Belichick addresses a Weakness...

This offseason kinda reminds me of the 2007 offseason and not just because he brought back many of the players from 2007. Belichick could taste Super Bowl victory and lost it just short in both years. In both years, Belichick made a lot of solid but not marquee level moves (other than Adalius Thomas) to address holes.

patsfaninpittsburgh said:

Did you bother to watch the playoffs like patsfaninpittsburgh? or are you just so devoted and blinded by your opinion you refuse to accept the totality and reality of everything?

Consistent and clutch stops? LOL

Any concept of what that means? Apparently not because any balance shows in the second half the first three Giant drives with one off an INT were like really...truly, consistent and clutch stops. All that was required was one drive to close the game out.

never happened.

Why not actually watch the Baltimore game? Baltimore held to a FG after the Woodhead kickoff fumble and then.....nothing. Couple that with a Spikes INT that provided the offense with a gift chance to close the game out and......well......clutch.

Ofcourse, why is this suprising when it's so easy to dismiss Denver as Denver when the week before they put up 30 points on the "#1" Pittsburgh defense?

Only in the unicorn herd.

Would you prefer the 49er defense?

When given the chance to hold on a 3rd and 15, they allowed a 17 yard TD pass by Manning that allowed the game to go to OTand lose.

<choke>, <choke>, <choke>.....What does Harbaugh need to do to get a defense that can make a stop?

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Like I said, the defense performed okay compared to what our expectations were of them. They benefitted from an unusually light road to the SB in terms of opposing QB's. If you want to get excited over them holding a mediocre Ravens offense to 20 points and 400 yards go ahead. You can point to a few specific stops and it was a decent effort overall but they had some issues stopping even Flacco throughout the game. I'm not sure why you bring up the Giants scoring in 2 out of 3 possessions to start the 2nd half as 'making stops'. And the Steelers defense was depleted when they got Tebowed, you want to act like Tebow putting up 300 yards in the air is the norm, even against some of the worst defenses he's faced? Tebow in round 2 was a very favorable draw.

Your 49er example is a good one. No defense is impregnable. In fact our best defense of all time in 2003 got lit up at the worst time possible. Which goes to my earlier argument that you can't depend solely on your strength. Balance wins, and having a pass defense ranked among the worst in NFL history is an imbalance that requires more attention than a #3 TE being added to an already elite offense. If you're comfortable entering the next few seasons with the 2011 defense that's fine, but I and apparently BB as well judging by the draft and early FA additions know that's not case.

patsfaninpittsburgh said:

I'd reread your post.

PATSYLICIOUS not patsfaninpittsburgh said the Giants "did what they wanted".

patsfaninpittsburgh assumes you post things you believe.

patsfaninpittsburgh posts things he knows to be correct.

For patsfaninpittsburgh to accept your deep seated belief.....

patsfaninpittsburgh needs some verification.

Why do you think that patsfaninpittsburgh knew the very first move made in the offseason would be to sign a marginal TE?

patsfaninpittsburgh knows BB tried to sign Fells in 2010. Why?

What does patsfaninpittsburgh and BB know to be true? Are they both genius in that they understand a two TE based offense is not going to be as good with like..........one TE?

patsfaninpittsburgh isn't out hunting unicorns with "getting off the field" but was busy watching football in 2011.

That simple exercise allowed patsfaninpittsburgh to make conclusions on things that were obviously obvious.

Looks like Bill Belichick did the exact same thing.

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Off The Grid thinks that patsfaninpittsburgh's cheese has slid off his cracker.

patsfaninpittsburgh said:

<choke>, <choke>, <choke>.....What does Harbaugh need to do to get a defense that can make a stop?

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Maybe he needs to switch defenses with the other Harbaugh.

I'm not too sure you get too far bashing either Harbaugh for their defense in 2011. Both were superb. San Francisco and Baltimore were #3 and #4 in yards allowed per game and #2 and #3 in points allowed per game.

(The 2011 Patriots? Not so good: 31st in YPG and 15 in PPG.)

goheels22002 said:

Maybe he needs to switch defenses with the other Harbaugh.

I'm not too sure you get too far bashing either Harbaugh for their defense in 2011. Both were superb. San Francisco and Baltimore were #3 and #4 in yards allowed per game and #2 and #3 in points allowed per game.

(The 2011 Patriots? Not so good: 31st in YPG and 15 in PPG.)

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Ofcourse patsfaninpittsburgh gets far.

That's the point. Actual events that don't jive with the initial drivel have to be marginalized if it disproves why the concept is nonsense.

If someone is going to show up and complain about a defense that "doesn't get stops", who exactly does "get stops"?

If your mind, why is SF so excellent when a loss in an NFCCG can be attributed to blowing a 3rd/15 play for a TD?

That's clutch, that's excellent? The most important play to be clutch and <choke>, <choke>, <choke>........

Here are some exercises for you.

Baltimore and New England both played two overlapping "quality" opponent.

Infact, they both played back to back weeks in Pittsburgh. Go back and actually see what both defenses accomplished.

Who was so clutch, they blew a double digit 4th quarter lead?

Both teams played San Diego. How did that work out for the "elite" defense?

