2019 Game Ball Thread: Wk. 2 at Dolphins

BigSoxFan

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tims4wins said:
Fully agree, and I don't think I really have any interest in chasing 19-0 again.

That said, this offense is more dynamic than the 2007 offense IMO, and this defense is much better. The 2007 defense was aging and front-running. This defense is just better and deeper front to back.

The O line, however, will likely hold this team back, and may well end up being the fatal flaw, should this team not win it all.
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Yup. Offense will be insane if AB doesn’t get Exempt Listed and Gordon stays out of trouble. The OL is definitely a concern but having guys like Edelman and AB can help there. If teams want to bring the pressure, Brady will get the ball out quickly to 2 guys who can burn you with YAC. And Burkhead/White can do the same out of the backfield. And Watson will be back in a couple weeks.

And then you have 2 guys in Harry and Harris who will provide quality depth by mid season should we experience any skill position injuries.
 
Harry Hooper

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RetractableRoof said:
I'd also add that with the quality of defensive players that is currently on the team, they are able to rotate players and keep them fresh. I haven't looked at the snap counts to see what his are, but if they aren't as high as previously - then he doesn't have to hold anything back.

Longer term this year, that rotational depth should mean a player doesn't have to play dinged up either, which should pay off later in the year when players are traditionally wearing down.
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Chatham on TV made this point. The depth helped the D get through the second half despite elevated temps in Miami with a minimum of distress.
 
tims4wins

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Harry Hooper said:
Chatham on TV made this point. The depth helped the D get through the second half despite elevated temps in Miami with a minimum of distress.
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And they can do this at pretty much every position on the defense without suffering a massive downgrade.

Edit: 21 guys (!!) played 14+ snaps on D yesterday

 
SeoulSoxFan

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The only thing holding this team back will be injuries to the OL (other than you know who).

Even then, Scar may stitch together a competent group come playoffs.
 
Red Averages

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Unlike some prior years, there is so much talent on offense that it will take a lot of pressure off of the O-line. They can line up and run it with Develin if needed, or run quick passes. The team isn't reliant on a deep threat (Moss) if defenses take away the lone quick pass (Welker). Really tough to have Edleman/Brown/White able to run all sort of routes within 2 seconds, while also having Gordon/Dorsett running around. Who are you leaving 1-1?
 
Jimbodandy

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Red Averages said:
Unlike some prior years, there is so much talent on offense that it will take a lot of pressure off of the O-line. They can line up and run it with Develin if needed, or run quick passes. The team isn't reliant on a deep threat (Moss) if defenses take away the lone quick pass (Welker). Really tough to have Edleman/Brown/White able to run all sort of routes within 2 seconds, while also having Gordon/Dorsett running around. Who are you leaving 1-1?
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While this is all true, the lack of a vertical game would eventually catch up with them. If the OL ends up swiss cheese--and that's no longer a crazy concept--then long routes are off the table. The defense can cheat up, and everything changes. Runs aren't as effective, Develin or not. And those quickies to WR can be jumped.

Not having to respect long routes and double moves gives the defense a huge boost. We're not far away from that.
 
RetractableRoof

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Jimbodandy said:
While this is all true, the lack of a vertical game would eventually catch up with them. If the OL ends up swiss cheese--and that's no longer a crazy concept--then long routes are off the table. The defense can cheat up, and everything changes. Runs aren't as effective, Develin or not. And those quickies to WR can be jumped.

Not having to respect long routes and double moves gives the defense a huge boost. We're not far away from that.
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Agreed, but I would counter that with the fact that unlike previous incarnations of the team, this team has 4 receivers who can (and are willing to) go over the middle - which at least gives Tom somewhere to go at all times if the line is further decimated. And they are all capable of YAC as well. That's not even counting White and Burkhead out of the backfield.
 
Jimbodandy

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RetractableRoof said:
Agreed, but I would counter that with the fact that unlike previous incarnations of the team, this team has 4 receivers who can (and are willing to) go over the middle - which at least gives Tom somewhere to go at all times if the line is further decimated. And they are all capable of YAC as well. That's not even counting White and Burkhead out of the backfield.
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Agreed. And I think that's what RA is saying as well.

Still a good offense.
 
