Will Wilhite and McGowan get starting jobs back?

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I thought with the exception of the long bomb to Steve Smith that Springs played his best game as a Patriot and James Sanders was one of few defenders who showed some intensity.

Any reason to put Wilhite and McGowan back out as starters next week?

 

[BradyFTW!]

Not based on yesterday- Springs and Sanders both played better than the guys that they replaced. If they keep up this caliber of play, then they're in the starting lineup to stay.

 

[The Dynasty]

I'd like to see Butler starting over Springs. As for saftey I think McGowan has struggled with pass coverage as of late, I'd like to see him in there but not if he cant get it done. Until he proves that he can again I'd leave Sanders in there

 

[BradyManny]

I thought with the exception of the long bomb to Steve Smith that Springs played his best game as a Patriot and James Sanders was one of few defenders who showed some intensity.

Any reason to put Wilhite and McGowan back out as starters next week?

McGowan's playing has tailed off. He's good against TEs, so when we face teams with those big targets, we'll see him in there. But Sanders/Chung should continue to see more playing time. I'm pretty disturbed by the apparent non-chalant attitude McGowan had after the Miami game. He's not a talented enough player to be playing without heart.

As for Wilhite, he has been beat a few too many times of late. Butler has better ball skills, closes faster, and just generally has stayed closer to his man all season. Not saying Wilhite isn't a decent corner, just think his starting job was going to end up in Butler's hands at some point in time either way, and it might as well be now.

 

[JSn]

McGowan is a good safety who can lay the wood. Sanders is a field general who can keep the troops organized while not hurting us by over-aggressive play. They're both important players, but if I could only have one, it would be Sanders. They extended him with good reason, imo.

 

[brady et al fan]

very good question. I was happy with Springs and on the TD to Smith I would have expected some safety help. Again, where the hell is the safety help on deep post patterns? Of course, we were facing another backup QB so its hard to tell how he would have fared against the likes of Brees or Manning.

 

[Mack Herron]

If it ain't broke....

Apparently they were not satisfied with the secondary play, so they made a couple of changes. The guys they inserted did the job and held the other team to 10 points. The biggest breakdown in the secondary looked like Meriweather failing to protect deep (again) on the post to Smith. From being one of the leading tacklers to being booted off the field, McGowan's stock has plummeted. Wilhite needs to find some confidence.

 

[satz]

Springs ,

He played well i would play him a bit on the No 1 with safety help.Bradon merriweather had the inside and bit on a fake .Even though you say is springs and i think merriweather should not have bit on the fake. Opinions. He gambled and it did not work.

Sanders

People always criticized him for 2 things one for doing his job and playing the last player to stop a big play. He never took risks and never had a wow play by gambling. I always thought you need 1 on sanders when you have merriweather taking the risk.

Mcgown is a bigger FS type similar to brandon and in coverage can take on TE.Carolina had rb which needed a old school SS which sanders is.Its just a matchup thing.
Wilhite will be back in rotation.him and butler are the future consider bodden is playing his way into a big contract somewhere.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Can we learn anything about the Patriots after seeing them against Matt Moore?

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I thought the rotation of our 4 CBs worked to perfection early in the season...teams had to guess who was going to be out there and we had success in the passing game.

For some reason BB decided to primarily use Wilhite instead of rotating and I think it hurt the team.

Not only does this team need to be more unpredictable on offense,It needs to be just the same on defense as well.

Teams were targeting Wilhite and he was getting burned however I still would like to see Wilhite in a 4 man cornerback rotation throughout the next few games like it was early on - after all if it wasn't broke why fix it?.

 

[upstater1]

There were WRs open over the middle multiple times, but the Carolina QB missed them.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

McGowan just isnt used to playing a full season.

He's noticably tailed off in recent weeks after starting really well. Sanders brought veteran leadership and intensity to a young Defense. I like the move BB made.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

There were WRs open over the middle multiple times, but the Carolina QB missed them.

I think everyone of us here realizes this defense cannot stop a high caliber QB like Manning or Brees,so for the meantime while we are playing against less than top notch QB talent over the next 3 weeks just savor the moment because you just know an Elite QB is going to put 400 yards up on this defense once the playoffs come around - its a guarantee,unfortunately.

 

[PatsChamp88]

Wilhite was the only starting corner returning form last year and easily exceeded everyone's expectations...however this year the cornerback position has improved depth. Having the benefit playing and being on the team last year he had the inside track over other corners but he has been out played at times as of late. The coaching staff has really been toying with the LCB position this year so hes got a legit chance to start again. BB and Pees will start the corner they feel will play the best so bearing an injury Wilhite has as good of a chance to return to the starting lineup as Spring and Butler do (don't think Bodden is moving from RCB).

