Idle Thoughts - the 2-0 edition - the only stat that counts

[Patsfanin Philly]

If they don't bring anybody in, who runs the scout team in practice, Julian???

 

[VrabelJr]

Our defense shut them down when it mattered on two occasions: at the beginning of the game and at the end of the game. Our defense is fine.

 

[pazrul72]

That's something I've often wondered about, having no experience with football training. In the martial arts classes I've seen, there's a huge emphasis from day one on learning to fall properly -- they drill it over and over in multiple positions until it's instinctive. But of none of the scenarios involve falling safely with multiple large men falling on top of you, while keeping firm hold on a football.

Any insights on how football teaches falling? Is it position-specific, e.g. quarterbacks learning to protect their throwing arms?

Being a skier and a clumsy 300 lb guy in general I have learned a ton about falling and the key is to relax once you know oh **** nothing more I can do I am hitting the turf. Do not fight it all the way to the ground or try to absorb impact with anything but your body. Elbows, shoulders, and wrists were not designed to handle that kind of force, especially if it's awkward and bending in a way it shouldn't. Yeah your body is gonna be sore, but that is just pain management instead of sprains and ligament tears. Jimmy tried to put his arm out when he should have just let his ribs take the blow. With the dolphin on top he couldn't roll on his shoulder to soften hitting the ground so let it go to your strongest shock absorbers.

A couple years back as I was turning into my driveway I got nailed from behind on a hit and run. Despite having my blinker on I could see in my rear view that the other guy was not slowing down. Time slowed way down as I did every thing I could to get in the driveway first, no luck, but as soon as I had finished turning the wheel I went completely limp. Did everything I could now just ride it out. Car was totaled as it bounced into a small tree but I walked away with some minor lower back pain. A week later the bruising was gone and I am completely fine. That was getting hit at 20-30 MPH. I have a friend who got a small bump rear ending at 5 MPH who has to go to the dr's every week for pain meds cuz she fought it and stayed tensed up thruout the accident. It goes against every instinct you have but falling is a skill that can be learned, Jimmy will get there eventually.

 

[DaBruinz]

This was a game of many highs, but also a few lows. So let's get right to them and put this baby to bed, since Houston is going to come up fast.

MATTY, this isn't 2011-14 when you had to protect your defense so the offense could win games. It's 2016 and you have a REALLY good defense. You don't NEED to change the way you are playing to keep long plays from happening, because usually when you do the opposite occurs. The Dolphins have on TD that was 80 yds on 5 plays. It wasn't the 7 points that killed us, but the 5 plays. If it had taken the 12-15 plays that you'd expect with that kind of D, the game would have been over even with Gotskowski's miss.

None of Miami's series that led to TDs were only 5 plays.

There was a 7 play series helped by the refs calling a completion to Ajayi for the sideline catch where he didn't get his foot down and they they didn't call the Miami RT for a false start on the TD pass to Stills even though the replay clearly shows him moving before the snap.

This was followed by a 6 play series that the refs Gift-wrapped a bogus DPI against Ryan when Ryan was hauled down by Parker though Ryan was the one going for the ball.

BTW- and who wouldn't want that Landry kid on their team. The kid is a real baller.

Landry isn't a baller.. Landry is a punk ass who needs to learn some humility.

 

[Danger Zone]

Brissett played better than I expected, perhaps it had to do with lack of snaps with first team. He managed the game as best as could be expected, hats off to Parcell..

Sure glad Parcells drafted the kid.

 

[ashley]

I think this week we are going to need our defense to play like the defense that showed up in the 1st half as compared to the defense that showed up in the 2nd half. Glad we're 2-0 and I think if we don't turn the ball over this week and our defense plays like they did in the 1st half, we will win a close game.
Wonder if this is the week we unleash the Gronk!!!!

 

[luuked]

I KNEW there was something I forgot from my first General topics list. Christian Fauria made what I thought was a interesting observation when they showed him the replay of the JG injury play. He said that would never happen to Brady because he knows how to position himself on how to fall. That seemed like an odd comment UNTIL I remembered hearing about how in the off season, Brady practices how to fall and protect himself. With more experience, he probably WOULD have been able to avoid the injury.

That being said, you are probably right on your point about Alonzo throwing his full weight on the QB, but somehow I can't upset about another friggin rule that makes it almost impossible to play defense.

To be honest, I hope that one of they key lessons Jimmy takes away from the situation is to not hold on to the ball for so long especially if your team is 3 scores ahead. I was shouting at my screen before it the hit happened for him to just throw the ball away. If it's a close game and you really need the conversion (e.g. the pass to Amendola in Arizona) its a different story, but he has to think more situationally about those things.

 

[DaBruinz]

"h. Another plus that should be mentioned was we finally cracked our TO cherry. It ended up being a 4-1 win, and where would we have been without it."

