- Joined
- May 1, 2008
- Messages
- 16,682
- Reaction score
- 3,686
Nice post. I would give you a +1 if you did that on this board. A couple responsive thoughts.
1) The NE defense in 2001 was precisely why people here began to use the phrase "bend but don't break". In the SB, and then again vs Indy in 2003 they were far more passive than you remember. Lots of DBs, rarely rushing more than 4, the difference was that they did a better job of getting pressure with their base set. Frankly, how NE looked against the Jets was markedly similar to how they played in 2001.
2) I agree with you that NE hasn't been the same since 2004. Tedy's stroke, Rodney's injury and Johnson's suprise retirement virtually eradicated the middle strenght of this defense. While both Tedy and Rodney came back, neither were ever the same players they had been and NE definitely reacted a bit slowly to replace them. Then add in the aging process in the OLBs and you have an old slow defense that coaches were clearly hesitant to go too exotic with, since they couldn't be sure coverage would be adequate.
I personally view the major defensive overhaul as BB's admittal on this issue.
3) Both theory #1 and #2 have elements of truth to them. NE defenses have always been slow to show their hand early in the season. Even in the glory years it took time for their strength to come through because NE's defense is very reactive to their opponent. Unlike Pitt and NY that do what they do and force others to combat it, NE builds defensive schemes for each game. As game film become more available and useful, you will see the improvement. Other than 2007, this has been the same progession every year since BB took over.
And featuring Mayo is one of the reasons NE converted to 4-3. His absense clearly hamper things, despite Guyton stepping in admirably. Taking away NE two biggest playmakers in the back 7, both guys in the middle of the field where strength is most important for this defense, is going to impact things.
Lastly, I never said "all is well", I said all will be well. This team clearly has hurdles to clear and issues to address, but they had similar issues in week 2 of almost every season since BB took over.
1. Re 2001, I referred specifically to the SB against the Rams, where our secondary punished the Rams receivers and we pressured and rattled Warner, throwing the "greatest show on turf" off of their rhythm. Similarly, in 2003-2004 the Colts offense was considered unstoppable by many, and we physically beat them up, punished their receivers, and rattled Peyton. I don't see much similarity between our defensive play in the first 2 games and those performances. Admittedly, those performances came at the end of the season and not at the beginning, with a bunch of new players.
2. A lot of people have suggested that rule changes favoring the offense have made it difficult for us to play the kind of physical style that we played in 2003-2004. But the Giants and Steelers, who have won 3 out of the past 4 SBs, are exactly that kind of physical, aggressive, punishing defensive team. If anything, I think the rule changes require a more aggressive defensive approach as opposed to a BBDB approach.
I agree with you about injuries and unfamiliarity impacting the game plan. I am hopeful that "all will be well", but I'm not 100% sure that the coaching staff will adjust as quickly as the players will. I'd like to see a few more games before forming a judgment. I think the players have the capability to make this a special defense. Whether the coaches use them effectively is another matter.