Observations and Questions From Pittsburgh Game

[The Gr8est]

Hopefully this will be a thread to continue these observations and discussion ;

1) Danny Woodhead – Kind of a forgotten man this year. I know he had an injury, but he has been used less than last year, and yesterday. Some of his work went to Kevin Faulk.

2) Kick off returner – Kind of continues the discussion of Woodhead. I don’t know who the answer is for our kickoff returner, but Woodhead doesn’t look like the answer. Matt Slater and Stevan Ridley have failed to impress in this role.

3) What is up with our running game? We used it to good advantage to close out the Rats, and it looked like we were going to emphasize it more, then….? Unsurprisingly Shane Vereen was inactive, but where was Stevan Ridley? I had to check and see if he was active; I don’t know why we aren’t using him more.

4) As has already been mentioned in other threads. There is no reason to continue with the Chad Ochocinco experiment. It has failed. Give his reps to Taylor Price and Julian Edelman; guys who may have a future here. I still hold out realistic hopes that Price can become a player for us. Too bad the refs didn’t call the blatant PI against him on the long pass attempt.

5) I saw Sebastian Vollmer getting beat a lot yesterday. Now we know he has been dealing with a back injury, and there may have been some rust as well, but did anyone else miss seeing more of Nate Solder yesterday? Assuming that Seabass rights the ship, I wonder if soon we may see Solder get a start at LT over Light……

6) Was yesterday just an uncharacteristically bad game by the coaches, or is this a sign of things to come. The failure to challenge Gronk’s apparent TD cost the Pats badly needed time. The decision to try the onside kick was not only horribly executed, but it was arguable whether it was even a sound decision. Imagine if the Pats still had the minute or so that was lost by not getting Gronk’s TD.
For a team that has always been ready to handle even unlikely situations, they looked poorly prepared at the end of yesterday’s game.

7) I like Gostkowski, but I don’t love Gostkowski. Does anyone else feel like he is a very good kicker, just not among the very top kickers?

8) This CBA with the lessening of padded practices has made the NFL an inferior product. The poor tackling seems epidemic league wide and is maddening.

9) We already knew Ryan Clark was a dirty player after his hit a couple of years ago on Welker, but after yesterday’s out of bounds helmet to helmet hit on Gronkowski, there is no excuse for not suspending him for about four games. If the NFL is serious about player safety then this demands a response from the league.

 

[PatrietteAz]

I am really pissed to learn that players basically are not allowed to practice much during the bye week which takes a LOT of what the bye week does for teams away as evidenced in what we are seeing this year. NFLPA in effect has actually created issues for the health of their members in that practice and working out helps them stay strong and efficient and have LESS injuries. It also is a hit to us fans in that we get to see a FAR inferior product and teams coming off a bye are at a big disadvantage. Thanks for only caring about money and ruining a game that was good as it was. Well done. *smirk*

 

[HSanders]

2) I'm not normally one to say "Pats got rid of X look what he's doing there..wahhhh". That said, yesterday was a particularly tough day to watch Brandon Tate get a return TD.

5) Think Solder was in there @ RT late instead of Vollmer but he (Vollmer) had a horrible game yesterday and so did Mankins who has pissed me off all year.

7) I try not to judge kickers too harshly on how they kick on LD FGs at that rotten stadium. I think he's a top kicker. I trust him. Think about how often he has a chance to be the difference. Not with this offense (usually) that Ghost has been the PK for. Think that's why AV was so revered. He was clutch and they NEEDED that with those efficient but not splashy offenses they had for the most part when he was a Pat. The last SB they won, they won by 3 but since the O was awesome, balanced, tough, etc they were up 10 already and and the D sealed it after giving up that TD late. Historically Ghost is more accurate than AV. And yeah I know HISTORICALLY Vanderjerk at that time was the most accurate kicker, but he wasn't clutch. I say Ghost hasn't gotten the chances to be clutch so I can't knock him for it until he proves it either way.

8) Agreed. There are few things that I hate under the Goodell era more than losing NFLE but the new CBA stuff about padded practices and bye practices are right up there.

9) I DESPISE Clark..DESPISE HIM...and have for years. It's worse if you watch FT and listen to him criticize players for a living then he whines about the Pats NOT RESPECTING them though they have never said a bad word about Pitt that I know of. There are few things I LOATHE more than I do hypocrites and "do as I say not as I do" people. Yes those hits were dirty, Troy P gets some dirties in there too though I don't hate him.

