Patriots First Half Assessment: 3 Up 3 Down With Greg Bedard & Tony Massarotti
BOSTON (CBS) - With no game to analyze because of the Patriots bye week, 98.5 The Sports Hub's Mike Felger moderated a segment in which The MMQB's Greg Bedard and Tony Massarotti give their three best and three worst Patriots players up until this point in the season.
Call it a midterm exam, if you will. A nine-game sample.
Greg Bedard has looked at the tape, he's analyzed it, and on Tuesday afternoon he shared his findings.
Bedard's 3 Up
1. Tom Brady
"I thought Brady was decent in the early going -- outside of the Kansas City game -- I thought he did a nice job early and now he has completely caught fire. He's been sensational ever since the Cincinnati game."
2. Rob Gronkowski
"I have Gronk no. 2, but I just couldn't put him above Brady because he was playing half the snaps at the beginning of the year. So I just can't do it."
3. Dont'a Hightower
"I think Hightower has been terrific. He's been making big plays since the beginning of the season, and with the Jerod Mayo injury he's played inside and has done a bunch of different things, between all the calls and checks he's making. And to top it off with what he did in the Broncos game with the pressure he brought, to me, Hightower has been terrific."
Bedard's 3 Down
1. Jordan Devey
"He just really struggled when he was out there."
2. Cameron Fleming
"You could flip flop [Fleming and Devey]. It's hard for me to put Aaron Dobson in this category because I don't know why he's not playing. I can only judge the people I see on the tape. Fleming, in his limited snaps, has not been good."
3. Michael Hoomanawanui
"He's just . . . I don't . . . they can do better. I understand why they have him because he can fill a lot of different roles, but when he's out there he's just not that good. It must be frustrating for fans. I hear from them all the time, 'Why isn't Tim Wright playing more?' -- I'm with you guys. I don't get it. He must be a favorite of Josh [McDaniels] going back to their Rams days."
Tony Massarotti also participated in the exercise, although his methods of analysis -- and even he would admit -- are not as scientific or extensive as Bedard's.
Mazz's 3 Up
1. Rob Gronkowski
"He is the best player at his position in the league this year. I can't say that about anybody else on the Patriots. He was banged up in the beginning of the year and still has more receiving yards than any tight end in the league -- number one."
2. Tom Brady
"I don't agree with Brady as no. 1 on the list because to me it's been Gronkowski."
3. Julian Edelman
"Early on in the year Edelman was terrific. Now you factor in the special teams, big plays and everything else -- he's been dynamite."
Mazz's 3 Down
1. Nate Solder
"He really struggled early on. It's been better of late, but the offensive line really stabilized when they got their two guards back. Solder is still getting beat. Given the position and the expectations, they needed him to step up and it went the other way."
2. Aaron Dobson
"At the beginning of the year they really needed Brandon LaFell, Aaron Dobson or Kenbrell Thompkins to step up. It has been LaFell as it turned out, and Dobson hasn't even been active. He can't get on the field."
3. Jordan Devey/Marcus Cannon
"The guard play early on in the year was atrocious. Absolutely atrocious. Those guys were given every opportunity to keep their jobs and they couldn't."
Listen below for the full segment!
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