AzPatsFan
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
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The media is a herd pack. They rush to glorify the new and stampede to deify the latest cult figure, deifying the latest tin god, ignoring that every one has some elements of feet of clay.
The big things that the ignorant media has seized on are:
a) the great LT as a RB
b) the sixty one sacks the defense accumulated.
c) the receiving of TE Antonio Gates
Now these are certainly admirable but they are symptoms of problems and weaknesses as well.
Did you know that in spite of, and even allowing for the 61 sacks, the Bolts pass Defense is really mediocre? No, you'd never hear it from the asses of the media. The two best measures of a pass defense is the passer rating of the opponent's passers; and the number of points surrendered.
Good pass defenses like the Pats and Ravens make the opponent QBs look bad. These clubs had opponent passer ratings of 64 and 66 over the course of the season.
Bad teams let their cumulative composite opponent's QB passer rating look like the profile of a HOF passer. But the majority of teams very average to below average pass defenses, let the opponents cumulative passer rating look like just a fairly good starter. In the case of the Bolts they are one such team. Their opponent's passer rating is 77. And that is after including the 61 sacks... to drag it down.
So what that REALLY says is, when an opponent passer did manage to throw the ball he was almost a superstar. They don't get a lot of INTs either, in spite of the great sack totals. Its confirmed in the fact that the the Bolts still gave up over 300 points on Defense.
The most comparable team that had a similar opponent's passer rating and points allowed, is the awesome, powerful, dreaded ...Cleveland Browns! Do you fear the Browns Pass Defense? If you don't, then why fear the Bolts pass defense?
Lets turn to the run Defense.
The Chargers play a 3-4 but not a Patriots two-gap 3-4. Its much more similar to the Bltizburg Defense. The OLBs always blitz, and they depend on a good NT to slow down the run. Did the **** LeBeau Blitzburg defense stop the Pats? The Pittsburg Defense led the league in run Defense too. The Bolts run Defense actually is mediocre, like their pass defense.
They allow 4.2 YPC, in spite of the good NT Jamal Williams. Here is a potential weakness. Donnie Williams is good but old, and very small. He makes lots of tackles... 5 yards down field. That's why Schotty has been trying to get rid of him. The other ILB is a rotation with fading Godfrey who was talking of retirement the last two years, and raw youngster Cooper. Together they are only fair.
Their red zone Defense in a word sucks. Not surprising since they don't stop the pass, or run, in spite of the great pass rush.
The proof of the pudding is that they give up 4.2 YPC against the rush and over 300 points.
OFFENSE
Lets look at other potential weaknesses. The Bolts leading pass catcher is a TE. Seems to me, that when the Patriots started the season throwing to the TEs, everybody was *****ing that the WRs were no good. At least the Pats had the excuse that the receivers were all new, but such was not the case for the Bolts except that Vincent Jackson was a soph, who hadn't done much as a rookie. All the others were there for several years.
Now Jackson reminds me of Matt Jones or Doug Gabriel, a big receiver who is not very quick, but is big, and can run after he gets going. Gabriel in the few games he played for us, has the same number of receptions as Jackson has gotten all season. (mid 20s). So he is not someone to build a dependable third down conversion around, as he is not quick, and can't get easy separation. A nice complimentary receiver, though.
So who do the Bolts go to as their "goto" receiver. They leapt from obscurity to winning prominence, when they acquired old pro Keenan McCardell, when few wanted him a couple of years ago. For them, he immediately became the "goto" guy. The needed possession type to make the third down catch and move the chains.
And every one knew he was approaching the end even then over two years ago, but this year based on the passing stats and profile he has almost lost it. He is older than Troy Brown but plays almost all the downs, and still has fewer catches than part-timer, Troy. The Bolts passing game comes down to Gates (71), and LT (56), and occasional contributions from Jackson (mid 20s), and McCardell's (36), would be replacement, Eric Parker (48). LT is a good pass catcher, but no better and probably not as good a pass catcher as Faulk. In combo with Dillon they match LT's pass catching (43 + 19), just as they split time in the backfield.
Parker has been a mild disappointment, as Reche is proving to be better, but when McCardell hangs them up, he will probably come into his own.
