Early Concerns?

[Kontradiction]

The defensive backfield. The Giants were able to win the Super Bowl because Eli was able to go 30-40, keep the chains moving, and eat up the clock while Brady and the offense sat on the bench for long stretches. If the defensive backfield tightens up, we allow less yards and less T.O.P., and Brady and the offense are on the field more with more opportunities to put up points.

 

[Marqui]

The defensive backfield. The Giants were able to win the Super Bowl because Eli was able to go 30-40, keep the chains moving, and eat up the clock while Brady and the offense sat on the bench for long stretches. If the defensive backfield tightens up, we allow less yards and less T.O.P., and Brady and the offense are on the field more with more opportunities to put up points.

Pass rush needs to significantly improve to help with that too.

 

[Fencer]

Injuries (future ones) aside?

Then I'd say pass rush, which is a combination of both scheme and personnel.

The Pats need to:

• Defend the deep stuff ...
• ... without selling out so far that the intermediate stuff is too easy for the opposition to hit.

I think pass rush is more of a variable in that than DB play.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I know the DL looks decent on paper, but the age of the proven talent makes me nervous. Love, Pryor, Deaderick, or Brace needs to step up so Wilfork can take less snaps and prolong his career. I got the nagging feeling this year's DL will be like last year's secondary: something a lot of us view as a strength going into the season that is exposed as a weakness throughout.

Does anyone view the DL, with its current personnel, as a strength? It's basically Wilfork, who's pretty much the best in the business, surrounded by a bunch of serviceable-at-best types.

 

[Ring 6]

Does anyone view the DL, with its current personnel, as a strength? It's basically Wilfork, who's pretty much the best in the business, surrounded by a bunch of serviceable-at-best types.

I see some strengths, but certainly do not see the unit as a strength.
Wilfork is a beast, and thats 1/3 of the DL right there. (Again I'm considering 43 RDE or 34 OLB as part of the LB group, and discussing the 3man interior DL here).
I expect Fanene to be the best inside sub package pass rusher we have had since Seymour. That is a big plus. I think Deaderick has developed into a pretty solid run defending LDE.
Really, we are one player (a very good one) away from the interior DL being a strength, but the guys we have in that spot are pretty thoroughly mediocre.

 

[hovis]

Does anyone view the DL, with its current personnel, as a strength? It's basically Wilfork, who's pretty much the best in the business, surrounded by a bunch of serviceable-at-best types.

Right, and Wilfork (All-Pro) along with Fanene (Above Average) make the line what it is. Maybe "strength" is not the right word to describe it. But my concern is that the unit will be a vulnerability as a whole if Wilfork can't physically continue to take an insane amount of snaps.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I know the DL looks decent on paper, but the age of the proven talent makes me nervous. Love, Pryor, Deaderick, or Brace needs to step up so Wilfork can take less snaps and prolong his career. I got the nagging feeling this year's DL will be like last year's secondary: something a lot of us view as a strength going into the season that is exposed as a weakness throughout.

The DL is good as long as Wilfork stays on his feet. But think about it how many DL in the NFL can weather the loss of an all-pro talent without a dropoff? Just about nobody. So there's no use worrying about it. BB drafted two linebackers this season for a reason.

Chandler Jones has rare physical attributes that fit the BB prototype. Hightower is a violent, all-around, versatile linebacker who can play both inside and outside linebacker for us. More weapons for the defense. All we are asking from the DL is for them to hold their ground and control their gaps. Our added talent at LBer, plus hopefully the recovery of McCourty Dowling will make a big difference this year.

 

[pork3]

Pass rush needs to significantly improve to help with that too.

And not throwing a safety in the first fwcking drive of a game would help as well.

-Jamman

 

[pork3]

Right, and Wilfork (All-Pro) along with Fanene (Above Average) make the line what it is. Maybe "strength" is not the right word to describe it. But my concern is that the unit will be a vulnerability as a whole if Wilfork can't physically continue to take an insane amount of snaps.

The other issue is that Wilfork is the keystone of our defense. God forbid, if the man gets injured we are effectively fwcked.

-Jamman

 

[Hael]

Biggest concern? Actually Tom Brady!

He's been the best QB in the league for so many years now, that the rest of the team has gotten used to being carried.

However he is at the age where most QBs start dropping off form wise. This usually translates into having some truly awful games and a drop of consistency in crunch time.

So I actually think we lose an extra game relative to last year, despite having a better team (which is scary since we had a great team last year) since Tom might give a few away.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Biggest concern? Actually Tom Brady!

He's been the best QB in the league for so many years now, that the rest of the team has gotten used to being carried.

However he is at the age where most QBs start dropping off form wise. This usually translates into having some truly awful games and a drop of consistency in crunch time.

So I actually think we lose an extra game relative to last year, despite having a better team (which is scary since we had a great team last year) since Tom might give a few away.

i think he's 1-2 years away from that...i can't imagine this team without him..

