Did Week 15-16 (49ers/Jags) games suddenly become tougher for the Patriots?

[Pessimistic Pete]

It looks like the Jaguars and 49ers may have new and improved quarterbacks when we face them...

49ers: Colin Kaepernick (vs Bears)
243 yards / 2 TDs / 0 INTs / 97.5 Rating

Jaguars: Chad Henne (vs Texans)
354 yards / 4 TDs / 0 INTs / 126.8 Rating

Fluke games?

Whatever the case, anyone is an improvement over Blaine Gabbert, would have much preferred that match-up.

 

[supafly]

Re: Did Week 16-17 (49ers/Jags) games suddenly become tougher for the Patriots?

Few things here, Pete....

1. We play the 49'ers in a few weeks, 6 days later from the HOU MNF football game on Dec.10th. That would make it the 16th.

2. It isn't week 16..or week 17 for that matter.

3. We play the Jags and Dolphins in weeks 16/17. Those games should not be any harder/easier than anyone expected, and Blaine Gabbart may very well be back by then anyway, considering it's 5-6 weeks from now.

4. The SF game was likely going to be the toughest game all year no matter who played QB, and it still is no matter what. Gary Coleman can come back from the dead and start as the 49'ers QB, and it would still be a tough game that we very well may not win.

5. Many are way more concerned about not having Gronk vs the 49'ers than they ever were about which QB started for them. Just so you know, A.Smith has had a TOTAL of 2 incompletions in his last 2 games with 4 TDs and 0 INTs, so it isn't like Capernick is suddenly replacing a bum.

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

Re: Did Week 16-17 (49ers/Jags) games suddenly become tougher for the Patriots?

Few things here, Pete....

1. We play the 49'ers in a few weeks, 6 days later from the HOU MNF football game on Dec.10th. That would make it the 16th.

2. It isn't week 16..or week 17 for that matter.

3. We play the Jags and Dolphins in weeks 16/17. Those games should not be any harder/easier than anyone expected, and Blaine Gabbart may very well be back by then anyway, considering it's 5-6 weeks from now.

4. The SF game was likely going to be the toughest game all year no matter who played QB, and it still is no matter what. Gary Coleman can come back from the dead and start as the 49'ers QB, and it would still be a tough game that we very well may not win.

5. Many are way more concerned about not having Gronk vs the 49'ers than they ever were about which QB started for them. Just so you know, A.Smith has had a TOTAL of 2 incompletions in his last 2 games with 4 TDs and 0 INTs, so it isn't like Capernick is suddenly replacing a bum.

1. Oops, I meant meant Week 15-16, not 16-17.

2/3. Yup, week 16 will be the Jaguars.

5. Gronk issue has it's own threads. Alex Smith is the ultimate game manager.

 

[supafly]

Re: Did Week 16-17 (49ers/Jags) games suddenly become tougher for the Patriots?

I agree that I'd much rather face Gabbert than Chad Henne too, but there is the possibility that Gabbert may return to health soon. They seem pretty set on riding out his learning curve and trying to turn him into one of the better QBs, so the pressure is on to do so. The Jags are pretty stubborn and dumb, overall a very poorly run organization, so they may actually end up placing him right back into the lineup. I do not think that the injury was all that significant.

Even if we do have to face Henne, we are used to him so that is a plus.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that Gabbert starts our game at the end of December, but if Henne is the guy then yes--the game probably became a little harder than it initially was.

MJD will also be back by that time too unfortunately, but when you have games @NYJ, @MIA, then host HOU and SF (in a 6 day span) you have better things to worry about then the health of the Jax Jags QB for the end of December game. I like the way you think though, always looking ahead

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

Re: Did Week 16-17 (49ers/Jags) games suddenly become tougher for the Patriots?

I agree that I'd much rather face Gabbert than Chad Henne too, but there is the possibility that Gabbert may return to health soon.

They officially promoted Henne over Gabbert, injured or not.

Jaguars promote quarterback Chad Henne over Blaine Gabbert

 

[supafly]

Re: Did Week 16-17 (49ers/Jags) games suddenly become tougher for the Patriots?

1. Oops, I meant meant Week 15-16, not 16-17.

2/3. Yup, week 16 will be the Jaguars.

5. Gronk issue has it's own threads. Alex Smith is the ultimate game manager.

I agree that Smith is surely a game manager, but they have been tailoring their gameplan fairly nicely to his skills lately. I think that he had 2 games in a row where he only missed on one pass each game, as I said he had 4 TD's and 0 INT's in his last 2 games.

I don't think that aspect of their offense was anything to be too concerned about, as their defense and running game will be more of a focus, but I would rather see Smith probably.

There is the thought that Caepernick could be making "rookie" mistakes vs us, even though he's technically in his 2nd year, so that's a thought.

A lot can happen between now and then, but I think I'd rather see Smith just because we'd have to worry about Caepernick running/scrambling a bit more probably.

 

[ausbacker]

Re: Did Week 16-17 (49ers/Jags) games suddenly become tougher for the Patriots?

There's absolutely no difference between playing either. Every win is a tough win.

 

[supafly]

Re: Did Week 16-17 (49ers/Jags) games suddenly become tougher for the Patriots?

They officially promoted Henne over Gabbert, injured or not.

Jaguars promote quarterback Chad Henne over Blaine Gabbert

Well, while I applaud the Jags for finally realizing what the rest of the world already knew in terms of Gabbert absolutely sucking, I do wish that they could've continued playing him through the rest of the year.

Henne has a tendency to become injured, so we still have that hope.

Of course, the popular thinking will be that if we can't beat up on the Jags we shouldn't be too worried about the playoffs, but I don't necessarily fully agree with that 100%. I think any game can be won by a lousy team on the right day.

