Analysis of the starting D in game 4

[PatsFan37]

From Eric McHugh, whose blog should be on your short list.

This analyzes the 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 9th plays in the drive, all running plays that went for ridiculous yardage.

At fault: Bruschi, Mayo, Warren, Vrabel, Woods, Seymour, Bryant, Harrison, Sanders.

I guess that means Wilfork and Hobbs either played well or didn't have the opportunity to screw up. Which is a problem for DWToys, since he only gets to pound on one of the players he loves to hate.

My opinion on the TD where Bryant ushered Johnson into the EZ -- Bryant makes the team and gets his paycheck guaranteed as long as he doesn't get injured in the preseason. He'll play much harder against the Chiefs.

 

[bradmahn]

Was Bryant this blatantly bad in run support in the other preseason games?

If he's a liability there, he won't make this team.

 

[PatsFan37]

Was Bryant this blatantly bad in run support in the other preseason games?

If he's a liability there, he won't make this team.

Don't single out Bryant. Harrison missed a tackle. Sanders blatantly missed the tackle that led to the TD. Woods read pass on a run and took himself out of the play. They all screwed up.

Let's wait for the real games. Belichick wouldn't have signed him if he sucked at run support. He's got film.

 

[bradmahn]

Don't single out Bryant. Harrison missed a tackle. Sanders blatantly missed the tackle that led to the TD. Woods read pass on a run and took himself out of the play. They all screwed up.

Let's wait for the real games. Belichick wouldn't have signed him if he sucked at run support. He's got film.

There's no waiting for the real games when you're trying to speculate on what happens before the real games are played.

Harrison and Sanders have shown they can play for Belichick and have shown they can do it well. Woods isn't asked to be a starting player needing to have the ability to defend both aspects of the opponent's offense.

Bryant hasn't proven he can play here in prior seasons and is fighting for a starting corner job. He's never been used as a nickel back and doesn't seem to have the ability to play there. I did specifically ask if others had noticed deficiencies in defending the run during previous games, so it's not just about the poor reports from last night's.

If he has struggled to defend the run in the other games as well, I don't think he'll make the team.

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

I have been wondering this for a while and didn't know which thread it best fit into, I guess here is as good a place as any...

There has been a lot of shoddy tackling in the preseason games. Attribute it to what you will. My question is this, is it abnormal for a team to have practiced as much in pads as this team has this preseason and struggle tackling so much? Are they mutually exclusive?

I ask because the times I saw them practice, I saw good, hard form tackling and expected it to translate into the games. I just don't want such things to become a habit, I guess.