Curran: 'D' not Brady's knee biggest worry for the Patriots

[PATRIOT64]

Curran: ?D?, not Brady?s knee, biggest worry for Patriots - NFL- nbcsports.msnbc.com

 

[signbabybrady]

I think that last years injury to Brady proved that this team can compete despite anything so I really have no worries about what our biggest weakness may be as they will find a way to mask it and overcome it.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I think that's a pretty dispassionate analysis and generally on target. I can't wait until Camp and then until our first chances to see what these guys look like in the pre-season. Should be a great year if the pieces fall in place.

 

[BelichickFan]

My biggest, only really, worry is the OL. Even if the defense is disappointing (which I don't expect) we will be able to outscore anyone if the OL protects Brady.

 

[PATS68]

Curran are you for real with this?

With the Bills adding Terrell Owens, the Dolphins bellowing about the progress of wideout Ted Ginn and the Jets adding a gunslinger in Mark Sanchez, New England’s pass defense is going to be under the gun all season.

TO will kill the locker room, no problems there.

Chad P. has to throw a rainbow for the ball to go past 25 yards.

An unknown QB, enough said.

I know the Pats have alot of young players, but wow!

 

[spacecrime]

Have to agree with Curran.

Even without Brady, we would have been 12-4 or even 13-3 very easily if the Defense just make a couple more plays.

The defense kept us out of the playoffs, not the offense.

All that said, I think our defense is much better this year than it was last year. I see no obstacles to 19-0........

 

[BelichickFan]

Have to agree with Curran.

Even without Brady, we would have been 12-4 or even 13-3 very easily if the Defense just make a couple more plays.

The defense kept us out of the playoffs, not the offense.

But that was with our scoring down. 2009 should be more like 2007 not 2008 and the defense, game winning drive included, isn't why we lost the game; the OL's inability to protect was.

 

[Deus Irae]

Concerns, in order of level

Def. secondary
Neal's ability to remain healthy
linebackers
Brady's health
TE
Offensive coaching adjustment
Galloway's health
RB health
Obama's lousy pitching arm

 

[37Harrison]

Curran are you for real with this?

With the Bills adding Terrell Owens, the Dolphins bellowing about the progress of wideout Ted Ginn and the Jets adding a gunslinger in Mark Sanchez, New England’s pass defense is going to be under the gun all season.

TO will kill the locker room, no problems there.

Chad P. has to throw a rainbow for the ball to go past 25 yards.

An unknown QB, enough said.

I know the Pats have alot of young players, but wow!

Historically T.O. has been on hios best behavior year one and say what you want about him, he produces on the field. Quite frankly, it is a little unnerving seeing him line up opposite Lee Evans. The real question there is, how is Trent Edwards developing and who are they going to use to fill the gaping hole Jason Peters left on the left side of their OL?

It's not Ginn that I am worried about, it's their use of the freaking Wildcat. With Ronnie Brown (who I think is one of the best in the league at his position), Williams, White, and Ginn's speed... Chad can be nothing more than a decoy or dink and dunk guy when they spread the field.

The Jets... well Sanchez has to prove something first but Washington and Jones are a nice duo in their backfield. I think they are going to have to rely more on their D to help them win game.

His analysis is based off of the Pat's D from last year when they couldn't stop anything. It is going to be interesting in the AFCE this year, that's for sure. To me, the Pats OL and secondary are the two most worrisome aspects of the team this year.

 

[BelizePats]

Curren seems to be on the mark here.
This is a unit that is clearly in transition, which is a good thing given how the defense performed last year. Last in Red Zone, 26th in 3rd down efficiency and from what I saw, very few big turnovers when one was really needed.
On paper the D should be better. Lets hope it is!

 

[BradyFTW!]

Srsly? I thought that Brady wasn't going to be able to play until next year? Isn't that what Curran said?

 

[Deus Irae]

Srsly? I thought that Brady wasn't going to be able to play until next year? Isn't that what Curran said?

Bionics

 

[AzPatsFan]

Have to agree with Curran.

Even without Brady, we would have been 12-4 or even 13-3 very easily if the Defense just make a couple more plays.

The defense kept us out of the playoffs, not the offense.

All that said, I think our defense is much better this year than it was last year. I see no obstacles to 19-0........

Last season the Defense was in the middle of re-building; and still finished Top Ten/Top Eight. Yes, the Red Zone TD percentage is/was an oft quoted but misleading statistic. It means less than nothing, given that the actual number of Red Zone penetrations was a near league low.

