Gunner needs to sit a game

[jah]

Yeah, i remember gronk fumbling three times early in his first year, some posters here were screaming for his release. Same with edelman early on he muffed a punt.

Gronk was awful in the Peyton Hillis game. Think some were calling for him to be cut that day.

 

[reflexblue]

Gronk was awful in the Peyton Hillis game. Think some were calling for him to be cut that day.

Thats the game im talking about and yeah they were calling for him to be cut after the game.

 

[Joker]

He's a rookie. A work in progress. I do get it. I'm not done with the guy forever. But Gunner Olzewski had a terrible game today and made a big error that lost us 7 points, and I'm sure Bill doesn't take that sort of thing lightly, even in a blowout.

I don't think he needs to be benched forever but he made some mistakes today and I'd sit him a game and let him work on whatever he was struggling with, and give James White or Phillip Dorsett a look as a kick returner until he's in a better spot. If Bill just thinks it's a fluke that Olzewski needs to work out in live games I'd be OK with that, but in that situation I'd give the kid a mental break

we need a "ludicrous" emoji for posts like this

 

[Oswlek]

My issue isn’t the knee jerk reaction to his botched punt. I was texting my dad before that happened questioning why he is on the team. He is a punt return specialist, so you’d think he’d be elite if that alone justifies a roster spot. I just don’t think he is fast enough, shifty enough, or has great awareness. What am I missing here?

Aside from him being plenty fast and shifty and not really a punt return specialist, you mean?

 

[dtbrks]

And I thought I was an over reactor.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

My issue isn’t the knee jerk reaction to his botched punt. I was texting my dad before that happened questioning why he is on the team. He is a punt return specialist, so you’d think he’d be elite if that alone justifies a roster spot. I just don’t think he is fast enough, shifty enough, or has great awareness. What am I missing here?

He doesn't just do point returns. He does KO coverage, too (for example).

I said before: he's on the Edelman/Ebner plan. If he becomes another Edelman, hallelujah. If he becomes another Ebner, the Pats will take that too.

 

[pheenix11]

Username checks out

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

He doesn't just do point returns. He does KO coverage, too (for example).

I said before: he's on the Edelman/Ebner plan. If he becomes another Edelman, hallelujah. If he becomes another Ebner, the Pats will take that too.

Edelman was immediately an above average punt returner. Even Cyrus Jones, despite his terribleness, had the physical talent in spades. I just don’t see it with this guy. He’s undersized and doesn’t seem to have any burst in hitting a hole, and he’s easy to tackle. In Bill I trust...I just never “got” this one.

 

[XLIX]

He's a rookie. A work in progress. I do get it. I'm not done with the guy forever. But Gunner Olzewski had a terrible game today and made a big error that lost us 7 points, and I'm sure Bill doesn't take that sort of thing lightly, even in a blowout.

I don't think he needs to be benched forever but he made some mistakes today and I'd sit him a game and let him work on whatever he was struggling with, and give James White or Phillip Dorsett a look as a kick returner until he's in a better spot. If Bill just thinks it's a fluke that Olzewski needs to work out in live games I'd be OK with that, but in that situation I'd give the kid a mental break

Just out of curiosity, did you happen to notice at one point in the game that we needed him to fill out a 3 receiver set?

Still want to deactivate him a game?

 

[IllegalContact]

It doesn’t sound like you get it

 

[PlanB]

13 returns avg 6.8, 7 FC

 

[nabwong]

@Ian What's the record for most disagrees?

 

[Gronk]

I was one of those in GDT who didn't want to see him back out there. I wouldn't agree with any call to dump him or even bench him, but I would have thought for a less experienced player like him they would have a tighter rope on what you try to run back and what you FC. Even running up to the fumble were a few punts where he would have been wiser to fair catch it, or seemed like he was trying to do too much with it, and he got whacked good a couple times for his troubles in a way that was completely unsurprising based on what he was attempting to do. His raw numbers returning are serviceable if unspectacular.

