My Hot Reads on an excellent come-from-behind win for the Matt Cassel-led Patriots:
The pass defense didn’t look so good in the first half, but they buttoned up in the second. This will be an area to keep an eye on. They were inconsistent, but made the plays that they needed to make.
Deltha O’Neil looks like he's still figuring it out.
Meriweather showed up on both sides of the plus/minuses; he had an excellent interception, but also a third down pass interference penalty that kept the 49ers' offense on the field.
Cassel’s TD to Moss was a glimpse of 2007. We miss you, Tom.
For all the talk about Jerod Mayo, (who has been great so far), Gary Guyton is an undrafted rookie free agent getting a lot of time on the field. Wait for Mike Reiss’s breakdown this week of defensive snaps played. Guyton was out there a lot; he has great speed and obviously coverage skills. The Patriots got two rookie ILBs this year, something they’ve badly needed for a while now.
Rodney Harrison had a throwback game. He made some great plays in run support, made his presence felt in the passing game, pressured the quarterback, and had an interception, along with a tipped ball that gave Deltha O’Neal an easy pick. Veterans step up when their team needs them to and this was a classic example of that.
Another vet who stepped it up today is Matt Light. It looks like the much-maligned offensive line wanted to make a statement today. Of particular note was his pancake block on 'Mr. Future Hall of Famer after only 19 games' Patrick Willis. They gave up some sacks but Cassel had time. I’d much rather see sacks than interceptions any day.
Cassel played a great game. He faced the adversity of being down a touchdown early and led the offense on an 80-yard drive for a touchdown to close out the first half. It wasn’t easy, but it looks like he is improving and that is all we can ask.
It’s official, Sammy Morris is the No. 1 running back on this team. Laurence Maroney had another pedestrian day and had Lamont Jordan not injured himself making a cut, LoMo might’ve played even less than he did. I can’t call Maroney a bust yet, as I believe it’s just an issue of consistently running hard for No. 39. He has the talent and can play at an NFL level. He just has to do it every game. Or else he won’t play.
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3 months ago
Pats looked better than they did against Miami.
It was nice to see the offense mix it up a bit with a direct snap to the running back and the Bomb which looked as though was called three times. Once when Cassel had his arm hit, the TD to Moss and then a weak throw down field that Cassel just didn't have the arm for.
Defense looked better but keep in mind they played the 49er's.
Good enough to win.
Hope California treats them right this week.
3 months ago
great article as always...the time of possession really told the story of the game, and by controlling the clock and moving the ball on the ground, it truly makes cassel more comfortable. 22-32? ill take that all day from a backup! Deltha Oneal still has a little ways to go, I agree. Good stuff Mike
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