PostGame Thread OFFICIAL Postgame Thread: Preseason Game 2 - Patriots Beat Vikings 20-12

[Salsalife]

Defense.

Starting D did what it should have done. No complaints about it. They won soundly vs the backups. But let's not pretend it is easy or to stop anyone in the NFL cold. It isn't. And they did. They deserve some praise for that. So all of those top level guys, take a bow. Landry, Spillane. Milton. Davis, and a few more guys at the absolute top we didn't see after the first 3 drives.

Now let's take DT - Farmer is a guy i want to talk about for a sec. Was he out there tonight? If not i didn't notice anything he did. Maybe i missed it? But if he was out there he failed to flash at all. Not so great. Pharms has a solid day and played a fair amount. I also didn't notice. I don't recall seeing Tonga out there late. Was he pulled with the ones? If so that just shows where he is right now. A guy not many thought much about early.

DE/Edge - Chaisson had a nice day.... again. Truman Jones conintues to do well and is earning playing time in the regular season. Ponder and Swinson flashed just enough to make their case to hold roster spots. Consistency isn't there, but you occasionally talent. Jennings is a guy i have off the roster due to lack of fit... but can they really not carry him. He is so reliable and with guys like Swinson/Ponder you may just want someone you can depend on for this year, even if not a perfect fit. Also White was a mixed bag. Chaisson is making that not matter as much, but there were hopes White take a big step up this year. Not seeing it.

LB - Didn't notice much here that seems out of wack. Elliss and Gibbens did fine. IDK much of who played late. but it sure got shaky them. But i also think guys were playing out of position. i think it was Rice and Riley at times playing more center fielder than edge. Yeah, not pretty... i could just the tape... but i just don't care to for guys who were in so late.

CB - Alex had a solid game on the whole. So did Marcus. i know they weren't going against the top options or QB... but they stayed with whoever they guarded for the most part in man and knew their assignments. I like this top 5 once they get healthy. If i had to pick a 6th? I think Battle looked okay today late and he did last week too. Maybe a PS guy? But could be completely wrong.

S - Dugger was out there a lot. Someone had to be. The one play i really remember from Dugger though that was early pass the to TE in Q2 i think... gave waaaay too much space and it turned into a spark play for them when they had little going on. He needs to learn to play tighter and more like a SS in the box on those plays.

Overall hard to fault the D too much when no TDs are given up... but here are some complaints... have to have some, Did notice any impact from Farmer (maybe i missed it). Emergency LB depth may be a question... I noticed even the more established DL players sometimes over pursue. QB had some nice running lanes at times.

Paying Milton alot of money.....where's the beef thou?

 

[Salsalife]

Nice video...remember its the 2's...

 

[TommyD4207]

I don’t get them sitting McCarthy? He sat out his rookie season on IR, and that was their most obvious chance to get him playing time before the season starts, as next week pretty much every team goes with the true scrubs. I fully expect him to play in bubble wrap for his entire career.

I don't get it either. I guess maybe O'Connell thought he got enough reps in practice? I have no idea. I would have played him a series or two.

 

[Salsalife]

I have no idea what Vrabel's group is doing with Brown.

Bradbury getting Trucked often by the 2's...Yikes!

 

[Dedhampatsfan]

I think MacDaniels will wait until his kids are out of school before taking another head coaching job, unless it is for B.C. And it will be college head coaching job he leaves for.

His son is on record saying he wants to go into coaching.

 

[Ross12]

His son is on record saying he wants to go into coaching.

His brother is the WR coach in Houston too. A lot of coaching in the family there.

 

[Ross12]

I don't get it either. I guess maybe O'Connell thought he got enough reps in practice? I have no idea. I would have played him a series or two.

My concern is that they don't actually hit the QB in practice. Like we saw with Maye, he fumbled in the first game and attributed that to having not been hit since last December so he wasn't fully ready for it.

Now consider McCarthy hasn't been since early August 2024, over a year ago, and is coming back from a serious injury...

