IcyPatriot

Well ... on a brighter side it sure was fun watching AD doing what many of us thought that he came here to do...2 sacks against that Giant OL is pretty good for a days work. Vrabel is okay ... sometimes but AD showed the speed off the edge that we need to get after QB's.

I hope he ends up rushing the QB more next year. IMO he looks better than colvin in that role ... time will tell. I'm sure Belichick had reasons for playing AD the way he did this year ... but from this fans point of view ... AD was and is fun to watch.

BostonBullit

I was happy to see him getting a good rush on but I think when I watch it again it may be blunted a bit by his straight up bull rush style, he was moving his blocker backwards really well but not getting around him at all. I just kept waiting for him to pick the guy up and throw him at Eli (a la Andre)

here's what stuck out to me early on in the game though - they had AD lined up opposite giants WRs on a few downs and he was decking them off the line, looked an aweful lot like the techniques used by Pats Ds of the previous SB years but with a LB doing the hitting instead of a corner/safety.

satz

Colvin is very fast or should i say his first step is very fast and get around tackles.how can you say AD was better when he was power rushing.

we missed colvin alot towards the end we had all this big LB but no true speed rusher.a reason QB stepped more towards the right tackle or back into the hands of vrabel.

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pheenix11

AD looked awesome rushing the QB. They should keep him outside and move Vrabel back inside next year.

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DonBlackmon55

Agree. And draft Gholston/Harvey. That would be a nice rotation at OLB. Also, AD could play inside when needed.

Why are we wasting a 270+lb guy who runs a 4.65. He needs to be the speed rusher

BostonBullit

I'm torn on that idea because both Vrable and AD are better on the outside than when they're inside, but if you assume Rosie is back then someone will have to move in. I think if the linebacker corp is the same I would expect things to be the same as the start of this season: Rosie and Vrabes outside and AD, Junior, and Tedy inside rotating. BUT I doubt things will be the same next season, they really need to get younger at LB.

The fact that Woods was in there early in the game says that BB is more comfortable with him, too bad he forgot to wrap his arms around that fumble when he fell on it ....but you have him, Alexander and Lua as fresh blood; wonder if BB goes CB in the early rounds and looks for a vet ILB to replace any losses.

SeymourTrophies

Agreed. Vrabel can do the covering that is necessary and pass rush. We just need to not have a liability at LB this year. Seau and Bruschi were collectively a liability. Can we tell Harrison to gain 20 pounds and play LB this coming season because his cover skills worry me a great deal.

Woods didn't forget to wrap his arms around the ball on that fumble. He was turned over by two giants and stripped long after he should have been down. It happens all of the time, but this time it was visible on the replay.

DonBlackmon55

We need playmakers at LB. That right PLAYMAKERS. What's the point of having a stout DL with playmakers who are schemed to be gatekeeprs than playmakers. Then on LB side, you install guys who should be Gatekeepers now, as Playmakers. Outside of Rosie and AD(1st yr), the rest of the LB corps is now below average for NFL standards. Vrabel had many sacks this yr but was obvious he benefitted from Colvin.

Bottomline - the fact BB/Pioli decided to live and die by Bruschi and Seau did them in. Why ? Because there was no ILB depth, and then once Rosie went down, you had to move the best OLB (270 lbs, 4.65 freak) to play inside since the 39 and 35 yr old ILB cannot go full tilt 60 mins.

The dominoes started to fall once Colvin was out. A 3-4 philosophy built on LB play, and you keep 5 core LB on your roster the entire year ?????????? Vrabel, Colvin, AD, Seau, Bruschi........STOOPID, and he paid for it for 2nd year in a row despite having an all world Offense this year.

Time to go back to basics....build a stout D !

pheenix11

I hate to say it but I hope Bruschi retires. I still see some value in Seau, but Bruschi just doesn't seem to have it anymore.

Which is odd considering that Seau is the older one.

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BostonBullit

not sure what you mean, when rosie went down AD moved OUTSIDE, he had been playing inside all season....which confused most of us because he's supposed to be a "natural" OLB and that's where he played in Baltimore. I'd say that when he signed AD it was with the intention of transitioning him into the leader of the D when Bru retires, which is why he had him playing inside and calling the plays while Bru and Seau rotated.

I asked a friend just today: if Bru and Seau both walk into BBs office tomorrow and say "we want to play again for the Pats next year" what do you do?