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- Jul 11, 2005
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I LOVE the 1pm starts. It means I'm done with this early....and that's important as you age. 
1. I'll start with what I don't like about this game.
a. It is very impressive that Brady threw multiple completions to SEVEN different receivers. That is called spreading the ball around. But what I DIDN'T like was that Brady had 5 targets to Gordon which produced only 2 catches and EIGHT targets to AB to produce 4 catches. On Brady's OTHER 14 receptions to 5 different receivers, were on 15 targets.
I'm sorry, but the offense would have been a bit better and more consistent IF Brady hadn't FORCED balls to AB and Josh. Because on most of those those 7 misses, Tom was going to that guy REGARDLESS of what the the other guys were doing. Call it nitpicking if you want, but eventually the Pats are going to go against stiffer competition and those 7 opportunities might be needed.
b. For the 2nd straight game I saw Shaq Mason get walked back into Brady on a couple of bull rushes. He's now one of only 2 starter left from that great OL last season, and we need him to play like he's being paid.. That was disturbing.
c. Clearly any team having Cunningham and Newhouse as your OT's is likely to have OL problems. We ran the ball "ok", but that's all, and if you are looking for a reason, just look at the OL. I loved that Lacosse had 2 nice catches, but as a blocker, not so much. The fact that Cannon was in Miami trying to get on the field is good news. He'll be back within 2 weeks, and maybe even next week.
Newhouse did OK, I guess for a guy who was signed on Wednesday. But I could say the best thing he did was not get Brady killed. but it wasn't pretty. Over the next 2 weeks the Pats will face 2 very good DL's. We need Cannon and Wynn back....and soon. (though Newhouse did get hosed one of those holds)
d. I was FURIOUS with those 2 OPI's that were called. I was wrong. The key in cailling that play is did the receiver INITIATE contact. Upon further review they did. That doesn't make Fouts any less an IDIOT, as he tried to say, "if a receiver forces a defender to go around him, its OPI"
e. Gotskowski manned up and said he sucked, though I thought the hold on the first FG was sketchy. There really isn't any excuse to miss 2 extra points. But when you are a career 85% FG kicker, you can expect improvement....and I certainly don't want to see anyone else coming in unless its the guy from the Ravens
2. This is what I LIKED
a. Brady is throwing the ball really well so far, and its scary to think that this offense is in its embryonic stage right now.
b. while we wallow in the morass of the OL depth, the RB depth is what's keeping DHarris on the inactive list. This is the best Rex has looked since he's been here. Sony was better than last week (hard no to be), but the OL wasn't helping. 126 yds is a nice day for a run game that is alos in its embryonic stage. It's going to be hard to find JWhite catches with this arsenal. Clearly a first world problem.
c. Yeah, AB is good. Didn't think he'd be that impactful after just 3 practices. In prior posts in other threads I questioned his intelligence. Well I still question his intelligence, but clearly his football IQ is right up there. He really did well.
d. Nice to see Matt Lacosse get a few catches. His first one was a great catch of a bad throw, so the catching skill was finally shown. Looks like he twisted his bad ankle again early in game, but persevered. Nice to see some production there.
e. Not only three catches by Dorsett, but 3 GREAT catches. Just adds to the depth at the position and makes me wonder why we took a WR in the first round. BTW- nice day at the office for Jules as well. WHAT WR problem.
f. Adam Butler had a career game with 2 sacks, but the DLman I came away most impressed with was Danny Shelton. He constantly pushed the pocket on pass rushes and he and Guy shut the middle down flat. There was nothing there for the Phins. Clearly winning the most improved award this season.
g. I said early on in TC, that Jaime Collins would be the most impactful player on D this season. He's on track for the Mr September award. What a great under the radar pick up for pennies on the dollar. The downside is it will be hard to watch him playing for another team next season.
e. The rest of the LB's all played well. Simon had a couple more pass blocks and Winovich flashed as well. BTW- if get a chance check out Michael Bennett's sack. What a motor on a 34 year old player. He WORKED for that sack.
f. And then there's the secondary. One would be hard pressed to find a DB who had a better preseason than JWilliams. He covered well, he tackled even better and not only against scrubs, but starters as well. Yet he has been relegated to the inactive list again simply because the Pats secondary is just THAT good.
Hopefully Chung's injury was just the nut sack contusion that I thought it was, but the secondary was once again pretty much flawless. JJones is proving exactly why the Pats extended him. He's been THAT good.
