Hoops scoops...fins patriots

[Austin Tatious]

I have to tell you that I felt for Will Davis. Talk about a bullseye. Has not had meaningful action before and he was on his heels with crafty receivers like Edelman and Amendola catching from Brady, who was ruthless in his approach against Davis. Davis was just trying to survive. He is not a physical kid but he was able to secure the tackles at least. He got an education.

I still like his hips and playmaking ability. I think he has potential as an extra db who can make some plays eventually.

 

[hoops]

I have to tell you that I felt for Will Davis. Talk about a bullseye. Has not had meaningful action before and he was on his heels with crafty receivers like Edelman and Amendola catching from Brady, who was ruthless in his approach against Davis. Davis was just trying to survive. He is not a physical kid but he was able to secure the tackles at least. He got an education.

I still like his hips and playmaking ability. I think he has potential as an extra db who can make some plays eventually.

he has to get stronger...has to...he gets tossed like a rag doll by even smurf wrs...his awareness is pretty good but physically he's overmatched by anyone he goes against...right now at least...i tell you one thing on that 4th down and 8 i think it was conversion to amendola where reshad jones came up and laid a huge hit on him its a good thing that was open cause if brady comes off it he's got collie wide on a vertical with no deep safety period and will davis fell down...and brady had time

anyways even in press when a guy gears down to cut and puts an arm out he gets separation by 2 yards from will davis making it pitch and catch...he has to has to has to get stronger and use his hands more or he's gonna always wear a target...

what we saw yesterday from will davis is what he looked like all senior bowl week in one on ones etc...pitch and catch

 

[hoops]

so whats the word on our corners??? i saw grimes go down with a groin it looked like those things are such a pain in the rear...we got to have at least one of carroll or grimes next week...you aren't getting away with will davis on the boundary for 4 quarters unless that pass rush REALLY REALLY gets home quick

i also saw when carroll came back in for a few snaps he had no interest in taking contact...we need these guys

 

[Travis34]

I was very worried about those quick receiver screens once Davis was getting significant time. We could really use Taylor being healthy

 

[nick1]

im curious about what you see future wise out of the hero of the game Michael Thomas. does he have a bright future with Miami? he says he knew Brady was targeting his area so he can read a play or maybe he knew Brady would target will Davis who was covering the WR. I have to say if Thomas wasn't there I think Davis makes the play he had good position to get a hand on the ball. imo at least

 

[TheWalrus]

Yeah...we had that...McKinnie just got beat...

I was yelling at the tv on the Wallace td once I saw that safety creeping up for tanny to take a shot on 3rd and 2...and sure enough he threw a damn laser on the in cutter...you guys should take a look he sees it very early presnap but he takes another look before the snap to make sure that safety stayed there and hes got that route...so basically he checked his presnap read once then checked it again before taking the snap and once he saw that safety was still snooping up in the box gashed em...and threw a freaking rope

One thing I'd like to see us get away from is the flexed egnew snaps I saw tonight...he just doesn't separate from coverage and every throw is gonna always be damn tight...I like our options more with a Mathews on the field for instance...egnews balls are always tightly contested...I just see people jumping those balls...they were damn tight today

I said in my writeup before the game that I thought we should see some flexed stuff with Egnew because of the personnel grouping it puts the Patriots into. We use Egnew mostly as a fullback and run the ball more often than not when he's on the field. Belichick would track that and know it. So... you do the opposite. Get him on the field and try to get Hightower and Spikes -- who can't cover -- on the field with him. Then you hope you can one of those linebackers on a receiver or a good pass receiving back (cough, Thigpen, cough).

On the final play the Patriots were actually in this personnel grouping on defense, which helped make the touchdown happen. I don't know if Fletcher was hurt or not. Our personnel -- three WR, Clay and Thigpen -- clearly indicated pass. But Spikes and Hightower were out there.

 

[hoops]

im curious about what you see future wise out of the hero of the game Michael Thomas. does he have a bright future with Miami? he says he knew Brady was targeting his area so he can read a play or maybe he knew Brady would target will Davis who was covering the WR. I have to say if Thomas wasn't there I think Davis makes the play he had good position to get a hand on the ball. imo at least

one thing that stood out was his physicality...that's for sure...only a small taste but i wouldn't be comfortable depending on him in the slot right now...i don't even know if that's his long term spot anyways as a pro...was i encouraged yes but i think right now the more you run that out there the more attacked it gets...i definitely think he's got potential...but he's gonna have to have damn good cod and feet to play a high end slot...he also just showed up though so he hasn't had time to learn much of our scheme...you never know may be a diamond in the rough...

 

[hoops]

I said in my writeup before the game that I thought we should see some flexed stuff with Egnew because of the personnel grouping it puts the Patriots into. We use Egnew mostly as a fullback and run the ball more often than not when he's on the field. Belichick would track that and know it. So... you do the opposite. Get him on the field and try to get Hightower and Spikes -- who can't cover -- on the field with him. Then you hope you can one of those linebackers on a receiver or a good pass receiving back (cough, Thigpen, cough).

