Mike Mayock Calls Out Light & Connolly

[GrogansHeros]

Mayock should change his name to CPT Obvious...that was too easy too see

 

[SanAngeloState]

Who was connolly going against? Maybe they are all world or something.

Any FAs we can get after the season to bolster the OL?

I said Koppen was a stiff last year and got called a bum and a troll for it. He's a nice enough guy but he gets manhandled.

 

[JackBauer]

I have to suspect that Mankins' absence has a lot to do with why Koppen's been getting some negative attention.

Except that Koppen wasn't very good last year, either. It may make him look slightly worse than he is, but regardless of whether Mankins or Connolly is at LG he's the clear weak spot on the OL.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Its increasingly obvious that Light will not get a big $ contract extention offer from the Pats in 2011. OL will be the focus of 2 of our 6 top 100 picks in April.

 

[D-cleater]

Two myths mentioned in this thread that I would like to see debunked:

1) The O line would have performed any better with Mankins in there. I think this mystique has been built around mankins... like he's the savior of our O line or something. I don't think anything could be farther from the truth. I thinkt Mankins is one of the best guards in the game at run blocking but Connelly is easily above average. In pass protection, which is the issue that is being described here, I doubt Mankins would have made much of a difference last sunday.

2) Danny Woodhead can't pass protect. I've noticed him on several plays completely take out the rushing LB. He has to go low, but so did Faulk. I was watching this part of Woodhead's game to see whether he can really assume Faulk's role without a drop off in pass protection. I'm not going to put him up there with Faulk just yet, but for having only been on the team for a little over a month, I am convinced that he has WAY more upside than Faulk does at this point in his career. I'm pretty amazed at this kid.

 

[Deus Irae]

Just reviewed the game. Connolly was passable in run blocking, but couldn't handle Castillo's combination of strength and quickness one on one in pass protection. With Light having his problems and Koppen also inept, it was almost a jailbreak at times on the left side. On one play, as Light was being beaten, Connolly and Koppen did almost nothing as Castillo split them and gave Brady nowhere to go. Interior pressure has always been a disaster for Brady as he's adept at stepping up to avoid the outside rush, but doesn't have the foot speed to run away from it. Light's struggles were much accentuated because Brady couldn't step up. Looked a lot like the superbowl breakdowns against the Giants...

The bolded part is really the key. Light was getting "beat", but it wasn't anything unusual for any left tackle. He was able to steer the pass rusher a bit, and Brady would normally have been able to step up into the pocket. Because of the ineptitude of the blocking up the middle, however, Brady couldn't step up, and that was all she wrote.

 

[Deus Irae]

He's inexperienced plus he's a better left tackle than Light now.

Funny how "Light can't play right tackle" but the they expect a less experienced player to excel on both sides.

Light's a nice guy with a good sense of humor. We have been expected to exempt him from being able to block basically all the best rushers we face, usually twice a year. Are we supposed to hope other teams draft slow pass rushers?

Vollmer's been struggling in the passing game at least as much as has Light.

 

[Deus Irae]

Two myths mentioned in this thread that I would like to see debunked:

1) The O line would have performed any better with Mankins in there. I think this mystique has been built around mankins... like he's the savior of our O line or something. I don't think anything could be farther from the truth. I thinkt Mankins is one of the best guards in the game at run blocking but Connelly is easily above average. In pass protection, which is the issue that is being described here, I doubt Mankins would have made much of a difference last sunday.

Good point. One of the elite left guards in the league, who's more than solid in both run and pass blocking, would have probably been just as bad as the guy who got benched because he's lousy in pass protection and below average in run blocking except when he's pulling. :bricks:

 

[LetsGoPats36]

It's nice to know the sports media world isn't totally blind to how bad Light is.

 

[mgteich]

You do understand that it is heresy to criticize Vollmer and to suggest anything but that he all-pro LT quality player.

Vollmer's been struggling in the passing game at least as much as has Light.

