WC Pre-Game Thread: Tennessee

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Dr. Gonzo

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View: https://twitter.com/Trags/status/1211668944488189952?s=20


I would have to assume that Tennessee will double Edelman as well. After Edelman, I really only have confidence in White. I hope they continue to manufacture touches to Harry and while they may just not be good, throwing to a TE should be part of any gameplan as well. The seam routes have been open to TEs.

Tennessee D is beatable through the air but is a top unit against the run. Offensively for the Titans, everyone knows that stopping Henry will be difficult but AJ Brown has looked really good with Tannehill.

Silver lining from yesterday appears to be that no new injuries cropped up. Hopefully J Mac can play on Saturday and Jon Jones can figure something out.

LFG
 
Mooch

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The Titans are a curious team. Not sure I've ever seen a team so efficient in Red Zone offense (1st overall) and so terrible in Red Zone defense (31st overall).
 
BigSoxFan

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Mooch said:
The Titans are a curious team. Not sure I've ever seen a team so efficient in Red Zone offense (1st overall) and so terrible in Red Zone defense (31st overall).
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Well, Pats are the perfect team for them to face then
 
normstalls

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My guess is that BSF was making a reference to the Pat's putrid Red Zone offense.
 
BaseballJones

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The offensive game plan really needs to be a heavy dose of power running and play-action. And when they do go shotgun, James White needs to be a focal point, to the tune of probably at least 10 targets. Edelman will be doubled. Guys like Sanu, Dorsett, Harry, and White need to be big.
 
BigSoxFan

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RedOctober3829 said:
Why the hell has McDaniels gone away from James White? 2 catches on 3 targets yesterday.
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And a sweet stretch run on 3rd and 2 on that first drive. I really have no idea why they can't get White the ball in space akin to prior years. He's one of the few weapons we have.
 
DeadlySplitter

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Henry had to sit week 16 for a hammy, right? they knew the game didn't really matter but they might need that injury luck in-game.
 
E5 Yaz

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RedOctober3829 said:
Why the hell has McDaniels gone away from James White? 2 catches on 3 targets yesterday.
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BigSoxFan said:
And a sweet stretch run on 3rd and 2 on that first drive. I really have no idea why they can't get White the ball in space akin to prior years. He's one of the few weapons we have.
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To me, this is the biggest question on offense of the season. Are teams defensing him differently?
 
BaseballJones

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James White stats

2018: 94 rushes, 425 yds, 4.5 ypc, 123 targets, 87 rec (70.7%), 751 yds, 8.6 ypc, 6.1 yds per target
2019: 67 rushes, 263 yds, 3.9 ypc, 95 targets, 72 rec (75.8%), 645 yds, 9.0 ypc, 6.8 yds per target

So he's catching the ball at a better rate, for a better average, than last year, but is being utilized far less (217 total attempted touches in 2018; 162 total attempted touches in 2019; 55 fewer than last year, almost 3 1/2 fewer per game).

Kind of a mystery. Dude is one of the most effective offensive players on the team.
 
cshea

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FWIW, White had a higher yards per target this season than last, 6.8 to 6.1. He had ~1.5 less targets per game this year, but was still 2nd on the team in targets (95) behind Edelman. Total snaps down about 10%, but a lot of that is likely due to Burkhead playing more this year.
 
ifmanis5

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E5 Yaz said:
To me, this is the biggest question on offense of the season. Are teams defensing him differently?
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They did a breakdown of this during one of the games against a good team where they had dedicated DB spying on him to keep away from the usual mismatches. Maybe the Texans game? Anyway, with Gronk gone teams can scheme for White more efficiently.
 
Dr. Gonzo

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In terms of White, couldn't he be getting less favorable match ups with Gronk gone and TEs not being a threat to catch the ball?

Edit: The above makes perfect sense. Even more frustrating that TEs have not been involved if only them being involved opens up the field a bit for White.
 
