2. The most impressive thing to be to come out of this game for me was the almost flawless pass protection that Tom Brady enjoyed for his entire night. This is especially impressive because it came against a very good Panther front 7. This was starting to become a concern over the first 2 games. But last night, even without Connolly and Volmer, the Pats OL pitched a virtual shutout on a very good Carolina DL. Impressive.
I was never all that concerned about the o-line. Well, no more so than any other areas of this team with some question marks. I felt the Pats would find a way to make it work. But the first two preseason games were all about mixing and matching.
3. The second most impressive factor was how well the Pats front 7 stopped the run. Again impressive because the Panthers were known as a good running team coming into the game.
Big Vince being back makes a world of difference in that area. Wait until Mayo gets back too.
4. I can't tell you how excited I am about the possibility that we will start to see a "focus-less" WR corps where Tom's favorite receiver truly be "the open man". Brady spread the ball around to Thomkins, LaFell, Edelman, DA and Vareen. All got a number of looks at various times. It was great to see.
They look to have what I thought they would have last year before the receiver position was decimated by injuries. The Pats may not have a legitimate #1 WR, but they have an embarrassment of receiving options for Brady.
I think Vereen is going to have a monster year if healthy. As I said in another thread that even when the defense sees it coming, teams haven't figured out how to defend him when he is receiving in a wheel route.
5. We are starting to see the effect of good pass coverage will have on our sack totals.
A few weeks back I heard the PFW guys discuss how they think Revis' impact on the entire defense was overall defense and they couldn't see how he could impact the pass rush and people are overrating his impact on the rest of the defense on their podcast. I wanted throw things at my computer screen because we saw last night exactly how he impacts the overall defense and the pass rush.
6. I was just starting to think, "Boy, Chandler Jones seems pretty invisible this pre-season, when BAM, he explodes for 3 big plays in both the pass and run game. Jones is know for his developing pass rush success, but we shouldn't forget there isn't a better DE in the league vs the run. He's really outstanding. I find it scary to think that he MIGHT have been a Jet.
The funny thing is the Jets are trying to convert Quenton Coples into an OLB in the 3-4 and he has struggled with it. While Chandler seemed natural in it last night.
I said in another thread that if last night is any indication of how he is going to play this year, he is going to be a legitimate DPOY candidate. I don't think anyone will benefit more from Revis than Jones (take that PFW guys).
9. Anyone who saw Brady last night will want to put a hold on thoughts of his decline. 17 for 21 with 3 clean drops, is going to send shivers throughout the DC community.....and this is WITHOUT Dobson and Gronk. The long pass to Edelman was a thing of beauty.
Anyone paying attention last year would have seen Brady was elite last year when Gronk came back and Dobson was hitting his stride before he got injured. I always thought his struggles last year had to do with the guys around him and not him declining. I expect him to have a big rebound year.
10. Another note on Brady. For the first time in a LONG time, I actual thought the offense looked smoother when it went downfield rather than with the short game.
I think with more legitimate receiving options, it takes away the rush and allows Brady to allow the play to develop a bit rather than have to get the ball away quickly.
11. While I thought the Pats came out with a clear intention to work on the pass game, the running game was a bit disappointing. I still don't see anything make me want to keep Robert White on the roster. J. Grey looked like the better back, not that I particularly want to see him either. Ridley was clearly the best RB and had a couple of nice runs, but he also had a few where he didn't have a chance to even get back to the LOS. The running game needs some work, especially on the OL.
The Panthers had the second best run defense last year. And the Pats looked to be experimenting a bit last night. I am not worried about the running just yet. If Brady is lighting it up in the passing game, the running game will be there with teams putting in extra DBs all the time.
12. Shane Vereen is going to demand coverage by a DB. LB's don't have a chance, and he looks poised to have a big year, because he's no slouch running the ball either. It looks to me like all we need at RB is Vereen and Ridley plus a reliable backup, White, Grey, Bolden, take your pick, I don't care. Those 3 plus Devlin and I think they would be all set. (plus a guy on the PS).
I remember a thread a few weeks ago where the argument on whether Vereen or Woodhead are a better RB. Woodhead people were pointing to rushing numbers while the Vereen guys (which I am one of them pointed to his receiving yards). I think the Pats want him to be the Darren Sproles of this offense. Sproles is far more of a receiving threat than a running threat. Sproles usually only gets 200-300 yards on the ground, but gets 600-700 yards receiving each season.
13. Chung looks like he has the edge in the "2nd safety derby", though both Wilson and Harmon both seemed to have good nights with the back ups. Unlike many here, I'm getting more and more comfortable with our safety depth. I don't think we are going to get "great play" from whomever wins the job, but I think we are going to get "competent play", and that's going to be enough given all the other parts we will have out there.
I still think Chung is effective in a limited role. Make him a first and second down safety and use Ryan, Harmon, Wilson, and/or Arrington at safety in sub packages. Chung has been better this preseason than some gives him credit for.
14. The biggest negative, I thought were the refs again. Matt Chatham hit it perfectly with his comments on the "hands to the face" penalties. I have no idea how defensive linemen and LB's can play this game without inadvertently getting their hand on the helmet. I can almost live with the ticky tack defensive holding calls, but this hands to the fact rule would absolutely ruin the game, since it could be called EVERY single play. Which means when it IS called, its being called capriciously. In other words, the official has the ability to throw it whenever he feels like it.
"In the interest of fairness" they called several offensive interference calls for blocking before the pass. In BOTH cases I saw, the blocks were clearly made AFTER the catch. My other complaint about the officiating is not about their calls, but Christian Fauria's comments. On at least 2 occasions he made light of 2 interference calls against the Panthers, when on BOTH occasions there actually was blatant contact well before the ball got there.
No one is more against this virtual torrent of yellow than I am, but you just weaken the credibility of the position when you vilify even the legitimate calls.
I think the illegal hands to the face calls have been ignored on how badly it has been called this preseason because people are so focused on the illegal contact calls. I think they refs have been actually worse in calling illegal hands to the face than any other call.
BTW, if I am an OC, on third and really longs I might be just send all my receivers down the field and just have my QB huck up the ball. I think the worst that could happen is effectively the equivalent of a short punt with an INT. At best they pick up a 30-40 yard PI call or a reception. The flags are flying so much that it is worth the risk.
15. The things that impress me most about Garoppolo are his poise in the pocket and his decision making. It's remarkable, especially when you consider where he played in college. It's hard for me to equate this Jimmie Garoppolo with the QB I saw for so many practices a few weeks ago. With every opportunity it looks more and more that the Pats made a good pick. Now whether it was the RIGHT pick for the Pats, is another question entirely.
As I have said in other threads, Garoppolo is easily the best rookie QB the Pats have had in the preseason since Drew Bledsoe (Brady was buried on the depth chart his rookie season). He is showing things that cannot be taught and that are traits of a polished veterans. He has a lot of rough edges and has a lot of growing to go to even be considered a starter on a team that doesn't have a Tom Brady, but for a guy who didn't play for a big time college program he is farther along than I think he is.
16. While the Pats have been known in the past for finding young undrafted FA's, I can't think of a season where it seems like so many are making strong cases for a job. Along with Butler, Tyms and DFlemming, others like JGray, TMcCuller, and JDavis, all popped tonight.
I think Flemming and Butler are the only ones who make the roster though. Other guys are making cases for themselves.
BTW, Tyms is not an UDFA. He has been in the league for a couple of years. Neither is Flemming.
