With Gronkowski back, #Patriots can run some combo routes from inside stack alignments. Route conversions here: pic.twitter.com/8JBet6ixtI
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) October 18, 2013
The one takeaway I have from that exchange is that while a lot of us on the outside probably think that he’s upset about the caliber of player who he’s playing with on offense, the skill players, how they haven’t really built up the depth at the skill positions befitting a guy like Brady, I think in a lot of ways I get a sense that he views it as tremendously fun to be able to beat a great team like New Orleans with three of the four guys on the field in the last minute of that game who he didn’t even know six months ago,
https://www.patspropaganda.com/the-one-takeaway-i-have-from-that-exchange-is/
If Amendola cant make it through next season full healthy, do you think the Pats cut him?
Doubt it, he’d cost more to cut than to keep next year. He’s here at least until 2015 I think.
So I watched the replay of the Pats/Saints game (because it was free) and to my (very) untrained eye it seemed like that 3rd and 7 on the first drive where Brady got sacked and we settled for 3, that once Amendola broke off for the incut and Dobson broke towards the middle of the endzone the safety followed him, and the KT was open for the TD, but Brady either didn’t take it or didn’t see it. Thoughts?
Yeah KT was open, but the Saints dropped 8 into coverage and that might’ve been what made Brady hesitate. Looks like Brady saw KT too, but probably would’ve had to have thrown it earlier. 33 was in okay position to possibly jump the route. It would’ve been close. Brady was playing safe.
Really what they want to do in that situation is run the ball. If you watch NFL Turning Point they pointed out the same thing.
Has the offense been held back due to the lack of a receiving back
Absolutely. I like Brandon Bolden, but he drops every other screen pass they throw to him. There’s no question that when Shane Vereen returns he’ll bring an element that has been completely absent.
Let’s not forget how hyped he was this offseason. His unique pass-catching skills will be a huge asset and another huge problem for opposing defenses.
What are your thoughts on my two biggest areas of concern, protection/running against the Jets D-Line and stopping the Jets from running up the middle of our D-line?
Yeah, those are good concerns. Gronk should help assuming he’s back, but Connolly/Cannon and Wendell need to have good games, because the inside of the Jets line is tough. Most likely I’d expect the Pats to spread them out a little more and not allow the Jets to crowd the box and disguise rushers.
I do expect the Jets’ offense to test the inside of our line and I think you’ll see plenty of Brandon Spikes who was not himself in the first matchup, likely due to sickness.
The strange thing is that while the injuries to the defensive line might tempt teams to run on them, the injury to Mayo means the Pats will likely have better run-stopping linebackers in.
So expect the Jets to test both out and see what they have success with. Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich need to have big games, not letting Geno Smith out of the pocket, but also finishing with sacks when they get the chance.