OFFENSE THOUGHTS - Mostly Positive

[mgteich]

RUNNING GAME

1. The running game looks to be the best since I've been following the team (26 years).

2. The offensive line's run-blocking was the best that I've seen in 25 years.

3. O'Callaghan is exactly what we expected; ditto for Maroney and Dillon.

4. Graham and Watson help as blockers.
------------------------------------------

PASSING GAME

1. Light was aweful. Brady should sue for non-support. This team CANNOT accept that kind of play from a LT. The LT is Brady's protector. Perhaps Light isn't 100% yet. Neither is Kaczur. Thios situation needs to be solved. Obviously, it partially solved by our basic set, the 6-man line, with a second TE a bit off the line.

2. The left side of the line was out of synch, no surprise since Koppen, Light and Mankins have little time working together. Of course, that is also true of the right side of line.

3. We need to recognize the only the guards are returing from last year.

4. Brady needs outlet and go-to receivers.

5. We need an outside threat or two.

6. Gabriel should make a major difference.

7. Jackson might or might not make a difference for the first few games. Rookies often take awhile to develop.

8. Brady will pass to whoever is open. I don't think the receivers were open much.

9. For some teams, we may need a blocker in the backfield (Evans or Mills).

10. Watson and Faulk are two of our top 4 receivers.

11. Childress was invisible.
----------------------------------------------------------

OVERALL

We could have one of the top Patriot offenses ever if

1) We get acceptble play from a LT.

2) Two wide receivers step up (Brown is a fine #3). This seems quite possible for later this year.

3) Blitz protection is improved considerably.

Of course 1 & 3 needs to be done soon, or Brady is in serious danger of injury.

4) I'm not worried at all about game-planning or playcalling. A balanced attack produced 183 yards running, and we could have more next week. If we want to be a running team, rather than a balanced team, then we need to use a fullback.

 

[SVN]

i think a test will come when they play teams which a)stop the run effectively like pitt b)teams which score a lot of points.
not to get too far ahead, the cincy game is going to be the biggest challenge when we know where the team stands and the way they played today , they will get killed.
All the new receivers - jackson and gabriel will struggle for the first of the season IMHO because neither was in TC practicing with brady. i know most of you will disagree but thats my opinion and i think the whole receiver timing and route running and being open is going to take a while. Ironically , the receivers might play better closer to deion's return (if he does in fact in week 10).

 

[BradyManny]

4. Brady needs outlet and go-to receivers.

I was disappointed they never just dumped it off to Watson and just let wreck people.

 

[JR4]

Yes Light seems to be regressing. I seem to see him on the ground
more. I wonder if he is really healed completley.

Options? I think it will have to get a lot worst before Dante and Bill
make any changes ... so he better get better or they need to help him
or risk getting Brady getting killed.

 

[PlattsFan]

Watson is a very good TE, but he's not a replacement for WRs. We saw that on the INT in the second half. He tried to run a deep out, rounded off his cut, and the DB easily stepped in front of him for the pick.

Our two most athletic WRs were out of this game, but it's still definitely an area of concern. The offense had some nice stuff, and they just stuffed the ball down Buffalo's throat the whole second half, but to be what we want them to be, they need WRs to step up.

 

[mgteich]

The option is Kaczur, our starter on a very good line last year. Koppen is an improvement over Hochstein (maybe only a little for now), and O'Callaghan is a major improvement over Gorin. And Mankins should be improved in his 2nd year (maybe). Going to Kaczur (if HE is 100%) would still mean a major improvment over last year's line.

Yes Light seems to be regressing. I seem to see him on the ground
more. I wonder if he is really healed completley.

Options? I think it will have to get a lot worst before Dante and Bill
make any changes ... so he better get better or they need to help him
or risk getting Brady getting killed.

 

[hwc]

Wow. I think we ought to give it a few games to see how things unfold.

It's way to early to put our running game in Canton. Looked good against the Bills, but lets get a few more data points.

Same with the pass blocking. Looked like the o-line was caught off guard by the speed of Buffalo's rush. Not surprising on opening day.

I would have thought we all learned our lesson about premature conclusions when the Bills waxed the Pats 31-0 on opening day of the Pats second SuperBowl winning season.

 

[patsfan13]

Light was playing aginst one of the best DE's he'll see this season.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Light was playing aginst one of the best DE's he'll see this season.

