Game Thoughts: Ringing in the Homie Don't Play That Era Edition

[Rob0729]

Ok, here we go:

• Let me get this out of the way. The title of my thread refers to the fact that I think Brissett looks like a young Damon Wayans. Fun fact: In the Last Boy Scout, Wayans played Jimmy Dix who was one of the best QBs in football before he was banned for gambling. So there is a chance that Brissett will be awesome on Thursday.
• I thought Garoppolo was awesome yesterday, but people need to pump the breaks about him being the heir apparent to Brady. I still think the Pats will trade him. He had an awesome first half and a good, not great game last week. We have seen a lot of new starting QBs look elite for a very short stretch and then come to earth when people get a book on him (see my next point).
• Not to take anything away from Jimmy, but the Dolphins' defensive strategy was awful going into the game. After a week of everyone talking about Garoppolo's quick release, Miami came into the game allowing the Pats' receivers to have clean releases which allowed Garoppolo to get rid of the ball before the pressure could get to him. The last two series Garoppolo played, Miami adjusted and he was less effective.
• I think the Pats will get a mother load for him. I can see a stupid team like Cleveland (who took Johnny Football over Garoppolo) throwing stupid amounts of draft picks at the Pats. I can see the Pats getting as much as what teams get for trading up to #1 or #2 to draft a potential franchise QB which is upwards to two firsts and a second day draft pick. If this happens, Deflategate will have blown up in Goodell's and the other owners' faces because there is no way the Pats could get that much if Garoppolo never played.
• I am a bit concerned about Malcolm Butler. I know people seem to be throwing their hate towards Logan Ryan, but Butler has been struggling more than Ryan. He got burnt a few times last week by Floyd. And he got toasted frequently yesterday. I am going to chock it up to a rough couple games, but it is something to keep an eye on.
• The secondary as a whole was awful in the second half, but I blame the front for that. The Pats were successful in the first half pressuring Tannehill and making him get rid of the ball quickly. In the second half, Tannehill had all the time in the world. You throw Tannehill off his game by making him make quick reads and uncomfortable in the backfield. When he has time, he will pick you apart.
• The second half defense was horrible, but football is a game where emotions can definitely affect play on the field. I think the loss of Garoppolo could have thrown players in a funk. Ironically, I thought the offense did pretty well considering after Jimmy went down though.
• The rumors of LeGarrette Blount's career's death have been greatly exaggerated. With Garoppolo out, the Pats asked him to carry the offense. Sure, it was far from perfect, but he did run pretty well.
• Another player being a lightning rod recently because of his lack of receiving production last week and in the preseason was Martellus Bennett. Yesterday, we saw why the Pats traded for him. He carried the passing offense when Brissett first came in. The guy is like Gronk in that he is really hard to bring down. That 37 yard reception was all him. He just rag dolled Maxwell with the stiff arm. I can't wait to see him, Gronk, and Brady on the field together.
• Yesterday probably made McDaniels the hottest head coach candidate for next offseason. It was a masterful job by him not only for a brilliant game plan for Garoppolo, but for making adjustments on the fly for Brissett. Brissett was far from perfect, but he certainly not a liability. McDaniels was able to give Brissett a handful of plays that he could be successful and was able to mix it up enough to confuse the Dolphins.
• Shout out to the o-line. Another game against a very good and aggressive defense and they did a solid job.
• Chris Long had another solid game. He is clearly the best offseason acquisition for the Pats thus far, although if Bennett keeps on playing like he did yesterday, he will steal that title. Long was supposed to be a liability against the run, but he actually played fairly well in that area yesterday.

 

[archstanton543]

• "I am a bit concerned about Malcolm Butler. I know people seem to be throwing their hate towards Logan Ryan, but Butler has been struggling more than Ryan. He got burnt a few times last week by Floyd. And he got toasted frequently yesterday. I am going to chock it up to a rough couple games, but it is something to keep an eye on."

He's also playing hurt so...there's that.