 

[PatsFanLisa]

Hopefully this will be a tread to continue these observations and discussion ;

1) Danny Woodhead – Kind of a forgotten man this year. I know he had an injury, but he has been used less than last year, and yesterday. Some of his work went to Kevin Faulk.

Woodhead is not being used as he was in the past. The kid manages to squeak under players, and yesterday would have been a prime opportunity for him.

2) Kick off returner – Kind of continues the discussion of Woodhead. I don’t know who the answer is for our kickoff returner, but Woodhead doesn’t look like the answer. Matt Slater and Stevan Ridley have failed to impress in this role.

I'm at a loss here. Maybe Ridley?

3) What is up with our running game? We used it to good advantage to close out the Rats, and it looked like we were going to emphasize it more, then….? Unsurprisingly Shane Vereen was inactive, but where was Stevan Ridley? I had to check and see if he was active; I don’t know why we aren’t using him more.

An OC that doesn't adjust properly or call the right plays.

4) As has already been mentioned in other threads. There is no reason to continue with the Chad Ochocinco experiment. It has failed. Give his reps to Taylor Price and Julian Edelman; guys who may have a future here. I still hold out realistic hopes that Price can become a player for us. Too bad the refs didn’t call the blatant PI against him on the long pass attempt.

It looked like it to me, too. I had heard rumblings of Price not being able to grasp the playbook. He showed flashes of greatness with his speed in preseason. Time to ramp it up.

5) I saw Sebastian Vollmer getting beat a lot yesterday. Now we know he has been dealing with a back injury, and there may have been some rust as well, but did anyone else miss seeing more of Nate Solder yesterday? Assuming that Seabass rights the ship, I wonder if soon we may see Solder get a start at LT over Light……

Vollmer looked horrible yesterday. As bad as I've seen.

6) Was yesterday just an uncharacteristically bad game by the coaches, or is this a sign of things to come. The failure to challenge Gronk’s apparent TD cost the Pats badly needed time. The decision to try the onside kick was not only horribly executed, but it was arguable whether it was even a sound decision. Imagine if the Pats still had the minute or so that was lost by not getting Gronk’s TD.

BB didn't challenge it because they couldn't get the replay in the booth. Didn't want to waste a timeout with only a few minutes left. Had he challenged it, it would have been overturned and saved a minute on the clock.

MD pointed out to me that the correct call should have been a TD by the refs, which automatically would have been reviewed. So much for good officiating right there.
For a team that has always been ready to handle even unlikely situations, they looked poorly prepared at the end of yesterday’s game.

7) I like Gostkowski, but I don’t love Gostkowski. Does anyone else feel like he is a very good kicker, just not among the very top kickers?

I think he's up there.

8) This CBA with the lessening of padded practices has made the NFL an inferior product. The poor tackling seems epidemic league wide and is maddening.

The players wanted this in the CBA under the guise of keeping players healthier longer. The result is we're seeing more players getting serious injuries and staying out of the game longer or season-ending. They got what they wanted and never thought about the consequences.

9) We already knew Ryan Clark was a dirty player after his hit a couple of years ago on Welker, but after yesterday’s out of bounds helmet to helmet hit on Gronkowski, there is no excuse for not suspending him for about four games. If the NFL is serious about player safety then this demands a response from the league.

Ryan Clark is a dirty POS, always has been, and should have been disciplined after the hit on Welker. His play yesterday was disgusting, along with Foote's.

 

[PatrietteAz]

And further what will it look like after week 10 when they can't practice in pads at all..do I understand that correctly?

 

[midgar8784]

And further what will it look like after week 10 when they can't practice in pads at all..do I understand that correctly?

I think it is why Bye weeks have been such a joke this year. Teams are 3-9 after the bye. Basically you get too much time off and you get out of sync, when before, you get in more practices and are just a rested ready team. yesterday, the pats looked like a team, that had not played in 2 weeks.

 

[PatrietteAz]

I think it is why Bye weeks have been such a joke this year. Teams are 3-9 after the bye. Basically you get too much time off and you get out of sync, when before, you get in more practices and are just a rested ready team. yesterday, the pats looked like a team, that had not played in 2 weeks.

I kept wondering why Stevan Ridley was posting about his trip back "home" for most of the bye week and wasn't in Foxboro working! So I blame Louisiana.