But that 's next year, not now. The Bolts wanted him to replace McCardell this year and he hasn't, while McCardell's efforts have fallen way off, as he has gone over the hill and around the bend.
LT is great. LT is magnificent. LT is ONE guy.
Where the Patriots use three backs, splitting carries with Dillon, (power), LM (outside & speed) and Faulk (shifty and pass catching), keeping everyone fresh. The Bolts roll all that into ONE guy LT. Hallelujah !
Doesn't he get tired after 16 games or more important in the 4th quarter? They do use Turner to give him a blow but not much; they do the same with the lead FB who gets some carries just like Heath Evans but as a ball carrier he is not as good; but as a lead blocker, he is the best in the League. Just ask antique Corey Dillon, who is only five years younger.
In some aspects think of the troika of Dillon, LM, and Faulk and roll them up into a single player and you get LT. ONE guy. ONE tired guy in the 4th. Dillon as power specialist is probably better at that then LT. Kevin as a pass catcher is probably better than LT in that specialty. LT is probably better than LM as a speed back. Is a tired LT better as speed back, than a fresh LM?
The Bolts Offensive line is not great. Their OLT is a rookie who will be very good in a year or there, meanwhile he IS still a rookie. Do you think SeyMonsta might teach him a thing or two? Olivia is a RT that they have been trying to replace ever since they were forced to play him as a rook. Think of Brandon Gorin. Hardwick is a center no one picks for the pro bowl and a Koppen he ain't. Awesome O-line ain't it? In a word... NO!
The running game comes from LT's great talent and Lorenzo Neal's' lead blocking, IMO. Its also sort of confirmed by the fact that LT's yardage comes from running wide, to both sides, but not so much in the middle. They run him wide, Neal delivers a lead block and LT cuts off it. Neal usually outsizes the opponent's OLB by 25-30 pounds and just dominates. But not the case with the Pats. Neal has no size advantage at all; he will have to work much harder, and is no spring chicken in his late thirties. Might he just get tired as well in the 4th?
I'm not saying the Bolts are a poor team; but I am also not buying in to the effort to make them an '85 Bears club either!
And even I could build a game plan to use against them.
The big things that the ignorant media has seized on are:
a) the great LT as a RB
b) the sixty one sacks the defense accumulated.
c) the receiving of TE Antonio Gates
Now these are certainly admirable but they are symptoms of problems and weaknesses as well.
Did you know that in spite of, and even allowing for the 61 sacks, the Bolts pass Defense is really mediocre? No, you'd never hear it from the asses of the media. The two best measures of a pass defense is the passer rating of the opponent's passers; and the number of points surrendered.
Good pass defenses like the Pats and Ravens make the opponent QBs look bad. These clubs had opponent passer ratings of 64 and 66 over the course of the season.
Bad teams let their cumulative composite opponent's QB passer rating look like the profile of a HOF passer. But the majority of teams very average to below average pass defenses, let the opponents cumulative passer rating look like just a fairly good starter. In the case of the Bolts they are one such team. Their opponent's passer rating is 77. And that is after including the 61 sacks... to drag it down.
So what that REALLY says is, when an opponent passer did manage to throw the ball he was almost a superstar. They don't get a lot of INTs either, in spite of the great sack totals. Its confirmed in the fact that the the Bolts still gave up over 300 points on Defense.
The most comparable team that had a similar opponent's passer rating and points allowed, is the awesome, powerful, dreaded ...Cleveland Browns! Do you fear the Browns Pass Defense? If you don't, then why fear the Bolts pass defense?
Lets turn to the run Defense.
The Chargers play a 3-4 but not a Patriots two-gap 3-4. Its much more similar to the Bltizburg Defense. The OLBs always blitz, and they depend on a good NT to slow down the run. Did the **** LeBeau Blitzburg defense stop the Pats? The Pittsburg Defense led the league in run Defense too. The Bolts run Defense actually is mediocre, like their pass defense.
They allow 4.2 YPC, in spite of the good NT Jamal Williams. Here is a potential weakness. Donnie Williams is good but old, and very small. He makes lots of tackles... 5 yards down field. That's why Schotty has been trying to get rid of him. The other ILB is a rotation with fading Godfrey who was talking of retirement the last two years, and raw youngster Cooper. Together they are only fair.
