I am a Cordarrelle fan; the man has had a really unique and interesting career.Well, this would help:
Yeah one of the nice things about the timing of the TNF game is that they get the mini-bye this weekend, and then another by in week 14 (it's week 14, not 13). Which should leave the pretty well rested for the final four games, which includes @ Indy and vs. Buf.I hope they're both ok, but Harris getting a couple weeks off after the pounding he's taken this year wouldn't be a bad thing to keep him fresh for later in the year, even with the bye in Week 13 coming up as well. He's done some hard running.
Gunner’s absence was problematic as Meyers let too many of those punts bounce. I’m not worried about Harris though. If he can’t suit up Dodge will take his spot and be fine.Unless there's something I can't recall, I don't believe the Patriots had any major injuries vs the Browns, which is especially great considering the short turn around.
The bad news of the Thursday game is there's not a lot of additional time for Harris and Gunner to recover.
And the mini bye affords extra prep time heading into the Tennessee game on the 28th. Right now the combination scheduling and struggling opponents is a plus.Yeah one of the nice things about the timing of the TNF game is that they get the mini-bye this weekend, and then another by in week 14 (it's week 1, not 13). Which should leave the pretty well rested for the final four games, which includes @ Indy and vs. Buf.
Good point.And the mini bye affords extra prep time heading into the Tennessee game on the 28th. Right now the combination scheduling and struggling opponents is a plus.
The Butt Fumble was famously on Thanksgiving.Good point.
Edit: on top of this, their real bye comes after the MNF Bills game, so they avoid a short week.
One other point - the Pats have been phenomenal on TNF. They lost last year at the Rams. Aside from that the only loss on Thursday in the last like 20 years was the 2017 season opener, which I would argue doesn't count. I think they went roughly 10-0 from 2002-2019 including Thanksgiving games.
Everyone loves the butt fumble but my favorite play from that game was the next TD, the Edelman kickoff return*.The Butt Fumble was famously on Thanksgiving.
That ~45 second stretch of Vereen 75 yard td on a screen, buttfumble first play after ensuing kickoff, then Edelman return on the next kickoff was probably the most enjoyable minute of football I’ve ever seen from a pure entertainment perspectiveEveryone loves the butt fumble but my favorite play from that game was the next TD, the Edelman kickoff return*.
Not his own kickoff, correct?Everyone loves the butt fumble but my favorite play from that game was the next TD, the Edelman kickoff return*.
Didn't that sequence/game end that famous Jets fan's fandom?That ~45 second stretch of Vereen 75 yard td on a screen, buttfumble first play after ensuing kickoff, then Edelman return on the next kickoff was probably the most enjoyable minute of football I’ve ever seen from a pure entertainment perspective
Totally agree. It wasn’t a screen though. Swing pass. Thanks Bart ScottThat ~45 second stretch of Vereen 75 yard td on a screen, buttfumble first play after ensuing kickoff, then Edelman return on the next kickoff was probably the most enjoyable minute of football I’ve ever seen from a pure entertainment perspective
It’s wild to remember how Do Your Job-y Jules was before Welker left. Dude did it all before he became the best slot receiver in the game.Hence the asterisk.
Fireman Ed?Didn't that sequence/game end that famous Jets fan's fandom?
You can't blame him. Why miss out on this golden age?Fireman Ed?
He came back.
How many yards did Meyers give up simply by not getting to those punts in time to fiat catch? To say nothing of the yardage that he wasn’t gaining that Gunner would have?Gunner’s absence was problematic as Meyers let too many of those punts bounce. I’m not worried about Harris though. If he can’t suit up Dodge will take his spot and be fine.
Matchup wise this is an insanely good game for the Pats. Falcons are light in both trenches. I imagine the Pats dish out another 150+ yards running while terrorizing Ryan all day. The Falcons skilled players are not anyone special minus Pitts but he’s a rookie and the Cowboys out a physical corner on him and shut him down most of the day. Sure the defense could have a game like they did against Houston but given how consistent they have been throughout the season I expect a fairly comfortable Patriots win.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200811130nwe.htmOne other point - the Pats have been phenomenal on TNF. They lost last year at the Rams. Aside from that the only loss on Thursday in the last like 20 years was the 2017 season opener, which I would argue doesn't count. I think they went roughly 10-0 from 2002-2019 including Thanksgiving games.
I remember that game-tying Moss catch being incredible.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200811130nwe.htm
Lost in Overtime in 08 to the Brett Favre Jets.
Ah yes. Another non Brady loss.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200811130nwe.htm
Lost in Overtime in 08 to the Brett Favre Jets.
He just jogs into the end zone like he’s not remotely part of the play, and falls over with the touchdown. Amazing.I remember that game-tying Moss catch being incredible.
edit:
Here's an awesome angle I hadn't seen before.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbWSVrb37Uc
Yeah I'm nervousI will be curious to see how the Pats handle the success this week - lots of national media pumping the Pats this week. Tough on a short week against a wildly inconsistent Falcons team but based on the previous years under BB they should be ready.
Ok. That is valid. Now, why are you nervous? What do the Falcons do that makes you feel this way? Is it the short week? Are you worried about a bit of rookie season mistakes/regression from Mac? Do you feel the NE Defense won't be prepared? If so, why?Yeah I'm nervous
I'd quibble with TomTerrific's comment as well. However, I would add context and provide some commentary.Pretty good?
Do you think I'm underselling him? I thought I was being slightly generous in that he is most likely not even in the top 20 RBs in the league this year, however you wish to measure it.Pretty good?
