SVN

Not quite yet
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn...c.php?t=449042

BelichickFan

I still don't get this "defense is old" thing. The only two starters who are "old" are Bruschi and Harrison. Others in their 30s are Vrable, Thomas and Bryant. The first two don't play old to my eyes; I haven't see enough of Bryant.

NJPatsfan26

This clinches it for me "Of course, you can't forget that this is the preseason, and Bill Belichick typically keeps his masterful plans tucked away until the real games begin. In recent years, a lack of preseason success hasn't hurt the team in the regular season. From 2004-07, the Patriots were 7-9 in exhibitions, yet went 52-12 in the regular season during that stretch, winning four AFC East titles, two conference championships and a Super Bowl."

BelichickFan

The two people (on the field, not discounting Kraft or Pioli) that separate the Patriots are Brady and Belichick (probably in that order). Brady hasn't played. Belichick hasn't tried (to win games). So it's all irrelevant to me; although the long opening drives against our first team defense bug me "a little".

NJPatsfan26

yeah and the kickoff returns for 101 yards without stopping also concerns me but i am sure that the ST are working that out and are going to run a few laps over that debacle.....

SVN

lynch too.
i dont think its the literal age in general but the playing speed of the defense. maybe its the style we play but if you look at say the pitt d and ours ..they are definitley faster.

BelichickFan

I don't think of Lynch as a starter.

That could be but it makes no sense in the context of the quote. It said "they got old quickly" - if it's about our defense's playing speed, we never played fast. Law wasn't a fast CB. In the Belichick years McGinnest wasn't fast. Nor was TJ nor Phifer. It's an argument that doesn't work for me.

SVN

i agree but even BB said after the draft that we have gotten younger and faster on defense which was the idea going into the draft.but how many older players did we lose last yr who were old...seau ? i guess down the line when merriweather ,mayo m,crable etc become full time players the defense will 'look' faster.

MoLewisrocks

When I really stop and focus on what is different about this D it's more a subtle change in philosophy away from putting opponents under pressure out of the gate and that mounting stress and frustration paying dividends as the game progress, We don't play agressive any more, we're not remotely exotic or terribly confusing, we don't disguise well.

Injuries to Seymour, Bruschi and Harrison seem to have resulted in a dumbing down of our D. I think that was the unfortunate but inevitable result of plugging key holes vacated due to injury whether with an aging FA veteran or a backup or a youngster. This team's defense has always evolved from the capacity of the core, and the core has aged and suffered injuries. Bill has tried to compensate by re-tooling on the fly, interspersing savvy veterans like Seau and AD with youngsters like Merriweather and Mayo. So far it hasn't been enough in part because the vets he added got injured too or struggled to grasp the system and the youngsters didn't emerge as quickly as they needed them to.

Maybe this year things will jell, but they may not and that will mean a defense that has to claw it's way through bending without breaking while relying on an offense that scores lots of points and puts opponents in a hole with limited options fom which to dig out. Seymour appears healthy for the first time in 3 seasons, but Rodney missed most of the presseason on PUP or limited as he came off it. Tank had a full offseason and was lost. merriweather was injured in week 2. Lynch has come in at the 11th hour. AD is apparently battling an injury. Hobson may have washed out and absent Seau Tedy is playing FT while mentoring Mayo. Hobbs is working his way back into game shape alongside a couple of competing FA and rookies, I'm not sure we're not again playing vanilla not by design (because it's preseason) so much as of necessity (because that's all we can muster with a fluid and blended transitional crew).

BB can compensate for lack of speed with scheme, but only if he has enough savvy and heady personnel at his disposal to execute that scheme.

The Boston Patriot

4-12, top five draft pick!

The SKY is falling, the SKY is falling!

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