Good Bedard article on the Secondary

[harrylime70]

Secondary: What goes on back there? - Patriots - Boston.com

Tend to agree with a lot of it. Like him I just did not understand the playcalling on the final drive - injuries may have dictated it, but if not then it is something that needs to be addressed for the Jets game. Apologies if it has already been posted.

 

[reflexblue]

Secondary: What goes on back there? - Patriots - Boston.com

Tend to agree with a lot of it. Like him I just did not understand the playcalling on the final drive - injuries may have dictated it, but if not then it is something that needs to be addressed for the Jets game. Apologies if it has already been posted.

Good read. I agree with him on the issue of why haven't the VAST majority of the DB picks sucked (for lack of a better word at the moment) Why haven't all the high round picks progressed? Were they just bad picks or is it the coaching. He says there is talent in this backfield, but its not performing up to its capabilities, we have to look at the coaching, especially at safety. The safety play was horrific sunday, on many occasions the pats CB's expected help that just didn't show up. Ive never considered the coaching before, i just chalked bad secondary play to poor drafting or FA choices.

 

[aluminum seats]

Gee, whaddya know. Respected football analyst Bedard seems confident the issue with the Pats' secondary is the coaching, and not the players. He wonders why the players in the secondary "always regress."

Where have we heard that before???


Why hasn’t Wilson been coached better to know he should never get beat over the top in that situation?

I actually think the Patriots have good players in the secondary and stand to improve. But there’s reason to doubt they will. Just look at the track record. Why does it seem like players always regress in the Patriots’ secondary?

The list goes on and on: Brandon Meriweather, Terrence Wheatley, Darius Butler, Leigh Bodden, Chung, McCourty, and Ras-I Dowling.

Where’s the ascension? Where’s the excellence? OK, how about we settle for a turn of the head and making a play on the ball when the receiver reacts to the ball being in the air?

There is much to be disappointed about with the Patriots, especially in the secondary. Without a Giants-like pass rush, the Patriots are going to have to cover better in the back end to win games.

It’s going to have to start with the coaching. The players are who they are. Belichick, Patricia, cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer, and safeties coach Brian Flores must do a better job.

 

[Kontradiction]

He also highlights how Chung could have broken up a big pass earlier in the game, but instead misjudged the throw and went toward the sideline to try to intercept a ball that was never coming that direction. :ugh:

 

[nekromantique]

until the secondary plays better (be it new coaching or players)...I don't understand the lack of blitzes. you aren't going to generate enough pressure rushing 2 de's and 2 run stuffing tackles (much as I love wilfork and love...they aren't pass rushers)


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[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Gee, whaddya know. Respected football analyst Bedard seems confident the issue with the Pats' secondary is the coaching, and not the players. He wonders why the players in the secondary "always regress."

Where have we heard that before???


Why hasn’t Wilson been coached better to know he should never get beat over the top in that situation?

I actually think the Patriots have good players in the secondary and stand to improve. But there’s reason to doubt they will. Just look at the track record. Why does it seem like players always regress in the Patriots’ secondary?

The list goes on and on: Brandon Meriweather, Terrence Wheatley, Darius Butler, Leigh Bodden, Chung, McCourty, and Ras-I Dowling.

Where’s the ascension? Where’s the excellence? OK, how about we settle for a turn of the head and making a play on the ball when the receiver reacts to the ball being in the air?

There is much to be disappointed about with the Patriots, especially in the secondary. Without a Giants-like pass rush, the Patriots are going to have to cover better in the back end to win games.

It’s going to have to start with the coaching. The players are who they are. Belichick, Patricia, cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer, and safeties coach Brian Flores must do a better job.

You continue to blame the coaches for the main reason why the secondary sucks.....if that's the truth then tell me what players like Meriweather,Wilhite,Wheately,Butler,Bodden,Hobbs ect have done on thier new teams?.......let me answer with NOTHING,a few aren't even in the league anymore.

