Content available exclusively for subscribers
The Jets played a hell of a game last night, and they deserve a ton of credit,
but let’s be honest, Detroit Lions Matt Patricia didn’t do a great job preparing his team.
First off, they totally changed the defensive scheme from last year, and the Lions’ defense was clearly not comfortable with the new playbook.
Secondly, and you were hearing whispers about this out of Detroit during the spring and summer, some veteran Lions players weren’t thrilled with all the Patriots rules he was putting in, like telling them what they can say, and not say to the media.
On June 8, Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press took a lot of heat for writing a column with the headline – “Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia already in danger of losing his players.”
“Matt Patricia is in danger of losing his players,” wrote Monarrez. “This was my main observation from three days of minicamp this week. The Detroit Lions rookie coach wants things done his way. And his way means running as punishment. Lots and lots of running. That’s not likely to endear him to his players, many of whom are experienced professionals who don’t need or care to be treated like junior varsity tryout players.”
Is Patricia another guy who had his resume embellished by Tom Brady, like so many other Patriots assistants like Eric Mangini, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel and Josh McDaniels.
These coaches go other places and try to run things like Belichick runs the Patriots, and a lot of players are like, “Go pound sand, your not Belichick.”
Also, Patricia was Belichick’s defensive coordinator. Belichick made his bones in this league as a defensive genius. Whose defense was that in New England when Patricia had the title of “defensive coordinator?” You think Belichick just turned everything over to Patricia and said, “do whatever you want?” C’mon now.
My point is simple. I saw a team out there tonight not prepared, and perhaps they aren’t that into going to the mat for this Patricia-guy who might be poser with a Brady-embellished resume . . .
I find it laughable that some people are acting like the Jets had a big question mark at their kick/punt returner spot?
Andre Roberts is a good returner, and has been for a long time.
I watched him closely all summer, and I don’t think I saw him drop a ball.
The guy is a pro’s pro. He knows what he is doing out there, and you sawt his on his punt return for a touchdown, along with some other good returns.
I just think that some people were so focused on the quarterbacks all spring and summer, they were ignoring other positions.
Roberts is a terrific returner . . .
People talk a lot about the trade up for Sam Darnold, the Sheldon Richardson trade, the Teddy Bridgewater trade as some very good moves by Mike Maccagnan over the last year, but don’t leave out sending a seventh-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts for DE Henry Anderson, who had a heck of game tonight. This trade was a major steal and another testament to Maccagnan’s growth as a GM . . .
I will have a lot more on Sam Darnold over the course of the next few days, but you all saw what he did on national TV, so I decided to counter-program today.
But I will say this – Darnold was better than the veteran Matt Stafford, and aside from his enormous talent, there is another reason – Darnold played extensively in the preseason, and Stafford didn’t.
“September is the new preseason in the NFL,” said Steve Young.
And this certainly applies to Stafford.
So in a strange way, the rookie QB was more prepared to play tonight than the veteran, who still had cobwebs from being used very little in the summer.
September 10, 2018
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Tuesday.