The Pats capitalized on some early blunders by the Chargers to get out in front for most of this game. However, lack some situational awareness and a soft defense allowed the Chargers to climb their way back into this game and make it a nail-biter. In the end, the Pats did just enough and hung on to win, 23-20.
Offense
Tom Brady did not look sharp for the 2nd straight week and had accuracy issues. Part of that may have resulted from poor pass protection and not being able to step into his throws. There were a few occasions where his throws landed at the feet of his receivers.
The left side of the offensive line appeared to struggle in this game. Light once again got victimized by speedy edge rushers. Brady seemed to be pressured all game long and did not have much time make his reads.
In addition to not being to pass block very well, the offensive line also struggled in creating holes in the run game. The Pats only rushed for about 50 yards.
Considering the lack of success running the ball all game, it was horrible execution on the 4th and 1 attempt at the end of the game. That play had no chance. I respect Belichick's aggressiveness in certain situations and I understand that a conversion there would essentially end the game. But at some point, you're going to have to punt the ball one day and trust that your young defense can come up with a stop.
Defense
After the Pats failed to convert on 4th down, the Chargers were left with a short field to get into FG range. However, the young defense was up to the task and did just enough to force the Chargers to try a 45-yard FG. Thankfully, a false start penalty pushed them back another 5 yards and the rest is history.
The defense was very opportunistic in this game. Early in the game, they forced a fumble and gathered two additional fumbles from mental lapses by the Chargers. It was a heads-up play by Sanders to dive on the ball left behind by an untouched WR.
The Pats also did a good job of containing Gates for most of the game. He was pretty much a non-factor until the coverage started to soften up late in the game. I hate seeing soft zone coverages late in games but I know it's designed to prevent giving up long plays.
Speaking of containing, the Pats did a good job in limiting the Chargers to only 38 rush yards. It forced the Chargers to be one dimensional. However, Rivers made the most of his opportunities and threw for a ton of yards. He was able to drive his team down the field way too easily, especially late in the game. The Pats need to tighten up their defense and not allow as many 4th quarter points (17).
McCourty continues to impress in his rookie year and came down with a textbook interception. He had great position on his man, turned back at the right time to locate the ball, and made an athletic play to snatch the ball at its highest point. What a great pick in this year's draft! Dez, who?
Special Teams
Gostkowski had another good game on a very windy day. He was perfect on his 3 FG tries and he added another touchback.
It's a bad thing when long snappers get noticed and this was no exception. Jake Ingram had several low snaps which could have been disastrous. It was a good thing that Mesko was able to handle them and still get his punts off.
The Pats had a huge mental lapse allowing the Chargers to recover an onside-kick late in the game. The lack of situational awareness was not typical for a Belichick-coached team. Hopefully these young guys will learn from this and not repeat these types of mistakes in future games.
Other Thoughts
Overall, it was an ugly game but I'll take the W. The offense struggled badly for most of this game but they did enough to score against a very stingy defense. The defense was opportunistic and made the required plays on the Chargers' miscues.
The Chargers must be one of the dumbest teams in the league. They are routinely beating themselves with unforced fumbles and untimely penalties. They definitely deserve their 2-5 record.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thoughts after Week 6, Ravens vs. Patriots
Once again the Patriots continued to play well late in games and showed us a lot of determination by coming back from a 10-point 4th quarter deficit to pull out a 23-20 win in OT against the Ravens.
Offense
Overall, I think the play-calling this week was a little more creative than we've seen in several years. It was good to seeing end-arounds to offset the aggressiveness of the Ravens' defense.
Brady's performance was a little uneven. He seemed to struggle at first with the Ravens dropping more players into coverage. His first INT came as a result of an overthrow into this added coverage. He also seemed to be struggling a bit with his mechanics as he short-hopped a few throws.
However, Brady is a winner and he was at his best when it mattered most. He surgically marched his team down the field to score 10 points to tie the game in the 4th quarter. Then he orchestrated the final drive to get into FG range to win the game.
