Our secondary sucks, but we need a deep threat

[DaedalusX]

It seems pretty apparent that the secondary is horrid right now. It doesn't seem like it's going to get better without serious personnel additions at cost.

But I see another issue: if the opposing defense can pull off an amoeba defense, flood the middle of the field with defensive backs and get to Brady on coverage sacks, we cannot win. Period.

We are the Colts now. Our defense is bad enough that our offense needs to put up 28 points a game, minimum, to survive.

But we have no deep threat to blow the top off of the opposing defense (the Steelers made this point in post-game comments), so there's no penalty to them for flooding the middle. Which means against any top tier defense that goes the Rex Ryan route (flooding the middle), we will never put up enough points to win.

Most teams can't pull this off because it's too difficult to cover Welker in the slot or BJGE is good enough to force them to respect the run. But we can't score enough on the teams that can without a deep threat to loosen the coverage. We'll be one and done again. Sound like any other team you know of?

I say we dump 85 (he's useless anywhere on the field), pick up a deep threat (either trade for $$$ and picks, or pick up TO).

If our offense is being tasked with carrying this team and we have to rebuild the entire secondary to not make that the case, we need to give it the best chance of doing so.

 

[JackBauer]

I'm not sure why they don't use Price more. He was wide open on the deep ball but Brady got happy feet, didn't set for the throw, and missed him by a mile.

Generally, I think the whole deep threat notion is overrated. I think of equal or greater concern is the team's unwillingness to commit to a running game generally or use the assets they drafted for that very purpose. Extremely frustrating.

 

[The-Hooded-One]

There is this Taylor Price guy on the roster. Maybe they should give him a f'n chance.

 

[RodThePat]

I'm not sure why they don't use Price more. He was wide open on the deep ball but Brady got happy feet, didn't set for the throw, and missed him by a mile.

Generally, I think the whole deep threat notion is overrated. I think of equal or greater concern is the team's unwillingness to commit to a running game generally or use the assets they drafted for that very purpose. Extremely frustrating.

Price also made a terrible play yesterday, basically waiting for the ball instead of attacking it. He didn't get his body in a good position and allowed Polamalu to knock the ball away. He's very raw still.

 

[Sivy]

Randy! Randy! Randy!

Moss could be huge if only for the rest of this season. I dont think any teams would take him seriously, meaing he would be single covered, meaning he would destroy teams.

I know everyone is going to come in here and say that he fell off..but the truth is, Moss is still in freakesh shape and on single coverage it would still be game over.

 

[JackBauer]

Not this again. Moss is done. Finished. Not coming back.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Price also made a terrible play yesterday, basically waiting for the ball instead of attacking it. He didn't get his body in a good position and allowed Polamalu to knock the ball away. He's very raw still.

He is raw but the only way he'll ceqase to become so is with reps. he has tremendous upside, I'd like to see him get more time.

 

[Sivy]

Not this again. Moss is done. Finished. Not coming back.

You are msot likely right..but I am certian that stranger things have happend in the nfl.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Its getting kind of stupid to keep blaming Ocho for things whens he's not put on the goddam field.

If you dont get put in you cant make the plays.

People pumping up Taylor Price heres my question. Where is he? Where is this god like figure you speak of? O THATS RIGHT HE DOESNT PLAY EITHER.

Maybe its time to point fingers at our coaching staff when they make stupid personnel decisions randomly a few times a year.

 

[DarrylS]

Thought that the whole, "stretching the field" was a byproduct of bored, idle minds on message boards..

 

[RIpats88]

taylor price is probably our most physically gifted young receiver....he has elite speed/athleticism and good hands...id love to see more of him....guy just needs more reps

he was able to get separation on that deep play, but like was said...not a great throw from brady and price still is raw going up against a great corner in palomalu

 

[SeanBruschi54]

taylor price is probably our most physically gifted young receiver....he has elite speed/athleticism and good hands...id love to see more of him....guy just needs more reps

he was able to get separation on that deep play, but like was said...not a great throw from brady and price still is raw going up against a great corner in palomalu

Really? Because Wes Welker says hello.

Wanna know why he was so open? Because nobody gave a damn he was open. Look back on that play welker was covered along with branch and gronk. No reason to have someone carry taylor price because 1. he rarely plays 2. if hes going to make a deep threat Troy is there to cover that.

Boom. Play over.

 

[RIpats88]

Really? Because Wes Welker says hello.