At a point in the game where just keeping in control of the play at hand would probably mean a pretty easy 30-40 pt win, I think both his fumble and the ****-it-lets-keep-throwing with Stidham in the game thereafter were unforced errors by the Pats in terms of coaching and execution. Based on track record I'm sure both will be corrected, and I hope it doesn't get in either of their heads.

 

[pazrul72]

At a point in the game where just keeping in control of the play at hand would probably mean a pretty easy 30-40 pt win, I think both his fumble and the ****-it-lets-keep-throwing with Stidham in the game thereafter were unforced errors by the Pats in terms of coaching and execution. Based on track record I'm sure both will be corrected, and I hope it doesn't get in either of their heads.

I was actually ok with and hoped for Stidham to keep throwing it. He’s a rookie QB and he is going to make costly mistakes. **** even Brady in 2001 had multiple 4 Int games. I would much prefer he get real game action, where he does what QBs get paid to do, throw, in a Sept blow out then in Dec if *knocks on wood* Brady is out for a game or two and the pats need a win. Let Stidham see live how fast NFL starters are. Find out what throws he can and more importantly can’t make. Yes it was disappointing to not get back to back shut outs, the Defense certainly earned it, but in the long run rooks making mistakes now in a meaningless game is better for the real goal, winning in Jan/Feb.

 

[captain insano]

Gunner is no Cyrus Jones.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

It's funny everyone disagreeing with you when you know if this was a tied playoff game or something he would be person non-grata

Dion Lewis fumbled when we were down 10 to the Jaguars. Players encouraged him and told him to move on. He got us that final first down and sent us to the Super Bowl. We're not always better off benching someone.

As others said, now is the time to see how Gunner responds and build him back up.

And to your point, it wasn't a tie playoff game, it was week 3 and we were up 30 points. Julian Edelman had a bad drop early in today's game. Nobody seems to care, and they shouldn't. Of course it would be a bigger deal if it was during a tie playoff game. Since it wasn't, a thread suggesting we bench Edelman for a drop in week 3 of an easy win would be worthy of disagrees.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

To me, I think he was pushing too much to try and make something happen. The kid has better than expected hands to do the job.

He has to work on his concentration and most importantly to call a fair catch. That one and I think 2 others would have been better off that way.

Any play that gets the ball into Brady’s hands will be a good play.

 

[Gronk]

I was actually ok with and hoped for Stidham to keep throwing it. He’s a rookie QB and he is going to make costly mistakes. **** even Brady in 2001 had multiple 4 Int games. I would much prefer he get real game action, where he does what QBs get paid to do, throw, in a Sept blow out then in Dec if *knocks on wood* Brady is out for a game or two and the pats need a win. Let Stidham see live how fast NFL starters are. Find out what throws he can and more importantly can’t make. Yes it was disappointing to not get back to back shut outs, the Defense certainly earned it, but in the long run rooks making mistakes now in a meaningless game is better for the real goal, winning in Jan/Feb.

I understand where you're coming from even if I don't necessarily agree with the premise that making mistakes now somehow means they won't make them later. His mistake was bad enough to make the game within 2 scores and theoretical striking distance, which is why he got pulled immediately and also is why IMO he shouldn't have been out there at all at that point. If the game was truly meaningless and should be used for development, then Stidham should have started the game and played the whole thing no matter what. But he's not the QB yet, so he can sit. If they'd lost the game, very few would be saying it was meaningless.

The shutout would have been nice but it's not at the end of the day what's frustrating to me - it's that offensivley they did not finish that game strong OR smart and chalking it up to letting the rooks play seems like a cheap answer. It's not the same mentality that causes the HC to call timeout with 3 seconds left in a 30-pt win like Bill did two weeks ago, that's for sure. They're a little undermanned on the OL, Michel can't get going, Edelman went out, Gordon was getting banged around, they were unlikely to lose the game at 30-7...they made a judgment call on getting the kid some reps, it's fine, I get it.

 

[Flash]

We have an extremely soft schedule up until the Ravens game mid-season. This is literally the perfect time for rookies to iron out their mistakes.

 

[IcyPatriot]

@Ian What's the record for most disagrees?

There is no 'simple' answer.