Recap of Bucs vs. Pats 8/18/11

Last night’s performance was just as good if not better than the first preseason game against the Jaguars, although Tampa Bay seemed to be just as bad last night as the Jaguars last night.  I had projected the Patriots to come out with a 24-17 win over the young Buccaneers team that just a week before, held the Chiefs, last year’s top rushing team in the NFL, to zero points.  Again, the Patriots out did themselves as they walloped the Buccaneers by a total of 31-14.  Here are some things that I’

1.  The pass rush



Andre Carter will provide speed off the edge



How could you not notice the amount of pressure that the Patriot’s starting defense had on Josh Freeman last night.  Defensive captain Jerod Mayo was all over the field, showing once again why he led the NFL in tackles just a season ago.  Even more pleasant to see was the amount of success the defensive line had, including newly acquired Andre Carter from Washington.  Carter (wearing number 93, Richard Seymour’s old number) had a stellar performance, causing havoc nearly every play. 

What was really interesting was to see the use of the 4-3 again by Belichick.  It is a “4-3 hybrid” as some analysts are calling it, where the defense is mixing different strategies to create penetration in the backfield.  The give away that this is a true 4-3, though, is the way in which the defensive line executed each snap. 

In a 3-4 defense, defensive linemen are responsible for actually taking up blockers so that linebackers can come through the open gaps and fill the holes.  They try and stand up their blockers and read the play.  This is far different than the 4-3 where the defensive line is doing everything in their power to get into the backfield, using multiple techniques to try and blow their blockers away and make the tackle.  As for what we saw last night, it worked very well but we have to remember that the Buccaneers were doing a lot of swapping with their offensive line and at any given point, the Patriots may have been going up against a third string lineman.

2.  Brady to Ochocinco

Ocho's first reception from Brady: Touchdown

I projected that we’d see Brady and Ochocinco connect a few times in the game last night and I was right.  However the entire sequence of plays with the two of them did not look as fluid as plays in which Brady threw to Welker or Hernandez.  Ochocinco finished the game with two catches for fourteen yards and a touchdown but was targeted four times, including once where Tampa Bay linebacker Mason Foster nearly took Ochocinco’s head off.  The plays just seemed forced.  There is no need to worry though, it’s still early and I expect that by the end of the preseason, with how much work Ochocinco has been putting in to learning this new offense, the two studs will be reading each other’s minds.

3.  The running game

Green-Ellis and Woodhead were very much present in the game last night, combining for 114 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.  It is very promising to see the run game working early.  It allows for some diversity in the offense and takes some of the pressure off of Brady and the passing game.  One drive in particular was especially impressive in those terms.  On a nine play, sixty yard drive starting at their own forty yard line, the Patriots took the ball in the second quarter and ran the ball eight times, marching down the field and scoring a touchdown while taking nearly five minutes off of the game clock.  When you are able to control the clock in football, you can control the game.  More impressive though is when you can control the clock, score a touchdown, and only throw one pass on the whole drive because of a penalty.  Even more impressive: When you only have to throw one pass and Tom Brady is your quarterback.  The offense was awesome last night, but it was good to see that it was the offense as a whole and not just Tom and the passing game. 

Hopefully we see a lot of good news coming out of practice this week.  Ochocinco clearly needs more work but with the extra reps and possibly playing deeper into the next preseason game, we will see some progress.  The next game will be very different though, as the Patriots will be up against one of the scariest defensive lines in the league with the Lions.  We need even better protection than what we got last night to stop last year’s Rookie of the Year, Ndamukong Suh.  With Belichick hinting at some roster changes coming soon, this should be a fun and interesting week of practice. 

Greg’s Overall Performance Grade for Pats vs. Bucs 8/18/11: A

What to Expect: New England @ Tampa Bay Preseason

Tomorrow’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers provides a little more of a challenge than the Jaguars did, which is exactly what you’re looking for in the preseason.  The revamped Tampa team is coming off of a 10-6 season in which then rookie quarterback Josh Freeman provided some hope to the ailing Tampa fans.  Josh Freeman returns this season looking very strong and with several weapons on hand, the Buccaneers look to be fierce competitors in the NFC South this season.  Here is what we can expect from the Patriots tomorrow night:

More of the 3-4 Alignment

Reports have been coming out from Foxboro that Belichick has been doing a lot of work with the 3-4 since the introduction of their new 4-3 defense last week against the Jags.  I don’t think this is a sign of disappointment with the results from the 4-3 considering the results (four sacks and only twelve points allowed).  This is more of a case of Belichick being Belichick and wanting to keep his option open.  I expect that about half of the snaps will be played out of the 3-4 or something that mirrors it.  The ultimate goal will be to create a defense which meshes the two styles, creating real havoc for offensive coordinators around the league.

