Why all the Hobbs hate?

[cartmen]

Hey guys looking for your opinion. what do you think of Hobbs play this year? All over this thread and on Patriots.com I hear that he isn't that good and that he has been a dissapointment this year. this guy has done a more than serviceable job so far in my book considering the people he has been matched up with. Last weeks bomb pass he had excellent inside coverage he just over ran an underthrown ball. That stuff happens to the best of them (Ty Law) so frankly I don't get the hate but w/e your thoughts...

Unfortunately my Stats breakdown didnt copy like I thought it would and I didnt save it. just know except for the 2 weeks in which he faced TJ Housh and Braylon he has not allowed a 100 yd against him and that Parrish had just one catch the whole day and it was the one Ellis had position but over ran an underthrown ball.

 

[letekro]

YOur statistical breakdown has broke down.

 

[xmarkd400x]

2 things:

1) What is that crap at the bottom of your post?

2) I think the Patriots D depends on the opposing O to be organized and reasonably well-executed. That long pass that got by Hobbs was poorly thrown. He was in perfect position to intercept it. If JP Losman had thrown it where he intended, it would have been an INT. The Bills got lucky.

 

[National Sports Advisors]

Hobbs is a very solid #2 corner. He is definitely one of the better #2 corners in the league, in my opinion. He doesn't make a lot of interceptions, but he is in position to make a play 90% of the time. I dunno, but I think he is very solid.

 

[cartmen]

2 things:

1) What is that crap at the bottom of your post?

2) I think the Patriots D depends on the opposing O to be organized and reasonably well-executed. That long pass that got by Hobbs was poorly thrown. He was in perfect position to intercept it. If JP Losman had thrown it where he intended, it would have been an INT. The Bills got lucky.

yeah it was an excell copy that failed to paste well. it sucks it was broken down by weeks, reciever and yds thru TD's. damn excel

 

[groundgame]

.... That long pass that got by Hobbs was poorly thrown. He was in perfect position to intercept it. If JP Losman had thrown it where he intended, it would have been an INT. The Bills got lucky.

How do you know it was not a perfectly thrown, intentional, under-throw by Losman?

 

[emoney_33]

Hey guys looking for your opinion. what do you think of Hobbs play this year? All over this thread and on Patriots.com I hear that he isn't that good and that he has been a dissapointment this year. this guy has done a more than serviceable job so far in my book considering the people he has been matched up with. Last weeks bomb pass he had excellent inside coverage he just over ran an underthrown ball. That stuff happens to the best of them (Ty Law) so frankly I don't get the hate but w/e your thoughts...

Unfortunately my Stats breakdown didnt copy like I thought it would and I didnt save it. just know except for the 2 weeks in which he faced TJ Housh and Braylon he has not allowed a 100 yd against him and that Parrish had just one catch the whole day and it was the one Ellis had position but over ran an underthrown ball.

If I'm not mistaken wasn't Hobbs covering CJ in the bengals game (with double team help) for the majority of the game?

 

[cartmen]

How do you know it was not a perfectly thrown, intentional, under-throw by Losman?

good point this is something that QB's do all the time but that shouldn't go against Ellis. Cb's have been getting beat by that for years. its probably the hardest thing to do as a CB adjust on the fly to an underthrown ball. Nowadays its something all QB's should be doing with the refs rep for throwing PI flags

 

[cartmen]

If I'm not mistaken wasn't Hobbs covering CJ in the bengals game (with double team help) for the majority of the game?

Well Asante made the pic on CJ and Hobbs was covering TJ when he scored so I dont think so but hey Ive been wrong before

 

[oldskool138]

If the ball was underthrown and Hobbs was in perfect coverage, then why didn't he turn when the receiver looked back for the ball? He should have made the adjustment. But whatever, the Pats won and Hobbs might be the only thing close to what some might call a liability out there.

 

[zarakotas5]

Except for the truly greats: A fairly apt job description is not to "shut down" but rather simply limit the amount of times you get burned and by what extent. I'm gathering a good percentage of Patriot fans are a little myopic when considering Hobbs relative to other NFL CBs.

Look what the Pats receivers have done to other teams. Granted, they have the best QB/receiver combo, but you see how badly they make other CBs look. OTOH, it doesn't about too often to Hobbs.

When it does, it looks bad and sticks out. It gets etched into peoples' minds, a la the famous Bills fan.

 

[bradmahn]

Hobbs also had excellent coverage on a bomb down the middle late in the game (I think it was intended for Lee Evans, no small task). It's hard to judge whether or not a CB is playing well for most of the game because of camera angles, but in the Colts game it appeared Peyton was throwing to Asante's side of the field more often, despite Aaron Moorehead and Anthony Gonzalez playing on that side.

 

[sebman2112]

If I'm not mistaken wasn't Hobbs covering CJ in the bengals game (with double team help) for the majority of the game?

Hobbs covered CJ, but they also lined CJ up on Samuel's side, and he covered him more than once. TJ was covered by Hobbs, Samuel, Meriweather, Gay, and Baker at different points of the game. Samuel and Hobbs also had some coverage against Chatman.

