Idle thoughts - The "cracks in the armor" edition.

[Nunchucks]

Thats kind of an interesting question.

For one game, would you rather have a player with 20 caries, 130yds and he fumbles twice accounting for basically 14 lost points OR 21 carries, 74yds, 0 fumbles and a handful of 1st down runs.

Seems easy to me

Sony had some really good push through tackles for first down runs yesterday.

 

[PP2]

White didn't play because he wasn't better than those guys. People were down on White big time for being a terrible runner. Heck Vereen was the 3rd down back that year.

You are not making an argument that a first-year Vereen was better than little Danny Woodhead? Please don't make that argument.

They didn't play because they were not good enough.

Know what the big flaw in your argument is? Neither White or Vereen played, their first year- so how do you realistically compare these players to the other RBs that were active most of the time?

They were redshirted, plain and simple.

BB does it all the time.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Sony had some really good push through tackles for first down runs yesterday.

Sony was fine yesterday. His line isn't doing him any favors.

 

[Nunchucks]

Know what the big flaw in your argument is? Neither White or Vereen played, their first year- so how do you realistically compare these players to the other RBs that were active most of the time?

They were redshirted, plain and simple.

BB does it all the time.

Why didn't they play? Because they were not better options than the players in front of them. We know that Belichick doesn't put guys out there unless he thinks they are ready or there are inuries. This is not the case for every team in the league.

 

[DaBruinz]

The fact that we’ve played tomato cans this first eight weeks of the season hasn’t really given us a good glimpse of what we truly are. These next four or five weeks will give us a really good idea of what our ceiling is this year. Including this Sunday in a potential conference final matchup.

I don't see Baltimore as being able to make it to the "conference finals".

You talk about "tomato cans" the Patriots have played and how the next 4-5 games will define them but who has Baltimore actually played:

- Miami, Arizona, KC, Cleveland, Pitt, Cincy, Seattle. They lost to KC and Cleveland. Of those teams, only KC and Seattle have winning records currently.

Who does Baltimore have to play yet: Pats, Buff, NYJ, Houston, Indy, LA, San Fran, Cleveland, Cincy. I could see Baltimore losing 6 of those 9 games. The only reason they're going to make the play-offs is because their division is the worst in the NFL. Bar none.

I see the #2 seed coming from the AFC South. I don't foresee Baltimore making it out of the WC round, honestly.

 

[DaBruinz]

But THAT is precisely my point. It is the casual fan who is most worried regarding the offense.

You, and other fans who more closely follow the situation, understand that
1) the "Jordan Richards of the Offensive Line" played the entire game yesterday at RG.
2) this was the 2nd to last game of the Marshall Newhouse Experience
3) N'Keal Harry will be playing Sunday Night
4) Mohamed Sanu had 4 days to learn the Patriots system

I'm not worried in the least about this O going foreward........

.

1) Was Ferentz REALLY that bad that he's compared to Jordan Richards?
2) Ok. Maybe..
3) Again. Maybe.
4) BINGO!!

As I mentioned in the Post game thread:

Mohammed Sanu continuing to practice with this team will make the offense better. Sanu showed what he could do by pancaking a LB on one of the outside runs to the right yesterday.. it was highlight worthy.

Ben Watson and Eric Tomlinson continuing to practice with the team will make the offense better.

K'Neal Harry playing in games and practicing with Brady should make the offense better.

Meyers continuing to get practice reps with Brady should help make the offense better.

Mason returning and Wynn returning should both help make the offense better.

There is so much in flux with the offense currently that time should help them be better by the play-offs. Which is when it's truly needed.

 

[DaBruinz]

Apparently if you stop their QB who is their leading rusher with 576 yds you stop their rushing game. I think Pats athletic LB's will do the job against Jackson. Just my two cents.

I think putting DMac or JMac to spy on Jackson is better than one of the LBs. I don't think any of the LBs have the agility needed to spy Jackson well enough..

 

[PP2]

Why didn't they play? Because they were not better options than the players in front of them. We know that Belichick doesn't put guys out there unless he thinks they are ready or there are inuries. This is not the case for every team in the league.

If BB thought Ridley was better than Vereen, he wouldn't have drafted Vereen in the 2nd round then bench him, then start Ridley who was picked in the 3rd round.

Vereen was being groomed to replace Faulk at some point, which he did, in 2012.

There's likewise nothing wrong with Harris- he's showed solid bursts in the few reps he's had. He's no longer injured. He probably is being groomed to replace White at some point.

 

[PScottman]

. He also has a BUNCH of bad throws tonight

How many were:

1. Under pressure
2. While moving/running from pressure/unable to step into the throw
3. With a wet ball

Then get back to me.

