'07: Expectations not met

Mike...

I would vote for Adalius Thomas. Besides the Super Bowl, I did not really see him take over a game at all. Also, if he was able to pull down Eli Manning, maybe the season would have ended on a different note. Going into the season, I thought Eugene Wilson would be at the most the third best safety (behind Rodney and James Sanders). I even thought there was a chance he might switch to corner. Eugene has not met his expectations since the 2005 season, so I really did not expect more. For what the Patriots paid for Adalius Thomas, I expected him to take games over.

I also want to see Richard Seymour do alittle more playing and alittle less talking.

The absolute most BRUTAL underacheiver of all is none other than the ridiculously OVERRATED Ben Watson. Save for his play against Champ Bailey in the 05 playoffs and his TD against Jax in the previous game, this guy has been a MAJOR disappointment. With all of the hype that came with him "Big and strong yet as fast as a receiver", we have watched dropped ball after dropped ball and him probably leading the league in being solo tackled by 180 LB Defensive backs. With all of the WR's that Brady had this yr to stretch the field, Ben Watson should have been a probowler with numerous catches underneath. He is a VERY SOFT player. I can't wait till his contract is up.

I do not believe that this category should be limited to just players! I would have to give a most resounding endorsement to Josh McDaniels as the greatest disappointment. For the past three years he has repeatedly crumbled when faced with adversity.
This past Superbowl has thoroughly convinced me that he lacks the experience to respond to the unexpected. No coincidence that when Charlie Weis was at the helm we won the big ones. The kid is no "boywonder", at best a work in progress who moved up the ladder too soon and too fast.
Simply, it is time for the Patriots to admit that the Protogee is no Orson Welles.Despite the past year of contrversy and turmoil, the Patriots can regroup, the tough choices made and coaching staff changes enacted that will reflect those realities on the field that have become glaringly apparent!!!

I would have included Ben Watson on this list.

Everyone said that the middle of the field was wide open for Watson with the addition of the new receivers in 2007, but his catches were down from 2006 - 49 to 36 this year. I don't have the stats in front of me, but I would bet that Watson was on your "Who's down" list more than the "up" list this last season. ( I would love to see a summary of this for 2007.)

His lackluster year was capped off by a terrible superbowl with no catches, a holding penalty and a five yard penalty.

After his monster play in the Denver playoff game 3 years ago that showed so much promise, I'm really disappointed with his production and level of play since then.

Watson would not only be on the list, but he may deserve the award.

I would really like to know what happened to Eugene Wilson over his career. They threw him into the line-up at FS in Week 2 of his rookie season. He was playing at a high level almost immediately. (Unlike the excuses we usually offer up for guys who we expect to contribute right away, but don';t because "the system is hard to learn") He was fierce back there. He was breaking up passes, laying Rodney Harrison type of hits on WRs. He excelled in 2003 and 2004. I know he has suffered through injuries (and been IR'd) over the last three years, but what has happened to him? I went to feeling he was being disrespected when not mentioned with Troy Polamalu (Ed Reed was still a level above them both) as one of the better safeties in the league. Now, as you point out, he can't get in on the dime package, even when Ellis Hobbs has a groin injury and sports hernia and Brandon Meriweather can't catch anything thrown his way.

My vote goes to PK Stephen Gostkowski. This kicker's inability to consistently perform the FEW times the team actually called on him to perform speaks volumes to the strategy the Pats O utilized, especially down the stretch. MUST MAKE TDs. The issue wasnt just that opponents were being held to FGs by the Pats D but that the hand of the Pats offense was FORCED to go on 4th and long in the Super Bowl and several other times. How many times does Brady have to stand intently on sideline and watch his PK miss a 35 yrd FG attempt (without wind, snow, sleet, rain), and then turn in disgust towards the bench. Yes, LB Thomas underperformed for his contract, but I didnt expect any more than you did this year anyway; his play in Baltimore would have told you that. Eugene Wilson was also a great underperformed but then again, except for a great rookie season he has been inconsistent and soft, tho he used to be a hard hitter, a la Rodney Harrison. Lastly, Ben Watson, SHOULD be on this list. Watson is the softest TE the Pats have had with this much praise. Watson is more a larger WR, but even at that David Givens was stronger, more consistent with his hands, and more willing to give the blow to the CB, than take it. My vote goes to Gostkowski...and thus to BB and Pioli for making one of the worst franchise moves, letting Vinatieri walk for $200,000 difference and drafting a PK from the south to kick in the north.

BEN WATSON!! He can't break tackles, he did not appear in games. The most I read about him was in the offseason when he went overseas to spend time with the soldiers in Iraq. He is not better than Daniel Graham, we missed him a lot this season, ESPECIALLY during the Super Bowl.

Ben Watson is my top choice for this prestigious award in 2007!

this is a 3way tie between mcdaniels choke in the superbowl with his vanilla, conservative playcalling, adalius not worth his check, n ben watson dropping 100 balls.

i havent been on this blog since IT happened and im still sick. wtf!?

Lets be honest - Ellis Hobbs is perhaps the worst defensive back in the league. he is slow, short, goes for fakes and is perpetually burned unless he has help

Why was Wilson playing early in the Super Bowl? And why was he active after being inactive in the AFC Championship game? Seemed like he replaced Spach among the actives.

I would have to say Big Rich Seymour, especially considering that he is the highest paid defender on this team and someone we expect to bring it every game. I understand he was coming off an injury from the previous year but even when he did return he played nowhere near his normal all-pro level. He gave up too much room in the run game and did not provide any pressure (1.5 reg. season and zero playoff sacks). He only showed up in two games this year vs the Jets in the reg. season (home) and vs San Diego in the playoffs but then reverted back to his underachieving from for the SB. He must become the all-pro beast he was next year and he must perform game-in and game out.

Ben Watson has to be considered because, despite all the hype, he has yet to emerge. Not a great blocker, seens to get open, but doesn't make the big catch. I'd say Adalius Thomas was a disappointment, but the big contract notwithstanding, he was exactly what hisex-teamates on the Ravens said he'd be, so his mediocre play was no surprise. But the the winner is Ellis Hobbs. Rumor has it, he's still out in Arizona searching for his jock strap.

Well, it's sort of difficult to pin the "underacheiver" badge on anyone in particular...These guys performed under an extreme and ever building amount of stress, or pressure, or whatever, all year...BUT!!! as my wife will testify, WHY couldn't they get Hobbs to drink the kool-aid, and keep his mouth shut? I'll always be willing to cut somebody some slack, but not someone who flaps his gums and then can't back it up.

Dante Stallworth.

Did we get his twin brother or something? It sure aint the guy from Philly that I saw.

I couldn' t agree with Mike Anderson more .. .Ellis Hobbs is oneof the worst cover cornerbacks in the league !!! If he was hurt, as I heard he was in the Super Bowl,
why the hell was he playing ......He wasn't even in the area when Plaxico Buress caught that ball !!! He is bad enough when he's healthy,taken all his vitamin pills and had a gret breakfast !!!! When he's hurt I'd rather see Mohatma Ghandi in his sandals and robe playing cornerback !!! Look at the tapes ....He just didn't play awful in the Super Bowl......Pick a game ....any one ......and I'll show you him missing easy tackles or wide receivers like Burres giggling as they juked him out of his sneakers !!!!
ELLIS HOBBS BY FAR ....ITS NOT EVEN CLOSE !!!!!