The Game Ball Thread: Wk. 17 vs Jets

[SeoulSoxFan]

With the snow providing the perfect backdrop, NE gets a comfortable win vs the Jets.

My game balls go to Sony and the secondary. Honorary mentions to Asiasi for his first TD as well.

There will be a lot of changes for the Patriots. I'm cautiously optimistic.

But for now, it's game ball time!

 

[DJnVa]

Cam.

 

[heavyde050]

Really good effort by the team today.
Cam gets a game ball (he played great - in what one hopes is his last game starting for the Pats).
Sony was really good.
Coaching (especially on offense).

 

[Cellar-Door]

Cam
honorable mention to Thuney who continues to be the best player on this team

 

[JohnnyTheBone]

Cam
Sony
Jakobi

 

[BaseballJones]

Cam had a few bad throws but otherwise was fantastic: 21-30, 242 yds, 3 td, 0 int, 11 rushes, 79 yds, 1 rec, 19 yds, 1 td.

Jakobi was great too with 6 rec, 68 yds, plus the 19 yard TD pass to Cam.

Sony ran hard all day. 16 rushes, 76 yds, and had 3 rec for 60 yds.

Winovich had 2 sacks, 3 QB hits, and even a pass defended.

Bailey was a machine.

Nice way to end the season, for what it's worth.

 

[DJnVa]

Interesting how much harder Sony has seemed to run after seeing Harris step up in his absence.

 

[Super Nomario]

Interesting how much harder Sony has seemed to run after seeing Harris step up in his absence.

He was averaging 6+ YPC before Harris took over, too. Sony was good this year. Running behind a better run- blocking OL than last year helps as well.

 

[DJnVa]

He was averaging 6+ YPC before Harris took over, too. Sony was good this year. Running behind a better run- blocking OL than last year helps as well.

He was, but that seems skewed by that one huge game. First 2 games of the year he was 17 carries for 56 yards, so 3.3 ypc.

The last 3 games with no Harris he's 10/74, 10/69, and 16/76--36/219, over 6 per carry. And today, he added 3 catches for 60 yards.

 

[BaseballJones]

Yeah Sony looked like the back we all hoped he'd be coming out. He looked elusive, powerful, and ran with vision. He also caught the ball. The RB position next year with him and Harris (plus Taylor) looks to be in pretty good hands.

 

[Koufax]

Cam has to get the game ball. If he played like that all season, maybe we'd be looking at a Wild Card game next week. Maybe it's just a function of playing a bad team on week 17.

 

[8slim]

Cam had a good second half, and deserves a game ball. He was pretty awful in the first half though, or did everyone forget the multiple bad passes and sacks taken with zero pocket presence. We got the full Cam experience today, and I’m really happy that he got a win on his way outta town.

Game balls for Meyers, Sony and Winovich.

Honorable mention to Asiasi, who finally did something.

 

[E5 Yaz]

I wonder which network will get the Tampa Bay @ New England game next season

 

[Captaincoop]

It speaks well of Cam Newton's character and work ethic that he played so hard today in a meaningless game. Sure, he is seeking a future contract, but plenty of guys would have mailed this one in and tried to blame the whole year on the talent around him. Glad he and the team went out on a high note.

Now, on to 2021, and researching whether NFL rules allow the Patriots to add some white or silver pants next year...

 

[rodderick]

I'm really liking the resurgence of Sony Michel, so he gets a game ball from me. Cam also had a great second half, I feel good for him that this is the note he leaves on. Good guy and easy to root for, wish him nothing but the best.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

I wonder which network will get the Tampa Bay @ New England game next season

No way Fox doesn’t protect that game.

 

[FL4WL3SS]

Cam.

So glad he could show up

 

[Garshaparra]

I'm really liking the resurgence of Sony Michel, so he gets a game ball from me. Cam also had a great second half, I feel good for him that this is the note he leaves on. Good guy and easy to root for, wish him nothing but the best.

He needs to be a lead back, but given the run rate, it seems likely he and Harris will both get hurt at different points in any given season, so best to keep em ready.

