Have Our Major Issues Changed Any?

[mgteich]

OFFENSE
I suspect that we have a bit less anxiety about the offense than we did yesterday. We now know that we can go out there with a receiving corps of Amendola, Thompkins, Dobson, Edelman, Fells, Sudfeld and Vereen (while waiting for Gronk to recover). We know that we have at least one backup offensive lineman in Svitek. We know that we have one solid backup running back in Blount (to back up Ridley and Vereen).

DEFENSE - FRONT SEVEN
Kelly is the real deal. Benard and Fletcher are good additions to the 2012 team. Collins seems likely to be a contributor.

DEFENSE - SECONDARY
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Well, we can discuss this after the next preseason game.

BOTTOM LINE
Everything seems about as well as could be expected except the secondary.

 

[tonyto3690]

****Keeping in mind it was against the Eagles, in week 1 preseason***

Thompkins showed he's legit. He has seemingly picked up the offense and Brady is going to him frequently and confidently. He already has more faith him (it appears at least) than he ever did with Ocho, Lloyd, etc.

Also Fells looked way better than expected. I knew last year he was always over criticized because of injury, but he looked a thousand times better.

Furthermore, the OL's importance and ability has probably been understated. I said a couple weeks ago it has the ability to be the best in the NFL this year, but it was apparent that our OL single handedly could have won the game if this were the regular season. Granted not every teams defense is as soft/small as the Eagles, but we have two elite tackles, an above average LG, and above average C. Once we have our non 5th string RG back in, we will be loaded up front.

It's hard to take too much away from preseason games, but what you can take away is physical 1 vs 1 matchups, along with knowledge of the offense/coaches opinions on players, Our OL dominated, we have 4 WRs who are quality #2s, and Fells/Hoo are solid role players to play behind Gronk.



Defense wasn't quite so positive. It's not exactly news, but if Wilfork or Kelly get hurt, we are completely sunk. That being said, I really liked what I saw out of the front 7. They just looked huge and were manhandling the Eagles.

The secondary is harder to judge. Talib looked good (in spite of the long TD given up, I'm convinced it was blown safety help given how hard Talib played outside technique), and we were without our best DB in McCourty. Cole looked awful but he really won't be seeing the field except in emergency situations.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

OFFENSE
I suspect that we have a bit less anxiety about the offense than we did yesterday. We now know that we can go out there with a receiving corps of Amendola, Thompkins, Dobson, Edelman, Fells, Sudfeld and Vereen (while waiting for Gronk to recover). We know that we have at least one backup offensive lineman in Svitek. We know that we have one solid backup running back in Blount (to back up Ridley and Vereen).

DEFENSE - FRONT SEVEN
Kelly is the real deal. Benard and Fletcher are good additions to the 2012 team. Collins seems likely to be a contributor.

DEFENSE - SECONDARY
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Well, we can discuss this after the next preseason game.

BOTTOM LINE
Everything seems about as well as could be expected except the secondary.

The concern about the secondary is relative. I don't think their is much chance it will be world beaters, just is what it is. Yet provided the long arm of law enforcement doesn't deprive the Patriots, opening day will be Dennard and Aqib, Devin and ?. Compared to the last several+ years, that is clearly our best starting secondary. IMHO our biggest pass coverage concern is pressuring the QB followed by LB coverage over the middle. IMHO some of the new or newish guys finding a modest pass rush groove will equal the pass defense improving by a factor grater than would be expected with an improved pass rush.

 

[DarrylS]

The concern about the secondary is relative. I don't think their is much chance it will be world beaters, just is what it is. Yet provided the long arm of law enforcement doesn't deprive the Patriots, opening day will be Dennard and Aqib, Devin and ?. Compared to the last several+ years, that is clearly our best starting secondary. IMHO our biggest pass coverage concern is pressuring the QB followed by LB coverage over the middle. IMHO some of the new or newish guys finding a modest pass rush groove will equal the pass defense improving by a factor grater than would be expected with an improved pass rush.

The secondary is a work in progress, and may be better able to gauge it's relative worth or lack of it about the 3rd or 4th game... there are more and better moving parts to this part of the team, than in the past.