Admittedly, I was not initially sold on having an older, often-injured former WR back with the Pats. But I stand corrected and it was great seeing the legendary "chemistry" that Brady and Branch seem to have. Branch had a great game and he looked very smooth coming in and out of his breaks. He fought hard to hang onto certain catches which I'm sure Moss wouldn't have done.
Woodhead continues to produce in his role as a 3rd-down back. The Ravens seemed to have difficulty locating him on several occasions and he was able to squirt forward for chunks of yardage late in the game. His lack of size concerns me in pass protection but he is so much more dynamic than Faulk.
The only real negative from this game was there were a lot of drops. In particular, Hernandez had two horrible drops in OT which could have cost the Patriots the game. I'm really hoping that he bounces back from this and learns to keep his nerves in check.
Defense
The defense appears to be getting better at game-planning and making adjustments. In particular, the Pats loaded 8 or 9 guys in the box to stuff the run and dare Flacco to beat them. Ray Rice had to fight hard for every yard he gained.
However, Flacco looked pretty good for most of the game taking what was given to him. He was able to move the ball rather easily with short dump-offs and intermediate throws.
The Pats did a good job of stuffing runs on early downs and putting the Ravens into long 3rd down situations. However, the Pats continued to struggle in getting off of the field for most of the game.
I think toward the end of the game though, the Ravens got conservative and continued to try to run against the loaded front. I guess they still don't trust Flacco late in games. The Pats were able to close on RBs coming out of the backfield and force the Ravens to punt. As a result, the Ravens struggled to score late in the game.
I really enjoyed the increased physicality of the Patriots players and I think it rivals teams like the Ravens and Steelers. However, Meriweather needs to be smarter because these illegal hits will not only get flagged, but someone could get seriously hurt.
Special Teams
The Patriots' special teams were solid all-around in this game. Gostkowski hit on all 3 FG attempts which included the game-winner in OT. He was also got good distance on kickoffs and got a fair share of touchbacks.
Mesko was a beast! The Patriots had to punt from deep within their own territory and it was all but assumed that the Ravens would get the ball back in great field position. Then out of nowhere, Mesko kicks a monster 65-yard punt which flipped the field and took the Ravens all the way back to their own 19-yard line. The Patriots were able to force a punt after that and the rest is history.
Other Thoughts
This game shows how much difference a great QB can have on the outcome of a game. Flacco was badly stuffed on a QB sneak because he tried to sneak it right into the teeth of the defense. Flacco was not trusted to throw the ball late in the game so they ran the ball a lot. In contrast, Brady was able to calmly lead his team from 10 points down to tie the game and eventually win it in OT.
Offense
Overall, I think the play-calling this week was a little more creative than we've seen in several years. It was good to seeing end-arounds to offset the aggressiveness of the Ravens' defense.
Brady's performance was a little uneven. He seemed to struggle at first with the Ravens dropping more players into coverage. His first INT came as a result of an overthrow into this added coverage. He also seemed to be struggling a bit with his mechanics as he short-hopped a few throws.
However, Brady is a winner and he was at his best when it mattered most. He surgically marched his team down the field to score 10 points to tie the game in the 4th quarter. Then he orchestrated the final drive to get into FG range to win the game.
Admittedly, I was not initially sold on having an older, often-injured former WR back with the Pats. But I stand corrected and it was great seeing the legendary "chemistry" that Brady and Branch seem to have. Branch had a great game and he looked very smooth coming in and out of his breaks. He fought hard to hang onto certain catches which I'm sure Moss wouldn't have done.
Woodhead continues to produce in his role as a 3rd-down back. The Ravens seemed to have difficulty locating him on several occasions and he was able to squirt forward for chunks of yardage late in the game. His lack of size concerns me in pass protection but he is so much more dynamic than Faulk.
The only real negative from this game was there were a lot of drops. In particular, Hernandez had two horrible drops in OT which could have cost the Patriots the game. I'm really hoping that he bounces back from this and learns to keep his nerves in check.
Defense
The defense appears to be getting better at game-planning and making adjustments. In particular, the Pats loaded 8 or 9 guys in the box to stuff the run and dare Flacco to beat them. Ray Rice had to fight hard for every yard he gained.