Game balls to both QBs (Cam and Meyers), Winovich, and the incredibly untalented Jets.

 

[Beomoose]

Cam, big time

 

[Mugsy’s Walk-Off Bunt]

SONY ran hard all day, and not just today. Maybe he took the Harris ascension as a kick in the pants. Maybe he learned something watching him. One thing, though, he's better catching the ball than they ever let him show. He was considered good at it coming out of Georgia, and I never really saw anything that was glaringly bad. Maybe some rumblings that route running wasn't that strong, but his hands never looked stone-like. Glad to see him look so smooth out there. Hope it foretells season-long production in 2021.

WINO had one of his relentless games. Not just the sacks. Hope his trajectory continues in this direction.

MEYERS. is getting to the point where the "yeah, but he'll never be more than a 4th or 5th receiver" doesn't cut it. He won't be a #1, but a solid #2 (so to speak) or a very good #3...pretty undeniable. And he works hard. Loved seeing his receiving AND yet another Jeff Blake special high-arcing TD pass. Good kid, looking forward to more.

CAM - I am so happy for him, going out like that. From an outsider's perspective, I'd always considered his flamboyance and on-field antics a little me-me. Couple that with that one bad moment in the super bowl (and some understandable petulance afterwards), and my impression of him wasn't great. But, BOY, watching him up-close for a season, witnessing an attitude and leadership, and almost always being a stand-up guy, even in the face of his own disappointing performance...really impressive. And super likable. For him to go out on this note, playing a whale of a game (even if most of it came in one half), really having fun out there AND being productive, that was a pretty awesome way to end a fairly miserable season. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Cam. I'm happy for him. Game. Fucking. BALL.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

Sony emerging as a potentially competent pass Catcher may trail only the emergence of Onwenu and Uche and Harris as the most encouraging news for 2021.

 

[Saints Rest]

Sony emerging as a potentially competent pass Catcher may trail only the emergence of Onwenu and Uche and Harris as the most encouraging news for 2021.

Watching this yesterday made me wonder if a RB corps of Michel, Harris, Burkhead, plus one of Bolden, Taylor, or a mid-round flyer, might eliminate the need to re-sign White.

The Pats spent $8.2M on RBs in 2020, vs $7.4M league average. White was $4M of that and I think he will find that or more on the open market (Tampa). Burkhead was $2M and would likely come back cheaper.

If Harris and Michel can continue their improvements, especially in pass catching, that would give them three backs who would not instantly tell the opponent what the play call would be.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Watching this yesterday made me wonder if a RB corps of Michel, Harris, Burkhead, plus one of Bolden, Taylor, or a mid-round flyer, might eliminate the need to re-sign White.

The Pats spent $8.2M on RBs in 2020, vs $7.4M league average. White was $4M of that and I think he will find that or more on the open market (Tampa). Burkhead was $2M and would likely come back cheaper.

If Harris and Michel can continue their improvements, especially in pass catching, that would give them three backs who would not instantly tell the opponent what the play call would be.

Agreed. I think White is probably gone. There are so many holes on this team and don’t think we’d want to spend that much money on a 29 year-old 3rd down back. He may also be ready to leave himself. Miami or Tampa would be very good fits. I love everything about White as a player and person but probably best for both parties if he moves on. Of course, the QB situation still looms large. Cam never used him but the new guy might.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Watching this yesterday made me wonder if a RB corps of Michel, Harris, Burkhead, plus one of Bolden, Taylor, or a mid-round flyer, might eliminate the need to re-sign White.

The Pats spent $8.2M on RBs in 2020, vs $7.4M league average. White was $4M of that and I think he will find that or more on the open market (Tampa). Burkhead was $2M and would likely come back cheaper.

If Harris and Michel can continue their improvements, especially in pass catching, that would give them three backs who would not instantly tell the opponent what the play call would be.

30 years old.

Only played more than 10 games once in the last 4 seasons (a whopping 13 games).

Major knee injury.

Was below average speed and agility prior to the injury.

