Week 4: Patriots at Falcons

[Geoffrey P]

New England Patriots (3 - 0) at Atlanta Falcons (1 - 2)
Sunday September 29th at 8:30 PM EST

Gronkowski and Amendola are probably out. Still.

[Celtics_Champs]

I think they have a great shot. Defense continue to play well, and Brady needs to pick apart their secondary without Samuel in there.

Go pats!!!

Would love to see RIdley get it going tonight.

[Geoffrey P]

First series and it looks like they've already completed every pass

[Geoffrey P]

Hah jinxed it

[Celtics_Champs]

Wilfork

[Celtics_Champs]

Blount with a gigantic run!

[Geoffrey P]

This sucks. If Talib keeps playing like this someone is gonna pay him a ton of money

[Celtics_Champs]

Phew.

Great game, I think they took it to the Falcons, who have a great offense. The score and stats won't show it though because Sudfield can't hold on to the ball. But two huge stands at the end, only a FG, and then no TD.

Top 4 stars

Talib
Brady
Blount
Thompkins

I was wrong about Thompkins, good for him. I still hate sudfeld with a passion though.

[alwayslovetheceltics]

some thoughts:

the fumbled snap was on wendell. Second time this year. He also missed a few key blocks. Many many positives from this game, but I am starting to wonder if we wouldn't be better off having connolly at center and cannon at rg. Connnolly was pretty friggin good 2 years ago.

loved the adjustment to double gonzalez at the end- should have done it earlier.

Wilfork, Dennard and Dobson getting hurt really sucks. any word on any of them?

I thought Dobson was getting consistently open. His route running still needs work- and I am not sure if he is going where he should- but he consistently gets separation.

Sudfeld has been bad. Develin- maybe worse.

I hope we don't wait and offer talib an extension now.

[Geoffrey P]

They've been pretty impressive this year considering how many new guys they have and who they've lost.

[sunshinekids99]

A huge win for the Pats and it was really a big team effort. I thought Brady was a very good and his receivers are starting to get it. Of course if the Pats can add a healthy Gronk and Amendola this offensive will be dominate again. I can't say enough good things bout Talib this season. I know he had double team help for most of the game, but still a huge effort.

The Pats do get a huge blow losing Wilfork for the season to a torn achillies. The team does not have the depth right now at that spot. I'd like to see the team make a move here. Now hopefully Dennard and Dobson are not long injuries.

[Celtics_Champs]

Losing Wilfork just makes me sad. I still believe they have a chance and all, but its like losing Rodney to that ACL back in the day.

They'll most likely go with Vellano, but I wonder if Seymour would consider a comeback.

[Joselo16]

I would compare losing Vince to when when we lost Big Ted Washington, but I believe we had a great backup in Keith Traylor that year, while this year we basically got rid of all the BIG guys (Love, Daedrick etc). Gonna be an interesting season, but its starting to feel a bit like last C's season with everything just going bad though we should be getting some good news soon (I hope). Great victory against the Falcons.

SIDE NOTE: As much as it pains me cause I hated the guy so much in Indy.....P. Manning IS the best quarterback in the NFL...the guy is just a master. Brady used to be the guy to make players around him better, but hasn't been in a while. I knew Welker's addition was just gonna be lethal, but damn! Hoping Brady can regain some of that ol' magic back as I love my Pats, though.

[Celtics_Champs]

What are you talking about? He's making thompkins look like a stud ever since the jets game. He zinged in a touchdown to I already forgot his name. His best WR is leading the league in receptions and he was a college QB.

Peyton's gonna win the MVP most likely, but that part about making players around him look better is incorrect. Especially considering if you're saying peyton makes decker and Thomas look better than you have to count Brady making gronk and Hernandez look better.

I'm surprised to hear the welker talk still. Edelman has outperformed him in Denver in receptions and yards. He beats him on touchdowns, but that's it. We're not missing welker, were missing hernandez and gronkowski.

[Joselo16]

Don't rate in on a couple of guys stat lines ("stats are for losers" as our lovable coach stated)...Look at overall Offensive efficiency. Look at Tom's personal efficiency. This is a man that used to destroy teams with the likes of Givens, R. Caldwell, Gaffney's....gone are those days. How many failed experiments have we seen in recent years, with WR's because they didn't "click" with Brady?! He used to make those players better...now he's just gotten "grumpier" even though he's somewhat to blame for being off his accuracy and field vision game as well...Like when he missed two wide open receiver deep in the Bucs game and when Thompkins bailed him out on that long heave yesterday.

I don't like to admit it, but Manning came into the Broncos situation after many neck surgeries and put up around 4700 yards and 40 TD's while getting to know his mostly unknown players, a lot of the guys that Tebow threw to (even his last season in Indy had many who's who, minus Wayne). It goes in tandem, but QB's make WR's more than WR's make QB's, in my opinion. Love Brady and hate Manning, but I have to give the man props, he just dismantles defenses with whatever he's given, something our very own used to be great at till 07.