Interesting to see your "explanation".

patsfaninpittsburgh said:

Ofcourse patsfaninpittsburgh gets far.

That's the point. Actual events that don't jive with the initial drivel have to be marginalized if it disproves why the concept is nonsense.

If someone is going to show up and complain about a defense that "doesn't get stops", who exactly does "get stops"?

If your mind, why is SF so excellent when a loss in an NFCCG can be attributed to blowing a 3rd/15 play for a TD?

That's clutch, that's excellent? The most important play to be clutch and <choke>, <choke>, <choke>........

Here are some exercises for you.

Baltimore and New England both played two overlapping "quality" opponent.

Infact, they both played back to back weeks in Pittsburgh. Go back and actually see what both defenses accomplished.

Who was so clutch, they blew a double digit 4th quarter lead?

Both teams played San Diego. How did that work out for the "elite" defense?

Interesting to see your "explanation".

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San Francisco lost the NFC Championship game because of two botched punt returns by Kyle Williams and the Ravens lost the AFC Championship because of a botched FG from the 22 yard line (including their Harbaugh failing to use his last timeout.) Neither team lost because of their defense.

I don't get the fixation with the Steelers game. The Pats defense at that point in the season was awful. No one disputes that. Roethlisberger picked the secondary apart but that was also a game where the pass rush stunk and the Fat Albert Haynesworth experiment was unraveling.

The Pats defense evolved considerably last season. By the the last four games and the playoffs, it was a different unit in the defensive backfield and the front seven came together. Points per game plummeted. I am very optimistic about this season drawing on the end of 2011 and the new guys - both FAs and draft picks.

AndyJohnson said:

It looks like you drew a conclusion then searched for some evidence to fill in.
I don't really see any of the points you made as convincing.
It seems to me that BB recognizes he has the GOAT QB and intends to put as much of the impact on winning as possible in his hands.
I also think he could care less about statistical rankings.

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No question BB has stocked the offense with players that can do great things with the ball once they get it- and they will get it. Either is be by catching easy passes, making the tough grabs or simply providing a legitimate threat in the running game so that TB has a little more room to operate and less of a pass rush to deal with bearing down on him. All of these moves are designed to provide TB with as much complimentary tools at his disposal but also to aleviate the "its all on TB" mentallity that coaches sometimes have with star players (see the Moss Rule). I don't believe that is the case here. It's all about being able to win in any situation possible. 45-42 or 17-14.

patsfaninpittsburgh said:

Did you bother to watch the playoffs like patsfaninpittsburgh? or are you just so devoted and blinded by your opinion you refuse to accept the totality and reality of everything?

Consistent and clutch stops? LOL

Any concept of what that means? Apparently not because any balance shows in the second half the first three Giant drives with one off an INT were like really...truly, consistent and clutch stops. All that was required was one drive to close the game out.

never happened.

Why not actually watch the Baltimore game? Baltimore held to a FG after the Woodhead kickoff fumble and then.....nothing. Couple that with a Spikes INT that provided the offense with a gift chance to close the game out and......well......clutch.

Ofcourse, why is this suprising when it's so easy to dismiss Denver as Denver when the week before they put up 30 points on the "#1" Pittsburgh defense?

Only in the unicorn herd.

Would you prefer the 49er defense?

When given the chance to hold on a 3rd and 15, they allowed a 17 yard TD pass by Manning that allowed the game to go to OTand lose.

<choke>, <choke>, <choke>.....What does Harbaugh need to do to get a defense that can make a stop?

Click to expand...

I think one of the most important aspects of a Bill Belichick coached defense is its tendency to improve as the season goes on, therefore allowing more exotic and complicated schemes to be implemented, while also showing a "gelling" of sorts as the colder weather approaches and the games truly matter.

The Pittsburgh's and SF's of the world played good defense for the majority of the season, however they got to where they got in a totally different way. In the end, we all know that the highest of rankings/sacks etc, just did not cut it either. Belichick seems to take somewhat of a different approach, attempting some more of a basic look in the beginning, trying some new things throughout the season, and then relying on the "built up" knowledge of the system and its cohesiveness to close out the season when the games really matter.

I am in full agreement that the defense turned it on and became much better during the last 4-6 weeks, and they were indeed 'good enough' to win the SB last year. I am also in full agreement that the defensive performance was very good, and a lot better than I had even hoped for in the SB. For the second SB in a row, and this time against a defense who's ranking was not much better than ours was, let us down by scoring 14-and-17 pts in back to back big games.

The Bernard Pollard unfortunate situation (#3), a questionable play or two on offense here and there, and a very untimely drop by our best WR all contributed to the missed Lombardi way more than the defense, or TOP for that matter, possibly could have.

goheels22002 said:

Maybe he needs to switch defenses with the other Harbaugh.

I'm not too sure you get too far bashing either Harbaugh for their defense in 2011. Both were superb. San Francisco and Baltimore were #3 and #4 in yards allowed per game and #2 and #3 in points allowed per game.

(The 2011 Patriots? Not so good: 31st in YPG and 15 in PPG.)

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See my above response to patsfaninpittsburgh please.

