PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

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With him, you really have to do your job and whatever your assignment is. If you got man [coverage], stay locked up on him. If you have zone [coverage], stay in your zone, because if you try to freelance and jump a route, he is too smart for that. He will read it and expose you. So stay back, do your assignment and make the plays when it comes to you. That’s how you beat him. He’s very smart. He is a guy that takes what is given to him. He’s going to throw to the open guy. He has a good offensive line, so he’s going to have time to throw the ball and he’s going to take the matchups that he likes.

Active player assessment on Tom Brady

2014 NFL season preview – analysis, game-by-game predictions, more for every team

https://www.patspropaganda.com/tom-brady-patriots/

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It’s more than the play that I think the Patriots will miss most; it’s the leadership and enforcer-type mentality. Mankins brought a toughness, attitude, and you’re-not-going-to-mess-with-us type approach to the field that is going to be hard to duplicate. I don’t see anyone on the current Patriots’ line who could fill that void right now.

Behind Logan Mankins’ trade from New England Patriots to Buccaneers – ESPN Boston

Totally agree with this point from Mike Reiss.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/its-more-than-the-play-that-i-think-the-patriots/

Who to watch in Patriots’ preseason finale

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The last preseason game is upon us and once again another training camp is behind us. The most important pieces of the Patriots roster should see limited, if any, time in this one, softening our injury concerns.

But there will still be plenty to watch on Thursday night, with Jimmy Garoppolo getting the start for the first time in his young career. Garoppolo is a lock to make the team, but there are plenty others still on the bubble who will want to pop against the Giants.

Here’s our list of who needs the biggest games to avoid the next cut when 22 players currently on the roster must go.

First, the long shots who are likely just on the roster for depth because somebody has to play in the game.

Long Shots (ala likely cuts): Chris Martin (PUP), Braxton Cave, L.T. Tuipulotu, Eathyn Manumaleuna, Shamiel Gary.

Middle of the pack (uphill battle for roster spot, but needs could allow them to slip on): Chris Barker, Steve Maneri, Taylor McCuller, Kanorris Davis.

The Bubble Battles:

Running Back

Brandon Bolden-Roy Finch-Jonas Grey: One of these guys will probably make the team, but who is the best compliment to Ridley-Vereen-White? We’ve likely seen Bolden’s ceiling, but he is fairly solid. Finch could be useful as a kick returner, but is he too much like White/Vereen? Grey is the wild card, a powerful back who we can’t quite put our finger on yet. He will be one to focus on.

Linebacker

Darius Fleming looks like a lock, but that doesn’t always mean he is. After him things are unclear – Steve Beauharnais has been solid this summer and Chris White did a good job last season. James Morris and Ja’Gared Davis got long looks last week and will likely play a lot once again. Two of these guys will probably go, but all could be practice squad candidates, especially Morris and Davis. It would be fascinating if one of them snuck on the team.

Safety

Patrick Chung has played a ton this preseason and conventional wisdom tells us he and Duron Harmon will rotate for run and pass downs during the regular season. I also think Chung might not see the field against the better passing teams. But perhaps this was just a long look to see if Chung is better than Tavon Wilson. I’m just not convinced they’re ready to give up on Wilson just yet, and a scenario where Wilson makes the team and Chung does not still seems plausible, or maybe both do. Perhaps Kanorris Davis is a bit of a wild card. Hopefully Wilson plays after sitting last week.

Defensive End

Jake Bequette vs. rookie Zach Moore. Michael Buchanan seems to be a lock, though bringing in an outside DE after cutdowns seems like a very real possibility. Moore could use a year to develop while Bequette has already had two of them. There might be a roster spot for one of them, though both getting cut could also be a very real possibility. Moore has shown promise and would likely make it to the practice squad. The key to making it? Special teams and pass rush.

The offense is pretty close to set, outside of knowing who will be the starting five offensive lineman – my pick Solder-Kline-Wendell-Connolly-Vollmer, but we won’t get any insight into that on Thursday night.

Aaron Dobson could see his first action of the preseason and he’ll want to show something. Regardless, he’s a roster lock.

At this point I’ve seen enough of Garoppolo and Mallett to believe Garoppolo is ready to be the sole back up. Even if Mallett lights it up in limited duty, it won’t change my view. If Garoppolo moves the offense against the Giants top defense it will only cement my thinking even more.

Defensively, there are still some roles to be won in the back end rotation at safety, linebacker and defensive end.

Though the big names likely won’t see much, if any, time, there will still be plenty to watch for.

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Tim Wright 2013 highlights

Safe to say this guys head is spinning today as he dives into the Patriots playbook. But excited to see what he’ll bring to the party. So many diverse options, you hear about matchup nightmares being a single player, but this year I think the whole Patriots offense is a matchup nightmare.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

https://www.patspropaganda.com/tim-wright-2013-highlights-safe-to-say-this-guys/

With this logan mankins trade, is it reasonable to think the patriots will probably be going back to that 2 TE scheme that was so successful with Hernandez and Gronk?

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In theory of course this makes sense, but they barely have enough healthy tight ends for a one tight end scheme right now so they’ll have to take what they can get.

I think we tend to put the cart before the horse a little too much when relating personnel to scheme. I don’t think the scheme is necessarily what comes first except in very general areas. I don’t believe there was ever an edict of “we must go to a two-tight end offense prior to 2010/2011. They needed tight ends, picked up a couple for what they believed were good value in the draft and both happened to pick up the offense quickly and compliment each other very well.

It’s more about getting good players who fit the style of the team and then letting things play out so you can understand what you have and what you can do well.

I think the Patriots offense right now looks as varied as an offense can be. There are little quick guys, there are long, outside guys, there’s a full back who can do a little of everything, an all-around tight end, a move tight end, and three running backs who also have their own unique skill sets.

The Pats could run almost any personnel packages and be effective, whether it’s 12 (1 RB, 2 TE), 11 (1 RB, 1 TE), 22 (2 RB, 2 TE), 21 (2 RB, 1 TE) or even empty sets. 

They will give opposing defenses a lot to prepare for and should be able to attack any weakness they want.