I'm fine with our "skill" players on offense.

[Vindicate]

Our offense isn't in jeopardy because of our core skill players. All are solid. Brady is comfortable with all of them.

Brady
White, Michel
Edelman, Sanu, Dorsett
Watson
===========
Our backups are probably OK as backups, although some have been injured. On a given Sunday, a couple of these players could be the key to a win. Myers may be the most important of them this year, although I could see the argument for Harry or LeCosse.

Burkhead, Bolden
Meyers, Harry
LeCosse, Izzo
======
Stidham, Kessler, Harris are non-factors
======
The obvious elephant in the room is the OL, which has been injured and awful. It doesn't help to have lost our best blocking TE and our FB.
====
BOTTOM LINE
With Wynn back, Mason healthy, and Karras improving with experience, this offense is good enough to compete for the Super Bowl.

Last year, the key to victory was an awesome OL, augmented by Gronkowski, Allan, and Develin as blockers. This year, it is our very aggressive and excellent defense.

Our redzone production isn't what it once was, but I was happy to see us have some strong moments against the Ravens. That's a decent secondary their fielding, their offense did all they could to keep Brady off the field, yet we certainly - in the 2nd and 3rd - marched down the field multiple times. I thought it was one of the more promising games from the offense since the singular game with AB.

At this point it's foggy, but do I remember us having some success passing to either White or Michel like, 3-5 yds up field and basically setting blocks from there? Basically masking our inability to create holes at LOS? It's possible I'm only remembering the few times it worked and neglecting every time it didn't haha.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

Let me know when those teams go to 3 super bowls in a row and 4 out of 5

Yeah they don’t have Tom Brady as their QB. Watch what happens when Brady retires

 

[Deus Irae]

Let me know when those teams go to 3 super bowls in a row and 4 out of 5

Is it your position that the Patriots win Super Bowls because they draft poorly at WR and RB?

 

[pheenix11]

I think our skill positions are fine. We may not have any superstars but we have great depth.

TE is a prayer that Watson stays healthy.

The problem is the OL. Get Wynn back and things will look remarkably different. It’s that simple.

 

[mgteich]

It will take more than Wynn. Karras needs to continue to improve. Mason needs to be healthy. And, Cannon needs to get out of his funk.

I think our skill positions are fine. We may not have any superstars but we have great depth.

TE is a prayer that Watson stays healthy.

The problem is the OL. Get Wynn back and things will look remarkably different. It’s that simple.

 

[Soliel]

We’ve got skill players?

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

Wow! "Severe"? I'm sorry that the Pats don't have all pro caliber players at EVERY position.

They don’t have them at any position on offense.

 

[RobertWeathers]

They don’t have them at any position on offense.

Except QB and LG.

JE is on a pace for 112/1168/7tds. That's all pro.

 

[patfanken]

They don’t have them at any position on offense.

I think Thuney and Brady would qualify. Hey its a start.

 

[Sicilian]

The best WR's on the Patriots SB winning teams:

2001: Troy Brown
2003: Deion Branch
2004: Deion Branch
2014: Julian Edelman
2016: Julian Edelman
2018: Julian Edelman

The talent itself isn't the problem at WR right now, it's the consistency. Every week (either due to injuries or self-implosion) has had a different group of WR's to work with. And not just that, but the same thing has happened to the OL, and TE/FB group. People keep keying in on "talent", but what gives an offense like this success is rhythm and trust, something they just haven't had a chance to develop.

I don't know if Wynn solves the OL, but he helps. I don't know if Harry solves our red zone inefficiency, but he gives us another option. Get them back and give us a few weeks of the same guys building rapport, and I'll bet you see a marked improvement in all areas. Acting like the problem with this offense is that we just don't have a good enough WR is focusing on the wrong thing, IMO.

 

[TheAdultintheRoom]

Politely asking what the Patriots are doing with N'Keal Harry

 

[Vindicate]

Has Dante's tenure been met with any teams that were fascinating with run blocking? Just wondering! Not asking this rhetorically.

Even in a universe where "no" is the answer (which I assume isn't the case), I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that the run issues maybe are a coaching problem - just wondering. Any RB production I can remember has seemingly come after the pass.

Production last year seemed to be heavily attributed to having two of the top blocking TE's on the field, one of which was the greatest receiving TE ever - which in of itself was a wrinkle for defenses to decipher.

 

[glm]

Sony's career game logs:

Sony Michel Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Where's the greatness that we're all missing, but you seem to be seeing?

According to his game log you provided, in the playoffs he's averaging 112 rushing yards per game and 2 rushing TDs per game.

In a 16 game season that would be 1792 rushing yards and 32 rushing TDs.

Seems pretty great to me.

 

[stcjones]

This offense is fine, or at least should be fine, and should be able to produce more than the 20 points its produced in the last 2 games, and should definitely be able to produce more than the 4 touchdowns its produced in the last 2 games.

Only if OL play significantly improves with return of Wynn ....if not will be tough going

 

[stcjones]

O-line needs to be fixed first. I’m getting tired of watching Brady dancing in the pocket right after he gets the snap.

Skill players are okay, but they need to run the ball better which I don’t think they have the parts to do so. No blocking TE’s and the loss of Develin has been huge.

Good points OL is number one priority or O will continue to struggle

 

[Deus Irae]

According to his game log you provided, in the playoffs he's averaging 112 rushing yards per game and 2 rushing TDs per game.

In a 16 game season that would be 1792 rushing yards and 32 rushing TDs.

Seems pretty great to me.

If you're just going to point to YPA, this is going to be a slaughter, and you're going to be on the losing side. He's had 3 playoff games. Just as in the regular season, he's been up and down with the ypa in them. Even on his best run, which is post-Pittsburgh and through the playoffs, his ypa alternated between over 4 and under 4. And that's even taking out the impact of the run blocking.

But, hey, why not just extrapolate from one game, and really warp the argument? He averaged 6.44 ypa in one of the Buffalo games, on 18 carries. If he can just keep that up in every game moving forward, he'll be the greatest RB to ever play the game!

And TDs? Come on.

 

[glm]

If you're just going to point to YPA, this is going to be a slaughter, and you're going to be on the losing side.

Stopped reading here.

I never mentioned YPA in my post.

It appears the only slaughtering here was you slaughtering yourself. Congratulations.

 

[PatsBoy12]

Considering the trade deadline has come and gone and there's nobody better on the streets, you kinda have to be okay with our skill guys, no?

 

[Deus Irae]

Stopped reading here.

I never mentioned YPA in my post.

It appears the only slaughtering here was you slaughtering yourself. Congratulations.

Holy ****. You were serious about using YPG over the course of a 3 game stretch as your base stat?

YPA, with appropriate context, has value. YPG, particularly in only a small sample size of games, is absolutely useless when trying to determine the quality of a RB. I was giving you the credit I thought you deserved, since I thought that pretty much every Patriots fan had learned that lesson from the Jonas Gray experience. My mistake. In the future, I'll remember that you don't deserve that benefit of the doubt.

 

[glm]

Holy ****. You were serious about using YPG over the course of a 3 game stretch as your base stat?

YPA, with appropriate context, has value. YPG, particularly in only a small sample size of games, is absolutely useless when trying to determine the quality of a RB. I was giving you the credit I thought you deserved, since I thought that pretty much every Patriots fan had learned that lesson from the Jonas Gray experience. My mistake. In the future, I'll remember that you don't deserve that benefit of the doubt.

Well isn't this just a pathetic attempt to save face after you took a steaming crap all over yourself in your last post.

:+)