3. General thoughts
a. . I thought Rosen came in and through several good passes before he started getting the sh!t knocked out of him. I thought he was done for the year when they showed the replay of that hit. His recovery was almost Bruschi-like in its Gumbyness.
b. What a screwed up career. IIRC he had 4 different OC's in his time in college and he's been with 2 dumpster fires in his first 2 years in the NFL. My first reaction was he might be better off getting IRed instead of having to deal with what he's going to have to deal with in Miami. Who know what guys like David Carr might have been if he hadn't been killed his first couple of years. And what we might lose if Dashawn Watson isn't saved from a half dozen sacks each week.
c.Speaking of QB's. Lamar Jackson is having one hell of start to the season. He will be a real test when we play them. A great story. There was a lot of talk that we might take him at 32 that year, remember.
d.Dan Fouts needs to retire and fast. He was not only his usual anti-pats self, he was inaccurate in his remarks time after time, misnaming players, and not knowing the rules.
e And for those who are interested, I'm 3-1 and have the Browns on Monday....and Damned you Mike Vrabel, I need just one more TD!
f. We all thought this draft class was going to be one of the better ones of the last few years. Here's where we are right now. Round 1 Harry - IR. Round 2 Williams 2 inactives. Round 3 Winovich, back up LB but contributing 3rd round Harris 2 inactives Third round Cajusty - NFI Fourth round Frodholt IR Fourth round Stidham. Back up QB 5th round Cowart - inactive/one tackle 5th round Bailey the punter. UDFA Meyers, inactive UDFA Gunner. PR
So thus far the ONLY guy who is regularly contributing to the offense or defense is Winovich along with Bailey and Gunner on ST's But here's the thing. This might ACTUALLY be the best draft class we've had in a while. That's how good this team is.
g. I think the REAL reason that Brady threw the ball 3 times in that last drive had more to do with the fact that the offense had had the ball for just one play in the 4th quarter, and Brady simply wanted the reps. Another thought it was Bill who tried to run it out and saw the team fumble it. So if they can't run it, they'll throw it. I don't think it was "running it up". That concept doesn't exist in professional sports
So its on to Jets 1.0 where we will see a much better defense, and a slightly better offense. At least the run defense will get a real test. I hope to god the AB thread will only grow another 20 pages or so. I'm pretty nothing that we don't know already will pop up. But be prepared to keep seeing her side being highlighted with little in the way an opposing view being told. It is what it is.
1. I'll start with what I don't like about this game.
a. It is very impressive that Brady threw multiple completions to SEVEN different receivers. That is called spreading the ball around. But what I DIDN'T like was that Brady had 5 targets to Gordon which produced only 2 catches and EIGHT targets to AB to produce 4 catches. On Brady's OTHER 14 receptions to 5 different receivers, were on 15 targets.
I'm sorry, but the offense would have been a bit better and more consistent IF Brady hadn't FORCED balls to AB and Josh. Because on most of those those 7 misses, Tom was going to that guy REGARDLESS of what the the other guys were doing. Call it nitpicking if you want, but eventually the Pats are going to go against stiffer competition and those 7 opportunities might be needed.
b. For the 2nd straight game I saw Shaq Mason get walked back into Brady on a couple of bull rushes. He's now one of only 2 starter left from that great OL last season, and we need him to play like he's being paid.. That was disturbing.
c. Clearly any team having Cunningham and Newhouse as your OT's is likely to have OL problems. We ran the ball "ok", but that's all, and if you are looking for a reason, just look at the OL. I loved that Lacosse had 2 nice catches, but as a blocker, not so much. The fact that Cannon was in Miami trying to get on the field is good news. He'll be back within 2 weeks, and maybe even next week.
Newhouse did OK, I guess for a guy who was signed on Wednesday. But I could say the best thing he did was not get Brady killed. but it wasn't pretty. Over the next 2 weeks the Pats will face 2 very good DL's. We need Cannon and Wynn back....and soon. (though Newhouse did get hosed one of those holds)
d. I was FURIOUS with those 2 OPI's that were called. I was wrong. The key in cailling that play is did the receiver INITIATE contact. Upon further review they did. That doesn't make Fouts any less an IDIOT, as he tried to say, "if a receiver forces a defender to go around him, its OPI"
e. Gotskowski manned up and said he sucked, though I thought the hold on the first FG was sketchy. There really isn't any excuse to miss 2 extra points. But when you are a career 85% FG kicker, you can expect improvement....and I certainly don't want to see anyone else coming in unless its the guy from the Ravens
2. This is what I LIKED
a. Brady is throwing the ball really well so far, and its scary to think that this offense is in its embryonic stage right now.
