Gather ‘round kids, it’s story time. Let me tell you a story about a guy who loved to play fantasy football. This guy was in a very high-stakes league, with a lot of money involved. His league-mates were impatient, and loved to have their draft extremely early. So, at the end of July, they drafted. This guy was a very-well prepared fantasy player, and was very happy with his draft. His quarterback was Ben Roethlisberger. Many mocked this selection. He defended it adamantly, believing the Steelers to have the most dynamic offense in the league. The Steelers boast possibly the top back in the league, Le’Veon Bell, who is a dynamic runner who is also arguably the best receiving running back in the NFL. They have Antonio Brown, perhaps the best receiver in the league, who while undersized, is an extremely versatile receiver who can play against all types of coverage. He has the perfect compliment in Martavis Bryant. Bryant was a rookie a year ago, but is the ultimate deep threat, catching eight touchdowns as a rookie and averaging well over 20 yards a catch. This guy also had Bryant on his team, believing he got a steal to put in his flex spot. He sat and laughed as Kelvin Benjamin and Jordy Nelson both suffered season-long injuries. While he felt sorry for the players, he felt it was what his league-mates deserved for rushing the draft. Now karma has struck, and Martavis Bryant will miss the first four games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
If you haven’t guessed by now, that guy is me, and I’m still a little sour about it. For a long time now, we knew Le’Veon Bell would not be on the field to start the season. His three game suspension has been reduced to two, however, and it looks like it shouldn’t by too big of a deal for anyone. Now Bryant is out for the same amount of time as Tom Brady, the first quarter of the season. Think about this: on opening night in New England, Le’Veon Bell, Tom Brady, and Martavis Bryant will all be on the sideline. The NFL might think they’re doing what’s best for them, but what they’re really doing is self-inflicting themselves with wounds that will probably drop viewership, and therefore cost them money.
The Bryant suspension is not definite at this point. He is appealing, and as we all know, appeals of NFL suspensions can take forever. Tom Brady appealed in the middle of May, had his appeal hearing at the end of June, and still
it wasn’t ruled on until the end of July. Oh yeah, and the “crime” he’s being punished for occurred in January.
In 2014, there were a multitude of rookie receivers that burst on to the scene. Amidst the rise of Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, and Sammy Watkins, among many others, Bryant kind of got lost in the shuffle. All he did was catch 26 passes for 549 yards, 8 touchdowns, and his deep threat helped open up even more for the already dynamic Antonio Brown. As it stands right now, Bryant will miss games against the Patriots, 49ers, Rams, and Ravens.
The first two pre-season games mean little to nothing. They are an opportunity to shake the tree and see what falls out that may be a surprise among the newcomers. The experienced vets play little and undrafted free agents and draft picks get their opportunity to catch the eye of the coaching staff…and most of all Head Coach Bill Belichick.
Now game three…that’s a different story!
New England vs Carolina: Finally A Game That Means Something
Friday night’s Patriots’ game at Bank Of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC is important for many reasons. It will give fans their first chance to see most of the veterans in action and evaluate how things are expected to evolve when the season starts against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, September 10 at Gillette Stadium.
What to watch for Friday night:
How much playing time Patriots’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo gets with the first team unit against the Carolina Panthers first
Luke Kuechly grabs Rob Gronkowski in the famous last play non-call loss (Photo: sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com
team. Although most teams don’t “game plan” for preseason match-ups and keep things pretty vanilla this will be a true test against an always strong Panther defense featuring former Boston College Eagle Luke Kuechly. Last season the Middle Line-Backer was voted to the Pro Bowl and selected to the NFL All-Pro First Team for the second consecutive season.
Although Garoppolo took a huge step forward in last weeks comeback win against the Saints, every Patriot fan in the world is hoping Tom Brady is the starting QB when the opening bell rings. That said, the Patriots have to be ready if his suspension is upheld and Belichick is the best in football having his team prepared for every contingency. Sure Tom Terrific will play in this game and may get the majority of snaps…but this will be the only chance Garoppolo has to play with the offensive unit that will start the season and against an opponent who will also be using most of their “A” units on both defense and offense.
By 4 p.m Tuesday (9/1) all clubs must cut their rosters to 75 players on the active list.