Despite being hurt, he's currently #11 in the NFL in rushing yards (547), and tied at #4 in rushing TD (7). He's also tied at #4 in the number of 20+ yard gains (5).Do you think I'm underselling him? I thought I was being slightly generous in that he is most likely not even in the top 20 RBs in the league this year, however you wish to measure it.
It's not logical, it's growing up a Boston sports fan. In my mind when people start talking about the team in a good light I expect them to go out and fall flat on there face. Yes there has been 20 years of insane success, but my formative sports watching years can never be beaten out of me.Ok. That is valid. Now, why are you nervous? What do the Falcons do that makes you feel this way? Is it the short week? Are you worried about a bit of rookie season mistakes/regression from Mac? Do you feel the NE Defense won't be prepared? If so, why?
I would submit that rushing TDs and 20+ yard gains are not very useful stats given the small sample sizes and dependencies (LGBT says hello). But yes, rushing yards means something, so that's a fair point by you.Despite being hurt, he's currently #11 in the NFL in rushing yards (547), and tied at #4 in rushing TD (7). He's also tied at #4 in the number of 20+ yard gains (5).
So by those three measurements, he's at a minimum a top 11 RB in the league.
I think I am nervous because this NFL season has been so strange. Would you have believed the fetid corpse that is the Miami Dolphins could beat Baltimore last week? Smith and Pees are excellent game planners. Anything is possible.My nerves are a combination of things. Some of it is just general sports nerves. I want the Pats to win, and they've been playing well recently, but I'm invested so I don't want things to go badly. I think a short week is always a bit of a randomizer, my head says BB will have the Pats better prepared than the Falcons.
I also worry a bit about Mac, he's earned my trust, but he's still a rookie so I can still picture lots of things going wrong. I am really glad to see that he's cut down on the bonehead plays we saw in the beginning of the year, I don't think I've seen him do anything really crazy in the grasp of a defender in 4 weeks or so.
The O line is also generically a concern, they've been better but if things fall apart there it could get messy.
I actually feel pretty good about the D, they've rounded into form pretty nicely, whatever the reason.
Despite being hurt, he's currently #11 in the NFL in rushing yards (547), and tied at #4 in rushing TD (7). He's also tied at #4 in the number of 20+ yard gains (5).
So by those three measurements, he's at a minimum a top 11 RB in the league.
I read that the Dolphins used a safety blitz on 36% of defensive plays and blitzed on more than 70% of all defensive snaps and that did a few things to the Baltimore offense: Destroyed Jackson's time to throw; flooded the box and stopped the run; flooded the box and established edges and kept Jackson from running and forcing him into throwing before receivers ran their routes. All incredibly effective.I think I am nervous because this NFL season has been so strange. Would you have believed the fetid corpse that is the Miami Dolphins could beat Baltimore last week? Smith and Pees are excellent game planners. Anything is possible.
Yeah, just crazy that they did not adjust. Was looking for go routes and they never materialized. They simply called for 3-5 step outs and jet sweeps and with the blitzes, the Dolphins had 7-9 men near the line at all times and stopped it all easily. Just ridiculous.@Dogman they ran cover 0 against them like 40+ times. It was insane. You have to throw over the coverage to beat that and they just didn’t. Didn’t adjust to it at all.
Not sure why anyone is nervous about Thursday. This is as good a matchup as you can get on both sides of the ball. TNF has this reputation for crazy results but the numbers have never backed that up. There are numerous gambling articles you can google. On the mobile can’t link but just google TNF and gambling and you’ll see favorites win at an even higher rate than normal depending on the years you look at it or just normal rates but nothing crazy. More injuries might happen but not upsets.
Yeah I was just responding to your point that "he is most likely not even in the top 20 RBs in the league this year, however you wish to measure it".I would submit that rushing TDs and 20+ yard gains are not very useful stats given the small sample sizes and dependencies (LGBT says hello). But yes, rushing yards means something, so that's a fair point by you.
I would note that he is at 4.1 yds/attempt to get those yards, which is good but not great (last year he was at 5.0, but that was a run-oriented team). However, more convincing to me, FO has him at 7th in effective yards with 479.
OK, all the above considered, I'd say you're probably more in the right here than I am.
And they have some guys that can run, especially, for all his faults, Hollywood Brown. Miami’s outside corners are very good, but come on.Yeah, just crazy that they did not adjust. Was looking for go routes and they never materialized. They simply called for 3-5 step outs and jet sweeps and with the blitzes, the Dolphins had 7-9 men near the line at all times and stopped it all easily. Just ridiculous.
A fair question, and one I've wondered myself. At the moment, I'm just happy we'll likely have both of them plus Gunner for the Atlanta game.Yeah I was just responding to your point that "he is most likely not even in the top 20 RBs in the league this year, however you wish to measure it".
So I gave several measurements that show that he is in fact very much in the top 20 - and most likely top 10.
He's not elite, but he's pretty good. I do wonder if, at the end of the day, Rhamondre Stevenson is better.
Yes I am too. I think the record shows that in the NFL, any team can beat any other team on the right day. You just never know. So the Pats need to come out well prepared and play a good game. If they do that, they should win. But we all know that it doesn't always happen, even to good teams. I mean, the WFT just smacked Tampa Bay around pretty good, and Jacksonville beat Buffalo last week. The NFL is crazy, and as a fan you have a right to be concerned about this game.A fair question, and one I've wondered myself. At the moment, I'm just happy we'll likely have both of them plus Gunner for the Atlanta game.
I admit to being slightly concerned that the Falcons will be easy to overlook, especially after all the praise the Pats are receiving this week.