Not your father's old slow defense

[cstjohn17]

The youth movement has arrived. This isn't your fathers slow Patriots defense anymore. In fact the Patriots might have the fastest secondary in the NFL.

All of these players will become part of the Patriots core defense for the next 3-5 years:

• Butler - 2nd round pick, one of the fastest CBs in his draft class (4.49)
• Mayo - 1st round pick, one of the fastest LBs in his class (4.54)
• Spikes - 2nd round pick, slow as hell but can play ball (4.9ish)
• McCourty - 1st round pick, good speed (4.38)
• Merriweather - 1st round pick, good speed (4.47)
• Chung - 2nd round pick, very good speed (4.49)
• Cunningham - 2nd round pick (4.86)
• Wilfork - Probowl player, 1st round pick
• Guyton - fastest LB in his class (4.47)
• Brace - showed some signs of improving, not fast, no, not fast at all

All times are from NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

Concerns are at OLB, So far they have shown an inability to rush the QB and inability to set the edge.. not exactly what we are looking for. Their strength appears to be for pass defense, they may give up some rushing yards but with the offense putting up 25-30 PPG teams will be forced to pass the ball.


Football is back! Football is back! Football is back!

 

[reflexblue]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

The youth movement has arrived. This isn't your fathers slow Patriots defense anymore. In fact the Patriots might have the fastest secondary in the NFL.

All of these players will become part of the Patriots core defense for the next 3-5 years:

• Butler - 2nd round pick, one of the fastest CBs in his draft class (4.49)
• Mayo - 1st round pick, one of the fastest LBs in his class (4.54)
• Spikes - 2nd round pick, slow as hell but can play ball (4.9ish)
• McCourty - 1st round pick, good speed (4.38)
• Merriweather - 1st round pick, good speed (4.47)
• Chung - 2nd round pick, very good speed (4.49)
• Cunningham - 2nd round pick (4.86)
• Wilfork - Probowl player, 1st round pick
• Guyton - fastest LB in his class (4.47)
• Brace - showed some signs of improving, not fast, no, not fast at all

All times are from NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

Concerns are at OLB, So far they have shown an inability to rush the QB and inability to set the edge.. not exactly what we are looking for. Their strength appears to be for pass defense, they may give up some rushing yards but with the offense putting up 25-30 PPG teams will be forced to pass the ball.


Football is back! Football is back! Football is back!

Not your fathers old slow defense ...2004 wasn't that long ago. OLB has been a vexing problem for well, well since my father watched the Pats.

The defensive backfield looks like it could be great for a while, next year with those two #1's we can draft a D-lineman and an OLB.

 

[Canada's #1 Pats Fan]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

The secondary looks like it is only going to improve. The D-Line may have some issues at end, but I am most concerned about the OLB and the pass rush. I did not see much out of that group vs. Atlanta. I am wandering if a move is going to be in the works to address this.

 

[UofApatsfan]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

It's funny how overhyped the 40 time has gotten that we're calling Brandon Spikes "slow as hell". Anyone actually watching footage of Brandon Spikes playing football isn't calling him "slow as hell".

 

[Patspsycho]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

It's funny how overhyped the 40 time has gotten that we're calling Brandon Spikes "slow as hell". Anyone actually watching footage of Brandon Spikes playing football isn't calling him "slow as hell".

That is a stunning lapse in judgement. Any idiots know that numbers don't tell the whole story.

 

[reflexblue]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

It's funny how overhyped the 40 time has gotten that we're calling Brandon Spikes "slow as hell". Anyone actually watching footage of Brandon Spikes playing football isn't calling him "slow as hell".

I know if a line backer has to run 40 yards in a real game something has really gone wrong for the defense. I'd rather look at someones 10 yrd time.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

Actually the Patriot defenses of the 80s were pretty dog gone fast..Tippett and Company were not exactly slow to the ball,probably faster than what we will see this year.

 

[Kdo5]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

Fast? Yes, but that is not the only important thing. Tackling, coverage, smarts all just as important.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

It's funny how overhyped the 40 time has gotten that we're calling Brandon Spikes "slow as hell". Anyone actually watching footage of Brandon Spikes playing football isn't calling him "slow as hell".

Not to mention the fact that Junior Seau spent some time playing ILB for us at the age of 40 should tell you that we don't exactly need speed demons at the position. However, I'm a Gator fan and have been watching Spikes for quite some on top of knowing about his injury, and I don't think he's as slow as his 40 time indicates.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

The old and slow thing never bothered me. What I want back is the days where we used to punch people in the mouth. '01-'04 we never blew people away or outran them, each game was more like a fist fight. We took their best shot and seemingly always had the resiliency to respond and wear they *** out in the end.

 

[Sciz]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

Madden does it perfectly. Spikes has 70 speed (slow as hell), but 87 acceleration, which is not bad at all. When he doesn't have to run 40 yards in a straight line, he's fine.

 

[loosebearing]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

Patsylicious

I think the "greatest show on turf" would agree with you.

Bring back the old Rules - let Ty Law mug receivers all over the field and then let the worst cover safety off all time (Tebucky Jones) allow the reciever to catch the ball hit him so hard that he wouldn't want to catch another one the rest of the game.

Pollian - will you change the rules back when Payton retires???

 

[DarrylS]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

As a grandfather, glad that this defense has gotten faster and younger.

 

[fair catch fryar]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

Madden does it perfectly. Spikes has 70 speed (slow as hell), but 87 acceleration, which is not bad at all. When he doesn't have to run 40 yards in a straight line, he's fine.

Hopefully, the only time we have to see him run this far fast is after he scoops up a fumble after Sanchez gets blown up because of a great pass-rush.

 

[BlueThunder]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

Chad Henne scares me alot more than Sanchez......

He's Poised and smart....


Sanchez hasn't impressed me at all this preseason..

 

[AzPatsFan]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

Chad Henne scares me alot more than Sanchez......

He's Poised and smart....


Sanchez hasn't impressed me at all this preseason..

Isn't it amazin' how smart you are because you agree with my feelings too?

 

[Off The Grid]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

It's funny how overhyped the 40 time has gotten that we're calling Brandon Spikes "slow as hell".

Anyone actually watching footage of Brandon Spikes playing football isn't calling him "slow as hell".

Truth.

The notion of Spikes being "slow"...is simply INSANITY.

 

[Off The Grid]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

Hopefully, the only time we have to see him run this far fast is after he scoops up a fumble after Sanchez gets blown up because of a great pass-rush.

Poetry!! :rocker:

 

[condon84]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

It's still a read and react defense, which puts us at a disadvantage against teams that have a coaching staff that knows what they're doing.

Watching against the Falcons, Mayo (who's got good speed) got taken advanrage off in the middle by the Falcons' TEs. By the time he reacted, he was already a step behind and Ryan completed passes.

Our ILBS are in such a disadvantage because they have to read run first and then are expected to cover. No matter how much speed you have, it won't matter because in today's NFL, every skill position on offense can run.

 

[mgcolby]

Re: Not your fathers old slow defense

The old and slow thing never bothered me. What I want back is the days where we used to punch people in the mouth. '01-'04 we never blew people away or outran them, each game was more like a fist fight. We took their best shot and seemingly always had the resiliency to respond and wear they *** out in the end.

I recently watched a replay of the 2001 superbowl on NFLN and the first thing I noticed was how fast our defense was back then. They would punch you in the mouth but they were plenty fast as well. Faster than I remembered.