However, Flacco looked pretty good for most of the game taking what was given to him. He was able to move the ball rather easily with short dump-offs and intermediate throws.
The Pats did a good job of stuffing runs on early downs and putting the Ravens into long 3rd down situations. However, the Pats continued to struggle in getting off of the field for most of the game.
I think toward the end of the game though, the Ravens got conservative and continued to try to run against the loaded front. I guess they still don't trust Flacco late in games. The Pats were able to close on RBs coming out of the backfield and force the Ravens to punt. As a result, the Ravens struggled to score late in the game.
I really enjoyed the increased physicality of the Patriots players and I think it rivals teams like the Ravens and Steelers. However, Meriweather needs to be smarter because these illegal hits will not only get flagged, but someone could get seriously hurt.
Special Teams
The Patriots' special teams were solid all-around in this game. Gostkowski hit on all 3 FG attempts which included the game-winner in OT. He was also got good distance on kickoffs and got a fair share of touchbacks.
Mesko was a beast! The Patriots had to punt from deep within their own territory and it was all but assumed that the Ravens would get the ball back in great field position. Then out of nowhere, Mesko kicks a monster 65-yard punt which flipped the field and took the Ravens all the way back to their own 19-yard line. The Patriots were able to force a punt after that and the rest is history.
Other Thoughts
This game shows how much difference a great QB can have on the outcome of a game. Flacco was badly stuffed on a QB sneak because he tried to sneak it right into the teeth of the defense. Flacco was not trusted to throw the ball late in the game so they ran the ball a lot. In contrast, Brady was able to calmly lead his team from 10 points down to tie the game and eventually win it in OT.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Randy Moss Trade
The Patriots have just completed two trades involving WRs during this past bye week which has caused quite a stir in Patriots Nation. The timing of the Randy Moss trade seems fishy. Here are my thoughts:
On its surface, I really hate this trade. The Pats are significantly less dangerous without Moss because his mere presence stretched opposing defenses. Without Moss, opposing safeties no longer have to respect the deep ball and cheat up against the run and underneath throws.
It was unlikely for the Pats to extend Moss during the regular season. Moss was in a contract year and he typically produces in contract years (e.g., 2007). It was likely Moss would walk after this year and the Pats would have been awarded a 3rd round compensatory pick in the NFL 2012 draft.
So why trade your best downfield receiver? Why would you significantly downgrade your team in the short-term for an unknown return in the long-term? Why would you trade a highly productive player who was motivated to earn his last big pay day for only a 3rd round pick in the NFL 2011 draft when you could have used his services for the rest of the season and received a 3rd round pick anyways?
The Pats got a 3rd round pick in next year's draft as opposed to 2 years from now. It's a year sooner but that's not a good enough reason...
The only logical reason is the Pats had to. Moss demanded a trade after the first game of the season. This makes sense considering the odd timing of his press conference. Moss was unhappy and he was becoming a distraction. He had to put up numbers to get a lucrative deal after this season and he knew he wouldn't get those numbers in this system. He was unhappy being a decoy. He was unhappy that the offense did not revolve around him.
Reports came out that Moss got into an argument with the offensive coordinator, Bill O'Brien, and that there were tense moments on the flight back from Miami. There may have been other incidents but the Pats rarely let things like that out.
So the Pats had no choice but to move him and to do it quickly. The Pats only got a 3rd round pick in return so I think either there weren't many teams interested in Moss or the Pats needed to just get the deal done quickly before Moss drove down his trade value with more diva antics. It was the bye week so the Pats were also probably motivated to get more practices in to adjust to life without Randy.
Moss is officially gone now. I won't miss him alligator-arming passes over the middle and his pathetic attempts at run-blocking. Even though he's lost a step and no longer gets separation from defenders, he still has the unique ability to catch deep balls and make them look routine. Oh Randy...we could have been great together.
On its surface, I really hate this trade. The Pats are significantly less dangerous without Moss because his mere presence stretched opposing defenses. Without Moss, opposing safeties no longer have to respect the deep ball and cheat up against the run and underneath throws.