Are you saying that the coaches on all those other teams where these players went to also sucked?....it must be,because they did nothing there either.

Bottom line is Belichick has failed repeatedly in picking up players with talent in the secondary....a blind man can see this team has several great players in the front 7 and full of JAGS behind them.

Belichick has done a lot of great things in New England......drafting WRs and DBs isn't one of them.....the only exception to consider might be Samuel but even he has been bad in some seasons.

 

[aluminum seats]

You continue to blame the coaches for the main reason why the secondary sucks.....if that's the truth then tell me what players like Meriweather,Wilhite,Wheately,Butler,Bodden,Hobbs ect have done on thier new teams?.......let me answer with NOTHING,a few aren't even in the league anymore.

Are you saying that the coaches on all those other teams where these players went to also sucked?....it must be,because they did nothing there either.

Bottom line is Belichick has failed repeatedly in picking up players with talent in the secondary....a blind man can see this team has several great players in the front 7 and full of JAGS behind them.

Belichick has done a lot of great things in New England......drafting WRs and DBs isn't one of them.....the only exception to consider might be Samuel but even he has been bad in some seasons.

Everything in italics is from Bedard, so direct your questions at him.

 

[Jimke]

The Patriots' coaching staff is a bunch of no names. Most of them
started off as coaching assistants or scouts with the Patriots. Very
few experienced coaches like Groh, Weis, Seely, or Crennel. How
can you expect a former defensive back at Muskingum College to
teach cornerbacks in the NFL?

The Patriots don't want to pay decent money for assistant coaches.
Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis were among the lowest paid coordinators in the NFL.

 

[Haley]

I agree with him. In fact, the conclusion of his article is exactly what I've been saying all week long. I think he must be reading my posts! No ... not really, but he is right. It starts with the coaching.

 

[Big-T]

You continue to blame the coaches for the main reason why the secondary sucks.....if that's the truth then tell me what players like Meriweather,Wilhite,Wheately,Butler,Bodden,Hobbs ect have done on thier new teams?.......let me answer with NOTHING,a few aren't even in the league anymore.

Meriweather is still in the league and until his own idiocy injured him was pegged as a starter

Wilhite & Wheatley are out of the league

Bodden was never picked up again due to injury

Butler is the nickel corner for the Colts

Hobbs wasn't terrible for the Eagles until his injury forced him to retire

The secondary are being COACHED to not turn and look for the ball, why do yoiu think so many players come in, play well as a rookie (and they turn and look for the ball) then in year 2 all of a sudden it all goes downhill?

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Everything in italics is from Bedard, so direct your questions at him.

This is something YOU discussed in another thread...Bedard has nothing to do with what I posted

 

[aluminum seats]

Meriweather is still in the league and until his own idiocy injured him was pegged as a starter

Wilhite & Wheatley are out of the league

Bodden was never picked up again due to injury

Butler is the nickel corner for the Colts

Hobbs wasn't terrible for the Eagles until his injury forced him to retire

The secondary are being COACHED to not turn and look for the ball, why do yoiu think so many players come in, play well as a rookie (and they turn and look for the ball) then in year 2 all of a sudden it all goes downhill?

Good question. The level of denial on this board about the secondary coaching is really strange.

 

[Deus Irae]

I actually think the Patriots have good players in the secondary and stand to improve. But there’s reason to doubt they will. Just look at the track record. Why does it seem like players always regress in the Patriots’ secondary?

The list goes on and on: Brandon Meriweather, Terrence Wheatley, Darius Butler, Leigh Bodden, Chung, McCourty, and Ras-I Dowling.

Where’s the ascension? Where’s the excellence? OK, how about we settle for a turn of the head and making a play on the ball when the receiver reacts to the ball being in the air?

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/2012/10/14/secondary-first-rate-problem-still/JE9lNnbXdqzIg38XCdb3SI/story-1.html

This would seem that this is one of Bedard's "off" columns. He continues to be hit or miss, and it seems more and more as if it's the result of really shoddy research:

There was no regression for Wheatley. He didn't play enough for improvement or regression.

