Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

[gscott13]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

defense and special teams....

chung - blocked punt, blocked field goal, pick-6
ninkovich - 2 interceptions
page - interception
mayo - 15 tackles (so far)
tate - kickoff return for touchdown

[Jon]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

defense and special teams....

chung - blocked punt, blocked field goal, pick-6
ninkovich - 2 interceptions
page - interception
mayo - 15 tackles (so far)
tate - kickoff return for touchdown

For no real reason...

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[Jason A]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

I didn't see this coming. The final score is a bit of a fluke due to all the big special teams plays, but I liked the way they took what Miami gave them offensively. They ran the ball when Miami refused to adjust to the run. They kept the D off the field. And the D actually made a couple plays. It's a work in progress, for sure. But I like how the staff coached them up for this game.

ESPN quickly ran some stat early in the fourth quarter. I think it was something like: no team that finished above .500 has ever started 14 rookies or second-year players in the first three games of the following season. Is that right? It was an odd stat and the announcers didn't linger on it.

Two weeks to prepare for Baltimore, then at San Diego and vs. Minnesota the following two weeks. There will be ups and downs but tonight was a lot of fun.

[gscott13]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

I didn't see this coming. The final score is a bit of a fluke due to all the big special teams plays, but I liked the way they took what Miami gave them offensively. They ran the ball when Miami refused to adjust to the run. They kept the D off the field. And the D actually made a couple plays. It's a work in progress, for sure. But I like how the staff coached them up for this game.

ESPN quickly ran some stat early in the fourth quarter. I think it was something like: no team that finished above .500 has ever started 14 rookies or second-year players in the first three games of the following season. Is that right? It was an odd stat and the announcers didn't linger on it.

Two weeks to prepare for Baltimore, then at San Diego and vs. Minnesota the following two weeks. There will be ups and downs but tonight was a lot of fun.

essentially, the stat they were trying to convey was that no team with a winning record the previous year has started more more rookies and 2nd year players the following season... they just made it confusing to talk about by stuffing the number of young players (14) into the visual...

i think they meant to use it as a segue to the pats really being in a rebuilding mode on defense but never finished the point

[Jason A]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

essentially, the stat they were trying to convey was that no team with a winning record the previous year has started more more rookies and 2nd year players the following season... they just made it confusing to talk about by stuffing the number of young players (14) into the visual...

i think they meant to use it as a segue to the pats really being in a rebuilding mode on defense but never finished the point

Yeah, I think they probably planned to use that stat with Miami up 38-21 late, and they figured, "Oh hell, just throw it on screen now."

[walrus]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

Rob who?

[pirate]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

I liked it because it reminded me of the old Pats where they came out with a distinct game plan and/or adjusted to a distinct approach. The pats used to be harder to gameplan against, on both sides, because they rarely did the same thing week to week. They'd come out and have the whole D play from a 2 pt stance or one week after going hurry up all game they'd come out in a 2 back set. Recently they look more similar week to week which must be easier to prepare for.

Although, I do like the "let's score 14 off special teams" plan...that one they can repeat each week.

[Jason A]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

This is probably unimportant, but you know what I really liked? I kept waiting for the obligatory "throw it up to Moss" play, even when the game got out of hand. Instead, they remained disciplined and just took the underneath stuff Miami was willing to give up. They didn't really force anything on offense all night. 60 minutes.

Baltimore and Minny are coming up, and SD can really get after it on defense at home. So that'll be three consecutive tough defenses to face following the bye, then at Pittsburgh the week after the Browns game. Should be interesting, at least.

[bigmrg74]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

For a while last night, Danny Woodhead was the number one trending topic on Twitter.
*****http://i168.***********.com/albums/u165/usdfan17/woodhead.jpg******

Also, haven't had any confirmation on it yet, but I still suspect that it was a NWMSU fan that changed Danny's Wikipedia page to have him listed as 4'1". They're the fan base that gave him the nickname of the Hobbit.

[Rover]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

Nice job all around although the results are skewered a bit by some plays I don't expect to be repeated (blocked punt AND field goal in the same game??? - that doesn't even happen to Buffalo).

What I like is that the O finally took what was there instead of forcing the ball downfield. 5 yard dump offs to Welker are the way to go sometimes. Also like the RB's. Keep BJGE and Woodhouse as the primary backs, tell Fred Taylor thanks for the memories, and work them more into the gameplan. This team should be putting up monster points on offense. That doesn't mean every TD has to go to Moss.

Not as happy with the D. A better QB would have picked them apart. Ninkovich made a nice play on the 2nd INT, and I give the Pats in general credit for their ability to hold onto picks, something they were missing the last couple of years. Beyond that though, they still are struggling on 3rd and whatever, and that 2nd CB position (be it Butler, Arrington, etc) can't cover anybody. They should also stick with Chung and Meriweather at safety. Every time I see an opposing player celebrating in the endzone, its followed by a #36 jersey jogging into the play 5 seconds late.

So all in all I think the D is getting better but I'd really like to see some of these young players step up and grab the starting job. Of the 11 guys back there, the only ones I know will be in the starting lineup on any given game are Wilfolk, Wright, Warren, Mayo and McCourty. That's less than half the D with their jobs locked down.

[walrus]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

Wow, Randy back to Minnesota?
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nfl...ory?id=5653186

[CarlS]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

Have seen one report saying it will happen today, another that it is dead. I would be that this happens today so it occurs with plenty of time left int he Pats bye week. The one thing I haven't see is what is the compensation.

Good info, as always, from Mike Reiss: http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/

and more fuel for the fire: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/

[CarlS]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

So now it is being reported that the Pats will get a third round pick. I just don't see how a third round pick is worthwhile right now. If Moss were to walk at the end of the season the Pats would be in line to get a third round compensation pick. Why get rid of Moss now for a third? Why not use him for a whole season and then see what happens or take the third? Just don't see how this improves them. Good thing Brady is signed as I can't see him jumping up and down about this.

[Kepler]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

So now it is being reported that the Pats will get a third round pick. I just don't see how a third round pick is worthwhile right now. If Moss were to walk at the end of the season the Pats would be in line to get a third round compensation pick. Why get rid of Moss now for a third? Why not use him for a whole season and then see what happens or take the third? Just don't see how this improves them. Good thing Brady is signed as I can't see him jumping up and down about this.

Dumb question: do compensatory picks come in a block at the end of the round and if so, what determines their order?

[CarlS]

Re: Patriots 2010: the Year We Make Contracts

I believe it is at the end of a round and there is some formula to it. I would have to look it up to know for sure. On the plus side - the number one pick from Oakland should be a fairly high pick again (they will probably trade down) and the number two from Carolina could be very high in the 2nd round.