I am
giddy about the Patriots in 2012. A month to training camp in
July and I cannot get enough. The Red Sox are in last place, the
Celtics season is ended by the obnoxious LeBron James yet again, and
the Bruins off-season will be quiet unless they get Rick Nash and/or
trade Tim Thomas. For me, it is a burning hunger for all news
Patriots. I want to get to know more about Trevor Scott,
Brandon Lloyd, Dont'a Hightower, Chandler Jones, Jake Bequette, and
Tavon Wilson. I want to get to know Donte' Stallworth and Jabar
Gaffney again.
Outside
of Tom Brady at Quarterback and the Special Teams Specialists trio,
questions abound going into training camp next month. I
want to see how things shake down on offense and who ends up where on
defense. With a shout-out of Guten
Tag all
the NFL and Patriots fans in Germany who stumble across this site on
the web and a giant Danke for
reading, let's jump in to all things Patriots starting with...
RUNNING
BACKS:
Youth
is served at running back after going with an undrafted free agent
(Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis), waiver pick-up third down back (Danny
Woodhead) and the ERS (elderly rush squad): Kevin Faulk, Sammy
Morris, Fred Taylor, et al) the past few years. Finally, some
young legs are in the back-field with Woodhead returning to his usual
3rd down/shotgun role and Green-Ellis replaced with 2011 draft picks
Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley. The ERS gets represented by 29
year old Joseph Addai over from the Indianapolis Colts' post-Peyton
Manning housecleaning. Also in the mix are a couple of
fullbacks (most likely limited to goal line/special teams if either
one makes the cut) and undrafted free agent Brandon Bolden (who
should not be counted-out as Bill Belichick has repeatedly shown that
he has no compunction dropping a draft-pick to keep an UFA.
All
eyes are on Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, as they have been handed
the keys to the offensive engine. If Addai is playing, it is
not a good sign as Ridley and Vereen are expected to win the job. I
like Bolden's potential as well, but again, not a good sign if he is
behind Brady in the backfield week one. Ridley flashed good
instincts, strength and speed, and, unfortunately, some fumble-itis
which led to a seat for the playoffs after looking like the best
running back since a young Laurence Maroney in 2007. Ridley ran with
power, showed good speed and instincts, and seemingly won the job at
running back from Green-Ellis until the fumbles caused Belichick to
(over-cautiously, I think and thought at the time) move him back on
the depth chart. If Ridley held onto the ball, he may have been
entrusted with the keys in the playoffs.
I
think back to the start of the Super Bowl, when pinned back to the
goal-line, first-and-ten at the six. Rather than Tom Brady drop
into the end-zone and have the stupid intentional grounding safety to
start the game, instead a hand-off to Ridley and he cuts it up past
the ten to the twelve yard line for a six yard gain on first down.
Inconsequential? Perhaps not. Say the Patriots retain
possession, even if only to get out to the 30 yard line and cut out a
Giants possession, a big momentum-changer, and instead of a 9-0 hole
in the first quarter (Giants took the post-safety punt and drove into
the end zone in short order) maybe a 0-0 start and a chance to get up
and change the game.
Shane
Vereen rarely saw the field last season. With Green-Ellis in already
at RB and Ridley healthy, he got buried. The Cal product saw the
field for a short burst in November against Kansas City and
Philadelphia. Having only 15 carries for 57 yards over two mid-season
games is hard to get a handle on someone. Vereen's story
coming out of college was he was smart, had great pass-catching
ability, instinctive runner with patience (a must in the Patriots
offense) was built with low-to-the ground power, and some speed. The
Patriots need speed at running back. No doubt. I am hoping that
the Josh McDaniels offense re-inserts the running back screen this
season ("Screen to Vereen!" That's what I want to hear each
week) as it is such a pass-protection weapon in slowing down the pass
rush and keeping defensive players away from Tom Brady.
Vereen
has the skills to make the screen game deadly again (really, did any
defense care if Green-Ellis went out for a screen? He had hands of
stone and no burst in the open field). Add in the powerful
running and big play ability with him and Ridley in the backfield and
the Patriots may actually be able to move the ball on the ground.
Not being able to, or having the confidence to, commit to the
ground in the playoffs has hurt this team too much in the past.
Since Maroney carried them to the Super Bowl in 2007 ( for the
record: 3 playoff games: 61 rushes, 280 yards, 3 touchdowns,
and he returned kicks. Yes, the 14 rushes for 36 yard turd-fest in
the Super Bowl was a downer, but in the first two games against
Jacksonville and San Diego were fantastic: 22 for 122 versus Jax; 25
for 122 versus a tough San Diego defense), no one (Maroney included)
has been a threat out of the backfield. Going back to 2004 is
where the Patriots have to go for that stud running game (Corey
Dillon, come on down!).
Hopefully,
this is the year that the running game changes with a great sophomore
effort from their two 2011 high picks and becomes a strength of the
team again. Tom Brady is, and will be, great, but the more help
for him the better. Ridley and Vereen have the ball, let's hope
the don't fumble.
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