That means many of the names you see on the current team roster will be gone shortly after this game. Those on-the-bubble players will be showcasing their talents in hopes they catch the eye of another team. With limited playing time in this game they have to make every minute they are on the field count.
This will be a test of the evolving Patriots’ secondary and defense.
Malcom Butler makes the play in pre-season vs New Orleans (Keith Nordstrom Patriots.com photo)
When starters have played against starters this pre-season (a small sampling at best) the Patriots secondary has been (I’m being kind here) challenged and, with the exception of Malcom Butler, have not met that challenge very well. Both the Packers (Game #1) & Saints (Game #2) seemed to march up and down the field with ease. On the positive side, as has been the case throughout most of the Belichick years, the team seemed to suck-it-up once the opponent got inside the Pats 20 yard line. The healthy return of Dont’a Hightowerand Jerod Mayo will be critical to this years defensive unit along with the addition of Jabaal Sheardand continued development of Jamie Collins.
Gronkowski, Chandler and Wayne could see playing time
For the first time we could have a good look at Scott Chandleras he teams up with Rob Gronkowski. Add in the possible sighting of newcomer Reggie Wayneand it could make for an interesting mix despite the continued absence due to injury of Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell. The playing time for Chris Harper will also be an indication of his likelihood to stick with New England while so many WRs are still hurting.
The annual shuffle on the offensive line continues
The return of Ryan Wendell should help quiet down the jitters of rookies Tre’ Jacksonand Shaq Mason, who have both shown promise but also weaknesses that need to be worked on. With Nate Solder and Sebastion Volmer back and the continued development of second year center Bryan Stork this unit should start to jell shortly.
The Shane Vereen question
As training camp started most (myself included) experts (did I just refer to myself as an expert? Surely not!) felt the Patriots would be hard pressed to replace the 3rd down efficiency of Shane Vereen. Although his replacement has not yet been determined, a few leading candidates have stepped up and made themselves known. Last years 4th round pick, James White, has taken a gigantic leap in his second camp and is the favorite to step into the role. Keep a close eye on 24-year-old Dion Lewis who has bounced around since being a 5th round pick by Pittsburgh in the 2011 draft. He was out of football last year (leg injury) but has displayed some explosiveness, especially last week against the Saints.
Other developments will occur during the game, so enjoy this one all the way to the end. Next week the “locks” will sit while the bubble players will get most of the playing time before final cuts are made. The 1st and 4th games are usually the sloppiest and hardest to watch, so it’s nice to finally have a game that means something!
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Quarterback Michael Vick last played for the New York Jets.
After a brief stint with the New York Jets, free agent quarterback Michael Vick has signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The deal is for one year, and only worth roughly $1 million.
Vick had was drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 draft, and became a franchise quarterback, leading the team to a conference championship game in 2004. He was released from the team when he was arrested for dogfighting in 2007, and served 21 months in prison followed by 2 months house arrest. He made his return by playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. Vick did lead the Eagles to a playoff spot in 2009 and again in 2010, but never was able to lead them into deep playoff runs or stay healthy and consistent. In 2013 the Eagles chose not to resign Vick, who had been replaced by Nick Foles as starting QB.
Looking like his career may end, Vick was given the gift of a 1 year 5 million dollar contract by the New York Jets in 2014 to mentor the struggling Geno Smith. It proved to be an effort in futility for the Jets, in week 10 Vick was named their starter over Smith, and he pulled off their second win of the season. He had only started three games, and only competed 52.9% of his passes for 604 yards, throwing only for three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Michael Vick’s role with the Steelers is unknown, but it is a given that he is going to be a veteran backup to franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The signing could make sense as the other quarterbacks on the Steelers roster, Bruce Gradkowski and Landry Jones, are either injured or have yet to prove their worth. Other than being a backup, Vick could provide more versatility when it comes to the possibility of more attempts at two-point conversions, especially with the extra point distance being pushed back.
The quarterback controversy is over, for now, in Houston. Yesterday the Texans named Brian Hoyer as their starter over Ryan Mallett. This was one of the few true quarterback competitions you’ll see. They both entered camp with a legitimate shot at the starting job, and neither seemed to have a leg up on the other skill or experience wise.
