Yes, the injuries are extreme

[Fencer]

• On the final drive of Game 1, only 2 guys got touches. Both are expected to miss Game 2.
• Going into this season, the proven non-JAG skill position talent was Gronk, Amendola, Ridley, Vereen (arguably, but I think he deserves the nod) and, depending on when the list was compiled, Ahern. Only one of those is expected to be available next week, and he was benched in Game 1, and also is on the injury report.
• Brady aside, the available offensive skill position players who've ever had an excellent NFL game are Ridley (who was benched last week), Edelman (who's had about 2, which weren't really that outstanding), and Bolden (who's had 1, and is hurt anyway).

I predict that Rex will go for a blitz-heavy scheme. Why? In any scenario, the OL, receives (and of course QB and blocking backs) share the burden of making the passing game work. But blitzes shift some of the pressure from the OL (they won't stop everybody, no matter what) to the receivers (have to be available for a quick-hitting pass).

 

[Ozymandias]

I think the Patriots can offset all that aggressiveness by giving the Jesters a heavy dose of the run game. Ridley better be ready.

 

[Fencer]

I think the Patriots can offset all that aggressiveness by giving the Jesters a heavy dose of the run game. Ridley better be ready.

I'm thinking play-action, for similar reasons.

 

[ALP]

yea, ridley better protect the ball because....he will be touching a hell of a lot thursday night

 

[varjao]

After this first game and all these injuries issues, they've got to call Lloyd and maybe other veterans.

How old is Randy Moss?

 

[Fencer]

After this first game and all these injuries issues, they've got to call Lloyd and maybe other veterans.

How old is Randy Moss?

Lloyd doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd be happy coming in for a week or two.

If Amendola and Dobson are both unavailable, we're probably stuck with Slater as #4 WR.

 

[SVN]

I think the Patriots can offset all that aggressiveness by giving the Jesters a heavy dose of the run game. Ridley better be ready.

All that is good idea but that is a very difficult front to run against especially when they know they have to stop the run only. They will force 3rd and long and come after brady heavy. With no reliable pass catchers who can get open quickly this can get difficult for brady initially at least. As Reiss wrote today, this is not a the best defense we want to face with all the injuries. Some one needs to get open quickly and brady needs to hit a couple to keep things moving. All said and done , our defense needs to get this game. I will be mighty disappointed if they let geno smith sit back and bake a cake and make short passes.

 

[supafly]

After this first game and all these injuries issues, they've got to call Lloyd and maybe other veterans.

How old is Randy Moss?

I highly doubt that they'll be calling any journeyman vet WRs, even the ones who actually know our system. The word is that Llyod is retiring and won't be playing football at all for anyone. Moss is under a contractual obligation for whatever TV network he's working for at the moment, and wasn't even too effective last season--he's certainly not coming here.

Bringing in a vet who has less talent is only going to stifle the rookies who need to learn, and would defeat the entire purpose of making the change to begin with.

On top of that, the problem really isn't with the WR's. Edelman will take over for Amendola in the slot, and they'll have to rely on Thompkins to have a better game. They'll also be running a lot, mixing in RB screens, and hoping that one of Dobson, Boyce, or Sudfeld (if he plays) are able to step up in the meantime.

The defense and running game will have to carry us for this week. Hopefully by week 3, one of Amendola/Gronk are on the field.

 

[jbb9s]

If Amendola and Dobson are both unavailable, we're probably stuck with Slater as #4 WR.

I think Slater has 1 catch in 4-5 yrs here. I'm not sure how many offensive snaps he's taken in all that time but 1 catch. In college, he had zero catches.

All those 20 pt blowouts throughout the years - not two garbage receptions?

So we are talking about a guy who has one football reception since HS in 2004.

I'd say there are 6 receivers on every team inclusive of PS - call is 192 plus 10-20 bumping around the street recently cut. So 210-220. Slater may be the least qualified of all 220.

 

[Christian]

We are in trouble, and I dont think there's really any other way to put it. We are lucky we are playing the Jets and not the Falcons/Saints/Broncos etc. THat said, the Jets are not going to be easy. They are certainly going to test us and our young WR's.

Their defense is going to give our offense trouble. Expect a very low scoring game. Our OL and (hopefully) Ridley are going to have to play well...as well as our defense.

 

[Fencer]

I think Slater has 1 catch in 4-5 yrs here. I'm not sure how many offensive snaps he's taken in all that time but 1 catch. In college, he had zero catches.

All those 20 pt blowouts throughout the years - not two garbage receptions?

So we are talking about a guy who has one football reception since HS in 2004.

I'd say there are 6 receivers on every team inclusive of PS - call is 192 plus 10-20 bumping around the street recently cut. So 210-220. Slater may be the least qualified of all 220.

That's a fair assessment. Still, it is what it is. Slater's role on offense is to run fast to a distant part of the field and turn the rest of the play into 10-on-10.

