Tedy Bruschi needs a Cigarette After Talking About Brandon Spikes

[Danger Zone]

This is exciting to me. I trust Bruschi's ability to analyze LB talent.

I don't know why I was thinking this at the time, but I was pretty disappointed that Bruschi didn't join the Patriots coaching staff at some level.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I get a little annoyed of how Bruschi seems to pick the other team which he did on sunday (Buffalo) but now praises a player on the Pats once his prediction is wrong.

Can't believe he picked the Bills to begin with,he should remember the Pats almost own the Bills and would still have that winning streak going if Brady didn't toss 4 picks last year.

Watched the game with a good friend of Tedy's. Was busting balls over this pre-game.
He's telling Tedy to pick against the Pats next week and thereafter.

 

[The Gr8est]

He brings an intangible that others don't

Intangible? I think opposing ball carriers might disagree about how tangible Spikes' "intangibles" are.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

OMG, I may have to call my doctor in another 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Take 4 sudafed right now to avoid permanent damage...the kind you won't like.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I thought the day he was drafted that he was going to be a Hall of Famer,but I was worried about his off the field 'video' becoming an issue with possible off the field issues which fortunately,he got over and soon matured into a full time beast and those days apparently are of the past...he is going to be good for a long time.

I say the same thing with Hightower who is going to be another special player.

This linebacking corps has 'potential' to be a 1985 Bears type of LB corps...they are that good.

To get him a pick 60 just blew me away. This was one of those picks where the 40 time is overrated. I remember thinking the year before he came out thinking he was a top 15 pick had he left early.

Everyone knew he could play football but he did have some question marks with a couple of high profile incidents. Think he had his happiness here in new England somehow dragged out? Not sure I really didn't pay attention. Just glad he was drafted by us, he was the kind of sexy pick that makes you get stoker and so far he has been everything and more I had hoped he would be. Spikes, Mayo and Hightower could be one of the best trios in history if they can somehow manage yo keep them together

 

[signbabybrady]

Spikes is a carbon copy of Bryan Cox---build, playing style, attitude. He is easily the best playmaker on our defense (yes, better than our safeties---j/k)

Pretty sure he is significantly bigger but I still like the anology.

While nobody is ever going to mistake him for Jack Hamm or Derrick Brooks in their prime for coverage ability he's actually not the the liability I once thought he was. I certainly don't want him trailing a RB out of the backfield or one on one with a good TE but his zone coverage is pretty solid and he shows better instincts than I thought.

I fully agree he has great insticts actually just sometimes a still a step behind but when he is there it is felt. Mayo is the speed guy and Hightower somewhere in between makes for a extremely solid trio.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Take 4 sudafed right now to avoid permanent damage...the kind you won't like.

I better not read that again or I could set a world record.

 

[Sparetire]

I think ted needs to relax a bit, i guess he didnt hear of EVIL EYE

 

[randomk1]

Spikes is exactly the type of player that this D needs.

First he ****s on Buffalo on twitter and then he eats their souls on gameday and knocks a few sorry SOBs out.


But of course if this was Ed Reed doing it he'd be a cheap *******.

 

[Julius]

Pretty sure he is significantly bigger but I still like the anology.



I fully agree he has great insticts actually just sometimes a still a step behind but when he is there it is felt. Mayo is the speed guy and Hightower somewhere in between makes for a extremely solid trio.

Bryan Cox: 6'4 250
Brandon Spikes: 6'2 255

He does remind me of Cox(attitude)

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

lol I'm loving that thread title.

Spikes is indeed a beast! I have similar hopes for Hightower, would love to see Mayo-Spikes-Hightower for the next 10 years

 

[ausbacker]

Yeah, I'll agree Spikes isn't so hot in coverage - he's just slow. BUT - he does something Mayo doesn't do...MAKE PLAYS. Not only that, but make plays when the Pats need it most. A forced fumble at the end of the Arizona game to give the ball back to the Pats to (potentially) win the game. A forced fumble at the goal line to stop Spiller from scoring which could have been back breaking. Even in the AFC champ. last year he had a pick against B-more.

Mayo makes plenty of plays. That's a silly comment to make.

 

[rookBoston]

Mayo makes plenty of plays. That's a silly comment to make.

Agree with this. Mayo cant row the boat on his own.

Adding Hightower makes Mayo better and makes Spikes better, too. The three of them in tandem is tantalizing. We've only scratched the surface.

We're a DE and a DT short of All-World in our front seven. But even with what we have, teams will have trouble scheming to beat our defensive front.

 

[PatsBoy12]

I'm going to assume that this Tedy guy knows a little something about great MLB play.