This is not the first time these two have been linked. Hoyer and Mallett have both spent time as Tom Brady’s backup in New England. Hoyer was undrafted out of Michigan State in 2009, and he then signed with the Patriots. He beat out three other quarterbacks to be Brady’s backup. He remained in that role through 2011, but didn’t make the team the following season. Who beat Hoyer out in 2012? Why none other than Ryan Mallett.
Mallett came out of Arkansas in 2011. For most of his college career, the 6’6 quarterback was regarded as one of the top quarterback prospects coming out of college that year, easily a first-round talent. Due to off the field issues Mallett fell to the third round, where the Patriots scooped him up with the 74th overall pick. Although he was the seventh quarterback selected in that draft, the Patriots regarded him as the best in the 2011 draft, and thought he was a steal in the third round.
After stints with both the Steelers and Cardinals, Hoyer landed in Cleveland in 2013. Due to injuries Hoyer ended up as the Browns starter in Week 3, and played extremely well. After three straight starts, Hoyer suffered a torn ACL, ending a promising season. In 2014 the Browns named Hoyer their starter despite using a first round pick on superstar Johnny Manziel. Hoyer had some ups and downs through the first 13 games, and Manziel ended up replacing him. Johnny was far from impressive, and after an injury Hoyer finished up the season. He left the mess in Cleveland and signed with the Texans this offseason.
Mallett spent 2012 and 2013 in Hoyer’s role as Tom Brady’s backup. However, in the 2014 draft, the Patriots spent a 2nd round pick on Eastern Illinois’ Jimmy Garoppolo. Before the season started, the Patriots sent Mallett to the Texans for a conditional 6th or 7th round pick. Mallett sat behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Savage before injuries allowed him to start Week 11. Mallett played well, but a torn pectoral a couple of weeks later ended his season.
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien has spent plenty of time with both of these guys. O’Brien was with the Patriots from 2007-2011 mostly working with the quarterbacks during that time. But O’Brien is certainly fond of both of these quarterbacks. The opening scene of HBO’s Hard Knocks with the Houston Texans shows O’Brien at a table with his assistants on the eve of training camp. O’Brien says, “Let’s be honest with each other. This place has no respect in the league, just so you guys are all aware of that. This organization is 96-126. Thirty games below .500. Turn your TV on. Nobody talks about the Houston Texans because nobody thinks we’re going to win. And the disrespect that they show our quarterbacks? I’m tired of that too. Because both of those kids can play. They just need a chance and one of them is going to get it.”
The Texans have been missing a quarterback since they gave up on Matt Schaub. Last year proved, they’re a good team, but they didn’t have a reliable quarterback. The roster is loaded. The defense is one of the best in the league, led by the league’s best defensive player, J.J. Watt and linebacker Brian Cushing. They just added Vince Wilfork to be a run-stopper in the middle. Offensively they’re skilled too, with talented guys like Arian Foster and DeAndre Hopkins. All they need is a quarterback. The situation is looking better than it did last year. Hoyer and Mallett have both had success in the league, but haven’t really had a full workload. If Hoyer proves to be good enough, the Texans could be a scary team this year.
The Reggie Wayne signing means a few things. First, the Pats aren’t satisfied with the depth at the position. With the starting three players (LaFell, Edelman and Amendola) all nursing injuries, Wayne comes in and add some quality depth. Yes, he isn’t the player he used to be, but he’s smart and knows how to run routes, which is essential in the Patriot offense. With the Jordy Nelson injury, it’s safe to say that if he would have left New England without a contract, he would be quickly snatched up by the Packers or another WR needy team. With Aaron Dobson still enigmatic and two WR put on IR on Monday (Brandon Gibson and Brian Tyms), Wayne can step in and help right away. With promising undrafted WR Chris Harper showing some great signs in these two games, everything behind him is a question. Wayne can be a reliable stop gap while they identify the players who make this offense click.
at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on August 22, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
With James White and Dion Lewis both showing a lot of promise as the passing back, the Pats could be facing some tough decisions. Who will be the winner here? The money is on White due to spending a 4th round pick on the player, but Lewis is looking like the player that he should have been when he was drafted by Philadelphia a few years back. If they keep him, that means they will keep 6 RB’s (Blount, Gray, Lewis, White, Boldin and Develin as a FB). That’s a lot dedicated to one position, but this is something to keep an eye on. The winner will go to the one who is best at pass protection.