Harry Hooper

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ifmanis5 said:
They did a breakdown of this during one of the games against a good team where they had dedicated DB spying on him to keep away from the usual mismatches. Maybe the Texans game? Anyway, with Gronk gone teams can scheme for White more efficiently.
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This has some validity, but the de-emphasis of White seemed to begin mid-season last year when Gronk was still playing.
 
m0ckduck

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TEN has been atrocious on Special Teams (28th by DVOA). And they rode Henry for 32 carries yesterday. Both these things could help around the margins next week (although the fact that Henry went for 211 yards could be taken more as a cause for concern, of course)
 
ShaneTrot

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I love Lawrence Guy. Shelton has had a good season. But the remaining defensive linemen except Simon are not particularly good run stuffers. This concerns me in this game.
 
PedroKsBambino

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I feel like they need to embrace limits of the passing game and return to the 2003 Charlie Weis approach: a lot of first down power runs, passing focused on rb screens and wr screens, tactical and occasional use of spread and downfield passing only. That’s not McD’s usual but is what this team can execute.

I look forward to a more open passing offense next year but all evidence I see is they can’t succeed with it this year.
 
j44thor

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AJ Brown vs. Gilmore should be interesting. Lattimore from NO took out Brown a couple weeks ago, didn't see much of the game so don't know if they just opted not to target Brown or if Lattimore defended him well. He only had one catch and a long TD run. Granted that game was without Henry so much easier to double Brown assuming they did that. Brown is a stronger, faster version of Parker.

Tannehill is also playing a lot like Fitzpatrick, fairly mobile in the pocket, will throw on the run and not afraid to take deep shots. They are hitting a lot of big pass plays on PA, something I can see them exploiting the slow NE LBs with.
 
Super Nomario

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PedroKsBambino said:
I feel like they need to embrace limits of the passing game and return to the 2003 Charlie Weis approach: a lot of first down power runs, passing focused on rb screens and wr screens, tactical and occasional use of spread and downfield passing only. That’s not McD’s usual but is what this team can execute.

I look forward to a more open passing offense next year but all evidence I see is they can’t succeed with it this year.
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The problem is that they are just consistent enough to execute this kind of ball control offense. It will work for a first-down or two, but they don't execute well enough to string five or six first downs together. There will be a penalty or a missed block or a drop and then it's 3rd-and-11.

They had four scoring drives yesterday, and they were the drives with their four longest pass plays: the 50-yarder to Dorsett (a drive which also had a run that gained 24 yards with a penalty), the 38-yarder to Roberts, the 22-yarder to Sanu, and an 18-yarder to N'Keal Harry.

They are really inconsistent generating big plays but they are inconsistent no matter what they do, and at least big plays have big payoffs.
 
SemperFidelisSox

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The weather in Foxboro is going to be terrible Saturday night. Rain all day with a mix to snow later in the night. Field conditions will be bad and the game will likely be played in a steady rain. This one might be a run heavy rock fight with both passing games struggling.
 
Marceline

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NOAA probably has a 50% chance of an accurate forecast this far out... We should have a much better idea on the likely weather by tomorrow.
 
azsoxpatsfan

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Through 7 career games:

N’Keal Harry: 12 catches 105 yards 4 td

Gronk: 10 catches 101 yards 3 td
 
bigq

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Pandemonium67 said:
Let's compromise and call it three. Fucking refs...
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I’m on board with this and don’t forget about the three he is going to haul in this weekend when the Patriots steamroll Tennessee.
 
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McBride11

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McBride11

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And holy shit, how much do you love Butler having the wherewithal to get out of the endzone, Pete's face, etc.

Then fucking LGBT running to congratulate JW. That is so much fucking team it us unreal.


Those wanting fire TB / BB into the sun, much like loser Kelllerman, someday you will be right. Father time is undefeated.
But this D is fucking good and the O has potential. Id rather have the bye , but this fucking team has come back from more more.
Could Henry run for 200 and the Pats lose next Sat? Sure. But could TFB and BB lock some shit up and go 4 games to glory, FUCK YES. LFG.
 
Tim Salmon

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McBride11 said:
And holy shit, how much do you love Butler having the wherewithal to get out of the endzone, Pete's face, etc.

Then fucking LGBT running to congratulate JW. That is so much fucking team it us unreal.

