Miami at Patriots - Sunday, Sept 12 at 4:25 (CBS)

Mac 29/39 2821 TD in his first effort. I love it.

I was intensely hoping the D got the ball back. As I said in another thread I am dying to see how Mac performs in the clutch.
He was doing pretty well in the clutch before that idiot Harris fumbled...
 
It's not happening. We are built to play games just like we did today. The issue is you have to play mistake free because you literally have zero margin for error. Can't have turnovers, can't keep settling for FGs. It is precision offense not a high flyting offense.
Duh
 
Harris fumbled. Rhambo was down. It wasn't a fumble. Cletus the clueless called another bad game.
Why didn't Bill challenge the Rhambo fumble?
 
I really don't like the depth at RB. I don't believe Taylor played. And the rookie fumbled. I wish we kept Sony. Seeing Bolden in there late was cringe worthy.
 
Mac is really good (definitely better than Tua) and he's only going to get better. There were things around him that were frustrating (fumbles, big plays given up by the defense, poor officiating), but Mac was largely good with few exceptions. You can also tell just how raw he is, and the fact that he is as poised/developed as he is given this rawness is impressive. In 2-3 seasons (let alone later this season), when he's a bit more physically matured and has assimilated to the NFL workload/pace, he's going to be silly good (assuming he can stay healthy, of course, which is always the ultimate in sports). If Mac stays healthy and continues to develop, I expect that'll keep Belichick around for a longer rather than shorter time (if Belichick's in a place where he's actively thinking about that type of thing).

The defense is talented but big plays hurt them today. They need to trim those down. The Parker catch over Jackson was some Manningham/Julio type of spectacular'ness - tip the cap. Waddle's catch on Jones was also pretty darn good - hard to criticize Jones much on that one, just a better play by the offense.

The other defensive bugaboos seemed to be WRs having too much time/space - wished they were a bit more disruptive with them at the LOS (to the Dolphins' credit, they had some good offensive play-calls). Another big issue was the inability to stop the run late. The Pats' D looked solid against the run for most of the game and generally the defense won their battle in the trench, but their inability to be physical and get stops late was tough to see. I'll give them a pass because they played well for most of the game and they were likely gassed, it being the first regular season game coming off a shortened preseason. It needs to be better, though.

Likewise, the offense needs to look for more big plays and play with a bit more pace and decisiveness; they definitely seemed to be keeping a lot of powder dry and trying to take Mac slowly. I'm sure that'll come with time and as Mac gains confidence.

Penalties and turnovers hurt - probably cost them the game. Between the phantom hold and the Harris' fumble, that was anywhere from 7-10 points wiped off the board.

Harris looked really good until that dirty play by the 'Phins player where he (with two hands) ripped Harris' helmet off, and he got dinged as a result. Seemed Harris lost about 10-15% of his juice after that. Rhamondre now has 2 fumbles on his record since joining the team and didn't see any playing time in the 2nd half. Taylor, who I love, never played an offensive snap as far as I know. JMO, but it might've been wise to give Rhamondre or Taylor an opportunity late: their legs were fresh and potentially could've given the run game some extra pop to push the ball in the endzone.

Poor officiating in general. First half was really bad to the Pats; second half was a bit more neutral in its badness. Inconsistent all game. That hold on the Harris' TD run (#74) was called on a player who did not exist on the field. Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but IMO, a penalty should not be enforceable if the official cannot accurately articulate who the penalty is on. If it was on Wynn, then I call horseshit. (I'll gladly recant my officiating rant if there's a good angle showing a legitimate hold by Wynn, but I saw nothing that deserved a penalty).

Final thought on officiating: I know it was darn close, but I'm still not convinced that the Rhamondre fumble was actually a fumble. I'm not sure what the officials saw, but the telecast never showed a proper look at the play with it slowed down enough to make an accurate judgment. I'm dubious. If that wasn't ruled a fumble, Rhamondre likely continues to play and who knows what impact that may have had on the outcome.

I think this is a good team. 13-14 wins if they really hunker down, play to their potential, and Mac progresses at a rapid pace. 10-11 wins if they play to this level today. 12 is probably where I'd set the line.

I do think Miami is a legitimately good, at least in terms of talent, and played darn well today. Tua is inconsistent but can make big plays. Their offensive weapons are dynamic. Their defense is big physical, and smart to the Pats' offense given the Flores connection. Big, athletic front-7 and a top-10, possibly top-5 secondary. I'm not sure that record-wise Miami will necessarily be a top team (12+ wins), but they remind me of the Ravens/Jets of the early 2010s in terms of how they matchup against New England. They're smart to the scheme and they have the defensive horses to execute. Those games were always tough to watch and often ended in losses. The recent games against Miami (even before Brady left) have felt similar. Give Flores a lot of credit for what he is doing there.

(As a slight aside, Jaelan Phillips is going to be a special player if he stays healthy - he's one I wanted the Pats to get before the draft and I'm still smarting that Miami nabbed him. On the balance, though, Wynn did a really good job on him this afternoon).

In terms of time of possession and ball control philosophy: part of the issue with shortening the game is if you don't score TDs in the red zone and/or you turn the ball over, you really compound those mistakes by chopping a lot of time off the clock. It's great that the defense was rested for a lot of the game, but it felt Mac and the offense probably should've been able to find another 1-2 possessions before that game was over. Offensive opportunities in the form of possessions felt limited.

As a closing thought: I know Belichick's teams historically have a slow ramp-up into the season but I think he needs to put greater urgency on these early season division games. While these games may not mean much in terms of how teams are playing in 2-3 months, they do potentially move the needle in terms of playoff seeding. That said, I'd much rather lose today and win in Miami in January to clinch the division (the inverse of what we saw last season).
 
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Ok , so it was'nt a win but Mac was solid.Good presence , execution and only one play where he was flustered. I 'll give him a " B ".Offense had a decent showing so I won't knit pick.The D ..... oh brother.They definitely need to shake the rust out.Two personal penalties , I can see BB back in Foxboro personally pulling out the rack.The fumble .... Well , schitt happens.They gotta suck it up and onto next week.Welcome to big show Mac !.
 
I really don't like the depth at RB. I don't believe Taylor played. And the rookie fumbled. I wish we kept Sony. Seeing Bolden in there late was cringe worthy.

Hey, we got a 5th and a 6th for Sony. That's where all the value is! :confused:
 
Very happy with Mac - good decisions, hurried but never flustered, great touch and accuracy, throws a ball easy to catch, 11/16 3rd down conversions...I could go on and on,
In the big picture this game doesn't matter - We have our QB, guys, and that's what is important.

And what Vertigho said above ^
Mac is really good (definitely better than Tua) and he's only going to get better. There were things around him that were frustrating (fumbles, big plays given up by the defense, poor officiating), but Mac was largely good with few exceptions. You can also tell just how raw he is, and the fact that he is as poised/developed as he is given this rawness is impressive. In 2-3 seasons (let alone later this season), when he's a bit more physically matured and he's assimilated to the NFL workload/pace, he's going to be silly good (assuming he can stay healthy, of course, which is always the ultimate in sports). If Mac stays healthy and continues to develop, I expect that'll keep Belichick around for a longer rather than shorter time (if Belichick's in a place where he's actively thinking about that type of thing).

The defense is talented but big plays hurt them today. They need to trim those down. The Parker catch over Jackson was some Manningham/Julio type of spectacular'ness - tip the cap. The other defensive bugaboos seemed to be WRs having too much time/space off the LOS - wished they were a bit more disruptive with them at the LOS (to the Dolphins' credit, they had some good offensive play-calls). Another big issue was the inability to stop the run late. They looked solid against the run for most of the game and generally the defense won their battle in the trench, but their inability to be physical and get stops late was tough to see. I'll give them a pass because they played well for most of the game, and they were likely gassed it being the first regular season game coming off a shortened preseason. It needs to be better, though.