 

[NEboiTB]

The interior of the offensive line is old. We have guys like Mankins, Koppen and Waters starting with Robert Gallery as a key reserve. The key to the offense being successful is to protect Tom Brady. If these old guys start to slow down late in the year, we could be in store for another very long offseason.

 

[E1Downey]

Biggest concern? Actually Tom Brady!

He's been the best QB in the league for so many years now, that the rest of the team has gotten used to being carried.

However he is at the age where most QBs start dropping off form wise. This usually translates into having some truly awful games and a drop of consistency in crunch time.

So I actually think we lose an extra game relative to last year, despite having a better team (which is scary since we had a great team last year) since Tom might give a few away.

Interesting that you made this comment as I was just thinking about this same issue as I was scrolling through the conversation...

Anyway, I don't see it as a concern for this year or even next, seeing how #12 has played at Superhuman level the past few seasons. And let's be real, TFB, even after taking a few steps backward is still better than the great majority of the other QB's around the league.

OTOH however, he is only human and I'd imagine we should expect to see some sort of regression soon. How dramatic it will be is anyone's guess. But even if it does start this year, I doubt it will affect his crunch time performance. The thing I always admired most about him was his ability to stay cool calm and collected while orchestrating game winning drives. (the Dallas game was such a treat this past season)

So it's not really a concern of mine at all at this point. Hopefully he's at a point where he can fine tune his mechanics on his own now that he doesn't have the shoulder of his mentor to lean on. (some say the quick check-ups with Martinez were overblown, but I disagree.) If the defense improves, and the line can keep Tom standing up and give him a decent amount of time, then he should be just fine for the next few seasons in my eyes.

He's got plenty of high powered weapons surrounding him and they should be able to mask any sort of regression that sets in the near future.....That, and at the end of the day he's still Tom freaking Brady! Hehe : )

 

[supafly]

The interior of the offensive line is old. We have guys like Mankins, Koppen and Waters starting with Robert Gallery as a key reserve. The key to the offense being successful is to protect Tom Brady. If these old guys start to slow down late in the year, we could be in store for another very long offseason.

I certainly agree that the line is probably the biggest key to the season, due to what it means overall protection-wise, but Mankins isn't old, Waters was likely the best of the group last year, and Koppen's role is still yet to be determined.

I see your point, but it may come down to health a bit more than it does age, but either way--it's probably splitting hairs as we are in agreement.

Hopefully Mankins comes back to start the season (doubtful), and/or Solder steps up and takes another step forward. Someone like Gallery may end up playing more than we want, so let's hope that he is ready too. Vollmer may be the wildcard to everything.

 

[Triumph]

What a completely ridiculous statement.

They were within a Gronkle of winning it last year with far less talented defensive personnel.

Foolishness.

Manning completed 75% of his passes and the Giants held the ball almost twice as long as the Pats. NE had the lead with minutes to go in the 4th quarter only to watch the PASS DEFENSE fail to make a stop. AGAIN.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Foolishness.

Manning completed 75% of his passes and the Giants held the ball almost twice as long as the Pats. NE had the lead with minutes to go in the 4th quarter only to watch the PASS DEFENSE fail to make a stop. AGAIN.

Brady hits Welker on the numbers and the game is won....period.

However You can't blame any particular thing on the loss,everything adds into it

 

[MrNathanDrake]

Going by last year's (and prior) experience, the only thing I am concerned about is playing the Giants in the Superbowl.

Im not really concerned about that, because I don't think the Giants will make the Superbowl (and possibly even the playoffs) next year

 

[pork3]

Im not really concerned about that, because I don't think the Giants will make the Superbowl (and possibly even the playoffs) next year

Fwck the Giants. I'm more concerned about playing the Texans in the playoffs. That defense was formidable last year, and that offense isn't too shabby with Schaub at quarterback.

-Jamman

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

Foolishness.

Manning completed 75% of his passes and the Giants held the ball almost twice as long as the Pats. NE had the lead with minutes to go in the 4th quarter only to watch the PASS DEFENSE fail to make a stop. AGAIN.

Plus the offense was letting the Giants' defense put on a clinic on how to stop a team. I'm certain if the offense wasn't so busy showing the defense what they were supposed to be doing they would've scored way more points...

17 pts isn't acceptable in this day and age and really never was in the SB. I can count on one hand the number of winners that have won scoring 17 pts or less. The defense certainly made things difficult on the offense, but the offense took half the game off and put up a pt total that would only win if they were playing themselves or before the 80s...

 

[Triumph]

Brady hits Welker on the numbers and the game is won....period.

However You can't blame any particular thing on the loss,everything adds into it

The same could be said for stopping the back breaker to Manningham along the sideline. Quite frankly, the Pats were lucky to even be there. Flacco drove the Ravens down with ease and Lee Evans saved the game for NE.

The bottom line is that injuries are going to occur for NE and Brady will have more bad games in the near future. Until the pass defense can actually stop a good team in a big game NE wont be celebrating any World Championships any time soon.