Price: Excellent McCourty article

[Mack Herron]

patriots - Devin McCourty has already cemented his place in Patriots history - WEEI | Christopher Price

 

[kdels62]

Jeez and you guys are critical of Jets fans' love of Revis.

McCourty is awesome though. I wanted Wilson but that thought that he'd be long gone and that McCourty would be a Jet. I was wrong and so far McCourty is showing he should've been the one I wanted.

 

[Bella*chick]

What a great article, I was a little stunned at the Samuel/Law rookie season comparison. There really IS no comparison.

McCourty is really special.

 

[chupa]

Revis didn't "struggle" his rookie year. He was incredibly solid and consistent, he was the teams #1 corner from week 1 even though he missed most of training camp. In his second year he was already the teams best player, he was an under the radar name, but those who watched the team closely knew he was a top 5 CB at that time.

Saying that McCourty is a more advanced "career" path than Revis is ridiculous. You can't assume that players will improve exponentially every year.

hell, the pats, perhaps more than any other team, have seen young players make immediate impacts only to fizzle off/reach their peak early. Mayo and Merriweather are perfect examples of this.

 

[Rob0729]

Revis didn't "struggle" his rookie year. He was incredibly solid and consistent, he was the teams #1 corner from week 1 even though he missed most of training camp. In his second year he was already the teams best player, he was an under the radar name, but those who watched the team closely knew he was a top 5 CB at that time.

Saying that McCourty is a more advanced "career" path than Revis is ridiculous. You can't assume that players will improve exponentially every year.

hell, the pats, perhaps more than any other team, have seen young players make immediate impacts only to fizzle off/reach their peak early. Mayo and Merriweather are perfect examples of this.

Mayo is having a career year and only fell off last year because of injuries last year (he partially tore his MCL). The guy is having a Pro Bowl caliber season. Meriweather had a horrible rookie season and last year (which was his third or possibly this year) was/is his best year.

I do agree though that it too early to assume that McCourty is going to be an elite CB or have a Revis or better career path, but he is looking like he would be one.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

hell, the pats, perhaps more than any other team, have seen young players make immediate impacts only to fizzle off/reach their peak early. Mayo and Merriweather are perfect examples of this.

WTG. Not one, but TWO, bad examples that miss the point.

 

[Rob0729]

WTG. Not one, but TWO, bad examples that miss the point.

You got to the Jets board and they will tell you how mediocre Mayo is and his leading the league in tackles is only because the Pats' defense is on the field so long. They kinda imply that he would have something like 50 tackles if the Pats' defense wasn't on the field so much. I think chupa is one of those Jets fans.

Also, in terms of McCourty, many of them think he sucks too. Those Jets fans say most of his INTs were gifts and that since the Pats give up a lot of points, it is McCourty's fault (as if there are not 10 other guys on the field with him on defense).

When I said that Mayo was Pro Bowl caliber and that McCourty is on his way to that level, they just mocked me as if there couldn't be a Pro Bowl player on the Pats' defense.

 

[kdels62]

WTG. Not one, but TWO, bad examples that miss the point.

It's embarrassing when I'm a Jets fan and other Jets fans say really dumb things.

Meriweather was pretty much a bust to the casual eye until two seasons ago. Mayo had a good rookie year, an injured second year and an under the radar third so far. Very similar to David Harris actually.

As for the Revis thing. He was awesome his rookie year and after his second year he was a top 5 CB and the best in his 3rd year. McCourty has shown awesome ability and I hope that Wilson catches him sooner rather than later.

 

[chupa]

Mayo is an Excellent above average player. However, after his rookie year patriot fans were anointing him the next ray lewis. He has not improved dramatically from his great rookie year. You can say he was hampered by injuries all you want, but you are PROJECTING rookies to all pro players. Using the logic in the article, Mayo should be the best LB in the league. He is in his third year after all, and that is when Revis supposedly took the big leap. McCourty could pull a hammy next year, and then be above average again his third year.

Meriweather struggled early in the year (didn't he lose his starting duties?) and has not shown significant improvement after being hyped early in his career.

McCourty plays in a very safe zone scheme and alghough he is the #1 corner, he plays in the 31st ranked secondary in the league.

 

[drew4008]

Something I find interesting is that Monson, the CB analyst used in the article, says that Brandon Flowers of KC is the 2nd best corner in the league. I don't really follow KC that much (on the defensive side of the ball at least), so this is news to me. Is he really that good?

 

[Rob0729]

Mayo is an Excellent above average player. However, after his rookie year patriot fans were anointing him the next ray lewis. He has not improved dramatically from his great rookie year. You can say he was hampered by injuries all you want, but you are PROJECTING rookies to all pro players. Using the logic in the article, Mayo should be the best LB in the league. He is in his third year after all, and that is when Revis supposedly took the big leap.

Meriweather struggled early in the year (didn't he lose his starting duties?) and has not shown significant improvement after being hyped early in his career.

Mayo is leading the NFL in tackles and it isn't even close with #2. He has more tackles than Harris and Scott combined. He isn't an elite ILB, but he is up there near the top of the list though. He is much better than just above average.

Meriweather was never sold as anything. He showed flashes, but he was never consistently great.

McCourty is having a better rookie season than Mayo. The guy shutdown Megatron which few CBs can do. Megatron caught one ball vs. McCourty all day I think for 8 yards. One of McCourty's INTs came against Megatron on a great play. That is how he has been playing for the last month. He is playing like a shutdown CB. Mayo never reached a comparable level at his position his rookie year.

