Antonio Brown

SammyBlueCat said:

Does he possess Ca...

Ah screw it...

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Good kitty, extra tuna for you

fnordcircle said:

Torn between one and done and not making it through this year.

I have more faith in Gordon making it through the season than AB.

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Really? I feel like he’s going to be a choirboy for the rest of the year. Seriously, he was crazy like a fox getting out of Oakland. Really lousy behavior, but it’s not like he can’t control his impulses. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Joey007 said:

Let’s just try and trust him for an entire season first.

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I working on trying to trust him for a single week.

I feel so strongly he won’t make it to Xmas, that I violated my personal policy of always going RLKAG !

The Brandon Five said:

Get to the QB before they can get open?

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True. Of course, a good OC would adjust and have the WRs run less time consuming routes.

patman12 said:

True. Of course, a good OC would adjust and have the WRs run less time consuming routes.

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Sometimes that just can't be done. See Texans v. Saints

UptownPatsFan said:

AB can’t be covered. Consistently.

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Even the Patriots, usually using two defenders on AB at all times, struggled to cover him. Here are his games vs. NE...

10/30/11: 9 rec, 67 yds, 1 td
11/3/13: 5 rec, 71 yds, 1 td
9/10/15: 9 rec, 133 yds, 1 td
10/23/16: 7 rec, 106 yds, 0 td
1/22/17: 7 rec, 77 yds, 0 td (playoffs)
12/17/17: 2 rec, 24 yds, 0 td
12/16/18: 4 rec, 49 yds, 1 td

So on one occasion out of seven did they put the wraps on him. The 2018 game they held him down but he still got a TD. Otherwise he pretty much had his way with them, even though they almost always committed two defenders to him.

Redman443 said:

I don’t buy into hype, I’ll believe it when I see it but just imagine if AB is as good as Moss was in 07

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Brown is good but he isn't that good.

ivanvamp said:

Even the Patriots, usually using two defenders on AB at all times, struggled to cover him. Here are his games vs. NE...

10/30/11: 9 rec, 67 yds, 1 td
11/3/13: 5 rec, 71 yds, 1 td
9/10/15: 9 rec, 133 yds, 1 td
10/23/16: 7 rec, 106 yds, 0 td
1/22/17: 7 rec, 77 yds, 0 td (playoffs)
12/17/17: 2 rec, 24 yds, 0 td
12/16/18: 4 rec, 49 yds, 1 td

So on one occasion out of seven did they put the wraps on him. The 2018 game they held him down but he still got a TD. Otherwise he pretty much had his way with them, even though they almost always committed two defenders to him.

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Was that the game Brown got hurt?

LJRomanoff said:

Brown is good but he isn't that good.

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Brown is certainly a lot more versatile (or at least willing to be versatile) than Moss, IMO.

Brown is better around the LOS, on screens, better in the open field, and certainly quicker. His punt return ability adds a lot of value, too.

Prime Moss was exceptionally good at what he did -- straight line speed, stretching the field, high-pointing the ball, and working intermediate sideline fades, and few (if any) players are better than prime Moss at those things. However prime Brown offers a lot more versatility and I would argue is a better overall fit for this offense.

Brown reminds of a superior version of Deion Branch with a sprinkle of Edelman mixed in. Just see so many similarities in Brown's/Branch's respective play-styles, body control, build, etc, but Brown is a better overall player, more explosive, better speed, playmaking ability, and so forth.

dreighver said:

Brown is certainly a lot more versatile (or at least willing to be versatile) than Moss, IMO.

Brown is better around the LOS, on screens, better in the open field, and certainly quicker. His punt return ability adds a lot of value, too.

Prime Moss was exceptionally good at what he did -- straight line speed, stretching the field, high-pointing the ball, and working intermediate sideline fades, and few (if any) players are better than prime Moss at those things. However prime Brown offers a lot more versatility and I would argue is a better overall fit for this offense.

Brown reminds of a superior version of Deion Branch with a sprinkle of Edelman mixed in. Just see so many similarities in Brown's/Branch's respective play-styles, body control, build, etc, but Brown is a better overall player, more explosive, better speed, playmaking ability, and so forth.

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Brown cannot do some of what Moss could do. Moss couldn't do some of what Brown can do. Moss was the better overall receiver because he was so supremely good at what were his strengths, but Brown's more of a jack-of-all-trades, which makes him more impactful as a solo WR for a team that focuses on short-middle passing. But, for a team that's more downfield oriented, or for a team that has a second WR, Moss is absolutely the better WR, IMO.

And that's why Moss/Welker 2007-2008 was probably as good a WR duo as the game's ever seen.

robertweathers said:

I working on trying to trust him for a single week.

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Bingo. See post #13. I'm with ya.

patfanken said:

That's what I'm trying to explain about AB's addition. YES, it should help the offense. YES, it will make everyone else's job a bit easier. But the fact remains, adding great WR's to your offense isn't the immediate panacea that people think for reasons, we as Pats fans, should know more than most.

Good defenses can mitigate great WR's schematically. Haven't we seen Bill do that so often over the years? What's the phrase? "Bill will stop what you like to do most". Sometimes he'll do it by using 2 lesser players to cover your BEST player, or as he did Sunday and if he has someone good enough, take his best player to cover your best player and stifle everyone else. Your best player IS going have SOME success, but it will be hard going, and no one else will get squat...until garbage time.

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If AB was the only elite player I'd agree. But putting him into a formation with Edelman, Gordon, White +1 creates massive coverage issues for every team in the league. It is the cumulative effect that pushes this totally over the top and not AB specifically.

What would BB do to defend it ? He'd invite the other team to run the ball and minimize the WR advantage (see Broncos 2013 gameplan). Unfortunately that is where the Pats are similarly deep with Michel, Burkhead and White and it would be against lighter boxes.

If the OL can keep up the addition of AB is going to make this offense unstoppable over an entire game. Add in a smothering defense and this team will have the biggest margin of error in the BB era. That doesn't mean it will win on every play or won't lose a game as balls sometimes bounce the other way, get picked off a deflection or your RB fumbles them. But the odds have moved considerably in our favor on each snap.

no different than Revis.......he's not getting the 2nd year.....just makes things look good

Didn't we just do this thread two days ago?

I’m saying one and done. I think he will be on his best behavior then will price himself out of New England’s range.

venecol said:

8 WR and 1 TE plus 1 injured TE?

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TE's?!? We don't need no stinkin' TE's.

Bleedthrough said:

Curran lol

Dude said the Patriots would go 10-6 this season like a week or two ago

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I’ve always stuck up for Curran, but he’s gone off the rails a bit, lately.

mgteich said:

I also think this is going to work out fine.

That doesn't mean that he won't go after the money for another top team, maybe PHI.

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I agree and if he does after having a fun year here more power to him.

luuked said:

If AB was the only elite player I'd agree. But putting him into a formation with Edelman, Gordon, White +1 creates massive coverage issues for every team in the league. It is the cumulative effect that pushes this totally over the top and not AB specifically.

What would BB do to defend it ? He'd invite the other team to run the ball and minimize the WR advantage (see Broncos 2013 gameplan). Unfortunately that is where the Pats are similarly deep with Michel, Burkhead and White and it would be against lighter boxes.

If the OL can keep up the addition of AB is going to make this offense unstoppable over an entire game. Add in a smothering defense and this team will have the biggest margin of error in the BB era. That doesn't mean it will win on every play or won't lose a game as balls sometimes bounce the other way, get picked off a deflection or your RB fumbles them. But the odds have moved considerably in our favor on each snap.

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Great post