Poll: Moss double covered vs. other WR single covered

[smg93]

How can there even be a question about this?

I want Tate to be then next monster Deep Threat WR as much as anyone, but look at Moss' numbers over the last few seasons WITH Double coverage.

Are you guys actually expecting Tate to equal or exceed Moss' numbers?

If so I think you're setting your expectations much too high.

If everyone's singled covered part of the trick here is that they need to get open now... Brady always likes "the guy who was open" - that was much more likely with Moss, or a legitimate deep threat on the team.

I don't really think Belichick and Co. are done tinkering at WR

Joe,

The question is Tate or another "deep threat" WR who is going long and is single covered. It's not a Tate vs Moss thread at all.

 

[Kontradiction]

Moss is gone because it was better for the team all around.

Weren't you the one that got into the big knock down, drag out debate with me over whether or not it was best to coddle Moss last season? Or am I thinking of someone else?

 

[DaedalusX]

Weren't you the one that got into the big knock down, drag out debate with me over whether or not it was best to coddle Moss last season? Or am I thinking of someone else?

Those were good times.

My position then was based on the idea that his performance was suffering solely because of his mood, so it made sense to coddle him if it picked up the game.

However, it's clear now that (1) his performance wasn't solely an issue of his mood or the team's overall inability to step up, he's clearly lost a step physically and (2) Brady wasn't snapping out of his want to relive 2007 and that style of offense. I think those are the two reasons Belichick pulled the trigger on this trade and why Moss probably wasn't coming back regardless.

It sucks to think that we're past the Moss era, though.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

E$ is right. The poll question completely misses the point.

Because Moss is a proven deep threat, the most of the Pats' opponents have played Cover 2, with one safety over Moss. This made it more difficult for them mto run bracket coverage on Welker, because that would leave the underneath zones vulnerable to guys like Hernandez and Woodhead. In short, dedicating safety help over the top to Moss, because nobody wanted to leave him deep in single coverage, either Welker got single covered or the underneath zones opened up for the rest of the receivers. Brady is deadly with short to intermediate passing, so this played to his strength. Add to that, open zones make screen plays much more effective.

Now, they can bracket Welker and run a cover 1 and still flood the shallow zones, forcing Brady to look for guys like Tate on the outside or wait for Gronk/Hernandez to get to the second level, since underneath passes will be harder to come by and screens will have less potential for success due to the greater density of defenders underneath. In the Cover 1, the safety will choose between, e.g., Tate running a post or fly and Hernandez running a deep seam or skinny post route. Brady's favorite receiver, the open man, is now catching deep or intermediate balls, which is a lower percentage play.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

To get back to the original misguided question, Moss's reception percentage or Tate's ability to beat single coverage deep do factor into this at the margins, but even there, Moss was dangerous in ways that Tate won't be. The thing Moss had that Tate doesn't is size. Long balls are less accurate, and therefore it's more important to be able to shield off a defender and make a play on underthrown balls. Admittedly, his skills have waned in this area and thus the Jets' strategy of matching up man-to-man was probably the way things would eventually go for the Pats' opposition, when the playoffs arrived, but in the short term, things are likely to be tougher on Brady.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Who's more effective when a pass is thrown his way?

Randy Moss even if he's double covered

Tate or other "deep threat" single covered

Joe,

The question is Tate or another "deep threat" WR who is going long and is single covered. It's not a Tate vs Moss thread at all.

We must be looking at a different poll. The one here clearly asks whether Tate or another single covered WR deep threat is more effective than a double covered Moss.

I have a very tough time imagining tate or another WR exceeding Moss' numbers from the past few years, even though Moss was double covered.

I'm glad Patriots Nation is confident that Tate or someone else might break Moss' TD record but I think it would be wiser if we had some more realistic expectations.

I don't expect Tate or another deep threat WR (do we have one?) will exceed Moss' numbers even if they are single covered... and one could also make the case that Moss pulling a double cover allows him to make other players more effective as well.

Can it be effective enough to win? Yes. However in crunch time I'd always rather have a tall speedy deep threat WR with good hands than not having that option.

As we saw in the Reche Caldwell era, the Pats can have a completely sub-par WR corps and that's still enough to make them the #6 offense in the league. It's also enough to leave them without a Lombardi.

 

[Synovia]

In 2010 he was being shut down by single coverage.

Exactly who was single covering Moss in 2010?


It wasn't the Jets (both Revis and Cromartie had safety help almost the whole game), and it wasn't the Dolphins. The Bills? Bengals?

 

[CrazedChariot]

Cover 0 (True Single Coverage) is rarely run at the NFL. Almost all teams use their safeties in deep zones.

Saying Moss is covered by a safety when running a deep pattern is not double coverage. It is the same coverage that almost any WR running a deep pattern would get. If you want to call that double coverage, than almost all WR are double covered.

Moss is on the end of a great career. I don't buy into the distraction / decoy argument. It's a media creation because no one wants to admit he has lost a few steps.

Great, or ever good receivers stretch the field and are still productive. I saw a guy who was blanketed by Single Coverage last Monday night. It took one of the best throws of the year from Farve for Moss to have any positive impact on that game.

 

[Synovia]

Saying Moss is covered by a safety when running a deep pattern is not double coverage. It is the same coverage that almost any WR running a deep pattern would get. If you want to call that double coverage, than almost all WR are double covered.
QUOTE]

Thanks for the wonderful lesson, but thats not how teams were covering Moss.