the AFC IMO - Page 4 - New England Patriots Forums

Steelgal · 03-24-2006, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warhorse

30% of our salary cap is fine with me. Our salary cap situation is different than the Patriots. We pay our playmakers and fill in the holes with one or two free agents and the rest rookies that usually sit for a year or two to learn the system. The Patriots use a lot of middle tier free agents at reduced prices to fill in the holes leaving rookies to pretty much sit back and learn for a year or come in for emergencies.

I'm glad the Steelers don't follow that philosophy. To pay 3 players that much of your salary cap, IMO, is insane. I saw a statistic somewhere that the Steelers have one of the highest salaries per player of any of the teams in the NFL, as it should be. It's a TEAM sport and all 53 players contribute to victories and there shouldn't be huge disparities between the top 3 and the rest of the team. I'm not saying that all players should be paid equally, but I feel there shouldn't be such a contrast.

Yes, the Colts beat us during the regular season. I could give you reasons why I think that happened, but won't. Just like we beat the Patriots last year during the regular season and then they beat us in the AFCC game. We were outplayed in our own house and it stunk.

I honestly don't see anything changing for the Colts until changes are made. Peyton needs to stop all the audibling at the line. It's obvious he has trouble with the 3-4 defense and just needs to get up to the line, call the play and execute it. They need to stop worrying about having a few high profile playmakers and create a total team.

AzPatsFan · 03-24-2006, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warhorse

As to the post about the defense being built around the offensive philosophy of going after teams after they are ahead, sure I'll agree with that, but the defense is the only thing that kept us in those games against the eventual superbowl winners the last three years. The offense sputters against 3-4 defenses. The Patriots, Steelers, Chargers have given them fits for three years now.

And I'd bet you a million that bellichick would love to have

The Patriots are probably the most balanced built team in the NFL but it is still just one way of many to build a team. I happen to like the way the team is built. It's like anything can happen at anytime in the game that will break it wide open. GMs work with what talent they have and Polian thinks this is the best gameplan for the talent. If not for the "dynasty" of the Patriots and the Steelers we would have contended for a Superbowl title but each year the better team won. We were missing something or the opposing team had something that we didn't have an answer for.

And you talking about the Titans and the Texans is similar to me saying the same thing about the Dolphins under Wannstedt and the Bills under Mularky and the Jets under Herm Edwards.

We won our first 13 games last year including ones against the so called iron of the league (New England & Pittsburgh) so why would we change anything. We got outplayed and outcoached against the Steelers. You know the same team that Bellichick threw the last game so he would get to play the Jags instead of the eventual Champs.

To answer your plaintive cry that Bellichick would like to have undersized Freeney or dwarfsih Mathis,the answer is he had the chance. Greg Spires, 6-1 and 265, a starter on the Tampa Bay version of your Defense opposite Simeon Rice, and a guy who recorded more sacks in their Super Bowl year than Rice, was Patriot. He is also about ten pounds heavier and two inches taller than Freeney and 35-40 # heftier than the dwarf.

Belichcik unceremoniously cut him as too small, half way through his first camp as a Pat head Coach and said .."He may be a player that can play for some teams but not here.. We wish him well..." So Bill had a better Freeeney/Mathis and just got rid of him.

I hand it to you, the Colts did beat both Pitt and NE.

Even a blind pig finds an acorn occasionally. You managed to jump out on top of Pitt and played your game. You beat us fair and square but caught us amidst the time we could play but 8 of 22 starters due to injury. Nonetheless you won and thats what counts.

As to what's ususually missing... That's easy. Its spelled d-e-f-e-n-s-e.