Wanna know why he was so open? Because nobody gave a damn he was open. Look back on that play welker was covered along with branch and gronk. No reason to have someone carry taylor price because 1. he rarely plays 2. if hes going to make a deep threat Troy is there to cover that.

Boom. Play over.

what I mean was for a young untested receiver...Edelman is a mini welker, slater is fast, but doesnt have great hands....price has the tools to be a good reciever...hes big, fast and has good hands he showed alot of promise in the preseason before he got injured

Price has more of an upside than Ocho if he can get the system because he is faster/has more athleticism to get open. Ochocinco is basically a more athletic branch without knowing the system as well

 

[SeanBruschi54]

what I mean was for a young untested receiver...Edelman is a mini welker, slater is fast, but doesnt have great hands....price has the tools to be a good reciever...hes big, fast and has good hands he showed alot of promise in the preseason before he got injured

Price has more of an upside than Ocho if he can get the system because he is faster/has more athleticism to get open. Ochocinco is basically a more athletic branch without knowing the system as well

Gotcha.

Me personally i feel im very big believer in Julian Edelman.

 

[Jangles]

I'm glad so many of you are beginning to notice what has been painfully obvious since Moss left.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Deep threat for what? Against good defense, Brady has no time to even throw the short passes let alone wait for some deep threat to open up.
Anyway, on the offensive side of the ball, there was no need to get away from the run. This was just like the Jets playoff game, I thought they learnt their lesson against the Jets and Cowboys this year by running more.
I am just confused, my confidence in the coaching stuff is just plummeting, we are making the silly mistakes that other teams use to make.
Our ineptitude yesterday was on par with the former detriot lions, you just knew they will **** up everything, the onside kick, not challenging a call, yet Brady spending almost 30 sec to snap a ball with an empty back field again and again.

What is good? This is the blueprint to beat us. Let us see if the coaches can correct it anytime soon.

 

[Triumph]

Thought that the whole, "stretching the field" was a byproduct of bored, idle minds on message boards..

Why would you think that?

When you have a legitimate deep threat you force the defense to defend the long ball. Price, Ocho and Slater, nobody has stepped up and defenses are not afraid of the Pats hitting the home run.

Just like the Jets playoff game.

 

[Jangles]

Deep threat for what? Against good defense, Brady has no time to even throw the short passes let alone wait for some deep threat to open up.

lol

Brady has plenty of time to throw. Sure he faces more pressure on a lot of plays, but there are still plenty where he gets a clean pocket and stands there for 10 seconds waiting for someone to get open.

 

[Elijah T.]

First time poster but long time fan of team and website.

The Pats definitely need an X receiver who can stretch the field and force bracket coverage downfield, it has become more apparent as the season has progressed. As good as Welker is, his main strength is the quick ins and outs, with the occasional seam route (intermediate) between cover 2 or 3. Branch understands zone and has great timing with Brady, but he can't seperate from man coverage or drive corners away from his destination point consistently anymore.

Both our tight ends pose problems with size/athleticism, but they still don't force you to cover the deep half of the field, and as we saw against Pitt, you can get a quicker corner/safety to stay on their hip and make you hesitant to throw against them at times (except on crossing routes).

But I'm not sure we have that player on the roster...Price can run, but can he get off press coverage? Does he come out of his breaks quickly enough on the deep out or deep post? Is he strong enough to win leverage consistently?

Brady has a habit of ignoring receivers he's not comfortable with, I've noticed this in the past and then this year with Ochocinco, and even occasionaly with Hernandez or Gronkowski depending on which side of the field he decides to throw to...

Somehow Price and Ochocinco need to get more involved downfield, because there's only so much you can do underneath without a strong running game.

Shane Vereen. He's the player that can expand our offense if he can get on the field. He isn't a deep threat, but he's a gifted runner with excellent change of direction ability. Hopefully he gets some reps.

 

[RIpats88]

the thing is, having a deep threat, just like establishing the run...it keeps the opposing defense honest...they know if theres a guy who can burn his man, they cant clog the middle of the field and that leaves guys like welker, the TE's open....this past game, they just clogged the middle and our WR on the end arent fast enough to create separation.

to be successful in this offense you either need to use your athleticism to create enough separation from your man, or have the football IQ in the system to be able to get yourself open...ocho doesnt have the elite athleticism to beat his man one on one up the field, so he needs to learn the system in order to get open....which is why I think Taylor Price is worth a shot, or to take a flyer on Moss