 

[TommyD4207]

My concern is that they don't actually hit the QB in practice. Like we saw with Maye, he fumbled in the first game and attributed that to having not been hit since last December so he wasn't fully ready for it.

Now consider McCarthy hasn't been hit for over a year... and is coming back from a serious injury...

New school/Old school, maybe. I don't agree with it myself, but that's kinda how it's done these days.

 

[signbabybrady]

 

[Uptown]

For context, he wasn’t fully healthy. We’ve seen Wilson maul people on the field. He’s played extremely well, especially for a rookie.

 

[signbabybrady]

New school/Old school, maybe. I don't agree with it myself, but that's kinda how it's done these days.

The weird thing to me is that at the same time the league took away a preseason game every team seemed to unanimously and unspoken to remove the dress rehearsal game from the equation.

So not only is it one less game but very few true starters play into the second half in any game.

The first 2 games are played somewhat similar to how the first 2 used to go. Then there is basically no preseason game 3 as everyone treats that like the last one used to be treated which is to play roster spots 45-90.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

Douglas correctly identified that he was in a zone and sat in the hole. Maye did not and led him on the corner he was running. I suspect this is a lingering effect of switching from the WC system back to the EP. With the EP, unlike the WC, you take what the defense gives you. The QB and receiver have to see and recognize the same thing in order for the EP to work.

I've said many times that going from the EP to the WC is like going from writing right hand to writing left hand. It's not simple- and now they're switching back to the EP.

No matter what happens within the next few years, Vrabel and McD have got to stay put for consistency's sake, otherwise we're no better than the Jets installing a new HC, a new system, literally every year. Their tree never bears fruit because it's not allowed the necessary time to grow and bloom.

Chism would have caught that ball

 

[Uptown]

 

[TommyD4207]

The weird thing to me is that at the same time the league took away a preseason game every team seemed to unanimously and unspoken to remove the dress rehearsal game from the equation.

So not only is it one less game but very few true starters play into the second half in any game.

The first 2 games are played somewhat similar to how the first 2 used to go. Then there is basically no preseason game 3 as everyone treats that like the last one used to be treated which is to play roster spots 45-90.

They get 16 padded practices for the season, and just 2 of those are for the preseason.

They may as well play these games in shorts, t-shirts, and with flags.

I'm honestly surprised the NFL owners collectively gave up a preseason game though. That's free money for them. Freer than usual, I mean.

 

[signbabybrady]

They get 16 padded practices for the season, and just 2 of those are for the preseason.

They may as well play these games in shorts, t-shirts, and with flags.

I'm honestly surprised the NFL owners collectively gave up a preseason game though. That's free money for them. Freer than usual, I mean.

They didn't exactly get rid of it they turned it into a regular season game by expanding the regular season. Drives higher TV deals, more parking, and vending too.

 

[TommyD4207]

They didn't exactly get rid of it they turned it into a regular season game by expanding the regular season. Drives higher TV deals, more parking, and vending too.

Well they get the shared money from the TV deal, but preseason games go right to the owner, they don't share that money.

 

[Uptown]

Get this guy off the team! No class or self awareness whatsoever.

 

[signbabybrady]

Well they get the shared money from the TV deal, but preseason games go right to the owner, they don't share that money.

I did not know that. Even still the TV money is the biggest piece of the pie.

 

[Zuma]

For context, he wasn’t fully healthy. We’ve seen Wilson maul people on the field. He’s played extremely well, especially for a rookie.

This doesn't solidify my option yet but I prefer Brown to start at C if it's between him and Bradbury...

Pass protection...

Brown: 84
Sow: 84
Campbell: 83
Lowe: 81
Bryant: 77

Onwenu: 64
Bradbury: 58
Jacobs: 56
Strange: 51
Wilson: 22

 

[p8ryts]

For context, he wasn’t fully healthy. We’ve seen Wilson maul people on the field. He’s played extremely well, especially for a rookie.

I don't know how much credibility I want to give to PFF. Sometimes they seem right on, other times wonder if they watched the same game.