Official Niners @ Pats postgame thread

[Patriot Missile]

Hernendez is NOT a #1 TE option.

I wouldve like to have seen what he would get in Free Agency. Someone wouldve overpaid for him. He's a complimentary #2 TE. Dropped wayyyy too many balls last night for someone who doesn't block. He had the opportunity to be "the man" last night, .

this is the most ludicrous thing I've read today.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

this is the most ludicrous thing I've read today.

Think what you want, but Hernedez has never proven he can be a #1 TE in the NFL.


Despite the numbers he put up yesterday, he had a pretty bad game. Dropped a lot of passes, plus tipping one that led to an INT (which he didn't attempt to make a tackle on)

AHern is in the best possible situation right now. As a #2 TE complimenting Gronk, and someone who can split out to HB and Slot Receiver.

Put him as the #1 TE on most other teams, and he wouldn't be that good.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

The face guarding pass interference was acceptable. But when Welker got tripped up there was no call. As tick tack as both plays were we got the bottom end on both.

Face guarding is NOT pass interference.

 

[DocHoliday]

1.) I agree with Hernandez not being a real #1 TE. He's a hybrid WR/TE and more WR than TE. He didn't seem all that a great of a TE, and was doing a poor job with his wham block and other non-receiving duties.

His abilities as a TE are far more useful when Gronk is on the field... because he is a great #2 TE. I don't say he's a bad player, just that his skillset isn't suited to a #1 TE.

2.) Can we have some Hoomanawanui love? Favorite play of the game. I was screaming when I saw it.

3.) I loved that awkward exchange between Bob Costas and Hines Ward where they claim Brady is the best ever when the score was 31-3...

...and then Brady promptly scores 4 touchdowns.

4.) I think the reason the Patriots weren't going no huddle in the first quarter was because they wanted to take advantage of the nickel package... it's just that even their nickel package could stop the run. This is a big, big, big problem.

Strange how Woodhead was having more success, but I suppose that is Woodhead's quick, agile nature.

The O-line was pretty mediocre at pass protection and TERRIBLE at run blocking. At some point you have to admit the talent is not there. Playing good fundamentals and good technique really only takes you so far. If your guys aren't healthy/replaced by undersized and undrafted backups.. well...

We need to draft an RG or stud center. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I just feel you shouldn't need the best TE in football to run the ball effectively.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

god last night was huge.....that L makes the road to the SB that much harder..1 home game fine...go to denver..hope they can come out a W...then probably go to houston...that's tough for a team with a struggling D....

 

[patsinthesnow]

You guys are delusional. Hernandez is at worst the 6th best TE in the league and is a matchup nightmare.

1. Gronk
2. Witten
3. Graham
4. Davis
5. Gonzalez (also 100 years old)

 

[BradyManny]

I wanted the bye as much as the next guy, believe me. But either you think this team is Super Bowl caliber or you don't. Because the Texans and Broncos are not Super Bowl caliber teams. We can play them on the road, and it really shouldn't matter. We effectively dominated both and we'll do it again if the need arises.

 

[Uncle Rico]

You guys are delusional. Hernandez is at worst the 6th best TE in the league and is a matchup nightmare.

1. Gronk
2. Witten
3. Graham
4. Davis
5. Gonzalez (also 100 years old)

Yeah, I think for any of those guys 10 catches and 92 yards and a TD is a pretty good night's work.

 

[Deus Irae]

You guys are delusional. Hernandez is at worst the 6th best TE in the league and is a matchup nightmare.

1. Gronk
2. Witten
3. Graham
4. Davis
5. Gonzalez (also 100 years old)

Hernandez' ranking in the TE category depends entirely upon whether or not you think a TE should be able to function as a real TE, or if you're content with your TE being an oversized WR. If you require blocking from your TE, Hernandez will drop. If you don't, he'll be rated more highly. Also, with guys like

Miller
Gates
Moeaki
Pettigrew
Gresham
Finley

there's plenty of competition for Hernandez when it comes to TE rankings.

 

[VJCPatriot]

The Pats made too many mistakes to win this one. But give them credit for fighting back and getting back into the game. This team never gave up. But the turnovers killed us, particularly Ridley's 2nd fumble of the game on what looked like an almost certain Pats scoring drive in the 3rd quarter after the big McCourty INT. That's a 14 point swing right there.

Turnovers are the story of the game.

SF fumbled 6 times but only lost 1 of them.
NE fumbled 2 times and lost both.
Kaepernick 1 int.
Brady 2 int.