I'm passing hard on Burkhead. I'd prefer they bring back White, but if they choose to pass on him entirely and roll with Sony/Michel/Taylor, I'm fine with that, too. The way theyve produced this season, I'm fine spending all the extra cap on one of the many other trouble areas.

 

[BaseballJones]

Sony showing he can catch makes this backfield very different. I’d prefer they draft a RB in the later rounds and roll with Sony, Harris, Taylor, and draftee. That’s plenty good enough. Spend the $$ elsewhere where there are much bigger needs.

 

[cshea]

I think they need to find a vet RB. They don't really have a pass catching back at the moment and Sony and Harris are both injury concerns. I don't think we have enough of a sample of Taylor to project how much he'll be able to contribute going forward.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

30 years old.

Only played more than 10 games once in the last 4 seasons (a whopping 13 games).

Major knee injury.

Was below average speed and agility prior to the injury.

I'm passing hard on Burkhead. I'd prefer they bring back White, but if they choose to pass on him entirely and roll with Sony/Michel/Taylor, I'm fine with that, too. The way theyve produced this season, I'm fine spending all the extra cap on one of the many other trouble areas.

Assuming Burkhead makes a full recovery (not a certainly), I'd love to see him back on a vet-minimun deal. He's done very well finishing off games and would arguably the best pass catcher if White is not brought back.

A corp of Harris/Michel/Burkhead/Taylor/Bolden eliminates a need to draft a RB.

 

[Super Nomario]

SONY ran hard all day, and not just today. Maybe he took the Harris ascension as a kick in the pants. Maybe he learned something watching him. One thing, though, he's better catching the ball than they ever let him show. He was considered good at it coming out of Georgia, and I never really saw anything that was glaringly bad. Maybe some rumblings that route running wasn't that strong, but his hands never looked stone-like. Glad to see him look so smooth out there. Hope it foretells season-long production in 2021.

I disagree with the bolded - pfref had him with 3 drops last year, 2 in 2018, which is horrible considering he only got 20 and 11 targets in those two seasons. Zero drops this year, in 9 targets, and a couple of those catches were pretty nice IIRC. Small sample sizes all, but he looks improved in this area, and his blocking also stands out to me when I watch.

Sony showing he can catch makes this backfield very different. I’d prefer they draft a RB in the later rounds and roll with Sony, Harris, Taylor, and draftee. That’s plenty good enough. Spend the $$ elsewhere where there are much bigger needs.

White was their 3rd leading receiver this year and probably their second-best mismatch weapon after Meyers. He's not going to be easy to replace.

 

[Mystic Merlin]

Burkhead just blew out his knee, they’d be taking a big risk moving on from White.

I do not let White walk.

 

[DJnVa]

I wonder which network will get the Tampa Bay @ New England game next season

I can't wait for "Will Brady and BB shake hands?????"

 

[DJnVa]

I think we should pump the bakes just a bit on "Sony can catch the ball" now. It was nice to see, but he still had 7 catches all season.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Burkhead just blew out his knee, they’d be taking a big risk moving on from White.

I do not let White walk.

I think it's quite possible that White moves on from them. He had about a $4.6M cap hit last 2 years. Would you be willing to go that high for his age 29-31 seasons? Definitely risky since we have no idea what Plan B is and don't really have any good in-house options.

 

[lexrageorge]

I think it's quite possible that White moves on from them. He had about a $4.6M cap hit last 2 years. Would you be willing to go that high for his age 29-31 seasons? Definitely risky since we have no idea what Plan B is and don't really have any good in-house options.

The team will have the 3rd or 4th most cap space in the league this offseason. So that $4.6M would be a very reasonable cap hit for a couple of more seasons.

 

[BigSoxFan]

The team will have the 3rd or 4th most cap space in the league this offseason. So that $4.6M would be a very reasonable cap hit for a couple of more seasons.

Yes, but this team also has a million holes. It wouldn't surprise me to see Belichick re-allocate that to a different position. Or, White may just leave on his own. I would probably re-up him at a comparable price, if he's willing. Our RBs are one of the few strengths of the team and need to remain a strength.

