K-9

Not committed to Tyrod? Because he didn't announce his decision two days before the opponent's first day of installs?

Sure, Brady's part of that equation no doubt; the most important part. But that doesn't take away anything else about Belichick's ability as a coach. Greatest football mind in history, I'm convinced of it. He's playing chess while everybody else plays checkers. It's just too obvious week in and week out, year in and year out. He's evolved over time. He's not the same coach he was when he started.

So, they're saying we got a chance?

They also have the best football mind in history at the helm. Love him or hate him, Belichick knows how to leverage every in game situation to the maximum benefit. It's not always apparent nor does he display it only in crucial, crunch time situations; it starts from the opening kickoff. Case in point, he starts managing the clock from his first possession on and adjusts throughout depending on what kind of lead he does or doesn't have and by how much or how little. And nobody is else is in his ballpark when it comes to playing the matchup game. Not even close.

Yeah, something like that. I wonder who our spotters are up in the booth relaying what personnel packages are being sent in by opposing teams.

Talent trumps coaching. It's a cliche to say that a coach needs to put his players in schemes they can excel in and that's true to a point. But I don't care what scheme you run, if you keep getting your butt handed to you by the opponent across from you, then no scheme is going to fix that. Only better players That said, I question Dennison's "feel" for the game; he seems not to sense when certain plays can be effective against certain looks at certain points in a game.

If you didn't jump off a cliff during the late sixties or during the Stephenson/Bullough years, you know damn well you aren't quitting now.

NP was drafted because he possesses enough of the traits worth investing a later round pick in to see if he can be developed. He was picked to start the Chargers game by McD in an effort to light a fire under this team, including the defense. It didn't work. Time to move on. No need to analyze it any further. Our far bigger concern is why this team didn't respond after the Jest game and why they responded even worse after the Saints game.

Thanks. I really appreciate the sentiment, but with all due respect, this place is a cesspool. That said, there are several posters here who have my respect and I’m always willing to be edified by their contributions. A learning spirit is essential around here.

Nobody should have expected McD to announce any QB decision today. No matter how he feels or what choice he may have already made, he wasn't going to say anything publicly until after he's been in the QB room later today after they've had a chance to analyze the video. The first people to know are going to be his QBs in that classroom setting. I'm more curious about his meeting with that "leadership council" he mentioned and whether or not he's just paying lip service in that regard.

See: Csonka, Larry circa 1970s

He started the game.

Don’t have any idea how he’s going to perform vs. NFL defenses, but I’m certain of one fact: he WILL NOT be rattled. Not a bad trait to have in a QB.

I understand your point, but all that the national media, who don't spend much time watching us unless it's on national TV, go by when assessing TT are his gross stats and passer rating. But you have to look inside those numbers for their true meaning and the national media can't because they aren't privy to the inside story. There is no denying TT has good numbers in terms of passer rating but the biggest driver of that stat is his high TD/INT ratio (his YPA is down this year because he doesn't have the deep weapons). But I would suggest his completion percentage and TD/INT ratio is solely because of his desire to make high percentage, low risk passes. It's not like his number of TD passes is solely driving that stat because 10 TDs in 9 games is pedestrian at best. How is he on third downs? How many 3 and outs has he commanded? How many misreads? I could go on but you get the point.

Nothing earns the respect of your OLine and other teammates better than the willingness to stand in there like that and then maintaining a calm demeanor in the huddle. I know it's just lip service, but it's good to hear that everyone likes the way he commands a huddle and shows leadership. That's not easy for rookies, especially.

I give McD credit for his "buck stops here" mentality and willingness to put himself out there and be accountable. That said, there is no way in hell he made the decision in a vacuum as he suggested.

I watched that game and have seen all the highlights on YouTube as well. He outplayed Watson, on the road at one of college football's toughest places to play, vs. the #2 team in the country and eventual national champion. And he took a beating in doing so; constantly stayed in the pocket to make a play KNOWING he was gonna pay a price physically. One game does not a player make, but that game was impressive, regardless.

Hope Jones can pick up where he left off. He was really starting to look like a force out there.

Again, we will have to agree to disagree on offensive design. The kind of "system" TT excels in doesn't exist in this league and it's not what he did in college, either. Sure, he will make a great athletic play to win a game and sure, you can install a certain number of moving pockets or rollouts in a game plan, but you cannot make that a basis for your offense and run them predominantly for reasons I've explained ad infinitum in the past around here. We've seen time and time again how he struggles vs. teams with good lane discipline that force him to stay in the pocket. I can certainly understand how that's frustrating for this coaching staff who require a different skill set that they aren't convinced TT can develop.

Not yet. And the number of designed runs has been greatly reduced as we started to see under Lynn last year. But there's the offensive design issue, anyway. It's all about operating from the pocket in the middle of the field. If you can't, you don't last as a starter in this league.

I get that, too. I just think it's wrong to diminish Peterman's performance vs. the Saints in order to satisfy a narrative as Vic Carucci blatantly did. People have good reason to be concerned with a QB switch just as people have reasons to be concerned with keeping TT in there. Personally, we have seen his ceiling. IMO he cannot now nor will he ever learn to operate from the pocket and that is IMPERATIVE in the NFL. You simply cannot have rollouts, moving pockets, read options, and bootlegs as the basis for an NFL offense because those passing game designs limit the playing field and make it too easy on defenses by giving them less field to defend. And a steady diet of read options is a good way to get your QB killed.

That's not prevent so I guess we do speak different languages. No worries. And while I appreciate the effort you put into defending TT statistically, I don't put much stock in gross stats. You and I both know they can be made to say anything.

Look, I understand the angst. There is no way that NP is as good an NFL QB as TT simply on the basis of experience alone. But that's beside the point. It's a risky move like McDermott said but there's a reason for it and I can respect that.