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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.Looking at how defences have changed. It seems to be that the 3-4 D is dead. D wins the SB and it has been 10 years since the Pats held the Lombardi. It may be time to start adopting a D that looks more the like the SB Giants/Seahawks rather than the the Pats have been playing.
Thoughts?
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Asante and Welker each catch a pass and we win 2 SB in that time. It's way too simplistic to say we haven't won since 2004 - although it is true.D wins the SB and it has been 10 years since the Pats held the Lombardi.
Ah. Much better.
I know... Pats do no wrong....questioning BB is sacrilege......the Pats D is always awesome....Manning's jersey was dirtied in the AFC Championship Game....yada yada
Foam Fingers Unite!!
The Patriots defensive system works best with experienced players, how much experience is on the defensive side of the ball? Once these guys actually gel and get a feel for each other, the Patriots defensive will improve greatly.
That and stay healthy.
Ah. Much better.
Q. Year after year we continue to see the best defensive team win the Super Bowl, yet our offseasons here in New England have been a pulsating lament about Tom Brady's lack of weapons. Enough! In the AFC title game Brady got the ball for eight drives (14 times the week before) and the Pats D stopped the Broncos ONCE (the one where the national anthem was still playing I think). If Brady gets the ball 10 times instead of eight the game changes dramatically, the weapons he has prove to be good enough and maybe New England is in the Super Bowl to face Seattle instead of the Broncos. Until the focus returns to a tough, physical, deep, talented defense we will all continue to fool ourselves into thinking Brady's lack of weapons stopped his Super Bowl ring collection. Doesn't Bill Belichick and staff see this? -- Dean (Rumford, Maine)
A. I think they do, Dean. Look at the significant investments they've made on that side of the ball in recent years -- the last four top draft picks were all on defense: defensive end Chandler Jones, linebacker Dont'a Hightower, linebacker Jamie Collins and safety Tavon Wilson. They extended the contracts of linebacker Jerod Mayo and defensive end Rob Ninkovich at significant dollars. They paid cornerback Aqib Talib at a high-end rate. I think there is solid personnel here and I expect more talent to be added to the mix in 2014. The question I have, and I don't really have an answer for it because it's at a level of X's and O's outside my box, is whether the scheme is the best fit for the personnel based on the way the game is played today. Pressuring opposing quarterbacks is critical and I wouldn't classify the Patriots' approach as a pressure D.
Q. Very impressed with Seattle's defensive ends. How do the Patriots defensive ends compare? Would you switch? -- Bob (Manchester, N.H.)
A. Bob, on the surface it seems like it's like comparing footballs to soccer balls because the ends are used in different ways. I'd be interested in a tape study that compares how the Seattle defensive ends were utilized in the Super Bowl compared to how the Patriots ends were utilized in the AFC Championship Game (I'll put it on the list and hope to get to it at some point). My initial sense is that we'd see the Patriots ends doing more chipping and sacrificing their initial rush to disrupt the timing of the passing game that way, whereas the Seahawks relied on the ends (coupled with physical play on receivers) to generate a rush to create that initial disruption. If the tape study confirmed that, it would reflect my perception of a difference in defensive philosophy between the clubs. I think Patriots defensive ends Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich are good players that any team would want. So I want to learn more about how they are being utilized in comparison to how a trend-setting defense like the Seahawks might utilize them.
Every defense plays a mix of 'attack' and 'react' schemes, its just the proportion that varies by game plan, and philosophy.We have been "multiple", to use BB's term, for some time, and haven't really run a predominant 3-4 since 2009 or 2010. However, we do tend to run a "read and react" defense, and reacting quickly enough to offenses to be effective is difficult. Attacking them and disrupting them seems to have somewhat more success these days. Whether that's a failure of personnel or of approach is something that I'm not sure can be answered, but the 3-4 teams that have had success recently all play a more aggressive and disruptive approach then BB does. The Pats use many of the same hybrid principles that the Seattle defense does, but are no where near as aggressive in their approach. Again, whether that's the problem, or it's more one of lack of adequate players, injury attrition, or poor fundamentals (tackling) is hard to say.
The patriots' version of "sit back and let them get first down after first down/ bend but don't break" should be dead. Hopefully.
Hopefully BB has learned something from an aggressive defense that makes things happen. No sitting back in zone and letting the QB rip 10 to 15 yard passes of at his leisure. So pathetic. Today's QBs are too accurate to concede 10 yard pass plays.
Manning didn't break a sweat in the AFCCG and in the Superbowl Seattle broke him.
How many 5'9-5'10 zone corners did he draft in the 2nd and 3rd rounds? Butler? Wilhite? Wheatley? None of whom like to hit. Meanwhile Seattle takes an all pro in the 6th round! Not just a lucky pick, they can coach people up apparently. Pats seem to coach people down. Teach them not to look for the ball...wouldn't want to give up a long pass. So instead they concede passes unless a safety happens to be there. And get ripped to shreds by accurate QBs.
I didn't say I could educate him. I said his defenses are passive and they suck. Even a blind homer would acknowledge that.Maybe you should write a letter to Belechick and invite him over so you can educate him about defense.