The Importance Or Nonimportance Of Spikes

[Ring 6]

I include ANderson

What? Anderson a 43 OLB? Should we include Wilfork?

 

[Ring 6]

I include ANderson

My bad, I typed 34 OLBs and meant to type 43 OLbs, which I think was obvious from the rest of the post.

 

[Rob0729]

Word was the first week of practice Spikes was a beast. That may be part of the reason the Pats are slow to bring him back. They know he is comfortable in the MLB position in the 4-3 and want to be extra precautious. My guess is he will be back this week because most of the local reporters don't think his injury is too serious.

 

[BendButDontBreak37]

Word was the first week of practice Spikes was a beast. That may be part of the reason the Pats are slow to bring him back. They know he is comfortable in the MLB position in the 4-3 and want to be extra precautious. My guess is he will be back this week because most of the local reporters don't think his injury is too serious.

So as a serous question then, he has practiced this camp since the rumored basketball injury?
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[Rob0729]

So as a serous question then, he has practiced this camp since the rumored basketball injury?
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

Yes. His rumored injury was well before training camp started. He practiced the first week of camp.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

I hope to see Spikes play behind Vince and Al on running downs and see those three plus Mayo (on the outside, IMO) just shut down the run. Hopefully won't have to see a game like the Browns game last year.

Spikes played MLB in a 4-3 at Florida, correct?

Yes he did.

 

[Ring 6]

Yes. His rumored injury was well before training camp started. He practiced the first week of camp.

That doesnt add up? If his injury was well before camp and he practiced the first week, how can it be the same injury?

 

[Rob0729]

That doesnt add up? If his injury was well before camp and he practiced the first week, how can it be the same injury?

It isn't. The rumored injury has never been confirmed and in fact denied by Spike's agent. As far as we know, there never was a basketball injury and it was just a bad joke by Spike's girlfriend on Twitter.

 

[Ring 6]

It isn't. The rumored injury has never been confirmed and in fact denied by Spike's agent. As far as we know, there never was a basketball injury and it was just a bad joke by Spike's girlfriend on Twitter.

OK, so he came to camp 100% and has missed a couple of weeks with a 'not serious' injury?
I'll expect him to be on the field on 9/12 then.
Hopefully you and I won't be disrupting the cottage industry that naysaying about players going on IR when they miss some practices has become.

 

[The-Hooded-One]

Spikes was the starting MLB when camp opened, so I'm not sure how he can be of non-importance. Keeping him out of action for a while and not risking further injury probably means he's important, no? Yes, Fletcher has looked good, but that doesn't make Spikes useless. It just means we have two good players that can rotate.

 

[Shelterdog]

That doesnt add up? If his injury was well before camp and he practiced the first week, how can it be the same injury?

Theoretically he could have aggravated it.

I have no idea if he was injured the first time or if he's even injured right now.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Look not playing in a pre-season game and not playing in a regular season game are two very different things....

He could have turned his ankle, we have no idea, but it is still 3 weeks before opening day so lets at least wait another week before moving him to IR.

That being said, you can pencil Spikes in for the Pro Bowl if he is a) healthy and b) plays MLB behind Wilfork and Hanesworth (who they are hiding until this farce of a trail is over) all year. Spikes is a 4-3 MLB, a hole filling run stuffer, he will be an absolute tackling machine in this defense. Forget times or perceptions, this kid can play, he hass a nose for the ball and will thrive in this defense.

 

[Sicilian]

I feel like if we're playing a more attacking style of defense, that depth becomes infinitely more important at every front seven position. Being able to rotate guys will keep everyone fresher and maybe give them the extra half step difference between a clean throw and a pressured throw (or a pressured throw and a sack). For this reason, if Spikes is healthy, he'll always have a role in the middle of this defense.

 

[Ring 6]

I feel like if we're playing a more attacking style of defense, that depth becomes infinitely more important at every front seven position. Being able to rotate guys will keep everyone fresher and maybe give them the extra half step difference between a clean throw and a pressured throw (or a pressured throw and a sack). For this reason, if Spikes is healthy, he'll always have a role in the middle of this defense.

You sound like you think we changed the defense from the one where the DL falls to the ground if its a pass to the one where we have now decided that we want to rush the QB.

 

[Sicilian]

You sound like you think we changed the defense from the one where the DL falls to the ground if its a pass to the one where we have now decided that we want to rush the QB.

Perhaps it's a case of looks being deceiving, but it feels like a read and react defense is going to be less exhausting than an attacking style. Even if it's not, I feel like an attacking style will require a higher energy level in order to be effective, which will only be helped the more talented bodies we have at our disposal.

 

[livinginthe past]

Maybe its over-simplifying things - but it seems to me that the D may be transitioning to one where linemen are actively trying to beat their offensive counterpart rather than engaging them and then reacting to what they see.

I'd imagine that the first step is a pretty important one in a pass rushers arsenal - if that first step is neutered by the fact you are still deciding what to do then it follows that you are alot less likely to beat your man and generate a pass rush.

 

[Zeus]

From Greg Bedard's column last Friday in the Globe:

Brandon Spikes, the starter there, has missed considerable time. His chief backup, Fletcher, left with a thumb injury.

“That’s the only place where I see them being thin,’’ said the AFC executive. “They need Spikes in the middle to make it work. [Gary] Guyton can’t play there.’’​

 

[SanAngeloState]

Both are actually better suited to the 43.

spikes is a little slow for 4-3 and brace is a positive slug at penetrating. So I don't think Brace is here much longer.

 

[TheSolderKing]

spikes is a little slow for 4-3 and brace is a positive slug at penetrating. So I don't think Brace is here much longer.

I agree w/ this, BUT all reports say he has EXCELLENT insticts. If instinctively he is superior than most players then that makes up for his lack of speed. imo at least.

 

[BlueThunder]

Can't wait for my first " Spikes nailed him" shout this season