PostGame Thread OFFICIAL POSTGAME THREAD: 2025 Preseason Game 1: Patriots Blow Out Commanders 48-18

[SlowGettingUp]

Commander's Newton gets some praise here - first getting off block against Onwenu, and then as part of the sack:

 

[Huckleberry1]

They measure arm length for a reason, do they not? I’ll defer to the experts.

It doesn’t necessarily mean it will doom him as a tackle but it wouldn’t be talked about if it was complete fiction as you are making out to be.

What is complete fiction is amateur football viewers pretending they can spot technical distinctions in players during games. If someone wants to say a player gave up inside pressure, or did a poor job run blocking so be it, but when someone says they can spot technical problems in a players technique during games I call ********. They aren’t Dante Scarnecchia and they don’t know what the **** they are talking about. It’s make believe expertise and I don’t buy it for one second. No one here can detect technical issues due to 1/3 of an inch in arm length, and those who claim they can are full of ****. And as an example I give you Sam Bam, who claims he always knew Josh Simmons was the best tackle in this draft class, but never once actually saw him play. .

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Honestly I’m not sure. This is the actual rule change but it’s a bit unclear. I interpreted it to say any player already on IR on cutdown day can be designated for return, but I can also see how they could be trying to say that the player must be placed on IR specifically on that day.

"Placed on . . . During" means they have to be added that day, instead of the stupid rule that you had to cut a healthy player in order to DTR an injured one.

 

[Uptown]

 

[Lambeau12]

You guys looked great yesterday!

 

[Uptown]

 

[Mike the Brit]

You guys looked great yesterday!

So true! You wouldn’t think it from some of the posts in this thread …

 

[Salsalife]

True, but remember our #1 receiver WR didn’t play either. The disappointment was that Boutte and Douglas didn’t create much separation against their guys.

Maye has a lot to prove, but I do think he made smart decisions in his dump offs and his runs last night. The sack/fumble was the only real negative play from him in my opinion, but unfortunately it was a huge one. Glad Vrabel got on him right away over that. I have a feeling that wasn’t the case with last year’s coaching staff.

So it's not a Maye issue then, it's a get better receivers issue...just think Brady would be able to fit throws with these guys. Maye sprayed some throws, Mack hollins and Austin hooper.

 

[Jackson 2]

What is complete fiction is amateur football viewers pretending they can spot technical distinctions in players during games. If someone wants to say a player gave up inside pressure, or did a poor job run blocking so be it, but when someone says they can spot technical problems in a players technique during games I call ********. They aren’t Dante Scarnecchia and they don’t know what the **** they are talking about. It’s make believe expertise and I don’t buy it for one second. No one here can detect technical issues due to 1/3 of an inch in arm length, and those who claim they can are full of ****. And as an example I give you Sam Bam, who claims he always knew Josh Simmons was the best tackle in this draft class, but never once actually saw him play. .

Thank you. That phony stuff is absolute crap. Before the draft Phil Perry had a report that indicated that.Campbell's arm length was 2/5 of an inch short of the "required" length. He had Scarnecchia on his podcast who offered the opinion that, while arm length isn't unimportant, it isn't close to being the main predictor for success. He also predicted that Campbell would be fine.as a LT. I'll take that opinion over any of the ones from the morons on Boston sports talk radio.

 

[signbabybrady]

Yes, the team had a great game. And, yes, I am nitpicking.
=================
HOWEVER,

We are evaluating our WR's.

Our WR's played against WAS backups.

The pass blocking was suffuiient.

The WR's that played did not look good.
=========
IN CONTRAST,
we are evaluating our backup DB's. James, Austin and Hawkins showed that they are, at minimum, fine backups. If the 4th quarter is so important in evaluation, then I should note that Battle also looked good, the top of those competing for the 6th CB roster spot.

Diggs and Pop combined for 11 snaps so basically backups vs backups.

Vice versa no McLauren so basically backups vs backups again.

 

[Lambeau12]

So true! You wouldn’t think it from some of the posts in this thread …

We play the Commanders in Week 2 at home. I hope we can win that game.

 

[p8ryts]

So it's not a Maye issue then, it's a get better receivers issue...just think Brady would be able to fit throws with these guys. Maye sprayed some throws, Mack hollins and Austin hooper.