They may have really overachieved yesterday though, and in the end they blew multiple chances to beat them, so they may end up being the same old Jags after all. We'll know more in the next month or so.

 

[supafly]

I still can't believe that it took a Blaine Gabbert injury to finally force them into going with a journeyman backup QB, how insanely pathetic is that?

At least we know they'll likely be sucking up one of the earlier QB's in the draft again this year.

Gabbert can hang out with JaMarcus Russell, Tim Tebow, and Brady Quinn in the offseason from now on, they should be able to tell some good stories to each other.

 

[MassPats38]

I try not to base any opinion on a single week's performance. The Jags are 1-9, and Henne (with a career QBR of 77) did not suddenly become Joe Montana after one game (Gabbert has the exact same QBR this season). Houston is not unbeatable, and this was a divisional game. It is no accident that the Jags are 1-9 this year, and Gabbert is not the only explanation for that record.

As for the Niners, the Bears D looked flat (maybe overconfident against a rookie QB) and was outmatched from the start (run and pass defenses looked bad). The Bears O-line is horrible, and looked it. The Niners just played the Rams, the team the Pats throttled the week prior, to a tie, so I am more inclined to chalk this game up to a Bears team that is starting to look like the Bears again (no consistent offense, a good defense, and potentially out of the playoffs).

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The 49ers could be dealing with a late season QB controversey by the time they land here. Guys playing the position for their NFL lives tend to become uncomfortable and do things they might otherwise not do. Will be a similar situation for Henne, who is where he is for a reason.

Speaking of which, old friend Hoyer is being test driven this AM along with Mike Kafka in Pittsburgh where they thought (and media crowed) they had the backup position well covered with former JAG Leftwich who lasted all of one game (barely) as Ben's replacement. Hopefully Kafka gets the nod as I'd hate to see Hoyer abused for no reason. There are likely going to be lots of backup slots with better potential opening up ahead of the 2013 season.

 

[olschool]

This thread should be about Houston / 49ers. Both way more dangerous than Jax.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I dunna know. To me @ JAX and MIA at home seemed the easiest and the rest were not going to be easy affairs- with or without Gronk.

 

[Bhelmet]

I am not as worried about ANY Niner QB or offense as I am their D - they will be tough. Henne has had some excellent games against us and unless we pressure him, he will again. The 49er game worries me far more than Jax, but if we can build upon Sunday and continue to blitz effectively and tighten the coverage - we can hang with anyone.

 

[Kontradiction]

The SF game looks tougher. I watched Kaepernick in college and was impressed by him then. He looks now like he's grown in Harbaugh's system. He's mobile and can make most of the throws. IMO, he's going to be (if he isn't already) better than Alex Smith very soon.

The Jags game? Not so much. Although I will be at that game and watching a good one would be preferable to a blow out. The Jags have one weapon: Justin Blackmon. Captain Checkdown (Gabbert) didn't utilize him all that much, but Henne did and will continue to do so. Once the Texans figured out that the Jags didn't have much outside of Blackmon, Jacksonville stopped moving the ball.

Either way, we'll have more tape on both of these guys in the coming weeks...

 

[PatsDeb]

I always thought the 49ers game would be tough, mostly because of their defense. Did you see Patrick Willis last night? Not looking forward to him running at Brady. I am still not afraid of the Jags. Plus, by then, the game may not matter in terms of seeding (hoping the Ravens and the Texans start losing and that the Jags game does matter).

 

[makoute]

I always thought the 49ers game would be tough, mostly because of their defense. Did you see Patrick Willis last night? Not looking forward to him running at Brady. I am still not afraid of the Jags. Plus, by then, the game may not matter in terms of seeding (hoping the Ravens and the Texans start losing and that the Jags game does matter).

Yeah, the 49ers game was always going to be very difficult.

 

[dannydyn]

We have a few advantages with regards to the tougher games (SF, HOU), which I think will be significant with the potential to impact and tip the game in our favor:

1. Home games in prime time – great home field advantage atmosphere. Pats crowd will be fired up.
2. December game in NE, playing against a warm climate dome team (HOU)
3. December game in NE, playing a ‘fair’ weather west coast team, traveling eastbound through 3 time zones
4. Temps colder at night (as oppose to if the these were 1pm games) – I’m praying for freezing temps.

Lastly, I’m cautiously optimistic to see Gronk back if not for the Texans, at least for the Niners, though ideally, I would have much rather have him play against the Texans as this bears much more for us than the Niners game.

 

[dannydyn]

I’m curious to see which Niners team will show up in Foxborough…. The one from last night, or the one from a week ago, which couldn’t get a win over the 5hitty Rams.

 

[Kontradiction]

We have a few advantages with regards to the tougher games (SF, HOU), which I think will be significant with the potential to impact and tip the game in our favor:

1. Home games in prime time – great home field advantage atmosphere. Pats crowd will be fired up.
2. December game in NE, playing against a warm climate dome team (HOU)
3. December game in NE, playing a ‘fair’ weather west coast team, traveling eastbound through 3 time zones
4. Temps colder at night (as oppose to if the these were 1pm games) – I’m praying for freezing temps.

Lastly, I’m cautiously optimistic to see Gronk back if not for the Texans, at least for the Niners, though ideally, I would have much rather have him play against the Texans as this bears much more for us than the Niners game.

I take issue with points 2 and 3 as Houston and San Francisco are ultimately built to win in this climates (good running games, competent quarterback play, good defenses). But, if you look at it from the flip side, Belichick and Brady are also undefeated as a duo at home in that type of climate.