Watching the Jones: Dazed & Confused
- Thread starter Ed Hillel
- Start date
Given the reports that it's "just a sprain", it's definitely a high ankle sprain, so the MRI would be to confirm nothing else is damaged and to estimate his length of recovery. Could be 2 weeks, could be 8. If there's even a chance he comes back for the AFCCG and/or SB, I'd have to assume they wouldn't IR him
Karen Guregian @kguregian 14s14 seconds ago
The inside word on Sebastian Vollmer continues to be good. Look for him to rest this week with ankle sprain and be ready for playoffs
The inside word on Sebastian Vollmer continues to be good. Look for him to rest this week with ankle sprain and be ready for playoffs
So if he sits week 17, then we get the bye week, he essentially has three full weeks from the injury to the start of his next game, but that would mean no practicing. This would seem to put the Pats in a bit of a bind, given that with a high ankle sprain ideally he would just stay off it entirely for as long as possible, but they also like to get guys back on the practice field well before a game. It seems like the effect of 50% more rest on the probability of re-injury would argue against practicing, but that's a tough one either way.
It would be great for the O-line combo that finished the Jets game to look awesome against the Dolphins, so that maybe he could sit out the divisional round, but given that our most likely opponents are HOU/KC/NYJ, we are likely to have to face a top defensive line no matter what, and would really want him back.
It would be great for the O-line combo that finished the Jets game to look awesome against the Dolphins, so that maybe he could sit out the divisional round, but given that our most likely opponents are HOU/KC/NYJ, we are likely to have to face a top defensive line no matter what, and would really want him back.
Vollmer, Edelman, Amendola, McCourty, Chung,
A properly trained unicorn could make for a pretty effective O-lineman.
Maybe in the run game, when it could lower the horn and drive forward but the footwork and backpedal both grade out terribly on film. The fictional animal is just not built to pass block.
Michael Giardi @MikeGiardi 22m22 minutes ago
Patriots took a bunch of players to South Florida. Julian Edelman wasn't one of them. @CSNNE #PatriotsTalk
Patriots took a bunch of players to South Florida. Julian Edelman wasn't one of them. @CSNNE #PatriotsTalk
I thought getting some snaps and getting rid of rust was going to happen with Julian. Doggone it. Oh well.
But I thought the info about which players actually traveled with the team was top secret in the NFL!
No Nink, no Jones, which is huge against this Miami team with a garbage OL. My confidence in this game is not as high as the general population's. I'd much rather the health and the 2 seed than risk things, of course, but the roster this weekend is absurdly thin. They're finally giving Hightower a rest, too.
Last edited:
I wouldn't lay any money, either; I kind of wonder if it might be a game like the 2009 finale against Houston where they only sort of took it seriously. Chandler Jones was a full participant in practice on Wednesday; I have to imagine he would be playing if this were the playoffs. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gronk with limited playing time, Jimmy G playing the second half, etc. They already have the bye, so homefield is only going to come in to play if they meet Denver in the AFCCG.
Which is pretty likely, if you think about it. I would be super bummed if, after all of this, they had to travel to Denver, where nothing good ever happens. Having to settle for the 2-seed is an extremely luxurious problem to have, obviously, but I hope they're not being overly cautious with this game.
I think Jones hurt himself in practice because he was added to the injury report and has been out since.
It's a semantic discussion around "pretty likely." It's less than 50-50 that the Pats have to travel to Denver for the AFCCG. It's definitely not ideal, but they're also managing injuries with virtually every position group on the team and have to decide how much they're willing to risk in pursuit of the one seed. In many years it might be, but this year it probably isn't.
Yeah, it looks like you're right - he's been a full participant with an abdomen issue for a few weeks, but the toe thing was new Thursday and he was limited that day. So maybe it's a thing, maybe they're being cautious.
I don't think Pats would play this the same way if they thought Miami was even interested in winning this game. Sure, they might get burned by that approach--but I doubt it. This is a bad team playing out the string.
I'm not sure the thought process is any more complex than 'field the best possible team during the playoffs.' They already have the bye and I'm sure they feel that if they have everyone back, this team can beat anyone, home or away. Everyone who's capable of coming back anyway. Much better chance of success with the ideal players than the ideal location of the game. And, as has been said, Miami is not a good team and there's a reasonable chance they can win with what they've got regardless.