Not saying he doesn't make mistake - he absolutely does, but this is a team game and all those variables and factors contribute to everyone's statistics.

 

[The Scrizz]

I think putting DMac or JMac to spy on Jackson is better than one of the LBs. I don't think any of the LBs have the agility needed to spy Jackson well enough..

Not even Collins? I realize just about everyone has had trouble spying Jackson but it can be done. I wouldn't mind Jamie getting a few shots in on him.

 

[DaBruinz]

Tom Brady has 9 more TD's to throw to overtake Peyton Manning on the all-time list. I seem to remember all the pomp and circumstance when Manning was about to eclipse Favre. They're not doing that with Brady which is odd. You'd figure being so close to breaking the record that it would be bigger news.

It's because Brady is the "bad boy" of the NFL compared to Horse-face. Remember that Manning was the NFL's true Poster Boy from the day he was drafted. The whole Manning Legacy because he was mediocre Archie's son. The NFL hooked their cart to Peyton and went out of their way to make sure the Colts truly received favorable treatment. Especially in the play-offs against the Patriots.

 

[PScottman]

they think the same thing Rick Pitino ridiculed.

The "Fellowship of the Miserable" indeed.

 

[DaBruinz]

Not even Collins? I realize just about everyone has had trouble spying Jackson but it can be done. I wouldn't mind Jamie getting a few shots in on him.

The same Jamie Collins who couldn't cover Owen Daniels. I love Collins but I don't believe his has the lateral agility needed to spy Jackson. It's not a damnation of Collins.. It's an acknowledgment of just how good Jackson is.

 

[The Scrizz]

How many were:

1. Under pressure
2. While moving/running from pressure/unable to step into the throw
3. With a wet ball

Then get back to me.

Not saying he doesn't make mistake - he absolutely does, but this is a team game and all those variables and factors contribute to everyone's statistics.

Agreed, and I'll add that most of his worst throws were purposely bad to not take a sack or turnover. I don't think he's worried about his completion % like a lot of guys either. Just throw it in the dirt and start over.

 

[The Scrizz]

The same Jamie Collins who couldn't cover Owen Daniels. I love Collins but I don't believe his has the lateral agility needed to spy Jackson. It's not a damnation of Collins.. It's an acknowledgment of just how good Jackson is.

That's fair. I'd just like Jackson to get a taste of what it feels like to be a RB or WR when he's out there running like one. Plus that was old Jamie Collins, not new and improved beast mode.

 

[SBLIII]

That's fair. I'd just like Jackson to get a taste of what it feels like to be a RB or WR when he's out there running like one. Plus that was old Jamie Collins, not new and improved beast mode.

Collins can't keep up with Jackson. I don't think we have the perfect spy.

 

[DaBruinz]

I am. Wynne hasn't proven he can stay on the field and Harry is still a rookie.

Comments like this are just asinine. You act like every injury is the same. That an ACL tear is the same thing as a hamstring pull.

If Wynn had "injury issues" like hamstring pulls all the time, you'd be spot on. But the injuries we're talking about fall into the catastrophic range. Sorry, but they've still not perfected a stretch that prevents ACL tears. They haven't perfected a stretch that prevents ligament tears in your feet.

Wynn played his entire collegiate career without having been injured. Now, because of two freakish injuries, people like you are yammering "he can't stay on the field".

Comments like yours make me wonder whether or not you've ever played an organized sport beyond intramural.

 

[DaBruinz]

That's fair. I'd just like Jackson to get a taste of what it feels like to be a RB or WR when he's out there running like one. Plus that was old Jamie Collins, not new and improved beast mode.

New Jamie Collins still doesn't have the agility to cover TEs all that well, imho. Which is why I don't want him trying to spy Jackson. I think that Jackson would just make Collins miss, honestly..

 

[The Scrizz]

New Jamie Collins still doesn't have the agility to cover TEs all that well, imho. Which is why I don't want him trying to spy Jackson. I think that Jackson would just make Collins miss, honestly..

That's what he's been doing to most guys.

 

[DaBruinz]

People talk about Karras not being a great center and ignore that he was actually the #3 center last year. Schwenke was the #2 behind Andrews until he went down. And Schwenke was the #2 behind Andrews until he decided to retire. How different would the games have been had Scwenke not retired and was there at center instead of Karras. Schwenke was a lot closer in terms of ability to Andrews than Karras is.

People forget that the Patriots had even more than the usual number of vet retirees this year. They had 3 in Scwenke, Veldheer, and Diehlman. Normally, it's one.