Return of the 10 yard cushion...

[R_T26]

I thought this left with Pees. BB's rely's on undrafted free agents and guys contemplating retirement for his pass-rush then has the CB's line 10 yards off. That's a recipe to be picked apart. I know it's preseason but I have to believe a move is coming. Playing o's like the Packers, Colts, Chargers, Vikings etc. Could be really ugly. Teams have driven on the pats all 3 games.

 

[WelshPat]

My only guess is that they don't want to risk getting burnt for a long TD when they blitz.

And we have to blitz, out 4 man rush won't get there.

Good thing we have a lot to be optimistic about on the offensive side of the ball.

 

[JoeShmoe]

I thought this left with Pees. BB's rely's on undrafted free agents and guys contemplating retirement for his pass-rush then has the CB's line 10 yards off. That's a recipe to be picked apart. I know it's preseason but I have to believe a move is coming. Playing o's like the Packers, Colts, Chargers, Vikings etc. Could be really ugly. Teams have driven on the pats all 3 games.

I know its our style but I hate the bend don't break defense. The defense we showed vs the Saints was far better. Perhaps we were just playing vanilla this week

 

[condon84]

I hope this was just one of those "let's remind ourselves how dumb this strategy is." I thought we played better when our CBs were more aggressive and played closer to the LOS in the two previous games.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

At least some here will now realize whose decision running this coverage is. Bill was also playing this game more like week 1 or week 4 with lots of testing personnel groupings going on, and as a result there was zero cohesion on defense on a night when they appeared to come out flat to begin with.

 

[Tunescribe]

Read-and-react/contain defense is not as fun to watch as a high-pressure attack-style defense like the Green Beans have. Has BB ever explained his choice of this philosophy for layman's understanding?

 

[The_Riddler]

Hate to look back, but we were on the verge of drafting Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie. We had worked him out privately the Thursday before the draft, Michael Smith on ESPN felt like DRC was their guy, their pick.

BB decided to pass and chose Mayo instead. Right now, DRC, is a lock-down, shut-down corner who locks down one half of the football field and doesn't give any cushions, plays tight, up in your mug, man-to-man coverage for 60 minutes. He's a Pro Bowler right now. Team don't even look to throw to his side of the field.

A guy like this would have done so much for our defense.

I've watched Mayo since day one. Looked promising his rookie year, but hasn't done anything noteworthy for about 2 years now. Bradford was abusing Mayo underneath often in the inner part of the field, his coverage skills are really weak. His run recoginition and ability to shed guards in the interior were very concerning last year, and still look to be concerning this year. Right now Spikes is a better football player between the two. I really hope things change, because the more I watch DRC, the more I wonder, wow, what if ?

 

[The Coon]

Hate to look back, but we were on the verge of drafting Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie. We had worked him out privately the Thursday before the draft, Michael Smith on ESPN felt like DRC was their guy, their pick.

BB decided to pass and chose Mayo instead. Right now, DRC, is a lock-down, shut-down corner who locks down one half of the football field and doesn't give any cushions, plays tight, up in your mug, man-to-man coverage for 60 minutes. He's a Pro Bowler right now. Team don't even look to throw to his side of the field.

A guy like this would have done so much for our defense.

I've watched Mayo since day one. Looked promising his rookie year, but hasn't done anything noteworthy for about 2 years now. Bradford was abusing Mayo underneath often in the inner part of the field, his coverage skills are really weak. His run recoginition and ability to shed guards in the interior were very concerning last year, and still look to be concerning this year. Right now Spikes is a better football player between the two. I really hope things change, because the more I watch DRC, the more I wonder, wow, what if ?

Idiot. You do realize Mayo was hurt pretty much all of last year right? DRC although an athletic freak is NOT a lock down shut down half of the field CB. Not saying he cant become that great in the coming years, it just hasnt happened so far.

 

[condon84]

Hate to look back, but we were on the verge of drafting Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie. We had worked him out privately the Thursday before the draft, Michael Smith on ESPN felt like DRC was their guy, their pick.

BB decided to pass and chose Mayo instead. Right now, DRC, is a lock-down, shut-down corner who locks down one half of the football field and doesn't give any cushions, plays tight, up in your mug, man-to-man coverage for 60 minutes. He's a Pro Bowler right now. Team don't even look to throw to his side of the field.

A guy like this would have done so much for our defense.

I've watched Mayo since day one. Looked promising his rookie year, but hasn't done anything noteworthy for about 2 years now. Bradford was abusing Mayo underneath often in the inner part of the field, his coverage skills are really weak. His run recoginition and ability to shed guards in the interior were very concerning last year, and still look to be concerning this year. Right now Spikes is a better football player between the two. I really hope things change, because the more I watch DRC, the more I wonder, wow, what if ?

While I agree with you that Mayo is the most overrated Pats player, he made some nice stops closer to the LOS last night.

As far as DRC is concerned, what makes you think that Belichick would let him play closer to the LOS and man-up? If you look at our CBs now (Butler, Bodden, and McCourty), they play way better when playing aggressive and close to the LOS, yet we will still employ the 'large cushion' strategy. It's not the CBs, but the strategy they're asked to play.