 

[karguy85]

The article never made the claim that McCourty was better than Revis or is every going to be better than Revis. All it did was make the point that at this point in his career he was ahead of where Revis was. It then says if he continues his development he will be an elite CB in a couple of years. It never made any definite conclusory statements, so read a little closer. Why do you care whether McCourty is ahead of where Revis was during his rookie year? Revis is now pretty much the consensus number 1 CB in the league, so who really cares how he played as a rookie?

 

[RobertWeathers]

Not sure I'd agree Asante is one of the greatest Patriot CBs in club history.

I'd put Ty, Clayborn, Mike Haynes way in front of Asante but have Maurice Hurst right next to him. Hurst wasn't as good of a ball-hawk, but a better tackler/shutdown guy and had his career cut short due to a neck injury.

 

[chupa]

Mayo is leading the NFL in tackles and it isn't even close with #2. He has more tackles than Harris and Scott combined. He isn't an elite ILB, but he is up there near the top of the list though. He is much better than just above average.

Meriweather was never sold as anything. He showed flashes, but he was never consistently great.

McCourty is having a better rookie season than Mayo. The guy shutdown Megatron which few CBs can do. Megatron caught one ball vs. McCourty all day I think for 8 yards. One of McCourty's INTs came against Megatron on a great play. That is how he has been playing for the last month. He is playing like a shutdown CB. Mayo never reached a comparable level at his position his rookie year.

Come on man. McCourty didn't shut down megatron. Jonhnson had 4 catches for 81 yards and a TD. The patriots were double teaming the guy on nearly every play. And this was against a decimated lions team playing their backup QB.

Revis lined up 1 on 1 vs CJ on EVERY PLAY and held him for 1 catch for 13 yards, with stafford throwing him the ball.

You cannot compare the two performances.

McCourty is doing an excellent job within his scheme, but calling him a "shut down" corner is absolutely laughable.

 

[karguy85]

Come on man. McCourty didn't shut down megatron. Jonhnson had 4 catches for 81 yards and a TD. The patriots were double teaming the guy on nearly every play. And this was against a decimated lions team playing their backup QB.

Revis lined up 1 on 1 vs CJ on EVERY PLAY and held him for 1 catch for 13 yards.

You cannot compare the two performances.

McCourty is doing an excellent job within his scheme, but calling him a "shut down" corner is absolutely laughable.

This has been explained over and over again. The Patriots don't play CBs on individual WRs, they keep McCourty on the right and Arrington/Butler on the left. Calvin Johnson had one or two catches for 13 yards I believe when McCourty was covering. Get your facts straight.

 

[*ChungFu*]

Leaders in Tackles
1. Jerod Mayo NE 132
2. Stephen Tulloch TEN 110
3. Chad Greenway MIN 108
4. Donte Whitner BUF 104
5. James Anderson CAR 99

http://www.nfl.com/player

Don't see Ray Lewis or anyone from NY on this list.

 

[chupa]

This has been explained over and over again. The Patriots don't play CBs on individual WRs, they keep McCourty on the right and Arrington/Butler on the left. Calvin Johnson had one or two catches for 13 yards I believe when McCourty was covering. Get your facts straight.

I never claimed other wise. You can say that McCourty had an excellent game, but he didn't "shut down" megatron. Just like Revis didn't "shut down" jennings even though he only allowed 1 catch all game because he wasn't lined up against him exclusivley.

McCourty plays in a conservative zone scheme that doesn't leave their DBs exposed. He's done very well in his role, but he hasn't been a shut down corner. Seriously, please.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

Come on man. McCourty didn't shut down megatron. Jonhnson had 4 catches for 81 yards and a TD. The patriots were double teaming the guy on nearly every play. And this was against a decimated lions team playing their backup QB.

Revis lined up 1 on 1 vs CJ on EVERY PLAY and held him for 1 catch for 13 yards, with stafford throwing him the ball.

You cannot compare the two performances.

McCourty is doing an excellent job within his scheme, but calling him a "shut down" corner is absolutely laughable.

I think it was said that Revis is the #1 CB in the league by previous poster. Johnson may have had 4 catches for 81 yards and a TD, but McCourty wasn't covering him all those times.

Typically, the Patriot CBs stay on the same side fo the field and don't shadow a receiver..thus the difference in numbers you are seeing (i.e. the 3 catches + yards + Td probably came against Arrington or Butler).

 

[chupa]

I think it was said that Revis is the #1 CB in the league by previous poster. Johnson may have had 4 catches for 81 yards and a TD, but McCourty wasn't covering him all those times.

Typically, the Patriot CBs stay on the same side fo the field and don't shadow a receiver..thus the difference in numbers you are seeing (i.e. the 3 catches + yards + Td probably came against Arrington or Butler).

Patriots receivers play a zone scheme and johnson was doubled on nearly every play. McCourty may have had an excellent game, but he didn't shut down anyone specifically. Unlike Revis, who lined up exclusivley against him in man coverage and held him to 1 catch all game.

The only reason I keep comparing him to Revis is because that is what the article did.

 

[karguy85]

To expand on my previous post. This was McCourty's line from the game on Thanksgiving (from ProFootballFocus)

Rookie cornerback Devin McCourty (+2.3) had a big day with two interceptions. Perhaps more impressively, McCourty only allowed two completions the entire game for a combined 13 yards despite being thrown at seven times. Three of those attempts came against Calvin Johnson, and only one of those were complete as McCourty enhanced his reputation.

That seems like a shutdown game to me.