what more can i say?
thank god we drafted mac lmfao
The Third Act.
The Third Act.
The Third Act.
Should Patriots fans be worried about tough OTA outing from rookie WR Charleston Rambo?
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- — Entering his fourth NFL season, N'Keal Harry's best attribute as an NFL receiver has been his blocking. This isn't what New England expected when they drafted him in the first round back in 2019 so it's understandable why Patriots fans are less than trilled to hear reports about second round pick WR Charleston Rambo's struggles in OTAs.
An impressive athlete, Rambo has dealt with what appear to be concentration drops and is often not on the same page with the quarterbacks during competitive drills, even when former college teammate D'Eriq King is at quarterback. Rambo's lack of physicality in the running game is also evident, even in an OTA setting, something that might keep him off the field.
Rambo did have a couple of nice snags, beating Jalen Mills for what would have been a long touchdown during 7 on 7 drills. The big play making ability is there and unlike Harry, he doesn't struggle with creating separation. He does a good job of beating press coverage despite his lack of size, the problem seems to come for when the ball is in the air. Could it be a case of just nervousness? Possibly, but it's not what Patriots fans want to hear after the Harry debacle for the past few seasons.
Other notes from OTAs:
- New guys on the block
New England signed two UDFAs in Ole Miss linebacker Lakia Henry and Washington defensive back Brendan Radley-Hiles. A former top prospect coming out of high school, Radley-Hiles struggled at times at Oklahoma before transferring to Washington for his final season.
Radley-Hiles has a lot of similarities to Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones with very similar frame and athletic profile. With the team not resigning Myles Bryant, depth is a concern at slot corner with two rookies in Radley-Hiles and Patriots first round pick Roger McCreary battling with Shaun Wade for that backup nickel spot.
Joejuan Williams is entering his fourth season but projects to be more of an outside corner with his length at six-foot-three and is a matchup dependent corner who fares better against bigger, slower receivers.
The team also signed veterans QB Colt McCoy, DE Chauncey Rivers and kicker Brett Maher.
- - Mac is the headliner but watch out for King as QB2
Even before the team signed quarterback Colt McCoy, many expected Jarrett Stidham to be the team's backup quarterback with a likely veteran serving as the third quarterback in the room in a mentorship role, similar to what Brian Hoyer's role has been on the team for the past few seasons.
Seventh round pick D'Eriq King is wagging his finger and saying no so fast. The former college star had brief stint at receiver before returning to the red, non-contact jersey and working out with the quarterbacks on a day where Stidham was out with a non-COVID related sickness. King impressed the coaching staff enough to stay there even with Stidham's return.
He's got a good zip on the ball and when it comes to the intermediate passing game, he's been just as impressive as Mac Jones at time. Both Jones and Stidham have a stronger arm than King but King makes for it with his decision making and his athleticism, capable of making things happen with his feet which hasn't been completely showcased in OTA settings.
Once training camp rolls around and especially preseason games, King could be in line for some performances that coaches rethinking the backup quarterback spot.
- - Plenty of bodies to rotate up front
By the end of the season, injuries had caused New England to have just a four-man rotation up front with rookie Christian Barmore, Davon Godchaux, Deatrich Wise and Lawrence Guy.
Henry Anderson is back and healthy as is Byron Cowart and there are a few hybrid linebackers in Josh Uche, Chase Winovich, first round pick DeAngelo Malone and of course Matthew Judon who can also play at the line of scrimmage.
This unit figures to be elite, talented and deep in 2022 which should bode well for New England's chances to field another top tier defense.
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Captain Canada
- Posts: 2201
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
The Third Act.
I'm here for the Charleston Rambo 1,000-yard rookie season
The Third Act.
