcome adjustments all around.


–As happy as I am about this win and the performances of the receivers, I’ll still admit that watching Danny Amendola catch passes from Ryan Tannehill is like seeing your kid play with his stepdad.


–Also high on the bounce-back list is the Patriots Front 7. Or Front 6. Sometimes Front 5. However many they were using yesterday, the group that got vivisected by a weak Lions offensive line last week might have been the best non-Develin unit on the field. Danny Shelton in particular stood out, first working against Daniel Kilgore and later Travis Swanson. Dont’a Hightower looked like the Hightower the Jets offered birthday cupcakes and tens of millions of guaranteed dollars last year, not the guy who’s been playing with all the speed and intensity of a school custodian so far this year. They mixed up their alignments from play to play. Smoothly. With none of the communication problems Matt Patricia exploited last week, where things were so confused they might as well have been calling the signals out with bugle calls.

That amendola stepdad quote is gold.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Anyone been looking at Josh's 18 snaps, his routes and what the D was doing?

 

[Kontradiction]

What are we making of A. Butler having more snaps than Shelton? Is it a sign of Shelton outright losing snaps to Butler or was the team putting more of a product of the team putting an emphasis on pushing the pocket up the A and B gaps?

 

[luuked]

Anyone been looking at Josh's 18 snaps, his routes and what the D was doing?

Lazar said he will do that.

 

[luuked]

What are we making of A. Butler having more snaps than Shelton? Is it a sign of Shelton outright losing snaps to Butler or was the team putting more of a product of the team putting an emphasis on pushing the pocket up the A and B gaps?

Not convinced it is connected. That being said I really like what I have seen from Butler so far and was hoping he could get a bigger role.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Not convinced it is connected. That being said I really like what I have seen from Butler so far and was hoping he could get a bigger role.

I'd love to see how it comes out in film, but my intuition tells me that when you're up 24-0 at the half and 31-0 midway through the 3rd, you're more likely to use your DT interior pass rush specialist thereafter than use your run stuffing specialist NT.

 

[Mike the Brit]

What are we making of A. Butler having more snaps than Shelton? Is it a sign of Shelton outright losing snaps to Butler or was the team putting more of a product of the team putting an emphasis on pushing the pocket up the A and B gaps?

2 cents says that the Fins were in 3rd-and-long a pleasing number of times and that they preferred Brown and Guy to Shelton in the middle on first down. (Also notable is how few snaps Clayborn had.)

 

[maineman209]

They absolutely have something with this kid. No question.

I thought it was interesting they ran him 25 times yesterday when at U of GA he averaged a little over 12 carries a game. That tells me
a) they needed him
b) hes knows enough of the offense.
c) hes healthy
d) the coaching staff had confidence in him to carry the load.

In most seasons since 2007, the Pats leading rusher has averaged about 12.5 carries/game, with the load varying from week-to-week, depending on the opponent and game situation. Last season, Dion didn't have more than 15 carries in a game until weeks 16 & 17 (25 totes per game), when there basically wasn't anyone else besides Gillislee (wk-16) and Bolden (wk-17).

With only White and Barner to share carries now, it seems Michel is likely to see more touches than originally planned for him.

 

[RobertWeathers]

In most seasons since 2007, the Pats leading rusher has averaged about 12.5 carries/game, with the load varying from week-to-week, depending on the opponent and game situation. Last season, Dion didn't have more than 15 carries in a game until weeks 16 & 17 (25 totes per game), when there basically wasn't anyone else besides Gillislee (wk-16) and Bolden (wk-17).

With only White and Barner to share carries now, it seems Michel is likely to see more touches than originally planned for him.

I can't see them going with White, Sony, Barner as the only rock-toters all year. They need to add someone.

 

[maineman209]

What are we making of A. Butler having more snaps than Shelton? Is it a sign of Shelton outright losing snaps to Butler or was the team putting more of a product of the team putting an emphasis on pushing the pocket up the A and B gaps?

I'd say the latter, at least for this game. May have been opponent-specific, but we won't know for a couple more games.

 

[maineman209]

–Which leads us to Josh Gordon. Because part of the reason that last sentence ends “untouched” is he was upfield, tossing Xavien Howard around at the goal line, finishing his block,

Not to be ignored on that play was Dorsett trucking a DB from the left hash all the way into the scrum at midfield to help clear the deck for White's takeoff.

 

[maineman209]

 

[maineman209]

 

[maineman209]