Time for Belichick to takover playcalling on defense

[Box_O_Rocks]

A lot of looks at the replay leads me to believe that Merriweather choked on the play.

A poster at Patriots Planet whose claim to fame is he was a back-up QB to Tommy at Michigan had a sleepless night and posts he rewatched the game and believes it was Meriweather's inexperience that created the biggest problems on those long 3rd down plays in the game. He also notes that Meriweather's athleticismn is allowing him to be only a step or two away even with the slower recognition and he's stoked to think how well Brandon is going to do for us as the coaching zeros him in after each game. I was pleased to see Meriweather wrap up on his tackle of Keller that time, and not go for the big hit the way he bounced off Keller for an even bigger play early in the game.

As for the criticism of Pees, quite often on the field last night - at the same time:
- Mayo = rookie, talented, but limited in his grasp of the entire defense and of NFL situations. (Though we all saw that like Cassel, Jerod is starting to see the field at NFL game speeds and using his athleticism to put himself in the right spot at the right time.)
- Guyton = rookie, absolutely love his progress considering how many fewer game reps he's had than Mayo, but he's still a rookie. (And may even win Tedy's slot before the season's over.)
- Woods = 3rd year player with very limited playing experience forced into starting in place of the Pats best LB. He's showing the progress I expect for an OLB being developed within the system, but he's also showing the lack of game reps, love the potential here.
- Meriweather = 2nd year player forced into starting by Rodney's loss. BB has slowly been grooming him to take Rodney's place, using him in the nickel/dime Safety role. Now he's in the fire and has to learn at full speed, he's making mistakes, but better now than in the playoffs. I'll give Pees and Capers some more time to bring him along.
- James Sanders = 4th year player. Think back to 2006, Eugene Wilson inherits Captain-General of the Secondary after Rodney has his knee blown out in as dirty a hit as you'll ever see. I know James gets no love from a select handful here, but think back to the chaos of a Wilson led secondary... Youthful mistakes aside, Sanders and crew are steadily getting it together back there.

There's a changing of the guard in progress folks, as usual for NE, it's being done under combat conditions. The positive side to this, BB is reloading on defense for future playoff runs and is still fully in the hunt this season. Be vewy afraid AFC.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Go Away

do you realize it was our poor defensive play calling by pees that cost last year's super bowl? we were playing well on D only giving up 3 points through 3 quarters then all of sudden pees goes blitz crazy and it cost us on the last drive. we were playing zone coverage the entire night, then all of a sudden we blitz Eli leaving hobbs with torn groin and all by himself one on one with plax. plax is 6"4 and hobbs is like 5"9. you figure it ou.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

do you realize it was our poor defensive play calling by pees that cost last year's super bowl?

I think catching the ball with your helmet had something to do with that, not the defensive call. Atleast on that play. Let's not forget, Manning shouldve been called "in the grasp" on that play, like Cassell was against the Dolphins. So technically, that blitz shouldve worked out well. The Giants had alot of luck on that drive, kinda like our luck in 01'.

Its not always the defensive call thats at fault, but the execution.

 

[captain stone]

A poster at Patriots Planet whose claim to fame is he was a back-up QB to Tommy at Michigan had a sleepless night and posts he rewatched the game and believes it was Meriweather's inexperience that created the biggest problems on those long 3rd down plays in the game. He also notes that Meriweather's athleticismn is allowing him to be only a step or two away even with the slower recognition and he's stoked to think how well Brandon is going to do for us as the coaching zeros him in after each game. I was pleased to see Meriweather wrap up on his tackle of Keller that time, and not go for the big hit the way he bounced off Keller for an even bigger play early in the game.

As for the criticism of Pees, quite often on the field last night - at the same time:
- Mayo = rookie, talented, but limited in his grasp of the entire defense and of NFL situations. (Though we all saw that like Cassel, Jerod is starting to see the field at NFL game speeds and using his athleticism to put himself in the right spot at the right time.)
- Guyton = rookie, absolutely love his progress considering how many fewer game reps he's had than Mayo, but he's still a rookie. (And may even win Tedy's slot before the season's over.)
- Woods = 3rd year player with very limited playing experience forced into starting in place of the Pats best LB. He's showing the progress I expect for an OLB being developed within the system, but he's also showing the lack of game reps, love the potential here.
I'm afraid I don't love Woods' potential; in fact I don't like it, at all.

- Meriweather = 2nd year player forced into starting by Rodney's loss. BB has slowly been grooming him to take Rodney's place, using him in the nickel/dime Safety role. Now he's in the fire and has to learn at full speed, he's making mistakes, but better now than in the playoffs. I'll give Pees and Capers some more time to bring him along.
He is a 1st-round draft pick who has been in this system for over a year and a half. The diapers should already have been removed by now. I will accept no excuses for him.

- James Sanders = 4th year player. Think back to 2006, Eugene Wilson inherits Captain-General of the Secondary after Rodney has his knee blown out in as dirty a hit as you'll ever see. I know James gets no love from a select handful here, but think back to the chaos of a Wilson led secondary... Youthful mistakes aside, Sanders and crew are steadily getting it together back there.
Lil' Jimmy is a Jag (e-i-e-i-o): he doesn't blitz, he isn't stout vs. the run, he has below-average hands, and he can't cover.

There's a changing of the guard in progress folks, as usual for NE, it's being done under combat conditions. The positive side to this, BB is reloading on defense for future playoff runs and is still fully in the hunt this season. Be vewy afraid AFC.