 

[BaseballJones]

I disagree with the bolded - pfref had him with 3 drops last year, 2 in 2018, which is horrible considering he only got 20 and 11 targets in those two seasons. Zero drops this year, in 9 targets, and a couple of those catches were pretty nice IIRC. Small sample sizes all, but he looks improved in this area, and his blocking also stands out to me when I watch.


White was their 3rd leading receiver this year and probably their second-best mismatch weapon after Meyers. He's not going to be easy to replace.

It wasn't going to be easy to replace Faulk, but they did with Woodhead.
It wasn't going to be easy to replace Woodhead, but they did with Vereen.
It wasn't going to be easy to replace Vereen, but they did with White.
It won't be easy to replace White, but they will.

In other words, they haven't had too much difficulty at all replacing these outstanding receiving RBs with other outstanding receiving RBs. For all the trouble BB seems to have with WRs, he has had a world of success in the receiving RB department.

 

[ShaneTrot]

I think it's quite possible that White moves on from them. He had about a $4.6M cap hit last 2 years. Would you be willing to go that high for his age 29-31 seasons? Definitely risky since we have no idea what Plan B is and don't really have any good in-house options.

They rescued Dion Lewis and Danny Woodhead off the scrapheap. The Pats are pretty good at finding cheap RBs who can run and/or catch the ball. In the BB era, 2015 comes to mind as the year where all the RBs and OL got hurt and the running game went to shit. Other than that the Pats have always cobbled something together.

BaseballJones beat me to the point!

 

[Super Nomario]

It wasn't going to be easy to replace Faulk, but they did with Woodhead.
It wasn't going to be easy to replace Woodhead, but they did with Vereen.
It wasn't going to be easy to replace Vereen, but they did with White.
It won't be easy to replace White, but they will.

In other words, they haven't had too much difficulty at all replacing these outstanding receiving RBs with other outstanding receiving RBs. For all the trouble BB seems to have with WRs, he has had a world of success in the receiving RB department.

They've spent at this spot, both in draft capital (2nd for Vereen [also Faulk but pre-BB], 4th for White) and in giving Faulk / White decent contracts. I don't think Belichick sees it as trivial a spot to replace as you're making it. It's also a position that's taken a redshirt year to become acclimated because of the multiple facets of the role. Maybe Taylor can step in, but he had one catch for four yards this year and his size is going to be a problem in pass protection, which is a huge consideration.

This team struggled so much to pass the ball this year, I hate to take one of the few areas they actually have something in the receiving game and make it another question mark.

 

[rodderick]

It wasn't going to be easy to replace Faulk, but they did with Woodhead.
It wasn't going to be easy to replace Woodhead, but they did with Vereen.
It wasn't going to be easy to replace Vereen, but they did with White.
It won't be easy to replace White, but they will.

In other words, they haven't had too much difficulty at all replacing these outstanding receiving RBs with other outstanding receiving RBs. For all the trouble BB seems to have with WRs, he has had a world of success in the receiving RB department.

I think those guys just suit Brady's skillset so well, I wonder if the next one they find will just produce a lot less by virtue of not having a QB who loves exploring that kind of mismatch.

 

[Super Nomario]

They rescued Dion Lewis and Danny Woodhead off the scrapheap. The Pats are pretty good at finding cheap RBs who can run and/or catch the ball. In the BB era, 2015 comes to mind as the year where all the RBs and OL got hurt and the running game went to shit. Other than that the Pats have always cobbled something together.

BaseballJones beat me to the point!

It's worth noting that Belichick has distinguished between guys like Lewis / Woodhead, who just ran traditional RB routes like flat routes and screens (but also could run the ball), and guys like Faulk, Vereen, and White who could run a full WR tree and handle all the pass protection responsibilities. I think it's a lot easier to replace the former than the latter.