On the radio on Monday, Brady said it would be "All hands on deck" for this game. I guess he didn't have the game plan on this one yet.
In a perverse way, this may help. Miami might have been up for this game if it meant something to the Patriots, but with Bill Belichick essentially saying that it is not an important game, maybe the Fins will pack it in early too. My biggest worry is that in games that a team is simply trying not to get hurt, they often get hurt.
In a perverse way, this may help. Miami might have been up for this game if it meant something to the Patriots, but with Bill Belichick essentially saying that it is not an important game, maybe the Fins will pack it in early too. My biggest worry is that in games that a team is simply trying not to get hurt, they often get hurt.
Butler's had a nice season but Ryan's not far off.
It really is time for SoSH to find a new cornerback to flog in the game threads. I know filling the Arrington gap hasn't been easy, but maybe y'all just need to accept that playing CB is hard and guys get beat once-a-while.
Butler has been very good, but no one really seems to care when he makes mistakes. If Ryan had the performance Butler had in the Jets game winning drive in OT, the reaction would've been a lot different.
Is it really the consensus that Logan Ryan gets picked on around here? I haven't been in game threads much but most of the discussion I've seen is about how he's been almost as good as Butler and a very pleasant surprise. On the media front, Kyed frequently points out how good he's been.
It seems like maybe this criticism of the board is outdated. Also, mocking people in game threads belongs in game threads.
It seems like maybe this criticism of the board is outdated. Also, mocking people in game threads belongs in game threads.
Yeah, I really haven't noticed a huge Ryan backlash. Clearly, the guy who won the SB is going to get more leeway from fans than the guy who struggled in the SB. Ultimately, I think we all have to be very pleased with the secondary play this year. Both Butler and Ryan have played about as well as we could have hoped.
Tho you have to credit the scheme and safety help he's received, I think the board and the media agree that Ryan has had a very solid bounce back year, after a very rickety sophomore season, highlighted (or lowlighted) by his performance in the SB. That said, he has had to earn every bit of that praise and t probably wasn't until week 9 or 10 that there was consensus about his play.
Another thing worth noting is his health, which is not insignificant given both the MASH unit they have trotted out there or the usual slate of injuries to the Pats secondary. That has value as well.
Another thing worth noting is his health, which is not insignificant given both the MASH unit they have trotted out there or the usual slate of injuries to the Pats secondary. That has value as well.
Pretty incredible: Pats are most injured team and still lead conference:
Interestingly, Miami is the least injured team and they still suck big time.
Interestingly, Miami is the least injured team and they still suck big time.
The difference I see between this and the Week 17 games they have treated as bye weeks is that those games were either in:
1) Seasons when they didn't have an actual bye week: as you say in 2009 (@HOU), 2005 (vsMIA) where they played Wild Card Weekend (and indeed, seemed to throw the game in 2005 to play the Jaguars).
2) Seasons when they had already locked up the #1 seed: 2014 (vsBUF), 2010 (vsMIA).
I can't think of a time when they had a shot at the #1 and didn't go for it.
Edit: And it's definitely possible that this year presents a different situation, given the incredibly unusual number of guys who aren't healthy now but may be by the Divisional Round.
Last edited:
I think that may be because we realize that Butler is basically being put on an island against a #1 or #2. Everyone knows he's going to get beat once in a while, but most of the time he's very good and this allows the Pats a lot of flexibility.
It's certainly possible that the Pats will play tomorrow without the following:
- top 2 safeties
- top 3 WRs
- top 2 OTs
- top 2 DEs
- top 2 RBs
- top LB (one of top 2 for sure)
Yikes
- top 2 safeties
- top 3 WRs
- top 2 OTs
- top 2 DEs
- top 2 RBs
- top LB (one of top 2 for sure)
Yikes
I think Ryan has had some very good games, including an excellent showing against DeAndre Hopkins. Other "very goods" came as a result of some solid coverage, yes, but also a decent number of drops. (First NYJ and DEN games come to mind.) I agree that Ryan has made a good jump this season, and I'm happy about that, but I continue to be far more impressed with Butler and I view his very good games as more legit (and more common) than Ryan's.
McCourty's presence helps Butler go from really good to better than that. It helps Ryan be really good.
With the DL AND LBs thin, and no McCourty, the DBs are going to be lonesome today.