McCourty vs. Lions: Thrown on 7 times for 2 completions for 13 yards and two INTs

[The Dynasty]

I don't keeping McCourty on the right side is as big a problem playing against the jets. The jets have too very good WRs with different skill sets. Braylon is big, physical and a vertical threat where Holmes is just a great playmaker with great hands and instincts (though I know most people here think Holmes is better and I do agree but the difference is not that great). I have heard that Sanchez has trouble when he throws to the left side of the field and when he rolls out that way (though I am not positive and any stats to back that up would be great). Having McCourty on the right side of the field takes away Sanchez's strong side and forces him to throw it to his weaker side (which also happens to be our weaker side) and hopefully forces him into a couple mistakes.

Great point. I dont think isolating McCourty against the opponents number one threat would necessarily work against the Jets since they have a few threats, not one stud. Like you said the majority of Sanchez's completions are to the right side and over the middle. With McCourty occupying the right side this almost takes away the right side and forces him to throw to the left, which proves to be difficult for him. The one problem I could see is over the middle especially with Keller, the Pats struggle with covering TEs and especially the middle.

As for McCourty I think his rookie year is not the to give him that responsibility of covering the #1 WR every play. He is still developing and learning the game at the pro level. I think it is something BB will consider this off season though. From what I have read McCourty is very into the game and watches a ton of film and I think he would be ready to be assigned the #1 WR next season.

 

[karguy85]

Throwing to his left was a weakness for Sanchez last year. He corrected mechanics in the offseason and no longer has that problem. Actually, this year most of his touchdowns have come to his left.

While most of his touchdowns have come to the left he only completes 50% of passes to his left as opposed to 60% to the right, so I'd say he is still have some trouble. I don't think touchdowns to the right or left is the best measure of whether he has improved or not. That slant to Santonio Holmes in overtime to win the game was to the left side and was not a terribly hard pass to make. That results for 20% of his td passes to that side (1 of 5). Plus the play was lined up on the left side of the ball so it really wasn't him throwing to the left side of the field from the middle of the field. I still think its a fairly good strategy.

 

[karguy85]

I'm sure you can break down a lot of QB's individual throws and determine a bunch are not difficult to make. That doesn't take away from the fact that the throw was made.


Sanchez may still be more comfortable throwing to his right, but it is no longer a large enough difference to be a big factor.


At times it looks like he is even more comfortable throwing to his left (most of his big plays have been there this season), but the stats may slightly tilt the other way.

Every QB is going to have a difference one way to another, but at this point in his career the difference is pretty much negligible. He can throw both directions fine.

I don't think its negligible at all... He is a 50% passer to his left, a 49% passer over the middle and a 60% passer to his right. That is a big difference. Meanwhile Brady this year is a 66% passer to the left, a 64% passer over the middle and a 72% passer to the right. With someone like Brady it probably doesn't matter much, but thats a big dropoff for Sanchez.

Additionally you don't need to get defensive over us talking strategy. We are just saying that since that is Sanchez's weaker side, hopefully the patriots take advantage of it.

 

[ALP]

since we have the article up, on this thread what about this bit?

"Not for the first time this season, we’re a little disappointed with the play of Sebastian Vollmer (-3.4). He had his struggles with Cliff Avril and Ndamukong Suh in giving up four quarterback pressures but was also comfortably the worst Patriots lineman when it came to run blocking. Last year we couldn’t help but heap praise on Vollmer, but he’s played like a different guy in 2010."

would you attribute that to vollmer playing RT rather than LT?

 

[karguy85]

Sorry if I came off as defensive, I wasn't trying too.

Brady is obviously a much better QB than Sanchez at this point, so it makes sense his numbers are so much more consistent.

Sanchez is still only a 2nd year QB still developing...I'm just saying that from watching every snap of every game in his career that it's obvious he is much better than he used to be at throwing to his left. The stats may show otherwise, but as a 24 year old QB he is still inconsistent at times.

I don't think it's a big problem anymore, he's had success on both sides.

I don't doubt that he is improving in that area, and I think it has a lot to do with better decision making (more than anything else). But my point was just that it was his weaker side, so having McCourty on the right side, hopefully the patriots could force him into a couple mistakes to that side.

Hypothetically if a qb is the completing 100% to the right side and 95% to the left you still gameplan to force him to throw it left even though he is stellar from that side as well. Weakness is relative against the player's strengths.

 

[O-T-I-S]

Watching McCourty develop this year has been fun. Especially when I get to turn to my idiot friends and say "now do you agree with the pick?" every time he makes a play. He's looking like a future lockdown corner, which is invaluable in today's pass-happy NFL.

 

[Ring 6]

since we have the article up, on this thread what about this bit?

