Anyone remember who our NT was in 2002?

[JJDChE]

I was just going back through the defensive roster of that team, and I can't remember the name of the guy who was playing NT for us and I don't see him on the roster. I think I'd know it if I saw it.

After looking through the roster, I feel pretty good about the depth of this current defense.

 

[patsox23]

Steve Martin. For a little while anyway. Hideous.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

I will never forget watching a slow motion replay from the Chiefs game where Seymour was being blocked by the gaurd, tackle and a fullback all at once, and held his ground, reached out and got a hand on Priest Holmes, while Steve Martin fell flat on his back after being blocked by the center.

Holmes was able to break Seymour's one hand grab, and continued to run wild through the secondary.

 

[Rob0729]

Steve Martin for most of the year, but we spent most of 2002 in a 4-3 base. Also, we spent most of 2001 in a 4-3 base too. We didn't switch to a 3-4 base as our primary defense until 2003 when we acquired Washington.

 

[RayClay]

Steve Martin for most of the year, but we spent most of 2002 in a 4-3 base. Also, we spent most of 2001 in a 4-3 base too. We didn't switch to a 3-4 base as our primary defense until 2003 when we acquired Washington.

I was going to say. I never thought of Martin as a nose tackle, just as a bad tackle.

Didn't he pretty much replace Brandon Mitchell?

 

[rookBoston]

Yeah, the 3-4 wasn't formally installed until 2003. And it took Ted Washington to make the conversion official.

In 2002, Seymour and Martin played inside at DT to start the season, but Martin was cut midseason for sucking, and we finished the season, I think, with JAGs at the position. Bernard Holsey and a UFA JAG. And maybe Jeff Marriott playing interior line for us in 2002-- late round pick from the year before.

Needless to say, we had a hard time stopping the run, that season.

 

[Pats726]

Yes...no NT that year...4-3...Holsey, Seymour, Martin at DT...and he was cut later in the year...NOT midseason...the running D was hideous...

 

[wistahpatsfan]

I can't believe we had Steve Martin as our center.

 

[363839]

I can't believe we had Steve Martin as our center.

That dude was a big reason we didn't go to the playoffs that year.

 

[JJDChE]

That's it...Steve Martin. That guy was horrible.

Man, that's scary to think about.

 

[pats1]

Yeah, it was Steve Martin until he was cut mid-season.

After that it was really a 4-3 defense:

DE - McGinest/Pleasant
DT - Seymour
DT - Lyle/Holsey
DE - Hamilton/J. Green

OLB - Vrabel/Chatham (IR late)
MLB - Bruschi/Johnson/Tuitele
OLB - Phifer/Izzo

 

[Boston Tim]

That was also the year that Bruschi missed several games due to injury and Ted Johnson took over at MLB. With Martin at DT and Johnson as MLB, we couldn't stop any opposing running back in the middle. While still a great 3-4 ILB, Johnson's days as a good MLB were long past at that point.