This is the problem

[finfan54]

Henne did fine in the game. If a couple of those balls dropped by the receivers are caught, the man would have had 500 yards too. Henne played an excellent game. The interception was a desperation throw at the end of the game. He was not the reason we lost. He was the ONLY reason we had a chance.

The defense will get better, they will get their act together. The running back situation is really going to hurt us all season. Not enough horses back there. Clay and Thomas look like busts.

well, an interesting point brought up today listening on ESPN radio (for just a few minutes)lol

They were saying Henne still had a chance to win this game with 5 minutes to go in 4th. If we cannot run the ball in from there on a first down, then henne is going to have a mistake sooner or later. I think we need to get Polite back particularly with clay on the fritz and they didnt even use Johnson.

and i dont call any rookie a bust just becuase of injury in first game of the season. but hey, some people have itchy triggers.

 

[LANGER72]

Overreact much? It's the first game and they missed it, there's no body of work to go on... and if you're saying that's the reason why they're busts, then Odrick was a bust too, right?

If and when they finally set foot on the field, I could change my opinion.
Thomas runs upright, with no power for his size. ( I watched him several times at training camp and in the preseason)
Clay is a sixth round draft pick, a long shot tweener. Is he a TE or a FB? I am not banking on the guy.
O'Drick was making plays before his injury, and he made a nice play in the NE game. That is not a legit comparison.

 

[Fin Fan 4 Life]

I don't think anyone's criticizing Henne here -moreso the playcalling and questionable offseason moves.

How can you call the 2 rooks busts before either has played a single down?

 

[finfan54]

Sunny Fish - we don't have the roster to continually have long, effective drives with tons of 3rd and short conversions. Without a power running back, we have to avoid that situation altogether (especially when the other team has Wilfork and Hainsworth in the middle in those scenarios). This team is built to gain yards in chunks. Not necessarily 50 yards at a time, but 10-15 at a time. I agree you have to throw the ball past the sticks on 3rd and short, but I'd wager he didn't have anyone open and dumped the ball down. Without a power rushing game, we need much "craftier" short-yardage passing plays, leveraging Fasano, Bess and of course Marshall who can catch the ball in traffic and over the top of most cover corners. Having said all of that, if you tell me we're going to score 24 points last night and Henne would throw for 400+, I'd take it. I can't remember which broadcaster said it, but somewhere deep into the 3rd quarter he commented that Miami needs to dump the Nickel coverage and keep their best 11 on the field, regardless of who NE had out there. We allowed a HOF QB to abuse 2 back-up scrub CB's who can't guard or tackle. We adjusted to "their" game> they set the tone and we followed like submissive wimps.

Drew, when u watch New Englands Offense, why do you think a little piece of crap like woodhead has open field to run in?

Its because the passing game creates so much confusion to the LB/DB's that eventually they tire and dont know where the play is going. That is the magic of Brady. He has that system to the point that a defense just doesnt know whats comin next. And they put in a few wrinkles here and there for a big play.

Our offense is nowhere near there, but i believe in time we could eventually make it so we are dictating to them and not them to us. Henne passed the BB blitz test last night.

Woodhead is not a power running back. I think that is a misnomer unless you are at the GL but the playcall and system dictate confusion still. Brady can do almost anything and make it happen. Henne is coming along, but it will take a lot of time still and continuity with daboll. We need to make this offense proactive and create confusion.

 

[LANGER72]

I don't think anyone's criticizing Henne here -moreso the playcalling and questionable offseason moves.

How can you call the 2 rooks busts before either has played a single down?

Fine. You guys can roast me for my opinion, but I have seen this movie before.

 

[Dolphindrew]

Drew, when u watch New Englands Offense, why do you think a little piece of crap like woodhead has open field to run in?

Its because the passing game creates so much confusion to the LB/DB's that eventually they tire and dont know where the play is going. That is the magic of Brady. He has that system to the point that a defense just doesnt know whats comin next. And they put in a few wrinkles here and there for a big play.

Our offense is nowhere near there, but i believe in time we could eventually make it so we are dictating to them and not them to us. Henne passed the BB blitz test last night.

Woodhead is not a power running back. I think that is a misnomer unless you are at the GL but the playcall and system dictate confusion still. Brady can do almost anything and make it happen. Henne is coming along, but it will take a lot of time still and continuity with daboll. We need to make this offense proactive and create confusion.

