Things to consider while wishing Danny Woodhead’s “Elusiveness” rating of 100 in Madden 2012 extended to punt coverage as well:
*I try my damnedest not to reach any sort of conclusions about anything that happens in any preseason game. But so far in the 2011 Fauxball season, the Pats aren’t making it easy. In both games, on both sides of the ball, they’ve rolled over people like the Marines over the Na’vi.
*And the best develop of all, by far, is the play of the new-look front 7. And no one looks like they’re going to benefit from it more than Jerod Mayo. I already contend he’s the most underappreciated player in football because he doesn’t endorse stuff, doesn’t Tweet, doesn’t do some crazy, attention-grabbing nonsense in pregame intros like a guy having a diabetic seizure. He just plays football and when he’s not playing football, he’s doing film study. And he led the league in tackles by a margin of like 25. But the knock on him has been that his tackles aren’t impactful, game-changer types. That he sort of hangs back and picks up tackles like a work release prisoner picking up trash by the highway. Well now that he’s at the Will spot… still sporting the green dot by the way… it seems like he’s been let off the leash to shoot gaps, come around the edge and penetrate. If that IS the plan, then so far so good.
*There’s no telling how much this is a change in the Hooded One’s philosophy, an adjustment to the league adjusting to the 3-4, or if he’s just playing to the strength of his personnel, but it’s hard not to be falling in love with it so far. Especially what it does for the DEs, notably Anderson, Carter and Moore. I didn’t see a lot of the Pats sending extra bodies or running stunts or anything. Those guys were just defeating 1-on-1 blocks. The thought of seeing what they can do when (if?) Haynesworth gets in there is giving me priapism.
*The added benefit of the pressure up front was seeing the corners and star (the Pats name for the slot cover guy) playing up tight, which is a welcome change to those of us sick of watching them lining up off people like they were abiding by restraining orders. I’d love nothing more than to be halfway through the year and declaring this a “Don’t Break But Don’t Bend Either” defense like they had 2003-04.
*According to today’s Globe, if you add up pressures, hurries, sacks, TFLs and offensive penalties, the Pats defense was disruptive on 24 of Tampa’s 28 pass attempts. Schwing.
*We’ve got two more of these games, and I’m absolutely going to make up cards for a “Randy Cross Stupid Comment Bingo” game. “Let’s see, I’ve got ‘It’s about the length of a basketball, or 3/4 of football…’ I’ve got ‘Misuse of the word “literally”.’ All I need is ‘The Detroit Lions are a GREAT team…’ Ooh! I got it! Bingo! I’ve got Randy Stupidity Bingo!”
*While I hate to be a buzzkill, I’m starting to run out of hope for Darius Butler. Again, he’s probably a good kid and he’s an insane athlete, but he simply doesn’t cover well. One play he breaks up a pass, and the very next one he gives a ginormous cushion for a long 3rd down conversion, a play which has defined his career. In the 4th quarter he mistimed a jump and while he was on the way down watched helplessly as the ball went over his hands for a 30-something yard completion. I won’t give up yet, but I feel like a Democrat waiting for Obama to get his crap together.
*The last time Bret Lockett’s groin got pulled that bad he was sexting Kim Kardashian.
*I’m not one to get all caught up in seeing the starters in preseason. We know what they can do. I’d prefer to see the new faces before they’re all put on the taxi squad or ride the bench. Still it’s hard to argue against seeing that kind of output from the first unit. And as far as I can tell, this was some pretty basic stuff. Barely doing 4th grade long division where by now they’re usually up to freshman calculus at least. Mostly 1-back sets. What they call 1-Out Slot or 0-Out Slot alignments. Very little in the way of empty sets, 3x1s or bunch formations. And only a few guys in motion as I can recall. It might not be pure vanilla but it’s not much more than vanilla with rainbow jimmies.
*My brother Jack called halfway through the 1st and pretty much drew up the charter for the Will Yeatman Fan Club. All I knew coming into the game is he’s Belichick project; a lacrosse player from Maryland and big specimen. But I came away from this one thinking he might be the answer to the biggest riddle of camp thus far: Why did they let Alge Crumpler go? Yeatman looks quick, seems like he can pull, threw some great blocks including a trap block out of the H-back spot that got Stevan Ridley (I think) down to the 1. He’ll be someone to keep an eye on.
*One of the great parts of these games is watching how Zolak deals with Randy Cross’ stupid mistakes. Like when Cross goes on through 3 replays saying Myron Pryor drew a holding call when we can all see it was Andre Carter, Zo pipes in with “Pryor was great on the play. And there you see Carter draw the penalty…” They must have meetings ahead of time where they go over how to correct Randy like he’s a SPED kid.
*Another guy Jack was talking up was OG Thomas Austin. Though to be honest, nothing he did jumped off the TV screen at me. In case he does make it, I’ll start preparing as many Stone Cold references as I can.
*As ridiculously efficient as the 1st offense was, my favorite play didn’t even count. Inside the Bucs’ 10, they ran an overloaded line with Gronk, Yeatman and Hernandez left. They then had Solder pull and ran a counter/ jab play. Kate Middleton didn’t have as wide an aisle to walk down as Green-Ellis did, going in untouched. It was called back for a hold, but it’s something else for opposing DCs to think about.
*Solder showed the first signs of his lack of upper body strength costing him, giving up a sack on an inside bull rush. No huge surprise there as it was assumed he’d have to bulk up at this level.
*Adrian Clayborn was my Pats pre-draft binkie, so I like the guy. But there is nothing in the NFL so cheap as a team painting “Clayborn’s Corner” or whatever the sign said on the end zone wall before he’s ever played a snap in the league. That kind of thing has to be organic, made by fans on bedsheets because they like the guy. Crap like that makes the 16-0 banner look like the Stanley Cup.
*Ryan Mallett threw a pick-6 on one of those pure dumb rookie throws you can always count on a new guy making. Tampa was in quarters coverage, everyone playing deep. Jeremy Ross (I think) broke off his route and sat under the zone, but Mallett read it like it was Middle of the Field Open (MOFO) and threw a post. Fortunately that won’t be our problem for at least another 10 years. I’m right about that, right? 10 years?
*No knock on the guy because he’s impossible not to root for, but I’m guessing no booster from Brown ever gave Buddy Farnham a check for $50,000.
*Quote of the Day, also from the Globe: “Belichick is through screwing around,’’ said the NFC executive. “What we saw tonight, if that’s the way they continue to go into the season, is a complete departure from what we saw last season. They’re not reacting. They’re dictating.’’
Now if you’ll pardon me, that quote and I are going to stroke each other’s hair while we cuddle. @JerryThornton1
:rockon: 
