Defenders that have owned the Patriots

primetime · Mar 8, 2015

Basically the answer is Aaron Schobel, Jason Taylor, Darrelle Revis, Shaun Ellis, Kyle Williams, Joey Porter, Nate Clements, John Abraham, Cameron Wake, Takeo Spikes, London Fletcher, Pat Surtain, Sam Madison, Yeremiah Bell, Terrell Suggs, Donnie Edwards, Bryan Thomas, Robert Mathis, Haloti Ngata, Trevor Pryce, Will Smith, and Kyle Williams.

Aside from Pryce, Mathis, Ngata, Edwards, Suggs, and Smith, all of these guys played in the AFC East at one time or another. Porter's notable because he only played in the AFC East at the latter end of his career. Given how much of a tooth and nail fight most AFC East games have been (and divisional games in general), even with the Patriots prevailing in most of them, this shouldn't be a surprise.

There's of course other guys who played extremely well against them in one or two games but did not show up in the counting stats.

glm · Mar 8, 2015

Am I really the first person to say Bernard Pollard?

Patriot Missile · Mar 8, 2015

glm said:
Am I really the first person to say Bernard Pollard?

He has owned seasons and 2 possible Super Bowls. He is a pos and not worthy to be named in the same breath as Schobel,Taylor and Revis as far as skill set.

Gumby · Mar 9, 2015

Don't like the question so much.

I think it is almost impossible for a DEFENSIVE player to OWN another team. The offense has the ball and gets to pick what direction it goes in and can thereby make a single great player irrelevant to any particular play.

More relevant to ask is what d players had to be either accounted for on every single play or dbl-teamed always or both. Ed reed was an accounted for type Jason Taylor a dblteam type. Revis as great as he is, because of his position, doesn't fit either type- he is more a 'takes away half the field type'. But you could generally scheme around him easier than a safety, mlb or DL (who were equally all-time good).

Primetime's list isn't bad except for missing Reed.

Schmo · Mar 9, 2015

Gumby said:
Don't like the question so much.

I think it is almost impossible for a DEFENSIVE player to OWN another team. The offense has the ball and gets to pick what direction it goes in and can thereby make a single great player irrelevant to any particular play.

More relevant to ask is what d players had to be either accounted for on every single play or dbl-teamed always or both. Ed reed was an accounted for type Jason Taylor a dblteam type. Revis as great as he is, because of his position, doesn't fit either type- he is more a 'takes away half the field type'. But you could generally scheme around him easier than a safety, mlb or DL (who were equally all-time good).

Primetime's list isn't bad except for missing Reed.

In the process of becoming great, a player will put up big numbers/have big games. BB shuts these players down on a consistent basis. My original post was to find out how often great players can sustain their level of play against BBs gameplanning. Thank you for the recommendation, but I'm not interested in a list of players that have had to be "accounted for".

jays52 · Mar 9, 2015

primetime said:
Every player with 2+ INTs in the Belichick era (note the surprising number of LBs), I bolded active guys and asterisked current free agents and italicized players who played for the Patriots:

Nate Clements 4
Antoine Bethea 3
Sammy Knight 3
Takeo Spikes 3
Greg Wesley 3
Deon Grant 3
Charles Tillman 2*
Victor Green 2
London Fletcher 2
Eric Brown 2
Donnie Edwards 2
Vontae Davis 2
Bob Sanders 2
Aaron Glenn 2
James Darling 2
Cato June 2
Antonio Cromartie 2*
Denard Walker 2
Patrick Surtain 2
Darren Sharper 2
Deltha O'Neal 2
Darrelle Revis 2*
Mike Adams 2*
Jason Taylor 2
Bryant Westbrook 2
Nick Harper 2

These lists are both awesome (thank you!) and incredible proof of Dunbar's Number.

Gumby · Mar 9, 2015

Schmo said:
In the process of becoming great, a player will put up big numbers/have big games. BB shuts these players down on a consistent basis. My original post was to find out how often great players can sustain their level of play against BBs gameplanning. Thank you for the recommendation, but I'm not interested in a list of players that have had to be "accounted for".

Sorry to offend your sensibilities on the semantics, but from your op,

Schmo said:
?.......

Anyways, I got to thinking about Ngata, Suh, Mario Williams, Watt, and that BB and Brady hardly flinch when it comes to gameplanning around such players. So, what defensive players have given us fits in the Belichick Era, in single games or throughout their careers?

I'll start with Revis.

It sounds an awful lot like you were asking for a list. You even started one.

