You Ready?

Color me giddy.

I know, I know.  Pre-season.  Means nothing.  Still.  First the Patriots’ JV blow out the Jaguars 47-12.  Then the varsity take down the up and comers in Tampa 31-14.  Before the inevitable, head-scratching step backward in Detroit next week (I just feel it coming), I’m going to enjoy this.  My glass isn’t just half full, it’s three-quarters full; that’s how good I feel.  A few thoughts…

·         The Patriots’ Offense looks like it could score enough points to hang with the ‘86 Lakers. 

Could Tom Brady pitch a perfect game this season, leading touchdown drives on every possession?  Ridiculous, right?  And yet, watching Brady direct three scoring strikes in the first quarter against the Bucs I couldn’t help but wonder.  The Offense looked undeniably good.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead combined for 147 yards rushing and rookie LT Nate Solder is holding his own.  Unlike the S&P 500, I see some obvious growth potential.  As impressive as they were, they can actually get better.  Gronkowski had a drop, Ochocinco is still a work in progress, the line is still coming together, and so on.  Belichick and Brady are always striving for perfection.  Could they catch lightning in a bottle sometime in the 2011 season?  No missed blocks.  No dropped passes.  Nine drives.  Nine touchdowns.  Brady sits out the entire 4^th quarter.

·         Jerod Mayo is Lawrence Taylor without the hookers and blow.

The knock on Mayo had been, yeah sure he can tackle, but he’s not a playmaker.  While that criticism had always struck me as ridiculous (tackling being the most fundamental of defensive skills), we got a glimpse of just how effective Jerod Mayo can be as a playmaker Thursday night in Tampa.  If the offense is going to put up 63 points in three quarters it will require the defense to dominate. 

Check.

Obviously, I’m also taking a strong buy position on the Defense.  Getting Albert Haynesworth, Shaun Ellis, Brandon Spikes and Brandon Cunningham on the field should only have a positive impact on long-term profitability.

·         I may have jumped the gun on Ryan Mallett. 

Perhaps he isn’t the best QB in the 2011 draft class, after all.  Good thing Tom Brady still looks like he might have another year or two left before whatever happened to Brett Favre happens to him.  Mallett was bound to throw an interception at some point in his career, wasn’t he?  I guess I shouldn’t give up on him too soon.

Dream Until Your Dreams Come True

Okay, as noted above, I do realize it’s only pre-season.  Ryan Mallett didn’t punch his ticket to Canton a week ago any more than he punched his ticket to Palookaville Thursday night.  I know the fans in Philadelphia are convinced it’s meaningless, move along, nothing to see here.  The Jaguars were who we thought they were.  The Buccaneers had the 17^th ranked defense in 2010 and looked surprisingly unprepared for their close-up.  No, these games do not count in the standings; wins or loses in the pre-season do not correlate to success or failure in the regular season.  They do matter, though. 

Watching the Patriots’ offense I noted the relentless substitution and formation changes.  Players would race into/out of the huddle, Brady would have call and they would be at the line of scrimmage; empty backfield on one snap, trips tight ends on the next.  They seemed to attack in waves.  Bubble screen, power run off tackle, play action underneath to Welker, up the seam to Hernandez.  On defense there always fresh linemen and linebackers rotating in, fresh legs generating constant pressure.  Dictating tempo and match ups.  Brady the constant on offense.  Mayo the constant on defense.

You ready?