It was unlikely for the Pats to extend Moss during the regular season. Moss was in a contract year and he typically produces in contract years (e.g., 2007). It was likely Moss would walk after this year and the Pats would have been awarded a 3rd round compensatory pick in the NFL 2012 draft.
So why trade your best downfield receiver? Why would you significantly downgrade your team in the short-term for an unknown return in the long-term? Why would you trade a highly productive player who was motivated to earn his last big pay day for only a 3rd round pick in the NFL 2011 draft when you could have used his services for the rest of the season and received a 3rd round pick anyways?
The Pats got a 3rd round pick in next year's draft as opposed to 2 years from now. It's a year sooner but that's not a good enough reason...
The only logical reason is the Pats had to. Moss demanded a trade after the first game of the season. This makes sense considering the odd timing of his press conference. Moss was unhappy and he was becoming a distraction. He had to put up numbers to get a lucrative deal after this season and he knew he wouldn't get those numbers in this system. He was unhappy being a decoy. He was unhappy that the offense did not revolve around him.
Reports came out that Moss got into an argument with the offensive coordinator, Bill O'Brien, and that there were tense moments on the flight back from Miami. There may have been other incidents but the Pats rarely let things like that out.
So the Pats had no choice but to move him and to do it quickly. The Pats only got a 3rd round pick in return so I think either there weren't many teams interested in Moss or the Pats needed to just get the deal done quickly before Moss drove down his trade value with more diva antics. It was the bye week so the Pats were also probably motivated to get more practices in to adjust to life without Randy.
Moss is officially gone now. I won't miss him alligator-arming passes over the middle and his pathetic attempts at run-blocking. Even though he's lost a step and no longer gets separation from defenders, he still has the unique ability to catch deep balls and make them look routine. Oh Randy...we could have been great together.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
S and J's Wedding
Congratulations to S.I. and J.W. for a wonderful wedding this past Saturday. I have known S.I. since high school and it was a privilege and an honor to serve as one of the groomsmen (there were 7 total!). I wish you two a lifetime of happiness and I hope you guys have children soon that Daniel can play with. I love you guys!
I woke up early, took a shower, and put on the tux. After picking up our friend S.Y. who was also a groomsman, we drove to S's parents' house where the groom-to-be was already waiting with some of the other groomsmen. Tary dropped us off and brought the car back home.
After about a half hour, the remaining groomsmen arrived. The Hummer limo came shortly after that. To my surprise the limo driver, Matt was the same limo driver for my wedding last year.
The limo brought us to S and J's house where the bride-to-be and her bridesmaids werewaiting plotting. In Chinese tradition, before the groom can come into the house and collect his bride, the bridesmaids play Chinese door games where they have the groom and his groomsmen perform silly and often humiliating tasks to help ease the stresses of weddings. We had to do some pretty embarrassing things so let's just move on...
After losing about 100 ego points, the girls finally let us into the house. There was a brief tea ceremony where the bride and groom served tea to their parents and relatives. In return, they are presented with various gifts such as money and jewelry. Most of the bridal party took advantage of the quiet time to snack on some dumplings sitting on the kitchen island.
After some family photos, the entire wedding party gathered into the limo. After driving around the block for good luck, we headed to the hotel in Boston. On the ride there, I got to know some of the bridesmaids a little better. In particular, Ly and Shirley were very approachable and funny.
The function hall for the ceremony was simply but elegantly decorated. Things were delayed briefly as we waited on some late-arriving relatives. I definitely had the best seat in the house standing there with the other groomsmen. I welled up as J tearfully recited her vows. Despite a "minor" mishap where one of the best men accidentally knocked over a flower vase full of water, the ceremony was beautiful and went really well.
After the ceremony, we took some pictures outside of the hall and spent some time chatting with friends and family. Then a second Hummer limo arrived and drove the wedding party to the Boston Common to take more pictures. It was a beautiful and sunny Fall day and there were several other wedding parties there as well.
