If Wilhite plays, we lose

[QB12]

Thank you for injecting some reason into this thread. How dare a 4th round pick not play like a seasoned veteran in his second season? Bare in mind Asante was "at best a nickel" and a "bust" coming out of the 4th round until what? His fourth year?

I swear, some people here have the patience of a 2 year old.

You call 16 games (not to mention last season's) impatient? Sorry, but I didn't realize we were conducting experiments out there on the field. Be sure and tell the ticket holders they're not paying top dollar to watch professional football players. Instead, they're watching men who one day (with patience ) will aspire to be professional football players.

QB12

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

You call 16 games (not to mention last season's) impatient? Sorry, but I didn't realize we were conducting experiments out there on the field. Be sure and tell the ticket holders they're not paying top dollar to watch professional football players. Instead, they're watching men who one day (with patience ) will aspire to be professional football players.

QB12

Impatience is being defined as calling Wilhite a bust, saying he's terrible and he doesn't deserve to be on the team, etc. Wilhite is a young CB who needs some time to develop. The expectation that he should be playing flawless at this point in his career is insane. He's looked good at times and bad at times, as have other young players on this defense.

Earlier this year, first round pick Vontae Davis gave up 6 catches 147 yards and a TD to Randy Moss. He must be a bust just like Wilhite who gave up 126 and 2 TD to Wayne. These guys should both be on the street because they can't defend two of the best WR's in the game in their rookie and sophmore season's.

All young CB's are going to struggle against good veteran WR. And they're going to struggle even more when their pass rush is absolute garbage. Give Wilhite a better pass rush and he looks a hell of a lot better this year.

 

[QB12]

How many passes has he actually defended? I can't remember a single one. Can you?

QB12

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

How many passes has he actually defended? I can't remember a single one. Can you?

QB12

I remember him playing very good coverage and making a nice interception against Buffalo recently. Even Dierdoff praised Wilhite's coverage on that play saying he stayed with the guy step for step and made a nice play on the ball.

 

[Spiral]

From what I saw, Schaub's first read was Andre Johnson. His second read was whoever 24 was supposed to be covering. If he plays next week, expect the same result.

 

[ausbacker]

Pass rush or not, I don't have a lot of confidence in Wilhite to this point in the season.

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

I thought he stayed with Jones pretty well on that double move when Jones caught the TD. That looked like a perfect throw and a toe tap catch to me.

 

[miDeuce]

Solomon Wilcots pointed out how Wilhite was playing the wrong technique on a long third down conversion that the Pats gave up. He had safety help inside yet was still playing inside leverage. The WR ran a deep out, completion, drive continued.

This is characteristic of much of the 09 defenses problems, miscommunication and mental mistakes that ultimately cost them the game. Wilhite had some starts this year at LCB but I think the fact that he's been relegated to nickle tells something. Wouldn't be surprised to see Springs, Bodden and Butler as the top three against the Ravens. Continued mental mistakes cannot and will not be tolerated.

 

[QB12]

From what I saw, Schaub's first read was Andre Johnson. His second read was whoever 24 was supposed to be covering. If he plays next week, expect the same result.

The only solace I draw is that Bodden wasn't playing, so perhaps from here on out, it would be Bodden-Springs, with Butler the nickle. Maybe they'll put Wheatley instead of Wilhite as the dime.

QB12

 

[BradyMossWelker]

Probably the stupidest decision ever made, was putting wilhite defending reggie wayne in that colts play, everyone but wilhite, bodden on reggie wayne, and we probably would win the game

 

[supafly]

Pass rush or not, I don't have a lot of confidence in Wilhite to this point in the season.

Agreed. I do not want to add negativity or pessimism like many posters often do, without giving him time to develop first. Some say that they see a somewhat decent upside in him from time to time, others say he is terrible. The truth apparently lies somewhere in the middle, but I don't see how some can't see that he is the obvious weak link in this secondary.

As long as he is on the field, the opposing QB will continue to try and exploit him, as they have done the entire year so far. I don't know why saying that would be considered negative etc, when it seems to be a fact.

 

[Spiral]

Confidence is an important attribute for a CB. It looks to me like he's lost whatever confidence level he may have had from earlier this year. Hopefully he's the dime back from now on, and the Patriots can rebuild his confidence level during the off-season. Otherwise, he's playing for Denver next year.

 

[supafly]

The only solace I draw is that Bodden wasn't playing, so perhaps from here on out, it would be Bodden-Springs, with Butler the nickle. Maybe they'll put Wheatley instead of Wilhite as the dime.

QB12

I'm not sure using Wheatley instead of Wilhite would be the answer either, it's almost like the lesser of two evils. I'd imagine there's a good reason why Wilhite is ahead of Wheatley in the depth chart, I know Wilhite seemed better than Wheatley last year anyway.

What do you think of using a big nickel for at least the BAL game a little more with the addition of Butler at a dime-type? Maybe some of the scenarios could involve Bodden, Butler and Springs, with Sanders, Meriweather and either Chung/McGowan?

I'd like to think we could at least pull that off pretty well for BAL, not sure about SD.

 

[supafly]

Confidence is an important attribute for a CB. It looks to me like he's lost whatever confidence level he may have had from earlier this year. Hopefully he's the dime back from now on, and the Patriots can rebuild his confidence level during the off-season. Otherwise, he's playing for Denver next year.

LOL

Isn't that the truth. Either DEN, KC, or CLE.

 

[sbpatfan]

Individual players can make mistakes but it's a team game. Blaming a fourth round pick that saw limited time last year is stupid. The pass rush is sub par and it often seems like the safeties are making the same mistakes in different games. And even if Wilhite was as awful as some of you claim, no one has replaced him yet. If he was bad another corner would be in his place. Which means "his" mistakes aren't 100% his.

 

[zipster9]

Over the course of the season, there has been plenty of blown-coverage by the secondary.

On WEEI, I heard one of the problems may be that there is to leadership in the DL/secondary. Vrabel was that veteran person, directing and making sure everyone knows their place. Mayo is suppose to take over what Vrabel did, but, he is still a rookie.

Does make sense.

 

[redsx8827]

Wilhite is probably a nickel. He cannot cover above-average WRs. The gets torches alot. Wheatley is no better.

Problem is Meriweather should have helped him cover. But, he did not play his position well today. I see Meriweather covering late, in todays game.

Sigh. If only we can have 1 shutdown-corner....

Last SB win was with TyLaw, a first-round pick.

Funny you say that, because Law was actually injured in 2004 (as well as seymour) for the playoffs.

Wilhite is absolutely awful. We would have won the game with Bodden playing, and we would have help Houston under 17pts if we had Wilfork/warren.

 

[PatsDeb]

Wilhite is pretty bad. Other teams key on him and throw at him constantly. The only reason he has a couple of picks is that they are always picking on him. He is always playing way off yet still has to catch up to the play. Hopefully he just needs experience, but why the heck do they expose him like that all the time if that is the case?

 

[Schmo]

From day one, the guy jumped over Wheatley on the depth chart. All he has done is work, getting a starting role on occassion. As a previous poster mentioned, every time I can think of him getting "burned" was when he didn't have any help over the top. In those occassions, he was on the reciever but didn't turn himself around on time. He's still ok in my book.

 

[JoeShmoe]

Surely in the PO's, Bodden and Springs/Butler are the starting corners with Wilhite in the nickel/subpackages?

If he's lined up against Mason, and I was Flacco, i would just throw there all day