Honestly Meriweather is medicore

[MrNathanDrake]

First of all I just want to say Ive been a Meriweather supporter and was happy when we drafted him. I was excited to see us drafting defense again and an injection of youth into our secondary.

First year, we barely saw Meriweather... Okay fine. He was a rookie on a 16-0 team and wasn't ready to start for us. No problem.

Last year he was decent but nothing special. Had some nice sacks in the final few games. Had some INTs like every safety should. Big jump from his rookie year. He showed signs of really turning it up.

This year everyone thought he would break out and possibly have a pro bowl caliber season. IMO at times he's looked worse than he did last year. He isn't having an amazing season. He's just an average safety really. IMO he's already peaked. He's been in the system long enough to be comfortable. He knows the playbook. He's had time to mature and work on his faults(remember how bad his hands were in his rookie year?)....

But he's just not that much of a playmaker. He's not as instinctive as you'd like. He shies away from contact BIG TIME... scared to add in an extra hit on players. Doesn't wrap up all the time. Simply gets run over sometimes. Bites on alot of playaction and double moves.

Honestly when I think of Meriweather now, I think of a guy always hopping around congratulating his teammates or arriving a few steps too late after a tackle shouldve been made.


Overall he is good, not great. I like his attempt at leadership. I don't like him smiling and laughing with Peyton Manning after getting scorched in a devastating loss. At time he seems more like a cheerleader than a football player.



EDIT: This is probably my biggest gripe with Meriweather. He turns it up against small teams that we know we're going to beat.... but he disappears in big games. Where was he in New Orleans and Indy?

 

[Kontradiction]

So Meriweather is this week's Mayo huh?

 

[klinefan]

Yep, it's sad, some teams get good players off the junk heap of the late rounds and turn them into effective starters. Landry in Wash. for example. We draft guys high and then turn into JAGs or low and turn into less than JAGs like what's his name.

Yet another place BB should be forbidden to draft high. Safeties and WRs. Although I do like one Golden Tate, he might be good for us say in the 2nd roudna-roo.

 

[upstater1]

I'd like to see him play FS.

Pat Chung will be more suited for SS perhaps.

There's a reason why Belichick's first pick this draft was Chung, and I don't think the reason is because of his disappointment in Meriweather.

Meriweather and Chung are going to be the main guys in the future backed up by Sanders, and that's a pretty good trio.

I'm less concerned by Brandon's tackling than I am by his confusion sometimes, but safety takes a long time to learn.

The Steelers lost a couple games to the Patriots because of the big mistakes Polamalu was making back there. It took Polamalu a long time to become the player he is now.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

So Meriweather is this week's Mayo huh?

No.

Mayo suffered a terrible injury and he's obviously playing hurt the entire season.

Mayo's atleast a solid tackling machine. He was also drafted as a Junior, so he's younger than Meriweather and still hasn't peaked. I think he'll improve his leadership by leaps and bounds in emerge as a clear cut leader on the team within the next year or two.

Mayo may not be a huge playmaker, but I don't think BB ever expected him to be. Reminds me of a faster James Farrior from the Steelers. Just a solid all around player.

 

[upstater1]

Kline is on Ignore

If I could substitute the word troll, I would.

 

[borg]

So Meriweather is this week's Mayo huh?

Yes, spank him and send him home!

 

[BaltimorePatsFan]

Yep, it's sad, some teams get good players off the junk heap of the late rounds and turn them into effective starters. Landry in Wash. for example. We draft guys high and then turn into JAGs or low and turn into less than JAGs like what's his name.

Yet another place BB should be forbidden to draft high. Safeties and WRs. Although I do like one Golden Tate, he might be good for us say in the 2nd roudna-roo.

Laron Landry was the highest drafted safety in 2007. I think you meant Chris Horton.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Meriweather is no different than Bodden,McGowan,Bodden or any of the secondary players....One week they look awesome,the next week they look mediocre.

