Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and some people are just wrong a lot of times, but in my eyes Tom Brady is elite. He’s still got it,” said Mankins, a six-time Pro Bowler. “He has a great arm still. He’s smarter than probably 99 percent of the quarterbacks. He’s the same old guy. He’s here, working hard, he has a command of the system, and we truly appreciate blocking for him.
Questions, Comments, Complaints, Compliments, Whatever
Questions, Comments, Complaints, Compliments, Whatever
Friday Q & A! Let’s get it!
That game (against Brady) is the ultimate dial-it-up, I have to be in something different (every play). Not only do I have to have a plan for the first half, but nobody’s better at second-half adjustments so we better come out in the second half, no matter what we’ve been successful with in the first half, we have to come up with something a little different in the second half. When you have success against him, I think that’s because you can keep him guessing a little bit, that he can’t get dialed in.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/that-game-against-brady-is-the-ultimate/
Going against those guys everyday — I can speak for me and a couple of the other guys man — they are making us better. I think if we can go face these guys and continue to get better, we’ll be able to do it against anybody in the league.
Patriots Thursday OTA Media Access Wrap Up
Another day with media access to the Pats’ OTAs and it’s nice to get some actual observations from those who were there. You know, instead of all the fun listening to how Tom Brady really isn’t that good.
Some general consensus thoughts I found interesting:
Boyce and Thompkins have made good impressions on a number of those watching the practices. I haven’t been especially excited about either, but that doesn’t mean I’ve closed the door on them. It’s certainly not helping Dobson to not be out there.
Undrafted rookie Roy Finch has gotten some attention as well, always with the caveat that we’ll see what happens when the pads come on. But who wouldn’t like another Danny Woodhead-type?
Dennard and Solder are probably two of the bigger injury surprises. Dennard has been MIA, seems like he was always fighting through something last year and dinged his shoulder in the AFCCG. Solder is a mystery.
Looks like Mayo and Vollmer are fully recovered and should have no issues from their injuries last year.
Wilfork, Tommy Kelly, and Will Smith also did a little more today, that’s a very positive sign.
Garoppolo looked inconsistent. Shocker for a rookie QB in this system.
Here’s a round-up of the round ups…
DT Vince Wilfork: There was a time when it looked like this longtime defensive fulcrum – the man whose heft, dexterity and superiority in the biggest games defined this defense – would be gone. Ultimately he returned, but after missing much of last season and the Patriots still reaching another championship game, some might consider that Wilfork is less important. I disagree. This defense is still hardly loaded with individual brilliance, and if Wilfork can cull something and give Bill Belichick one more excellent season, then I really like the odds of the Pats being a top seed and being able to show that 3-4 front they prefer more times than not opens things up for guys like Chandler Jones and Don’t’a Hightower off the edge.
NFL’s most intriguing players of 2014, a team-by-team examination – CBSSports.com
Not sure I agree that Pats “prefer” the 3-4 defense anymore. They don’t have a true Mike linebacker on the roster, especially if Hightower is playing OLB as mentioned. They tried to run the 3-4 without a true Mike in 2009 (hello Gary Guyton) and we all remember what happened against the Ravens.