 

[Batman]

I think Slater has 1 catch in 4-5 yrs here. I'm not sure how many offensive snaps he's taken in all that time but 1 catch. In college, he had zero catches.

All those 20 pt blowouts throughout the years - not two garbage receptions?

So we are talking about a guy who has one football reception since HS in 2004.

I'd say there are 6 receivers on every team inclusive of PS - call is 192 plus 10-20 bumping around the street recently cut. So 210-220. Slater may be the least qualified of all 220.

I agree if BB wanted a journeyman WR he would have got one on Monday to get them prepped for the game unless he plans on calling Deon Branch or Donte Stallworth who may know the system but were not here for camp.

BB is ready to sink or swim with 4 rookie receiving options, a JAG TE, Julian Edleman and maybe a Gronk.

The running backs will be busy I expect we will have a 100yard back again this week even vs the jets as we may have 6 OL out there.

Brady has won with less than this in the past I trust he can again.

 

[Salva135]

We are in trouble, and I dont think there's really any other way to put it. We are lucky we are playing the Jets and not the Falcons/Saints/Broncos etc. THat said, the Jets are not going to be easy. They are certainly going to test us and our young WR's.

Their defense is going to give our offense trouble. Expect a very low scoring game. Our OL and (hopefully) Ridley are going to have to play well...as well as our defense.

These problems are not magically going away when we reach the Atlanta/Cincy/New Orleans stretch. One or more of those rookies is simply going to have to step up and make major contributions to this offense for this team to have any chance this season. This is a playmaker league and all of our playmakers are injured and questionable to be healthy for a full season.

The much-anticipated full Welker-Gronk-Hernandez trio was a chimera last season, much like the Amendola-Gronk-rookie stud WR offense will be.

Maybe we can get 10 wins in this crap division but this team needs at least ONE of the Dobson/Thompkins/Boyce/Sudfeld class to step up and become a legit piece of this offense for this team to even sniff a chance at going deep into the playoffs.

 

[Water Boy]

Lets be fair. No one could have predicted that we'd have receiver depth issues when BB let Wes Welker go. (I'm being sarcastic in case you couldn't tell).

 

[SVN]

Lets be fair. No one could have predicted that we'd have receiver depth issues when BB let Wes Welker go. (I'm being sarcastic in case you couldn't tell).

How keeping welker instead of amendola here wouldve improved the current situation in anyway ? You think we couldve won everything with just one wes welker ? Problem is not him . Its no one around him/amendola without gronk/hernandez. welker is not a depth player.

 

[Nunchucks]

The rookies need time to adjust to the regular season, hope that 3 games is enough time for them to be rocking and rolling.

 

[Salva135]

How keeping welker instead of amendola here wouldve improved the current situation in anyway ? You think we couldve won everything with just one wes welker ? Problem is not him . Its no one around him/amendola without gronk/hernandez. welker is not a depth player.

Welker being here and active for this game without a non-contact injury would have improved the situation for this upcoming game tremendously. Fact.

 

[Patjew]

Yeah, basically we're porked until Gronk and DA return.

Porked.

 

[Rob0729]

• On the final drive of Game 1, only 2 guys got touches. Both are expected to miss Game 2.
• Going into this season, the proven non-JAG skill position talent was Gronk, Amendola, Ridley, Vereen (arguably, but I think he deserves the nod) and, depending on when the list was compiled, Ahern. Only one of those is expected to be available next week, and he was benched in Game 1, and also is on the injury report.
• Brady aside, the available offensive skill position players who've ever had an excellent NFL game are Ridley (who was benched last week), Edelman (who's had about 2, which weren't really that outstanding), and Bolden (who's had 1, and is hurt anyway).

I predict that Rex will go for a blitz-heavy scheme. Why? In any scenario, the OL, receives (and of course QB and blocking backs) share the burden of making the passing game work. But blitzes shift some of the pressure from the OL (they won't stop everybody, no matter what) to the receivers (have to be available for a quick-hitting pass).

I'm not convinced that Rex will be blitz heavy tomorrow night. The Jets will be missing Coples who is one of their best pass rushers. Their secondary is very susceptible. Cromartie got toasted on Sunday (granted it was mostly by Vincent Jackson). Milliner is not ready for prime time. Kyle Wilson is, well, Kyle Wilson. They have the lesser Landry as their safety. If they can't get to Brady, he will toast them even with his depleted receiving corp.

 

[RoughingthePasser]

this is football and you gotta take it game by game

we've put together the best team we can this year with depth at the positions through fa/draft etc....trust em

not worried about the new jersey jets or buddy ryan jr and his blintz packages.

don't forget the intangibles and schemes that our 1st and 3rd/4th string players can bring together on game day-we got players that can play all kinds of positions ...

I also have a feeling our defense is going to have one of the best games of the season

Jets need to get crushed