Keep an eye on Brandon Meriweather (31) and Darius Butler (28)

Rumors have been swirling through camp this season that cornerback Darius Butler is on his last leg.  The potentially terrific player has done next to nothing in his three years with the Patriots and fans and media alike are beginning to feel that Butler is a bust.  If he doesn’t step it up with some good play in tomorrow night’s game, I don’t see Butler lasting another week in the Patriots locker room.



Meriweather needs more plays like this to keep his spot



What may be surprising, however, is that Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather may be in the same kind of trouble.  Meriweather was a first round draft pick in 2007 and many feel that with four years experience, he should be making more of a splash in the league.  While his numbers are consistent, Meriweather needs to start proving that he his a leader on this defense or Belichick will be inclined to start someone like James Sanders over him when regular season comes.  His reps with the first team in practice have been diminishing quickly and the Patriots went as far as to bring in safeties from other teams for workouts, such as New Orleans veteran Darren Sharper.  Maybe this is a ploy to get Meriweather to work harder but either way, it should be interesting to see the change in his performance.  Expect him to play the whole first half like he did last game.

Tom and Ocho’s Debut

Expect a lot of this in tomorrow

Yes, I can almost promise that tomorrow’s game will be the debut of the new Patriots offense, in which Tom, Ocho, Welker, and Branch all will take part.  I am not placing any bets on how long they will be on the field though.  The aging starting crew is very important to New England’s plans this season but at the same time, Belichick might really want to work them hard.  I wouldn’t be surprised in any scenario where the starting lineup (or the majority of it) plays anywhere from one series or the entire first half.  Likewise, I expect less but equal time from Hoyer and Mallett and possibly a second look at breakout receiver Taylor Price if he is healthy (he has been nursing an injury all week at practice so don’t expect it).  While most of the scouting will be done primarily on the defensive side of the ball I feel that the coaches want a good, long look at what this starting Patriots offense will be able to do. 

No go on Haynesworth

He’s still been hurt but there are no reports coming out of camp that he is in jeopardy of being cut outside of the silly rumors around the league by NFL analysts.  We have to remember that Randy Moss sat out the majority of preseason as well in 2007.  He then went on to break the touchdown reception record.  This is Belichick being careful with what he knows is a stud player.  He will be more valuable in the regular season than now, especially since we know what he is capable of.

Expect the defense to be challenged

This isn’t the Jaguars again.  Don’t expect another stellar performance by the Patriots defense and but don’t expect them to roll over either.  Opportunity is knocking for a lot of players on that roster and it’s the ones that can get to the quarterback and make plays that will make the final cut.  That being said, this Tampa Bay offense is far better than Jacksonville’s and with that in mind, I expect a better challenge for this revamped Patriots defense.

Greg’s Prediction for tomorrow’s game:

Patriots win: 24 – 17

Look who's in town!

Buzz is in the air about the two players that the Pats were planning on bringing in to practice today.  Safety Darren Sharper and wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh both had been scheduled to have a work out with Patriots coaches today but with downpours all day in the Boston area, word has not gotten out yet whether or not those workouts happened.

Ocho and Houshmandzadeh back in Cinci

It is an interesting move by the Patriots, especially considering how aggressive they’ve been already this season.  Houshmandzadeh is a great underneath receiver like Welker or Edelman and had a lot of time with Chad Ochocinco in Cincinnati.  Unfortunately, after leaving the Bengals, Houshmandzadeh basically fell off the planet, putting up poor numbers with both the Seahawks and the Ravens.  If they were to bring him in, I feel it would be as a comfort factor for Ochocinco more than anything but considering the massive amounts of receivers on their roster and the high level of play produced by second year receiver Taylor Price last game, I don’t feel that the Patriots have to room on their roster to house Houshmandzadeh.

Sharper will bring a veteran presence

Darren Sharper is another story entirely.  While he’s getting older and may have lost some of the attributes that made him such a serious threat on defense, Sharper is, if nothing else, an extremely valuable locker room presence.  If Sharper does well in his workout, expect him to play an Algae Crumpler type roll from last year in which he has his share of plays but is there more to mentor the younger safeties (Chung, Merriweather, Sanders).  This would be a great addition to the roster since this is by far their thinnest position on defense.  Most recently, Sharper played safety for the New Orleans Saints, winning a Super Bowl with them two years ago in an incredible performance against quarterback Peyton Manning and the Colts.

