Some of you need to remove the Koolaid I.V. from your veins. McCourty's not Thomas. He's not better than Thomas. He's not as good as Thomas. He's not right behind Thomas. And the stat stuff is embarrassing.
Here is DI at his typical pontificating best. Like a pronouncement from on high. There is no need to provide data, stats or pictures to back up one's position like Kontra and B6 have done. No, need for the "football God" whose ego is a big as Jerry Jones'. If he states it, it is fact...and anyone who doesn't agree with him is either a overt homer or latent idiot...or both.
Like I said earlier, trying to directly compare individual players, from different systems and talent pools is a fools errand. Unless you are a coach with complete knowledge of the players, systems, alignments, motion adjustments pre-snap adjustments, post-snap reactions and individual responsibilities for each play; you are really just making an anecdotal subjective opinion.
Its one thing to make opposing positions like Kontra and B6 and others have done and use whatever subjective data you can find to support your position. Its another to make pronouncements without offering anything but your own feelings, yet present it as if it were the only true reality.
When it comes right down to it, I wouldn't have any issue with DI's OPINION if he simply started his comment with the phrase, "I think...."
Other thoughts on this last page:
1. I don't think any team these days just plays 2 deep safeties any more. Just as I'm sure no one is just playing a single high safety exclusively either. So it should be no surprise to find evidence that Thomas played in 2 deep coverages, just like McCourty. (as well as visa versa). The question then becomes how often teams were in different coverages. And I'm not sure that even a rabid fan with the all 22 package can fully determine the actual coverage, since teams will be working hard to show one thing pre-snap to QB's and rotate into something else based on formation, down and distance, or design.
2. We all think o Seattle as being a basic press man secondary. So it was surprising to learn that they were predominantly in a match up zone for most of the superbowl. For all the talk of the transitioning of NFL teams to more man coverages, it would still seem the best way to combat these elite passing offenses is with physical zone coverages. It's what Rex Ryan used to stop the Pats in the 2010 playoffs, and what BB used to stop "the greatest show on turf". Don't dismiss the zone concepts yet.
3. I think that the reality is now, that offenses have become so sophisticated and complex, that under the current rules, defenses simply can no longer physically stop them if they are executed well. The ONLY hope defenses really have now is to screw up that execution by disguising their intentions and creating doubt in the QB's and receivers.
4. In this reality position flexibility becomes a huge weapon in the hands of a creative DC.
5. So in the end it really doesn't matter much if McCourty is the best safety, the 3rd best safety, or the 15th best safety. Watching the 2014 version of the Pats secondary is going to be very very interesting. At least to this very amateur observer at least. Interesting enough that I will be investing in the "all 22" this season, just so I'll have a little better idea of what they are trying to do.
