Kerry Byrne: Bill Belichick has lost his mojo

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

I've lived a happy life not knowing who Kerry Bryne was. Now I know and I don't care what he says.

CHFF does good analysis and the site is recommended. However, this article is definately designed to attract the ****** fan demographic known as the fanbase of the other 31 teams.

As Patriots fans, we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Re: Kerry Byrne:Bill Belichick has lost his mojo

Except....

In the three wins, 3rd conversion by the opponents re 15-33 or 45%.

In the two losses, 3rd down conversions are 9-25 or 36%.

The worst third down conversion for the season was against the Ravens, 9-14 or 64.3%. Remember that game? The game where the defense got rave reviews.

I think it's time to get Einstein out here to evaluate these "red flags".

In the games that we won, the offense scored points in the second half. In the games that we lost, it didn't.

To this point in the season, I think our defensive performance has been more or less constant: not good enough to win the SB, good enough to beat bad teams and/or compliment a good offense. Wins and losses have swing according to whether our offense shows up or gets run off the field. One more reason why I'm not a fan of trying to peg a specific unit's performance against wins and losses: there are way too many outside variables, because the defense is only one of three units, and the other two have their own say in who wins and who loses.

Once we start playing good offenses, it's going to be obvious even to people like you that, unless the defense makes major strides with the pass rush (the greatest determining factor in third down success rate), it just won't be good enough to take us very far. Hopefully Thomas or Burgess shows up sometime this season, because either one of them could go a long way towards fixing the problem.

 

[edelmansarmy]

Whatever. Numbers are numbers, but in Bill's 10 years we have:

3 Super Bowl victories
1 Super Bowl loss
1 AFC Championship Game Loss
16-0 Regular Season Record
24 Game Win Streak Record
2 Playoff Appearances
Coming off an 11-5 season and missed playoffs with back-up quarterback.

Now we are 5 games into a season and Bill is losing it?

 

[Bledsoe11]

The title of the tread desperately needs to be reconsidered, its terribly misleading.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Re: Kerry Byrne:Bill Belichick has lost his mojo

In the games that we won, the offense scored points in the second half. In the games that we lost, it didn't.

To this point in the season, I think our defensive performance has been more or less constant: not good enough to win the SB, good enough to beat bad teams and/or compliment a good offense. Wins and losses have swing according to whether our offense shows up or gets run off the field. One more reason why I'm not a fan of trying to peg a specific unit's performance against wins and losses: there are way too many outside variables, because the defense is only one of three units, and the other two have their own say in who wins and who loses.

Once we start playing good offenses, it's going to be obvious even to people like you that, unless the defense makes major strides with the pass rush (the greatest determining factor in third down success rate), it just won't be good enough to take us very far. Hopefully Thomas or Burgess shows up sometime this season, because either one of them could go a long way towards fixing the problem.

Take off the clown suit and quit while your behind.

Two weeks ago, Baltimore was THE elite team, ranked #1 in most power rankings, and going to the Super Bowl. The new high powered offense was effectively shut down despite throwing up red flags, white clouds, crystal balls, and palm reading because they hit the all important stat of 9-14 3rd down conversion.

You know that stat? the one stats that says you have to win.

Same can be said for Atlanta.

Been there, done that.

Do I expect "elite" teams (whatever the hell your definition is) to score? Yup However, the outcome of the game will depend on the status of Brady and the offense.

 

[PatriotsInGA]

Whatever. Numbers are numbers, but in Bill's 10 years we have:

3 Super Bowl victories
1 Super Bowl loss
1 AFC Championship Game Loss
16-0 Regular Season Record
24 Game Win Streak Record
2 Playoff Appearances
Coming off an 11-5 season and missed playoffs with back-up quarterback.

Now we are 5 games into a season and Bill is losing it?

If you can show me when ANY NFL team did that I will bow down to you.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Re: Kerry Byrne:Bill Belichick has lost his mojo

Take off the clown suit and quit while your behind.

If you can't make your point without saying stuff like this, then you don't have much of a point.