Patriots Training Camp Preview: Positional Battles
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- — The New England Patriots open the 2022 NFL season with a preseason matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in two weeks and with one week of training camp under their belt, there are the positional battles to watch:
- Wide receiver
New England released Nelson Agholor in the offseason to clear some cap space which they used to sign guys like return specialist Braxton Berrios. They then drafted a receiver in the second round in Miami's Charleston Rambo and, of course, there's N'Keal Harry. There will always be N'Keal Harry.
New England played a lot of 12 and 21 personnel last season which features just two receivers as they are primarily a power running team that leans on a big offensive line and talented stable of running backs. Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne figure to be their top two receivers but who's number three for when they go 11 personnel, which is the base offense for most of the league?
Harry's effectiveness in the running game is not to be overlooked with his added ability as a blocker while also being a bigger body that's reputed to be able to win contested balls. Berrios is more of an option in the slot and then there's Rambo who might be their fastest player on offense who played almost exclusively on the outside at Miami.
This figures to be one of the more competitive and fun battles to watch this summer.
- - Interior defensive line
Lawrence Guy has been a model Patriot for some time but entering his 12th season in the pros, he's a bit long in the tooth.
New England invested in Henry Anderson last off-season before an injury cost him the entire year. He's a big body, similar to Guy, whose also athletic enough to play the five technique as well as be defensive tackle in four-man fronts. There's also standout second year player Christian Barmore and Davon Godchaux, another player the team has invested a lot in.
It figures to be a rotation of all of them in addition to Deatrich Wise Jr. but when it's best on best, good on good time, which pairing will Bill Belichick and the defense go with?
- - EDGE/Linebacker
New England's defense is built on versatility and with Matthew Judon stapled in as one of the edges, New England mixed it in last season with who they put across from him. In obvious passing situations, they would often go with Dont'a Hightower and have Kyle Van Noy be an off the ball linebacker. On first and second downs, they'd move Hightower to the inside as their Mike linebacker and bring Van Noy or Josh Uche down as an outside backer.
Chase Winovich's addition back into the active roster as well as Anfernee Jennings, second-year player Ronnie Perkins and rookie DeAngelo Malone gives New England some added flexibility and options with how they use their second edge position. Van Noy is their best player in space while Winovich and Uche are probably their best pass rushers at the position outside of Judon.
Jennings, Perkins and Malone are all athletic and will likely have to cut their teeth and make their keep on special teams but the preseason will offer them opportunities to make their mark on defense.
- - Cornerback
After paying J.C. Jackson a boatload of money and getting Jonathan Jones back from IR, we know who New England's CB1 and nickel corner are going to be. Whose starting opposite of Jackson?
Last season it was Jalen Mills who had good games, okay games and downright bad games in his first season in New England. More of a safety type, Stephon Gilmore's departure led Milles being thrust into a role that maybe he isn't built for. He'll get another crack at it this season as New England is still without a clear starting corner opposite of Jackson on the outside.
There's first-round pick Roger McCreary who will be given every opportunity to win that job and there's also Joejuan Williams, another high draft pick that the team has seen varying results from when he's been on the field. He had a tough game against the Dolphins but fared well in the playoffs against the Chargers when tasked with covering Mike Williams.
A dark horse to watch is Shaun Wade, who the team traded for last season before injuries sidelined him for several weeks. He got his first extended playing time in the playoffs against Kansas City and did good, allowing just two catches on 49 snaps.
The Third Act.
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NE | 10 | 6 | 0 | 6 || 22
PHI | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 || 17
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Rambo, King connect for game winning touchdown as Pats 2022 draft class leads team to win
Ty Law, Darrell Revis, Malcolm Butler, Stephon Gilmore.
New England has had their fair share of elite cornerbacks with J.C. Jackson being the latest to potentially join the ranks after signing a mega extension last season and earning his first All-Pro honors. With the game in the balance, Philadelphia's Gardner Minshew II went after New England's first round pick on back to play plays in the endzone, each one resulting in an incompletion.
Roger McCreary's career got off to a good start, denying the Eagles comeback effort as New England hung on to beat Philadelphia 22-17 thanks to a fourth quarter touchdown by second round pick Charleston Rambo.