 

[upstater1]

Let's question Belichick's defensive strategy, and while we're at it, let's also question his drafting of the NFL's defensive rookie of the year!!!

:bricks:

 

[Kontradiction]

Read-and-react/contain defense is not as fun to watch as a high-pressure attack-style defense like the Green Beans have. Has BB ever explained his choice of this philosophy for layman's understanding?

I think what people are confused about is why we're playing well off the LOS when we have a CB corps that plays best in bump and run coverage. They played that way in the first two games to relatively successful results, so I have to think that we were running a vanilla defense.

 

[condon84]

Let's question Belichick's defensive strategy, and while we're at it, let's also question his drafting of the NFL's defensive rookie of the year!!!

:bricks:

Belichick is the best HC Boston has ever had in my lifetime and will go down as the best NFL HC in his generation, but to say that Belichick's strategy can't be questioned is silly. You're implying that he can do no wrong.:bricks:

 

[Sciz]

I think what people are confused about is why we're playing well off the LOS when we have a CB corps that plays best in bump and run coverage. They played that way in the first two games to relatively successful results, so I have to think that we were running a vanilla defense.

This. Bill's not dumb enough to completely miss that. They were obviously playing around with something. If nothing else, I learned that the "vanilla defense" playbook really sucks!:bricks:

 

[The_Riddler]

Idiot. You do realize Mayo was hurt pretty much all of last year right? DRC although an athletic freak is NOT a lock down shut down half of the field CB. Not saying he cant become that great in the coming years, it just hasnt happened so far.

Look, I love the Pats just as much as you do, but do your homework on DRC and Mayo before you simply throw stuff out like this, it's just homerism man.

DRC made the Pro Bowl last season and justifiably so, he made it based on his tremendous play, not because of reputation or over-rated media hype (see Mayo). He is a shutdown corner right now, please watch the Cardinal games like I have on the Network and do your homework. For anyone to say DRC is not a lock-down corner right now, is ludicrous. Unreal really !

You can make excuses for Mayo if you want. But dude, he's been healthy and is healthy now, be honest here, are you seeing anything noteworthy from Mayo ? How's his coverage of TE's been ? I will tell you if you don't want to answer, it's been bad. Have you seen him shoot any gaps to make any plays at or behind the LOS (like we have seen with Spikes), NO, you haven't nor have I. This guy was a top 10 pick, we expect alot more, I expect alot more from a guy picked where he was, don't you? Spikes was picked alot lower than Mayo and right now, I see alot more from Spikes.

Please call it like it is, that's all.

 

[R_T26]

When I saw McCourty stand up Roddy White last week, I was so pumped because it looked like BB went back to his old aggressive well. Then last night was just a little scary. I hope it was more to do with the competition and the players just not being up for it. But where as the offense finally said we have had enough and starting putting up points, the D never answered once. And by the way the pass-rush is sadly still the same. Cunningham is our only hope.

 

[RodThePat]

Jesus, man, I just hope some of you guys weren't fans of the team when they were destroyed by the Bengals in the 2004 preseason.

It's not a meaningless game, but judging schemes and the overall play of the defense based on a single scrimmage is impossible. At most you can judge individual performances, but even that is shaky at this point.

 

[RodThePat]

Look, I love the Pats just as much as you do, but do your homework on DRC and Mayo before you simply throw stuff out like this, it's just homerism man.

DRC made the Pro Bowl last season and justifiably so, he made it based on his tremendous play, not because of reputation or over-rated media hype (see Mayo). He is a shutdown corner right now, please watch the Cardinal games like I have on the Network and do your homework. For anyone to say DRC is not a lock-down corner right now, is ludicrous. Unreal really !

You can make excuses for Mayo if you want. But dude, he's been healthy and is healthy now, be honest here, are you seeing anything noteworthy from Mayo ? How's his coverage of TE's been ? I will tell you if you don't want to answer, it's been bad. Have you seen him shoot any gaps to make any plays at or behind the LOS (like we have seen with Spikes), NO, you haven't nor have I. This guy was a top 10 pick, we expect alot more, I expect alot more from a guy picked where he was, don't you? Spikes was picked alot lower than Mayo and right now, I see alot more from Spikes.

Please call it like it is, that's all.

He's been healthy? He was nagged by injuries for the whole of 2009. And he was the DROY in 08. Can we just please wait, I don't know, until his THIRD season goes by before calling the dude a bust?

 

[Rob0729]

Read-and-react/contain defense is not as fun to watch as a high-pressure attack-style defense like the Green Beans have. Has BB ever explained his choice of this philosophy for layman's understanding?

Is the objective of the defense to entertain the fans or win games. Last time I checked, Ryan's defense hasn't won a single Super Bowl while Belichick's has won five and been to six.

 

[Patjew]

Is the objective of the defense to entertain the fans or win games. Last time I checked, Ryan's defense hasn't won a single Super Bowl while Belichick's has won five and been to six.

Allow me to correct you for the first and last time: seven.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

DROY . . . bust?

Isn't it rather incongruous to use both those words to describe the same player?