Two weeks ago, Baltimore was THE elite team, ranked #1 in most power rankings, and going to the Super Bowl. The new high powered offense was effectively shut down despite throwing up red flags, white clouds, crystal balls, and palm reading because they hit the all important stat of 9-14 3rd down conversion.

Who cares what the power rankings said? I sure as hell don't. And I dunno what game you were watching, but I saw some major red flags:

• The complete inability to cover Derrick Mason. He absolutely dominated us on the first drive, to the point that we had to double him the rest of the game. When you have to bracket Derrick Mason, that's a very bad sign. Lucky for us, the Ravens didn't have a competent #2 WR to make us pay, but good offenses will
• By the end of the game, they were driving down the field on us at will. The pass rush stopped getting there, the secondary was vulnerable, and if not for Clayton dropping one of the easiest catches a professional WR will ever see, we lose that game on a defensive collapse.

If you want to keep believing that the Ravens are a good team, then go ahead and do that- won't make it true. The fact is that they're 2-0 against garbage teams and 1-2 against decent-to-pretty-good teams. I've thought that they were hugely overrated for a while now- they're the third best team in their own division, FFS.

Do I expect "elite" teams (whatever the hell your definition is) to score? Yup However, the outcome of the game will depend on the status of Brady and the offense.

That's... pretty much exactly what I said. The defense hasn't played differently in the games that it's won than the games that it's lost- it is what it is. If you're looking for a reason that explains the wins and losses, look at the second-half performance of the offense. In both losses, we've put up 0 second half points, and that's just pathetic.

It's even worse because the defense isn't good enough to cover for it, as it might have been able to do in the SB years. The only game where we got a decent pass rush was the game where the other team's starting LT got injured and left the game in the first half. We don't get pressure on the QB, leading to way too many third down conversions, leading to games that should be decisive wins becoming hard-fought, last-minute victories. Games that should be hard-fought victories become hard-fought losses.

My definition of an elite team is that we haven't played one yet. We won't play one until week 10. And if not hurling around insults because I can't defend my point makes me a clown, then I'd rather be a clown...

 

[miDeuce]

I think what Byrne also fails to mention is that the defense has been almost completely overhauled this year. The failures we're seeing this year have more to do with new players getting comfortable than they do with it being the same old 3-4 with Vrabel, Harrison, Bruschi, Seymour, Hobbs that cost us two more Super Bowls.

This is now a 4-3 defense built around the speed of Jerod Mayo and Gary Guyton, with a completely new defensive backfield.

By the end of the year I am still confident that this will be a very good defense. But yes, still a work-in-progress.

 

[vyrago]

Re: Kerry Byrne:Bill Belichick has lost his mojo

who the hell is Kerry Byrne???

Isn't he with Riverdance?

 

[WelshPat]

This is what happens when your a good team and rarely pick at the top of the draft, it becomes harder too stock up on good players

I think it is hard to blame BB because the team is still winning, and why wouldn't you stock up around your greatest strength? (Tom Brady). The colts do the same thing with Manning, and their defense is usually horrid.

Defense wins championships is a myth. Good, balanced teams win championships. If Brady gets back to his 07 form, i think we are still a pass rusher away from being a balanced team.

 

[BSR]

OK Sparky, let's try this again.

Try what again? Are you actually trying to understand what I am writing or are you just picking out words words and just replying to them in general? Some really wierd responses.

Football games are won by scoring more points than the opponent. Likewise, you win if you give up fewer points than the opponent. "Good" and "bad" are subjective terms that develop objective status when compared to measureable, RELAVENT statistics.

Great! And this addresses what? I don't remember calling the patriots defense neither good nor bad

A defense that gives up 17/16/10/14/17 points againt elite offenses by is doing fine. How exactly do we know this? Well, Sport, we can compare to league averages and how those teams performed against other opponents.

Which puts them at 11th in the league. The 2003 and 2004 defenses were 1 and 2 respectively. What is your point again?

Anyone notice Atlanta put up 45 points on a "formidable" 49er defense?

Great! What was this supposed to show exactly? Maybe past performance is not indicative of future results? I have no idea.