To say the defense was underwhelming against New Orleans is an understatement. Even without Jerod Mayo and Dontá Hightower in there, Brees picked apart the first team defense. With 7th rounder CB Darryl Roberts facing a potential season ending wrist injury, the depth behind Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan and Terrell Brown is rather disconcerting. Expect another addition here as the coaching staff figures who is going to make the team. Let’s hope for everyone’s sake that the Devin McCourty time back at corner was as short lived as it was. He isn’t the answer and it might take a few more weeks until they find that out.
Football: NFL Scouting Combine: (L-R) Florida State QB Jameis Winston (QB15) and Oregon QB Marcus Mariota (QB11) on field before drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis, IN 2/21/2015 CREDIT: Todd Rosenberg (Photo by Todd Rosenberg /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (Set Number: X159260 TK4 )
The teams that picked one and two in this draft are in a rather interesting predicament. Tampa Bay drafting Jameis Winston and Tennessee drafted Marcus Mariotta means that they set at quarterback (for the time being). Their backups are where it gets interesting. QB Zach Mettenberger has been lights out in these two preseason games for the Titans and QB Mike Glennon has looked very good in his playing time playing after Winston in Tampa. With teams facing some rather horrible QB play (Washington and Buffalo come to mind), you might see these quarterbacks go for a nice price. The Drew Brees/Phillip Rivers situation comes to mind. In Brees’ first 3 years in San Diego, he was underwhelming and was inconsistent, prompting the team to draft Eli Manning and then ship him off to the Giants for Phillip Rivers. Somehow, that turned the light on for Brees and his play took off after that. A similar situation could be going on in Tampa and Tennessee. It’s definitely something to keep an eye on.
With Kelvin Benjamin, Jordy Nelson and Maurkice Pouncey all going down with season ending injuries, the call for a reformation of the pre-season is already in play. The preseason isn’t to blame for the Nelson and Benjamin injuries since they happened on non-contact plays. The point of pre-season isn’t for the starters, it’s for the bottom half of the roster. It’s usually to figure out a few starting positions and your bench. Without them, it would be hard to field the best team come September. Although the injuries are unfortunate, they are inevitable in any sport, especially football. This is an opportunity to see who can step up in these players’ absences. That’s the real fun of football right there, to figure out who want’s it more and who becomes a star in spite of these circumstances. Silver linings are always there. All Patriots fans know this…
GLENDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 01 : Ron Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots celebrates after catching a touchdown pass over K.J. Wright #50 of the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl XLIX February 1, 2015 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Patriots won the game 28-24. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ron Gronkowski; K.J. Wright
In the very beginning of the 2013 Patriots off season, Patriots fans were absolutely delighted with their dual tight ends of terror, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Few in the league can match up with Rob Gronkowski’s versatility at tight end. Gronkowski is able to block and catch, a rarity in this day and age. Aaron Hernandez was lauded for his speed and pass catching ability. Hernandez could still block well while exhibiting the traits of a starwideout.
Hernandez and Gronk presented such a match up nightmare that many in New England figured that it would only be a matter of time before the famed tight ends led the Patriots back to Super Bowl glory. Aaron Hernandez of course, chose a different path in 2013. Rather than a Super Bowl berth, Aaron took to murdering his friend Odin Lloyd and spending his life in prison. The New England Patriots of course won a fourth Lombardi Trophy but the once lauded tight end duo did not arrive to Arizona intact.
via newyorker.com
The shock of losing Hernandez, especially in New England’s first days of a Wes Welker-less season, was intolerable. Left in Hernandez’s stead were several untested rookies, an ailing Rob Gronkowski and a seemingly promising young tight end named Zach Sudfeld. As the season began, Sudfeld’s promise never materialized and before you could say “practice squad” the Jets scooped him up off the waiver wire and all but confirmed his doomed fate.