Bodden had a solid first year and got injured in his second season.

Butler was never any good.

Chung's always been lousy against the pass and isn't good outside the box.

Dowling played one game before getting hurt. We have no idea about improvement, regression or anything else.

Meriweather's problem was the same from the beginning, as everyone here noted. He liked to freelance and line up the big hits. That's fine in the right system, or with the right personnel. He was good enough to get to the Pro Bowl, but not good enough to keep from pissing off Belichick.

McCourty's the only player that "regression" even applies to, and many/most people here were expressing concern about how he'd be after teams got tape on him following his rookie season.

In short, Bedard didn't do a whole lot of thinking or researching for his article.

 

[PatsFan2]

Everything in italics is from Bedard, so direct your questions at him.

What he said...seriously c'mon people its plain to see..its the coaching.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

The Patriots' coaching staff is a bunch of no names. Most of them
started off as coaching assistants or scouts with the Patriots. Very
few experienced coaches like Groh, Weis, Seely, or Crennel. How
can you expect a former defensive back at Muskingum College to
teach cornerbacks in the NFL?

The Patriots don't want to pay decent money for assistant coaches.
Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis were among the lowest paid coordinators in the NFL.

I didn't even know this fact until I saw the Felger/Mazzhole show

Josh Boyer became a coach for the first time at King's College in PA ....King's College is just about 2 freaking miles from my home,King's is a little P.O.S. school that had done absolutely nothing in sports since I was born...

I don't know where Belichick found this guy,albeit I still don't think Boyer is totally responsible for the suckage that roams the secondary,its simply drafting JAGS or in Mccourty's case,one year wonders.

 

[PatsFan2]

I didn't even know this fact until I saw the Felger/Mazzhole show

Josh Boyer became a coach for the first time at King's College in PA ....King's College is just about 2 freaking miles from my home,King's is a little P.O.S. school that had done absolutely nothing in sports since I was born...
I don't know where Belichick found this guy,albeit I still don't think Boyer is totally responsible for the suckage that roams the secondary,its simply drafting JAGS or in Mccourty's case,one year wonders.

lol...lol funniest post ever but true.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

What he said...seriously c'mon people its plain to see..its the coaching.

Answer the question that Aluminum has yet to answer

What have the corners that failed here do on other teams?

Do all secondary coaches in the NFL suck?...must be

 

[The Gr8est]

Good read. I agree with him on the issue of why haven't the VAST majority of the DB picks sucked (for lack of a better word at the moment) Why haven't all the high round picks progressed? Were they just bad picks or is it the coaching. He says there is talent in this backfield, but its not performing up to its capabilities, we have to look at the coaching, especially at safety. The safety play was horrific sunday, on many occasions the pats CB's expected help that just didn't show up. Ive never considered the coaching before, i just chalked bad secondary play to poor drafting or FA choices.

I absolutely agree. With all of the high draft picks the Pats have used on DBs, I can't believe they would miss on ALL of them. They should have drafted a good one by accident just due to the law of averages.


They couldn't miss this badly if they were actually TRYING to pick highly rated players who they knew would miss.

It isn't the talent, it is how they are coached, and spending more resources on replacement talent is not the answer.

Fix the coaching.

 

[Deus Irae]

I recall a Julian Edelman stepping in and doing a passable job as a DB of last resort. I'm pretty sure that the same people were coaching him.

 

[PatsFan2]

I do think Coaching is part of it but i feel the Pats need to get a True Cover CB one who can be left on a island. BB's Scheme calls alot of Zones but one thing for sure thay are Holes in every zone if you are patient and have time. The Point is we don't have any CB who can consistently play man...We wouldn't match up well with a Team like the Steelers...even the Ravens would pose a problem for us too much Speed for us the handle. In FA 2013 we need to Draft or acquire the Best Cover CB money can buy.