b. while we wallow in the morass of the OL depth, the RB depth is what's keeping DHarris on the inactive list. This is the best Rex has looked since he's been here. Sony was better than last week (hard no to be), but the OL wasn't helping. 126 yds is a nice day for a run game that is alos in its embryonic stage. It's going to be hard to find JWhite catches with this arsenal. Clearly a first world problem.
c. Yeah, AB is good. Didn't think he'd be that impactful after just 3 practices. In prior posts in other threads I questioned his intelligence. Well I still question his intelligence, but clearly his football IQ is right up there. He really did well.
d. Nice to see Matt Lacosse get a few catches. His first one was a great catch of a bad throw, so the catching skill was finally shown. Looks like he twisted his bad ankle again early in game, but persevered. Nice to see some production there.
e. Not only three catches by Dorsett, but 3 GREAT catches. Just adds to the depth at the position and makes me wonder why we took a WR in the first round.
BTW- nice day at the office for Jules as well. WHAT WR problem.f. Adam Butler had a career game with 2 sacks, but the DLman I came away most impressed with was Danny Shelton. He constantly pushed the pocket on pass rushes and he and Guy shut the middle down flat. There was nothing there for the Phins. Clearly winning the most improved award this season.
g. I said early on in TC, that Jaime Collins would be the most impactful player on D this season. He's on track for the Mr September award.
What a great under the radar pick up for pennies on the dollar. The downside is it will be hard to watch him playing for another team next season.e. The rest of the LB's all played well. Simon had a couple more pass blocks and Winovich flashed as well. BTW- if get a chance check out Michael Bennett's sack. What a motor on a 34 year old player. He WORKED for that sack.
f. And then there's the secondary. One would be hard pressed to find a DB who had a better preseason than JWilliams. He covered well, he tackled even better and not only against scrubs, but starters as well. Yet he has been relegated to the inactive list again simply because the Pats secondary is just THAT good.
Hopefully Chung's injury was just the nut sack contusion that I thought it was, but the secondary was once again pretty much flawless. JJones is proving exactly why the Pats extended him. He's been THAT good.
3. General thoughts
a. . I thought Rosen came in and through several good passes before he started getting the sh!t knocked out of him. I thought he was done for the year when they showed the replay of that hit. His recovery was almost Bruschi-like in its Gumbyness.
b. What a screwed up career. IIRC he had 4 different OC's in his time in college and he's been with 2 dumpster fires in his first 2 years in the NFL. My first reaction was he might be better off getting IRed instead of having to deal with what he's going to have to deal with in Miami. Who know what guys like David Carr might have been if he hadn't been killed his first couple of years. And what we might lose if Dashawn Watson isn't saved from a half dozen sacks each week.
c.Speaking of QB's. Lamar Jackson is having one hell of start to the season. He will be a real test when we play them. A great story. There was a lot of talk that we might take him at 32 that year, remember.
d.Dan Fouts needs to retire and fast. He was not only his usual anti-pats self, he was inaccurate in his remarks time after time, misnaming players, and not knowing the rules.
e And for those who are interested, I'm 3-1 and have the Browns on Monday....and Damned you Mike Vrabel, I need just one more TD!
f. We all thought this draft class was going to be one of the better ones of the last few years. Here's where we are right now. Round 1 Harry - IR. Round 2 Williams 2 inactives. Round 3 Winovich, back up LB but contributing 3rd round Harris 2 inactives Third round Cajusty - NFI Fourth round Frodholt IR Fourth round Stidham. Back up QB 5th round Cowart - inactive/one tackle 5th round Bailey the punter. UDFA Meyers, inactive UDFA Gunner. PR
So thus far the ONLY guy who is regularly contributing to the offense or defense is Winovich along with Bailey and Gunner on ST's But here's the thing. This might ACTUALLY be the best draft class we've had in a while. That's how good this team is.
g. I think the REAL reason that Brady threw the ball 3 times in that last drive had more to do with the fact that the offense had had the ball for just one play in the 4th quarter, and Brady simply wanted the reps. Another thought it was Bill who tried to run it out and saw the team fumble it. So if they can't run it, they'll throw it. I don't think it was "running it up". That concept doesn't exist in professional sports
So its on to Jets 1.0 where we will see a much better defense, and a slightly better offense. At least the run defense will get a real test. I hope to god the AB thread will only grow another 20 pages or so. I'm pretty nothing that we don't know already will pop up. But be prepared to keep seeing her side being highlighted with little in the way an opposing view being told. It is what it is.
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