Posts Tagged ‘Julian Edelman’

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Five Away: Charting Tom Brady’s 30-of-35 Performance vs. Bears

Tuesday, October 28th, 2014
Tom Brady played a complete game against the Bears on Sunday, even though he didn’t finish it. (Winslow Townson - USA Today Sports Images)

Tom Brady played a complete game against the Bears on Sunday, even though he didn’t finish it. (Winslow Townson – USA Today Sports Images)

NEPD Editor: Oliver Thomas

Efficient and prolific are seldom seen in the same sentence.

Tom Brady was both against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The 37-year-old quarterback operated a short-tempered New England Patriots offense with brevity on the way to completing 30 passes for 354 yards and five touchdowns.

In doing so, the 14-year pro crossed all three passing thresholds for the third time in his career and first time since 2007, according to Pro Football Reference.

Brady could have crossed more had he stayed in for the final 5:15, only New England’s collective performance at Gillette Stadium did not require him to. The offensive line preserved ground, the rushing committee gained ground, and the defense broke ground, affording second-round quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo a call from the bullpen with a 25-point lead in hand.

And with that, after 68 snaps of command, No. 12 headed to the dugout just shy of pitching all nine innings. He headed off without that final strikeout to seal it all into memory. But he didn’t need it; Brady’s 100th regular-season start in Foxborough was a near-perfect game to those who saw it.

Five incompletions over his 35 attempts were all that stood in the way. (more…)

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Posted in NFL, Patriots | Comments Off on Five Away: Charting Tom Brady’s 30-of-35 Performance vs. Bears

Monday Night Massacre: A Patriots Pictorial Essay of Tom Brady’s 26 Pass Plays vs. Chiefs

Thursday, October 2nd, 2014
Tom Brady and the Patriots' passing game saw the results hinge on the seconds and the routes. (Denny Medley - USA Today Sports Images)

For Tom Brady and the Patriots’ passing game, it came down to the routes and the seconds afforded for them versus the Chiefs. (Denny Medley – USA Today Sports Images)

NEPD Editor: Oliver Thomas

Development takes time.

The New England Patriots’ passing game hasn’t afforded itself enough through the first four weeks of 2014. And it all came to a head for quarterback Tom Brady and the offense against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night.

Brady was behind center for only 38 snaps over nine series. He went 14-of-23 passing for 159 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and two sacks over that span, departing for the sidelines early in the fourth quarter with a 41-7 score.

There was nothing more the offense could do. The Patriots didn’t appear built to close the gap. Not defensively, and not through the air nor ground.

New England’s running game was turned to for 16 carries, 75 yards and two first downs, but it was unable to work symbiotically with an aerial attack that netted just 10 first downs. The Patriots went 2-for-9 on third down, and failed to establish a rhythm in between the Chiefs’ 36 minutes of possession.

There was a difference in calibration between the two sides.

The field was seldom spread by the patterns of the New England’s receivers during the Week 4 tilt at Arrowhead Stadium. And in an effort to get the ball out quickly, there were few elements of surprise between Brady and his connections.

That allowed the Chiefs to respond accordingly, transitioning from a two-deep to a single-high secondary, dropping a safety down into the box to congest the underneath. The front brought pressure with a four-man rush. And the Patriots, in turn, were tasked with beating them at their own game.

New England was not going to beat Kansas City solely over the middle on screens, slants and in routes. Brady and the Patriots route-runners were going to have to beat the defense vertically, down the sideline or deep over the middle.

But the tools weren’t there. The routes weren’t there. And the time in the pocket was not, either.

Over the course of Brady’s 26 pass plays versus the Chiefs, the seconds and routes mattered. The following is a breakdown of the results. (more…)

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Posted in NFL, Patriots | 18 Comments »

Predictability a Problem for the Patriots

Saturday, September 20th, 2014

NEPD Staff Writer: Jason Cappell

With 105 receptions for 1,056 yards, Julian Edelman proved in 2013 that he’s more than just a capable NFL receiver. Rob Gronkowski’s 46 touchdowns in 56 career games indicate that he’s no slouch either when it comes to the New England passing attack.  But the Patriots need more. They need more than just Gronk and Edelman catching passes for their offense to truly take shape.

