Pats fan here. Nice to see you boys getting into combat mode. This is what I see as the main differences in the Patriots since our last meeting: 1. Welker is now 100% or close to it - he was maybe 60% then. The only way you can really slow him down is to devote Revis to him, which I doubt they'll do 2. Branch is 10x better for NE's offense than Moss was. He doesn't have great deep speed but is great at getting open and never drops a ball. A lot like Cochery. Jets will put Revis on him I'm sure 3. Playcalling much better without Moss, spreading the ball around to 6-8 guys, Brady in rythm. 4. Woodhead has emerged as a threat 5. Mankins back on the OL - great line play the past month 6. Emergence of McCourty as a top corner Different Pats team!
Guaranteed if the Jets turnover a short field Brady will go for the jugular. Cincinnati had golden opportunities to make the Jets pay and didn't. Patriots will not be as forgiving. And I agree I would be worried too. The Jets are an enigma when it comes to facing adversity. When the chips are obviously down and they are in a corner they play lights out. But if they are in a close boring game they don't seem to completely fire up. And they play robotic. And I'm singling out Sanchez here a bit. Brady and Belly might feel that they can lull the Jets to sleep. In that they let the Jets play their game in a close one and walk out with a win. It is possible for the Jets to be leading at the half 10-3 or 13-7 and still lose 21-16.
Pats fan here! JAG's POV Saw an interview with Kevin Faulk last night. He was asked what it was like etc... being on the sideline this season. What I thought was the most interesting point of view he had was... He said "This team" (the Patriots now) was not the team they were building in trainng camp. As a fan, I see this as... We're using our rookies on offense & defense more than expected. And for me I see (although we have an average D) It's the best we've had in years, in terms of youth and play making ability. OT... Sanchez needs to stay away from McCourty's side. BB has drafted many Corners the past few years. However, McCourty is the real deal.
Looking at the Pats over the last month...no 100 yard rusher and only 1 - 100 yard WR (Branch against detroit)..they spread the ball around, lots of short passes, attempts down the field but Tate is no Moss and Branch won't have #27 on him next Monday night. Welker is scoring TDs again so getting a sure tackler on him at the line is key. Don't allow a 0 yard pass to become a 15 yard gain. The Patriots offense doesn't scare you the same way it did with Moss...you really don't see them scoring in 1 play any more. You see longer drives, moving the chains, mixing the offense up. However that gets tougher against a balanced defense that can play the run, pass, and tackle. The only team they have faced since the Jets beat them that can do that was San Diego and they just gave the game away on turn overs, but Brady and the running game had poor days. That is why i think the Pats will struggle in their next three games - Jets, Chicago, and Green Bay all have solid defenses.
Imo the Jets are more likely to put Cro on Branch, with Revis on Welker, but you might be right. Either way I think Welker will not do as well as last year when the Jets had to rely on others to cover him. As for Woodhead, he concededly had a great game against the Colts, but against Detroit, not so much. The Jets have a better D than both, so I don't expect Woodhead to do much. Mankins being back is big for NE, though. The Pats do seem to have improved their OL play quite a bit lately.
It's also a different Jets team. Add in Revis, Pace, and Holmes and it's a different team than the one that beat you 28-14.
I don't think Cro is a good match on either Welker or Branch, they're both waterbug types and Cro can't cover them. He'll be on Tate when Tate's out there, and when he's not it won't surprise me if they put Cro on the TE and a nickel back on Welker.
"6. Emergence of McCourty as a top corner " I could agree with everything else, but this line as put a permaGrin on my face, and it will be there for quite some time. lol I think he has great potential and on his way to becoming a top corner but in no way is he even close right now. No better proof then what is coming Monday, you simply don't have the talent to cover ours. Not on the ground, certainly not in the air. Top corners don't get targeted as much as him. Close, but no Brady.
too quick, start & stop. They can break twice in the time that Cro can only break once. Cromartie's a great athlete but way better suited to covering a big man.
maybe, but I think McCourty matches up better against Edwards. It's pick your poison, both receivers can kill you. But I don't see Arrington being assigned to Edwards when you have a 6' corner that can stick like glue. I think the Pats would rather take Edwards out of the game and try to limit Holmes as best they can.
I know McCourty is good, but why are you Patriots fans acting like he has the Revis ability to take a receiver like Edwards or Holmes "out of the game"?
That's another factor. It's not saying much if the receiver you're covering doesn't have a big day but your team allows 300 yards passing. Why not throw it at some shitty corner instead?
I don't know how much you have seen Cromartie this year. In the first NE game Revis was out, so Cro mostly was on Moss, but that is not a matchup on the table anymore. I guess the larger point I would make about Cro if you are used to seeing him before this year is that he's a different player than he was in SD. After adding LT and Holmes, both of whom are having great years, I need not say that Cro is an even more important pickup than either of them, but if I did, it would not be that great a stretch. He's been great, a great addition. I would not be so inclined as you to minimize his ability to get it done. I have not seen him get picked on to any significant extent by anyone, no matter who the Jets have put him on. Where the Jets still have problems is after Revis and Cro in the rest of the secondary. It's really teams that can put three or more quality receivers in play that allow them to drill down past the tandem of Revis and Cro to get more favorable matchups. My guess is the Pats CS understands this already, and is more likely than in typical games to be going to receivers other than Welker and Branch. This will take some getting used to even for Jet fans! I am all too used to seeing Welker run amok out there. And over the course of the game you will see coverages mixed up, no doubt. I am not predicting either of Revis or Cro will be on him all game. But I do think you will not see Welker running amok. I am more concerned about covering the middle of the field with other receivers targeted by Brady.
McCouty is a good match for Edwards, not as much for Holmes. If he's on Edwards, Sanchez will go to other options.
I agree that Cro has exceeded expectations, but if you have a choice, you put him on the Edwards type and not the Cochery type, right? If they were on opposite sides, I think Cochery would drive Cromartie crazy. Well, the Pats have two Cochery types in Welker and Branch. I doubt you'll see Cro on either one - he'll be on Tate or a TE.