The limo dropped us off at the site of the dinner reception. We helped finish setting up tables and hung some banners. Guests started to arrive so we greeted them, asked that they sign either a photograph of the couple or a decorative cloth, helped them find their place-cards, led them to have their picture taken with the newlyweds, and then escorted them to their tables. There were about 350+ guests so we were pretty exhausted afterward.
The rest of the reception went pretty smoothly. There was lots of food and dancing. The guests all appeared to have a great time. One of the more memorable moments came when one of the best men gave his speech. He shared how he always considered S.I. to be the brother he never had. It was one of those genuine moments that brought everyone within earshot to tears. Hehe, I'm such a sap...
I woke up early, took a shower, and put on the tux. After picking up our friend S.Y. who was also a groomsman, we drove to S's parents' house where the groom-to-be was already waiting with some of the other groomsmen. Tary dropped us off and brought the car back home.
After about a half hour, the remaining groomsmen arrived. The Hummer limo came shortly after that. To my surprise the limo driver, Matt was the same limo driver for my wedding last year.
The limo brought us to S and J's house where the bride-to-be and her bridesmaids were
After losing about 100 ego points, the girls finally let us into the house. There was a brief tea ceremony where the bride and groom served tea to their parents and relatives. In return, they are presented with various gifts such as money and jewelry. Most of the bridal party took advantage of the quiet time to snack on some dumplings sitting on the kitchen island.
After some family photos, the entire wedding party gathered into the limo. After driving around the block for good luck, we headed to the hotel in Boston. On the ride there, I got to know some of the bridesmaids a little better. In particular, Ly and Shirley were very approachable and funny.
The function hall for the ceremony was simply but elegantly decorated. Things were delayed briefly as we waited on some late-arriving relatives. I definitely had the best seat in the house standing there with the other groomsmen. I welled up as J tearfully recited her vows. Despite a "minor" mishap where one of the best men accidentally knocked over a flower vase full of water, the ceremony was beautiful and went really well.
After the ceremony, we took some pictures outside of the hall and spent some time chatting with friends and family. Then a second Hummer limo arrived and drove the wedding party to the Boston Common to take more pictures. It was a beautiful and sunny Fall day and there were several other wedding parties there as well.
The limo dropped us off at the site of the dinner reception. We helped finish setting up tables and hung some banners. Guests started to arrive so we greeted them, asked that they sign either a photograph of the couple or a decorative cloth, helped them find their place-cards, led them to have their picture taken with the newlyweds, and then escorted them to their tables. There were about 350+ guests so we were pretty exhausted afterward.
The rest of the reception went pretty smoothly. There was lots of food and dancing. The guests all appeared to have a great time. One of the more memorable moments came when one of the best men gave his speech. He shared how he always considered S.I. to be the brother he never had. It was one of those genuine moments that brought everyone within earshot to tears. Hehe, I'm such a sap...
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Thoughts after Week 4, Patriots vs. Dolphins
It was great to see the Patriots put up some points in the 2nd half of a game. It was even better seeing them win a meaningful road game. Finally, it was great to see them embarrass a division rival on national TV, 41-14. It was a crazy game and it goes to show how much of an impact special teams can have on a game. Everybody Patrick Chung tonight!
Offense
Overall, I think the offense was efficient. Brady spread the ball well. I don't think he had to force any throws during the game. He only finished with about 150 passing yards but that was all the team needed.
The offensive line struggled a bit with Miami's pass rushers. I get a little jealous when what a great pass rusher can do for a team. The offensive line allowed a few sacks so they'll need to get that resolved quickly.
Once again, Moss was not the focal point of the offense and he was held catchless. He seemed to get consistently double-teamed so that opened up things underneath for the other receivers. I'm sure he's not happy being just a decoy and occasionally run-blocking. In fact, he whiffed badly on his defender on a screen pass on his side.
Welker still doesn't look as explosive as he was prior to his injury. However, he was elusive enough to get open and move the chains.
Woodhead scored his second TD in as many weeks. So far, he's impressed me as a replacement for some of what Faulk did. He seems to use his lack of size well to hide behind blockers and then burst through holes when they appear.
