JoeShmoe

Anyone else real impressed by this kid? For a 6th round pick he looks a steal and BB+Pees must rate him seeing the time he got against Philly

Nestapats

Absolutely. I thought he looked great out there. I was really impressed. There were two plays where he had a sack and a hurry. I know the O-line of the eagles was banged up, but still very impressive. I expect him to contribute at the end of the season. I didn't notice much of Brace...

Julius

He seemed real strong and played with good leverage...this draft class is looking very solid

Patsfanin Philly

There was one play where Brace made a tackle about 15 yards downfield chasing down Mccoy after a long run. I though it showed good speed for a big man.....

Gwedd

Yes, he looked good. The thing to remember is that this was one game, and it is now up to him (and the others) to show he can do this consistently.

farn

Agreed here... It is only one game, but even more interesting is the 4-3. That is to say : I was wondering what was up with so many DLs in the draft, thinking most would just get cut. Could it be NE's going to actually be playing significant 4-3 after so many years of insisting to stick to the 3-4 base ? Time will tell, but Pryor did the most of his chance.

upstater1

I'm just speculating but Belichick might now be of the opinion that the type of LBs required for his defense are difficult to find, and rather than trying to keep looking for the diamonds that can play in this system, he's going to a 4-3 that uses many of the same principles (i.e. two-gap play) as his 3-4. As long as he finds a safety who can fill in the middle, this could work.

Just speculating.

Gwedd

Yes, yes it could. What has always been one of Coach's hallmarks is his ability to see the big picture, in any number of areas, and adapt of the fly to meet the new challenge(s).

maverick4

He has talent at pass rush. It remains to be seen if he can stuff the run well enough.

Ungeheuer

They were switching in and out of a two-gap system the whole first half. There was one drive where they were running upfield the whole series and kept getting gashed on the ground (remember that one with the 19 yeard screen to McCoy). Then they stopped and two-gapped the next couple of plays and the Eagles had to settle for a field goal eventually.

If anything it seems to me more of a recognition that the NFL has become a passing league. If they move to a 4-3 they're just putting more emphasis on pressure and coverage. With the old 3-4 defense they ran, the basic principle is to take away the run and the deep ball, and force the opposing team to execute long-to-go pass plays. But I think what they found is that it's just too easy now -- because of the emphasis on defensive holding penalties and the opposite problem of linemen basically being allowed to hold on every play -- to complete passes. So you create a defense that's a little lighter (you're switching out one 3-4 end like Warren for a 4-3 end like Burgess), gets a little more pressure, and forces opponents to run a little more.