Oswlek
Well-known member
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Before I begin please allow me to offer a humble apology for the grief I’ve given a few posters who were particularly down on the receivers. That was the worst single game performance I’ve seen out of a Patriot WR corps in my lifetime. Simply dreadful. Maybe the 2006 crew would have looked as terrible the first few weeks had Brown, Faulk and the TEs not been around, but when the debate has gotten that far, it wasn’t a good night.
That said, as the title suggests, I’m about to embark on a quest to demonstrate that this might not be representative of how the 2013 season will play out.
Already down their top 5 receiving targets from last year, NE lost their two best receiving weapons from the Bills game and their only currently viable TE receiving threat. Tack on the fact that NY’s front seven is legit – the main reason why I predicted they would surprise people with an 8 win season – and you have the perfect storm for this offense. No run game, no TEs, limited RB receiving options… the only thing left were the wide receivers. Not only were we talking about green WRs, but green WRs who hardly even practiced for the game! NE’s total preparation for Jets amounted to two walk-throughs. In retrospect, is it really a surprise that NE looked good for a drive and then went down the tubes? Those were probably the only plays they were able to get down.
None of this excuses the drops, of course. And maybe it would be harder to find a positive slant had the Jets drove for a game-winning TD at the end, but I did find it encouraging that Dobson was getting open regularly. For a guy who was last seen struggling to find headroom in a secondary of insurance salesmen and UPS drivers, he handled the jam cleanly and was able to get behind his defender often.
The misfire on 3rd and 14 particularly stood out for me. Aaron got past his CB easily enough, but that wasn’t the impressive part. After getting behind the defenders (two of them including the other LB who tried to pick him up as well) the safety came over and Dobson put a subtle move on that had him biting up, only to see Aaron blow right past him. It was the first time I’ve seen him make that kind of quick-twitch move instead of the lazy doubles that weren’t fooling anyone in the preseason.
Now, it is possible that making that stutter was what led him to be ever-so-slightly behind the pass instead of running right underneath it. But just knowing he has that in his bag of tricks makes me feel more confident than I was a week ago.
Of course, it wasn’t just Dobson that was struggling. Thompkins had an ugly drop (though it wouldn’t have converted the 3rd even if he got it) and failed to come up with several others as well. The overturned TD is probably the most memorable, and one can hardly fault Kenbrell for his effort there, but it is worth pointing out because it demonstrates another piece that was lacking last night, the timing between Brady and the receivers. Just like the rookies need time to acclimate to genuine NFL speed, it is going to take time for Brady to get used to his new toys in real games as well. Maybe once they are another 30 targets in, Tom takes a little off that throw and Thompkins doesn’t need to make an impossible catch.
I also think it is worth pointing out that Kenbrell looked more comfortable this week than he did in Buffalo. Maybe it was just a case of being at home, but if it was more a matter of adjusting to real bullets, that’s a positive sign, particularly when you consider that the team probably got limited film review of that game in, something that this long weekend affords them plenty of time for. Dobson looked to be having a similar first go of it as Thompkins did, so hopefully we’ll see an uptick from him as well.
Some of this will settle once a few bodies return. Edelman isn’t a #1 target, but as a #3-#4 afterthought with Gronk, Amendola and Vereen on the field? He can do some damage. That would also allow the youngsters to slide into complimentary roles that suit their strengths. For now, though, we need to grasp as positives, hoping that they are good omens and accelerating lessons for the rookies.
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A note on the defense: I know there are reasons to discredit what they’ve done so far. Neither the Bills nor the Jets look to be offensive juggernauts, rookie QBs, etc. That said, despite however many brash callers on WEEI exclaim how Bill will have [young QB X]’s head spinning, history suggests the exact opposite. As a game plan team, the Patriots tend to play those unknowns as straight up as possible, particularly when you are talking about a mobile unknown. At that point it is a vanilla city. Few blitzes, minimal stunting, basic coverages, stay in your rush lane to avoid giving up a big scramble. Unknown QBs have been Bill’s non-Shannahan Kryptonite. Yes, they win most of them (same as they do against any QB) but we can all recall plenty of “how’d the hell they allow 250 yards to that guy?!” games. And when those games happen early in the season, one with a rookie head coach? Yowza. The 2011 defense would have left two ROTY campaigns trailing in its wake.
You also can’t overlook the fact that the Jets had sixteen – sixteen! – possessions last night. And that they were often back on the field before moseying over for a Gatorade break. NE’s offense only had one drive the entire game last longer than three minutes; the 6 play, 14 yard conquest that rolled 3:15 off the clock before NY’s final drive. Seriously, read that again. Does anyone think that the Patriots win that game the past three years even against Geno Smith? I don’t.
I know we won’t know what they really have until going through the NFCS gauntlet that awaits in a few weeks. But I feel confident in already saying that this is the best unit NE has had for a while now. :dbanana:
That said, as the title suggests, I’m about to embark on a quest to demonstrate that this might not be representative of how the 2013 season will play out.
Already down their top 5 receiving targets from last year, NE lost their two best receiving weapons from the Bills game and their only currently viable TE receiving threat. Tack on the fact that NY’s front seven is legit – the main reason why I predicted they would surprise people with an 8 win season – and you have the perfect storm for this offense. No run game, no TEs, limited RB receiving options… the only thing left were the wide receivers. Not only were we talking about green WRs, but green WRs who hardly even practiced for the game! NE’s total preparation for Jets amounted to two walk-throughs. In retrospect, is it really a surprise that NE looked good for a drive and then went down the tubes? Those were probably the only plays they were able to get down.
None of this excuses the drops, of course. And maybe it would be harder to find a positive slant had the Jets drove for a game-winning TD at the end, but I did find it encouraging that Dobson was getting open regularly. For a guy who was last seen struggling to find headroom in a secondary of insurance salesmen and UPS drivers, he handled the jam cleanly and was able to get behind his defender often.
The misfire on 3rd and 14 particularly stood out for me. Aaron got past his CB easily enough, but that wasn’t the impressive part. After getting behind the defenders (two of them including the other LB who tried to pick him up as well) the safety came over and Dobson put a subtle move on that had him biting up, only to see Aaron blow right past him. It was the first time I’ve seen him make that kind of quick-twitch move instead of the lazy doubles that weren’t fooling anyone in the preseason.
Now, it is possible that making that stutter was what led him to be ever-so-slightly behind the pass instead of running right underneath it. But just knowing he has that in his bag of tricks makes me feel more confident than I was a week ago.
Of course, it wasn’t just Dobson that was struggling. Thompkins had an ugly drop (though it wouldn’t have converted the 3rd even if he got it) and failed to come up with several others as well. The overturned TD is probably the most memorable, and one can hardly fault Kenbrell for his effort there, but it is worth pointing out because it demonstrates another piece that was lacking last night, the timing between Brady and the receivers. Just like the rookies need time to acclimate to genuine NFL speed, it is going to take time for Brady to get used to his new toys in real games as well. Maybe once they are another 30 targets in, Tom takes a little off that throw and Thompkins doesn’t need to make an impossible catch.
I also think it is worth pointing out that Kenbrell looked more comfortable this week than he did in Buffalo. Maybe it was just a case of being at home, but if it was more a matter of adjusting to real bullets, that’s a positive sign, particularly when you consider that the team probably got limited film review of that game in, something that this long weekend affords them plenty of time for. Dobson looked to be having a similar first go of it as Thompkins did, so hopefully we’ll see an uptick from him as well.
Some of this will settle once a few bodies return. Edelman isn’t a #1 target, but as a #3-#4 afterthought with Gronk, Amendola and Vereen on the field? He can do some damage. That would also allow the youngsters to slide into complimentary roles that suit their strengths. For now, though, we need to grasp as positives, hoping that they are good omens and accelerating lessons for the rookies.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A note on the defense: I know there are reasons to discredit what they’ve done so far. Neither the Bills nor the Jets look to be offensive juggernauts, rookie QBs, etc. That said, despite however many brash callers on WEEI exclaim how Bill will have [young QB X]’s head spinning, history suggests the exact opposite. As a game plan team, the Patriots tend to play those unknowns as straight up as possible, particularly when you are talking about a mobile unknown. At that point it is a vanilla city. Few blitzes, minimal stunting, basic coverages, stay in your rush lane to avoid giving up a big scramble. Unknown QBs have been Bill’s non-Shannahan Kryptonite. Yes, they win most of them (same as they do against any QB) but we can all recall plenty of “how’d the hell they allow 250 yards to that guy?!” games. And when those games happen early in the season, one with a rookie head coach? Yowza. The 2011 defense would have left two ROTY campaigns trailing in its wake.
You also can’t overlook the fact that the Jets had sixteen – sixteen! – possessions last night. And that they were often back on the field before moseying over for a Gatorade break. NE’s offense only had one drive the entire game last longer than three minutes; the 6 play, 14 yard conquest that rolled 3:15 off the clock before NY’s final drive. Seriously, read that again. Does anyone think that the Patriots win that game the past three years even against Geno Smith? I don’t.
I know we won’t know what they really have until going through the NFCS gauntlet that awaits in a few weeks. But I feel confident in already saying that this is the best unit NE has had for a while now. :dbanana:
at:
