Great Bedard Article

[ayjackson]

I think the angle Bedard missed is the league didn't tell them not to spend foolishly in the uncapped year, they just told them not to account for it foolishly because the cap was coming back and the rules would be reinstated and there would be accounting penalties for anyone who tried to gain a competitive advantage by thumbing their nose at that ultimate reality.

I don`t think he misses this point, just feels his trumps it. No rules means no rules. If accounting affects spending then the Players Union should have a gripe.

 

[PatsSox363804]

Safety was a much bigger problem than corner. on a lot of the plays you see McCourty getting beat on it's because the safety was late or flat out blew the coverage. I also liked what i saw from dowling, hopefully he can stay healthy.

 

[TheComeback]

Bedard is nuts if he believes that McCourty, Dowling, Arrington and Moore are a solid CB group on paper. They were part of the 32nd ranked pass defense in the NFL.

Did he just not watch Baltimore drive on the Pats in the AFCC and give away the game? He must have missed the SB too.

They gave the game away in the AFCC? You're joking, right? I didn't realize that making a goal line stand at the end of the game is giving it away. They had two great pass defenses by Moore. Even if the Ravens made that FG, it still goes to overtime.

As for the SB, I don't think the secondary played a bad game at all. They certainly got marched on at times, but they also took away Cruz and Nicks for most of the game. The Giants scored a grand total of 21 points. I don't know what more you could ask from the 31st ranked defense by yardage. I think most people expected them to play much worse than they did.

They have talent at CB, but that talent is inexperienced and raw. I really like what I saw in limited action from Moore and Dowling. McCourty didn't look like the same player. It wouldn't surprise me to learn he was playing on some kind of hip injury for most of the year. He just looked slower to me.

 

[patfanken]

I don`t think he misses this point, just feels his trumps it. No rules means no rules. If accounting affects spending then the Players Union should have a gripe.

The league and NFLPA cannot allow this punishment not to go forward. Remember it wasn't a rule that started spygate, it was a memo. Just like this one. If the Cowboys and Redskins ever sued the league on that basis then it opens up a really big can of worms. The Pats could sue for their draft pick and fine money, who knows what else has happened in the league based on "memos"

BTW - though I think the Skins and Cowboys "have a case" to gripe. Not a great one, but one that makes some sense; the NFLPA has NO case. The players are chasing the exact same amount of money that they had before the punishment. Their situation hasn't changed a bit. That's why the league distributed the $36MM to the 28 teams who weren't punished.

Those 4 teams were WARNED, not to take an unfair advantage on the rest of the league. Like the Pats they were warned on SEVERAL occasions, yet they did it anyway, and were punished. To my mind they got off easy.

 

[Deus Irae]

The league and NFLPA cannot allow this punishment not to go forward. Remember it wasn't a rule that started spygate, it was a memo. Just like this one. If the Cowboys and Redskins ever sued the league on that basis then it opens up a really big can of worms. The Pats could sue for their draft pick and fine money, who knows what else has happened in the league based on "memos"

BTW - though I think the Skins and Cowboys "have a case" to gripe. Not a great one, but one that makes some sense; the NFLPA has NO case. The players are chasing the exact same amount of money that they had before the punishment. Their situation hasn't changed a bit. That's why the league distributed the $36MM to the 28 teams who weren't punished.

Those 4 teams were WARNED, not to take an unfair advantage on the rest of the league. Like the Pats they were warned on SEVERAL occasions, yet they did it anyway, and were punished. To my mind they got off easy.

The Patriots were WARNED about something in the rules. The Cowboys and Redskins were WARNED about something that was not in the rules and was, in fact, illegal for the league to do.

There's no legitimate comparison.

 

[BTTA]

Those 4 teams were WARNED, not to take an unfair advantage on the rest of the league. Like the Pats they were warned on SEVERAL occasions, yet they did it anyway, and were punished. To my mind they got off easy.

Perhaps. The other position is just as legit IMHO - that the "warnings" are irrelevant because they are not rules, they are memo's. It's the equivalent of a police officer deciding that he wants a law to be different so he enforces it that way. From that perspective, the Redskins and Cowboys could issue a memo saying that they don't recognize the action being taken by the League and are going to spend to the cap as if it hadn't happened. Now THAT would be fun to watch unfold.

 

[BTTA]

The Patriots were WARNED about something in the rules. The Cowboys and Redskins were WARNED about something that was not in the rules and was, in fact, illegal for the league to do.

There's no legitimate comparison.

Actually, from my understanding, based on the information here, The Truth About Spygate: Punishing Success and Promoting Parity | Bleacher Report, there was no rule that the Patriots broke, so the comparison is very much apples to apples. The information provided to the teams about camera placement was in a memo, not in a rule approved by the team owners.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Or as Florio pointed out Harbaugh might not (edit definitely won't) be as deferential as Manning's past coaches, nor his receivers were with him, letting him run the show and be the de facto OC.....
But of the three teams, does anybody believe that SF isn't the closest to getting to a Super Bowl??

Teams under often emotional first year HC's have been known to take a step back in year two, sometimes because they anticipated a cakewalk going forward after reading their clippings. I could see Moss and Manningham alone causing problems in that regard. Close isn't good enough for Peyton and oops only counts if you make the play. And he's never had to play with a diva WR, let alone a pair of them and a guy Eli coun't connect with consistently all season. And they don't have the excess cap space to upgrade with, which is why they signed M & M. And SF will have to get past teams with elite QB's like Rodgers, Brees, Manning, possibly Stafford (and a handful of others on the fringe like Romo, Vick, Bradford, Ryan, Freeman who could finally emerge as elite) come playoff time while in the AFC he's pretty familiar with the landscape and other than Brady and healthy Ben on a good day or Rivers and Flacco on their best days ever day or Schaub if he could ever stay healthy the path to a SB is easier. And you got to get to one to win one. He'd be in a dog fight for a Pro Bowl nod in the NFC.

 

[DaBruinz]

Bedard is nuts if he believes that McCourty, Dowling, Arrington and Moore are a solid CB group on paper. They were part of the 32nd ranked pass defense in the NFL.

Did he just not watch Baltimore drive on the Pats in the AFCC and give away the game? He must have missed the SB too.

They weren't the 32nd ranked pass defense. They were the 31st. And all 4 of them weren't on the field together at any time during the season. But, far be it from you to let the facts get in the way of your "Chicken Little" routine.

 

[DaBruinz]

Yes, but yards = Brady sitting on the bench because the Pats pass defense cant make a stop. Yards do matter and thats the strategy for all teams facing the Pats now. Keep Brady on the sideline and he cant score. Buffalo and Pitt used that scheme to perfection.

If Brandon Jacobs stops at the 1 yard line in the SB, there is almost no time for a Pats comeback drive.

Again, with the facts. The last run in the SB was Ahmad Bradshaw, not Brandon Jacobs. Are you sure you actually watched the games because I'm beginning to doubt it.

And, keeping Brady on the sidelines has been the "strategy" for years. Not sure where you have been. But, I have some news for you. It's a lot easier said than done. You wanna know why? Because the Pats create turnovers. Interceptions and forced fumbles. They also have one of the top punt return teams in the league. Not to mention that with Gronk, Hernandez, Welker, and Branch, the Pats were able to score in under 2 minutes many times. Which means the Pats put up big chunks of yardage.

But, you keep on being negative and getting your facts wrong. Just means your trip to the land of the non-existent will be that much faster.

 

[DaBruinz]

Brady did a fine job of keeping himself on the sideline in the loss to Buffalo. Too many turnovers that game is what did them in.

Shhh.. You're baffling him with facts.. You'll make his head explode by doing that..

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I don`t think he misses this point, just feels his trumps it. No rules means no rules. If accounting affects spending then the Players Union should have a gripe.

Accounting doesn't affect spending in this case. The money still got spent, and it will continue to get spent. Sooner or later it all lands on the cap. If the NFLPA really had an issue with that they'd have fought to change the cap accounting rules which remain in tact unchanged form the last several CBA's... Instead signed off on them.

Then they opted to negotiate for an overall cap increase they were not entitled to under the CBA in which they signed off on a salary cap formula in exchange for allowing the league to police it's own loose cannons.

Bill has a term for this, doing business as business is done. He ignored the memo for the same reason, there were written rules that could be interpreted broadly not to disallow what the memo was proposing to. He got punished, so did these guys. Of course NO should be punished more severely than either of them because they violated multiple cap and health and safety written rules included in all the CBA's in nearly the last couple of decades as well as memos...

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

any recent word up as to when NO and any coaches will feel the wrath of Goodell? After the owners' meeting?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

There has been mediot talk of this week but I think like most things NFL "The Decision" is slowing them down. It's not in Goodell's interest to interfere with the level of coverage that FA in general is getting and Manning in particular is generating. This doesn't really have to be known until enough weeks prior to the draft remain that the message will have the floor with the intention it becomes the desired deterrent yet with enough time to left to move past it and return focus on to the draft.

 

[Deus Irae]

Actually, from my understanding, based on the information here, The Truth About Spygate: Punishing Success and Promoting Parity | Bleacher Report, there was no rule that the Patriots broke, so the comparison is very much apples to apples. The information provided to the teams about camera placement was in a memo, not in a rule approved by the team owners.

That's incorrect

 

[Triumph]

Again, with the facts. The last run in the SB was Ahmad Bradshaw, not Brandon Jacobs. Are you sure you actually watched the games because I'm beginning to doubt it.

I was there. Were you? Likely not.

The fact remains that the Giants would have milked the clock down to nothing.

And, keeping Brady on the sidelines has been the "strategy" for years. Not sure where you have been. But, I have some news for you. It's a lot easier said than done.

Crappy teams cat do it. BFD Who cares? Those are not the teams preventing NE from winning another championship. The Pats could not stop the Ravens and had to pray for mistakes to win.

You wanna know why? Because the Pats create turnovers. Interceptions and forced fumbles.

LOL Oh yeah?

How many turnovers did the Pats defense have in the SB? NONE!

They also have one of the top punt return teams in the league. Not to mention that with Gronk, Hernandez, Welker, and Branch, the Pats were able to score in under 2 minutes many times. Which means the Pats put up big chunks of yardage.

Where was the big yardage in the AFCC or SB?

The Giants had the ball for 40 minutes. Take your shoes off and count on your hands and toes how many minutes the Pats big yardage offense had the ball.

But, you keep on being negative and getting your facts wrong. Just means your trip to the land of the non-existent will be that much faster.

Youre the same every off season blowing sunshine up the wazoo and the same clown that told me that Eric Warfield was a good CB.

You know where you can shove your opinion.

 

[letekro]

I was there. Were you? Likely not.

The fact remains that the Giants would have milked the clock down to nothing.



Crappy teams cat do it. BFD Who cares? Those are not the teams preventing NE from winning another championship. The Pats could not stop the Ravens and had to pray for mistakes to win.


LOL Oh yeah?

How many turnovers did the Pats defense have in the SB? NONE!



Where was the big yardage in the AFCC or SB?

The Giants had the ball for 40 minutes. Take your shoes off and count on your hands and toes how many minutes the Pats big yardage offense had the ball.



Youre the same every off season blowing sunshine up the wazoo and the same clown that told me that Eric Warfield was a good CB.

You know where you can shove your opinion.

The blind desire to blame the defense for all of the team's ills is mystifying. two turnovers on first down (the safety and the interception to Gronk) and numerous 3 and outs do not help time of possession either. The D played very well in the playoffs and were more than good enough to win it all if the O played up to its ability/Gronkowski was healthy.

 

[captain stone]

Dowling, McCourty, Arrington, Moore plus Steven Gilmore (I can hope can't I) would be a great group. And much more effective once we get the Safety position straightened out.

But not nearly as effective as it must be unless the Pass-Rusher positions are straightened-out.

 

[captain stone]

Great article, though I disagree that Sergio Brown or Josh Barret will improve.

Add Ron Brace to that list of those who are what we thought they were.