I respect your intentions, Mr. Box, and I admire your optimism, but your post ignores the inexcusable dereliction of duty by Mr. Peesbody, or by one of the Safeties and/or LBs. How in the name of Ganja can the defense leave unaccounted-for the one player who had been killing them up the middle, and on 3rd down, all...night...long? Completely effin disgraceful and very, very, very disheartening. Someone effed-up in a major way, and on this level, in that situation, the jesters should never, ever have converted that 3rd/15 to Keller.

 

[RayClay]

The play calling was better when they called for the OLB's to sack the quarterback. "Willie, Rosie, Vrable, sack the QB". "OK coach". Now that's play calling.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I could be wrong, but I think BB has to start taking over the play calling on defense. I've had enough with Pees. I am assuming he's the guy calling the shots on defense. We can't stop them on 3rd and 15? First, it was the long drive in the 06' AFC championship game. Second, it was the 80 yard drive in the super bowl. Now this. We keep getting burned by these tight ends. I wish we could get a guy like Steve Spagnuolo, whom I think is the best defensive coordinator in NFL, on board. But that guy is going to be a HC next year I think.

I guess you need to ask yourself whether leaving Jason Witten open on 3rd and 15 was something Dean Pees did on purpose, or whether it was a blown coverage.

If anyone, including Belichick, thinks Peas purposelfully left Witten open 16 yards down the field, then yes, you would be right in calling for him to step down as DC.

However, if you're willing to entertain the notion, that perhaps... just perhaps... the Patriots D was supposed to be covering Witten, then you might want to rethink and delete this entire thread.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I guess you need to ask yourself whether leaving Jason Witten open on 3rd and 15 was something Dean Pees did on purpose, or whether it was a blown coverage.

If anyone, including Belichick, thinks Peas purposelfully left Witten open 16 yards down the field, then yes, you would be right in calling for him to step down as DC.

However, if you're willing to entertain the notion, that perhaps... just perhaps... the Patriots D was supposed to be covering Witten, then you might want to rethink and delete this entire thread.

Did we leave witten open in the cowboys game last year? i'm confused.

anyway, it's not this game that bothers me so much as it is a pattern that i've been seeing. in 04', we won because rodney came up with a big pick at the end of the super bowl. in 05', we lost to denver because our defense couldn't stop them towards the end. in 06',we lost to the colts because our defense couldn't stop them towards the end. in 07', we lost to the giants because our defense couldn't stop them towards the end. in 08', we lost to the jets in the regular season because our defense couldn't stop them towards the end.

what's the commonality in all these losses? this stuff NEVER happened in big games when RAC was calling the plays. Only when pees stepped in has our defense not been able to come up with the big plays. Why is that Belichick spent so much time on the coaching the defense and drawing up plays in the middle of games during the past few years? The team is no longer physical on D (something which I brought up over the summer and was heavily criticized). Nowadays it's rare that we get a fumble recovery on D. before those used to be fairly routine.

also, you can throw in mangini who wasn't too impressive as our D coordinator.

 

[Deus Irae]

Did we leave witten open in the cowboys game last year? i'm confused.

anyway, it's not this game that bothers me so much as it is a pattern that i've been seeing. in 04', we won because rodney came up with a big pick at the end of the super bowl. in 05', we lost to denver because our defense couldn't stop them towards the end. in 06',we lost to the colts because our defense couldn't stop them towards the end. in 07', we lost to the giants because our defense couldn't stop them towards the end. in 08', we lost to the jets in the regular season because our defense couldn't stop them towards the end.

what's the commonality in all these losses? this stuff NEVER happened in big games when RAC was calling the plays. Only when pees stepped in has our defense not been able to come up with the big plays. Why is that Belichick spent so much time on the coaching the defense and drawing up plays in the middle of games during the past few years? The team is no longer physical on D (something which I brought up over the summer and was heavily criticized). Nowadays it's rare that we get a fumble recovery on D. before those used to be fairly routine.

NFL Game Center: Play-by-Play - St. Louis Rams at New England Patriots - 2001 21

NFL Game Center: Play-by-Play - Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots - 2003 21

NFL Game Center: Play-by-Play - New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles - 2004 21

3 Super Bowls. 3 Late scores by the opposing teams. Twice the Patriots needed to follow that up with a score in order to win the game. Don't fall for the myths.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

NFL Game Center: Play-by-Play - St. Louis Rams at New England Patriots - 2001 21

NFL Game Center: Play-by-Play - Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots - 2003 21

NFL Game Center: Play-by-Play - New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles - 2004 21

3 Super Bowls. 3 Late scores by the opposing teams. Twice the Patriots needed to follow that up with a score in order to win the game. Don't fall for the myths.

ok, we did give up a tying TD in SB 36, but we were young then and our team was basically a waiver roster. in SB 38, Rodney went out with 2 minutes left in the game with a broken arm and they tied the score in his absence. in SB 39, donovan threw a pick to rodney in the last seconds of the game which sealed it. the team had a killer instinct back then, not anymore.

 

[Deus Irae]

ok, we did give up a tying TD in SB 36, but we were young then and our team was basically a waiver roster. in SB 38, Rodney went out with 2 minutes left in the game with a broken arm and they tied the score in his absence. in SB 39, donovan threw a pick to rodney in the last seconds of the game which sealed it. the team had a killer instinct back then, not anymore.

Now you're just moving the goalposts of your argument. You were wrong.