O’Brien is going to demand accountability of the receivers

[Zuma]

A hallmark of Belichick’s teams have always been to find what a player excels at and put them in a position to use those strength to succeed. That is NOT what Patricia did. He called plays that didn’t account for that. The playbook needs to be built during the off-season and through camp with player skills in mind. BOB is going to right that ship.

 

[rochrist]

Nice of Goondell to match us up with the Super Bowl runnerup, Philly, in our first game...then Miami. If I hated the Patriots like a one eyed cyclopean moron such as the Goon, I'd also add an away game in Germany just to really disrupt the Pats season with 8 hour air travel each way. Oh wait...he did!

No no, haven't you heard? The Germany game is a HOME game!

 

[lancerman]

A hallmark of Belichick’s teams have always been to find what a player excels at and put them in a position to use those strength to succeed. That is NOT what Patricia did. He called plays that didn’t account for that. The playbook needs to be built during the off-season and through camp with player skills in mind. BOB is going to right that ship.

Patricia was always a very passive and reactive coach. It works for defense sometimes when playing it a bit more safe and having sound fundamentals can make the difference when the talent can live up to it. He coached that way on offense and we just didn't have a bite. You need quickly find what is working and force the other team to go off their game plan. We never did that.

 

[Joker]

No no, haven't you heard? The Germany game is a HOME game!

Oh...so I should expect some real fan noise from Wolfgang, Fritz and Wilhelmina in the stands, eh? du gehst,Patrioten!!!...right, I expect a ton of acknowledgement from the players when they hear the chants...

 

[SlowGettingUp]

Based on power rankings, Pats have the most difficult schedule:

 

[Stu Pidassle]

Based on power rankings, Pats have the most difficult schedule:

Based on that graph the Pats will have a very tough time making the playoffs. The good news is that some number of good teams will not be as good as predicted and some teams that seem to be power houses fail to live up to expectations. Timing, including injuries, can also influence how tough the schedule turns out to be. At this point the team needs to play as well as their talent allows and hopefully catch a few breaks.

 

[NormZauchin]

Based on power rankings, Pats have the most difficult schedule:

We all know that power rankings, especially those made four months before the start of the season, are infallible.

 

[lancerman]

Based on power rankings, Pats have the most difficult schedule:

This is objectively a very difficult schedule on paper. But you never know once the season breaks out. Mac takes a big 3rd year step and all the calculus changes, some of the receivers make a big jump and the offense become very dangerous. Etc.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I think this is big. For all the talk last year about the o-line and Jones last year, the receiving corp was awful last year. Bad route running. Not looking back for the ball. Not finishing routes. Poor sideline management.

From Giardi’s report, looks like there was no accountability for receivers last year and that is going to change.

There was that one guy that ran routes perfect. Somebody Meyers...

 

[Rob0729]

There was that one guy that ran routes perfect. Somebody Meyers...

Nah! He didn’t either. And he was horrible at rub routes under McDaniels. Probably why the Pats let them walk with them going back to more of a Patriots offense.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

So last response was just fun snark.

It would be beautiful for some of the flashes and "bits and pieces" that our guys do bring to the table to bloom into a receiving corps made of their best versions. No pressure.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

"Perfect" is a strong word, but among the league's was the consensus opinion of Meyera. That said, JuJu is supposed to have similar virtues with a little more upside.

I do love the idea that he can yell "Be better at this" or make them put money in the bad route improv jar or something, and the WR corps gets better for zero spend. But it's a definite "believe it when I see it" thing.

My hopes are tied to BOB, my skepticism filter remains firmly in place. Maybe a little more firmly, after last year's weirdness.

 

[n1997y]

Based on power rankings, Pats have the most difficult schedule:

Interesting that the three toughest schedules, and four of the top eight, are AFC East teams.

 

[patfanken]

No no, haven't you heard? The Germany game is a HOME game!

