Comments on: Quicksand Cassel

By: bobd

bobd — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 20:46:58 +0000

ntai, it’s not a great running game per se nor a great passing game that wins games, but, rather, the defense not being able to load up against either. A balanced attack is what is called for. The Browns won because they blasted the run up the gut against the Giants and negated their pass rush while Eli threw 3 pics. In the SB the Giants knew we were going to pass so schemed appropriately. The problem as you said is we don’t have the horses to present a running threat. Our draft pick has been a bust. But you still have to run and pass out of running formations.

By: Week Six On Patriots Daily : Patriots Daily

Week Six On Patriots Daily : Patriots Daily — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 20:27:50 +0000

[...] Dan Snapp spent Thursday sinking in quicksand, pondering Matt Cassel’s abject mediocrity. [...]

By: DryHeave1

DryHeave1 — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:27:13 +0000

ntai, I don’t get the “Matt Ryan” reference. It’s not like the Patriots were in a position to draft him and passed him up or anything. ….Hell, if we’re going to play the “wishing game”. I’m sure I’m not alone in wishing Peyton Manning were here, or Drew Brees, or Jay Cutler, or Joe Montana in his prime or……..

By: ntai

ntai — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:41:41 +0000

> Can we change the site name to United
> Patriots Fans for a More Dedicated Ground Game?

Suicidal.

If the running game wins the game, why isn’t Vikings winning every game with Adrian Peterson running every play?
Tell me why Browns beat Giants while Giants had 149yard, 6.1yard/attempt running game?
Go to coldhardfootballfacts.com and learn the fact that the ground game has little impact on winning and loosing.

Besides, the reason why Pats loosing now is because Cassel is not Brady. How else can you explain the 16points drop per game?
With “issue” Maroney, Morris and Faulk, how could we possibly have a running game that can make a difference?
If Cassel is our man, let Cassel have more throwing oppotunities so that he can improve.

I’m pretty sure I’m not alone wishing Matt Ryan is here. Ryan looks far more comfortable than Cassel in the pocket, and Ryan made a Brady-like play last week.

By: DryHeave1

DryHeave1 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:25:32 +0000

You can make the case that Cassel is WORSE than a rookie QB because he’s spent 8 years being a practice-only QB, and not a real-games QB.

By: darren

darren — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:54:38 +0000

A revisionist history indulgence, with regard to Maroney, is found in wondering how Joseph Addai would have worked out in NE. I recall him being an RB that the Pats were interested in selecting during that draft. He would have been a better fit, especially with his ability to catch passes. Addai caught 40 passed in each of his first two seasons, whereas Maroney’s caught but 26 in his entire career.

Different systems fit different players, and it’s still early in their careers, but I’m finding it harder and harder not to start thinking that when it comes to busts, Maroney’s is far more likely to be cast in negative opinions, than in bronze at the HOF. Sorry for the Kornheisereque bad analogy, just still can’t get over the Pats trading up to get Chad Jackson, and the spot they gave up lower in the round netting Greg Jennings. Didn’t know that until today.

Still, I remain optimistic about this team. I just wonder if the window’s closing quicker than hoped due to aging talent and no young bucks around to pick up the slack. If so, the Pats ride has been a great and enjoyable one.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:58:25 +0000

I like my acronyms to sing, Dan. Fans for Aggressive Ground Support, for example.

Oops. Well, you know what I mean.

On Maroney, though, even though I was greatly impressed by him in December and January last year, I wouldn’t have to travel far now to place that pick inexorably in the ‘Blew It’ camp.

I mean, look, they have FIVE freaking running backs now. FIVE! He’s no better than a role player in that situation, even if he WAS healthy (he isn’t, that looks almost certain). He’s certainly going to be getting role player snaps in a situation like that.

So do you use a first round pick on a guy that’s a role player? Especially when your defense is crying out for a lot more than that, and has been for awhile? I don’t even want to go to drafthistory.com to remind myself of the defensive players that were taken shortly after he was picked. I’ll bet dollars to donuts, though, that there’s at least one DL, LB or DB that could be helping them right now.

As I said above, the front office has been scuffling ever since Jacksonville. For the most part, that’s been proven now.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:09:18 +0000

Hear, hear.

Can we change the site name to United Patriots Fans for a More Dedicated Ground Game?

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:05:28 +0000

Pretty hard to get out there and start ripping off 100 yard games for a team that throws 60%+ of the time and has an offensive line that can’t win a straight up physical match up to save their lives, and what’s worse, isn’t exactly the Broncos with the zone blocking either.

I’m not defending Maroney here because I don’t care one way or another about him anymore. Its pretty unreasonable, though, for anybody to expect the f**king New England Patriots to have the prototypical first round ’stud’ back who routinely . Not when the OC likes to throw on first and goal, as he has so often in the past. All that did was score them a bunch of meaningless points and make them soft as jello.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:50:05 +0000

I agree he should shut the hell up. And I agree he’s proven little in New England, and that he’s long overdue to really break out.

But I’m biased by his time at UMinn. He was a stud there, and I don’t think it was any mitigating circumstances like a monster line or lesser competition. He was the feature guy for the Gophers, ahead of Marion Barber, who has turned into a stud back in his own right. Impressive as Barber was at Minnesota, Maroney was the guy.