E Belichick Unum
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It all starts with the Draft, unless it doesn’t. A look at the Patriots in 2011 looks an awful lot like it did after the 2010 draft. Bill Belichick once again focused on everything other than the most glaring weakness on his team, Outside Linebacker. I can hear the groaning now, I can hear the BB apologists saying that there was nobody out there, or that the value was better for the players that they took. So I figured what the hell, let’s look at the stats. In the AFC East, the Jets were number 8 in the league with 40. The Dolphins were number 10 at 39. The Patriots were number 14 with 36, so you think, not that bad? So when you look at points per game and see the Pats at number 8 giving up 19.6 PPG you get a little more comfortable. Then you look at 3rd down percentage and the team gave up league worst 47% conversions. That’s right they gave up 99 third down conversions out of 210 attempts, the second worst was Tampa, Buffalo, Tenn, Cleveland and Jax at 43%. Total yards? 366.5. Passing yards? 30 in the league at 258.5 PPG. Yards per attempt? Number 7 at 5.6 Y/A.
NFL Stats: by Team Category
There is plenty of ammunition for either side of the OLB argument to hang their hat on, I will add one more stat to the mix, and it is very subjective in nature, It is the eyeball test, you know the one that makes you leave the room on third down because you know that the Jets are going to make that first down and you want to beat everybody to the bathroom? The one that makes you take the over on Sunday at 12:30? There is no bigger Patriots suck up than I am, but when I watch a game on Sunday, or Monday or Thursday I know what I am going to see; good defense on first and second downs and a breakdown on third because there wasn’t enough pressure on the QB to make him get rid of the ball, especially when the game is on the line and it comes down to offensive line adrenaline versus pass rush adrenaline. Give me DeMarcus Ware over Nate Solder any day.
NFL Stats: by Team Category
There is plenty of ammunition for either side of the OLB argument to hang their hat on, I will add one more stat to the mix, and it is very subjective in nature, It is the eyeball test, you know the one that makes you leave the room on third down because you know that the Jets are going to make that first down and you want to beat everybody to the bathroom? The one that makes you take the over on Sunday at 12:30? There is no bigger Patriots suck up than I am, but when I watch a game on Sunday, or Monday or Thursday I know what I am going to see; good defense on first and second downs and a breakdown on third because there wasn’t enough pressure on the QB to make him get rid of the ball, especially when the game is on the line and it comes down to offensive line adrenaline versus pass rush adrenaline. Give me DeMarcus Ware over Nate Solder any day.