DaBruinz
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Join Date: Feb 2005
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Posts: 10,695
Re: Pats "TOP" priorty
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Quote:
Originally Posted by E Belichick Unum
I watched every game and I have to say that the D did apply pressure most of the time but it didn't translate into sacks. But the thing is they made the QB move his feet and leave the pocket alot of the time. The DB's mostly got burnt on go patterns down the sideline and the safetys got burnt in the middle of the field. I have to admit that the D got much better when Colvin and Seau came back to the team. Also, I am not sure that they blitzed as much as they did last year.
Just because you watched every game doesn't meant that you understood where the defensive breakdowns were occurring. Belichick has stated that QB Sacks are one of the most over-rated and misunderstood stats in the NFL. The reason being that they don't necessarily kill a drive.. They may look pretty, but they aren't all that effective. What is effective is consistent pressuring of the QB from all 4 LBing positions. The Patriots did not, consistently, apply pressure to the QB. To consistently apply pressure, you have to get to the QB in under 5 seconds... If you can't then the QB will pick you apart. Whether its Chad Pennington, Ryan Fitzpatrick or Tom Brady.
The Patriots didn't apply as much pressure as they did last season, there some games where they were clearly challenged in that area, but the lack of QB pressure wasn't the reason they couldn't stop the TE down the seam, or the reason Ellis couldn't cover anybody. The LB's and safeties just didn't cover the TE well, and it cost us the Jets game. Ellis is just not a starting CB in the NFL. It isn't his fault, he just can't play the position at a high enough level to compete on a regular basis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by E Belichick Unum
I admit that I don't like Ellis as a #1, but the defense on the whole had problems. There were times early when they couldn't stop the run, and they couldn't stop the TE down the middle the whole year, but when a DB get beat it usually cost us a TD, and Ellis got toasted this year. Deltha was a scrub who was waived by a bad team, and the two rookies played like rookies.
O'neal was waived for salary cap purposes. No, he wasn't the answer, but lets not play it to be more than it was. I think that you'll find you are also incorrect about how often Ellis Hobbs was burned this year.
Unfortunately, I cannot locate DB rankings. On NFL.com he isn't listed in the top 50 fabntacy DB's, but I am not a fantacy guy so those rankings mean nothing to me. All I know is what I see, and I see Ellis get burnt often. He got thrown at as often as the CB on the other side got thrown at, and that is not a good sign.
Quote:
Originally Posted by E Belichick Unum
The season is over and fingers are being pointed all over the board. Mine is being pointed directly at the DB's, others are being pointed at the LB's and DL. 11-5 is a pretty good record, I just hope it isn't the beginning of the end of the run. Mayo is a beast but he is the only really bright spot out of the last draft. We should have at least a 1, 2 twos and 2 threes in this draft. We need to hit on half of those picks to restock, 3/4 to be really lucky. If we only hit on our first and a UFA again this year we are going top be in trouble.
Your talent evaluation leaves a lot to be desired. You also clearly have ignored Bill Belichick when it comes to evaluating how successful a draft was. If you think that Mayo was the only bright spot, well, so be it. But reality is that Wheatley was doing well prior to his injury. Wilhite stepped up and getting spot starting duty at the end of the season. Slater had his rookie mistakes, but shows promise. Then you have the 3 unknowns in Crable, Ruud, and O'Connell. However, I think that the Patriots not signing a veteran back up later in the season was a clear vote for O'Connell.
I never said I was a talent evaluator, however, Wilhite and Wheatly didn't do what Belichick had hoped they would do. Slater was a turnover waiting to happen all season and considering his speed he didn't make a whole lot of positive plays on ST. Gyton had a very good year, but he was an UFA. He is testiment to the scouting department. I thought Crable was going to be the steal of the draft, but he ended up living up to his rep coming out of Michigan, lots of talent, but unmotivated. Rudd, O'Connell who knows what they will do. I repeat what I stated; this is a very good team, except for the defensive backs. Put a decent DB in the starting lineup and move Ellis to the weak side and we are probably in the playoffs. Put two decent CB's in the backfield and use Ellis as a nickle and we are still playing football.