But the 3rd down completion rate was a true warning indicative. Belichick addressed himself to that very early, andd even more thoroughly than usual. To a secondary already sporting two high rookie CB picks and two high S picks; he added two good veterans, and another high CB pick. Then added another high pick at Safety pick, as well as a couple of mid-range veteran Safeties, there also.

Now he can field 6 CBs and 5 Safeties before even getting to the end-of-roster players like Spawn and Ventrone. That is Talent and a surfeit of it. Even the 2001 team didn't have this depth of secondary players. And they showed how good depth could out-man and defeat "The Greatest Show on Turf".

Experience and a few more experienced veterans and draft picks has completed the Defensive makeover, save for more experience playing together.

 

[BradyFTW!]

It's not Ginn that I am worried about, it's their use of the freaking Wildcat. With Ronnie Brown (who I think is one of the best in the league at his position), Williams, White, and Ginn's speed... Chad can be nothing more than a decoy or dink and dunk guy when they spread the field.

I agree that Brown is a talented young RB, but I gotta disagree pretty strongly with the 'one of the best in the league' label. He's surpassed 1000 yards once (1,008 in 2006), has an injury history, and has averaged 0.1 YPC more than Maroney has, albeit in about twice as many career carries. He's also 3 years older than Maroney.

He definitely sets himself apart with his career 137 receptions, a facet of the game that I would love to see Maroney develop more, but IMO that puts him in the caliber of RBs above guys like Maroney and Addai, below guys like MJD, and far, far below guys like Adrian Peterson.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Once again, another sports writer reiterating what we already know. Also, here is something I disagree with

New England lost some swagger and attitude in the secondary with safety Rodney Harrison retiring, but it remains high on James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather. Oregon safety Patrick Chung gives them a promising young defender.

The Pats have lost their swagger since the '04 season. Also, Harrison's game has declined since '04 as well. His lockerroom presence will be missed, but not his game. Chung will make us say "Rodney who?" by mid season.

 

[old 55]

Curran is playing devil's advocate here. He's just pointing out things to the lay person that fans like us are well aware, but it's a superficial analysis here.
He is playing to the casual fan who doesn't understand that Vrabel wasn't getting to the QB the same way he used to.
Curran mentions the loss of swagger with the retirement of Rodney, but doesn't point out that the team needed to get younger and faster in the secondary and is making that transition. The porous secondary should be improved and the red zone and 3rd downs stats should be improved.
I think that while he mentions the threats in Buffalo (TO & Evans) and Miami (Ginn,) he does point to the real possibility that since Brady will have more weapons to work with, this team could end up scoring like the record breaking 2007 edition.

All in all, this article seems to have been written for his national audience, not those who populate this website.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Once again, another sports writer reiterating what we already know. Also, here is something I disagree with


The Pats have lost their swagger since the '04 season. Also, Harrison's game has declined since '04 as well. His lockerroom presence will be missed, but not his game. Chung will make us say "Rodney who?" by mid season.

Thats a bit of disrespect to a man who not only is HOF material,but a man who played a big role in 2 world championships - Lets leave his memory here more positive than saying he was worthless for 4 seasons,shall we? (Remember he had 2 serious injuries during 2 of those seasons) - Unfortunately some of us spoiled brats in Patriots nation will remember Rodney mainly for the guy that could not make a play on the miraculous Tyree catch

 

[Captn]

Concerns, in order of level

Obama's lousy pitching arm

1.Obama sending the USA into bankruptcy.

 

[Deus Irae]

1.Obama sending the USA into bankruptcy.

I wasn't trying to get political, I was just making fun of Obama's throw.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Thats a bit of disrespect to a man who not only is HOF material,but a man who played a big role in 2 world championships - Lets leave his memory here more positive than saying he was worthless for 4 seasons,shall we? (Remember he had 2 serious injuries during 2 of those seasons) - Unfortunately some of us spoiled brats in Patriots nation will remember Rodney mainly for the guy that could not make a play on the miraculous Tyree catch

Sorry to break it to you, but this is a "what have you done for me lately?" league. It's nothing personal, I don't attach myself to players because I don't know them. Finally, I never blamed him for the Tyree catch. In fact, in previous posts, I blamed Samuel for leaving his man and Sanders for reacting to the play too slowly. My first reaction to that play was not anger towards Rodney, it was anger for why hell wasn't anybody else there to help him out?