 

[bideau]

MD pointed out to me that the correct call should have been a TD by the refs, which automatically would have been reviewed. So much for good officiating right there.

The big problem with the new "review every TD" rule is that it 100% favors the team on defense. The offensive team will never challenge a TD, so the only team that can benefit from the new rule is the defensive team.

There should be some judgement allowed for the officials in the booth to review an official's call which prevents a TD as well as those that awarded the TD. Basically, all end zone plays should be reviewable.

 

[HSanders]

PAZ think it's 14 times allowed in week 1-17 with only one time allowed of twice per week and with 11 of those padded practices having to be in week 1-11. Playoffs are 1x/week.

 

[The Gr8est]

10) I have never seen as many offsetting penalties as I have seen this year. What is up with that? Yesterday, we saw a flag on an obvious hands to the face/holding on Gerard Warren, so it is essentially a free play for the defense. Then Chungs commits the PI and they replay the down.

Is that just a boneheaded play by Chung or something more? If a defensive player jumps offsides it is a free play for the offense with no downside for the offense. Maybe I am just frustrated that Chung gave away the advantage on that play, but the offense really got bailed out on a play that was doomed for them to start. Are the referees looking more for offsetting penalties this year?

 

[Skellington]

I really wish that they would not only review TDs but also review any play that is close to the goal line that could be a TD.

That would make it much more fair for both sides.

 

[grog]

Just a thought, but if Price and Ocho can't grasp the playbook, and if CJ and other before them couldn't either, maybe the fault is in the playbook. These guys all had a lot of talent coming to the Pats, or so it seemed. Could it be that instead of criticising these guys for being dumb and dumber, maybe we should be looking at different plays/reads that they could understand and use their talents. Isn't that the hallmark of the Pats, putting people in position to succeed. Just a thought as I contemplate why they haven't cut Ocho yet.

 

[midgar8784]

Just a thought, but if Price and Ocho can't grasp the playbook, and if CJ and other before them couldn't either, maybe the fault is in the playbook. These guys all had a lot of talent coming to the Pats, or so it seemed. Could it be that instead of criticising these guys for being dumb and dumber, maybe we should be looking at different plays/reads that they could understand and use their talents. Isn't that the hallmark of the Pats, putting people in position to succeed. Just a thought as I contemplate why they haven't cut Ocho yet.

I am just not sure about the grasping the playbook thing. I mean Ocho is flat out running crappy routes, I just think its execution with him. That stumbling go route he ran yesterday was abysmal. I mean to me they have to get Price in and flat out work him into practice and see what he has. Other parts of the offense are pretty in sync for the most part, its time to really pay more attention to that part of the offense, because I really wish we had a better option to stretch the field because teams are taking advantage of it.

 

[EasyBigFella]

Observations: Coaches have bad days, too

Bump in the road.

 

[mikiemo83]

Observations: Coaches have bad days, too

Bump in the road.

I agree



and Zooey longs for me

 

[PatsFanLisa]

I actually have a question about a play yesterday that I'm still not clear on.

Polamalu slapped the ball, which was an illegal move. In doing so, it ended up in the end zone. So how is that a safety? If the play itself is illegal, how can they score points from it?

 

[TommyD420]

I actually have a question about a play yesterday that I'm still not clear on.

Polamalu slapped the ball, which was an illegal move. In doing so, it ended up in the end zone. So how is that a safety? If the play itself is illegal, how can they score points from it?

A ref has to throw a flag to make it illegal.

 

[midgar8784]

I actually have a question about a play yesterday that I'm still not clear on.

Polamalu slapped the ball, which was an illegal move. In doing so, it ended up in the end zone. So how is that a safety? If the play itself is illegal, how can they score points from it?

Because a flag was not thrown on the play to indicate it was illegal.

 

[Defsoul]

2) Kick off returner – Kind of continues the discussion of Woodhead. I don’t know who the answer is for our kickoff returner, but Woodhead doesn’t look like the answer. Matt Slater and Stevan Ridley have failed to impress in this role.

I thought that Edelman looked like our best return men, whether he returned kicks or punts. He has the highest average for kick and punt returns on the team, but they are only slightly better than the numbers of Welker and Ridley.

 

[TommyD420]

I thought that Edelman looked like our best return men, whether he returned kicks or punts. He has the highest average for kick and punt returns on the team, but they are only slightly better than the numbers of Welker and Ridley.

The Patriots have never won a playoff game with Julian Edelman on the roster. Fact.