Mac Jones was in for two drives, both scoring drives as he threw a touchdown to Jakobi Meyers on his second drive after the team had to settle for a 58-yard field goal by Quinn Nordin in the first drive.
Meyers caught five of Jones' eight completions for 42 yards. Jarrett Stidham replaced Jones in the first, going a rocky 9 of 17 for 80 yards before D'Eriq King came in for the second half and finished the game. King completed 11 of his seventeen passes for 115 yards and the aforementioned touchdown pass to Rambo, his college teammate. He scrambled once for 18 yards.
The Good
1. New England's front seven got off to a good start with Chase Winovich recording a strip sack and they finished the game with six tackles for losses and three sacks against two mobile quarterbacks in Jalen Hurts and Minshew. Kenneth Gainwell averaged just 3.8 yards per carry in what was a non-existing rushing attack from the Eagles outside of a couple of scrambles between Hurts and Minshew.
2. The Patriots had a good running back tandem last season with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson with Brandon Bolden being a serviceable situational player. J.J. Taylor averaged nine yards per carry to lead the team in rushing and James White looked like his old self in the limited playing time he got, rushing for a first down on a fifteen-yard carry. If Taylor and White can sprinkle in some explosive plays behind Harris and Stevenson, this promises to be another elite running attack.
3. Rambo had two chances to get a touchdown with Stidham misfiring in the second quarter and in the fourth, Rambo dropped a walk-in touchdown that hit him straight on the gloves. King went back to Rambo on third down and he brought the touchdown down, creating separation as he went from the left side of the field, all the way across to the middle of the endzone. He runs those over and crossing routes extremely well, capable of creating space with his speed and natural fluidity.
The Bad
1. New England's secondary, specifically on the second unit, had a tough stretch. Safety Leon O'Neal Jr. allowed a 75-yard touchdown by first-round pick Drake London on a one-play touchdown drive. It was a tough matchup for O'Neal to begin with but it was never close, which is concerning if he's going to play at the next level. Quez Watkins then beat Brendan Radley-Hiles for a 43-yard grab on a play where he outleaped Radley-Hiles and for good measure, that drive ended with the secondary leaving three Eagles receivers uncovered on the left side of the field with tight end Jack Stoll catching the touchdown.
2. The offensive line was banged up with Trent Brown leaving with an injury, as did Justin Herron and Yasir Durant. Given Brown's injury history and his new extension, it's likely that New England shuts him down for the rest of the preseason.
The Third Act.
Patriots release QB Colt McCoy, bring back veteran Brian Hoyer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- — The New England Patriots have released quarterback Colt McCoy and signed quarterback Brian Hoyer.
McCoy was signed back before OTAs and was expected to serve as the veteran leader of the quarterback room, a role Hoyer occupied for the past two seasons before contemplating retirement this offseason.
With Hoyer back in the fold, the team chose to release McCoy who did not play in the team's preseason opener. Hoyer is not expected to play this week either against the Detroit Lions.
In other roster news, the team is down three offensive linemen in Trent Brown, Justin Herron and Yasir Durant who all suffered upper body injuries against Philadelphia last week. None of them were placed on IR which is good news, especially with Brown whose the starter at right tackle. As a result, the Patriots traded their seventh round pick to Tampa Bay for center Robert Hainsey. David Andrews was the only center on the roster prior to the trade.
The injuries create opportunities for Nick Ford and John Ojukwu, two rookies that will likely be part of the second unit on the offensive line going forward. It's also brings into play Brown's injury history and questions New England's decision to give him a long term deal. They are in a similar position with former first round pick Isaiah Wynn who is rumored to be looking for a $10 million average per year extension which has led some to speculate if New England will trade him before this year's trade deadline.
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Captain Canada
- Posts: 2201
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
The Third Act.
Damn, horns down.
The Third Act.