In 2014 the Patriots in a shocking move traded offensive lineman Logan Mankins for a fourth round draft pick and tight end from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tim Wright. Although many fans lamented the loss of Mankins there was still a considerable buzz in the air for the prospect of having another viable pass-catching tight end. As the season progressed Wright did a serviceable job but was hardly as dynamic as Hernandez had been during his pre incarceration days on the Patriots team.
Tim Wright would show that he was worth picking up, pulling in six touchdowns for the New England Patriots during the 2014 season enroute to an eventual Super Bowl victory. Sadly, Wright was released by the Patriots in June of this year and was resigned, oddly enough, by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It’s now the start of a new football year and fans are once again clamoring for the now defending New England Patriots to take the field. In an off season filled with deflated footballs, corner back departures and the very real possibility of four games without future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, did a very real solution to an almost forgotten problem slip under the radar? During free agency the New England Patriots signed what could eventually be the perfect compliment to star tight end Rob Gronkowski. He is now known as No. 88, Scott Chandler and is New England’s best offseason value pickup.
At a height of 6 feet 7 inches and weighing in at roughly 260 pounds, Scott Chandler could very well be the answer all Patriots nation has been waiting for. Chandler brings power and pass catching ability and another wild card to the offense. With both he and Rob Gronkowski on field defenses will constantly be guessing, who is blocking and who is catching? When Scott was with the Buffalo Bills he was often referred to as a “Patriot killer”, routinely making plays and scoring touchdowns over New England’s defense. Coach Bill Belichick is clearly familiar with his upside and was eager to add him to the Patriot’s roster.
Scott Chandler isn’t all roses and confetti. Scott isn’t known for his speed and when compared to Hernandez he lacks the overall versatility the once acclaimed murderer was known for. Chandler is currently nursing a minor knee injury which has unfortunately kept him off the field for much of the preseason, giving the fans very little to see.
Ultimately, time will tell if Scott Chandler will become the missing link to a problem yet to be solved. If injuries do not keep him from reaching his full potential, the New England Patriots may very well once again be living in the high-rise section of Tight End City.
At this time last year Malcolm Butler was an undrafted rookie free agent fighting to make a roster spot. This year he’s the teams number one cornerback going in to the 2015 season, and by the looks of things Butler looks to be the real deal and that he could be a starting number one cornerback in the NFL.
patriots.com
Everyone in the world knows about his Super Bowl winning interception, but that wasn’t Butler’s only good play he made during the season. Butler saw limited action throughout the year playing behind Revis, Browner and Arrington, who are now all playing for different teams. Butler isn’t getting the job because of the departure of the other corners, he’s getting it because he’s deserved it. He’s paid his dues playing and learning behind elite company, now he gets to exhibit his skills as a number 1 corner. This isn’t going to say that Butler is going to be an elite cornerback like a Darrelle Revis or Richard Sherman, those types of guys are once in a generation type players but Butler is going to be a very good corner in the NFL. Is it possible he could work himself into being an elite corner in the NFL? Sure, but for now its premature to say.
Julian Edelman vs. Malcolm Butler.
Butler has shown his skills in both man and zone coverage and has continued to work on getting better from last year to this year and wants to be the best player he can be. He has shown good ball skills of course with his interception in the Super Bowl and as well as making great plays so far in training camp. Then one of the biggest things he has is the confidence and the swagger of a great corner. He was on top of the world after the Super Bowl by making maybe the best play in the history of the NFL, he’s shown that he wants to cover the best by covering Edelman and Gronkowski in practice and covering them well, covering Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb against the Packers in week one of the preseason and not allowing any catches, covering Marques Colston and Brandin Cooks in week two of the preseason against the Saints. He showed his speed and hit power by leveling Brandin Cooks on a wide receiver end around by following him and making the big hit after Cooks crossed the line of scrimmage. Cooks has 4.3 speed and is one of the fastest guys in the NFL and tracking him down is no easy task. After the play Butler got up got into Cooks face a little bit and just stood there with confidence and swagger.
