Where will the Patriots rank on Defense in 2014?

[TriplecHamp]

I said it all offseason, I won't believe the Patriots actually have a great defense again until I SEE it on the field.

Today just confirmed my fears, not only did they not look any better, they looked WORSE than last year. In fact, today they give up 33 points, more than ANY individual game last season. Revis was extremely underwhelming as well, nowhere near a "shutdown" corner today.

The scary thing is, I have no idea how you fix this run defense. There's no injury excuses anymore...

Revis didn't shadow anybody today. He wasn't shutdown in that he did allow a couple of receptions and he did get beat on a double move that he would usually grab and reroute himself but with the emphasis he didn't. The TD wasn't his fault (got his hands on the ball but it bounced right into Wallace' lap). Revis was solid, the entire secondary was.

I said this today already Aqib Talib played about as good as you can in todays NFL at CB so just adding revis who is not a big INT guy was not going to make the defense any better then it was last year

this posts just reeks of a lack of football knowledge. Revis' ball skills are tops in the NFL, he's not a big interception guy (to you) because he doesn't see as many pass attempts as most other corners. Talib had great games and some bad games. Revis is far more consistent and is a much better overall player than Talib. Im really hoping this is just another patsfans.com knee jerk reactionary posts because calling Revis and Talib a wash for the D is crazy. Its one game that the team was clearly not prepared for.

 

[patsfan-1982]

Revis didn't shadow anybody today. He wasn't shutdown in that he did allow a couple of receptions and he did get beat on a double move that he would usually grab and reroute himself but with the emphasis he didn't. The TD wasn't his fault (got his hands on the ball but it bounced right into Wallace' lap). Revis was solid, the entire secondary was.



this posts just reeks of a lack of football knowledge. Revis' ball skills are tops in the NFL, he's not a big interception guy (to you) because he doesn't see as many pass attempts as most other corners. Talib had great games and some bad games. Revis is far more consistent and is a much better overall player than Talib. Im really hoping this is just another patsfans.com knee jerk reactionary posts because calling Revis and Talib a wash for the D is crazy. Its one game that the team was clearly not prepared for.

Revis played very good today I don't think all 7 rec and 81 yards that Wallace had were vs him, what I am saying is Talib played like a top 3 CB last season his worst game was giving up 70 yards to steve smith who had 120 yards today vs the browns DB's who are pretty good. my point is revis is better but even if he plays like the #1 CB in the NFL he is not going to make the 26th ranked defense from last year a top 10 defense all on his own. if the team was not prepared for it then that's a coaching problem

 

[MrNathanDrake]

As bad as they were against the run, don't forget they had poor field position due to a blocked Punt and a strip-sack.

 

[Kontradiction]

The entire defense looked like ****. Zero pressure on way too many passing situations by the Dolphins, can't stop the run to save their lives, Hightower and Nink were massive liabilities in coverage, and Revis was honestly overrated. He badly bit on a double move by Wallace and got TORCHED. Only reason that wasn't a TD was due to a bad throw. Otherwise, the Dolphins would have hung 40 on us.

In the end, new year... same **** thus far. Still can't get off the field on third down. Hopefully that changes.

 

[VrabelJr]

The entire defense looked like ****. Zero pressure on way too many passing situations by the Dolphins, can't stop the run to save their lives, Hightower and Nink were massive liabilities in coverage, and Revis was honestly overrated. He badly bit on a double move by Wallace and got TORCHED. Only reason that wasn't a TD was due to a bad throw. Otherwise, the Dolphins would have hung 40 on us.

In the end, new year... same **** thus far. Still can't get off the field on third down. Hopefully that changes.

Revis got burnt once by one of the fastest #1's in the game and otherwise deflected three passes against that same receiver and he was overrated? Tannehill only threw for 174 yards and 62 of those yards were dumpoffs to RBs and TE/HBs.

Mayo and Wilfork were by far the most disappointing defenders in my eyes. Despite having a lot of tackles, Mayo's tackling was poor. The tackles that he did make should have happened 3-5 yards earlier. Wilfork didn't hold his ground at all and rarely got penetration whether the other DT next to him was Vellano or Siliga.

In regards to not getting off the field on 3rd down, it's not like we put the Dolphins in 3rd and long very often. They were gaining 5-8 yards on 1st down runs. From the 3rd quarter and on this game became a game of "This is what we're going to do to you. You know we're going to run the ball and you can't stop us."