3rd down conversion may or may not be a symptom. The relavent question is a symptom of what? Again, if my opponent starts at their 20 gets a first down on 3rd and one then goes out the next drive, I have a 50% 3rd down efficiency and zero points scored.

Somehow you think 50% conversion is more important than zero points.

I do? Shocking...seriously what the heck are you talking about? I've never made such a claim.

I've said 3rd down defense is important. You've agreed. There is a stat that measures how a defense performs on third downs. You take issue with the stat, although I have no idea why. Do you think that the stat is not indicative oh how good a defense really is on third down? I'm really mystified by your logic.

The 98 yard drive took 6.5 minutes. By definition, timewise it's not a "time consuming" drive. Therefore, your analysis means zip. Why did they stop them on the last drive? The Dolphins scored on a 38 yard nine minute drive, what's worse?

Er what? When did the Dolphin's drive become the litmus test of a time consuming drive? So your saying letting up 98 yard, 12 play scoring drives is fine? I am trying to understand your point, but I am really missing it.

Time of possession is indicative of the offense and the defense. A team can only dominate TOP if the offense sustains drive AND the defense gets off the field. Furthermore, both NEED to end in scored and prevented points.

Er...again what? My point wasn't about time of possession. Are you sure you are referencing the right post?

Because, well, you need to score points and ONLY points to win.

You may want to actually try reading other peoples posts before you respond.

 

[bigfandan]

Re: Kerry Byrne:Bill Belichick has lost his mojo

Anyone questioning Bill is a moron, even if is merely stating undeniable facts and obvious conclusions.

No ONE should question Bill in this town. Even if he has 5 more collosal play off collapses, it is still players' fault.

 

[billdog3484]

who is this girl and what qualifies her as having any football experience

 

[condon84]

Re: Kerry Byrne:Bill Belichick has lost his mojo

Another moron ... Belichick is making teams beat us by throwing to their receivers. Our secondary is getting better each week. I'm expecting the coverage to tighten now with Mayo back. with Mayo out the coverage has been soft as Belichick has employed the secondary to pick up the slack in tackles.

Every year these idiots talk this crap and every year I say it takes 6-8 games for our defense to get tighter ... it develops as the season goes along. I'm expecting it to get better as Butler and perhaps Chung get more reps. Until then Bill is playing the classic bend but don't break.

I think it was working fine except perhaps that Denver air caught up to our guys in the 4th quater. If the offense had done their job none of this would be a problem with the talking head idiots.

Our secondary hasn't been getting better each week. Two weeks ago we held Flacco below 300 yards passing. Last week, Orton passed over 300 yards and had his way with our secondary. Flacco's a much better QB and if it wasn't for that screen pass to Rice that went around 50 yards, Flacco's stats would have been much worse. Stats aside, our coverage last week was the worst it's been all season.

Also, coverage isn't really Mayo's strong suit. In fact, he's probably our weakest LB in coverage except for Woods. AD is decent in coverage and Guyton is our best cover LB.

 

[bigfandan]

who is this girl and what qualifies her as having any football experience

The sexist tone is not what we need here.

But here is to stir things up:

I like what Lovie Smith is doing with Bears' special team and defense. The bears defense has lost a ton of starters (including allpro middle lb #54 BU) but is still doing a great job. Special team is flatout kicking ass.

Being a Pats fan in Chitown, I often wonder what if Lovie were coaching Patriots; with Lovie's defense scheme and special team, Lovie-coached NEP would have a much better chance of winning a superbowl this year and in the near future than a BB coached team.

There I said it. Fire away all you BB worshipers.

Maybe I just wish Lovie has a chance to coach a talented offense with the likes of Brady-Moss-Welker. Bears might go farther in playoff with their no name offense anyway because he is a good coach (better than you know who).

 

[muzz]

Re: Kerry Byrne:Bill Belichick has lost his mojo

Anyone questioning Bill is a moron, even if is merely stating undeniable facts and obvious conclusions.

No ONE should question Bill in this town. Even if he has 5 more collosal play off collapses, it is still players' fault.