via bostonherald.com
He’s drawn praise from coaches and players for his work ethic, ability and his determination to get better and wanting to be a great player. He struggled the first day of doing practices this week against the Saints, he came back the next day and had a very good day of practice and then played well in the preseason game against New Orleans. He knows what it takes and wants to be the best and keep improving, if he struggles he’s going to do something about it and change it and showed the ability to bounce back from a bad performance. Butler is going to be the starting cornerback for the Patriots this season and he’s going to do a great job at it. With the more experience he gets the better he will get and maybe get into that Sherman and Revis category in a few years. For now he’s going to be the Patriots number one corner and hopefully do his job of stopping the opposing offenses number one threat. I wrote about Butler last summer going into the season and how well he performed in camp and had confidence in him being a contributor on defense, now I’m writing about Butler with him being “the guy” in the secondary and I still have all the confidence in him. Malcolm Butler is going to be a great player for the Patriots and can’t wait to see him in the regular season lined up against some of the best in the league and see how he performs.
We’ve now reached the halfway point in the pre-season (1-1) after the Patriots defeated the New Orleans Saints 26-24 Saturday night behind Jimmy Garoppolo…and few of the Patriots questions have been answered. Let’s take a quick look at where the team stands as regular season quickly (yes, I’m smiling) approaches.
Jimmy Garoppolo
Jimmy Garoppolo leads Pats to comeback 26-24 win vs The Saint (Photo: Keith Nordstrom/Patriots.Com)
Patriot fans need to take a step away from the immediacy of the team need (re: Brady possible suspension) and realize this is just his second year in the NFL. Very few QBs are instant successes and the growing pains can be frustrating for both the player and the rabid team followers.
“Last week the pressure got to me a little bit, and it’s never good to get sacked or hit that many times,”
Defensive Secondary
The only things that seem certain at this stage are:
All the worry when the Patriots lost Revis Island, Kyle Arrington and Brandon Browner was justified
Malcolm Butler still seems like the real thing. His limited play in the pre-season games is an indication Head Coach Bill Belichick has seen enough of him in practice to feel confident in him and needs to look at others in game situations. How things have changed for Butler since “the play”, going from a question mark that others gave up on to the Patriots best corner!
CB Tarell Brown made his Patriots debut after missing the first preseason game against Green Bay with mixed results
Devin McCourty, an above average safety, is a below average CB. He has acknowledged he isn’t comfortable at his old position.
Commenting on his play Saturday night in New Orleans he was honest (tsk, tsk, a Patriot player actually saying something) when he said “It didn’t feel great and I don’t think it looked great.” He also acknowledged he doesn’t have much say in where he plays “You can’t control where you play. Everyone’s playing a position for the team, and overall, what’s best for the team. I don’t think what you think or feel matters.”
Devin McCourty breaks up a pass intended for Brandon Coleman in the first half of Pats win (Bill Feig-AP)
Offensive Line
Like last season at this time, the offensive line is still a work in progress. The return of Sebastion Volmer and Nate Solder to game shape will give rookies Shaq Mason and Tre’ Jackson a chance to breathe as they adapt to the speed of the NFL. Neither Mason nor Jackson has yet made that step-up expected of them, but give them time as both show promise and are still learning the game at a whole new level. The hope is that the unit jells as the season progresses, as they did in 2014.
Saturday night rookie free agent David Andrews made his second straight start at center
Receiving Depth
Chris Harper against the Saints (Photo: Keith Nordstrom/Patriots.com)
With wide receivers dropping like flies my early optimism for this year is quickly getting clouded with question marks. Brandon LaFell still hasn’t played a down, Brian Tyms may be out for the season with a foot injury, Aaron Dobson’s return to health was an illusion, Josh Boyce continues to shine in practice and disappear at game time. Key players (Julian Edelman-injury/Rob Gronkowski/Scott Chandler-injury) continue to watch from the sidelines, so it is hard to have a true evaluation of just how strong/weak the Pats are, but rookie Chris Harper has taken the ball and run with it in their absence. Seven year veteran Brandon Gibsonhas looked good, but also was injured late in the game.
There’s more, but that’s enough for now to keep fans thinking. No panic, but concern, is in the air. Just keep thinking, Bill Belichick is the best Head Coach in the NFL and he finds ways to win. That’s a fact that can’t be denied.