The hell does that mean?

The Pats didn't have a turnover against AZ. The Pats defense had 4 turnovers yesterday. 2 Interceptions and 2 Forced Fumbles both of which they recovered..

 

[The Gr8est]

If they don't bring anybody in, who runs the scout team in practice, Julian???

Derby?

He's more similar to Osweiler.

 

[luuked]

Landry isn't a baller.. Landry is a punk ass who needs to learn some humility.

Above all he should get a huge fine for punching Coleman and then also hitting the back of Chung's head. (see Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry dishes out dirty hits; is the P.K. Subban of the NFL)

 

[Fencer]

If they don't bring anybody in, who runs the scout team in practice, Julian???

Caserio was a QB in college. Per Wikipedia, the guy he beat out for the job was Josh McD.

 

[zydecochris]

No, PC, none at all. I just remember reading about it in some report that talked about how arduous and detailed Brady's off season program was. It struck me, at the time, as another example of how he leaves no stone unturned in his preparation. But I have no clue as to exactly what he actually does. However, since you mentioned it, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't something similar to a martial arts drill.

Although it doesn't say anything about specific training to relax his body during hits, here is one link from about a year and a half ago about Brady's training regimen: Tom Brady wants to play 'forever.' With his new-age prep, he might get close

I don't have any links to prove it, but according to my recollection a primary problems with older quarterbacks is that they get injured much more often and seriously and that knocks them out of the game (Warner, Young, Aikman, eventually Favre, and more recently P. Manning). I always figured that the template for how to most productively use an older quarterback was how the Broncos used John Elway. They built up a great offensive line, instituted a super-strong running game, and protected Elway in his last two years as he declined until he retired at 38.

Thus, a few years back I figured what what BB would do is to devote a bunch of draft capital to offensive linemen and perhaps running backs, institute a strong running game, and thus protect Brady as he aged. .....Well, I guess that shows what I know. Instead the Patriots devoted almost no draft resources to offensive linemen (three OL picks in the top three rounds in the last 10 years), they almost completely neglected the run game, and they subjected Brady to a continual pounding behind the line, topped off by him being hit more than any other quarterback that year in the AFC Championship game. Yet, somehow, Brady is better than ever. And even more astonishingly, he seems to be able to avoid serious injury even at 39.

Brady may one of a kind, with his combination of maintaining top production and avoiding injury. Or, perhaps instead he is "the first of a kind", a new type of athlete who scientifically maintains their body by innovative exercise and eating techniques to remain productive and relatively injury free into their 40's.

 

[slam]

When people train to be professional wrestlers, the first thing they do is learn how to fall safely. Just going from standing to flat on your back with a thump hundreds of time to get the hang of the "Flat Back Bump". I've never heard of any football players do that, but it makes sense.

 

[PP2]

Being a skier and a clumsy 300 lb guy in general I have learned a ton about falling and the key is to relax once you know oh **** nothing more I can do I am hitting the turf. Do not fight it all the way to the ground or try to absorb impact with anything but your body. Elbows, shoulders, and wrists were not designed to handle that kind of force, especially if it's awkward and bending in a way it shouldn't. Yeah your body is gonna be sore, but that is just pain management instead of sprains and ligament tears. Jimmy tried to put his arm out when he should have just let his ribs take the blow. With the dolphin on top he couldn't roll on his shoulder to soften hitting the ground so let it go to your strongest shock absorbers.

A couple years back as I was turning into my driveway I got nailed from behind on a hit and run. Despite having my blinker on I could see in my rear view that the other guy was not slowing down. Time slowed way down as I did every thing I could to get in the driveway first, no luck, but as soon as I had finished turning the wheel I went completely limp. Did everything I could now just ride it out. Car was totaled as it bounced into a small tree but I walked away with some minor lower back pain. A week later the bruising was gone and I am completely fine. That was getting hit at 20-30 MPH. I have a friend who got a small bump rear ending at 5 MPH who has to go to the dr's every week for pain meds cuz she fought it and stayed tensed up thruout the accident. It goes against every instinct you have but falling is a skill that can be learned, Jimmy will get there eventually.

Very insightful post. Brady did say something along this line with a comment about how he trained himself to "turn into Gumby" when falling to the ground. I can't for the life of me locate that quote anywhere online. Maybe someone will know.

This was, IIRC after that crunching sack by Albert Haynesworth in the preseason a few years ago which resulted in him playing with broken ribs for the remainder of that season.

EDIT: above statement is wrong,

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Very insightful post. Brady did say something along this line with a comment about how he trained himself to "turn into Gumby" when falling to the ground. I can't for the life of me locate that quote anywhere online. Maybe someone will know.

.