 

[TBradyOwnsYou]

Two myths mentioned in this thread that I would like to see debunked:

1) The O line would have performed any better with Mankins in there. I think this mystique has been built around mankins... like he's the savior of our O line or something. I don't think anything could be farther from the truth. I thinkt Mankins is one of the best guards in the game at run blocking but Connelly is easily above average. In pass protection, which is the issue that is being described here, I doubt Mankins would have made much of a difference last sunday.

2) Danny Woodhead can't pass protect. I've noticed him on several plays completely take out the rushing LB. He has to go low, but so did Faulk. I was watching this part of Woodhead's game to see whether he can really assume Faulk's role without a drop off in pass protection. I'm not going to put him up there with Faulk just yet, but for having only been on the team for a little over a month, I am convinced that he has WAY more upside than Faulk does at this point in his career. I'm pretty amazed at this kid.

Sent in to Mythbusters, hope for a response soon!

 

[DaBruinz]

You do understand that it is heresy to criticize Vollmer and to suggest anything but that he all-pro LT quality player.

The only heresy is you claiming that about Vollmer..Even the worst of homers don't make that BS exaggeration...

 

[Kasmir]

Who was connolly going against? Maybe they are all world or something.

#93 Luis Castillo. A very good player when healthy.

 

[Deus Irae]

The only heresy is you claiming that about Vollmer..Even the worst of homers don't make that BS exaggeration...

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/10/375827-sebastian-vollmer-pro-bowl-season-2010-a.html#post1896443

 

[mgteich]

You mean only 20 of 21 thought Vollmer were a present or future probowler?

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/10/375827-sebastian-vollmer-pro-bowl-season-2010-a.html#post1896443

 

[Deus Irae]

You mean only 20 of 21 thought Vollmer were a present or future probowler?

Including yourself*, which is a bit amusing, I'm sure you'll admit.









* You had him as a future Pro Bowler, not as one for this year. "Only" 9 of the 21 had him going to the Pro Bowl this season.

 

[mgteich]

It is indeed a bit amusing, given how this thread has progressed.

I do still believe that Vollmer is future probowler as a RT. I do not see him as a top LT. Do you disagree/

Including yourself*, which is a bit amusing, I'm sure you'll admit.









* You had him as a future Pro Bowler, not as one for this year. "Only" 9 of the 21 had him going to the Pro Bowl this season.

 

[Deus Irae]

It is indeed a bit amusing, given how this thread has progressed.

I do still believe that Vollmer is future probowler as a RT. I do not see him as a top LT. Do you disagree/

I'm not sure. He's got great size, and he can move pretty well for a big man, but he's got a problem that can be very difficult to train away if it's not done in the early years. If you have a tendency to stand up too quickly, you're likely to have to fight that tendency for your entire career, and you'll probably fall back into doing it on occasion. I see that with Vollmer.

 

[Kontradiction]

I'm not sure. He's got great size, and he can move pretty well for a big man, but he's got a problem that can be very difficult to train away if it's not done in the early years. If you have a tendency to stand up too quickly, you're likely to have to fight that tendency for your entire career, and you'll probably fall back into doing it on occasion. I see that with Vollmer.

In his defense, he doesn't do it on every down - from what I've seen. He can get low and, when he does, he easily overpowers his man. However, it seems like an old habit with him. And you know what they say about those. It seems that he does it at key moments (big third downs, etc.) which tells me that he might get nervous or excited and fall back on that said old habit. And you're right. That's a horrible habit for an offensive lineman to have... especially in the NFL. Makes him EXTREMELY susceptible to bull rushes.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Mike Mayock, who can never be called a hater, just called out Light and Connolly on NFLN. Says he looked at the tape of the Chargers game, and expected to see that the Chargers scheme was why Brady was pressured so much last Sunday. Instead, he found that a "journeyman" end Antawn Barnes beat Light regularly, and Connolly couldn't block the D tackle, even when helped by a Koppen double team.

Mayock said b/c of these two linemen, the Patriots missed a couple of scoring opportunities. He seemed troubled by what he saw.

Thoughts?

I think you need to throw Crumpler under that bus too. It was not a good game for him and when he can't block his guys its going to make the rest of the line look worse.

Alge's been doing a great job up til now... I think we can't underestimate the role he plays... I think there's a reason why Brady looked so average on Sunday.