NortheasternPJ

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RetractableRoof said:
Agreed, but I would counter that with the fact that unlike previous incarnations of the team, this team has 4 receivers who can (and are willing to) go over the middle - which at least gives Tom somewhere to go at all times if the line is further decimated. And they are all capable of YAC as well. That's not even counting White and Burkhead out of the backfield.
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The backs are really a huge differentiator vs the 2007 team and what is going to make this team so good. We saw it yesterday where the Pats caught the Dolphins in dime and just started running it. They're going to get in situations when it really counts and they need yards to line up in 4 wide with White or Burkhead in the backfield and just start running a hurry up offense and murdering a dime D on the ground or screens.
 
bsj

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Marshall Newhouse gets a game ball for me. He's been here 4 days and is playing LT to protect the GOAT. He wasnt perfect, but he was capable
 
BaseballJones

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It's obviously ridiculously early, but it's still fun to look at pro-football-reference.com's rankings for the 2019 Patriots:

Off Rank: 2 points, 5 yards
Def Rank: 1 points, 1 yards
Point Diff: 1
Yds Diff: 2

I wouldn't mind if they finished 2nd in points and 1st in points allowed. Just saying...
 
SeoulSoxFan

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On one of the terrific CLNS post-game videos, it was mentioned that despite being taken out on a 3rd and goal situation, AB was cheering on not only his new teammates but the crowd.
 
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Jimbodandy said:
While this is all true, the lack of a vertical game would eventually catch up with them. If the OL ends up swiss cheese--and that's no longer a crazy concept--then long routes are off the table. The defense can cheat up, and everything changes. Runs aren't as effective, Develin or not. And those quickies to WR can be jumped.

Not having to respect long routes and double moves gives the defense a huge boost. We're not far away from that.
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That's not how you play football. You can't just completely abandon the long game because your offensive line is not as good as you would've hoped. The difference between a good OL and a bad OL is a matter of probability, not something that completely stops you from having a long route.
 
Jimbodandy

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Bosox1528 said:
That's not how you play football. You can't just completely abandon the long game because your offensive line is not as good as you would've hoped. The difference between a good OL and a bad OL is a matter of probability, not something that completely stops you from having a long route.
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If Brady has to get rid of the ball in 2.5, because him being dead is a bad thing, it changes their offense. That doesn't mean that they can't ever throw long at all, but it's basically off the table.

That doesn't mean that it won't be a functional offense. It's just kinda puts a ceiling on their ability to score points.

If James Harden starts shooting 28% from 3 next year, it makes him a far easier guy to guard. It doesn't mean that he won't take and hit 3s, and it doesn't mean that he's no longer a great player. But he is compromised. That's what I see coming if Wynn is out for 8 weeks, Cannon is 75% Cannon and Karras is playing center. They need to mitigate the risk on Brady, and use long routes sparingly.
 
Reverend

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BigSoxFan said:
Yup. He looks great. I don’t know what happened towards the end of his first stay here but this kind of feels like another Chung situation where the player comes in a little humbled and the Pats probably have a better idea how to use him. Hopefully it lasts.
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He kept improvising and BB got ride of him for it.

It makes sense that that’s something BB would be able to check and make sure he agrees to when deciding to bring him back; it’s part of the deal that apparently Collins is willing to make this time. (He’s seen the other side, maybe...)
 
NortheasternPJ

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bsj said:
Dorsett has quietly become a VERY good WR who will (and should) likely get a big contract from someone next year. I dont know that he will be as good elsewhere, but he as certainly done enough to earn the right to get paid and to try
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The guy catches anything within a mile of his finger tips. He's got elite speed, hands like you read about and he's the Pats' 4th receiver.
 
BaseballJones

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DrewDawg said:
View: https://twitter.com/ezlazar/status/1174008777185669120
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Very cool.

You know, when you're young and in top fitness, you don't have the experience. And by the time you get the experience, you no longer have the top fitness.

Tom Brady may be showing us what it's like to have both. It seems like he's in the best physical condition of his life - didn't he run his 40 last year faster than at the combine? He LOOKS better than he ever has. His arm may not quite be as strong but it's still got tons of life. And the experience...well...unmatched.
 
loshjott

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BaseballJones said:
Very cool.

You know, when you're young and in top fitness, you don't have the experience. And by the time you get the experience, you no longer have the top fitness.

Tom Brady may be showing us what it's like to have both. It seems like he's in the best physical condition of his life - didn't he run his 40 last year faster than at the combine? He LOOKS better than he ever has. His arm may not quite be as strong but it's still got tons of life. And the experience...well...unmatched.
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Experience, fitness - and the competitive drive to keep improving at 42 is unprecedented.
 
Reverend

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loshjott said:
Experience, fitness - and the competitive drive to keep improving at 42 is unprecedented.
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Some baseball players said the same thing about PEDs: the realest advantage wasn’t the increased strength, it was the ability to keep playing the game once they had finally learned to hit which takes like 10 years.
 
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