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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.I was about to blast you for it as well but then I re-read your post and said to myself, "nobody could be that stupid", then figured it was sarcasm.
You should enjoy this abuse, oops I mean argument ......It was a product of my Scottish education, classic British understatement and slight obtuseness. Will be more direct and clear next time
I'm not sure how you've never seen either of these guys in coverage, but you should watch them every once in a while. Spikes, on the other hand, is a disaster in coverage.
Unfortunately for the New England Patriots defense, the numbers are trending downward:Glad to know that we don't have the worse defense in the league.
I admit that the Pats defense hasn't looked good, but they really are very young. One game at a time is the way our team looks at things. Too bad that we can't.
I admit that the Pats defense hasn't looked good, but they really are very young. One game at a time is the way our team looks at things. Too bad that we can't.
I'm in complete denial
I still firmly believe that this defense has a lot of potential. Belichick's plan has always been to prepare for the future. Last week our defensive backfield had less than seven years experience between them. It featured two starting rookies in Tavon Wilson and Alfonzo Dennard. DMac was at Safety (where he looked out of place, but still better than Chung) and Arrington was his usual "where am I" self.
Unfortunately for the New England Patriots defense, the numbers are trending downward:
FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | 2012 DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY RATINGS
So now it's the linebackers... we must be the only team with such poor linebacking then.... to think, our linebacking is so bad that it's causing our secondary to look like the worst secondary in the NFL. I'm sure on any other NFL team our secondary is just dandy. In fact, I'll bet our linebacking core would cause Revis to constantly be burned...
Nope, sorry folks, not buying it. If our secondary requires our linebackers to play perfect technique or we get burned for 30 yards a play, then why don't other secondaries get burned like ours? Face it, the secondary sucks.
Here's the reality. Our secondary sucks so bad that any minor mistake from a linebacker or lack of pressure from our line creates an overwhelming situation that our secondary can not recover from. Unlike other secondaries that can survive a couple of mistakes, ours can not. They suck plain and simple. Put anyone at safety or cornerback in that group and you still have crap.
Some posters on this message board lack perspective or are in complete denial.
I think the point is more that the two units don't seem to compliment each other. The LBs are all on the big and slow side of things and do much better in zone coverage. The DBs, outside of McCourty, seem to struggle making the reads necessary to play zone effectively. This is further exasperated by the fact that the LBs need DB help covering most TEs and the CBs need help covering any deep threats. The DB unit is clearly the worse of the two since they really don't seem to excel at anything, but a group of speedy backers that were better in coverage could certainly help mask some of their issues. Likely we'd all be moaning about the fact that teams were running all over us and shortening games in that case.
I think that a lot of the problems we've seen can be minimized via prep and scheming. Right now they seem to be asking player to do things they aren't very good at quite a bit. Once the coaching staff figures out what personnel they want to use and how hopefully things will settle down. As others have said it really seems like we're watching practices at points this season, which isn't surprising given the turnover and lack of padded practices. I think there's a lot of work to get this unit working well, but I also think the parts they have to work with are better than last season.
Mayo ran a 4.57 but the others are no slower than let's say the Jets linebackers.
Hightower 4.87
Spikes 5.1
Niko 4.71
How about the Ravens? Those guys are pretty good right?
Ray Lewis ran a 4.58 (100 years ago)
Suggs 4.84
McClellan 4.75
So you really only have Spikes that's a bit slower. Mayo is fast and Hightower is about Suggs speed. When Niko is in, the linebacking core is faster than the Ravens.
It's a lame excuse. Our linebackers, as a group, are no slower than most NFL teams with good defenses.
The Jets unit is considered slow even by their fan base. If that's your bar then every team's LBs are fast.
The Ravens are another group of slow guys that aren't good at man coverage. The same can be said of the Steelers. Both of these teams use the LBs to rush the passer and have a quality S to cover-up the coverage issues. I wasn't saying the Pats LBs are bad, I actually love the group, I was saying that their weakness further exposes some of the secondary's many weaknesses.
This doesn't even account for the fact that most of the coverage that LBs need to do doesn't require straight line speed, but more quickness (acceleration both laterally and vertically). That said I'd be interested to see the times for the 49ers.
So why aren't these other secondaries exposed like ours. I think the key is as you said, many weaknesses. There's no need to drag down other groups into this. Other teams play with big linebackers and don't seem to have secondary issues like ours.
( not saying this is you BTW)
Just because someone breaks down a play and shows who contributed to what breakdown, doesn't mean that the DBs don't suck. You can break down film on every play and there are mistakes. The problem is our DBs are so bad, they can't recover from the slightest variance. They just suck.
Teams are licking their chops to get at these guys. Just because BB says everything is fine publicly doesn't mean privately it's true. Ty Law's said it, Troy Brown's said it, and just about anyone else who doesn't owe their living to the Patriots has said it...these guys suck.
The other thing I keep hearing (again, not from you) is that they're going to get better... what team, outside of injuries, isn't?
Sorry, I think that dragging in the linebackers as an excuse is just lame. Fix the secondary and then talk about the linebackers. It's like having a hole in your roof and complaining that the fall leaves are getting into your attic.
These guys are not going to become some great unit. They're not even going to become a good unit on that back end. It sucks but it's the reality.
If guys have more consistent roles it's not beyond belief that that unit should improve more than most. Well that and we're just blind, optimistic homers.
Mayo ran a 4.57 but the others are no slower than let's say the Jets linebackers.
Hightower 4.87
Spikes 5.1
Niko 4.71
How about the Ravens? Those guys are pretty good right?
Ray Lewis ran a 4.58 (100 years ago)
Suggs 4.84
McClellan 4.75
So you really only have Spikes that's a bit slower. Mayo is fast and Hightower is about Suggs speed. When Niko is in, the linebacking core is faster than the Ravens.
It's a lame excuse. Our linebackers, as a group, are no slower than most NFL teams with good defenses.