Initial Impression
The Starting O-line did okay in pass protection, I'm not sure if the line or Sammy Morris or both was struggling in the run game.
Sammy appeared to be a game planning start intended to put the best receiving back not named Kevin Faulk into the game to force STL to honor Sammy's routes out of the backfield. Morris is also the next best blitz pick-up RB after Faulk and his block on the Brady slip, slide, and sling (those catcher reflexes got him out to peg it to second rather nicely) to Crumpler was another reason to have him in the game when you didn't want to telegraph run vs. pass.
When the second string O-line came in with Hoyer:
- LeVoir is clearly #3 OT getting the LT assignment.
- Wendell looks to be Dante's #1 interior reserve, he was lined up at RG alongside new arrival Ojinnaka - where he could ensure Ojinnaka got play & line calls correct.
- I didn't focus much on Ojinnaka, but it looks like he's beaten out Thomas Welch, and Bussey's injury isn't helping his cause.
- Larsen plays much better at Center then he does at Guard. For a former DL, with only two seasons at OC, if he gets a chance to develop on the PSquad he could turn out pretty good. At the moment I'd expect Orhnberger - if he clears waivers - to be signed to the PSquad ahead of Larsen. There is still a chance O is retained and Wendell is waived, but to my eyes Wendell is the only interior OL who is pushing Connolly at all, and Light's "trained pigs" interview certainly singled out Wendell's play.
NE shuffled and reshuffled their D-line through the first three quarters (which impacted on the run D and pass rush):
- Warren, Wilfork, Wright are the first team.
- Lewis was first sub in at RDE, Brace in at LDE. Both worked with the other two starting D-linemen as well as their second string colleagues.
- Mike Wright looks good at RDE, Brace could push Warren at LDE if he stays healthy and gets regular reps.
- Pryor is the reserve NT and teams inside with Wright on passing downs. STL made sure they knew where Wright was on passing downs, he drew crowds.
- Deadrick is the #7 DL, his reps came at RDE.
- Richard looks decent as a swing reserve DE, but he's up against the numbers.
- If Kyle Love doesn't get poached off waivers or the PSquad I'll be interested to see how he develops for next year (there looks to be some talented beef in that uniform).
Tate had a good game filling in for Edelman and in the return game.
Brady & Hoyer show a lot of confidence in Aiken for a #6 WR, though the way he was used tonight he was #5 filling in for #4.
I don't know if STL was rolling coverage towards Moss and Welker, or if NE was calling Tate's number to see how he responded. The play calling with Hernandez and Edelman out seemed to be toned down.
The NE secondary also saw a lot of juggling. I'm sure BB is going to use this game to light a fire under some people, but this looked more like a science lab then a game with all the different combinations being tested.
It looks like Spikes played the entire game paired with either Mayo or Guyton, though I see Reiss has McKenzie getting into the game halfway through the fourth quarter.
TBC was giving my man Roger Saffold fits when he was left with him one-on-one; the Umpire could have called a couple more holds if he'd tried. Hardly surprising though, Saffold reminds me of Light, speed rushers will give him trouble if he doesn't get a little help from TEs or RBs. The ILB blitzes, combined with TBC, Wright, and Warren, and the odd Safety blitz, brought some pressure. STL has done a good job rebuilding their O-line, the youth of the line will lead to some mistakes, but that's a good O-line.
