Brace vs. Bills

[mr3putt]

Bad technique
Slow
Weak
Overpaid

Other than that the kid is a stud

 

[Deus Irae]

Bad technique
Slow
Weak
Overpaid

Other than that the kid is a stud

You'd think that, as an NFL veteran of 12 years, Brace would have better technique and more functional strength...

 

[OldNEPatsFan]

A 2nd round draft pick who turns into the last player on your depth chart is a MISTAKE.

 

[Lockdown06]

A 2nd round draft pick who turns into the last player on your depth chart is a MISTAKE.

After the Bills game, it's pretty obvious he isn't last on the depth chart. He's just specifically competing with Wilfork for the nose role - obviously Wilfork, as one of the top 3 nose tackles in the game today, is going to beat him out for playing time.

BB doesn't want him learning all the d-line positions, he wants him to play nose (3-4 nose tackle in a 2-gap-style defense is widely considered to be one of the most difficult positions to learn to play) Titus Adams saw playing time over him against Carolina because Adams is a jack of all trades - he's not great at any of the defensive line spots but he knows how to play them all - this is like his 3rd year with the team in some way.

When Wilfork went down - Brace is who they went to.

Look at the snaps for last game - Titus Adams got 1 snap, Brace got 30

 

[OldNEPatsFan]

After the Bills game, it's pretty obvious he isn't last on the depth chart. He's just specifically competing with Wilfork for the nose role - obviously Wilfork, as one of the top 3 nose tackles in the game today, is going to beat him out for playing time.

BB doesn't want him learning all the d-line positions, he wants him to play nose (3-4 nose tackle in a 2-gap-style defense is widely considered to be one of the most difficult positions to learn to play) Titus Adams saw playing time over him against Carolina because Adams is a jack of all trades - he's not great at any of the defensive line spots but he knows how to play them all - this is like his 3rd year with the team in some way.

When Wilfork went down - Brace is who they went to.

Look at the snaps for last game - Titus Adams got 1 snap, Brace got 30

Wright did a better job at NT than Brace in that game.

 

[Nunchucks]

Brace had some good plays and some bad plays. You would hope to see more good plays than bad, but I really can't say that is what I saw.

Hopefully, he learns from the game and improves. He was going against the Bills OL...probably among the worst OLs in the league.

 

[Lockdown06]

Wright did a better job at NT than Brace in that game.

I never said he didn't - but did you honestly expect a rookie to perform better than a heady veteran like Mike Wright at a position where advanced knowledge of both Belichick's defense and the specific defensive position within that defense is more important than raw physical ability?

Mike Wright played awesome - he was the MVP of the defense on Sunday - but Brace was not a total liability. He had some good plays, and some not as great plays - which should be expected, as a rookie playing a new position (think back to Wilfork's play in 2004) but overall I think he held his own.

 

[OldNEPatsFan]

I never said he didn't - but did you honestly expect a rookie to perform better than a heady veteran like Mike Wright at a position where advanced knowledge of both Belichick's defense and the specific defensive position within that defense is more important than raw physical ability?

Mike Wright played awesome - he was the MVP of the defense on Sunday - but Brace was not a total liability. He had some good plays, and some not as great plays - which should be expected, as a rookie playing a new position (think back to Wilfork's play in 2004) but overall I think he held his own.

He held his own only after they moved the line to a one gap position, and even then he was pushed back.

 

[Lockdown06]

He held his own only after they moved the line to a one gap position, and even then he was pushed back.

You're going to have to clarify - if he held his own, he was performing well. If he was pushed back constantly, that would imply he was playing badly.

I say that he didn't play badly. I agree Belichick modified the scheme, which probably contributed to Brace's improved play - but I think that given his rookie status and lack of playing time he played well overall.

 

[cupofjoe1962]

I watched a lot of Brace sunday.

He is terrible & if he was not a 2nd round pick, he would already be gone.
I thought we goofed when we spent a 2nd round pick on Marquis Hill.

Hill (RIP) was far better than Brace.

Brace is as bad a defensive lineman as I can remember.

 

[Patspsycho]

I watched a lot of Brace sunday.

He is terrible & if he was not a 2nd round pick, he would already be gone.
I thought we goofed when we spent a 2nd round pick on Marquis Hill.

Hill (RIP) was far better than Brace.

Brace is as bad a defensive lineman as I can remember.

Exactly in what way is he bad?

Why are you making statements without backing them up with examples or arguments? I just find it hilarious that posters here think it's enough to say "so and so sucks" without explaining why, as if their simple declarations are to be taken for universal truths.

 

[jays52]

It is truly remarkable how a few L's in a season can bring out the extra 21st chromosome brigade. It's suddenly like the least intelligent sports talk callers (which is truly saying something) descended upon the board and spewed their dreck upon the sacred servers. Amazing. Simply amazing.

I watched a lot of Brace sunday.

He is terrible & if he was not a 2nd round pick, he would already be gone.
I thought we goofed when we spent a 2nd round pick on Marquis Hill.

Hill (RIP) was far better than Brace.

Brace is as bad a defensive lineman as I can remember.

So, what exactly did you see in your observations of Brace? I'd love to hear your educated assesment of the young NT in training. Foot technique, pad level, hand technique, doubleteam awareness, ect... Hell, I'd love to learn which techniques he was playing during the game. I'm sure that you know the various alignment techniques and what they demand respectively. It's clear that we as a community can learn much from your vast knowledge of football.

 

[Clonamery]

It is truly remarkable how a few L's in a season can bring out the extra 21st chromosome brigade. It's suddenly like the least intelligent sports talk callers (which is truly saying something) descended upon the board and spewed their dreck upon the sacred servers. Amazing. Simply amazing.



So, what exactly did you see in your observations of Brace? I'd love to hear your educated assesment of the young NT in training. Foot technique, pad level, hand technique, doubleteam awareness, ect... Hell, I'd love to learn which techniques he was playing during the game. I'm sure that you know the various alignment techniques and what they demand respectively. It's clear that we as a community can learn much from your vast knowledge of football.

I think it's the "Maroney-Jackson" technique.

 

[Lockdown06]

I think it's the "Maroney-Jackson" technique.

if there's one thing I've noticed about Brace, it's that he's made of glass

 

[moosekill]

It is truly remarkable how a few L's in a season can bring out the extra 21st chromosome brigade. It's suddenly like the least intelligent sports talk callers (which is truly saying something) descended upon the board and spewed their dreck upon the sacred servers. Amazing. Simply amazing.



So, what exactly did you see in your observations of Brace? I'd love to hear your educated assesment of the young NT in training. Foot technique, pad level, hand technique, doubleteam awareness, ect... Hell, I'd love to learn which techniques he was playing during the game. I'm sure that you know the various alignment techniques and what they demand respectively. It's clear that we as a community can learn much from your vast knowledge of football.

It is pretty much the same as with Moss the week before. The announcers mention something, IE Moss should have prevented that interception, and immediately everyone is all over him. Same thing with Brace, the announcers call him out on the first series and he immediately sucks. Most people have no clue whatsoever about football, and therefore end up basing their judgment on what they hear from the announcers. The Pats, gave up ten points all game, sort of hard ripping a D that gives up ten points......

 

[mayoclinic]

So, what exactly did you see in your observations of Brace? I'd love to hear your educated assesment of the young NT in training. Foot technique, pad level, hand technique, doubleteam awareness, ect... Hell, I'd love to learn which techniques he was playing during the game. I'm sure that you know the various alignment techniques and what they demand respectively. It's clear that we as a community can learn much from your vast knowledge of football.

More like foot-in-mouth technique, I'd say.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

i thought Brace did a good job considering the curcumstances.

 

[reflexblue]

To a casual observer Brace looked fine to me making his first start. He wasn't being pushed around evern when taking on double teams. the only thing i can see is that he seemed to be standing to upright not staying low for leaverage purposes.

 

[tanked_as_usual]

To a casual observer Brace looked fine to me making his first start. He wasn't being pushed around evern when taking on double teams. the only thing i can see is that he seemed to be standing to upright not staying low for leaverage purposes.

yep.....really casual

hangartner(sp) consistently had him locked up 1-on-1

the only time brace became visible was when the pats started blitzing

he simply seemed weak for a guy so big and zero suddenness to his moves.

I think there's alot more fat and alot less muscle on that body than anyone anticipated

 

[mr3putt]

You'd think that, as an NFL veteran of 12 years, Brace would have better technique and more functional strength...

Although I have not played a single season in the NFL I know as a Nose Tackle your first move at the snap is not to stand straight up.
He has neither the strength nor the quickness to fend off blockers without technique.

Doomed