 

[ShaneTrot]

Back to this game, I was really impressed by the toughness the players who played yesterday demonstrated. There were a lot of guys who played hurt, the injury list last week was outrageous. A lot of guys who are backups had to play and got it done. Of course, the Jets are a dumpster fire.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Assuming Burkhead makes a full recovery (not a certainly), I'd love to see him back on a vet-minimun deal. He's done very well finishing off games and would arguably the best pass catcher if White is not brought back.

A corp of Harris/Michel/Burkhead/Taylor/Bolden eliminates a need to draft a RB.

We've known each other a long time, sir. Don't think I forget that Burkhead has been a binky of yours since he was in Cinci.

I like Burkhead fine, but he's replaceable. If they want RB receiving to be a heavy aspect of their offense next season, White isn't. At least not easily.

Like I said, I'm fine if they think Michel/Harris can shoulder the load. But I have no interest in bringing Burkhead back. I think its more likely than not that he either (A) isn't the same player he was a few years ago or (B) takes a roster spot from someone who can produce equal value for a full 16 games, which Burkhead clearly can't do.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

We've known each other a long time, sir. Don't think I forget that Burkhead has been a binky of yours since he was in Cinci.

I like Burkhead fine, but he's replaceable. If they want RB receiving to be a heavy aspect of their offense next season, White isn't. At least not easily.

Like I said, I'm fine if they think Michel/Harris can shoulder the load. But I have no interest in bringing Burkhead back. I think its more likely than not that he either (A) isn't the same player he was a few years ago or (B) takes a roster spot from someone who can produce equal value for a full 16 games, which Burkhead clearly can't do.

Let me dream on just a little more, won't you?

P. S. I give BB bringing back Burkhead at 10%, unfortunately.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

It's worth noting that Belichick has distinguished between guys like Lewis / Woodhead, who just ran traditional RB routes like flat routes and screens (but also could run the ball), and guys like Faulk, Vereen, and White who could run a full WR tree and handle all the pass protection responsibilities. I think it's a lot easier to replace the former than the latter.

Im on team SN here. If BB decides not to bring back White, its because he either thinks theres a replacement lined up via free agency/draft/rostered player (Taylor?), or he's willing to lose out on an advanced route runner (White) for a more traditional catching back (Lewis/Woodhead).

 

[BaseballJones]

They've spent at this spot, both in draft capital (2nd for Vereen [also Faulk but pre-BB], 4th for White) and in giving Faulk / White decent contracts. I don't think Belichick sees it as trivial a spot to replace as you're making it. It's also a position that's taken a redshirt year to become acclimated because of the multiple facets of the role. Maybe Taylor can step in, but he had one catch for four yards this year and his size is going to be a problem in pass protection, which is a huge consideration.

This team struggled so much to pass the ball this year, I hate to take one of the few areas they actually have something in the receiving game and make it another question mark.

I never once said it's trivial. I said while BB seems to have a weakness at finding WRs, he seems to have a real gift for finding good receiving RBs. His track record at this position is outstanding.

 

[BaseballJones]

I think those guys just suit Brady's skillset so well, I wonder if the next one they find will just produce a lot less by virtue of not having a QB who loves exploring that kind of mismatch.

Well yes that's a good point. It won't much matter who the receiving RB is if the QB can't/won't get him the ball.

 

[Saints Rest]

Im on team SN here. If BB decides not to bring back White, its because he either thinks theres a replacement lined up via free agency/draft/rostered player (Taylor?), or he's willing to lose out on an advanced route runner (White) for a more traditional catching back (Lewis/Woodhead).

It's also quite likely that BB brings back White only if he feels like White offers value commensurate with the cost. In 2020, that was not the case, admittedly due primarily to the dumpster fire that was the rest of the sill positions, but there's no guarantee that the other areas improve.

Or as @rodderick noted, those previous RBs fit Brady well.

So whoever is catching passes out of the backfield in 2021 may be determined to some measure by who is the QB.

 

[mulluysavage]

Game ball to Cam for playing hard, playing well, and exhibiting pure "joie de jouer" in a so-called meaningless game. I enjoyed watching him.