 

[Fencer]

The major issues haven't changed at all, because any apparent change is not yet confirmed. (And because no new major issues have been created through injury.)

As long as Brady and most of the blockers are healthy, the Pats will have a superb regular-season offense. But that was not a major issue.

And nothing more specific than that is in any way yet proven.

 

[303PatsFan]

Is it safe to say this is the best defense we've had in recent years?

 

[Uncle Rico]

Re:Secondary, I was reading Field Yates's take and thought this was promising:

7. Harmon and the Cover 2. It won’t show up in the game book, but give rookie safety Duron Harmon credit for his pass defense. What was most important, at least from this view, was that Harmon consistently appeared to get to the “honey hole” in Cover 2 defense. That’s the area of the field located between 15-20 yards down the field and between the numbers and the sideline. Traditionally, that’s the area of vulnerability for a defense running Cover 2, and something the Patriots struggled with at times last season. If Harmon can prove to be an umbrella-creating safety in the back end, he could compete for playing time sooner than we initially anticipated

Never heard the phrase "honey hole" before — or if I had, it wasn't related to football — but an interesting insight from Yates.

 

[fair catch fryar]

Is it safe to say this is the best defense we've had in recent years?

I guess it's safe to say considering that there isn't much competition for comparison in recent years and the fact that the season is only one preseason game old.

 

[patsinthesnow]

The main weakness on the team still rears its ugly head. This may be our best defense since 2007, but it's also a deck of cards.

If one of Talib/Dennard go down, the whole defense goes out of whack. Dowling/Ryan are awful outside CB depth, and Cole is miles behind Arrington in the slot.

Also, if BB shifts Arrington outside in that case, it just weakens two positions. Cole sucks in the slot and Arrington nearly sucks on the outside.

We need a 3rd, dependable, outside CB. Not some mediocre glass player and a rookie project.

 

[Ring 6]

****Keeping in mind it was against the Eagles, in week 1 preseason***

Thompkins showed he's legit. He has seemingly picked up the offense and Brady is going to him frequently and confidently. He already has more faith him (it appears at least) than he ever did with Ocho, Lloyd, etc.

Also Fells looked way better than expected. I knew last year he was always over criticized because of injury, but he looked a thousand times better.

Furthermore, the OL's importance and ability has probably been understated. I said a couple weeks ago it has the ability to be the best in the NFL this year, but it was apparent that our OL single handedly could have won the game if this were the regular season. Granted not every teams defense is as soft/small as the Eagles, but we have two elite tackles, an above average LG, and above average C. Once we have our non 5th string RG back in, we will be loaded up front.

It's hard to take too much away from preseason games, but what you can take away is physical 1 vs 1 matchups, along with knowledge of the offense/coaches opinions on players, Our OL dominated, we have 4 WRs who are quality #2s, and Fells/Hoo are solid role players to play behind Gronk.



Defense wasn't quite so positive. It's not exactly news, but if Wilfork or Kelly get hurt, we are completely sunk. That being said, I really liked what I saw out of the front 7. They just looked huge and were manhandling the Eagles.

The secondary is harder to judge. Talib looked good (in spite of the long TD given up, I'm convinced it was blown safety help given how hard Talib played outside technique), and we were without our best DB in McCourty. Cole looked awful but he really won't be seeing the field except in emergency situations.

Its doubtful that it was a blown safety issue, because it was a blitz, and we rushed 6.

 

[Deus Irae]

It was the first exhibition game of the season, and it was against a team undergoing a complete overhaul. I don't think we really learned much that carries beyond that one game.

 

[Ring 6]

The main weakness on the team still rears its ugly head. This may be our best defense since 2007, but it's also a deck of cards.

If one of Talib/Dennard go down, the whole defense goes out of whack. Dowling/Ryan are awful outside CB depth, and Cole is miles behind Arrington in the slot.

Also, if BB shifts Arrington outside in that case, it just weakens two positions. Cole sucks in the slot and Arrington nearly sucks on the outside.

We need a 3rd, dependable, outside CB. Not some mediocre glass player and a rookie project.

