Super Bowl LI .. PRACTICE news & misc

[GorBelSer]

The only remotely possible option is to inactivate Lengal, but the problem is obvious. He is the only real TE depth we have...

I just don't see a scenario where we will have 5 WRs active. ST are too valuable to gamble on.

Agreed, Lengel could be used for a play or two, especially since he is 6-7 and a mismatch for Falcons DBs and LBs.
And Bolden could be used in offense if necessary, even running the WR routes (like Denver game last year).
Barring any setbacks, I would say 7 magnificent inactives are Brissett, Foster, Floyd, Waddle, Coleman, Jones, Richards.

 

[luuked]

Agreed, Lengel could be used for a play or two, especially since he is 6-7 and a mismatch for Falcons DBs and LBs.
And Bolden could be used in offense if necessary, even running the WR routes (like Denver game last year).
Barring any setbacks, I would say 7 magnificent inactives are Brissett, Foster, Floyd, Waddle, Coleman, Jones, Richards.

Bolden is a core ST (i.e. all 4 units) that alone makes him "untouchable" according to Reiss.

It really is Lengel or nothing. Back in December when we signed Floyd I was speculating that given Floyd's size he could maybe be used instead of Lengel in the postseason because he most probably can do a similarly decent job at blocking (not a huge downgrade) but would be an upgrade as a passing option. But nothing since then has led me to believe that this is really an option.

But who knows maybe that's a rabbit that BB and Josh will pull out this time.

 

[Nunchucks]

This is just gamesanship, he will be there and play well.

 

[Nunchucks]

Playing Julio Jones on scout team is not the best sign/preparation to play on Sunday.



Of course sharing it with Slater can indicate the opposite:

Why two jerseys for Julio?
“That’s such a key guy for us, the routes and all that,” Belichick said. “We have two guys doing it so we won’t wear one guy out.”

This is what he said to Reiss yesterday:

“I think you have to approach each and every week the same. You have to prepare yourself like you’re going to play, and I think that’s something I do every single week, because you never know what can happen in a practice or anything,” he said. “You just have to make sure that you’re prepared, so whatever happens, you’re the next man up and the speed of the game won’t be a letdown for you.”
_____

This would all lean more to being inactive again .. then again BB's got to have some surprise up his sleeve and Id be certainly glad to see Floyd active.

Here a full report from Thursday practice:
Super Bowl practice report: Patriots use 2 WRs to mimic Julio Jones

Probably means we won't see Floyd in the game. Good and bad. Floyd brings something to the offense, but he isn't a required piece and he could make a costly mistake.

 

[GorBelSer]

Bolden is a core ST (i.e. all 4 units) that alone makes him "untouchable" according to Reiss.

It really is Lengel or nothing. Back in December when we signed Floyd I was speculating that given Floyd's size he could maybe be used instead of Lengel in the postseason because he most probably can do a similarly decent job at blocking (not a huge downgrade) but would be an upgrade as a passing option. But nothing since then has led me to believe that this is really an option.

But who knows maybe that's a rabbit that BB and Josh will pull out this time.

Yeah, I just can`t see Floyd being happy with a game plan in which he is primarily a blocker and extra protection for Brady. Never had to do that before, seems like a bad moment to start an experiment.

Besides, IIRC, we only had 3 WRs in 49, Tyms and Boyce were (reasonably) left out. And even White did not play, and he could line up as a receiver any time.

 

[The Brandon Five]

This is just gamesanship, he will be there and play well.

Right on. If they were actually concerned, why in the world would they tell the world?

 

[The Brandon Five]

I thought that practice had gone pretty badly that week...maybe that's why he kept pushing them?

Brown: Patriots didn't practice well before Super Bowl XLII

By all accounts this week's practices have gone well.

Not this team.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Probably means we won't see Floyd in the game. Good and bad. Floyd brings something to the offense, but he isn't a required piece and he could make a costly mistake.

True, but slater being on the scout team obviously doesn't mean anything since he will be there. It sounds like to me that belichick is really zeroing in on shutting julio jones down to the point where not one but TWO guys are playing jones in practice.

 

[The Brandon Five]

True, but slater being on the scout team obviously doesn't mean anything since he will be there. It sounds like to me that belichick is really zeroing in on shutting julio jones down to the point where not one but TWO guys are playing jones in practice.

I read somewhere in all of these threads that the Eagles gameplan appeared to be to concede plays to Julio and concentrated on shutting down Gabriel and Sanu. In other words: why double Julio if you are not going to be able to stop him from making the catch anyway? Philly had him in single man and the Falcons scored 15 points (!)

 

[long distance]

I read somewhere in all of these threads that the Eagles gameplan appeared to be to concede plays to Julio and concentrated on shutting down Gabriel and Sanu. In other words: why double Julio if you are not going to be able to stop him from making the catch anyway? Philly had him in single man and the Falcons scored 15 points (!)

Here some thoughts on PHI D game plan:

Can the Pats Copy the Eagles Defensive Plan vs. Falcons?

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Great to see AV still remember those Kicks in that Snow Bowl the greatest kicks I ever saw.

The kick to tie the game, 43 yards into the teeth of a blizzard, has been called the greatest kick under pressure in NFL history. So, yeah, it probably was one of the greatest kicks you ever saw. It was fun that #4 said that when the Raiders tried to ice him with a Time Out that they used the extra time to clear a space in the snow for the kick; still needling Oakland 15 years later...gotta love it. The second was shorter (20 some yards), but still great.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

And I'm a Lady Gaga fan now.

Am I the only one to notice that she was wearing Pats colors for the media conference?

 

[PatsFanSince74]

My guess is that Mack is dealing with a stress fracture in the fibula. If it graduates into a full break before or during the big game, I'm certain that he won't play again until next season.

I don't like wishing injury on any player (bad Karma), so I'll just let the Football Gods make that decision...

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Here some thoughts on PHI D game plan:

Can the Pats Copy the Eagles Defensive Plan vs. Falcons?

thanks for sharing that. very informative. BB and Patricia have more D knowledge in the tips of their little fingers than I have in my entire body, so I'll let them take it from there.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I was there. Couldn't c the 1st one because of the snow. Will ALWAYS remember that night

you are a lucky guy. i remember watching it, glued to my old monster, Mitsubishi 46" TV.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Ex-Jets assistant Mike Westhoff picks the Pats: 'Could be a blowout'

noooooooooooooooo!
Please. Stop with all the praise. Hate us! Please, just hate us. It's what our guys thrive on!

 

[sb1]

The kick to tie the game, 43 yards into the teeth of a blizzard, has been called the greatest kick under pressure in NFL history. So, yeah, it probably was one of the greatest kicks you ever saw. It was fun that #4 said that when the Raiders tried to ice him with a Time Out that they used the extra time to clear a space in the snow for the kick; still needling Oakland 15 years later...gotta love it. The second was shorter (20 some yards), but still great.

They should have brought out the snowplow

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Well call me a moron when I glanced at this I thought it said "loser" team . lol Started to get a little mad at first. lol

One of my fondest memories of the early years of the Dynasty was during the Playoffs in 2005, when Pal Salantonio picked, in three successive games, the Colts, Steelers and Eagles to beat the Patriots.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

By all accounts this week's practices have gone well.

Not this team.

Many (painful) lessons learned over the last eight years...

 

[PatsFanSince74]

They should have brought out the snowplow brush

If they hadn't tried it a few years before, they probably would have...you know...we're cheaters...might as well play to type...just waiting for some Raider to accuse us of cheating by tricking them into calling a Timeout...