ESPN.com Pats preview - Watson possibly most overrated in NFL

[zippo59]

Add to that Gay who played well as a rookie replacement in 2004, Chad Scott who the Pats have reportedly liked in camp, and Eric Warfield who is big.

 

[PonyExpress]

I never wished injury apon Rodney. I just hope he never returns to his level of play he was once at. He is a cheap SOB and I hate him with a passion just like the Pats.

In a similar vein, I never wished injury on Culpepper; I only wish that Rodney dive into his knee, and Culpepper never completes another pass. Is that so wrong? Go away.

 

[arrellbee]

I've broken down all 3 of those plays and see it a bit differently.

I agree - the 1st-9:30 block was 'good.'

But I'd say the worse of the other two was 1st-14:52.

On 1st-13:01, Watson may have gotten knocked back a bit and didn't have the best angle, but he didn't let the SLB break free for a second, and really didn't slide into Dillon's hole. I laid the blame squarely on Mills. His job was to hit that hole hard, stay ahead of Dillon, and get a good drive block on the penetrating FS. Instead, he stutter-stepped at the line in indecison on whether or not to help Watson or hit the hole. He can't be worrying about Watson's job, because it was done adequately. Mills stopping before the hole slowed down Dillon and stretched the play out. He can bodyslam the FS down all he wants after the stop, but it doesn't change the fact he didn't block him to start out with.

Well, we'll just have to disagree.

1st-14:52 was not too bad. He held the block long enough to keep his man out of the play for most plays. But he didn't hold the block long enough to keep his man out of some possible delayed contribution.

1st-13:01 - respectfully, but I don't think you are looking at it very well. Did you go back and look at it again before you made this post ?

First, Watson took his guy on the guy's right shoulder, not the left (the running lane is to the guy's left). You have to agree with that, right ? That right there is a bad block.

Second, if Mills hasn't slowed to get in Watson's guy's way but shoots on thru, Watson's guy has a pretty good shot at Dillon. Watch the guy's feet. He has taken 2 steps toward the running lane against Watson's block before Mills gets in his way and Dillon is still a step away from the hole. You have to agree with that - it's right on the video. That right there is an ineffective bad block allowing his guy to get toward the running lane.

I already said that Mills should have gone on thru, so we agree on that. I even already said that Dillon might have been able to bull thru Watson's guy. But that's not the point. The point is Watson's block to begin with. It was simply bad. I don't see how you can disagree.

Just to make SURE that this isn't taken out of context - I called this one play a MICROSCOPIC example. One play couldn't be anything different. But if Joyner's compilation has any validity, I think this is an example of the type of block that he is calling unsuccessful.

 

[VJCPatriot]

ROFLMAO @ Watson overrated. You have to receive some media hype before you can be overrated. Nobody is really talking about him except for Pats fans. Here the guy is bashing Watson and the guy has never even been mentioned in the same breath as Gates or Gonzales by any mediot that I've heard of. Talk about misuse of terminology. I sense some player hating going on here. Most people haven't even heard of Ben Watson yet. But they soon will.

 

[Kdo5]

Think about how stupid your bet sounds. Even when you lose you still wouldn't pay any way. Making a bet over the internet isn't the smartest thing to do. Sorry for being just a little bit smart about putting myself out there on the web. If I could find any one up here in Washington to make that bet with me I sure as hell would do it. I already have several bets on the Fins making the post season this year.

Betting money on the Fish?



Now please lets get back on topic here.

 

[pats1]

Well, we'll just have to disagree.

1st-14:52 was not too bad. He held the block long enough to keep his man out of the play for most plays. But he didn't hold the block long enough to keep his man out of some possible delayed contribution.

1st-13:01 - respectfully, but I don't think you are looking at it very well. Did you go back and look at it again before you made this post ?

First, Watson took his guy on the guy's right shoulder, not the left (the running lane is to the guy's left). You have to agree with that, right ? That right there is a bad block.