(more…)

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Posted in Patriots | 21 Comments »

Competition Abounds at Patriots Wide Receiver Position

Thursday, August 21st, 2014

Edelman

NEPD Staff Writer: Craig Cusson

As the Preseason has neared the halfway mark, there are still a handful of question marks regarding one key position. Who will Tom Brady most rely upon? Will the Patriots have enough offensive fire power to make it back to the promised land? After all, in order for Giselle to get upset about Tom “throwing and catching his own balls”, wide receiver establishment must be made.

Here is how it shakes out with two weeks left.

(more…)

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Posted in Patriots | 93 Comments »

2013 Was No Flash in the Pan for Julian Edelman

Sunday, August 10th, 2014
Julian Edelman

This former MAC QB has been a versatile pick for the Patriots.

NEPD Staff Writer: Jason Cappell

When Wes Welker signed with the Denver Broncos in 2013, it signaled the end of an era. And when New England opted to sign Danny Amendola from the St. Louis Rams as Welker’s heir-apparent, it became readily evident that the Patriots were indeed moving on. 

The comparisons between the two were endless. Both receivers attended Texas Tech and both were high volume pass catchers who could also contribute to the return game. The Patriots’ move made perfect sense at the time as Amendola was younger, faster and more athletic than Welker. Many believed Amendola would fit in seamlessly and the offense wouldn’t miss a beat. Some even speculated that Amendola was an upgrade.

But there was one slight problem.

(more…)

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Posted in Patriots | 17 Comments »

Patriots Wide Receiver Breakdown: Volume in Numbers at OTAs

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

The Patriots’ wide receiving corps was highlighted during the summer of 2013, and it is once again in 2014. (Photo: Oliver Thomas)

NEPD Editor: Oliver Thomas

As organized team activities opened up on Tuesday, May 27, the New England Patriots filled the 90-man roster to maximum capacity by signing two wide receivers. In doing so, one of the positions which grew scarce with attrition and inexperience last season now stands among the squad’s deepest in volume.

It stands at 13.

In a numbers game, though, less than half of that baker’s dozen will ultimately make the 53-man roster. And if the past serves as an indicator of the future, the process will remain a fluid one until then.

That was illustrated last June, as the Patriots stocked OTAs with 10 wideouts. The pool included three incumbents – who combined 21 receptions for the year prior – along with four veteran signings, two rookie draft picks and two undrafted rookies.

The average age of the nucleus was 25 years old.

But by the time OTAs turned into training camp and the preseason, the landscape shifted. Rookie Mark Harrison was never activated from the non-football injury list, incumbent Kamar Aiken and veterans Michael Jenkins, Donald Jones and Lavelle Hawkins were let go. Several more joined only to meet the same fate.

The fate of New England’s 2014 collection is not yet known. Even so, there are some elements that are. (more…)

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Posted in College Football, NFL, NFL Draft, Patriots | 64 Comments »

Patriots Pull Off A Stunner and Land CB Darrelle Revis

Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

Welcome to Foxboro Mr. Revis.

NEPD Editor: Mike Loyko

Less than 24 hour ago many Patriots fans were headed to the Tobin Bridge. Fans were take the leap after the Broncos once again plucked the Patriots top unrestricted free agent and after the Patriots did… well, nothing. Fast forward 24 hours later and not only have the Patriots replaced Aqib Talib, they upgraded.

Early Wednesday night, Bill Belichick swooped in and pulled off arguably the biggest free agent coup in Patriots history, landing All-World CB Darrelle Revis.

Here are my thoughts on the Revis signing, what it means, and where both sides go from here.

(more…)

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Posted in Patriots | 77 Comments »

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