Former Patriots staffer Michael Lombardi joins Bill Simmons to talk Belichick, Garoppolo, Dolphins

[Deus Irae]

Where did you get that? Never saw that happening at TC, and even if it did, no way Brady would have quit "playing it for a while."

Multiple reports over the years. Here's a Globe article on it, for an example:

Bucket drill keeps Patriots QBs competitive

Here's Howe talking about it coming back with JAG:



Here's Ian writing about it with Brady and JAG:

Brady on Bucket Challenge vs Garopplo: "He's a good competitor" - PatsFans.com

 

[AzorianPats]

Surprising to me he said they wanted to improve the running game but didn't draft or acquire one. Sounds like they saw the problems more on the o-line.

Would've been interesting to hear his take on Mingo!

Whole interior OL minus Shaq Mason is different from the one that started the AFC Championship.

Drafted 2 guards and acquired Jonathan Cooper in the Chandler Jones trade.

 

[zydecochris]

Wow, two threads with the exact same title started 10 mins apart!

Former Patriots staffer Michael Lombardi joins Bill Simmons to talk Belichick, Garoppolo, Dolphins is the other one and it's 10 minutes newer...

To explain: I don't open many threads, maybe 5 or so in the past. Whenever I make any post, I tend to write and re-write the words and spend much time agonizing over the exact language (I am primarily a scientific writer and I am used to being very careful with my words). I started the thread (something I am not familiar with) and then worked and re-worked the words in the original post, as is my habit with all of my writing. By the time I eventually posted it, someone else had done so, and I didn't realize it until after I posted. I am just a very, very slow writer, who tries to think about what I say. I guess I would make a lousy blogger.

 

[NashuaPats]

On the 2015 AFC Championship loss to the Broncos
“We never changed the snap count. We couldn’t change the snap count. It became problematic because the center was struggling to get the snap count, so Von Miller knew that the snap was on one. I mean, that’s the whole advantage to football, is the snap count, and so that became a problem and I didn’t think that was going to be a problem"

I've read this before, but never really understood why they couldn't change the snap count. I've seen DeGuglielmo blamed for it, but it seems like such a simple thing that they must do every week.

I'd appreciate it if someone with more football smarts could explain it. Thanks.

 

[mihap]

On the 2015 AFC Championship loss to the Broncos
“We never changed the snap count. We couldn’t change the snap count. It became problematic because the center was struggling to get the snap count, so Von Miller knew that the snap was on one. I mean, that’s the whole advantage to football, is the snap count, and so that became a problem and I didn’t think that was going to be a problem"

I've read this before, but never really understood why they couldn't change the snap count. I've seen DeGuglielmo blamed for it, but it seems like such a simple thing that they must do every week.

I'd appreciate if someone with more football smarts could explain it. Thanks.

I am not expert so cant help you, but someone said that Stork put his head up, but in the last regular season game in Miami he didnt, his silent snap count was ok. Was stork nervous or something?

And another interesting stuff from that game:
“I think everybody on the New England sideline was confident going into that game. They came out with a formation that was different and [Jamie Collins] got beat on the double move. I think everyone was confident going into that game.

“And look, Stephen Gostkowski misses the only extra point of the season, or else there would be an overtime.”

 

[DarrylS]

Is that a reason(other than concussions) that the pats let Stork go??

Probably another nail in the coffin of DeGugliemo becoming person non grata...

 

[PP2]

Multiple reports over the years. Here's a Globe article on it, for an example:

Bucket drill keeps Patriots QBs competitive

Here's Howe talking about it coming back with JAG:



Here's Ian writing about it with Brady and JAG:

Brady on Bucket Challenge vs Garopplo: "He's a good competitor" - PatsFans.com

You said in your initial post that Hoyer was "kicking Brady's ass," there's nothing about that in any of those links, except for Hoyer mentioning it, and I'm sure it's tongue in cheek. I've seen Brady and Hoyer go at that drill in TC many times (I was there when Brady nearly drilled Kraft who walked too close to the bucket) and neither of them seem to have any real edge over the other.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

You said in your initial post that Hoyer was "kicking Brady's ass," there's nothing about that in any of those links, except for Hoyer mentioning it, and I'm sure it's tongue in cheek. I've seen Brady and Hoyer go at that drill in TC many times (I was there when Brady nearly drilled Kraft who walked too close to the bucket) and neither of them seem to have any real edge over the other.

if Brady lost 2 or 3 times, he probably feels (as a competitor) that someone handed it to him

 

[PittPatriot]

If there is one weakness in Brady's game, it's downfield vertical passing. He was almost a better deep ball thrower in his younger days (the OT throw to Trou Brown @Miami).
JG's deep throw to wide open Hogan was perfectly in stride. One pass doesn't make him "better" than TB12 in the deep passing game, but I can see Lombardi's point.

