Article: The Patriots' Tight End Problem is Becoming Critical

[DropKickFlutie]

The QB situation is pointless when you have no weapons. Does cam newton suck, or is he a product of the team around him? I bet even mahomes would have trouble if byrd was his #1 receiver too.

We certainly were ready to say brady was done last year. And now he looks like he didnt miss a beat in Tampa with competent wide receivers.

Clearly Cam is no where near even 42 year old brady as he won't be anywhere near bradys numbers from last year. But this offense needs some serious talent injection at the skill positions.

Byrd, broken Edelman, and Harry, I agree that even Brady or Mahomes would be playing not great with these 3 "receivers".

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[One-If-By-Sea]

Might be closer to "good" than to "great" so far...But there's plenty of time to change that...

With 33 rushing attempts how do we know if it is "good", "great" or otherwise? If you take out his one big run against the Chiefs he has a 3.7 YPC average, a 3.2 YPC average against the Broncos, and if his garbage time runs against the 49ers is removed, a 3.3 YPC in the first half against the 49ers.

I like Harris but I think a larger sample size is needed. Stidham has 27 career passing attempts and people want to release him. Harris has 33 rushing attempts and people think he is "great". Michel has 26 attempts this year with a 6.7YPC average and people want him released. You can not make this stuff up.

I hope the Oline starts playing better and Harris develops into an All-Pro, but it is bit early to pass any judgement.

 

[Sonny Sixkiller]

Stidham had no offseason. No ota! Not much of a training camp! No preseason games.

it is way to early to give up on him.

Neither did Kyler Murray or Justin Herbert. How is it that they're performing at such a high level?

 

[RIpats88]

Stidham seems to throw too many picks. Idk if it's a problem but I'm pretty sure every single game hes played includes a pick.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Stidham seems to throw too many picks. Idk if it's a problem but I'm pretty sure every single game hes played includes a pick.

3 INT in 17 NFL throws. He literally doesn't see 1 or 2 DBs when he throws

 

[DropKickFlutie]

It was becoming critical for a while. The Pats flat out refused to draft a tight end when Gronk was clearly done (in New England at least) and then refuse to use the two they drafted this time. This has been a big area of weakness for at least the last three seasons and the Pats have been acting like the smartest guy in the room with nothing to show for it.

I just don't get why this OC does not value tight ends at all. He only did when he inherited a HOF TE developed by O'Brien.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Neither did Kyler Murray or Justin Herbert. How is it that they're performing at such a high level?

Yes examples both of rookie QBs, WRs, and TEs on other teams from this year and last year all better than Harry or Stidham

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[Scotty]

Will Asiasi get on the field (not just to warm up)......I hope he gets some receptions....please

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Will Asiasi get on the field (not just to warm up)......I hope he gets some receptions....please

Yes it's incomprehensible why the OC doesn't call any targets for Asiasi in 100 snaps so far

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Weekly update that the Pats remain dead last in total team TE receptions in the league. Par doe the course in McDaniels' St Louis Rams offense

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Neither did Kyler Murray or Justin Herbert. How is it that they're performing at such a high level?

They play in an offense that is as complicated as a two piece jigsaw puzzle!

our offense is a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle,

 

[archstanton543]

They play in an offense that is as complicated as a two piece jigsaw puzzle!

our offense is a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle,

Then they need to simplify it so younger players can pick it up easily and then go from there.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

98.5 The Sports Hub - Boston's Home For Sports

The Flagship Station of the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Revolution

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[captain stone]

They play in an offense that is as complicated as a two piece jigsaw puzzle!

our offense is a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle,

And therein lies part of the problem...

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Patriots Coaches Address Chase Winovich's Puzzling Lack Of Playing Time - NESN.com

Chase Winovich played 37 defensive snaps in the New England Patriots’ Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. In the three games since, he’s played a total of 40. Winovich’s puzzling lack of playing time has been a topic of discussion of late, especially after the second-year edge rusher logged a...

nesn.com

I post this here only to point out a player could do nothing egregious but be shut out due to "game plan" by the coordinator. So I guess the Pats game plan is to have tight ends who can't block, are not a force in the passing game, be last in the league in TE receptions, and use barely roster eligible players like Izzo. The total underdevelopment of Asiasi is on this OC who also did nothing with tight ends in St Louis and Denver nor in NE from 05-08

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Then they need to simplify it so younger players can pick it up easily and then go from there.

Now no tight ends on this team. Just as McDaniels likes it (and still has no clue about valuing the importance of tight end play)

 

[VJCPatriot]

I have just accepted that this is a just a bizarro season. It is these same coaching staff that decided playing Hoyer was a great idea. I don't know what BB wants out of this season.

I'm betting he wants a top 10 draft pick. But is refusing to 'intentionally' tank. Rather he acts like he is trying to win by playing the 'veterans'. Meanwhile guys like Hoyer, Izzo, etc. look terrible while we have no idea what we have in the likes of Stidham, Asiasi, etc. I'm thinking BB is gonna target a top 10 QB in the upcoming draft unless he sees something in Stidham that nobody else seems to see.

The other possibility that exists... is that the guys who are sitting right now are not playing because they actually are WORSE options. That is a frightening thought and it would reinforce the notion that the Pats bad drafting over the years has finally come to bite them in the butt. Without Brady to paper over the cracks in the Pats lack of talent, what you see is what you get, a losing team that is desperately in need of a talent infusion.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

I'm betting he wants a top 10 draft pick. But is refusing to 'intentionally' tank. Rather he acts like he is trying to win by playing the 'veterans'. Meanwhile guys like Hoyer, Izzo, etc. look terrible while we have no idea what we have in the likes of Stidham, Asiasi, etc. I'm thinking BB is gonna target a top 10 QB in the upcoming draft unless he sees something in Stidham that nobody else seems to see.

Even if we were unofficially going for a high pick, then why not play Asiasi a ton?? Makes no sense why there is no commitment from this OC to develop the TE position. Izzo stinks and is not the future. It's a waste of time that Izzo played so much the first 8 games

 

[Jimke]

It's ridiculous that a professional football team finds itself with zero available tight ends.
Doesn't speak well of its player personnel department.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Even if we were unofficially going for a high pick, then why not play Asiasi a ton?? Makes no sense why there is no commitment from this OC to develop the TE position. Izzo stinks and is not the future. It's a waste of time that Izzo played so much the first 8 games

My guess is that it's the "optics" of the situation. BB doesn't want to admit that he's tanking so he is sticking to playing veterans. If he suddenly replaced a half dozen vets with inexperienced rookies the media might jump on it and say - see the once proud Patriots are now taking the "Suck for Luck" tanking strategy. In any case I agree, I'd like to develop the young guys in a season that looks already lost. But I'm not in charge of who gets the starting snaps, that's BB.