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DET | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 || 35
NE | 14 | 3 | 3 | 13 || 33
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Patriots 2PT-conversion falls short as Lions hang on to beat Patriots
For the second time in as many weeks, New England's D'Eriq King had led the Patriots offense into the endzone, late in the fourth quarter. This time, it came with 1:16 left in the game, throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to Charleston Rambo to make it a two-point game but the two-point conversion would fall short as King was tackled shy of the goal-line by the Philadelphia Eagles as they secured their 35-33 win over New England.
Both teams starters played the entire first half with New England getting the 17-14 edge despite an uncanny red zone interception from Mac Jones. Jones threw two touchdown passes, both in the first quarter, and finished the game with 209 yards passing. He found Hunter Henry for a touchdown as well as Rambo who led the team with six receptions for 72 yards.
It was a promising performance from Jared Goff as well who completed his first six passes and ended the half 11 of 17 passing for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Mitchell Trubisky finished the game for Detroit, throwing a touchdown and interception apiece, his touchdown going to rookie tight end Isaiah Likely and his interception going to rookie cornerback Roger McCreary.
The Good
1. The starting offense, interception aside, looked really good despite starting two rookies at tackle in John Ojukwu and Nick Ford. Damien Harris averaged five yards per carry and Jones was his usual self, finding Jakobi Meyers four times for 81 yards in what promises to be another good campaign from both players.
2. Chase Winovich's preseason tear continues with another two sack performance as well as a third down stop late in the fourth quarter. Josh Uche had eight sacks last season and veterans Dont'a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy figure to be staples of this defense but if this continues, Winovich might be a key piece of this defense on the edge.
3. After a rocky start to the game where they allowed a few long passes, New England trotted out a new look on defense that they hadn't shown previously. Jalen Mills appeared to be a safety with Devin McCourty playing his usual deep safety role with Adrian Phillips and Kyle Dugger in the box and at corner, it was J.C. Jackson, McCreary and Jonathan Jones with a four-man front. Could this be New England's sub package going forward on obvious passing situations with no linebackers? They were able to slow down Detroit's offense for the rest of the first half once that defense started being used.
4. New England's top two picks in this spring's past draft ended the game with a touchdown and two interceptions. McCreary got beat for a first down and Rambo had two drops but both have shown the ability to put a bad play behind them and keep on trucking, an attribute Jones displayed last season in camp.
The Bad
1. The Lions don't look like world beaters on offense, at least not on paper, so their 35-point performance is concerning, especially early in the first quarter where Van Noy was beat a few times. Jackson was also beat for a few jump balls he usually wins so it might have been a case of just preseason rust but it was still a concerning outing from a defense that will decide how far this team goes.
2. While the team's top two picks have been good, their third pick in DeAngelo Malone has been a ghost despite getting snaps. He failed to register a tackle despite playing the entire second quarter and was not an effective pass rusher either against Detroit's second unit on the offensive line.
3. N'Keal Harry hasn't been bad and he did catch a pass for eighteen yards in the first half but Harry needs to start putting together performances or he'll lose his WR3 status pretty quickly to a surging Rambo. Both receivers led the position group with 49 and 39 snaps played respectively with Rambo catching six passes compared to Harry's one.
4. Leon O'Neal Jr. is a physical player and his athletic profile is intriguing as a potential box safety option in a post-Adrian Phillips world but he's struggled a lot this season. He's been bad in coverage and his bad tackling angles had led to big runs, including a touchdown in this game.
5. Similar to Harry, Jarrett Stidham should be aware that some have begun to write on the wall. An OTA injury saw King go from gadget player to full-time quarterback and it doesn't appear he's letting go anytime soon. Stidham was 2 of 4 for 35 yards and an interception in a quarter of play before King came in and threw for 74 yards while rushing for 91 yards, including a 48-yard run on the final drive of the game. With Brian Hoyer almost guaranteed a spot as Mac's backup/mentor, is New England going to save a QB3 spot for just a lesser version of him in Stidham or use it on King, who is as dynamic as they come?
