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The Packers have a world class secondary. Matthews is a force but every sack I have seen with him is a coverage sack.
Has anyone watched the Steelers defense without Polamalu? It's borderline horrendous. In 2009, they had all their pass rushing linebackers healthy and couldn't stop anyone.
Look at all the Steelers who played in the 2005 AFCCG. The reality is that's a very veteran unit who are basically at their window.
Considering the fact that a minority of posters had the Pats winning 10+ games; I think a review of a rebuilding process show be undertaken. Granted the ending was dissapointing, however, 2010 should not be considered a failure nor is there anything that says the rebuild effort needs drastic revisions.
Why treat the valley as the peak?
It's astounding that this team won 14 games with the youth on this team and if you combine the youth, 6 draft picks, with T Warren/Bodden; I don't see where anyone can say the best football is not ahead.
Well said, sir.
The 2010 Patriots look VERY much ~ from a Born Again Dynasty point of view ~ very much like the 1987 Miners.
I expect at LEAST two Super Bowl Championships in the IMMEDIATE future.
And I think that will come to include either a 3 Peat...or a Perfect Season...or BOTH.
Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up...
We need a defense that can stop the run on every down, get the offense into unfavorable down and distance, make the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket and stop them from converting on 3rd down...turning the ball over whenever the offense makes a mistake.
What are our liabilities?
There is but one path to the championship and it is guarded by 31 teams.
And our assets?
Belichick's brains. Wilfork's strength. McCourty's skill.
That's it? Impossible. If I had 7 months to plan maybe I could come up with something. If we only had some experienced veterans that would be something.
Where did we leave Bodden and Warren?
On the IR I think.
Well why didn't you list that among our assets in the first place? What I wouldn't give for some top college talent.
There we can not help you.
<pulling out six top 100 draft picks> Would this do it?
Where did you get those?
From boneheaded GMs. They fit so nice they said I could keep them.
Alright, alright, help me up. Now I'll need a stud pass rush LB eventually.
Why? You never seem to want one.
True, but that's hardly common knowledge is it? Now there may be problems once we reach the playoffs.
I'll say. How do we stop the run? Once we do, how do we cover the quick pass? Once we cover the quick pass, how do we get to the QB?
Don't pester him. He's had a hard off-season.
Right. Right. Sorry.
After watching tonights game I can understand why BB didn't draft Clay Matthews. I watched him on every single snap tonight vs Pitt and he had very little impact on the game outside of a few plays. Matthews got killed tonight in the run game and was responsible for two huge runs where he didn't set the edge in the ground game. He also blew another assignment vs the run when he got pancaked and another play where he couldnt disengage from an OT. He was a complete nonfactor tonight rushing the passer.
Matthews made a nice deflection which almost became a pick and he forced a fumble. Outside of that I didn't see him make that much of an impact.
Matthews also did nothing vs NE as well. I think if you get a huge, elite OT on him like a Vollmer, that he becomes a non factor.
After watching tonights game I can understand why BB didn't draft Clay Matthews. I watched him on every single snap tonight vs Pitt and he had very little impact on the game outside of a few plays. Matthews got killed tonight in the run game and was responsible for two huge runs where he didn't set the edge in the ground game. He also blew another assignment vs the run when he got pancaked and another play where he couldnt disengage from an OT. He was a complete nonfactor tonight rushing the passer.
Matthews made a nice deflection which almost became a pick and he forced a fumble. Outside of that I didn't see him make that much of an impact.
Matthews also did nothing vs NE as well. I think if you get a huge, elite OT on him like a Vollmer, that he becomes a non factor.
After watching tonights game I can understand why BB didn't draft Clay Matthews. I watched him on every single snap tonight vs Pitt and he had very little impact on the game outside of a few plays. Matthews got killed tonight in the run game and was responsible for two huge runs where he didn't set the edge in the ground game. He also blew another assignment vs the run when he got pancaked and another play where he couldnt disengage from an OT. He was a complete nonfactor tonight rushing the passer.
Matthews made a nice deflection which almost became a pick and he forced a fumble. Outside of that I didn't see him make that much of an impact.
Matthews also did nothing vs NE as well. I think if you get a huge, elite OT on him like a Vollmer, that he becomes a non factor.
I like when guys step up and make plays when you need them the most. 3 tackles, 1 pd and a forced fumble. Only the single greatest defensive play in the Packers 2010 season and maybe in Mathews career as long as he plays. Not to mention his main job was just to spy Roethlisberger to make sure he didn't get out of the pocket. But still managed to get 2 QB pressures anyway. Other than that, not much of an impact.
Keep convincing yourself he wouldn't fit here. I didn't want to draft him, now I am bummed we didn't. Players with motors like his find their way onto the football field and gain playing time in Belichicks system. Their uncanny knack for making plays when you need them most separates themselves into household names. Especially when you can record 24 sacks in your first 2 seasons.
The point is the Packers secondary makes that defense.
Mathews does not make the secondary.
Would a Mathews be valuable? Sure but expenditure has to come from somewhere. Where would you take resources away? Had Pittsburgh not fell behind what makes you think they wouldn't have won by running on the Packers defense? A fumble can be overcome easier than 21 point deficit.
The Pats goal should be the #1 secondary, a Dline that has 4 guys who can pressure, and smart flexible LB's.
amen. after watching last night's game I am completely off of Reiss' suggestion for a pass rusher for sub packages. In a closer game, the Steelers are more patient and they run it down the Packers' throats. That was very telling.
Seymour was an incredibly important piece of the Patriots' puzzle, much more important than I gave him credit for. I knew he was a great stud of course, but having that one guy that can collapse the pocket and allow for an extra man to blitz, that guy is so key.
I concur that having two stud CBs would help the defense immensely, because run stopping is key #1.
Even the guys we have out there currently can't do a good job of setting the edge. Ever watch Tully Banta-Cain? Of course Matthews would be an upgrade over Banta-Cain, but the team obviously needs a guy who can do both.
It's amazing that these pro pass rush specialist types can't figure out that LB's who do many things well can also like.....pressure the QB.
The reality is a pass rusher can be neutralized. Well designed blitz packages are tougher to tackle. Furthermore, elite QB's are effected more by pressure up the middle.
[QUOTE/]Even the guys we have out there currently can't do a good job of setting the edge. Ever watch Tully Banta-Cain? Of course Matthews would be an upgrade over Banta-Cain, but the team obviously needs a guy who can do both.
The point is the Packers secondary makes that defense.
Mathews does not make the secondary.
Would a Mathews be valuable? Sure but expenditure has to come from somewhere. Where would you take resources away? Had Pittsburgh not fell behind what makes you think they wouldn't have won by running on the Packers defense? A fumble can be overcome easier than a 21 point deficit.
The Pats goal should be the #1 secondary, a Dline that has 4 guys who can pressure, and smart flexible LB's.
Oh and the superbowl alone should show Pats fans why Mathews isn't on New England. He was a non-factor against the run and was a liability to Green Bay's containment gameplan. Polamalu was also a non-factor. When a team has two weeks to gameplan for a defense that is so dependent on one certain player, that team most of the time will find a way to take that player out of the equation. That is why New England should not try to become a defense that is built around a 13+ sack OLB.