2016 NE Mid-Season Game Balls & Goats

[SeoulSoxFan]

Ah yes, the dreaded bye-week with no Pats game to talk about this weekend. This season is already at the half-way mark. Time for the 1st Annual Mid-Season Game Balls & Goats:

Game Balls:

• Offense: Brady (who else?)
• Defense: Butler (playing like a top 5 CB + swagger)
• ST: Allen the Puntator (even BB praised him this week and without getting prompted)
• ROY: Thuney (looking like a 10-year starter already)
• Biggest Surprise: Cannon (Scar knows)
• Best Addition: Bennett (health only concern for this the best acquisition of the off-season)
• Coaching: McDaniels (got great production out of JG & on another level with TB)

Goats:

• Offense: Vollmer (not fair, I know, but looks like a lost year and perhaps a career)
• Defense: Sheard (such high expectations coming into the season)
• ST: Ghost (looking better but 3 missed PAT?)
• Biggest Surprise: Collins (playing bad enough to lose snaps & get traded)
• Worst Addition: Harbor (relatively expensive signing with zero production before getting released)
• Coaching: Patricia (was pre-season hype unrealistic?)

 

[tims4wins]

Game Balls comments:
Offense: Blount and Gronk deserve honorable mention
Defense: DH deserves honorable mention
ST: Allen has been so up and down that it is hard to call him the ST MVP. The kickoff coverage unit has been their best unit
Surprise: Hogan has also been quite good - better than I expected

Goat comments:
Offense: Bolden should never see the field again on offense
Defense: second corner has been far worse than Sheard IMO
Addition: McClellin got a lot more money than Harbor and hasn't done a thing

 

[pokey_reese]

Agree that Hogan deserves a mention in here. Blount has been, well, himself, which is fine, but his success is mainly because he gets a ton of carries, and his YPC and other more advanced metrics are nothing to look twice at. However, he gives us durability and ball security, and that counts for something. Long has been a good addition as well, even if unspectacular, but I think he has done a great job of switching from a career chasing the QB into a guy who sets the edge in our defense. Still not as big of an addition as Bennett, but if we were doing this for offense and defense...

 

[Yossarian]

I'd give DMac shout out, at least as a 1B to Butler's 1A. The second corner has been a bit of a black hole, but despite that one of the Pats' few defensive strengths has been limiting the big pass play. I have to think McCourty's deep coverage is at least some part of that, in addition to his leadership skills.

 

[mauf]

Brady and Gronk will surpass him, but Blount is the Pats' offensive MVP to this point. LGBT didn't magically turn into Adrian Peterson during the offseason, so much credit is due to the offensive line, which is a transformed unit this season with the return of Dante Scarnecchia. Can an O-line coach be the coach of the year?

Butler is doing a reasonable impression of 2014 Darrelle Revis (or early 2000s Ty Law) and is clearly the defensive MVP. Not sure who else is even in the conversation -- Hightower has exceeded expectations and is having a nice season, but he's on a whole other plane than Butler.

The special teams have been uncharacteristically spotty, kickoff coverage aside. ST game ball to Allen by default.

Agree with Hogan as the season's biggest surprise. You can occasionally go dumpster diving and find an elite possession receiver (Welker is the classic example), but how often does a legit deep threat come out of nowhere?

Hard for me to call anyone a "goat" on a 7-1 team whose only loss came with an injured third-string QB starting against a likely playoff team, but I hope we don't see Brandon Bolden playing any more meaningful snaps or Cyrus Jones returning any more punts.

 

[Van Everyman]

Hightower has exceeded expectations? Notwithstanding some highlight reel plays, I actually think he's underperformed some relative to his ability, perhaps related to health. And while I would agree he's on another plane than Butler, I'm not sure you meant it the way I see it: he's the leader of the defense while Malcolm is a solid second year player, with potential to emerge as elite.

Honestly, I think it is really hard to grade this defense. They clearly aren't performing up to expectations but aren't a dumpster fire either. If I had to guess, the problems start on the DL, which is deep but not particularly talented. Long has shown flashes but is 33. Brown seems to not get mentioned very much. And honestly I'm not even sure who the other DE is. Edit: I literally forgot Sheard who I loved last year.

I have to imagine BB is spending most is the bye figuring out whether he can get the D playing better. If not, it could make for an unpleasant second half.

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

Thankfully they can use the bye week and most of the second half of the season to tinker with the D and see what works. Most of the offenses they face the rest of the season are not very good. Seattle currently has the #17 offense according to PFF and that is the top offense the D will see the rest of the way during the regular season.

 

[Toe Nash]

Mostly agree with everything so far. To add a few:
Up:
Kick coverage. This is usually a solid unit but is playing very well. Mingo has looked like a good addition and Ebner and Slater are doing a great job as usual.
Chung and Harmon aren't stars but I think they've generally done what they've been asked to do.
Gronk: You can't praise him enough.
Down:
How soon we forget Cyrus Jones. Not too late for him of course, but can't even make the field so far and was very bad returning kicks.
Agree on Sheard. He seems to have taken a major step back from last year, and it's a contract year for him.
I think Gostkowski will be fine and his kickoffs have been good, but he should be mentioned.
D-Line in general. Not getting in the backfield and not really stuffing the run much. They frequently rushed 5 against Buffalo and got nowhere.