Last edited by Soapy on 28 Nov 2021, 17:38, edited 1 time in total.
The Third Act.
Hoyer as QB2 is tradition.
The Third Act.
Players to watch for in preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- — The New England Patriots will end the preseason just how they started it with a Super Bowl rematch, this time against the Seattle Seahawks.
Neither Bill Belichick or Josh McDaniels have been forthright with how long quarterback Mac Jones will play considering this is both the last game of the preseason and also the third game, which is typically when during the previous four-game preseason schedule that teams would play their starters extensively as part of what was referred to as the "dress rehearsal game".
Even if Jones and the first team offense don't play most of the game, they are plenty of storylines, positional battles and roster bubble players to keep an eye on:
- QBs D'Eriq King/Jarrett Stidham
Stidham has been the second quarterback to enter the game in their two previous outings which bode well for his chances to enter next season as the team's third quarterback behind Jones and Brian Hoyer.
Stidham is also no longer practice squad eligible which might bode well for his chances to make the active roster because King is. If New England wants to keep both, the best course of action would be to slot King on the PS and keep Stidham as their third quarterback on the roster.
Both players should play this week and be given the opportunity to make a claim on being not only deserving of a roster spot but perhaps creating a gap substantial enough between them that keeping four is redundant.
- - WR Duke Williams/Jamal Custis/Malcolm Perry
If New England carries six receivers on the final 53, we know the top five spots are going to Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, N'Keal Harry, Charleston Rambo and Braxton Berrios. This leaves just one spot between Williams, Custis and Perry.
Williams has played the most this preseason, catching just one pass in 44 snaps. Custis and Perry haven't been giving the same opportunity, which might change against the Seahawks. Both Custis and Williams are bigger receivers that bring something different to the table while Perry was a dynamic college quarterback that hasn't found his niche in the NFL.
- - LBs Cameron McGrone/Lakia Henry
New England has played five inside linebackers extensively in the preseason in Dont'a Hightower and Ja'Whuan Bentley, projected starters along with Raekwon McMillan, McGrone and Henry.
The team will likely only carry four inside linebackers, leaving McGrone and Henry to duke it out for the final spot. Henry played most of the second half in the opener against Philadelphia while McGrone was the one next to McMillan for the second half of the game against Detroit.
Neither flashed much although their athleticism is obvious and jumps off the screen. If they make the roster, they'll be special teams contributor but first, they need to show that they can handle the workload on defense. With Hightower being a veteran and 32, it's a good possibility he doesn't even suit up, giving them plenty of chances to make their mark and their case.
- - NBs Brendan Radley-Hiles/Shaun Wade
The team traded for Wade and he had a good performance in the playoffs against Kansas City but will that be enough to guarantee him a roster spot?
Jalen Mills playing more safety in his second season could bode well for both players, potentially allowing for both of them to make the active roster. The team carrying six corners (counting Mills as a safety) is foreseeable but if they still view and count Mills as primarily a corner, this likely shuts the door on both of them seeing the final 53.
Neither have played great with Radley-Hiles getting surprisingly more playing time than Wade. This could be an indication that the team is prepared to move on from Wade and view the UDFA Radley-Hiles as a better option moving forward. Wade is running out of time to earn his roster spot, making the Seattle game a premium.
- - S Leon O'Neal Jr.
A late round pick with plenty of potential, it's put up or shut up time for O'Neal. O'Neal is plenty of physical, an attribute that shows even in half-padded practice but live games are where that physicality is supposed to be on full display.
O'Neal is the perfect type of hybrid safety, on paper, that New England loves. The problem is O'Neal is taking bad angles in run support and getting flat out beat in pass coverage making not only not versatile but flat out bad at both facets of the game.
There is a world where New England carries all of the safeties currently on their roster (6) but O'Neal has to show them something in the finale.