rookBoston

I'm really pleased to see the secondary playing with so much spirit and pop.

The biggest shock for me is that Chung was playing with the 2nd stringers against Houston, and didn't see the field at all until the 2nd half long after the game was pretty much decided. Arrington, too, didn't really play until Talib went down... and then when he finally got on the field, he was fired up.

Great improvement against a great passing attack. But who would have thought our go-to starters would be Gregory, McCourty, Dennard and Talib? Give credit to Belichick the GM for completely re-working the secondary.

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"We want to build a big, strong, tough, smart, fast, disciplined football team that will consistently compete for a championship."
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Hael

Dennard/Talib/McCourty/Gregory is the pure cover group. Arrington is sorta ok in the slot, and Chung is your blitzer/Run stopper/In the box safety.

Chung is a great player, but you simply can't keep him out there all game. His lack of cover skills are eventually exposed, and he ends up hurting himself.

Wilson is still developing, but I like his upside.

All in all, the talent is there. You don't have elite man to man shutdown corners, but you can expect an above average team D group if they keep on improving and play smart.

leehanu

Secondary keeps improving for the last couple of weeks. Hopefully continues the progression.

Armchair Quarterback

Arrington has been better than sorta ok lately and Chung is far from a great player.

mayoclinic

I would. We've been discussing it for 6 weeks now:

Prediction: The Pats' Pass Defense is About to Go From Terrible to Very Good

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

Off The Grid

This guy: MayoClinic: Pats Pass Defense is About to go from Terrible to Very Good!!

And this guy: Fanatical Yankee: Ripple Effect: The Aqib Talib Trade Just Significantly Improved 4 Positions!!

I hope you don't mind, Brother Mayo: You don't do much bragging about your Prescience...so I sort of feel obliged to do so for you!!

Well said, Brother Boston!!

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Off The Grid

Ok...maybe a little bragging!!

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TyronePoole

A little concerned about injuries to Talib, Dennard and Arrington in that game. All three left and didn't return though the latter two left after the game was well over so that's probably nothing. I think Talib probably has a bruised hip rather than anything pulled or strained based on how he landed which is good in terms of recovery time but bad in terms of being able to play through it before it's 95% as a CB.

RayClay

Seems like Gregory isn't getting credit for playing very well.

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mayoclinic

I thought he played a terrific game. He was very active throughout, he wasn't out of position. He made a nice saving tackle on Johnson that prevented a potential big gain, and he showed much better awareness of what was going on than previously. Thing seem to be coming together nicely.

As I stated in the "prediction" thread about the secondary, I felt that improvement would be due to 3 things:

1. Upgrade in personnel: the move of McCourty to safety, the acquisition of Talib at one CB spot and emergence of Denanrd at the other, and the return of Gregory at the other safety position.

2. Continuity/cohesion: not changing personnel every week with injuries and dealing with inconsistency has helped considerably. You can see that players are beginning to understand the schemes and their roles, and McCourty is acting as the ringleader of the secondary.

3. Synergy with the front 7. That also has been clear, with much more aggressive play up front. Mayo has been let lose, there has been more blitzing, and more aggressive play in general now that the coaching staff seems comfortable that the secondary is more solid than tissue paper.

It seems to be evolving nicely. Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers will be another good test - a mobile QB, a team with a good rushing attack, and a big play TE who can pose difficulties. But I feel that the defense has the playmakers to handle most offenses, assuming they are able to get on the field.

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To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi