Last year, after Talib went down, here was the Pats' secondary in nickel coverage:
CB1 - Dennard
CB2 - Ryan
CB3 - Arrington
S - McCourty
S - Gregory
This year, assuming everyone is healthy (that caveat always needs to be included), here's the best coverage group the Pats could put out there (IMO):
CB1 - Revis
CB2 - Browner
CB3 - Dennard
S - Ryan
S - McCourty
(in addition, you could have Collins and Anderson as excellent coverage LBs)
Now, I don't know if Ryan or Browner could move into a safety role in a nickel. But I think they could experiment with this group. Because what you have is the best corner in the NFL (Revis - holy crap I still can't believe the Patriots have him!) matching up against the other team's #1. McCourty patrols centerfield. Then among Ryan, Dennard, and Browner, you probably have Browner match up against either the biggest WR on the field if it isn't the other team's #1, or the TE. And then Dennard and Ryan get the slot receiver and last WR, or a RB coming out of the backfield.
All are good tacklers in addition to being good cover guys. So if a pass does get completed, the Pats should be able to limit the YAC.
In my memory, this may be the best group of cover guys the Pats have ever had. I think the '85 team was really good then as well (Clayborn, Lippett, Marion, and James), and maybe the '03 group too (Law, Poole, Samuel, Wilson, Harrison). But this group now has the potential to be the best.
Now, not only will this help the pass defense, it will greatly improve the pass rush. The Pats' pass defense last year had a hard time covering for even a couple of seconds, and God help them if the pass rush didn't get to the QB quickly. This group should be able to give the DL an extra second or two to get to the QB.
So my prediction: with the addition of these DBs, plus the addition of Easley and Kelly (not technically an addition, but for all practical purposes he is), I think we will see the Pats' pass rush improve considerably. We will also see the opposing QB rating go down considerably.
Teams are going to have a hard time throwing against the New England Patriots in 2014.
CB1 - Dennard
CB2 - Ryan
CB3 - Arrington
S - McCourty
S - Gregory
This year, assuming everyone is healthy (that caveat always needs to be included), here's the best coverage group the Pats could put out there (IMO):
CB1 - Revis
CB2 - Browner
CB3 - Dennard
S - Ryan
S - McCourty
(in addition, you could have Collins and Anderson as excellent coverage LBs)
Now, I don't know if Ryan or Browner could move into a safety role in a nickel. But I think they could experiment with this group. Because what you have is the best corner in the NFL (Revis - holy crap I still can't believe the Patriots have him!) matching up against the other team's #1. McCourty patrols centerfield. Then among Ryan, Dennard, and Browner, you probably have Browner match up against either the biggest WR on the field if it isn't the other team's #1, or the TE. And then Dennard and Ryan get the slot receiver and last WR, or a RB coming out of the backfield.
All are good tacklers in addition to being good cover guys. So if a pass does get completed, the Pats should be able to limit the YAC.
In my memory, this may be the best group of cover guys the Pats have ever had. I think the '85 team was really good then as well (Clayborn, Lippett, Marion, and James), and maybe the '03 group too (Law, Poole, Samuel, Wilson, Harrison). But this group now has the potential to be the best.
Now, not only will this help the pass defense, it will greatly improve the pass rush. The Pats' pass defense last year had a hard time covering for even a couple of seconds, and God help them if the pass rush didn't get to the QB quickly. This group should be able to give the DL an extra second or two to get to the QB.
So my prediction: with the addition of these DBs, plus the addition of Easley and Kelly (not technically an addition, but for all practical purposes he is), I think we will see the Pats' pass rush improve considerably. We will also see the opposing QB rating go down considerably.
Teams are going to have a hard time throwing against the New England Patriots in 2014.