An Independent Patriots Blog
*Some people around the league are anticipating some interesting game planning and scheming early in the season, more so than normally is the case. Why? Coaches have more time on their hands this offseason than usual without players to coach. Bill Belichick, for instance, tells me he has been spending some of his extra time studying opponents.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/some-people-around-the-league-are-anticipating/
Football Times: Three Tight Ends the next revolution in football?
Well this sure is an interesting article, especially when you look at the tight ends the Patriots will have on their roster this year. As always, BB ahead of the curve…
Football evolution is such that tight ends are becoming more prominent. The last great offensive system craze was the “west coast offense”. It was countered by teams running versions of the “cover two”. The answer to the cover two isn’t so much a scheme, but a position. Tight ends are designed to operate in the seam, which is the weak area of the cover two systems.
Most tight ends either block well or catch well, but all have to do both to some extent. Can’t block? You’d better be a darn good catcher or you can’t be a receiver. Can’t catch? You’d better be a darn good blocker or you won’t get on a team as an offensive lineman. The few tight ends who do both exceedingly well are a danger to any team. Few things scare a defensive coach more than having to guess if the tight end is blocking or going out for a pass. It can’t be schemed for, because you can only guess. The guessing becomes a nightmare when two or three solid tight ends are on a team.
Mark my words: the tight end is the wave of the future in the NFL. It started a couple of years ago, and is gaining in momentum.
Really hope Vereen nabs 34. Great modern running back look. Can we nickname him Wol? As in Wol Vereen?
https://www.patspropaganda.com/really-hope-vereen-nabs-34-great-modern-running/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50kZl0lGwJM
Patriots 2010 Week 9 to 17 highlight film
I posted part one of these video a couple months ago and just today stumbled back on part two so here it is. I haven’t watched it all the way through yet because I know how it’s going to end and I don’t really care to see that again.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/patriots-2010-week-9-to-17-highlight-film-i/
Ryan Mallett and Jon Gruden on ESPN.
Somehow missed this before the Pats took Mallett, but he definitely seems to have the prerequisite level of football nerd that BB likes.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/ryan-mallett-and-jon-gruden-on-espn-somehow/
Which one sticks out in your head more… The pick six against Roethlisberger or the game saver against Peyton Manning?
Sanders: “Oh man, I’m going to say the game saver against Peyton Manning. I’m glad Tom (Brady) is on our team, and we just have to go against him in practice. But going against Peyton, you’ve got to give everything you’ve got because he’ll get you if you’re not prepared. To go out there and have the opportunity to help the team win in the closing minutes of the game, I’m always going to remember that one. I have the ball, and to be able to pick off a future hall of famer and to help win the game… I’ll never forget that one.”
https://www.patspropaganda.com/which-one-sticks-out-in-your-head-more-the-pick/
Until the Patriots acquire another big name defensive end in the draft the memory of Richard Seymour will continue to haunt them via articles like this one from Tom E. Curran.
It’s undeniable that New England took a calculated half-step back by dumping Seymour, but if Nate Solder ends up being the long term Left Tackle it’s my view that it was a good business decision that worked out well for the Pats.
The question you have to ask is: Would the ‘09 Patriots have won a Super Bowl if Seymour was on the team? I’d say probably not, given that was a year of near total defensive turnover, especially in leadership positions.
Have the Pats missed Seymour? Of course. But trying to squeeze every last bit out of every player you have is often not the smart long term approach. It might be painful, and it might be a small step back, but ultimately it is setting the franchise up for continued and sustained success.