The Official Patriots vs Redskins Preseason Game Thread

[Ring 6]

Couple thoughts:

DT
Injuries to Siliga and Jones would hurt a lot more if they were needed to start. So the other crew of back-ups will get more practice and preseason game time. I'd still expect both to make the team. Gives the team an opportunity to watch Forston, Vellano, and others.

DE rotation
Buchanan and Moore got a lot of play. Will Smith seems behind them.
I don't think Bequette played. I don't group him with Brady, Revis, and Mayo, so that's a bad thing.

After one preseason game, Buchanan and Moore have an early advantage on Smith and Bequette for spots.

LB
We all assume Anderson is the fourth. Beauharnais and Fleming seem the top two over White, Skinner, Hull, etc.

S
Interesting that Harmon received the least playing time among Wilson, Chung, Ebner, and Hawkins. Just makes this thing appear wide open. Note that Hawkins is one of the kick returners, which is equally open.

CB
Butler continues his unlikely challenge for a roster spot. Can they keep six corners? He played with great technique Thursday. While he lacks size and speed, he had a couple of the best plays for the "Patriots."
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On sitting all the starters and losing the game: smart. Many have commented that the biggest risk to the Patriots season is injury.

I'm not sure how Buchanan and particular Moore have an edge on Will Smith for the role he is expected to play.

White has a strong chance to stick because of special teams ability, IMO.

I don't think Harmon's playing time was anything to give insight to his status. He was the starter. Oftentimes, especially in game 1 the guys getting the most reps are the guys that there is the most doubt about.

I have a different take on Butler than everything I am reading. I don't see getting thrown at often and making plays on the ball some of those times as outstanding corner play. I see not getting the ball thrown your way because you have tight coverage as outstanding corner play.

The Skins QB often felt Butler's man was open. He played the ball well some of those times, and closed on the coverage, but the ball wouldn't have come to him if he had tight coverage, the QB throws to who is open.

On the plays that Butler recovered and knocked the ball away, it is likely the other corner covered better, because he didn't get thrown at.

Again, what call the 'best plays' are recovering from letting his man get open, and I would suggest the best plays Butler made were the ones you never saw, because the QB felt he had coverage and went elsewhere. Lets face it, he wasn't facing a top WR either which is why the tools he lacks may be a case of mediocre WRs getting open and he can compete for coverage, while better ones would torch him.

 

[RayClay]

Huh?
I said the Boyce was playing, and catching passes, vs starters and Tyms was playing and catching passers against guys who won't be in the league.
What does Boyce 'shining' have to do with that. Aside from toasting gym teachers who are at training camp for summer vacation, when has Tyms 'shined'?
The point being, lets keep a little perspective.

If you read the few posts I made, I said Tyms is raw but has upside and "All I'm saying is Boyce needs to make the team".

Pretty mild stuff there. Where did I lose perspective?

 

[shmessy]

The Official Shmessy Observation Post From Section 407, Row 2, Seat 8:
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1) Welcome to the New England Patriots, Malcolm Butler - - I saw enough of this kid tonight to make up my mind. He is dynamite, played the entire game, was his own island and covered for others when they screwed up in the run game. Give the kid a parking space.

2) Biggest disappointment (Yes, even bigger than Mallet, tonight): James Anderson. I write this with a very heavy heart because I was excited when they signed this guy a few months back. I LOVED the signing - - wrote that it seemed like a Roman Phifer type move. Felt that Anderson would be a quality 4th LB who could do it all and had the smarts to actually call plays as he did last year with the Bears......... THUMP! All I saw tonight was #55 over pursuing and lunging at RB's running past him as if he wasn't there. It was amateurish and shockingly bad. If he plays like this going forward, it will be a big problem for the team.

3) Bianca has lost a lot of weight and looks great - - Good job, Mrs. Wilfork!

4) Stephen Houston? Maybe professional football is not for you. Sorry.

5) Harmon, McCourty, T. Wilson and Chung are going to be our Safeties. Chung was all over the place and very active out there tonight. I believe the Ebner era is over.

6) I know Mallet will be getting a lot of blame, but the OL gave him zero protection, he never had time to even plant his feet. He's just not a scrambler.......which brings me to #7,

7) Garropolo. OK, this is another thing I did not expect tonight. All TC, I have been reading reports about how the kid looked like a deer in the headlights, was indecisive and that the pro game was too fast for him at this point.

Well.......

He owned the field tonight. Truly could have been 3 touchdowns instead of just one (Tyms DID make that catch in the EZ right under seats on the deep pass interference and my pin cushion Steven Houston coughed it up deep in the Red Zone). He worked with changing pace, from no huddle to slow down and back. He used both sides of the field. he threw screens, intermediates, sideline ropes, deep patterns, you name it. His pocket awareness was good and he is obviously the best scrambler of our QB's. Am I ready to crown him the #2 QB after preseason game #1? No. God forbid, if Brady goes down in game 1 in Miami, I want Mallet coming in, not Garropolo. However, by this time next year, if Garropolo continues to learn and work hard, I now have more confidence of him being able to master the NFL speed than I did before this game tonight. He made things happen and reminded me slightly of a taller Doug Flutie out there in his improv-ability.

8) Fedex Field is a travesty.

From the surface playing area (which I think was behind BB's strategy to work the first 2 strings hard in Richmond this week and keep them safely off Fedex' "field" tonight) to the dangerously undercooked $8 sausages at the concessions to the barely attached metal bleachers in the 400's section - - the 3rd most valuable franchise in the NFL should be ashamed of itself......but then, I remember Dan Snyder is its owner, and it all makes sense again.

Damn. Not bad (except for the 2nd part of #5).