I think we're saying the same thing. NE doesn't use a power running game at all. They're not built for it either. Woodhead's success was the element of surprise (and exhaustion from our front 7). My point was this Mia offense isn't a grind-it-out gang like it could/should have been with Ronnie/Ricky. Offensive success this year will come with bigger plays to our WR group and of course getting Bush into space out of the backfield.

 

[LANGER72]

Drew, when u watch New Englands Offense, why do you think a little piece of crap like woodhead has open field to run in?

Its because the passing game creates so much confusion to the LB/DB's that eventually they tire and dont know where the play is going. That is the magic of Brady. He has that system to the point that a defense just doesnt know whats comin next. And they put in a few wrinkles here and there for a big play.

Our offense is nowhere near there, but i believe in time we could eventually make it so we are dictating to them and not them to us. Henne passed the BB blitz test last night.

Woodhead is not a power running back. I think that is a misnomer unless you are at the GL but the playcall and system dictate confusion still. Brady can do almost anything and make it happen. Henne is coming along, but it will take a lot of time still and continuity with daboll. We need to make this offense proactive and create confusion.

I agree completely. We are heading in the right direction. The Patriots have a way of creating space on the field with their formations and all the variations. The players start guessing and gasping.
The only way to defeat their system is to crash the pocket and put Brady on the turf. Intense pressure and sacks.

 

[Fin Fan 4 Life]

I don't think anyone's criticizing Henne here -moreso the playcalling and questionable offseason moves.

How can you call the 2 rooks busts before either has played a single down?

 

[DeathStar]

It sucks...

Year 4 into the new regime and we STILL have so MANY problems...

We are in a constant rebuilding...

 

[armyphin]

Brady can do almost anything and make it happen. Henne is coming along, but it will take a lot of time still and continuity with daboll.

Completely agree, the question is, how much time?

While it's not completely fair to Daboll who just got here but all of those guys are on a short leash and if they don't win they probably won't be back next season.

 

[moonman]

I like where we are heading, especially on offense. OP has a very valid point though: Since you KNOW Brady is going to get his fair share of points the main goal should be keeping the ball away from him. We needed to be extra sharp on third downs and we looked like ****. The play calling was questionable when it needed to be good.

 

[Sherif]

you are correct. we need to be in nickel the whole game essentially, or at least know we are going to be. knowing that, doesnt it probably make sense to go out in the offseason and actually make sure u have more than 3 dbs that can actually play in the nfl?

or perhaps not cut a guy like will allen before u play the patriots?

these guys are so dumb. they want henne to not make stupid glaring game costing errors, yet they cant even get the most obvious **** correct themselves.

the plan was to have 5'8" sapp covering the uber-talented new england tight ends? are u kidding me??? whole offseason to prepare and structure a roster to win this game and this is the plan they came up with? come into this game with only 2 cornerbacks that can play? and a free safety that doesnt know his position? against tom brady?? they really are dumb. and im actually impressed that sparano got his head out of his *** and into 2011 with his stupid *** conservative philosophy. but come on....u still need to run the damn ball on 3rd or 4th and 1. fade pattern? what a joke. eliminate it from the play-book already! how many times has that stupid *** play worked since hes been here? exactly zero. at least we are trying hartline this time instead of bess. if that play isnt to marshall it should never be run. and even then never on 4th and 1 with the game on the line. just dumb. these guys deserve whats coming to them because they created this mess. unfortunately, we will take another step backward before this franchise moves forward. its gonna be ugly till tom brady retires. and then we will probably be haunted by the ghost of tom brady in ryan mallett for years. wouldnt surprise me one bit

We faced Tom Brady's all the time when Indy and Manning were in the division. But we had better coaching and Marino. The no huddle didn't beat us when we had a coaching staff that knew how to coach. The more I evaluate it, the more I see where Sparano and Ireland are just middle to bottom tier coaches and talent evaluators. Brady did exactly what manning does. He sees a hobbling Smith and throws his way, he sees a weakling Sapp and throws his way, he sees a sub rate Carroll and pics on him relentlessly. He listens to his receivers when he tells them he can beat his man all day where as Henne seems to still be following the game plan. Marshall tried to get Henne's attention, but I don't think he did half the time.