Maye didn't show me much last night. He is a good scrambler. He made a bad fumble. Not blaming everything on receivers.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

I know both their sizes. My point is he looks like Harry when running routes or with the ball. Slow, and not an NFL caliber athlete. As guys get bigger more often than not they are less sudden, so Polk moving like Harry who is significantly bigger than him is a very bad thing.

slow Polk?

 

[dliverey44]

To me it looks like Westover is in the lead right now. They even lined him up at FB in short yardage last night.

Westover also made some nice blocks as the FB on some nice runs last night. I think he makes the 53 as a FB/TE

 

[TinhWoodhead]

We play the Commanders in Week 2 at home. I hope we can win that game.

I’d Love to see that

 

[dliverey44]

What is complete fiction is amateur football viewers pretending they can spot technical distinctions in players during games. If someone wants to say a player gave up inside pressure, or did a poor job run blocking so be it, but when someone says they can spot technical problems in a players technique during games I call ********. They aren’t Dante Scarnecchia and they don’t know what the **** they are talking about. It’s make believe expertise and I don’t buy it for one second. No one here can detect technical issues due to 1/3 of an inch in arm length, and those who claim they can are full of ****. And as an example I give you Sam Bam, who claims he always knew Josh Simmons was the best tackle in this draft class, but never once actually saw him play. .

I get what you are saying, but I am sure there are several here that have an understanding of offensive line play and can point out "technique issues". Having said that we don't know what they are being taught and just because we would teach a certain thing doesn't mean Marrone is teaching it the same way.

Because someone isn't coaching in the NFL doesn't mean they are not capable of detecting details of position play.

Edit: I am a Maye supporter but I need more Maye and less Meh. He made some terrible decisions last year and that fumble was an extension that. We have also seen it reported that he has made bad decisions in the inter squad scrimmage and he said that the pick against the Skins he could have looked Wagner off but didn't. Just my rant

 

[Salsalife]

Bryant should be considered our #3 OT as of now. He primarily played RT in the game.

Lowe, Jacobs and Wallace compete for the 4th OT spot.

The kid has raw potential. Solder clone...nice swing guy..

 

[BobDigital]

Yeah, that 1/3 of an inch is huge. This reminds me of deflategate, when a sportscaster held up a football with 12 lbs of air pressure and one with 11 lbs of air pressure and said he could easily tell the difference in weight, which was the same weight as a dollar bill. Anyone who says they can see the difference in Campbell’s play due to 1/3 of an inch in arm length is 100% full of ****.

Campbell has 32 and 5/8th inch arms. 33 is still on the short side. Ideally you want 34 or longer. 33 is seen typically are the bare minimum you can have. I'm not saying he can't play OT... but maybe the arm length will matter on stunts and it is something which should be looked at.

You are saying he is only 1/3rd an inch short. That is 1/3rd an inch short from the absolute lowest length you'd typically accept. And 1 and 1/3rd inch short from what you're really looking for. Sports is a game of small advantages. separation in the NFL is often a matter of inches. Being a hair faster to create a window. Turning that corner 1/10th a second faster before the defender gets there.

The difference in being an outside or slot CB might just be those 1.375 inches taller or shorter. I am not hung up on it. But it is something to note. I am not saying he can't succeed as an OT. But this in particular may be an area to watch since handing off rushers really is one of the things longer arms make easier. I'm not here putting his head on a T-Rex or anything.

 

[BobDigital]

Maye didn't show me much last night. He is a good scrambler. He made a bad fumble. Not blaming everything on receivers.

Maye wasn't good last night. No way around it. I think part of it hard to due with WRs, part with some shaky pass protection on series 1 and a large part on Maye. He only had 6 drop backs that went recorded. That is a very small sample size.

 

[Ross12]

"Placed on . . . During" means they have to be added that day, instead of the stupid rule that you had to cut a healthy player in order to DTR an injured one.

Yeah, that’s a way to interpret it. Although it’s still kind of stupid - you just end up holding an injured player off the list for a few weeks so you can put them on the list on the designated day. They should simply just let you pick two guys who are already on IR that day.