So far in the 17 game era the Pats have YET to have 9 home games. And its going to be ANOTHER 2 years before we have a shot at it. Just sayin', Roger

 

[patfanken]

So far in the 17 game era the Pats have YET to have 9 home games. And its going to be ANOTHER 2 years before we have a shot at it. Just sayin', Roger

BTW one of the things I strongly believe is that to be a good WR in the NFL is MUCH harder than in college. Most WR's don't have to read the defense and change routes AFTER the snap of the ball, because NFL will disguise their defenses much more intricately than in college. Also their routes have to be run better too. In college you aren't getting DB who can spend 20-30 hrs a week breaking down all your tendencies and tells from every game you play. Nor are you getting coaches and "quality control" guys who are spending TWICE that amount of time doing the same thing, so they can pass down what they find to their players. Not to mention the fact that in EVERY game they play, they will be against a great DB. Some will be better than others, but the WORST one will be better than 90% of the guys they faced in college.

Being a successful WR in the NFL REQUIRES the player put in countless hour perfecting their craft. Working hard to hide tells that might allow the DB to glean insight into the route you are going to run. That can be something as simple as what foot is back in his stance pre-snap. What he is doing with his hands. Who and where you look at. etc. How you come off the LOS. Tiny details that make all the difference. And these are just the tip of the iceberg of things a good WR has to master that go WAY beyond running fast and catching the ball.

A big part of that learning process is the work the individual position coaches do during the entire season. Just getting a guy to shave ONE step off making a cut makes a huge difference in the amount of separation you get.. But that means working on it when you are on the scout team, as well as in drills and when you are on offense. That means concentrating doing mental reps when you are in line or watching on the sideline, instead of resting or thinking about what you will be doing that night after practice. It require a GREAT deal of focus and doing it for several hours each day is HARD! Not everyone can do it, or is willing to do it. AND that's why so many rookies bust out eventually.

Now I can talk about this for about another hour's worth of writing, but I just want to make the point out just how HARD it is to predict how any player is going to react to moving up to the level of the NFL. That's why it takes 3, sometimes 4 years to make a final determination on what you have. You cannot rest on your laurels in the NFL. "Not For Long" is NOT a cliche, but a fact

And with THAT, I say good night.

 

[DaBruinz]

There was that one guy that ran routes perfect. Somebody Meyers...

OH. You mean the guy who took it upon himself to make an bone-head play and throw a lateral right to the opposing team costing the Pats the win? THAT GUY?

 

[PatsFanInVa]

OH. You mean the guy who took it upon himself to make an bone-head play and throw a lateral right to the opposing team costing the Pats the win? THAT GUY?

Yes, the second of two guys who regressed in 2 stages back to the playground on that one play.

First Dre thinks "well we're on the other guys' 35 or so this should be fine" and laterals but then Meyers apparently loses situational awareness. He behaves as if 24-24 is a must-score situation. First he reverses field and runs about 5 or ten yards the wrong way then dumps the ball unfortunately to the Raiders... I'm just telling you what you know, and yeah, he's the guy that pulled that last trigger. Of course, he's heavily cued to think that because that's why a surprise lateral would be coming to him.

You know what we need is a stadium-spanning TV screen with the score on it to prevent that stuff 50% of the times they would happen to us, at Foxborough.

Okay so JuJu = Meyers + 100 yards, -sedond half of boneheaded lateral.

 

[captain stone]

Oh...so I should expect some real fan noise from Wolfgang, Fritz and Wilhelmina in the stands, eh? du gehst,Patrioten!!!...right, I expect a ton of acknowledgement from the players when they hear the chants...

I think the Pats' entrance music for that game should be this:

 

[captain stone]

Interesting that the three toughest schedules, and four of the top eight, are AFC East teams.

And that the easier schedules belong to those teams in the NFC & AFC South divisions...

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I think the Pats' entrance music for that game should be this:

your best post evah