Those wanting fire TB / BB into the sun, much like loser Kelllerman, someday you will be right. Father time is undefeated.
But this D is fucking good and the O has potential. Id rather have the bye , but this fucking team has come back from more more.
Could Henry run for 200 and the Pats lose next Sat? Sure. But could TFB and BB lock some shit up and go 4 games to glory, FUCK YES. LFG.
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It’s been so long since the path to glory was 4 games, I actually had to stop and think about why you were putting more stock in opening day next year than this year’s Super Bowl.
 
BornToRun

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McBride11 said:
People have been talking about odds. Ya, look the Pats have an uphill battle, but my god how much has this team given us fans. Ill be as pissed and sad as anyone if they lose to Ten (or KC or Balt) but goddam this fucking team has provided so many moments,

How were the fucking odds for these 2 SB WINS

Someone give the win % down 28-3, likely better than the 3 seed.

Celine says LFG

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0fbmeGQYSQ


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFoIfbHSAe8
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Just gonna point out at that at some point in SB51, our odds of winning were in the ballpark of 0.5% if I remember correctly.

Nothing would be more glorious than limping into the playoffs as a 3 seed after dropping a turd at home to a last place team, winning on Saturday, running the gauntlet of KC, BAL, and whoever the NFC trots out, and then hoisting another trophy to remind everyone else that The Patriots are inevitable.
 
Conigliaro's Potential

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I have always felt that, more than any other coach in NFL history, Belichick is willing to risk losing winnable games to maximize his chances of winning more important games later on in a season: he doesn't want to put anything on tape for other coaches to study that he doesn't have to. He's like a baseball manager who considers the entirety of a 162-game season in deciding which reliever to use in the 7th inning of a game in August, even if that decision might get him pilloried by fans and media who always want immediate results now.

Everyone who hated on Belichick's coaching against the Dolphins on Sunday should bear that firmly in mind. You're not going to see the same schemes and approach to the Titans game on Saturday that you did last week...and if there's any extent to which you do, it's because Belichick wants to reach the Super Bowl and not just beat the Titans, which means also getting past the Chiefs and probably the Ravens. After all these years and so much evidence in his favor, does anyone here *really* believe that Belichick doesn't know exactly what he's doing in this regard? (If he screwed up against the Dolphins - and the importance of getting the bye was such that he almost certainly did screw up - I'd suggest that his mistakes derived from a calculated gamble that he shouldn't have needed to empty both barrels from the playbook to beat the Dolphins at home, rather than any sort of coaching malpractice along the lines of not knowing how best to beat the Dolphins in absolute terms.)
 
ColonelMustard

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Conigliaro's Potential said:
I have always felt that, more than any other coach in NFL history, Belichick is willing to risk losing winnable games to maximize his chances of winning more important games later on in a season: he doesn't want to put anything on tape for other coaches to study that he doesn't have to. He's like a baseball manager who considers the entirety of a 162-game season in deciding which reliever to use in the 7th inning of a game in August, even if that decision might get him pilloried by fans and media who always want immediate results now.

Everyone who hated on Belichick's coaching against the Dolphins on Sunday should bear that firmly in mind. You're not going to see the same schemes and approach to the Titans game on Saturday that you did last week...and if there's any extent to which you do, it's because Belichick wants to reach the Super Bowl and not just beat the Titans, which means also getting past the Chiefs and probably the Ravens.
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In Bill we trust but I'm not buying this argument. We will put plenty on film during the Titans game.
 
joe dokes

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PedroKsBambino said:
I feel like they need to embrace limits of the passing game and return to the 2003 Charlie Weis approach: a lot of first down power runs, passing focused on rb screens and wr screens, tactical and occasional use of spread and downfield passing only. That’s not McD’s usual but is what this team can execute.
I look forward to a more open passing offense next year but all evidence I see is they can’t succeed with it this year.
Click to expand...
Several times this seasons as runs got stuffed on 1st down, I was thinking that maybe they should try some of those screens on 1st down. A plan like that probably requires more Burkhead, as he's a better power runner than White and a better receiver than Michel, so his presence keeps the defense the most honest of the 3. Burkhead reminds me a lot of Amendola. He's not the most durable over the course of the season, but he rose to the playoff occasion. If he's healthy, he unlocks quite a bit of the offense.
 
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