That is the way of the 2009 Patriots....deal with it because it ain't changing any time soon.

 

[Willie55]

But he's just not that much of a playmaker. He's not as instinctive as you'd like. He shies away from contact BIG TIME... scared to add in an extra hit on players. Doesn't wrap up all the time. Simply gets run over sometimes. Bites on alot of playaction and double moves.

YouTube - Brandon Meriweather Sticks Jeremy Shockey on MNF

Warning: Language, turn down your speakers if you don't want to hear it.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

Meriweather is no different than Bodden,McGowan,Bodden or any of the secondary players....

There is a difference between Meriweather and those guys..... Meriweather is in his 3rd season in this defense, while McGown and Bodden are in their 1st year here. He should be comfortable enough by now to be consistent.

Also Bodden has had a really good year IMO. Even that touchdown he gave up yesterday was an obvious PUSH OFF, so I dont blame him at all for it.

 

[Fixit]

The entire secondary looks mediocre when we put no pressure on the QB, which is waaaay too often. I think he'll be borderline elite for the bulk of his career, especially if he's at FS.

I do agree that he doesn't tackle well...he just hits...but that appears to be the way things are in the modern game. Guys just don't wrap up, and it's irritating.

 

[mgcolby]

The entire secondary looks mediocre when we put no pressure on the QB, which is waaaay too often. I think he'll be borderline elite for the bulk of his career, especially if he's at FS.

I do agree that he doesn't tackle well...he just hits...but that appears to be the way things are in the modern game. Guys just don't wrap up, and it's irritating.

Beyond irritating. Merriweather did that yesterday and gave up a TD, every week you see several TD's scored after a receiver catches a ball and a DB just throws a shoulder at him looking for the big hit, the receiver bounces off and scores.

My 12 year old son asked me why no one wraps up in the NFL. I honestly didn't have an answer.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Merriweather's problems appear to be mostly mental. (IE: Biting on play action, trying for the big blow up on 4th down no less instead of the sure wrap up tackle.)

But when you add that to the fact that he has not made many if any big plays over the last couple of games of so, and you have cause for concern.

 

[klinefan]

If I could substitute the word troll, I would.

Is that supposed to bother me? You're a homer so I must be a troll. Here, homer, homer, homer...wham, right into the back of the pickup truck you're chasing. Dumb dog.

 

[Clonamery]

Is that supposed to bother me? You're a homer so I must be a troll. Here, homer, homer, homer...wham, right into the back of the pickup truck you're chasing. Dumb dog.

So if you can't say anything negative, don't say anything at all? Cynical but more fun.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The entire secondary looks mediocre when we put no pressure on the QB, which is waaaay too often. I think he'll be borderline elite for the bulk of his career, especially if he's at FS.

I do agree that he doesn't tackle well...he just hits...but that appears to be the way things are in the modern game. Guys just don't wrap up, and it's irritating.

Couldn't have said this any better.

Maybe it's me but he seemed to play better early in the season as opposed to later.

 

[Fixit]

My 12 year old son asked me why no one wraps up in the NFL. I honestly didn't have an answer.

The funny part is that the human instinct is to use your arms when trying to take another person to the ground which, if I remember correctly, is the whole point.

Hell, when my two-year-old tries to tackle me, he wraps up.

 

[mgcolby]

Merriweather's problems appear to be mostly mental. (IE: Biting on play action, trying for the big blow up on 4th down no less instead of the sure wrap up tackle.)

But when you add that to the fact that he has not made many if any big plays over the last couple of games of so, and you have cause for concern.

He had what should have been a game closing/winning INT in the Miami game. But the offense couldn't get a 1st down. Does that not count?

 

[jays52]

Thank you, Ochmed for getting it and understanding football. Amazing how a handful of flaws in a third year player's game makes him a scrub. I miss reading threads here that made me think, not made me want to slam my face through drywall.

Next thread to appear on patsfans: It's the thirst mutilator, and it's got what plants crave!