Likewise, the offense needs to look for more big plays and play with a bit more pace and decisiveness; they definitely seemed to be keeping a lot of powder dry and trying to take Mac slowly. I'm sure that'll come with time and as Mac gains confidence.

Penalties and turnovers hurt - probably cost them the game. Between the phantom hold and the Harris' fumble, that was anywhere from 7-10 points wiped off the board.

Poor officiating in general. First half was really bad to the Pats; second half was a bit more neutral in its badness. Inconsistent all game. That hold on the Harris' TD run (#74) was called on a player who did not exist on the field. Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but IMO, a penalty should not be enforceable if the official cannot accurately articulate who the penalty is on. If it was on Wynn, then I call horseshit. (I'll gladly recant my officiating rant if there's a good angle showing a legitimate hold by Wynn, but I saw nothing that deserved a penalty).

I think this is a good team. 13-14 wins if they really hunker down, play to their potential, and Mac progresses at a rapid pace. 10-11 if they play to this level today.

I do think Miami is a legitimately good team, at least in terms of talent. Tua is inconsistent but can make big plays. Their offensive weapons are dynamic. Their defense is big physical, and smart to the Pats' offense given the Flores connection. Big, athletic front-7 and a top-10, possibly top-5 secondary. I'm not sure that record-wise Miami will necessarily be a top team (12+ wins), but they remind me of the Ravens/Jets of the early 2010s, in terms of how they matchup against New England. They're smart to the scheme and they have the defensive horses to execute. Those games were always tough to watch and often ended in losses. The recent games against Miami (even before Brady left) have felt similar. Give Flores a lot of credit for what he is doing there.

(As a slight aside, Jaelan Phillips is going to be a special player if he stays healthy - he's one I wanted the Pats to get before the draft and I'm still smarting that Miami nabbed him. On the balance, though, Wynn did a really good job on him this afternoon).

In terms of time of possession and ball control philosophy: part of the issue with shortening the game is if you don't score TDs in the red zone and/or you turn the ball over, you really compound those mistakes by chopping a lot of time off the clock. It's great that the defense was rested for a lot of the game, but it felt Mac and the offense probably should've been able to find another 1-2 possessions before that was over. Offensive opportunities in the form of possessions felt limited.

As a closing thought: I know Belichick's teams historically have a slow ramp-up into the season but I think he needs to put greater urgency on these early season division games. While these games may not mean much when teams are playing in 2-3 months, they do potentially move the needle in terms of playoff seeding late.
 
disappoited in this order:

penalties
turnovers
front 7 was not good enough against a weak dolphins oline
the oline was not good enough this includes all of them not just herron
horrible horrible coaching allowing mia the 2nd-3rd Q wraparound scores
red zone O is still not there

excited in this order

mac - was good on the pressure plays, 3rd down, late drive execution very solid debut...long ways to go.
te that could make plays
wr did ok
db mostly played ok without gilmore
special teams were good

outlook

cautiously optimistic, tough loss, but there is potential to possibly be a playoff team. Also got to keep in mind the Pats always seem to treat the first month as extended pre-season.
 
Mac is really good (definitely better than Tua) and he's only going to get better. There were things around him that were frustrating (fumbles, big plays given up by the defense, poor officiating), but Mac was largely good with few exceptions. You can also tell just how raw he is, and the fact that he is as poised/developed as he is given this rawness is impressive. In 2-3 seasons (let alone later this season), when he's a bit more physically matured and he's assimilated to the NFL workload/pace, he's going to be silly good (assuming he can stay healthy, of course, which is always the ultimate in sports). If Mac stays healthy and continues to develop, I expect that'll keep Belichick around for a longer rather than shorter time (if Belichick's in a place where he's actively thinking about that type of thing).