On a side note, roomer has been floating around the NFL that newly acquired Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth will be released by the Patriots before the start of the regular season.  If I could slap the person that came up with this rumor I would.  The Patriots value their draft picks like gold and to think that the Patriots would simply cut two all-star players that they traded for with a total of three draft picks is insane.  If this happens, especially to Ochocinco, I’d be incredibly surprised.  Haynesworth’s contract is so low risk that there is a possibility but Belichick has had nothing but praise for the defensive lineman so far.  So stop worrying.

Recap of Jags vs. Pats 8/11/11

I predicted a 28 – 14 win for the Patriots last night.  I was close…as far as them winning goes.  The Patriots blew the door open on the Jaguars in a 47 – 12 rout that displayed a lot of hope in the upcoming season.  A lot of the things I mentioned yesterday I was wrong about and that is okay with me; okay because they worked.

First off, Brady did not play at all yesterday and perhaps it was better off.  With Hoyer and Mallett playing an entire half each it really allowed the coaches and fans to truly see their potential.  As far as it goes, both of them had strong outings but Hoyer seemed a bit cautious in my eyes.  He didn’t look like he has in past performances, seemingly not willing to throw the ball with any kind of confidence and overthrowing receiver on several occasions.  This is not to say he did badly, but Mallett definitely did better.  While Mallett also had some inaccurate throws, his mechanics were solid and he showed a lot of confidence in his arm.  On a side note, Mallett has a canon for an arm.

Next big thing that I messed up was guessing that we’d see a mixture of defenses from the Patriots last night.  On the contrary the Patriots mainly used the 4-3 scheme that has been spoken of so much in the media lately.  Often times the Patriots would rush five or even six players at the quarterback and it showed in both positive and negative ways. 

First, the pressure created was undeniable while several new faces (each part of the 21 defensive linemen currently on the Patriots’ roster) really came through with some solid plays.  The defense recorded 4 sacks (Richard (2), Cohen, and Cunningham) and hurried the quarterback several times, forcing a great pass rush considering the absence of Ellis, Wilfork, and Haynesworth.  The negative though is the question on how sending these extra rushers impacted the defensive backs as several times they looked weak, playing off of the receivers and allowing easy catches.  Cornerback Darius Butler has a lot to prove after a bad year last year and with last night’s poor performance, he is more on the bubble than ever. 

Another positive factor on the defensive side was linebacker Dane Fletcher, who played quite a bit last season while filling in for injuries.  Fletcher had a lot of energy on the field making some great tackles at or before the line of scrimmage.  With him in charge, the defense looked strong last night.

Offensively the Patriots had a solid night as well.  Most evident was the work done by rookie running back Steven Ridley.  At the end of the night, Ridley had accounted for sixteen carries for sixty-four yards, seven receptions for forty-seven yards, and three all-purpose touchdowns.  It is clear with last night’s performance that Ridley will be on the team this season but I don’t believe his role will be as prominent as some people presume based on the opinions I’ve heard so far.  While his effort was relentless, Ridley on amassed twenty-four yards on his first twelve carries for a well below average two yards-per carry average.  I expect that while Ridley will be a versatile weapon and a good back-up for Green-Ellis and Woodhead, his production as of last night does not make him an every down back like some seem to believe.

Next I want to talk about the work done by first round draft pick Nate Solder in the left tackle spot last night.  Number seventy-seven looked good and I made sure to watch him specifically for at least fifty percent of the plays last night.  While he seemed to be outmatched in speed on some occasions, the Patriots tested his abilities by running behind him often.  He had great foot-work on pass blocking and when in trouble, simply overpowered his assignments in the run game, one time clearing a hole for a touchdown run by Ridley.  He has a lot of work to do but Solder looks like he has a lot of potential going into week two of the preseason.

The last thing I want to mention about last night’s performance was the interesting battle at wide receiver.  Ochocinco didn’t play at all, probably because he’s a veteran and because Tom Brady didn’t play either.  The game started with Edelman and Taylor Price at the wide-out positions with Hernandez and rookie Lee Smith getting work in at tight end.  Smith was average and Hernandez was a bit below average, losing one fumble and nearly losing another.  The real story here though was the play by second-year man Taylor Price.  With five receptions, 105 yards and a really great touchdown in the back of the end zone, Price looked like he came to play.  This brings up questions for the rest of the receiving core, namely Edelman who he seemed to be in battle with last night.  Edelman with only one catch for four yards and was thrown to only twice.  Either the Patriots really wanted to test other receivers last night or Edelman was just not getting open.  Either way, if the Patriots can add yet another prominent weapon in Price, expect Tom Brady to have a field day this year.