Is that realistic?
We have starting outside corners we are happy with and a starting nickel we are happy with. Behind that we have an early 2nd who has had injury issues and a rookie 3rd round pick. Not to mention we have a very good corner playing S who would move back if needed. Is that really worse depth than any other team has? We are talking about 4th and 5th corners.

 

[Ring 6]

OFFENSE
I suspect that we have a bit less anxiety about the offense than we did yesterday. We now know that we can go out there with a receiving corps of Amendola, Thompkins, Dobson, Edelman, Fells, Sudfeld and Vereen (while waiting for Gronk to recover). We know that we have at least one backup offensive lineman in Svitek. We know that we have one solid backup running back in Blount (to back up Ridley and Vereen).

DEFENSE - FRONT SEVEN
Kelly is the real deal. Benard and Fletcher are good additions to the 2012 team. Collins seems likely to be a contributor.

DEFENSE - SECONDARY
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Well, we can discuss this after the next preseason game.

BOTTOM LINE
Everything seems about as well as could be expected except the secondary.

Not sure anything was solved yesterday.
To be the devils advocate to your comments, there are many facets of the passing game that were not utilized. 4 catches for 23 yards is a nice debut for Thompkins but its 4 catches for 23 yards.
I don't think veterans like Svitek, Kelly, Benard or Blount went from questions to real deal based on a handful of plays.
The secondary is hard to judge when half the starters were not there and they played less than a quarter.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Is that realistic?
We have starting outside corners we are happy with and a starting nickel we are happy with. Behind that we have an early 2nd who has had injury issues and a rookie 3rd round pick. Not to mention we have a very good corner playing S who would move back if needed. Is that really worse depth than any other team has? We are talking about 4th and 5th corners.

Our backup outside CBs don't have to suck. Hell, the Seahawks are loaded with CB depth in Walter Thurmond and Jeremy Lane, why can't we have one 3rd dependable one?

 

[patsfanincleveland]

Not sure anything was solved yesterday.
To be the devils advocate to your comments, there are many facets of the passing game that were not utilized. 4 catches for 23 yards is a nice debut for Thompkins but its 4 catches for 23 yards.
I don't think veterans like Svitek, Kelly, Benard or Blount went from questions to real deal based on a handful of plays.
The secondary is hard to judge when half the starters were not there and they played less than a quarter.

The only thing that was solved is the fact that people will continue to see what they think they see because they think they see it.

New year...same story.

The one take away is that this offense has the chance to be be unbelievably diversified this year.

 

[Ring 6]

Our backup outside CBs don't have to suck. Hell, the Seahawks are loaded with CB depth in Walter Thurmond and Jeremy Lane, why can't we have one 3rd dependable one?

Thats kind of funny.
Walter Thurmond has played as many games as Dowling in the last 2 years and Lane was a rookie 6th round pick last year who did little.
In other words what you are comparing to is pretty much what we have.

 

[Ring 6]

The only thing that was solved is the fact that people will continue to see what they think they see because they think they see it.

New year...same story.

The one take away is that this offense has the chance to be be unbelievably diversified this year.

I agree. Not enough happened to legitimate answer any questions. Some will note that others will overestimate the impact, good or bad, of a drive or two, or how players look against future UPS drivers.
I'm not sure what we know that we didn't know 24 hours ago.

 

[Deus Irae]

Just a note regarding the receivers:

Brady picked on cornerback Bradley Fletcher on the Patriots’ second drive. He’s hasn’t stood out in camp. With the injured Cary Williams out, Brandon Boykin was supposed to start opposite Fletcher. He did not. Brandon Hughes did. The pickings are slim at cornerback.

Eagles-Patriots: What did we learn?

So an already suspect secondary was playing without one of its starters, and the backups weren't getting the job done. Sound familiar?

 

[upstater1]

Collins has great athletic talent, but he's still a rookie. He was certainly thinking out there and not reacting a lot. You could tell the speed of the game overwhelmed him. He'll get it eventually. He lost the ball too many times.

 

[edboc]

The defense needs to improve on 3rd down defense, it's been a major issue. Hopefully they'll have a healthy, available, and productive McCourty and Dennard. And hopefully Gregory and Tavon Wilson can finally stop giving up big plays and play better angles.