The New England Patriots won their first game of the 2015 preseason in New Orleans on Saturday night, with a 26-24 come from behind victory. The Patriots started off sluggish in all three phases of the game, falling behind 21-0. Those were the starters out on the field when the team fell behind that badly, and you can be sure head coach Bill Belichick will let his players know about it. However, young players trying to make a name for themselves brought the Patriots back into the game. Here are my evaluations and observations from preseason game number two.
Defensive Starters Underwhelm: With the exception of Dont’a Hightower and Jerod Mayo, the Patriots starters on the defensive side of the ball were all on the field for the first three series of the game. It is safe to say that they did not impress at all. On the first offensive play of the game for the Saints, Drew Brees hit Mark Ingram on a wheel route in which he toasted Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins. A lot has been made about Collins athletic ability and how he by far and away the most physically gifted on the field at all times.
However, he has had a lot of trouble covering running backs. Saturday night was not his night. Later in the quarter Collins was blown back by Saints guard Jahri Evans on a screen play, that lead to a gain of seventeen yards. In addition, the Patriots secondary looked just like what many fans have feared they would look all offseason, horrendous. Drew Brees moved the football up and down the field with ease, picking apart New England defensive backs.
Patriots.com
Particularly Duron Harmon, and Devin McCourty who played at the cornerback spot opposite of Malcolm Butler. This was never more evident than in the first quarter when Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks ran straight past McCourty and Harmon for a forty-yard touchdown. It was flashbacks of 2011’s cellar dwelling secondary for many Patriots fans. The secondary is a work-in-progress so fans needed to be ready for games such as this one.
Offensive Line Continues To Struggle: The offensive did not give up seven sacks like they did last week agains the Green Bay Packers, nevertheless they did struggle opening up running lanes for LeGarrette Blount and Jonas Gray at times. The starting line went from left to right Nate Solder, Shaq Mason, David Andrews, Tre Jackson, and Sebastian Vollmer. Cameron Fleming saw most of the time at tackle in place of Vollmer.
The interior players struggled the most. It seemed as if time after time in the first half and even into the second, the Patriots running backs were just running into brick walls. After having a solid game last week, Shaq Mason struggled on Saturday night as he was blown up often by Saints defensive lineman. David Andrews had many of the same problems. Also, Cameron Fleming had some mental errors setting up in the wrong formation, which lead to a loss of yards for his team.
Patriots.com
The pass protection was solid which was encouraging. Now if the unit can string together a good mix of both the run and pass protection next week against the Panthers, fans should feel good about their offensive line heading into week one.
Garoppolo Has Flashes of Promise: After the Tom Brady lead offense went three and out on three straight series, Jimmy Garoppolo came into the game and looked very flustered at first like he did last week. However, at the end of the first half with just over a minute to go Garoppolo was in position to prove himself in a critical situation with his team trailing 21-0.
Jimmy took his team down the field, capping off the drive with a great hustle play that resulted in a touchdown. The pocket collapsed on Garoppolo, but he managed to break free of a Saints defender, rolled out of the pocket and fired the ball into the back of the end zone to Chris Harper, who had a great game.
At the start of the second half, Garoppolo had his best series of the game. It was a five and a half minute drive that incapsulated eleven plays for 55 yards, that ended with a Dion Lewis eleven-yard touchdown run. Throughout the drive, Jimmy connected with players such as Chris Harper and Jimmay Mundine on key third and fourth down conversions.
Patriots.com
There were some growing pains with Garropolo however. Early in the fourth quarter he made a terrible decision throwing the ball off his back foot to Brandon Gibson who was double covered. The ball was intercepted by Pierre Warren of the Saints. That is a Drew Bledsoe type mistake. He is moving the ball up and down the field looking good, then all of sudden he makes a dumb throw like that one. Also, later in the fourth Garoppolo dumped the ball off to Brandon Gibson on a third and long play. Gibson did not even come close to the first.
Jimmy Garoppolo’s most important drive of the game came with two-minutes to go in the game with the ball at the Saints forty-five yard line down 24-23. Garoppolo made essentially one play, and thats all he needed. On the first play of the series he fired the ball down the middle of the field to Jonathan Krause who made a very impressive catch with a New Orleans defender draped all over him. The catch put the Patriots at about the twenty-four yard line, setting up Stephen Gostkowski for the game winning thirty-five yard field goal.