Total turnovers by SF 2.
Total turnovers by NE 4.

Hopefully this loss teaches this team the importance of taking care of the football and it sticks. We cannot afford to lose the TO battle in the playoffs and get to the Superbowl.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Hernandez' ranking in the TE category depends entirely upon whether or not you think a TE should be able to function as a real TE, or if you're content with your TE being an oversized WR. If you require blocking from your TE, Hernandez will drop. If you don't, he'll be rated more highly. Also, with guys like

Miller
Gates
Moeaki
Pettigrew
Gresham
Finley

there's plenty of competition for Hernandez when it comes to TE rankings.

Would you trade Hernandez straight up for anyone on that list?

 

[ausbacker]

Would you trade Hernandez straight up for anyone on that list?

I wouldn't.

 

[DocHoliday]

Would you trade Hernandez straight up for anyone on that list?

Would you trade Wes Welker for Santonio Holmes?

I wouldn't, but if you don't concede that Holmes is a better deep threat despite them both being 'WRs', well...

Value =/= ability in a scheme

 

[Deus Irae]

Would you trade Hernandez straight up for anyone on that list?

Not counting attitude/personal stuff or contracts:

I'd trade him for Gresham in a heartbeat. And by heartbeat, we're talking hummingbird heartbeat rate.

I wouldn't trade him for Miller or Gates, but that's because of age. If age wasn't a factor, I'd take Miller in a heartbeat. I think Gates has lost enough that he'd be too much like a poor man's Gronk, so I'd probably pass on that one.

I don't like Finley's attitude, so I wouldn't make that trade, but Finley's got great ability and drops the ball a lot, just like Hernandez.

Moeaki's a better blocker and lesser receiver, but he gets hurt even more than Hernandez, so I wouldn't make that deal. Again, though, the talent's there.

That leaves Pettigrew, and I'm not sure how much I'd trust him as a former Lion. That's a team that's skewed numbers and screwed up players. Again, though, he's a better blocker than Hernandez and a lesser receiver.

 

[1960Pats]

I dread having Hochuli ref any game the Patriots are in. He really thinks he is the star of every game he does and comes up with ridiculously contorted rulings in every game he refs. In short, he sucks, can't wait until he retires.

*I don't believe he cost them the game in any way i just think Refs should be as innocuous as possible and he is openly looking for glory.

I feel the same way when I see Hochuli's crew. They turn every game into a cluster****.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Not counting attitude/personal stuff or contracts:

I'd trade him for Gresham in a heartbeat. And by heartbeat, we're talking hummingbird heartbeat rate.

I wouldn't trade him for Miller or Gates, but that's because of age. If age wasn't a factor, I'd take Miller in a heartbeat. I think Gates has lost enough that he'd be too much like a poor man's Gronk, so I'd probably pass on that one.

I don't like Finley's attitude, so I wouldn't make that trade, but Finley's got great ability and drops the ball a lot, just like Hernandez.

Moeaki's a better blocker and lesser receiver, but he gets hurt even more than Hernandez, so I wouldn't make that deal. Again, though, the talent's there.

That leaves Pettigrew, and I'm not sure how much I'd trust him as a former Lion. That's a team that's skewed numbers and screwed up players. Again, though, he's a better blocker than Hernandez and a lesser receiver.

Fair stuff and good points.

 

[Joker]

a hummingbird heartbeat???

why..is that any faster than any other bird's heartbeat?

now wing beat...yes...a hummingbird's wing beat can approach 25 per second...

personally, I'd have used a New Jersey Jets minute if I truly wanted to stress the infinitesimal

 

[jnug]

You would not trade Hernandez for one of those other TE's because you already have Gronk and you want a compliment to Gronk. Hernandez is that compliment to Gronk. However Hernandez is not a true TE and I would not have Hernandez as my #1 TE. He simply cannot handle all of the physical responsibilities of the TE position. Unfortunately Aaron does not help the Pats in the physical battle with teams that are notoriously physical. For example, Aaron really wants no part of that wham block and generally does a poor job of it.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

What happened to Hightower; he looked slow....I think I know...the Patriots never let him fully recover...same old tired story...

 

[Deus Irae]

a hummingbird heartbeat???

why..is that any faster than any other bird's heartbeat?

now wing beat...yes...a hummingbird's wing beat can approach 25 per second...

personally, I'd have used a New Jersey Jets minute if I truly wanted to stress the infinitesimal

Heart rate: 250 beats/min resting; 1200 beats/min feeding

Ruby-throated Hummingbird