 

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

I'd love a mid season report card on Shaq Mason. He has played 80% of snaps and to the untrained eye has not stood out as a liability but has also not stood out as a force.

There seemed to be so much potential in that player and the thought of two good young guards to get protect the middle during Brady's twilight (eventually) is intriguing.

Any reports from the guys here that are able to critique oline play? Has Shaq made the "year 2" leap or is he is going to continue to be a tantalizing tease of talent?

 

[ShaneTrot]

I really like what Cannon has done. I think he played hurt at the end of last year and is now healthy, coached by an all time great in Scar and is doing it in the last year of his contract. He is going to make big money, I am happy for the guy because he has taken a lot of grief.

 

[Super Nomario]

Agree with the consensus, mostly.

Game Balls:

• Offense: this is kind of a philosophical thing. Brady has been dominant but has missed half the games. Blount was huge when Brady was out.
• Defense: McCourty - D has done a good job stopping chunk plays and he's the rock back there
• ST: Ebner leads the teams in special teams tackles (10) and had a FF vs Houston. Allen has been quietly bad, probably even worse than Gostkowski.
• ROY: Thuney - no contest
• Biggest Surprise: I haven't even noticed Cannon the past few weeks. That's good
• Best Addition: Bennett was big early in the season and has impact blocking and receiving
• Coaching: Scarnecchia for Cannon's resurgence and integrating the young guys

Goats:

• Offense: Cooper never even got on the field before being cut
• Defense: the DL has struggled; not sure who to single out here
• ST: I thought Cyrus Jones would lock down the returner gig, but ball security is too much of a question mark. Disappointment on D, too
• Biggest Surprise: surprised how the Collins thing played out
• Worst Addition: Cooper
• Coaching: Might not be fair to blame Joe Judge for the specialists playing poorly, but the ST hasn't been great

 

[Mugsy's Walk-Off Bunt]

Just a quick comment on the OL -- in no way is it "transformed." They have had decent games here and there in terms of the running game, I agree. But good LORD, they're one of the potential tragic flaws of this team.

GAME BALLS: Gronk, Brady, James White, LGBT
OFF ROY: Thuney, DEF ROOKIE: Elandon Roberts (hope he turns these flashes into a light that paves the way)

GOATS: Jonathan Cooper, Gost (even though I love him and think he'll turn it around and possibly already has), the OL in general (with special nod to Solder, who continues not to play up to expectations), CB2 (whoever that is)

 

[Bowhemian]

I really like what Cannon has done. I think he played hurt at the end of last year and is now healthy, coached by an all time great in Scar and is doing it in the last year of his contract. He is going to make big money, I am happy for the guy because he has taken a lot of grief.

Agree. The thing that I like the most about the OL is that it hasn't been a revolving door. Last year it seemed like they used 500 different combinations with the front 5. This year, seems like a whole lot less than that. And I really like when they bring in Fleming as that extra blocker. It is usually quite effective.

 

[tims4wins]

From a goat perspective, it has only been 4 games, but Nink has also been invisible. DE has to be the most disappointing position on the team thus far. Long has played decently but hasn't provided much of a rush. Nink and Sheard haven't done much at all. Flowers has flashed a bit, hopefully he can provide them with a little more most-bye.

Edit: Nink has 5 tackles and 6 assists in 4 games, 0 sacks after 6.5+ per season from 2011-2015
Sheard has 15 tackles, 3 assists, and 3.5 sacks in 8 games - better than I would have guessed actually but he had 8 sacks in 13 games last year, so he is well off the pace
Long has 13 tackles, 8 assists, and 1 sack

 

[Hoodie Sleeves]

Goats

• ST: I thought Cyrus Jones would lock down the returner gig, but ball security is too much of a question mark.

It's weird, because while Jones has been a mess, so has everyone else returning kicks. It's like they're greasing the kicking balls or something.


Minor goat goes to Edelman from me - his foot probably isn't back to 100%, but he's been really uninspiring this year. And yeah, Ghost, of course.

 

[IdiotKicker]

I don't agree with the assessment of Allen. I think he has been slightly below average this year in just about everything except for ball placement. Hangtime and distance have been really hit or miss, and while he's had two good week this year, there have been a number of performances that have been a step back from the top-10 guy we saw last year.

 

[Van Everyman]

I really like what Cannon has done. I think he played hurt at the end of last year and is now healthy, coached by an all time great in Scar and is doing it in the last year of his contract. He is going to make big money, I am happy for the guy because he has taken a lot of grief.

Is Cannon really in his walk year? I thought we extended him just last year and everyone lost their minds because they thought he sucked.

 

[DJnVa]

Is Cannon really in his walk year? I thought we extended him just last year and everyone lost their minds because they thought he sucked.

End of 2014 we extended him. Runs through this season.

http://www.espn.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4774132/breaking-down-marcus-cannons-contract