In the end the high rankings of PIT,BAL, and SF just did not get the job done when it mattered, and we were arguably playing just as well on defense, if not even better at times.

The teams take different approaches, but in my mind it's no coincidence that PIT has not won it when the NEP were still around. Sometimes you luck out and gain a better draw in the tournament.

The point is that our defense takes a different approach, and BB did a great job in working with what he had to work with. The situation should not be nearly as dire as last yr on that side of the ball, and you can hopefully enjoy higher rankings throughout the regular season too.

As long as we can get it in the end this time, I don't care if they spend the yr at #1 or #32, as long as they gel like last yr.

goheels22002 said:

The Pats defense evolved considerably last season. By the the last four games and the playoffs, it was a different unit in the defensive backfield and the front seven came together. Points per game plummeted. I am very optimistic about this season drawing on the end of 2011 and the new guys - both FAs and draft picks.

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I'm with you on this. And the full off season to prep should accelerate the process beyond what happened last year.

Stay healthy and this D should be pretty good. Which will give the offense a shorter field and more time to work with, leading to more balance (if they stay healthy, as well).

There are two ways to get your defense to spend less time on the field...

1)Have the offense spend more time on the field.

2)Have a defense that can come up with a stop on 3rd and long

I think there's a lot more evidence for option 2 in this years draft. I like the idea of adding a FB, and continuing to bring in big OLinemen, but I think those additions are more for bringing balance to the Offense (run/pass ratio) than bringing balance to the TOP.

FULLBACK
I do NOT expect a fullback to change the pass/run ratio much, expect to the degree that the run is more of an option in short-yardage and goal-line situation. I would strongly prefer for Brady NOT to be our 1st option on short yardage.

LARGER OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Yes, I also like bigger lineman. HOWEVER, nothing in the choice of lineman should IN ANY WAY detract from the #1 mission of protecting the franchise. Belichick MUST believe that the larger lineman are at least as able at protecting Brady as OL choices might have done. Again bigger lineman should help alot in short yardage and goal-line situations.

BOTTOM LINE
I agree that the pass/run ratio will change some, but that will be primarily as a result of have the better run option in short-yardage, goal line and red zone situations.

Perhaps, our new runners will get the ball more than runners in previous years. That depends on their abilities. HOWEVER, we ARE NOT, and SHOULD NOT BE, a balanced offense. The New England Patriots are a passing team as long as Brady is here.

TB146 said:

.

I like the idea of adding a FB, and continuing to bring in big OLinemen, but I think those additions are more for bringing balance to the Offense (run/pass ratio) than bringing balance to the TOP.

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mgteich said:

FULLBACK
I do NOT expect a fullback to change the pass/run ratio much, expect to the degree that the run is more of an option in short-yardage and goal-line situation. I would strongly prefer for Brady NOT to be our 1st option on short yardage.

LARGER OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Yes, I also like bigger lineman. HOWEVER, nothing in the choice of lineman should IN ANY WAY detract from the #1 mission of protecting the franchise. Belichick MUST believe that the larger lineman are at least as able at protecting Brady as OL choices might have done. Again bigger lineman should help alot in short yardage and goal-line situations.

BOTTOM LINE
I agree that the pass/run ratio will change some, but that will be primarily as a result of have the better run option in short-yardage, goal line and red zone situations.

Perhaps, our new runners will get the ball more than runners in previous years. That depends on their abilities. HOWEVER, we ARE NOT, and SHOULD NOT BE, a balanced offense. The New England Patriots are a passing team as long as Brady is here.

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Good points. And I'm not saying that the pass/run ratio should be 1:1. In fact, I shouldn't have even mentioned the ratio (which was somewhere around 1.7:1 last year). I was referring to what several others (who are much more knowledgeable and articulate than myself) have already said about not becoming predictable in our Offensive play calling. We only need to be "balanced" enough to keep the other team guessing.

And I definitely agree about the FB being for short yardage - I wouldn't mind never seeing Brady QB sneak again. But when you put a FB on the field (especially when you haven't carried one in the last 2 or 3 years) I'd say that would aid the balance (unpredictability) of the offense.

I agree with all that you have posted.

I will add that, for me, a fullback has an additional function, in addition to short yardage. In many situations where FOUR receivers are going downfield (including TE's), I am fine with have a fullback in the backfield as Brady's protector. The fullback is also the dump-off option in this situation. Faulk used to perform this function and much more. As of now, I don't see Brady's protector among our running backs. ONE OF RUNNING BACKS need to be excellent at picking up the blitz!

TB146 said:

Good points. And I'm not saying that the pass/run ratio should be 1:1. In fact, I shouldn't have even mentioned the ratio (which was somewhere around 1.7:1 last year). I was referring to what several others (who are much more knowledgeable and articulate than myself) have already said about not becoming predictable in our Offensive play calling. We only need to be "balanced" enough to keep the other team guessing.

And I definitely agree about the FB being for short yardage - I wouldn't mind never seeing Brady QB sneak again. But when you put a FB on the field (especially when you haven't carried one in the last 2 or 3 years) I'd say that would aid the balance (unpredictability) of the offense.

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