 

[archstanton543]

• "The second half defense was horrible, but football is a game where emotions can definitely affect play on the field. I think the loss of Garoppolo could have thrown players in a funk. Ironically, I thought the offense did pretty well considering after Jimmy went down though."

They started stinking up the place in the second half because they switched to that soft zone crap that drives me up the wall.

 

[patchick]

I can see a stupid team like Cleveland (who took Johnny Football over Garoppolo) throwing stupid amounts of draft picks at the Pats.

It's even more painful than that for Cleveland. These are the three quarterbacks taken after Manziel:

1. Teddy Bridgewater
2. Derek Carr
3. Jimmy Garoppolo

Chris Long had another solid game. He is clearly the best offseason acquisition for the Pats thus far, although if Bennett keeps on playing like he did yesterday, he will steal that title.

Bennett, Long and Hogan make for a pretty fantastic set of vet acquisitions, and Mingo is making some plays as well. Add in the 9(!) rookies who suited up for the Patriots yesterday and the total offseason looks mighty impressive.

 

[tombonneau]

• "The second half defense was horrible, but football is a game where emotions can definitely affect play on the field. I think the loss of Garoppolo could have thrown players in a funk. Ironically, I thought the offense did pretty well considering after Jimmy went down though."

They started stinking up the place in the second half because they switched to that soft zone crap that drives me up the wall.

I'm not sure how anyone who has watched any Patriots games the last 10+ years should have been at all surprised by the second half defense. That is classic BB. I was talking to my dad on the phone at halftime and commented to get ready for exactly that type of game: run, run, pass. Defense letting them move up and down the field between the 20s and allow them back into the game but they'll pull it off in the end.

I mean we saw this exact script last year (Buffalo game I want to say?) where they have a huge lead and sleepwalk through soft D to just get to the final whistle. And yesterday's game featured a rookie third-string QB so you definitely knew the conservative D game plan would be doing same thing on offense.

In BB's defense I can't ever remember them actually losing one of those games where they had a huge lead's versus an average team like this. And even this game should have been over if Ghost hits the chippie. It's insanely frustrating to watch but from a binary win/lose perspective, the team seems to always win which validate the philosophy.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

• "I am a bit concerned about Malcolm Butler. I know people seem to be throwing their hate towards Logan Ryan, but Butler has been struggling more than Ryan. He got burnt a few times last week by Floyd. And he got toasted frequently yesterday. I am going to chock it up to a rough couple games, but it is something to keep an eye on."

He's also playing hurt so...there's that.

When did he get hurt?

 

[archstanton543]

When did he get hurt?

Against AZ.

Malcolm Butler: 'Good chance' he'll play through ankle injury

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Against AZ.

Malcolm Butler: 'Good chance' he'll play through ankle injury

He'll have his hands full with deandre hopkins on thursday.

 

[oldrover]

The rumors of LeGarrette Blount's career's death have been greatly exaggerated. With Garoppolo out, the Pats asked him to carry the offense. Sure, it was far from perfect, but he did run pretty well.

https://imgflip.com/gifgenerator

Only if you count leaping tall buildings in a single bound. LOL

 

[Kdo5]

I'm disappointed with Butler and Ryan, perhaps Butler moreso since he looked so good last season. It is early on but he has definitely struggled these first two weeks. Coleman is not good IMO. Every now and then he'll make a play but he struggles just as much if not more.

 

[Rob0729]

It's even more painful than that for Cleveland. These are the three quarterbacks taken after Manziel:

1. Teddy Bridgewater
2. Derek Carr
3. Jimmy Garoppolo



Bennett, Long and Hogan make for a pretty fantastic set of vet acquisitions, and Mingo is making some plays as well. Add in the 9(!) rookies who suited up for the Patriots yesterday and the total offseason looks mighty impressive.

I forgot about mentioning Hogan. The guy really lives up to his reputation from Buffalo that he is always wide open.

 

[Tunescribe]

I'm disappointed with Butler and Ryan, perhaps Butler moreso since he looked so good last season. It is early on but he has definitely struggled these first two weeks. Coleman is not good IMO. Every now and then he'll make a play but he struggles just as much if not more.

