mgteich

We have started the season with McCourty, Arrington, Bodden, Molden and Dowling.

We weren't even sure that Dowling would play corner. Molden beat out Butler and Wilhite for a roster spot.

How bad off are we with Arrington, McCourty and Molden as our corners. We also have Jones and Edelman as emergency, injury and garbage time backups?

SOME THOUGHTS
1) I never counted on Dowling.
2) I was disappointed when Bodden was injured. However, this is NOT unexpected when someone is coming back from an injury.
3) Arrington is playing better than anyone could hope. McCourty has contributed much less. However, these are 2 solid starters.

BOTTOM LINE
As McCourty's health improves, this group will be fine. They are probably not good enough to stop GB or NO, but I don't think that anyone is.

If we have some health from McCourty, Chung, Spikes and Fletcher, we should have a reasonable shot at beating BALT and PITT.

patsfan-1982

if the pass rush can get going in the playoffs they will be ok if not it's going to take Brady puting up 30+ every game

Mack Herron

Can you provide any evidence to support your contention that McCourty has been a "solid starter" this year?

patsinthesnow

Arrington is playing great.

Mccourty is playing like a stiff.

Molden is JAG depth, not sure how to judge Edelman at nickelback yet.

If Mccourty wakes up its decent, if he can somehow return to probowl form, its a great tandem.

Big-T

From the Dallas game (minus one horrible missed tackle) up until he got injured he was playing as well as he was as a rookie again, he starts the season off shaky which we can put down to the lockout and he was shaky in the 4th quarter on Sunday, but who on the defense wasn't?

supafly

There's no way in hell anyone can.

McCourty's defensive QB rating against was 120 going into the Indy game...where he was promptly burned several more times by Garcon, and allowed at least one TD, if not 2 more.

Arrington's defensive QB rating against was 44 going into the game, with 7 INT's and only 2 TD's allowed all season.

I don't know what happened to him, or if maybe he's just not too good and last yr was a complete fluke (I hate to say it, but it's certainly possible), but he has absolutely sucked this yr.

I did a comparative stat test against such whipping boy/low-life CB's such as Duane Starks and Ellis Hobbs in the other thread about "Should we be worried about McCourty?", and BOTH of their numbers are way better than McCourty's this yr.

And to whoever says that we won't need Brady to score 30+ come playoff time, I would ask WHY you would honestly believe that? Teams will continue to pick McCourty apart, and rightfully so. He has no business as a starter this year, and frankly--if it were anyone else he'd have been benched, which he very well may in the next couple of weeks.

I know it's a negative view of him, and I am sorry for that, but unfortunately it's the truth.

__________________
Patiently waiting to defend the next "bubble" player in this summer's training camp.....

supafly

He was playing better, still nowhere near his play of last yr.

The defense as a whole was playing much better lately, but it had nothing to do with Devin McCourty as he had been hurt.

I'm obviously trusting Belichick's decision, as he has earned that right; but I will have to admit that I won't be surprised in the least if he's benched for a game.

__________________
Patiently waiting to defend the next "bubble" player in this summer's training camp.....

Stilla

Its all about Brady and the offense.

We need to lead the score for most of the game. BB likes to get the ball after half time, so we need a strong outing by the defense with the 1st possession of the game, and the result needs to be a score by NE.

If we can't accomplish that, we are in for a long game. NE needs to take control right away, or our defense is in big trouble. If the other teams drive the field and control the clock at will, we are in trouble. NE's offense is about driving the field, not score at will. If NE gets down in the 4th quarter, its going to take more than Brady to get us out of the hole and I am sure the defense is the last thing you want to see on the field with 3/4 minutes to go in the game.

We need to make sure Brady has the ball in his hands when it comes down to the last possession. And, it better be for the win.

robbomango

new potential

supafly

Yeah, but can he rush the pass...... no wait. We're referring to the 'other' problem.

Can he turn around and look for the damn ball?

__________________
Patiently waiting to defend the next "bubble" player in this summer's training camp.....