BB Likes Mayo Inside.

[PatsBoy12]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

Mayo has taken steps each year and I don't look for that to change much this year. I'm sure we will see him all over the place. And to those saying he looked like a young Ray out there, I'd have to agree. His performance did remind me a lot of Ray Lewis yesterday.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

I think I remember in our 1st SB run, there were guys saying "Oh come on," when we played Denver and some announcer said "There's a couple of great Michigan quarterbacks in this game, and I'm not sure the best one is Brian Griese," or something like that. All the clueless homers daring to dream of Brady as another Brian Griese...

At some point someone said "I think LT might be as good as Butkus" or "I think Ray Lewis might be in the same general stratosphere as LT" (okay not quite. But you get the idea.)

We'll see what comes of the season. He's already one of the better LBs in the league. Any time "the league" annoints one of our guys to be among the best, they're not all necessarily wrong.

Let's hope he doesn't ever have to single-handedly shut down another team with a broken limb like LT did... other than that why not hope he can be every bit as significant as a Lewis or an LT? He just ain't done it yet.

Cool if he does

I think part of our problem is we mentally shut off everything that might happen once Brady is out of the game... that whole "the team is Brady" cult. There are other guys on this team.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

Everyone needs to slow down. It was one preseason game. Yes, Mayo looked great, but he needs to do this in the regular season before we make Lawrence Taylor or Ray Lewis comparisons.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

Mayo (while playing 2 GAP MLB IN A 3-4) led most linebackers last year in tackling running backs and he led most CORNERBACKS in the league in tackling WRs. Mayo was the only LB that made it on the NFL Cornerback top ten WR tackling list, and he was at the top end.

He may not be a ball hawk but he has enough game in his own right, which inolves high speed collision with anybody that dares pass or run the ball, that he does not need to apologize to Ray Lewis or LT for playing football.

This guy was our best tackler last year against running back AND WRs.

 

[patchick]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

Everyone needs to slow down. It was one preseason game. Yes, Mayo looked great, but he needs to do this in the regular season before we make Lawrence Taylor or Ray Lewis comparisons.

Of course, any time a player is called "a Lawrence Taylor," "a John Hannah," etc it's hyperbole.

But I think we can say that after establishing himself as one of the league's best 3-4 ILBs, Mayo came out of the gate -- no offseason program, no OTAs -- looking like one of the league's best 4-3 WLBs. And that's seriously impressive.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

Mayo played the Mike,Sam, and Will last night and did a good job at all positions. I don't recall LT playing all 3 LB positions.

 

[The Scrizz]

Bill cracks me up.

Belichick likes Mayo inside - Projo Pats Blog

"I don't really see that," said Belichick of Mayo going outside. "I think he's going to play off the line of scrimmage, he's going to play in the tackle box somewhere, whatever front we're in -- 3-4, 4-3, 2-4. He's going to play inside the box off the line of scrimmage. That's what he's always done. He's one of the best I've coached, one of the best in the league at doing that.

"I can't imagine him playing anywhere else, at this point."

I really think he just likes messing with people.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

Please dont insult LT like that.

I would think Tomlinson should be honored. It's more praise than he deserves.

 

[Rob0729]

I think this story is overplayed. Odds are the starting LBs line up in the 4-3 will be:

Mayo - WLB
Spikes - MLB
Ninkovitch - SLB

 

[reflexblue]

Someone (i think our fine mod JM57) mentioned a lineup with Spikes on the outside. I couldn't see it happening, but after reading this who knows it might.

Belichick likes Mayo inside | ProJo.com | Tim Britton | Providence Journal


Mayo has emerged as one of the game's best interior linebackers during his three seasons in New England's 3-4 scheme. There's a chance, however, that he'll be asked to move outside if the Pats go to a 4-3, with Brandon Spikes -- Mayo's partner on the inside in 2010 -- taking over as the lone middle linebacker.

Head coach Bill Belichick did his best to quash that talk on Saturday.

Belichick Lies!!!!!!:singing:

 

[letekro]

I think this story is overplayed. Odds are the starting LBs line up in the 4-3 will be:

Mayo - WLB
Spikes - MLB
Ninkovitch - SLB

Spikes is gonna be free to make some hellacious sticks with Fat Albert and Big Vince tying up blockers. Mayo and Ninkovich look tailor made for their spots as well.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

Mayo played the Mike,Sam, and Will last night and did a good job at all positions. I don't recall LT playing all 3 LB positions.

Oh boy, here we go... Let's not be absurd. LT dominated on defense it didn't matter what position he played. BB utilized him with great success. LT was lined up front so often, people often thought the Giants were playing a 4-3 although they weren't.

Mayo is no LT. Heck he's not even Demarcus Ware. Folks, I love Mayo, but he's not LT. He's Mayo. Let's just enjoy him for what he is, a star blossomng right before our eyes and not make ridiculous comparisons that he can't live up to.

 

[JackBauer]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

is he LT'ish?? probably not.

What?! You mean you're not willing to say he's comparable to one of the best to ever play the game?

Get outta town.

 

[patfanken]

The thing you take away from all this is "formation and match up flexibility". With the LB and DL tools BB now has, he will be able to line up in ANY alignment and use several techniques to take advantage of any advantageous match ups he can find. Very exciting

 

[Mogamedogz]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

Oh boy, here we go... Let's not be absurd. LT dominated on defense it didn't matter what position he played. BB utilized him with great success. LT was lined up front so often, people often thought the Giants were playing a 4-3 although they weren't.

Mayo is no LT. Heck he's not even Demarcus Ware. Folks, I love Mayo, but he's not LT. He's Mayo. Let's just enjoy him for what he is, a star blossomng right before our eyes and not make ridiculous comparisons that he can't live up to.

EXACTLY. This kind of homer talk that's enough to make my skin crawl.

Lawrence ******* Taylor?? Are you guys serious?? Were you around to actually have seen him play? (serious question)

 

[Mogamedogz]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

What?! You mean you're not willing to say he's comparable to the best to ever play the game?

Fixed.....

 

[The Scrizz]

The thing you take away from all this is "formation and match up flexibility". With the LB and DL tools BB now has, he will be able to line up in ANY alignment and use several techniques to take advantage of any advantageous match ups he can find. Very exciting

I think it's awesome. Little disappointed he unleashed it last night though. Would have been nice just playing plain old vanilla and then setting Mayo loose once the season started.

Then again, gives OC's something else to worry about while game-planning.

 

[patchick]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

The comparison to Taylor is unfortunate, because that stuff inevitably turns into an "LT? are you kidding me??" fest instead of the praise Mayo deserves in his own right.

Think about it: this guy is the signal caller, a highly respected captain and leader, and a super-versatile LB who can look equally impressive in coverage, stopping the run, and rushing the passer, at 3-4 ILB or 4-3 Will, Mike or Sam. That's a special player, no?

So who else out there looks like "a Jerod Mayo type"?

 

[NEGoldenAge]

Everyone knows Mayo should be on the inside. If you put Mayo on the outside, you'll get it all over your fingers.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Re: Dare i say, mayo looked LTish tonight

He looked more Ray Lewis in his prime tonight than anyone else I thought (minus the evangelical speech giving).

..and he hasn't killed anybody.

Mayo is a great athlete, he like alot of Patriot defenders have been play "re-act" football it looks like BB has decided to go from bend and don't break, to try moving the ball with six guys in your backfield approach. The 3-4 is a hold the line and react to the ball defense. The 4-3 is a pentrate and disrupt defense. If Spikes is healthy he will leead the NFL in tackles this year, and Mayo will be an abosolute beast free to raom and create havoc...