Official Pre-season Gameday Thread. Bears @ Patriots (Week 2)

[SHOWTIME15]

Coming from BB talking about an active player that is the equivalent of a normal fan jumping up and down in excitement.

BB is getting too old and going soft on everyone lol

 

[aluminum seats]

Solder and Thuney are week 1 starters. Question marks everywhere else. If Vollmer returns, C, RG and OT3 are uncertain. I thought Kline did not help himself last night. Mason didn't play, and Cooper is injured, and Jackson is PUP. Andrews and Stork are in a battle. If Kline goes, may keep both.

I think Vollmer will be fine, they're just playing it safe considering his history. Andrews is a solid guy to have around, but Stork is the starter...another concussion would change that, of course, and we're all concerned for him, but he's obviously playing. If he doesn't get his bell rung again, he's the guy.

I'd bet on Mason as opening day starter, but that's the most questionable slot right now I think.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

I tell you, whilst y'all were watching the Pats-Bears, I was stuck watching the Steelers-Eagles. The Steelers lost their regular sub-par back-up QB, Gradakowski to a torn hamsting, so they sat Roethlisberger and played Landry Jones (4 picks). The Steelers better pray to the football Gods, because if they lose the Jocktapus, they will not win a game!

 

[AtomicDawg]

What's everyone's thoughts on Thuney? I thought he looked like the best pass blocker on the field last night. He was swallowing up everyone that went against him and also looked like he had a pancake block (hard to tell, though, because I was watching it on a ****ty stream).

He was the best one BY FAR. In both facets of the run and passing game. He usually was pass blocking his defender a solid two or three yards in front of other OLs. Looked strong and powerful. A long way to go but it's safe to say we got a winner here.

 

[AtomicDawg]

It's not just PatsFans.com (and BB) who like AJ Derby.

 

[jefmblrd]

Watching last night's game again and one thing that sticks out is how quick Anthony Johnson is. He can really get upfield and get some penetration: a skill we can use.

 

[patchick]

Solder and Thuney are week 1 starters. Question marks everywhere else. If Vollmer returns, C, RG and OT3 are uncertain. I thought Kline did not help himself last night. Mason didn't play, and Cooper is injured, and Jackson is PUP. Andrews and Stork are in a battle. If Kline goes, may keep both.

IMO the picture is starting to clear. I would be very surprised to see a starting lineup other than:

Solder Thuney Andrews Cooper/Mason Vollmer

 

[JMC00]

It's not just PatsFans.com (and BB) who like AJ Derby.

Gotta love BB's reaction, well non-reaction on this

 

[primetime]

It's not just PatsFans.com (and BB) who like AJ Derby.

I love Slater so much.

 

[AtomicDawg]

He played well into the 4th Q with 3rd and 4th stringers. Not a good look.

 

[AtomicDawg]

Gotta love BB's reaction, well non-reaction on this

That's the equivalent of him doing backflips and cartwheels

 

[BradyFTW!]

Not to mention, they haven't drafted all that well over the past 3 seasons.

Dunno why people are disagreeing with you, they really haven't, in part because they never picked before #45 between 2013 and 2015. Maybe Frank Clark becomes good, but he wasn't last year. Maybe Justin Britt becomes good, but to date he's been a huge downgrade from Unger. Maybe the Seahawks' plan of drafting a bunch of plus athletes who haven't actually learned how to block eventually works for their OL, but I wouldn't count on it. The dropoff from 2012--when they got Wilson, Wagner, Irvin and Sweezy and Lane--is dramatic.

They went from mid-round draft picks being the strength of their roster to being a below-average drafting team. No roster can stay elite without getting a ton of production out of rookie contracts, and the Seahawks aren't doing that anymore. All of their top-tier talent is being paid accordingly, so it isn't nearly as big an advantage as it used to be. Probably in large part because the guys coming out the past couple years are no longer players that Carroll recruited, coached, or coached against in college.

 

[PF_SU]

He played well into the 4th Q with 3rd and 4th stringers. Not a good look.

As far as I've seen Knighton was in for one drive the first half, didn't play then for the entire third quarter, was in again for a drive early in the fourth and then out again. Valentine was playing a lot, so there may be some confusion there. However, he didn't look particularly good, that's true. If Anthony Johnson continues his strong play it's not unlikely that one of the veteran DTs, Branch and Knighton, will be cut.

 

[supafly]

The idea that the Pats have this wonderful excess of talent of CB is one of the funnier things I've heard in awhile.

Some other examples are the excess of talent at OL (2015), and the great up and coming WR corps of 2013. Unfortunately, neither of those worked out. Let's hope for better results at CB this year, since it's suddenly a plethora of riches.

 

[Patstopia]

Just an off topic remark, but if I have to listen to channel 4 coverage 2 more times, I may need to be committed.
Talk about babbling idiots. OMG, I don't need to have a split screen showing me two morons talk.
I don't need the whole 4th quarter talk about a rap contest that nobody gives a crap about.
I don't need to see video of the raps while the game is being played.

Rant off

 

[BobDigital]

I am all in on the keeping Anthony Johnson bandwagon. The Pats don't have that penetrating DT. Johnson might be able to be that at 280 which would be something they have not had very often. A guy who can pass rush up the gut but not be a huge liability vs the run.

If he shows even close to what he did this week next week he becomes a lock.

 

[Kdo5]

It's not just PatsFans.com (and BB) who like AJ Derby.

My favorite part of that was everyone going crazy and Belichick just standing there stoically.

 

[libra957]

Love what I saw from Jimmy. I see no reason not to be 3-1 by the Brady gets back, only that Arizona game bothers me only because it's on the road.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

My favorite part of that was everyone going crazy and Belichick just standing there stoically.

BB is the antimatter Petey Carroll

 

[jefmblrd]

What's everyone's thoughts on Thuney? I thought he looked like the best pass blocker on the field last night. He was swallowing up everyone that went against him and also looked like he had a pancake block (hard to tell, though, because I was watching it on a ****ty stream).

He also seems to get into the second level and block well.