3-5-CIN 25 (3:54) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass short middle to J.Johnson to CIN 29 for 4 yards (E.Hobbs).
39) C.Palmer pass short left to A.Chatman pushed ob at CIN 33 for 7 yards (E.Hobbs).
2-8-NE 22 (11:48) C.Palmer pass short left to C.Johnson to NE 1 for 21 yards (E.Wilson).
1-1-NE 1 (11:03) C.Palmer pass short middle to T.Houshmandzadeh for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. **Asante's shoe came off, and he couldn't recover in time**
1-10-CIN 37 (3:38) C.Palmer pass short middle to A.Chatman to CIN 46 for 9 yards (A.Samuel).
1-10-NE 39 (2:06) C.Palmer pass deep middle to C.Johnson to NE 21 for 18 yards (A.Samuel).
2-9-NE 20 (1:22) C.Palmer pass deep middle intended for C.Johnson INTERCEPTED by A.Samuel at NE 2.
2-10-CIN 20 (14:56) C.Palmer pass short middle to T.Houshmandzadeh to CIN 32 for 12 yards (E.Wilson) [M.Vrabel].
1-10-CIN 34 (7:46) C.Palmer pass short middle to T.Houshmandzadeh to CIN 44 for 10 yards (R.Gay) [T.Warren].
2-23-CIN 47 (6:12) C.Palmer pass deep right to T.Houshmandzadeh ran ob at NE 30 for 23 yards. **this is Samuel's side, but I can't remember if he had coverage on this play**
2-6-NE 26 (4:57) C.Palmer pass short middle to T.Houshmandzadeh to NE 22 for 4 yards (A.Samuel).
1-10-CIN 20 (12:56) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass incomplete deep left to C.Johnson.
1-10-CIN 40 (12:33) C.Palmer pass short right to T.Houshmandzadeh to CIN 45 for 5 yards (R.Gay).
2-5-CIN 45 (12:05) C.Palmer pass short middle to C.Johnson pushed ob at NE 41 for 14 yards (B.Meriweather).
1-15-NE 46 (11:21) C.Palmer pass incomplete to T.Houshmandzadeh. **I believe this was Meriweather in coverage**
2-15-NE 46 (11:15) C.Palmer pass to T.Houshmandzadeh to NE 39 for 7 yards (B.Meriweather).
3-8-NE 39 (10:39) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass incomplete short left to C.Johnson (E.Hobbs).
4-8-NE 39 (10:33) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass short middle to T.Houshmandzadeh to NE 29 for 10 yards (R.Baker).
1-10-NE 29 (10:06) T.Houshmandzadeh right end to NE 30 for -1 yards (B.Meriweather). Lateral from C.Palmer
3-11-NE 30 (9:17) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass incomplete short right to A.Chatman (A.Samuel).
1-10-CIN 24 (3:12) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass short middle to T.Houshmandzadeh to CIN 41 for 17 yards (R.Baker).
1-10-CIN 41 (2:44) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass short middle intended for T.Houshmandzadeh INTERCEPTED by R.Gay at NE 47.

 

[cartmen]

well than that makes EH look even better if it was Asante's coverage on the TD. I dont know what people are talking about the Patriots lead the league in QB rating against. For the exception of Addai and Parrish can you name one memorable TD throw an opposing QB/WR has had this year?

 

[sebman2112]

If the ball was underthrown and Hobbs was in perfect coverage, then why didn't he turn when the receiver looked back for the ball? He should have made the adjustment. But whatever, the Pats won and Hobbs might be the only thing close to what some might call a liability out there.

He did try to recover, but he slipped, and fell down. That's a mistake on Hobbs part, but it's a little different. Just like Asante's shoe coming off when TJ scored the TD against him vs the Bengals. He tried to recover, but he couldn't get to TJ in time. Stuff like that happens. Hobbs isn't a liability either. Remember, Ellis has only given up one receiving TD so far this season.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

People who apparently don't know better want to compare what he is doing this season to what Asante did last season. Trouble with that sort of comparison is it's apples and oranges. Ellis is in his 3rd season. Asante was in his 4th, and didn't really shine btw until the second half of that 4th season. Last year they threw at Asante because Hobbs was perceived as the better of the two entering 2006 (he struggled at times with a wrist in a cast but I doubt Bill plays Asante with one...) and Asante was coming off a poor 3rd season. Asante capitalized on that having worked on his hands in the offseason and managed 10 picks. 6 of which btw came courtesy of two erratic interception machines in Culpepper and Grossman. This year they are not throwing at Asante as much because of his 2006 buzz that netted him a franchise tag. Hobbs is doing a good job when the zebras don't F with him, but because he isn't a ballhawking pick machine AT LEAST YET, which is the sexy thing to be as a corner, he not only gets less attention here he gets dissed.

Hobbs is a better athlete than Asante, which is why he is our primary returner on KO. He is better in man coverage and Asante is more suited to zone from where he can jump routes. They are both very good corners who suit this system, which this year in particular is defending substantial leads by halftime. I don't think either are in that Champ Bailey/Ty Law impact mold, which is why Asante will never break the bank here. Here the money will go into linemen who pass block well or get consistent pressure on opponents while containing the run, and maybe now to receivers who make any defenders job on this team easier. Bill has a pretty good track record drafting corners who can be coached up to play sufficiently well behind an outstanding front 7.

They have somewhat different skill sets, but Hobbs is one, and so is Asante...and when healthy Gay appears to be one too. And if in fact I'm faced with a situation where I have to leave one of them on an island in man, Asante is still my third choice.

If we keep this offense in tact for a couple of years, we aren't going to need the kind of shut down corner who should command $8-10M per. We just need good corners who consistently do their job as coached. Ellis is certainly that and more. And the nit picking needs to stop because even Ty Law and Champ Bailey get/got burned as well as beat some of the time because other teams actually do have some talent they are paying well for. Some fans can't be happy unless we not only put up 40+ points but simultaneously shut everyone out.

 

[PatsFan37]

Good post, MLR. Hobbs is a personal favorite of mine because he's a gritty player who can run with speed receivers and doesn't shy from contact with big TEs. That doesn't mean he doesn't get bowled over in the running game -- because he lacks size, he probably needs to improve his techniques in blocking and tackling.

He's a good athlete, fast and quick and a good leaper. He can work on his hands, on his reads, on his techniques and he has the upside that lesser athletes don't have. This is a guy who will get better every year.