Isn't McCourty A Better Than Average Zone Corner?

[Kontradiction]

BB has to have a trade up his sleeve.

No way can he think that this bunch can win a Championship.

It may be a situation like 2012 where he waits and sees how it plays out and, if it sucks and he can find good value in a trade, pulls the trigger.

 

[Triumph]

It may be a situation like 2012 where he waits and sees how it plays out and, if it sucks and he can find good value in a trade, pulls the trigger.

I hope and pray that is the case.

 

[Sicilian]

I'm not sure why zone has become such a dirty word on this board. I think everyone mistakes a zone defense for a passive defense, but it doesn't have to be. Even Revis at the beginning of last season said in an interview that he likes to stay aggressive, whether he's in man OR zone. I think the passive zone people are assuming comes about when you:

A) don't have confidence in your DB's to make smart, decisive decisions, so you back them off more to give them more buffer (at the cost of some soft plays).

and B) don't have confidence in your pass rush, so you need the DB's to keep the play in front of them for more time.

Now, both things may still end up being true with this team. There are question marks in the secondary for sure, and while the front seven has had some talent added to it, we've yet to see how it will all come together. But I think people need to separate the zone coverages of Patriots teams from 2010-2013 with what a proper zone defense can be with the right talent.

 

[AzorianPats]

Yea our secondary was terrible for a few years, but people forget during those years we had no pass rush!

 

[Kontradiction]

I'm not sure why zone has become such a dirty word on this board. I think everyone mistakes a zone defense for a passive defense, but it doesn't have to be. Even Revis at the beginning of last season said in an interview that he likes to stay aggressive, whether he's in man OR zone. I think the passive zone people are assuming comes about when you:

A) don't have confidence in your DB's to make smart, decisive decisions, so you back them off more to give them more buffer (at the cost of some soft plays).

and B) don't have confidence in your pass rush, so you need the DB's to keep the play in front of them for more time.

Now, both things may still end up being true with this team. There are question marks in the secondary for sure, and while the front seven has had some talent added to it, we've yet to see how it will all come together. But I think people need to separate the zone coverages of Patriots teams from 2010-2013 with what a proper zone defense can be with the right talent.

I don't think anybody is complaining about the defense mixing up coverages. I'm a press man guy myself but I realize you can't run that the entire game and you HAVE to mix it up. I just don't want to see the team go back to running a PRIMARILY zone based scheme. The better quarterbacks (like the ones you will ultimately go up against in the playoffs) will always pick that apart. I made the point about Seattle before. They have the best secondary in the NFL and Brady tore them a new ******* in the Super Bowl and ate their zone for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In the end, the reason why the Pats have ran a primarily zone scheme in the past is because of deficiencies at the CB and/or S positions so, if they do that again this year, that will ultimately be the reason why.

 

[Haley]

It's funny. After having the winning play of the Super Bowl made by a CB, you would really think we'd have made CB a higher priority in the off-season. I'd like to think BB has some evil plan cooked up to handle this but the reality is, we have what we have. We're going to approach this season with McCourty at FS and fill in the blanks with the next man up. Who those CBs will be and what their hierarchy is will be decided in preseason. Like always. We will find out then which of them worked hard in their spare time at that time.

 

[Nunchucks]

Is McCourty a viable option at corner? If we are to be primarily a zone defense, then McCourty, Fletcher and even Ryan are more valuable than in a man defense.

OPTION 1
2 of Fletcher, Butler and Ryan

OPTION 2
#1 from a trade and one of Fletcher, Butler and Ryan

OPTION 3
McCourty and one of Fletcher, Butler and Ryan

MCourty really never got "burned" as a corner, his problem was locating the ball and swatting it away. He did an excellent job with that in his rookie year, but struggled with it in the following years.

 

[Nunchucks]

Well then we shouldn't even watch the season

Patriots can still win with a historically bad pass defense, they have in the past. Besides that, some of us watch, whether we expect them to lose or not. Apparently, you only watch if you expect them to win...eh?

 

[Nunchucks]

Seattle has been the best defense over the last 3 years, with stats comparable to the 85 bears, and they've been a predominantly zone based defense... and with talent that they acquired in rounds 5 or later (with the exception of Earl Thomas)

Primarily a press-zone team. You will see the Patriots play an off-zone.

 

[Oswlek]

Yea, I think you pretty well nailed it for now.

As for Option 3 McCourty had 82 tackles, 7 interceptions, 1 sack and 2 forced fumbles and 17 passes defended his rookie season. Had Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. In 2011 he was simply terrible. In 2012 there were injuries at free safety so McCourty was moved there out of necessity. The comment I remember from back then was they felt McCourty did better facing the QB then he did with his back to the QB. He excelled at FS and with the acquisition of Talib there was no reason to return him to CB. My understanding is in 2011 he was playing with no safety help on his side. I think he has the talent to play CB in zone coverage but really struggles in man to man coverage. If Belichick is confident in Harmon playing FS then Option 3 could be a viable option but I think the less likely one to be implemented.

FWIW, there are a few errors in this.

1) McCourty started transitioning to FS in 2011, not 2012. He was pretty much a full-time safety by 2012 and it wasn't due to injuries. In fact, IIRC, injuries forced him to play CB again the last couple weeks heading into the playoffs.

2) McCourty was terrible for the first half of the season in 2011, but he was OK from that point on. People just allow the first month to color their perception of the entire season.

3) Devin has plenty of safety help in 2010.

 

[JayNM]

I don't think DMac is as bad of a CB as people are painting him to be. In fact, if Butler doesn't show a good improvemente, he would be our best CB (don't really know that much about Fletcher though).

Also, i am high on Durmon. I think he will be one of the best surprises this year.

Still, we are better off with him up top. He is a beast of a FS. I just think that the difference wouldn't be that huge. Our secondary could be a huge liability

 

[Triumph]

MCourty really never got "burned" as a corner, his problem was locating the ball and swatting it away. He did an excellent job with that in his rookie year, but struggled with it in the following years.

He plays so far off the receiver that cant get burned on a deep throw.

The other team looks for him and is successful moving the ball downfield throwing to his man.