I agree. Schobel has Freeney-type quickness. Light has some problems against the smaller faster DE's. Who's the RDE for the Jets now?

 

[I'm Ron Borges?]

RUNNING GAME

1. The running game looks to be the best since I've been following the team (26 years).

2. The offensive line's run-blocking was the best that I've seen in 25 years.

3. O'Callaghan is exactly what we expected; ditto for Maroney and Dillon.

4. Graham and Watson help as blockers.
------------------------------------------

PASSING GAME

1. Light was aweful. Brady should sue for non-support. This team CANNOT accept that kind of play from a LT. The LT is Brady's protector. Perhaps Light isn't 100% yet. Neither is Kaczur. Thios situation needs to be solved. Obviously, it partially solved by our basic set, the 6-man line, with a second TE a bit off the line.

2. The left side of the line was out of synch, no surprise since Koppen, Light and Mankins have little time working together. Of course, that is also true of the right side of line.

3. We need to recognize the only the guards are returing from last year.

4. Brady needs outlet and go-to receivers.

5. We need an outside threat or two.

6. Gabriel should make a major difference.

7. Jackson might or might not make a difference for the first few games. Rookies often take awhile to develop.

8. Brady will pass to whoever is open. I don't think the receivers were open much.

9. For some teams, we may need a blocker in the backfield (Evans or Mills).

10. Watson and Faulk are two of our top 4 receivers.

11. Childress was invisible.
----------------------------------------------------------

OVERALL

We could have one of the top Patriot offenses ever if

1) We get acceptble play from a LT.

2) Two wide receivers step up (Brown is a fine #3). This seems quite possible for later this year.

3) Blitz protection is improved considerably.

Of course 1 & 3 needs to be done soon, or Brady is in serious danger of injury.

4) I'm not worried at all about game-planning or playcalling. A balanced attack produced 183 yards running, and we could have more next week. If we want to be a running team, rather than a balanced team, then we need to use a fullback.

I can't believe you called Light's performance awful. That's not fair to the word "awful." What he was today, the English language hasn't come up with a word for yet.

 

[I'm Ron Borges?]

Light was playing aginst one of the best DE's he'll see this season.

So what? The receivers were playing against good corners. Does that mean the Patriots can live with that kind of production from them all year long? I guess I thought the Pats were a playoff team. I know you never see any good pass rushers in the playoffs, right? If he plays that way in the postseason, my guess is you won't be so quick to make excuses for him.

 

[Kdo5]

I couldnt tell if any recievers were open in the first half. You have got to remember, Brady got ready to fire the ball and he got his passes deflected by lineman on numerous occasions.

 

[patsfan13]

So what? The receivers were playing against good corners. Does that mean the Patriots can live with that kind of production from them all year long? I guess I thought the Pats were a playoff team. I know you never see any good pass rushers in the playoffs, right? If he plays that way in the postseason, my guess is you won't be so quick to make excuses for him.

Light has problems with speed rushers this is nothing new. Beating him up for this is pointless, HE need TE help which he got in the 2nd half.

 

[zippo59]

Light has problems with speed rushers this is nothing new. Beating him up for this is pointless, HE need TE help which he got in the 2nd half.

I recall him doing well against Dwight Freeney and Jevon Kearse in the 2004 playoffs.

 

[patsfan13]

I recall him doing well against Dwight Freeney and Jevon Kearse in the 2004 playoffs.

In those games they used Graham to chip the DE and let Light get his hands on them. Part of the reason Graham is so valuable. I don't have a recording of the game, but I'll bet Light was getting more help from Graham and Watson in the 2nd half.

 

[flutie2phelan]

It's way to early to put our running game in Canton. Looked good against the Bills, but lets get a few more data points.

36 rushes.
180 yards.
5 yards per.
Decent start.

 

[mgteich]

Indeed! When was the last time a PAtriot team had 183 rushing yards in a game?

36 rushes.
180 yards.
5 yards per.
Decent start.

 

[njpatsfan]

Indeed! When was the last time a PAtriot team had 183 rushing yards in a game?

183 is double our average for 2005.

R

 

[AzPatsFan]

Why don't you pay some respect to Schobel rather than rnak on Light? . If he wasn't playing on the losing Bills he would be in the Probowl. He's better than a lot of the phonie RE like Freeny getting all the notoriety, (Notice I didn't say all the compliments)