All I know is Reche Caldwell dropped a SURE game winning pass right in his breadbasket...wouldve been SB bound vs the lameass Bears.....and Billy wasn't holding his hand.....
All I know is Eli wiggled out of "In the grasp" and threw a Hail Mary-should-be-picked-off pass and Tyree made the luckiest catch in the History of the NFL, and Rodney wasn't able to knock the ball loose....and Billy wasn't holding their hands...

 

[BSR]

The sexist tone is not what we need here.

But here is to stir things up:

I like what Lovie Smith is doing with Bears' special team and defense. The bears defense has lost a ton of starters (including allpro middle lb #54 BU) but is still doing a great job. Special team is flatout kicking ass.

Being a Pats fan in Chitown, I often wonder what if Lovie were coaching Patriots; with Lovie's defense scheme and special team, Lovie-coached NEP would have a much better chance of winning a superbowl this year and in the near future than a BB coached team.

There I said it. Fire away all you BB worshipers.

Maybe I just wish Lovie has a chance to coach a talented offense with the likes of Brady-Moss-Welker. Bears might go farther in playoff with their no name offense anyway because he is a good coach (better than you know who).

So you want them to play Tampa-2? What makes you think the Pats have the players to use that scheme?

Why is Lovie a good coach? Wasn't he the one that screwed up the whole Sexy Rexy situation? How come he couldn't do what McDaniels is with Orton. Orton seems like twice the player he was with Chicago. Really, from far away, I thought Lovie was on the hot seat and could be fired if he didn't win now that he has Cutler. Lets face it, there is a good chance that the bears don't make the playoffs this year.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

The sexist tone is not what we need here.

But here is to stir things up:

I like what Lovie Smith is doing with Bears' special team and defense. The bears defense has lost a ton of starters (including allpro middle lb #54 BU) but is still doing a great job. Special team is flatout kicking ass.

Being a Pats fan in Chitown, I often wonder what if Lovie were coaching Patriots; with Lovie's defense scheme and special team, Lovie-coached NEP would have a much better chance of winning a superbowl this year and in the near future than a BB coached team.

There I said it. Fire away all you BB worshipers.

Maybe I just wish Lovie has a chance to coach a talented offense with the likes of Brady-Moss-Welker. Bears might go farther in playoff with their no name offense anyway because he is a good coach (better than you know who).

Really? Lovie Smith over BB?

First, lets talk about the Chicago defense. It's not that good. In 2005 and 2006, it was great. Since then, it hasn't cracked the top 10 in scoring defense or top 20 in yards allowed. The Pats were even better the past 3 seasons in defense, and everyone seems to be complaining about our D. There have been a lot of injuries in Chicago, but that just proves how much of the success relied upon the players, and not the coaches.

Special teams relies upon a guy named Devin Hester, not Lovie Smith. Look at the kick return numbers from 2004 and 2005, prior to Hester. And after Hester started to work as a WR, his return numbers dropped in 2007/2008. 2009 so far, they look better, but it's too early to draw a definitive conclusion.

I watched a lot of NFC North games because of where I lived, and saw quite a bit of Lovie. Record-wise, he benefits from playing in the crappy NFC North. They usually beat the teams they should, and they rarely beat the teams they shouldn't. Rarely did the coach make a huge difference.

He's a good coach, don't get me wrong. But BB is a HOFer. Lets not get too carried away here.

Edit: Wow, got so caught up in this that I totally forgot to post my original comment on the thread. I'm excited that everyone's bashing us and saying it's over. The old Pats teams always seemed to excel with their backs to the wall and people doubting them. It was the same thing before the Atlanta game this year too. I feel good about tomorrow.

 

[MacCentury]

We need to trade for Michael Vick to open things up and give us some edge. Vick's not that bad of a guy anymore. His reliaty show will prove that and so will his Cribs episode! YouTube - Michael Vick on Cribs (leaked footage)

 

[olschool]

who is this girl and what qualifies her as having any football experience

Actually, if you checked his bio, you would see that Kerry Byrne is the guy who created CHFF, and an accomplished writer. I think Kerry is a pretty common Irish name.

Besides, my wife knows as much about football as anyone. Last I checked, she is a girl, who doesn't post on these sites, because of all the stupid comments she sees.