In the end, Jimmy Garoppolo went 28 for 33, for 269 yards, with one touchdown pass and one interception. Not a bad game at all. Fans should feel encouraged about the progression from last week until now, and still be cautious that there is much more for Garoppolo to prove.
Miscellaneous Notes: Cornerback Bradley Fletcher stuck out for the first time all season, making two big pass breakups late in the game. Undrafted wide receiver Chris Harper was one of Jimmy Garoppolo’s favorite targets throughout the night, and he also had a huge punt return late in the game setting his team up with great field position. Malcolm Butler continued to impress, not so much with his coverage skills but with his physicality. He came up on two run plays in the first quarter and layed the wood down on two Saints players, one being Brandin Cooks.
The team as a whole has a lot to work on, especially on the defensive side of the ball. next Friday’s match up against the Carolina Panthers will be the most important of the preseason as the starters will see the majority of the reps. As fans we will get much more of a decent evaluation against a playoff caliber team.
A Philadelphia Eagle’s team source said that as long as quarterback Tim Tebow doesn’t make any major errors, he will make the team. A Christian singer named Matt Redman wrote a song that said:
Shout it out, let the people hear
Something so powerful it shakes the whole wide world
Make it loud make it louder still
Savior we’re singing now to celebrate your beautiful news
So everyone, I call you all together, to shout it out, scare the dog, wake your neighbors as we all say it together, “TEEEEEEEEBBBBBBOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!” As long as our favorite quarterback doesn’t screw up too badly, he will be on an NFL team for the 2015 season. Yes, there is a God. This is why you don’t question what He does, because He’ll come through in the end.
Not only does it look like Tebow will make the Eagle’s roster, Chip Kelly seems to be a fan of the former Florida quarterback as well. Kelly said that he’s impressed with Tebow’s running skill, and although he’s not perfect, he’s improved throwing the football. In the Eagle’s preseason game against the Colts on Sunday, Tebow completed six of twelve passes for 69 yards while also running four times for 15 yards and a touchdown.
Tebow was one of the most decorated college football players of all time. While at Florida, he won two National Championships, was the first sophomore to win the Heisman trophy, and won 35 games in three years as a starter. He was also the recipient of numerous awards as well as the holder of many records both passing and rushing. However, an elongated throwing motion and a lack of accuracy on his throws kept Tebow from being a top prospect coming out of school. The Denver Broncos surprised many by taking Tebow late in the first round of the draft.
Tebow backed up Kyle Orton his rookie year, but after the season went into the toilet he started the last three games of the year, actually winning a game against the Houston Texans. In that game, Tebow rallied the Broncos from a 17-0 deficit and threw for over 300 yards in the win. 2011 looked like it would be Tebow’s year, but he started the season just as he had the year before, as Kyle Orton’s back up. With the team on their way to a 1-4 start, head coach John Fox put Tebow in to play the second half against the San Diego Chargers. He was far from perfect, but Tebow nearly led a comeback and earned the starting job for the rest of the season. What followed was a series of miraculous wins. It became routine for Tebow and the Bronco’s offense to slug through the first three quarters of games, and then pull off a crazy comeback in the fourth quarter to win. It culminated in the Wild Card round. Tebow threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demariyus Thomas on the first play of overtime to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Tebow magic ended after that. Tom Brady and the Patriots laid the hammer down on the Bronco’s the next week. After the season the Broncos signed Peyton Manning and traded Tebow to the Jets. Tebow never started with the Jets, was signed by the Patriots the next season, didn’t make the team, and hasn’t played since.
Now it looks like Tebow will be back in the NFL again. The last time we saw him as a starting quarterback, it was in the playoffs. Tebow won’t be starting for the Eagles. But with the injury-prone Sam Bradford set to lead Chip Kelly’s offense, and the roller coaster of a career with more downs than ups that is Mark Sanchez the only other quarterback likely to make the team, it’s very plausible that Tebow will play a major role at some point in the 2015 Eagle’s season, and at this point, that’s all us Tebow fans can ask for.
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