Defense
I have mixed feelings about the defense. Miami finished with over 400 yards of offense and Henne had over 300 yards passing. There didn't appear to be much of a pass rush. Time after time, the Patriots gave up long 3rd down conversions and seemed like they could not get off of the field. After Miami drove down the field easily on their first drive to score a TD, all I could think about was, "Oh no! Here it goes again!" But it seemed that after the first drive, the Patriots made some adjustments and limited the Dolphins to only 7 more points the rest of the way.
This game reminded me of the old, bend-but-don't-break defense of the dynasty years. It's kind of maddening to watch as other teams dink-and-dunk their way down the field but it is designed to prevent the long ball and quick scores. Since offenses have to run more plays to score TDs, it gives the defense more opportunities to make a big play such as an INT.
Speaking of INTs, the defense came away with 4 INTs with 2 of them coming from OLB Rob Ninkovich. Chung returned another one for a TD.
Mayo finished with 16 tackles so he seems to be returning to pre-injury form. However, most of the tackles seemed to come after long gains so that's something to keep an eye on. I'd like for him to diagnose the play sooner and aggressively go after the ball.
Special Teams
The special teams were just that, special. Gostkowski had a very solid game. He hit both of his early FG attempts. He also got great distance on his kickoffs and 5 out of 7 of them were touchbacks. This is huge because the opposing team can't score on kickoffs if they don't even have the opportunity to bring it out of the endzone.
Speaking of kickoffs, Tate scored another kickoff TD which is his second of the year. He's been close on a number of attempts and it was fun watching him break another one. It's great knowing that on any kickoff, he has the potential of instantly turning the tide of the game.
Last but not least, Patrick Chung was a beast! He blocked a punt which resulted in a TD. He later blocked a long FG attempt which was picked up by Arrington and returned for a TD. To round out his night, he also returned an INT for another TD.
Other Thoughts
The Patriots are now tied in the division with a 3-1 record heading into the bye. The Jets still hold the tie-breaker but the season is still young. The season only gets tougher from here on out so hopefully the defense can build off this win and continue to improve.
Offense
Overall, I think the offense was efficient. Brady spread the ball well. I don't think he had to force any throws during the game. He only finished with about 150 passing yards but that was all the team needed.
The offensive line struggled a bit with Miami's pass rushers. I get a little jealous when what a great pass rusher can do for a team. The offensive line allowed a few sacks so they'll need to get that resolved quickly.
Once again, Moss was not the focal point of the offense and he was held catchless. He seemed to get consistently double-teamed so that opened up things underneath for the other receivers. I'm sure he's not happy being just a decoy and occasionally run-blocking. In fact, he whiffed badly on his defender on a screen pass on his side.
Welker still doesn't look as explosive as he was prior to his injury. However, he was elusive enough to get open and move the chains.
Woodhead scored his second TD in as many weeks. So far, he's impressed me as a replacement for some of what Faulk did. He seems to use his lack of size well to hide behind blockers and then burst through holes when they appear.
Defense
I have mixed feelings about the defense. Miami finished with over 400 yards of offense and Henne had over 300 yards passing. There didn't appear to be much of a pass rush. Time after time, the Patriots gave up long 3rd down conversions and seemed like they could not get off of the field. After Miami drove down the field easily on their first drive to score a TD, all I could think about was, "Oh no! Here it goes again!" But it seemed that after the first drive, the Patriots made some adjustments and limited the Dolphins to only 7 more points the rest of the way.
This game reminded me of the old, bend-but-don't-break defense of the dynasty years. It's kind of maddening to watch as other teams dink-and-dunk their way down the field but it is designed to prevent the long ball and quick scores. Since offenses have to run more plays to score TDs, it gives the defense more opportunities to make a big play such as an INT.
Speaking of INTs, the defense came away with 4 INTs with 2 of them coming from OLB Rob Ninkovich. Chung returned another one for a TD.