On the final play the Patriots were actually in this personnel grouping on defense, which helped make the touchdown happen. I don't know if Fletcher was hurt or not. Our personnel -- three WR, Clay and Thigpen -- clearly indicated pass. But Spikes and Hightower were out there.

i understand the personnel groupings but i would also say if you can't separate from the pats lbs you can't separate from anyone...one things for sure the pats are damn well coached...the tannehill keep on the read option was out cause those edge guys played their assignments damn well...kinda figured the pats would be more sound than the steelers were assignment wise...very well coached team across the board...on d especially they get by with some guys who they shouldn't be able to cause the scheme and coaching is so sound and no one tries to do too much

on offense they are pretty much relying now on rub routes and pick plays...that is until they can get into your depth and attack with easy win options...which is how it went yesterday

 

[nick1]

one thing that stood out was his physicality...that's for sure...only a small taste but i wouldn't be comfortable depending on him in the slot right now...i don't even know if that's his long term spot anyways as a pro...was i encouraged yes but i think right now the more you run that out there the more attacked it gets...i definitely think he's got potential...but he's gonna have to have damn good cod and feet to play a high end slot...he also just showed up though so he hasn't had time to learn much of our scheme...you never know may be a diamond in the rough...

hes listed as a FS and with his physicality he projects nicely to safety. god knows we need a better playmaker to replace Clemons, I like the guy hes very solid but as you mentioned his hips make him a very limited athlete. Clemons also missed that INT on the series before last which could have iced the game

 

[TheWalrus]

i understand the personnel groupings but i would also say if you can't separate from the pats lbs you can't separate from anyone...one things for sure the pats are damn well coached...the tannehill keep on the read option was out cause those edge guys played their assignments damn well...kinda figured the pats would be more sound than the steelers were assignment wise...very well coached team across the board...on d especially they get by with some guys who they shouldn't be able to cause the scheme and coaching is so sound and no one tries to do too much

on offense they are pretty much relying now on rub routes and pick plays...that is until they can get into your depth and attack with easy win options...which is how it went yesterday

True. But the idea is they're not on the field and/or not in man coverage unless you put Egnew out there. Then what you're trying to do is get one of them matched up against a good route runner by formation.

 

[hoops]

hes listed as a FS and with his physicality he projects nicely to safety. god knows we need a better playmaker to replace Clemons, I like the guy hes very solid but as you mentioned his hips make him a very limited athlete. Clemons also missed that INT on the series before last which could have iced the game

a high end free safety jumps that ball all day long...brady came back to that late and should have paid for it...clemons is solid but it baffles me why teams dont attack him more in the middle of the field in coverage...if you clear out space the protection can hold up and let a guy cross his face it's pitch and catch...those zone coverages where a guy is passed off to him in the middle he's always flat footed...

anyways yeah thomas hips weren't great for a corner...kinda straight linish and up right probably does project more as a safety but we didnt have any choices i guess..he's physical like a safety and hits like one

 

[phinfan40353]

Philbin deserves a ton of credit...even the call today to go for it on 4th and 5...that's called stones...they knew that with our cb issues stopping the pats on downs was gonna be an issue we had to take the chance...that said the play call was probably as ballsy a call as I've seen in a while...hell of a play by clay to make a guy miss and tannehill to drop his throwing arm to get it around the off edge defender...

Even more, there wasn't even a moment of decision. As soon as 3rd down was over, we went right back to the huddle. There was no looking around and waiting on a decision. Everyone came back to the huddle and called the play like it was a routine play.

This decision was made before the drive started. Philbin told the offense to go win the game.

I don't know if most have been noticing, but I think Mike Wallace has finally bought into this team and the coaches. The last few weeks he's been workman-like. I don't hear the crying baby anymore. I see a guy buying into the system and the team. It seems like since Gibson went down, the WR unit has come together and molded into a cohesive group. They are operating as one now. And not as a collection of individuals.

Another thing I've noticed, the current OLine still yields almost as many sacks but its the timing of their sacks that has transformed the rhythm of the offense. The sacks are happening on plays that have no real impact on the game. The numbers are still there but the sacks are not defining our offensive performance. They are non-consequential. Which to me means when the protection is needed, the protection is there. Looks to me like McKinnie is starting to round into form just like he did last year. Answering the bell when its ringing the loudest.

We need to be careful how we "improve" this line. We can't start over. We need strategic upgrades that can be inserted without messing with what is working. I'd like to see McKinnie come back and mentor a couple of tackles while anchoring our line and providing continuity for the short term.

Pieces are falling together right now. And I think it's because we've fixed a few core problems that were tearing this team apart.

And one would be foolish not to underestimate the coincidence of a free agent loaded team finally rounding into shape after the halfway point of the season. We've gotten rid of some problems, but we've also finally had time for the new pieces to find their place with their new teammates.

 

[hoops]

True. But the idea is they're not on the field and/or not in man coverage unless you put Egnew out there. Then what you're trying to do is get one of them matched up against a good route runner by formation.

right...i just think i would line him up more in the backfield than flexed...that way he's still on the field and they likely keep the same personnel for you to exploit...i just don't think he's a win option vs coverage...i will say this though he's improved leaps and bounds...that was not an nfl player period last year and he could have turtled and pulled a jon martin instead he manned up and worked at his craft and is giving us some return...

he stoned quinton coples on the goalline vs the jets...i mean hit him so hard coples just crumbled...blew some assignments also as a blocker though but still never would have thought i'd see him drop a de in the hole

 

[datruth55]

one thing that stood out was his physicality...that's for sure...only a small taste but i wouldn't be comfortable depending on him in the slot right now...i don't even know if that's his long term spot anyways as a pro...was i encouraged yes but i think right now the more you run that out there the more attacked it gets...i definitely think he's got potential...but he's gonna have to have damn good cod and feet to play a high end slot...he also just showed up though so he hasn't had time to learn much of our scheme...you never know may be a diamond in the rough...

He's not a corner...he's a safety forced to play the slot yesterday because of all the injuries. He showed some nice ball skills yesterday, I need to see more but he may be Clemons replacement next season.

 

[nick1]

He's not a corner...he's a safety forced to play the slot yesterday because of all the injuries. He showed some nice ball skills yesterday, I need to see more but he may be Clemons replacement next season.

if the 49ers really did give him a pay raise to hide him on their PS and saw a long term player in him. I feel good about his potential. niners know good defense. its similar to miami hiding Tyms on PS, we had plans for him