TE's only became featured in our offense when we go those two, due to their high skill level (f'in Hernandez!!!)...before that they mostly blocked...Graham, Foster, Furia...so Its more of we need more skill on the offense, when before Brady won with a ragtag groups, efficiently destroying D's with the short passing game (miss K. Faulk). I dont miss Wes, what I miss is the offense not struggling to move the ball, even it it only ended in FG's....as these quick outs by them exposes our D. I don't need a high powered Brady offense, just one that sustains drives. The good thing is our Running game is looking good.

All that said we are 4-0, and can only improve, which is all that truly matters

[Celtics_Champs]

This is a man that used to destroy teams with the likes of Givens, R. Caldwell, Gaffney's....gone are those days.

I don't like to admit it, but Manning came into the Broncos situation after many neck surgeries and put up around 4700 yards and 40 TD's while getting to know his mostly unknown players, a lot of the guys that Tebow threw to (even his last season in Indy had many who's who, minus Wayne). It goes in tandem, but QB's make WR's more than WR's make QB's, in my opinion. Love Brady and hate Manning, but I have to give the man props, he just dismantles defenses with whatever he's given, something our very own used to be great at till 07.

Those are head scratching comments. You can put whoever over Brady, but those comments I highlighted are incorrect. Are you saying post 07 season, or are you really discounting one of the greatest years a QB's had in football EVER? Heck lets just say you're counting it. Post that, Brady is still 10000 times better than his early years.

His 2010 MVP season was incredible. He's been changing the game. No one ever would put Brady of the SB years over Brady in recent years. Brady in 2010 with the defense in 04 would have gone 19-0 and won every game by 19.

How many failed experiments have we seen in recent years, with WR's because they didn't "click" with Brady?

2? Chad Ochocinco and Joey Galloway. Those guys never caught on anywhere else. They were bums at that point in their career. Can't count chad Jackson, because he was in your glory years for Brady.

Lets not count Taylor Price, he got injured, cut, and then didn't catch on anywhere else either. He can't make price better when Price only plays 4 games in 2 years.

All that said we are 4-0, and can only improve, which is all that truly matters

here, here.

[Joselo16]

Those are head scratching comments. You can put whoever over Brady, but those comments I highlighted are incorrect. Are you saying post 07 season, or are you really discounting one of the greatest years a QB's had in football EVER? Heck lets just say you're counting it. Post that, Brady is still 10000 times better than his early years.

His 2010 MVP season was incredible. He's been changing the game. No one ever would put Brady of the SB years over Brady in recent years. Brady in 2010 with the defense in 04 would have gone 19-0 and won every game by 19.

Not head scratching at all...prior to 07 he played with as I and many considered a "ragtag" crew of receivers(by NFL standards), where he could and would distribute the ball to the open man with accuracy and not have to worry about pleasing the Alpha Receiver. Guys who for the most part we saw leave town and fail to have similar results, without a Brady. The offense wasn't potent in scoring ability but it was efficient. Come '07's magical season after one where, he had just lost his top two receivers and still almost made it to the SB by elevating the likes of Caldwell, Gabriel, Gaffney, we finally see what Brady's able to do by just relying on talented receivers as opposed to having to better them, the results are...dare I say Manning like in terms of stats and an ever greater winner (minus the hardware for that year, which still hurts). As the talent starts to dwindle on the Alpha receiver(Moss) who he had become reliant (forcing many deep throws), after what is a lost 08 season, one that made even Cassell due to the offensive weapons, the offense once again evolved into the 2 TE sets, due to the arrival of 2 very talented TE's, until now that have lost said talents, and are forced to go back to the ragtag group, due to circumstances like health and stupidity, Brady is struggling to find chemistry and elevate those around him as he once greatly did (so far, but the season is young and we should be feared as we are still winning). Again in my opinion.

Guess my point is that Brady used to elevate the talent in an great efficient offensive manner, as opposed to relying on great talent to be elevated into a greater status...and he hasn't done so in a while.

I'm not discrediting Brady and all of his accomplishments, as he is still the greatest winner, elite
quarterback, future HoF....its just Manning is the better QB, something I would have never imagined saying as I hated him as a Colt, but even Rodney Harrison admitted during the telecast and I was already thinking it. 1A, 1B to me. I hate when we face the guy as he just exploits any mistake quickly, and our pass rush has been non existent since the glory days, so not a good combo.

That said here's hoping for some health our way, so our team can continue to improve.

[Celtics_Champs]

Edit

[Celtics_Champs]

Guess my point is that Brady used to elevate the talent in an great efficient offensive manner, as opposed to relying on great talent to be elevated into a greater status...and he hasn't done so in a while.

This right here is what I can't wrap my head around. I'm sorry. But if this is your point, then Mannings always relied on the great talent (no morsoe than this year), except for a few years at the end as a colt, where he still had Wayne.

In your theory, Brady's better than manning this year by tons. He's made Edelman better than welker and thompkins better than decker.

I don't agree with the theory. I think Mannings and Brady's best years have been the ones where they put up the best stats. Not the ones where they struggled but succeeded to make Austin Collie or Reche Caldwell look good.