Mayo finished with 16 tackles so he seems to be returning to pre-injury form. However, most of the tackles seemed to come after long gains so that's something to keep an eye on. I'd like for him to diagnose the play sooner and aggressively go after the ball.
Special Teams
The special teams were just that, special. Gostkowski had a very solid game. He hit both of his early FG attempts. He also got great distance on his kickoffs and 5 out of 7 of them were touchbacks. This is huge because the opposing team can't score on kickoffs if they don't even have the opportunity to bring it out of the endzone.
Speaking of kickoffs, Tate scored another kickoff TD which is his second of the year. He's been close on a number of attempts and it was fun watching him break another one. It's great knowing that on any kickoff, he has the potential of instantly turning the tide of the game.
Last but not least, Patrick Chung was a beast! He blocked a punt which resulted in a TD. He later blocked a long FG attempt which was picked up by Arrington and returned for a TD. To round out his night, he also returned an INT for another TD.
Other Thoughts
The Patriots are now tied in the division with a 3-1 record heading into the bye. The Jets still hold the tie-breaker but the season is still young. The season only gets tougher from here on out so hopefully the defense can build off this win and continue to improve.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Thoughts after Week 3, Bills vs. Patriots
First off, I'm glad the Patriots won this game, 38-30. However, I was disappointed that the defense once again played awful and made one of the worst offenses look like offensive juggernauts. I understand we have one of the youngest defensive units in the league but I'm starting to question how much of a "defensive genius" Belichick really is with the lack of production he is getting out of that side of the ball for the past several years. Anyways, on to my analysis...
Offense
Losing Faulk to injury last week was a blow to this team but I honestly think the team is more dynamic without him. Faulk is a solid 3rd-down back and he is skilled at keeping the chains moving. However, he is not explosive and cannot get large chunks of yardage and make those game-changing plays. So without him in the game, Brady had to utilize his other weapons and I thought he did a good job of mixing things up. Hernandez appeared to benefit the most with Faulk's absence. Once again, he had a pretty solid outing. If he can stay clean off of the field, he would be the biggest steal in the 2010 NFL draft.
The running game was very good with over 200 yards of rushing. It was probably the quietest 200 yards I have ever seen. It was effective and blended well with the passing game. BJGE definitely made the most of his opportunities and reminded us why Maroney was replaceable. Fred Taylor saw very limited action as it appears his toe injury was continuing to bother him. This situation is definitely something to be concerned about.
The passing attack was also very good. The ball was spread around more and it looked like vintage Brady hitting open receivers. When it comes to Moss, less is definitely more. He was only targeted a few times and still finished with 2 TDs. Welker had a relatively quiet game and I wonder if he is still trying to recover some of his quickness to get more separation.
Once again the offensive line did its job with keeping Brady relatively untouched. Brady seemed to have plenty of time in the pocket to make his reads and when given time, he can absolutely shred a defense. It was masterful the way he drove his team down the field to kick a FG with only with 40 seconds left in the first half.
Defense
There's no other way to describe the defense other than they absolutely stink right now. For the second week in a row, they have made a below average QB and make them look like Pro Bowlers. Fitzpatrick had all day to throw and there was very little pressure on the passer. There was no containment and when plays broke down, he was able to tuck the ball and easily rush up the middle.
The Patriots played too soft and gave up way too many yards on first down. They couldn't stop the short throws underneath. When they got into their sub packages, they couldn't stop the run. When they were in position to make plays, horrible tackling allowed for additional yards.
Darius Butler took my advice about tweeting less but apparently missed the part about watching more film. He lost his starting spot to Arrington who performed adequately in his place. Butler finally saw the field later in the game. He promptly gave up a reception, took a bad angle on a run to his side which allowed for a long gain, and was immediately benched again. Not a good sign for the youngster.
Speaking of benchings, Banta-Cain and Meriweather also did not start. I think Banta-Cain has been cheating too much on snap counts and has been too eager to get after the QBs and forgetting to set the edge in the run game. And I think Meriweather's problem is he thinks he's better than he really is. He can be a dynamic player but he is overly aggressive sometimes and freelances a bit too much. He ran underneath a block instead of staying to the outside which allowed for a really easy TD.