As for McGowan hes going to need to step of his play but I can't be down on McGowan too much hes been a nice story this year and like the cornerback positions we have nice depth and competition at safety, which is great!

 

[The Dynasty]

McGowan just isnt used to playing a full season.

He's noticably tailed off in recent weeks after starting really well. Sanders brought veteran leadership and intensity to a young Defense. I like the move BB made.

I think now people can see why McGowan went to Maine. I am not saying he isnt great, but he isnt that stud saftey that people, including myself thought that he could be.

 

[JMarr]

McGowan just isnt used to playing a full season.

He's noticably tailed off in recent weeks after starting really well. Sanders brought veteran leadership and intensity to a young Defense. I like the move BB made.

I don't know McGowen's history but, given the way he was laying the lumber and abusing his body in the process early in the season, it's no wonder that he's slowed down.

 

[Patspsycho]

I thought with the exception of the long bomb to Steve Smith that Springs played his best game as a Patriot and James Sanders was one of few defenders who showed some intensity.

Any reason to put Wilhite and McGowan back out as starters next week?

That throw to Smith wasn't Spring's fault, it was Meriweather's. It was the exact same mistake he made in NO biting on a pump fake. Carolina ran a very similar play to see if Meriweather would make the same mistake again, and he did.

EDIT: I wrote above before I read the following post which precedes mine:

Springs ,

He played well i would play him a bit on the No 1 with safety help.Bradon merriweather had the inside and bit on a fake .Even though you say is springs and i think merriweather should not have bit on the fake. Opinions. He gambled and it did not work.

 

[Kontradiction]

I'd like to see Butler starting over Springs. As for saftey I think McGowan has struggled with pass coverage as of late, I'd like to see him in there but not if he cant get it done. Until he proves that he can again I'd leave Sanders in there

No way. We need all of the veteran presence that we can get on this team. Butler is a rookie and is still raw, as seen in last week by the Dolphins. Let him be the nickelback. He's capable of shutting down decent slot receivers for now. In time, I think he'll he become a solid starter for us. Springs looked like he was expecting help over the top as Meriweather bit on a route underneath. Other that that, he was able to contain Smith. Not sure how much that had to do with the fact that Matt Moore was playing and how much of it had to do with Springs just knowing where to be in a simplified defense. My instinct tells me that it's probably somewhere in between.

No matter the offense we played, I think we should go with what worked. And this worked better than anything we had for the past three weeks. Maybe simlifying the defense and starting a veteran whose legs are fresh is what we should stick with from here on out and into the playoffs.

EDIT: And let's not forget that Springs was also the guy who was best able to contain Terrell Owens when Owens was, arguably, at his peak. Keep him in and keep Sanders in as well until McGowan proves that he can take his place in the starting line-up again. Guy was a hitter but he was missing on quite a few plays in the last couple of games. Could be possible that he's dinged up.

 

[Brono]

The secondary of Springs, Meriweather, Bodden and Sanders has a combined 28 years of experience*. Maybe this kind of veteran secondary is needed for this year's Patriots to succeed in the playoffs.


*according to the CBS Sports Patriots roster

 

[The Dynasty]

No way. We need all of the veteran presence that we can get on this team. Butler is a rookie and is still raw, as seen in last week by the Dolphins. Let him be the nickelback. He's capable of shutting down decent slot receivers for now. In time, I think he'll he become a solid starter for us. Springs looked like he was expecting help over the top as Meriweather bit on a route underneath. Other that that, he was able to contain Smith. Not sure how much that had to do with the fact that Matt Moore was playing and how much of it had to do with Springs just knowing where to be in a simplified defense. My instinct tells me that it's probably somewhere in between.

No matter the offense we played, I think we should go with what worked. And this worked better than anything we had for the past three weeks. Maybe simlifying the defense and starting a veteran whose legs are fresh is what we should stick with from here on out and into the playoffs.

I agree about Springs expecting help over the top on the TD, but theres a reason why he hasnt played much this season. He isnt very good. Butler is better than him even with him being a rookie. I actually thought Butler had a decent game last week vs the Dolphins. He broke up passes on crutial 3rd downs in the 3rd and beginning of the 4th.

I disagree with your thoughts that we should simply the defense. You can simplify the defense when you're playing the Panthers, but you cant do that when you play powerful offenses which we will have to face in the playoffs. I think you can simplfy the defense this week vs the Bills and possibily Jacksonville, but not when we're facing Houston.