I think Butler is playing hurt -- bad ankle, IIRC.

 

[JackBauer]

What's up with Jabaal Sheard? I wonder if he's not 100% from the MCL injury, because through two games he doesn't look like the player he did last season.

 

[patman12]

nm

 

[patfanken]

Rob, your comment on "pumping the brakes" on JG rings true. It made me think of Matt Castle's two 400+ yard games in a row, something Brady had never done. I'm thrilled that JG has done as well as he has. I'm thrilled that his value has increased.

But you make one other critical point that will likely be ignored in the hype. That was that when MIami finally adjusted to what the Pats were doing, JG and the Pats offense struggled a bit, and unfortunately we didn't get to see if JG would have also made the adjustment to that adjustment.

It's like the baseball analogy. A batter gets red hot. Pitchers study what pitches the batter is locked in on, and then throw him something else and the Batter ceases to be that hot. Now it's up to the batter to make HIS adjustment. The best batters can do this with consistency, the lesser players , not so much. But the reality is that its a constant and ever changing back and forth challenge. Well the same goes for football and QB's.

Lets take Tannyhill for example. Here is a QB that is disrespected universally on this board who has just thrown for almost 400 yds in his last two with the Pats. against the 2 best defenses the Pats have had this decade. Tannyhill is a talented QB, but what makes him ineffective is his INCONSISTENCY. His inability to consistently adjust to the adjustments that defenses throw at him on a week to week basis.

THAT is what makes Brady so extraordinary. Through his disciplined and driven preparations, he has been able to stay physically capable at a time when the body usually starts to fail the athlete (see PM) So Brady can STILL physically take advantage of his vast experience. And the most important aspect of that experience is his ability to "adjust to the adjustments".and then be physically able to execute the plan Thus his "struggle time" is shorter than everyone else.

That is the universal remorse of every athlete when they get old. JUST when the mental part of the game becomes easy the body starts to go. Even we Saturday morning athletes have that moment. Mine came in a tag football game playing safety, when I say a play start to form perfectly. I knew the patterns and I knew where the QB was going with the ball. I broke on the ball with every intention of picking it off......and didn't get there. I was shocked..... then angry....then disappointed.....then resigned to my fate

MAYBE JG has the same drive and dedication. He's been fortunate to have been in a system where he saw what was needed to be great by BOTH Brady and BB (and Josh), and will carry that dedication with him to his next home. But that is never a given. Like I have said on several occasions now, QB development is not a straight line progression, its more of a 2 steps forward and one step back thing.

In the end, you are right that JG's price has increased significantly. He has proven that he can be a very good NFL QB, and the market has been set many times that 2 #ones (plus) is the price for someone who just has the POTENTIAL to be what JG already is. The only risk for the buyer is can he do it over the long term, but that is an acceptable risk.

 

[IndianPat]

Clock management was a problem on special teams. During the 4th quarter when milking the clock was a primary concern, on two occasions, I saw the punt team get the play off with more than 20 secs on the clock. The offense had similar clock management issues, but given the circumstances, it was expected. Not a veteran special teams lead by Slater. BTW, has there ever been a deep Matthew Slater completion?

 

[Kontradiction]

• "The second half defense was horrible, but football is a game where emotions can definitely affect play on the field. I think the loss of Garoppolo could have thrown players in a funk. Ironically, I thought the offense did pretty well considering after Jimmy went down though."

They started stinking up the place in the second half because they switched to that soft zone crap that drives me up the wall.

A lot of Cover-3 is what it looked like and the Pats were rarely sending extra rushers. That idea has worked fine in the past when Brady was playing because the team had faith he could keep points on the board. When you have a third round rookie playing in his first game and trying to lead one of the more complicated offenses in the NFL with probably very few, if any, first string reps in practice the week before? Not so much. Any standard NFL caliber quarterback can find holes in the zone if given time which is exactly what Tannehill did.

 

[PP2]

I forgot about mentioning Hogan. The guy really lives up to his reputation from Buffalo that he is always wide open.

Hence his nickname: 7-11.