 

[PatsBoy12]

While nobody is ever going to mistake him for Jack Hamm or Derrick Brooks in their prime for coverage ability he's actually not the the liability I once thought he was. I certainly don't want him trailing a RB out of the backfield or one on one with a good TE but his zone coverage is pretty solid and he shows better instincts than I thought.

The coverage issue has always been slightly overblown. It's one of those things that one person hears another person say and then passes it on (like Chanlder Jones and how raw he would be). It's just a matter of time before it spreads like wildfire. The fact is that while a bit slow in man-to-man, the guy gets zone concepts. Even when he isn't in position to make a pick, he usually still can get a hand on the ball in the air. If you go back and watch him at UF, then it's evident that he played zone coverages very well.

I keep saying that the Jets interception in the red area and the AFCCG interception are not fluke plays. Those are the types of plays he made regularly in college. He's been able to translate that into the NFL. Even the Patriots have used him more and more in coverage situations as time has gone on because I think they are now confident because of the fact that he's brought his uncanny knack for being around the ball to the NFL. Were it not for the fact that we have two other studs at the LB position, I truly believe Spikes would be more of a three-down player. The Pats just have the luxury of not having to use him that way if they choose not to do so.

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

The coverage issue is has always been slightly overblown. It's one of those things that one person hears another person say and then passes it on (like Chanlder Jones and how raw he would be). It's just a matter of time before it spreads like wildfire. The fact is that while a bit slow in man-to-man, the guy gets zone concepts. Even when he isn't in position to make a pick, he usually still can get a hand on the ball in the air. If you go back and watch him at UF, then it's evident that he played zone coverages very well.

I keep saying that the Jets interception in the red area and the AFCCG interception are not fluke plays. Those are the types of plays he made regularly in college. He's been able to translate that into the NFL. Even the Patriots have used him more and more in coverage situations as time has gone on because I think they are now confident because of the fact that he's brought his uncanny knack for being around the ball to the NFL. Were it not for the fact that we have two other studs at the LB position, I truly believe Spikes would be more of a three-down player. The Pats just have the luxury of not having to use him that way if they choose not to do so.

I think the only reason it seems to come up so often is because of the "need" to compare Mayo and him. People actually ripping him for it seems to be a rarity.

 

[signbabybrady]

Agree with this. Mayo cant row the boat on his own.

Adding Hightower makes Mayo better and makes Spikes better, too. The three of them in tandem is tantalizing. We've only scratched the surface.

We're a DE and a DT short of All-World in our front seven. But even with what we have, teams will have trouble scheming to beat our defensive front.

A DT? What you have against Vince and Love? they are both beasts. I also think that the Ninko has proven to be a pretty good DE thus far but I could see expecting better there but outside of two Vinces your not going to get to many guys better then Love.

 

[signbabybrady]

The coverage issue has always been slightly overblown. It's one of those things that one person hears another person say and then passes it on (like Chanlder Jones and how raw he would be). It's just a matter of time before it spreads like wildfire. The fact is that while a bit slow in man-to-man, the guy gets zone concepts. Even when he isn't in position to make a pick, he usually still can get a hand on the ball in the air. If you go back and watch him at UF, then it's evident that he played zone coverages very well.

Word of mouth certainly is part of it but what I really think it is more then anything is just lazyness or dumb reporters too. As it is much easier to just assume he is slow and thus not good in coverage then to actually understand zone concepts. Despite this being the ultimate team sport the media still looks at it from an individual prespective.

 

[JackBauer]

A DT? What you have against Vince and Love? they are both beasts. I also think that the Ninko has proven to be a pretty good DE thus far but I could see expecting better there but outside of two Vinces your not going to get to many guys better then Love.

We could use a pass rush DT...unfortunately our last three candidates (Wright, Pryor, Fanene) didn't pan out.

Hopefully Pryor can manage to avoid a season-ending hangnail this year.

 

[signbabybrady]

We could use a pass rush DT...unfortunately our last three candidates (Wright, Pryor, Fanene) didn't pan out.

Hopefully Pryor can manage to avoid a season-ending hangnail this year.

OK I can live with that assesment so long as you recognize that Love is a beast.

Also dont look to closely but I think we might have that guy on the roster right now at least short term. Cunningham has looked pretty good as a sub rusher this year mostly coming from the interior. I say short term becuase he could grow into our starting DE instead of Ninko but I doubt that happens this year as I think you want each focusing on their role. But giving the early success of Cunningham with his hand down I could easily see a commitment to him in the offseason to teach him to be a 3 down End.