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-
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