 

[50-yard-line]

For some reason i cannot understand - I don't think it's personnel anymore - the Patriots simply refuse to play aggressive, pressure defense.
Their secondary was a lot better today than people are giving them credit for, but the schemes were headscratching.

At east two of Wallace's catches came when he was being chased by a linebacker. I don't know if Miami ran picks, or what, but no linebacker stays with Mike Wallace.

Worse, Tannehill had all day to throw. He didn't even have to move in the pocket. Our D-line looked grossly over-matched. I really thought this year was going to be different. Thought they'd be BIG and STOUT up from in the middle, substitute in Easley for interior pressure, come off the side with Chandler and Hightower or Collins...

Then they released Tommy Kelly, and sudden;y their DT's behind Vince are back-up quality. I will never, ever understand that move. I have never seen Kelly pushed around the way the Pats D-line was today. You release a beast like Kelly and play Joe Vellano?

I mean, WTF?

 

[MrNathanDrake]

Chandler Jones needs to watch Cameran Wake.

Go for strip sacks instead of hitting the QB high. It made all the difference in todays game.

 

[keithjackson]

I would be worried about the rushing defense. The dolphins gained 191 yards on the ground today, the bills 193 and the Jets 212. All three are in the top four after the first week; heck, the Vikings from next week round out the top five!

 

[Big-T]

Until Matt Patricia learns to do anything other than vanilla rubbish, bottom half again unfortunately.

 

[Marinlik]

If we continue to go with this 3-4 that we do not have the personnel for then probably bottom half. If we go to a 4 front, that we actually have personnel for, then probably in the top 10. But it rests on the coaches. We absolutely have the players to be a top 10 defense. The coaches just have to use the right.

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

As said by many other posters on this forum

Mayo
McCourty
Jones

Are all solid players who are COMPLETELY overrated as "All-Pro" talent. The only legit big-name defensive player we have on this defense is Revis (who certainly didn't even look like one yesterday...)

Hightower is god awful and Collins has one good game to his name. Whoever called Wilfork an "oversized speed bump" at this point in his career hit the nail on the head.

 

[Kontradiction]

If we continue to go with this 3-4 that we do not have the personnel for then probably bottom half. If we go to a 4 front, that we actually have personnel for, then probably in the top 10. But it rests on the coaches. We absolutely have the players to be a top 10 defense. The coaches just have to use the right.

The LB's, while lead footed, are suited for a 3-4 alignment. The DL is absolutely not suited for it. The base needs to be 4-3 or purely nickel if we're facing a passing team. Joe Vellano cannot be on the field as a 3-4 DE and Ninkovich should not be in coverage.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

@PatriotsSB49: Revis targeted 5 times, allowing 2 receptions (40%), with 2 passes defended. Had a 3rd PD that he knocked down to Wallace's waist for TD.

So 3 PD. 1 which landed in hands of wallace. Wasn't stellar but if he was cramping up (he was). Then i could see why

 

[Gronkowski123]

BB should fire that idiot patricia. he's easily the worst defensive coordinator in the league.
sick of him and his stupid pencil.

 

[Ring 6]

Until Matt Patricia learns to do anything other than vanilla rubbish, bottom half again unfortunately.

The defense has not been in the bottom half since 2005.
The rankings the last 8 years are 10,9,15,8,5,8,4,2

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

The defense is almost as bad as the offense.

 

[A man named Brady]

Bump

 

[mayoclinic]

I couldn't care less where they "rank". They are damn good when they stay aggressive and physical.

They should get better (barring new injuries, of course):

- Ayers, Branch and Casillas should get more comfortable and more involved. Ayers is already a big piece of the defense.
- Branch and Siliga should firm up the run defense.
- Chandler Jones will hopefully be back.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Look at yesterday. Donkeys had over 400 yards passing, and all they could muster was 21 points.

I don't care what the statistics say, giving up so many yards but so few points is an impressive feat.

 

[mayoclinic]

Look at yesterday. Donkeys had over 400 yards passing, and all they could muster was 21 points.

I don't care what the statistics say, giving up so many yards but so few points is an impressive feat.

Ponies 3/11 on 3rd down, 0/4 on 4th down. 'Nuff said.