"Not for the first time this season, we’re a little disappointed with the play of Sebastian Vollmer (-3.4). He had his struggles with Cliff Avril and Ndamukong Suh in giving up four quarterback pressures but was also comfortably the worst Patriots lineman when it came to run blocking. Last year we couldn’t help but heap praise on Vollmer, but he’s played like a different guy in 2010."

would you attribute that to vollmer playing RT rather than LT?

No I would attribute it to Pro Football Focus being awful.
Not to say I graded the film of his play, but Pro Football Focus comments on his play have zero impact on my opinion, positive or negative.

 

[Bonzo]

McCourty is sure gonna be something. It's been said time and again, but judging from his college stats (6 ints in four years), I didn't expect him to be leading the AFC in picks--not in any year, but certainly not in his rookie season.

I think our pass defense stats would be looking A LOT different with Bodden on the other side. (Still wager we'd be 9-2, though.)


BTW: Is anybody else amazed that McCourty recorded his conference-leading 5th interception a mere month after the very first of his career? He's really come on quickly.

 

[karguy85]

McCourty is sure gonna be something. It's been said time and again, but judging from his college stats (6 ints in four years), I didn't expect him to be leading the AFC in picks--not in any year, but certainly not in his rookie season.

I think our pass defense stats would be looking A LOT different with Bodden on the other side. (Still wager we'd be 9-2, though.)

I think the fact that he didn't have a lot of picks at Rutgers was because he was such a shutdown corner in college that the ball was rarely ever thrown to receivers he was covering. In college football, especially at a program like Rutgers, the difference in talent between a number one corner with a lot of NFL upside and a number 2 can be huge. Why pick on the guy going to go early in the draft instead of the guy who won't be drafted at all?

 

[ausbacker]

I don't need to see any stats to see the improvement of McCourty as the season has progressed. He's gone from draft pick to starter to nullifying defender to ball hawk in the space of 11 games.

Let's hope his improvement continues to rise and Leigh Bodden is back to 100% next season. Bodden + McCourty is a salivating prospect.

 

[jsull87]

If I recall correctly reavis left that game with....

3RD DEGREE BURN!

hahahah post of the day

 

[jaychamp]

He's developing so quickly. At the beginning of the year he had trouble looking back at the ball, and he fixed that after only a few games, something Wilhite still has trouble with. Then take that one play where he got burned by Heap, then much later in the game he had a huge break up on the same play. Already turned into our best corner. Not bad for a guy that a lot of fans, myself included, thought to be mostly a ST'er. So nice having a corner again that can cover AND tackle

 

[convertedpatsfan]

since we have the article up, on this thread what about this bit?

"Not for the first time this season, we’re a little disappointed with the play of Sebastian Vollmer (-3.4). He had his struggles with Cliff Avril and Ndamukong Suh in giving up four quarterback pressures but was also comfortably the worst Patriots lineman when it came to run blocking. Last year we couldn’t help but heap praise on Vollmer, but he’s played like a different guy in 2010."

would you attribute that to vollmer playing RT rather than LT?

I'm no talent evaluator especially at the OL level, but I kept hearing even in the pre-season how Vollmer's technique had gotten sloppy and he seemed to be relying on his athleticism more than his rookie season. There have been a few instances where it looks that way, but again, you don't really see the OL unless they do something bad usually.

I don't think it's the side he's playing. BB went out of his way to praise him for his ability to be a true swing tackle last season, a rare trait. He even mentioned how they tried it with Light and it didn't work, how only a few guys could do it, and Vollmer was one of them.

 

[mosi]

since we have the article up, on this thread what about this bit?

"Not for the first time this season, we’re a little disappointed with the play of Sebastian Vollmer (-3.4). He had his struggles with Cliff Avril and Ndamukong Suh in giving up four quarterback pressures but was also comfortably the worst Patriots lineman when it came to run blocking. Last year we couldn’t help but heap praise on Vollmer, but he’s played like a different guy in 2010."

would you attribute that to vollmer playing RT rather than LT?

Personally, I can't take anything ProFootball Focus says with any seriousness. I mean, by their ratings, Brady is not even a top 10 QB. Their numbers make such little sense to the game itself. Just crap, plain and simple.

 

[PatsBoy12]

McCourty is awesome.

 

[BSR]

since we have the article up, on this thread what about this bit?

"Not for the first time this season, we’re a little disappointed with the play of Sebastian Vollmer (-3.4). He had his struggles with Cliff Avril and Ndamukong Suh in giving up four quarterback pressures but was also comfortably the worst Patriots lineman when it came to run blocking. Last year we couldn’t help but heap praise on Vollmer, but he’s played like a different guy in 2010."

would you attribute that to vollmer playing RT rather than LT?

Oddly enough, Football Outsiders shows that the patriots have been most effective running off of right tackle and right end this season. Maybe he had a bad game but he seems to quitely be having a good season.