ATippett56

Football fib: New England’s big problems lie with the offense.

Daddy’s pigskin wisdom: The Patriots' offense certainly isn’t going to win any beauty pageants this season. But the team’s defensive futility has quietly flown under the radar. New England ranks 26th in defensive passer rating (94.0), 28th in third-down conversion percentage (opponents have converted 46.7 percent of their attempts) and dead last with just one takeaway in three games. The defensive passer rating figure is especially dreadful considering the quarterbacks the Patriots have faced so far this season – the jittery J.P. Losman, the glass-shouldered Chad Pennington and the erratic Jake Plummer, who was on the proverbial hot seat before shredding the inept New England pass defense for 256 yards and two back-breaking TDs.

http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com....php?Page=1026

JoePats

It's not like they've given up a lot of points. In fact nobody has 20 yet, and the Bills had 10 (they scored on defense), the Jets had 17, but did nothing until down 24-0. Denver had 17 and the defense didn't play that well in that game but it's not like they're the Giants defense.

Honestly I think the defense by the end of the year is going to be really really good. They just need to work through some things at corner right now.

DarrylS

Didn't we start out slow last year, only to finish much better? Every year our complex defense is a work in progress, this year we have not made many changes to the personnel on this side of the board.. except for Seau. Injuries are the equalizer, yesterday there is a few in our d backfield.. Hawkins, Gay IR'ed, Wilson etc. While this is not an excuse, it slows us down. I suspect each week our defense will improve as initially teams make adjustments to our tendencies, and then we in turn change our tendencies to these adjustments.

__________________
"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

Mike the Brit

Somewhere in between.

On the one hand, it's right that our team won't have the great stats of some others. Even in our championship years the stats haven't been overwhelming.

But I agree with Rabthepat that the intensity level has not been where it should be. Nor was it last season. And that's important to our defense. If you're not going to be an all-out blitz team then you have to make sure the running back doesn't turn four yards into six, that you wrap up the receivers and make them pay for receptions and DON'T GIVE UP THE BIG PLAY. Obviously, we haven't done that yet.

I think that the problems run through all the defense. We haven't sacked the quarterback or stopped the running back in the backfield as much as other teams (though I'd be interested to hear from Box and Pats1 how much holding they saw by the Broncos last Sunday) and we certainly haven't hit as hard in the secondary. Although he's new to the defense and very slow it's notable that the most intense defensive player has been Seau.

Give it time, though. It's a miracle that Rodney is already on the field -- lets see how he's doing by game six. If he's back to his best by then, it will lift a lot of other players.

__________________
My prized possessions: Our family pictures; my dad and me getting doused by Bruschi in Super Bowl XXXIX [Shalize Manza Young Up Close with ... Bill Belichick]


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They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, Pats fans should be invincible by now. [Fitzy, 16 November 2009]

Still here to learn

Brownfan80

In the first half of last season and so far this season the team is in CHASE MODE. They chase the play, they chase the ball carrier. It's as though they are PRAYING to make a tackle.

In the second half of last season you saw the team begin to DESTROY plays again. They had that 'to make a play, you have to get through US' thing going on.

I don't see that this season. And the absolute lack of turnovers is horrible to me. If our defense doesn't improve (which, last season we were waiting on Bruschi, Seymour's health, and looking for someone to replace Harrison. This season we have all those guys and we still are struggling), then this season really will be a continuation of 2005.

I'm shocked that for all of BB's genius on defense that our D has been allowed to stay so putrid for so long. We need an answer to that Ty Law/Ted Johnson factor that is apparently what has soured our situation.

mgteich

FRONT SEVEN
Three weeks ago, we had the best front seven in the league. The team gives up 17 points a game (7 by the offense) and they are bums. This doesn't compute. Sure, I'd like to see more turnovers and a better 3rd down percentage, but the front seven will be fine. They do need to be much better if the secondary has problems and the offense can't score.

SECONDARY
We need better tackling. We are counting on Hobbs and Samuel to be our shutdown starting corners. We count on the secondary for run and pass blitzes. Chad Scott and Hank Poteat are our nickel and dime backs. Wilson has played poorly, and apparently is injured. Sanders missed the coverag on the big play last week. Face it, this isn't a strong group. But it could be good enough.

OFFENSE
Is this the offense that led the league in passing yards last year, and was in the few places in several overall categories? We lost Dillon for part of a game and the offense collapses? Isn't Maroney and Faulk an adequate running game. Personally, I think the OL has been playing fine, except for the glaring hits that Brady has occasionally been getting. Subject to check this is a problem with getting more help to the LT. This group does need time working together, as any OL, but they have been playing well enough to win.

BOTTOM LINE
I disagree with the premise of this thread. The offense is indeed the problem. One freak play and a couple of missed tackles or one bad coverage do not make the defense the culprits.

RoughingthePasser

Very good and accurate points.
This thread does have a point- our defense needs to play BETTER and it will!

We'll get it together for the playoffs.

__________________
"Practice execution equals reality"-BB
'Don't be that guy who ruins a season."' -BParcells

MrTibbs

Belichick needs to read it as well..........that secondary of ours is a total fraud. Samuels and Hobbs are not going to get the job done. We need physical studs not two nickel corners starting.

Brownfan80

I'm in the camp that it's been the safety play that's been lacking.

Ellis had perfect coverage on that 3rd and 1 bomb to Walker. The problem? If you look you'll see Wilson trotting just barely on the screen as Walker nabs the ball. He bit on the playfake and was no where to be found when Ellis needed the over the top coverage. Ellis was stride for stride with his man. It was a perfect throw over the top. Only safety help could have prevented that TD and the safeties were no where in sight.

brady et al fan

Thanks for putting some stats down to support what has been bothering me about this team since second week of football and said so in the Seau thread. I've maintained that this defense looks old and slow period. I like the front 3 but not the front 7. Not only is our defensive backfield terrible but our linebacking core is showing their age.

I don't care how intense Seau looks (does he?), he's just come out of retirement and has been getting pushed all over the field. The long ground gainers last week were almost always run right at him. Tedy, I love him, but I don't think he's the same flying all over the field guy he was before his stroke. Vrabel is servicable but does he really strike fear into the hearts of the offense? These guys just may be past their prime and Belioli may have been caught napping and let this group age without grooming anyone else.

And I think the 1 turnover in 3 games is the most telling, and even that one was of garbage time hail mary vintage. In our super bowl years, one of the things that made this team great were the turnovers forced. I just don't see that happening at this point and can only hope that Rodney finds his legs and becomes the intimidator again.

Lets see how these guys do in Cincy. I'm not optimistic at this point.