royalsw0
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Posted: Mon 6:52, 01 Nov 2010 Post subject: NFL Did the New England Patriots Play That Bad or |
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He played four seasons for the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL in which he recorded increasing point totals in each year. His best year in the WHL was in 06 when he racked up 74 points in 60 games. Mike Zarrilli The tag up offside rule allows for play to continue as long as all offside players are clear of the offensive zone simultaneously by touching the blue line and tag up prior to touching the puck or becoming involved in the play.
Let me preface this article with the following disclaimer: I have yet to watch the Patriots' third preseason game. It wasn't available until 10 pm on NFL Network in my area,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and due to obligations today I had to get some sleep. This also means I've got to bust this article out now,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but rest assured I've done my homework.
I've chatted with many fans who did watch, as well as seeing many of the highlights on ESPN and ESPN News.
A preseason loss are not a cause for concern, regardless of how bad the opponent appears at first glance. Anything can happen, especially if the coach decides to go with a less than stellar gameplan. But why would a coach do that?
It could be for any number of reasons, but with someone as sly and intelligent as Bill Belichick it's all speculation at best. My thought on the matter are this: the team has several perceived weaknesses (pass-rush, running game commitment, overall lack of playmakers on defense), which I think we can all agree were highlighted last evening.
Why not sacrifice a meaningless game to magnify your weakest areas, making them out to be weaker than what they are? We won't see much of the starters next game, so this will be the memory teams take with them into the early portion of the regular season.
I believe a strong start out of the gate are absolutely vital with all of the youth on this team. It actually makes sense to throw a meaningless game, given that it could lead to teams underestimating the Pats, which could help their cause early on.
I mean, the Pats had very sound game plans against both the Saints and the Falcons...and suddenly they can't execute against the Rams?
It's obvious they set out to feature the passing game last night. They only attempted 11 rushes all game, whereas they threw the ball 25 times. Some of it are due to the ridiculous time of possession the Rams posted, but the Pats could have kept that closer had they tried to run the ball.
The Patriots know what they've got on the offensive side of the ball,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], with the possible exception of the tight end position. With that in mind, get your All-World quarterback his necessary reps, get his receivers into rhythm, and rest assured the ground game will be there when needed (and when featured).
Outside of about five players on defense, it's a crap-shoot as to who will consistently perform at the level needed to be a championship squad. Let them get bloodied when it doesn't matter, and see who has the heart and wherewithal to rise above it the next game.
I've heard that the Patriots committed four roughing the passer penalties, and while I cannot find confirmation, I did see their total penalties were seven for 72 yards. The pass-rush was described as "anemic" and "non-existent" by a couple of people I chat with on some assorted message boards.
Whether or not Bill planned a loss, expect that defense to get worked over by coach the next few days. When he's quoted by Boston.com as stating such gems as "We didn't run any plays. We never had the ball. In a game of no defense,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], we played less," and "We didn't do well on anything. We didn't have a good night," you know he's fuming on the inside.
The whole premise of this article are based on a slightly-educated guess,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], nothing more. It could be a case of a homer trying to justify his team's loss to arguably the least-talented roster in the league. Regardless, the facts are as follows:
1. It's the preseason people. Just because people call the third preseason game the most important doesn't make it any less meaningless then the others. Hope for an injury-free game and move along.
2. The Patriots had great showings against the world-champion Saints and the rising Falcons. If it wasn't a planned example of sorts by Bill Belichick, it could have just as easily been a case of overconfidence. That won't be an issue with this team in the regular season.
3. The pass offense has better weapons then the '07 team. That team may have been more top-heavy,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but this unit are far more diverse and deep. Even if the defensive showing last night was a harbinger of things to come (which I don't believe to be the case),[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], this offense can win some games on it's own.
The bottom line are simple: you can't get too high off of unproven positives or too low off of one game's woes. Reserve the right to pass judgement until we've seen this team against the Bengals and the Jets.The Kelowna Rockets are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kelowna, British Columbia. The Rockets play in the Western Hockey League, out of the Canadian Hockey League. They play their home games at Prospera Place. In the past seven years, Kelowna has competed in the Memorial Cup tournament four times, the most of any other CHL team. The Rockets captured the Memorial Cup for the first time in franchise history in 2004, coincidentally the same year they were selected to host the event.Please read related articles:
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