Ellis Hobbs - Duane Starks in disguise

[E Belichick Unum]

It is good to see Ellis Hobbs is at least consistent, then when he gets cut we won't have to search for a reason why. The Bucks threw at him 5 times on the first drive, all complete. On every play Ellis wasn't even in the picture when the pass was thrown.

Has he come out and told us that he was playing hurt all preseason yet?

 

[wdkantro2]

I tried to mention that in the game thread yesterday but got ripped
I agree.

 

[Deus Irae]

Hobbs is the team's #1 cornerback. Learn to deal with that.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

I don't think Hobbs is very good either. A lot of people stick up for this guy, kind of like how I stick up for Chad Jackson. All of the passes that were thrown to him were towards the sidelines that were no more than 5 yards. I don't understand how none of those passes on that first drive were not picked off and taken to the house. Griese b****ed out and did his best impression of Chad Pennington. Fernando Bryant doesn't look very good either. I'm really starting to fear that this defense is going to look a lot like the '05 defense.

In the end, it's pretty scary that Hobbs is the Pats #1 corner when he would be a #2 or #3 on most teams. The guy is always falling down when covering guys and says afterwards that he is nursing an injury. I know it's not the end of the world if the Pats defense isn't good, but it sure looks like the secondary is going to be a major weakness and the cause of the Pats losing games like in '05.

 

[mdhprime]

It is good to see Ellis Hobbs is at least consistent, then when he gets cut we won't have to search for a reason why. The Bucks threw at him 5 times on the first drive, all complete. On every play Ellis wasn't even in the picture when the pass was thrown.

Has he come out and told us that he was playing hurt all preseason yet?

If I remember correctly every one getting thrown at was letting the receiver catch the ball, not just Hobbs. That and the lack of QB pressure and the defense was a bit painful to watch. The only secondary plus I can recall from the game was Spann seemed to be in on a lot of tackles and making them (unlike the rest of the defense, Mayo aside.) I think we have to remember that Hobbs actually had surgery, he obviously was not faking an injury and he missed a lot of camp. Give him some time to get up to speed.

 

[wdkantro2]

Hobbs is the team's #1 cornerback. Learn to deal with that.

This is what I don't understand. Why is everyone fine with our #1 CB being terrible??

 

[mdhprime]

This is what I don't understand. Why is everyone fine with our #1 CB being terrible??

He is not terrible. He is a good corner who has played consistently well until suffering the injury. Give him some time to come back. We still have two more preseason games to go.

 

[rusH1023]

Hobbs is the team's #1 cornerback. Learn to deal with that.

Nope. I won't. I hope they play Wheatley and Bryant over him, just so you have to deal with it.

 

[JackBauer]

Sorry, there's just not a big enough sample size to judge whether Hobbs can be effective or not as the team's #1 CB. Of course, all it takes in here is one preseason game and, surprise, there's wailing and gnashing of teeth in here, right down to the overwrought prognostications of a 2005 redux. I'm sure the reaction in 2004 was similar when we got slaughtered by the Bengals in the preseason before going 14-2 in the regular season.

The entire defense has looked bad. I can only hope for a "Vince Wilfork -- Steve Martin in disguise" thread.

 

[JackBauer]

This is what I don't understand. Why is everyone fine with our #1 CB being terrible??

Because not everyone agrees with your assessment. Shocker, I know.

 

[Pats726]

The chicken littles are running around...watch out!!!

 

[cavtroop]

You guys need to go read the thread (game recap) started by BOX_O_ROCKS. It talks about the Cover 2/Cover 3, and why one side of the field (Hobbs side in this case) is vulnerable to the hitch route, and why the coaches like it that way.

 

[E Belichick Unum]

In the end, it's pretty scary that Hobbs is the Pats #1 corner when he would be a #2 or #3 on most teams. The guy is always falling down when covering guys and says afterwards that he is nursing an injury. I know it's not the end of the world if the Pats defense isn't good, but it sure looks like the secondary is going to be a major weakness and the cause of the Pats losing games like in '05.

This is the problem with a bad secondary on this team; people have been able to run up the middle on this team for a couple of years now. If we don't have corners that can cover, even a little, and the linebackers have to sag into the middle to stop the run, the CB's have to cover man on man and it looks like they can't do that. If the linebackers have to support the pass, then the opponent tears up the middle of the defense, the middle that the linebackers have left open to support pass coverage.

Assante was an OK cover guy who liked to take chances. Hobbs is a poor cover guy who doesn't/can't stay close to the reciever. It seemed pretty obvious last night that Tampa was focused on Ellis, and it is equally obvious that Ellis failed badly. Ellis came up small in the Super Bowl and came up smaller last night. I know it is only pre season, but the trend of Ellis watching helplessly as a reciever catches a pass for another first down seems to be continuing into this season.

I lived through bad Patriots teams, it wasn't fun. A bad secondary will turn a 13-3 or 14-2 team into an 8-8 team in a hurry. It isn't Ellis' fault he can't play, but the team has to do something to replace him in a hurry.

 

[Jimke]

If the Patriot's linebackers are not able to put pressure on the

quarterback, all our defensive backs are going to look like Duane

Starks.

 

[JackBauer]

It isn't Ellis' fault he can't play, but the team has to do something to replace him in a hurry.

How much do you want to bet they don't?

 

[E Belichick Unum]

He is not terrible. He is a good corner who has played consistently well until suffering the injury. Give him some time to come back. We still have two more preseason games to go.

Just ask him and he will tell you all about being hurt and how it wasn't his fault he was 10 yards off of the reciever in the Super bowl.

 

[JackBauer]

Just ask him and he will tell you all about being hurt and how it wasn't his fault he was 10 yards off of the reciever in the Super bowl.

He was hurt. This isn't up for dispute.

 

[Garbanza]

Nope. I won't. I hope they play Wheatley and Bryant over him, just so you have to deal with it.

If you actually watched the game last night you would know that Bryant was significantly worse than Hobbs.

What I want to know is why all the DB's play sooooo far off the receivers. It's the Patriot way and I hate it.

 

[E Belichick Unum]

The chicken littles are running around...watch out!!!

It has nothing to do with the sky falling, only Ellis falling down. He wasn't close last night, and he wasn't close in the Super Bowl.

I wouldn't get too close to Ellis anytime soon, you hands could get burnt.

 

[wdkantro2]

You guys need to go read the thread (game recap) started by BOX_O_ROCKS. It talks about the Cover 2/Cover 3, and why one side of the field (Hobbs side in this case) is vulnerable to the hitch route, and why the coaches like it that way.

I have read it and I understand it. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think the goal of our defense is to allow a completion on every play.
Everyone needs to stop thinking the other poster is automatically being ridiculous and extreme. I'm not saying we aren't going to win a game with Hobbs at CB. I'm just saying if you look at how strong the rest of our team is, it's pretty obvious (and has been since 2005) that the CB position is the weakest part of the defense.