The INTs late in the game were gifts for Chung and Meriweather. But to their credit, they made the most of their opportunities and held onto the ball.
Special Teams
Mesko struggled badly in this game. He shanked most of his punts and he left a relatively short field for the other team. He has such a powerful leg so I hope he can just boom it next week.
The special teams also played poorly by allowing a 97-yard kickoff TD. Once again, Meriweather took a bad angle on Spiller and basically took out his own man.
Other Thoughts
Overall I give the offense and A and the defense a F. The game was way closer than it needed to be. Belichick-coached teams tend to get better as the year goes on so hopefully he can make the appropriate adjustments on defense. Otherwise, it looks like we're in for a long season.
Offense
Losing Faulk to injury last week was a blow to this team but I honestly think the team is more dynamic without him. Faulk is a solid 3rd-down back and he is skilled at keeping the chains moving. However, he is not explosive and cannot get large chunks of yardage and make those game-changing plays. So without him in the game, Brady had to utilize his other weapons and I thought he did a good job of mixing things up. Hernandez appeared to benefit the most with Faulk's absence. Once again, he had a pretty solid outing. If he can stay clean off of the field, he would be the biggest steal in the 2010 NFL draft.
The running game was very good with over 200 yards of rushing. It was probably the quietest 200 yards I have ever seen. It was effective and blended well with the passing game. BJGE definitely made the most of his opportunities and reminded us why Maroney was replaceable. Fred Taylor saw very limited action as it appears his toe injury was continuing to bother him. This situation is definitely something to be concerned about.
The passing attack was also very good. The ball was spread around more and it looked like vintage Brady hitting open receivers. When it comes to Moss, less is definitely more. He was only targeted a few times and still finished with 2 TDs. Welker had a relatively quiet game and I wonder if he is still trying to recover some of his quickness to get more separation.
Once again the offensive line did its job with keeping Brady relatively untouched. Brady seemed to have plenty of time in the pocket to make his reads and when given time, he can absolutely shred a defense. It was masterful the way he drove his team down the field to kick a FG with only with 40 seconds left in the first half.
Defense
There's no other way to describe the defense other than they absolutely stink right now. For the second week in a row, they have made a below average QB and make them look like Pro Bowlers. Fitzpatrick had all day to throw and there was very little pressure on the passer. There was no containment and when plays broke down, he was able to tuck the ball and easily rush up the middle.
The Patriots played too soft and gave up way too many yards on first down. They couldn't stop the short throws underneath. When they got into their sub packages, they couldn't stop the run. When they were in position to make plays, horrible tackling allowed for additional yards.
Darius Butler took my advice about tweeting less but apparently missed the part about watching more film. He lost his starting spot to Arrington who performed adequately in his place. Butler finally saw the field later in the game. He promptly gave up a reception, took a bad angle on a run to his side which allowed for a long gain, and was immediately benched again. Not a good sign for the youngster.
Speaking of benchings, Banta-Cain and Meriweather also did not start. I think Banta-Cain has been cheating too much on snap counts and has been too eager to get after the QBs and forgetting to set the edge in the run game. And I think Meriweather's problem is he thinks he's better than he really is. He can be a dynamic player but he is overly aggressive sometimes and freelances a bit too much. He ran underneath a block instead of staying to the outside which allowed for a really easy TD.
The INTs late in the game were gifts for Chung and Meriweather. But to their credit, they made the most of their opportunities and held onto the ball.
Special Teams
Mesko struggled badly in this game. He shanked most of his punts and he left a relatively short field for the other team. He has such a powerful leg so I hope he can just boom it next week.
The special teams also played poorly by allowing a 97-yard kickoff TD. Once again, Meriweather took a bad angle on Spiller and basically took out his own man.
Other Thoughts
Overall I give the offense and A and the defense a F. The game was way closer than it needed to be. Belichick-coached teams tend to get better as the year goes on so hopefully he can make the appropriate adjustments on defense. Otherwise, it looks like we're in for a long season.
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