Second, if Mills hasn't slowed to get in Watson's guy's way but shoots on thru, Watson's guy has a pretty good shot at Dillon. Watch the guy's feet. He has taken 2 steps toward the running lane against Watson's block before Mills gets in his way and Dillon is still a step away from the hole. You have to agree with that - it's right on the video. That right there is an ineffective bad block allowing his guy to get toward the running lane.

I already said that Mills should have gone on thru, so we agree on that. I even already said that Dillon might have been able to bull thru Watson's guy. But that's not the point. The point is Watson's block to begin with. It was simply bad. I don't see how you can disagree.

Just to make SURE that this isn't taken out of context - I called this one play a MICROSCOPIC example. One play couldn't be anything different. But if Joyner's compilation has any validity, I think this is an example of the type of block that he is calling unsuccessful.

You can see the hole right between Watson and Neal, sealing the outside.

You can also see Mills only a foot in front of Dillon, instead of 2 yards in front of Dillon and taking out the FS.


Here is a shot a few frames before:

Graham is blocking the LDE just above Neal's head, while Watson is a few yards ahead of Mills.

As you can see in this, Watson did take on the right shoulder.

You can also see the train of blockers - Neal, Mills, then Dillon.

Graham has the left side, Watson up the middle, and Neal right. Mills' responsiblity isn't to seal the edges of the hole, it's to lead Dillon through it and clear out defenders downfield.

 

[Pattie]

Whoah! That's a mouthful claiming Watson to being the most "overrated". I could think of at least a dozen before him. But that's what these guys do..stir the pot, give their *opinions* and opinions they are and not fact. I half suspect that they throw out the more outrageous stuff just to keep fans reading...

 

[RI Pats Fan]

How did ESPN know I drafted him as the 6th TE taken in my yahoo! league?! Those mindreaders...

 

[arrellbee]

This really disturbs me greatly.

You comment on your first frame:
"You can also see Mills only a foot in front of Dillon, instead of 2 yards in front of Dillon and taking out the FS."
That is totally misleading. Mills had to pull up to allow Neal to pass in front of him. Up until then he was fully leading Dillon. You can actually see this in your second frame where Mills is stutter stepping with Neal right in front of him. Why do you imply that this is Mills poor play ??


With respect to Watson's block:
First, you don't show the initial contact which was 7 frames earlier. In that frame, you can see Graham's helmut behind his guy's helmut which puts him on the inside of his guy instead of on the outside which is the run side. AND, Graham's right foot is on the inside of the hashmark and his guy's left foot is on the OUTSIDE of the hashmark toward the run lane. There is NO WAY that you can say that Graham has blocked to the guy's left shoulder. NO WAY. Show that frame. Not only that, just look at the frame you did post. It STILL shows his guy's helmut on the run-side of Watson's. And it STILL shows the same foot positions I already mentioned where his guy's feet are now BOTH a full hashmark toward the run-side. And look at the body positions - his guy has real leverage advantage on Graham.

Now show 5 frames later than yours. That shows Watson's helmut totally inside of his guy's helmut and when you look at the feet, his guy has completed one whole step toward the run lane.

Now advance another 8 frames. His guy has taken another complete sideways step into the run lane making it two steps sideways into the run lane from the initial block. His guy is completely on the run-side of Graham - completely. Not only that, but his guy has also advanced toward the LOS a yard from where Watson took him on.

That is a bad blocking performance by Watson in no uncertain terms. I am sorely puzzled that you are not looking at helmut positions and foot positions and drawing that same conclusion.

Just so folks don't get the wrong impression - I am NOT making any kind of case WHATSOEVER about Graham's overall blocking performance. That would be ludicrous without analysis of a lot of plays in regular season situations against a number of different defensive players.

As I said in my first post, this is a MICROSCOPIC example of one play which MAY show us an example of what media types are referring to when they say Watson is not a top level blocker.

I think Watson is a really top talent and look forward to continued growth in what he can do, both in synching with Brady and in helping the running game.