The defense is talented but big plays hurt them today. They need to trim those down. The Parker catch over Jackson was some Manningham/Julio type of spectacular'ness - tip the cap. The other defensive bugaboos seemed to be WRs having too much time/space off the LOS - wished they were a bit more disruptive with them at the LOS (to the Dolphins' credit, they had some good offensive play-calls). Another big issue was the inability to stop the run late. They looked solid against the run for most of the game and generally the defense won their battle in the trench, but their inability to be physical and get stops late was tough to see. I'll give them a pass because they played well for most of the game, and they were likely gassed it being the first regular season game coming off a shortened preseason. It needs to be better, though.

Likewise, the offense needs to look for more big plays and play with a bit more pace and decisiveness; they definitely seemed to be keeping a lot of powder dry and trying to take Mac slowly. I'm sure that'll come with time and as Mac gains confidence.

Penalties and turnovers hurt - probably cost them the game. Between the phantom hold and the Harris' fumble, that was anywhere from 7-10 points wiped off the board.

Harris looked really good until that dirty play by the 'Phins player where he (with two hands) ripped Harris' helmet off, and he got dinged as a result. Seemed Harris lost about 10-15% of his juice after that. Rhamondre now has 2 fumbles on his record since joining the team and didn't see any playing time in the 2nd half. Taylor, who I love, never played an offensive snap today as far as I know. JMO, but it might've been wise to give Rhamondre or Taylor an opportunity late: either of their legs would have been fresh and they potentially could've brought a bit of needed pop late to help punch the thing in the endzone. (Rhamondre clearly didn't put himself in a great position to earn that right with the fumble, though).

Poor officiating in general. First half was really bad to the Pats; second half was a bit more neutral in its badness. Inconsistent all game. That hold on the Harris' TD run (#74) was called on a player who did not exist on the field. Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but IMO, a penalty should not be enforceable if the official cannot accurately articulate who the penalty is on. If it was on Wynn, then I call horseshit. (I'll gladly recant my officiating rant if there's a good angle showing a legitimate hold by Wynn, but I saw nothing that deserved a penalty).

I think this is a good team. 13-14 wins if they really hunker down, play to their potential, and Mac progresses at a rapid pace. 10-11 if they play to this level today.

I do think Miami is a legitimately good, at least in terms of talent, and played darn well today. Tua is inconsistent but can make big plays. Their offensive weapons are dynamic. Their defense is big physical, and smart to the Pats' offense given the Flores connection. Big, athletic front-7 and a top-10, possibly top-5 secondary. I'm not sure that record-wise Miami will necessarily be a top team (12+ wins), but they remind me of the Ravens/Jets of the early 2010s in terms of how they matchup against New England. They're smart to the scheme and they have the defensive horses to execute. Those games were always tough to watch and often ended in losses. The recent games against Miami (even before Brady left) have felt similar. Give Flores a lot of credit for what he is doing there.

(As a slight aside, Jaelan Phillips is going to be a special player if he stays healthy - he's one I wanted the Pats to get before the draft and I'm still smarting that Miami nabbed him. On the balance, though, Wynn did a really good job on him this afternoon).

In terms of time of possession and ball control philosophy: part of the issue with shortening the game is if you don't score TDs in the red zone and/or you turn the ball over, you really compound those mistakes by chopping a lot of time off the clock. It's great that the defense was rested for a lot of the game, but it seemed Mac and the offense probably should've been able to find another 1-2 possessions before that game was over. Offensive opportunities in the form of possessions felt limited.

As a closing thought: I know Belichick's teams historically have a slow ramp-up into the season but I think he needs to put greater urgency on these early season division games. While these games may not mean much in terms of how teams are playing in 2-3 months, they do potentially move the needle in terms of playoff seeding late.
Again, Rhambo never fumbled. Watch the replay. Cletus the clueless called another bad game.
 
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