Their red zone Defense in a word sucks. Not surprising since they don't stop the pass, or run, in spite of the great pass rush.
The proof of the pudding is that they give up 4.2 YPC against the rush and over 300 points.
OFFENSE
Lets look at other potential weaknesses. The Bolts leading pass catcher is a TE. Seems to me, that when the Patriots started the season throwing to the TEs, everybody was *****ing that the WRs were no good. At least the Pats had the excuse that the receivers were all new, but such was not the case for the Bolts except that Vincent Jackson was a soph, who hadn't done much as a rookie. All the others were there for several years.
Now Jackson reminds me of Matt Jones or Doug Gabriel, a big receiver who is not very quick, but is big, and can run after he gets going. Gabriel in the few games he played for us, has the same number of receptions as Jackson has gotten all season. (mid 20s). So he is not someone to build a dependable third down conversion around, as he is not quick, and can't get easy separation. A nice complimentary receiver, though.
So who do the Bolts go to as their "goto" receiver. They leapt from obscurity to winning prominence, when they acquired old pro Keenan McCardell, when few wanted him a couple of years ago. For them, he immediately became the "goto" guy. The needed possession type to make the third down catch and move the chains.
And every one knew he was approaching the end even then over two years ago, but this year based on the passing stats and profile he has almost lost it. He is older than Troy Brown but plays almost all the downs, and still has fewer catches than part-timer, Troy. The Bolts passing game comes down to Gates (71), and LT (56), and occasional contributions from Jackson (mid 20s), and McCardell's (36), would be replacement, Eric Parker (48). LT is a good pass catcher, but no better and probably not as good a pass catcher as Faulk. In combo with Dillon they match LT's pass catching (43 + 19), just as they split time in the backfield.
Parker has been a mild disappointment, as Reche is proving to be better, but when McCardell hangs them up, he will probably come into his own.
But that 's next year, not now. The Bolts wanted him to replace McCardell this year and he hasn't, while McCardell's efforts have fallen way off, as he has gone over the hill and around the bend.
LT is great. LT is magnificent. LT is ONE guy.
Where the Patriots use three backs, splitting carries with Dillon, (power), LM (outside & speed) and Faulk (shifty and pass catching), keeping everyone fresh. The Bolts roll all that into ONE guy LT. Hallelujah !
Doesn't he get tired after 16 games or more important in the 4th quarter? They do use Turner to give him a blow but not much; they do the same with the lead FB who gets some carries just like Heath Evans but as a ball carrier he is not as good; but as a lead blocker, he is the best in the League. Just ask antique Corey Dillon, who is only five years younger.
In some aspects think of the troika of Dillon, LM, and Faulk and roll them up into a single player and you get LT. ONE guy. ONE tired guy in the 4th. Dillon as power specialist is probably better at that then LT. Kevin as a pass catcher is probably better than LT in that specialty. LT is probably better than LM as a speed back. Is a tired LT better as speed back, than a fresh LM?
The Bolts Offensive line is not great. Their OLT is a rookie who will be very good in a year or there, meanwhile he IS still a rookie. Do you think SeyMonsta might teach him a thing or two? Olivia is a RT that they have been trying to replace ever since they were forced to play him as a rook. Think of Brandon Gorin. Hardwick is a center no one picks for the pro bowl and a Koppen he ain't. Awesome O-line ain't it? In a word... NO!
The running game comes from LT's great talent and Lorenzo Neal's' lead blocking, IMO. Its also sort of confirmed by the fact that LT's yardage comes from running wide, to both sides, but not so much in the middle. They run him wide, Neal delivers a lead block and LT cuts off it. Neal usually outsizes the opponent's OLB by 25-30 pounds and just dominates. But not the case with the Pats. Neal has no size advantage at all; he will have to work much harder, and is no spring chicken in his late thirties. Might he just get tired as well in the 4th?
I'm not saying the Bolts are a poor team; but I am also not buying in to the effort to make them an '85 Bears club either!
And even I could build a game plan to use against them.
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