Meriweather

[Dufflebagz]

Re: Your Opinion Of Brandon Meriweather?

He's a talented player, people have been getting on him about missing tackles, he gives out a couple big hits and unluckily one of them will cost him. I don't think he was headhunting. I hope he starts playing better than he has been this season.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Mo doesn't agree with Vince, so of course hes not a leader. Thats how these things work.

it doesn't matter that hes been a team captain multiple years. It doesn't matter that hes the best player on the defense. He doesn't agree with MoLewisRocks, so hes clearly roster flotsam.

Actually it's not how these things work. Bill's leaders are company guys, they send the coaches message even at times when it may personally gaul them on some level. Vince is like the jolly green giant. He can talk tough in generalities, like he finally did about guys like AD AFTER he got his deal signed. But he's not an enforcer in the locker room, someone who can keep egos and problem children in line with a glare, just not in his nature. And he's emotional and not particularly well spoken... He struggled to articulate his feelings after Miami to the point he just lashed out at the media on his way out the door, like the teams prior failings were their fault... A real leader has to also have the intestinal fortitude and the smarts to be able to grab a kid like Meriweather or a problematic vet where he'll notice it and either get in line results or be prepared to back the coaches if they have to deal with it...

 

[blackglass3]

Re: Looks like Merriweather might get suspended

Yup - hate to say I called it first, but I called it

If Merriweather had a "clean" record he might be able to argue against a suspension - I assumed from the start after seeing how many bad hits there were on Sunday, that he'd be suspended.

I'm not sure how the appeals process works... hopefully he can appeal it, and keep himself in the games until a strategic time to take the suspension (i.e. the next time we play Buffalo!)

How does Meriweather not have a "clean" record? Please, provide examples. Because since he's joined the NFL, I can't think of one fine given to him, or one illegal hit flag.

 

[shirtsleeve]

13 pages.

I didn't read them. I did not see the game. I am waiting for the replay on NFLN. So here is a premature response. Brandon is making mental mistakes. He needs to wrap his head around his game. That said, I saw highlights of the game yesterday and the guy was laying serious wood. Rodney wood to the recievers all day long. Vince said his aggressive physical play motivated the D. I believe that. It woke them up and reminded them of people like Rodney.

Rodney too said on tv last night, its a matter of readjusting the target. With the new rules, the safety shouldnt be aiming for the chest when they launch like that. Aim for the waist, then since now they are bringing their head up to see the opponent to try to avoid penalty, the lift it gives to the launch will hit the target chest area where the ball is.

What I dont like is seeing him play out of position and get beat. He's better than that and is making those costly mental mistakes.

I pray he keeps the mean agressive style. We need a punisher back there to make the recievers arms grow short.

 

[Synovia]

Actually it's not how these things work. Bill's leaders are company guys, they send the coaches message even at times when it may personally gaul them on some level. Vince is like the jolly green giant. He can talk tough in generalities, like he finally did about guys like AD AFTER he got his deal signed. But he's not an enforcer in the locker room, someone who can keep egos and problem children in line with a glare, just not in his nature. And he's emotional and not particularly well spoken... He struggled to articulate his feelings after Miami to the point he just lashed out at the media on his way out the door, like the teams prior failings were their fault... A real leader has to also have the intestinal fortitude and the smarts to be able to grab a kid like Meriweather or a problematic vet where he'll notice it and either get in line results or be prepared to back the coaches if they have to deal with it...

Then why do they keep making him a captain?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Then why do they keep making him a captain?

They don't make captains here except as replacements in season. Guys elect them. He's popular with his teamates, and their choices are limited. I'm sure the team hopes he grows into the roll, he didn't do much with it in 2009 when he was in his contract year...when we had a leadership void on defense as I recall...

 

[reflexblue]

I didn't vote, i didn't see a category i liked. I think BM is talented, i like his big hits, it makes the other teams receivers think, but he needs to aim a little lower. I think sitting on the bench for a couple of games whether it BB doing it or by suspension might do him some good. I certainly wouldn't give up on him.

 

[SuperPatsFan]

Meriweather supporters turning out in numbers.

The "He's going to be our number one safety" option currently leads.

 

[flynismo]

I'll be honest, all bias aside (I'm a ravens fan)...

after our first game last year, I was telling anyone who'd listen that Merriweather is phenomenal, he looked like the second coming of Polamalu.

But what I saw yesterday...not a fan of him anymore. when we were shown the shot of Belichick chewing him out on the sidelines, I saw three black stripes on Merriweather's helmet as a result of his helmet crashing into Heap's facemask.

You can play rough and tough, without doing crap like that. The guy has all the talent in the world, and if he ever puts it all together, he will be an absolute terror. He should not be disgracing himself and the Pats with stunts like that.

 

[Tunescribe]

He needs to grow up, plain and simple. He must be frustrating the hell out of the coaching staff.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

Oh boo-who the poor mamby-pamby Ravens. Sob sob. I feel so sorry for them. So one of our players got rough with them.

Don't tell me that Ray Lewis would not have done exactly the same thing if he had a chance. Merriman is a tiny payback for all the vicious hits that the Ravens have delivered.

 

[fluoropolymer]

Drew4008 correctly referred me to this thread. Thanks,

Quote:
"Originally Posted by fluoropolymer
Forget what the league may do. The Patriots should voluntarily suspend Merriweather for a week. Sit his ass down. So far this year he has been a sub-par player that seems to always be playing "stupid". His hit on Heap was cheap, dirty, vicious, (fill in your adjective); but most of all it was stupid football.

It's obvious that Merriweather has the physical tools, but for some reason he doesn't work within the Patriots system. He admits freelancing, etc.

I love good clean hard professional football. But it is supposed to be a game to be played and enjoyed. It is a vocation for an elite few. It is also a vocation that leaves almost all of its participants handicapped in some manner or form by the time they end their career. I want to see players (for all teams) on the field competing; not wearing a cast or trapped in a wheelchair."

I am continually amazed by the callousness of posters. We are not living in the Roman Empire watching gladiators killing each other. As a society we define and place limits on acceptable behavior. We should err on the side of caution to protect people playing a game - even violent professional entertainment like football. The Kraft family has shown that running a football team professionally like a business can be incredibly successful. Safety, and protecting employees (both yours and the other guy's), is a necessary part of operating a business. And if you really want to see the game change (for the worse) let one or two players get really seriously injured and get the lawyers involved. One change in the law will open the floodgates for Personal Injury lawyers.

 

[Froob]

Where is the Merriweather from last year? And for that matter the Darius Butler also....how did these guys take a step down?

 

[Batman]

I really thought meriweather was gonna be a smart player. His first pick at wembly last year I said before that play started to my father 31 is gonna come up and pick off the curl and take it to the house that's exactly what happened and though the guy is smart and can be a real playmaker I wish he made me think that this season but I just don't

 

[sebman2112]

You can't be serious?

The only reason he made the "pro bowl" is because Ed Reed was injured. I put pro bowl in quotes because the voting is a joke.

In addition, I've noticed he's really starting to take extremely bad angels. For example, when CJ Spiller caught a TD. That angle was so bad and laughable, it made Madden 11 look realistic.

With that said, it's a shame to see Merriweather regressing, but it could've been a lot worse. A lot of people on this board wanted Reggie Nelson (including myself) and he's worse than Merriweather.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd be shocked if Merriweather is still on the team in 2011.

Just a little curious here, but why do you continually spell his name wrong? It's on the back of his jersey....

Oh, and I've already posted that I'm not a fan of illegal hits, but Meriweather also made some strong plays against the Ravens. The play in which the ref called Meriweather for "illegal contact" was actually on Arrington, and if not for Arrington's penalty, Meriweather's hit to separate the receiver from the ball in the endzone would have been huge. He made some plays blitzing the run, and delivered some other timely hits, that were legal. If not for his play in that game, I doubt NE wins.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I wish Meriweather was better at coverage. That's his real weakness. I don't mind aggression in a football player. I don't think he was trying to be dirty, he just didn't use proper form and his aim was off. Meriweather's technique can certainly be worked on. There are legal hits that will still rattle teeth and be pretty dangerous. Like the one Desean Jackson took. He was hit with the shoulder but he still got shook up real bad.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

This is like the twilight zone

Ravens fans feeling legit to criticize "dirty play"

Kontradiction making more sense than MoLewisrocks

Rodney Harrison providing commentary on "illegal hits"

If the NFL wants to solve this problem, the simply need to end the Polian rules and let defenders get within a time zone of receivers. With only a fraction of time between ball arrival and possession, big hits are inevitable.

Merriweather "launching" is actually quite stupid. What exactly does a 6 foot guy do when the ball goes to a 6"5" TE jumping for a ball. I guess defensers are now suppose to stay flatfooted.

The real determinant should be time between contact and play initiation. Sorry but Harrison's hits were by far the dirtiest. He simply had plenty of time to not go helmet to helmet.

 

[Batman]

Just a little curious here, but why do you continually spell his name wrong? It's on the back of his jersey....

Oh, and I've already posted that I'm not a fan of illegal hits, but Meriweather also made some strong plays against the Ravens. The play in which the ref called Meriweather for "illegal contact" was actually on Arrington, and if not for Arrington's penalty, Meriweather's hit to separate the receiver from the ball in the endzone would have been huge. He made some plays blitzing the run, and delivered some other timely hits, that were legal. If not for his play in that game, I doubt NE wins.

If he had not made the goal line hit he would have let the player score then even with the penalty they would have declined it and had a td I know it didn't stop them from scoring after that but it gave us a chance to stop them.

 

[Haley]

Where is the Merriweather from last year?

I'd like to know what happened to this guy as well. It is as if we replaced the regular Meriweather with Bizarro Meriweather this year.

Did anyone check him for a goatee?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Where is the Merriweather from last year? And for that matter the Darius Butler also....how did these guys take a step down?

I wouldn't be surprised if the idea they'd arrived made them coaching nightmares. Happens all the time. Meriweather admitted as much in his case after losing his starting job out of camp for freelancing. Guys aren't always inclined to listen if they don't think they have to because they believe their talent is what got them to that point (starting NFL player), not coaching...