But, If you actually were looking for analysis, I gave you some of that. More clarification...While revis is great, I wouldn't put him on any list of being able to 'sustain giving BB fits' because a CB position is to darn easy to offensively scheme around, he plays too far away from the ball. Ed reed however, was someone who played away but could roam so he consistently gave bb fits. Pretty much have to stick with AFCE teams or dolts-rat birds-squeelers besides reed as they just didn't see the rest that often. Leaves you with Taylor, Schoebel, polamalu MAYBE, .......?

So at end of day, Patriots beat those teams with those great players (and some quite consistently ) so the ultimate answer is NOBODY. At least not thru great play alone. They need great coaching/game-planning on their team and not just great individual play, because of the complexity (basic nature) of the nfl (as I said) that offense can scheme to avoid that singular great defender.

Schmo · Mar 9, 2015

Gumby said:
Sorry to offend your sensibilities on the semantics, but from your op,

It sounds an awful lot like you were asking for a list. You even started one.

But, If you actually were looking for analysis, I gave you some of that. More clarification...While revis is great, I wouldn't put him on any list of being able to 'sustain giving BB fits' because a CB position is to darn easy to offensively scheme around, he plays too far away from the ball. Ed reed however, was someone who played away but could roam so he consistently gave bb fits. Pretty much have to stick with AFCE teams or dolts-rat birds-squeelers besides reed as they just didn't see the rest that often. Leaves you with Taylor, Schoebel, polamalu MAYBE, .......?

So at end of day, Patriots beat those teams with those great players (and some quite consistently ) so the ultimate answer is NOBODY. At least not thru great play alone. They need great coaching/game-planning on their team and not just great individual play, because of the complexity (basic nature) of the nfl (as I said) that offense can scheme to avoid that singular great defender.

Thank you for realizing you misread.

meatface · Mar 9, 2015

I know Brady and Belichick always hated playing Ed Reed

SEA_Pat · Mar 9, 2015

Current players who seem to play well against us whom we face often are:

Muhummed Wilkerson.
Lardarius Webb.
Marcel Dareus.
Paul Kruger.

Others who played well against us whom we don't face so often include:

Michael Bennett.
Justin Tuck.
Osi Omenyiora.

FourierSeries · Mar 9, 2015

Schmo said:
I live in denver, and broncos fans are a different kind of stupid (the whole Elway, drag-a-woman-around-by-her-hair 'brand' makes me sick) . Miller is another example of a great player that turns invisible when he faces us. I loved the segment that was done with Gronk highlighting the play where Miller got destroyed 1-on-1 out wide.

JJ Watt, interestingly enough, is another player that is invisible when he plays us.

stephens44 · Mar 10, 2015

Schmo said:
So, what defensive players have given us fits in the Belichick Era, in single games or throughout their careers?

I have one....

juny · Mar 10, 2015

JMC00 said:
Completely invisible the last time.

True, but more often than not, he is a major pain vs the Pats.

sb1 · Mar 10, 2015

Schobel is at or very close to #1 without a question. I know the Patriots had some interest in bringing him in a few years ago... that would have been fun to see. Taylor is up there as well.

Also have to go with Justin Tuck being up on the list for obvious reasons...

condon84 · Mar 10, 2015

letekro said:
No love for Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain?

That duo used to give Brady such a tough time. There was a 2 year stretch that I thought Surtain was the best cover corner in football. And that was when Champ and Law were in their prime.

vyrago · Mar 10, 2015

nabwong said:
Jason Taylor. I'm glad he's retired.

I hoped for years that he would play for the Pats.

sb1 · Mar 10, 2015

Reggie White

mikey m · Mar 10, 2015

Sergio brown. The guy "put straps on" Gronk. Whatever that means

1960Pats · Mar 10, 2015

TheFlyingWedge said:
Terrance Knighton owned our O-line in the afc championship last season - unfortunately, he'll probably be out of our price range to sign as a free agent.

I just got through reading a little on him after reading a few posts in this thread. He'd be a perfect pickup for the Pats.

1960Pats · Mar 10, 2015

FourierSeries said:
JJ Watt, interestingly enough, is another player that is invisible when he plays us.

He still gets his late hits in on Brady.

Defenders that have owned the Patriots

Pro Bowl Player

In the Starting Line-Up

Pro Bowl Player

In the Starting Line-Up

In the Starting Line-Up

PatsFans.com Supporter

In the Starting Line-Up

In the Starting Line-Up

Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract

Rotational Player and Threatening Starter's Job

Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract

On the Game Day Roster

Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract

PatsFans.com Retired Jersey Club

Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract

In the Starting Line-Up

PatsFans.com Retired Jersey Club

2nd Team Getting Their First Start

PatsFans.com Supporter

PatsFans.com Supporter

Similar threads