Ask and ye shall receive.....
Tom Brady Press Conference - 11/25/2007

Q: Was that hit on the third snap the hardest hit you've taken?Read

TB: I've been hit pretty good before. He got me good. He got me good.Read

Q: Were you clear-headed after that?Read

TB: Usually, when I get hit -- I'm very bony, so if they hit me on my bones it hurts. If they don't hit me on my bones I'm usually fine. I'm like Gumby, I just dead-leg everything. That's why I just fall down when people hit me. He hit me good, but I'm proud [that] we went down and scored on the drive, so that was good too.

 

[PP2]

Ask and ye shall receive.....
Tom Brady Press Conference - 11/25/2007

Q: Was that hit on the third snap the hardest hit you've taken?Read

TB: I've been hit pretty good before. He got me good. He got me good.Read

Q: Were you clear-headed after that?Read

TB: Usually, when I get hit -- I'm very bony, so if they hit me on my bones it hurts. If they don't hit me on my bones I'm usually fine. I'm like Gumby, I just dead-leg everything. That's why I just fall down when people hit me. He hit me good, but I'm proud [that] we went down and scored on the drive, so that was good too.

Thank you, sir.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

It was the Eagles game back in '07 and Juqua Parker sacked Brady on the third play of the game.. Eagles' fans still talk about it...... When your Lombardi case is bare and every other team within 300 miles (* Jets excepted) has multiple ones ( NE, NYG, Balt, Pitt, Wash) you live for the little moments like the Eagles fans do.....

 

[mihap]

Being a skier and a clumsy 300 lb guy in general I have learned a ton about falling and the key is to relax once you know oh **** nothing more I can do I am hitting the turf. Do not fight it all the way to the ground or try to absorb impact with anything but your body. Elbows, shoulders, and wrists were not designed to handle that kind of force, especially if it's awkward and bending in a way it shouldn't. Yeah your body is gonna be sore, but that is just pain management instead of sprains and ligament tears. Jimmy tried to put his arm out when he should have just let his ribs take the blow. With the dolphin on top he couldn't roll on his shoulder to soften hitting the ground so let it go to your strongest shock absorbers.

A couple years back as I was turning into my driveway I got nailed from behind on a hit and run. Despite having my blinker on I could see in my rear view that the other guy was not slowing down. Time slowed way down as I did every thing I could to get in the driveway first, no luck, but as soon as I had finished turning the wheel I went completely limp. Did everything I could now just ride it out. Car was totaled as it bounced into a small tree but I walked away with some minor lower back pain. A week later the bruising was gone and I am completely fine. That was getting hit at 20-30 MPH. I have a friend who got a small bump rear ending at 5 MPH who has to go to the dr's every week for pain meds cuz she fought it and stayed tensed up thruout the accident. It goes against every instinct you have but falling is a skill that can be learned, Jimmy will get there eventually.

It has something to do with muscles. Person who drinks a lot of alcohol has relaxed mucles so they have less injuries in car accidents than people who fighting and tightening tehir muscles. I remember when two people fell over the roof. One was drunk and other not and they were arguing and both fell off. Drunk person had few bruises, the other one was in hospital for 6months.

 

[mihap]

Just a stupid thought, but maybe Pats plan with lead 31-7 when they played Brissett and knew that they have short weekend, try to play zone defense so that def stays longer on field and the playing time shares some equal amount on both sides. And both thuneys holdings were in field goal range so actually Miami didnt have chance.
I was *****ing in official thread, but i still think that they can manage Texans defense well nad the pats D is solid.

 

[patfanken]

None of Miami's series that led to TDs were only 5 plays.

There was a 7 play series helped by the refs calling a completion to Ajayi for the sideline catch where he didn't get his foot down and they they didn't call the Miami RT for a false start on the TD pass to Stills even though the replay clearly shows him moving before the snap.

This was followed by a 6 play series that the refs Gift-wrapped a bogus DPI against Ryan when Ryan was hauled down by Parker though Ryan was the one going for the ball.




Landry isn't a baller.. Landry is a punk ass who needs to learn some humility.

I got that 5 play number from one of the mediots in the local post game reporting, but the point remains the same. The concept of using a bend but don't break defense is to GRUDGINGLY give up yards and points and take time off the clock. And despite the gifts from the refs, this defense did NONE of those things in the 2 drives you mentioned.

I think what disappointed me the most was that good defenses, like we expect to have, turn TO's and big plays into FG's instead of TD's and Miami was 3/4 in the red zone. That's a bad number for a "good defense".

The good news is whatever you are in September is probably NOT what you are going to be after Thanksgiving, so we have some time to correct this. Hopefully it was an aberration that won't reoccur.

BTW- we'll agree to disagree on Landry even if he is a little feisty.