Overall the game was very good but what has to be remembered is that the Jaguars were a very bad team last night, especially without quarterback, David Garrard (they started rookie Blaine Gabbert), star running back, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Pro Bowl tight end, Mercedes Lewis.  Then again, the Patriots didn’t have any of their stars in either so when it comes down to it, it was an all around good performance by the Patriots.

Greg’s overall grade for the game: A-

Jaguars @ Patriots Pregame Thoughts

It has been a long time coming but football has returned, starting tonight with five preseason games.  While the Ravens and Eagles matchup looks entertaining, we’re from New England!  All eyes in the region should be focused solely on tonight’s preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Foxboro today.  Here are some of the things you should be looking for.

Nate Solder

Nate Solder and Robert Craft

The first round draft pick should be getting a lot, if not all of the work protecting the quarterback’s blind-side tonight.  Veteran left tackle Matt Light is still on the active/physically unable to play (PUP) list so Solder, wearing number seventy-seven, should play a dominant number of the snaps.  If all goes well this season, we could see the 6’8, 319 pound rookie starting the season over Light.

Hoyer vs. Mallett

Rookie Mallett carrying the veteran's pads

Brian Hoyer has been a great back-up to Brady since he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009.  Since the preseason is usually the only time back-up quarterbacks see any snaps (knock on wood), expect to see a lot of Hoyer and a good amount of Mallett as well.  The rookie Mallett is considered to be the quarterback of the future by many here in New England (sorry, Tom Brady won’t be around forever) and tonight will be the first chance to really see how strong of an arm he has.  Hoyer is equally talented but with a few years under his belt, Hoyer might be looking to be the next Matt Cassel and perform so well off the bench that he may spark interest in a team that could use a good quarterback (cough Washington). 

Pass Rush

The biggest problem with the Patriots last season was their lack of a pass rush, this is well documented.  So what did Bill Belichick do to fix the problem?  Simple, just sign a massive amount of defensive linemen and see who the best is.  Going into tonight’s matchup, the Patriots will have twenty-one defensive linemen on their roster.  That is a little more than 20% of the players on the team.  Expect a lot of moving parts and schemes in an attempt to see what works and more importantly, who works, to generate a pass rush.

While the season is underway we must keep in mind that this is the preseason and doesn’t count for much.  In order to keep guaranteed starters healthy, we may see that a lot of them don’t play too long tonight.  I already mentioned that Matt Light will probably not suit up.  Here are some other things that you shouldn’t expect to see.

Brady/Ochocinco



Ochocinco and Brady will get that chemistry, don't worry



If I thought there was enough room for a middle category of things that you’ll see a medium amount of, this is one thing I’d put there.  While I don’t expect to see Brady or Ochocinco on the field very long, I do expect them on the field, probably for no more than a quarter.  Brady has been open about his frustration so far because of the lack of rhythm in the offense so far which he blames on the lack of time they’ve had to work together due to the lockout.  This game may be that opportunity to get in the extra work and really get a connection going.

Albert Haynesworth

Haynesworth loves New England

Honestly, I’ll be surprised if the big guy shows up.  Not because there is anything wrong or that he doesn’t want to be there, but because he hasn’t practiced for four days straight due to an injury (undisclosed as always with Belichick).  This cannot in anyway be attributed to his attitude, so calm down.  Owner Robert Craft recently stated that Haynesworth was, “not there for the money.”  This was proven when he restructured his contract and went from making around $6 million this season to $1 million.  I expect Haynesworth back and playing in the next preseason game.

A Specific Defensive Scheme

Belichick is a defensive genius and if he really was going to change from a 3-4 to a 4-3 philosophy, do you really think he’d display it for the whole NFL to see tonight?  Belichick will be mixing up the defensive schemes and sending all kinds of rushes.  But then again, what else is new?  All of this talk about changing schemes is useless because Belichick has only one scheme, the “Belichick” philosophy.  By this I mean, there is never a set defense on the field for the Patriots as Belichick creates a new defense every week to incorporate what is important to stopping their next opponent.  Don’t read too far into this talk and don’t expect to see anything out of the ordinary tonight as far as defensive “standards” go.

While the big names will be out for most of the game, it is always interesting to see what the Patriots have in the background.  This will prove to be an exciting and informative game on where the Patriots are heading and how fast they are getting there.  If you’re really ambitious, you can try looking for me in the crowd, I’ll be there in Section 304.  Expect a full report from me tomorrow at some point.