 

[Froob]

Wow this is awesome. No surprise he worked for the Patriots.

 

[willard]

Is that a reason(other than concussions) that the pats let Stork go??

Probably another nail in the coffin of DeGugliemo becoming person non grata...

Perhaps the concussions and snap count were related.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

People tend to get butthurt quick and ignore people quickly. Alwys ironic when those same people are the ones that claim others are whiners or weak willed.

I only have like one person on ignore, and after a while I just took him off and he was just a normal regular ol run of the mill forum poster. Ignore lists are vacations not staycations

 

[bruce_w]

No.

yes

 

[PScottman]

yes

Maybe?

 

[zydecochris]

That really was a great podcast. Please don't forget to put put the link up next week too.

I'm really excited that he will be on Bill Simmon's weekly podcast. Years ago well back before Simmons got himself fired at ESPN (for his criticism of Goodell's handling of the Wells Report), Lombardi used to appear weekly on Simmon's ESPN "B.S. Report" podcasts", and he was fabulous. Lombardi has a way of throwing out his unvarnished opinions that is very authoritative, but he doesn't really try to stir controversy just for controversy's sake like most mediots do (including Simmons, unfortunately). Now that he has just worked for the Patriots for several years, I think he will be 10 x more interesting.

Back "in the good ol' days" of the B.S. podcasts you could hear Lombardi talk about the NFL in an authoritative way and hear Steve Kerr talk about basketball in the same way (although not weekly). Then Lombardi got the job with Cleveland and Kerr got the job with Golden State and they stopped their podcasts. It was a tragedy (for me). It was great for them of course.

If these later podcasts with Lombardi are anything like the first one we are all in for a treat this football season.

 

[Deus Irae]

You said in your initial post that Hoyer was "kicking Brady's ass," there's nothing about that in any of those links, except for Hoyer mentioning it, and I'm sure it's tongue in cheek. I've seen Brady and Hoyer go at that drill in TC many times (I was there when Brady nearly drilled Kraft who walked too close to the bucket) and neither of them seem to have any real edge over the other.

When someone "takes all your money" at a game, they've kicked your ass, whether it's because they've absolutely crushed you once, or it's because they've beaten you routinely, it's the same in the end. If this is the hill you want to die on though, you go for it. Whatever floats your boat...

 

[upstater1]

If there is one weakness in Brady's game, it's downfield vertical passing. He was almost a better deep ball thrower in his younger days (the OT throw to Trou Brown @Miami).
JG's deep throw to wide open Hogan was perfectly in stride. One pass doesn't make him "better" than TB12 in the deep passing game, but I can see Lombardi's point.

Brady had a ton of such throws.

Last year.

 

[PittPatriot]

Brady had a ton of such throws.

Last year.

Brady also had a few 10 yard runs. Doesn't mean he runs well.

He doesn't throw a good deep ball. It is what it is.

 

[upstater1]

Brady also had a few 10 yard runs. Doesn't mean he runs well.

He doesn't throw a good deep ball. It is what it is.

Did you watch today? I struggle to see what you're seeing. Brady would have hit those.

Also, your analogy doesn't work. Brady is the one with the long track record, not Garoppolo. Brady has shown that with receivers that can stretch the field, he is good downfield.

And in the crunch moments, like with Gronk in the Denver playoff game.

 

[PittPatriot]

Did you watch today? I struggle to see what you're seeing. Brady would have hit those.

Also, your analogy doesn't work. Brady is the one with the long track record, not Garoppolo. Brady has shown that with receivers that can stretch the field, he is good downfield.

And in the crunch moments, like with Gronk in the Denver playoff game.

I don't know if Brady would have hit those.
It's ok, we can disagree on if Brady is awesome at everything vs is Brady awesome except merely average in the deep, vertical passing game.