Dear BB I hope you read this

[patsox23]

You might want to get some body armor...there are too many fans that think that everything is all right...get ready to duck...

Many of us think that this is a misguided post without ALSO thinking that "everything is all right."

 

[Deus Irae]

Many of us think that this is a misguided post without ALSO thinking that "everything is all right."

I'd fall solidly in that category.

 

[Ring 6]

I'd fall solidly in that category.

I dont think anyone thinks everything is perfect. I think many of us think the good far outweighs the bad, and when we sit here on 12/20/06 we are in the mix, we are good enough to win a SB, and we trust that the players and coaches who have won 3 of them give us an edge once the tournament starts.
Of course we have flaws but so does every other team. Some choose to pick isolated examples, and conclude they are proof of ultimate failure. Some choose to find the good, and ignore the bad.

Personally, I can discuss and accept any negative, but only in context with the positives.
My tendancy is to focus on the positive rather than the negative NOW for one simple reason: BILL BELICHICK.
I have the ultimate confidence in Belichick. I think he is far and away the best coach in the NFL, and has the best plan and system. I EXPECT things to work out better 2,3,6,8... weeks down the road than they look today with this team, because BB has earned that expectation.
When Pete Carroll, or **** McPherson, etc, etc were here I did not have that expectation. If I were a Colt, Charger, Bengal, etc fan, I wouldnt have that expectation, because there is no strong reason to believe so. With BB there is proof, so I continue to look at everythign optimisitcally.

 

[Flying Fungi]

Bartender

I'll have what he's having

:eat2:

 

[Mike the Brit]

The defense has held up remarkably well, considering the injuries that it has had. Just remember: both starting safeties are gone, plus one nickel/starting corner (Randall Gay) and a starting inside linebacker. Then there are innumerable back-ups/special teamers/short-term injuries that have made things difficult. I can't believe that Hobbs, for instance, isn't really hampered by the cast on his hand. The level of performance we have had from Hawkins, Sanders, Scott is a very pleasant surprise.

Things aren't perfect. I'm not overwhelmed by Seymour's play this season, I wish that the linebackers were as dynamic as Miami or San Diego's, and it's really noticeable how much the run-stopping has diminished since Junior Seau went on IR. I worry how the team will match up against the Colts' offense or San Diego's. But, on defense at least, the good very much outweighs the bad, in my opinion.

Anyway, players play, coaches coach and fans (if they're sensible) enjoy the ride.

 

[Fencer]

A. The defensive results have, with few exceptions, been somewhere on a spectrum between "That's about what should have happened with those personnel" to "Wow! How did they ever manage that with those personnel?" I think Pees' body of work is very solid.

B. They carried three guys on the roster to begin the season at DL who didn't play. Two have been there all year. I think they're aware that their young depth is suspect. But thanks for reminding them anyway.

C. Punctuation is your friend. It is traditional to end questions with question marks.

D. I'm sure they've knocked themselves out considering the injury plague. I hope they haven't overlooked anything. I admit to not being wholly confident in that.

E. The team has lost 3 of its top DBs and a 4th has played hurt all year. The secondary represents a phenomenal job of personnel acquisition and coaching.

F. In the defensive front seven, everybody except Bruschi and Seau was acquired by the current regime while he was still young. The same goes for the rest of the team with very few exceptions (mainly Brown, Dillon, and punters among the starters and front-line players).

G. There are only four teams in the league with better records than the Pats, and the Pats have beaten and are probably better than one of them. The Pats are also probably better than all the teams with poorer records, including three that (ouch) they've lost to. Of the three teams that really seem better, one has a famously unsuccessful post-season coach, one has a disastrous run defense, and one has a highly fragile QB.

I don't know wtf is going on with WRs or with the OL's inconsistency any more than the rest of you do, but I do think the general theme of the OP was way off base.

 

[AzPatsFan]

3 You won 3 rings while having the best coaching staff in the league. we essentially had 3 head coaches. I don't think either of your current coordinators will get any consideration for head coaching jobs this year. This should tell you something about them.
Were they the best guys available this year.?


6 Three words screen screen screen. we seem to have only recently remembered this play.

8 Tell Tully that the spin move is not working. Tell Tedy B that his attempts to flip over blocking RBs when he is blitzing is counter productive. One day he is going to connect with the opposing QB in the knees and get a huge penalty. Tell Ellis to shut up/just play and turn around and look for the ball when the receiver does.

10 Take all the plays with Corey Dillon running to the outside and throw them away. Corey is not going to outrun anybody to the outside. Corey you have 3 options. A:find hole inside B:make a hole inside or Cush a pile.

3)
BB said before the season began that he wanted to keep the system that he had. He didn't want to bring in a new guy and have 25 guys have to learn a new system when they are/were successful with the system that they have.

You have been listening to NEM too much, and its rotting your brain.

NEM, a Friend, hasn't and doesn't, like ANY OC. He despises anyone who doesn't have 100% success with every play. If a play fails for whatever reason, it the OC's fault for calling the play, irrespective of whether the players executed it well or not, or the Defense made a great play. JM, a nine year NFL coach, has the Offense in the top dozen of the league, quite frankly with mirrors, while playing with a lot of very young &/or very new players to the Offense. Getting this far with what he has, ought to warn the league what's in store for them, with another year of maturity on Offense.

6)
The Pats have used the screen. Its just not as effective as it was when they could pass a team silly. Did you know they ran five (5!) screens against Miami for example? The longest gain was 4 yards! A couple were facing big losses, when the receiver purposely dropped the ball to make it an incompletion, rather than a completion and a loss of 4 or 5 yards. Screens ONLY work when you are a passing team, not when the Defense is run blitzing. It ONLY works when you can fool the defense. if you can't fool them it results in an easy loss,as a screen is a simple play to defense if you are looking for it.

8)
TBC is doing fine for his first year of starting. He has sacks and QB pressures and his run defense has actually been pretty good. I still want to see more of his pass defense, but he has NOT STUNK at the toughest part of converting from DE to OLB, and has turned in some fine coverage plays.

10)
Why doesn't anyone give Dillon any credit? You've been listening to Tom Casale and the PFW people too much. They are way too black and white. They hav eonly two categoreis All_pro or he sux. Dillon is a franchise talented back on the downside of his career, who has become short yardage and TD terror. He has runs of 50, and a pair of 25 yarders this season so he can still make the big play, occasionally. The Patriots are facing run blitzing; and they apparently don't have the simple cure for that problem.

Its called a lead blocking Fullback.

Evans is much better as a blocker than he was. Pass is on IR. But Heath was terrible at it, when he arrived; as a matter of fact that was why he got cut by a team that invested a #3 pick on him. In college he carried the ball, and never blocked. He has the determination to learn, and the Coaches are teaching him but, they haven't put him in front of Dillon, as needed.

Against Houston, Dillon gained 85 yards and lost twenty or more, and ended up with 60 or so, when tackled in the backfield by a gambling run blitzer. Remove the losses and drives continue and Dillon carries for several more carries and ends up over a hundred yards. If Dillon gets started and gets to the line he is good for 4-10 yards.

The Rx is a lead Fullback, and the Pats apparently don't have one. A lead fullback would put a guy at the point of attack and allow Dillon to cut off of him as he gets to the hole. Dillon wouldn't have to cut it outside after a gambling safety shows up in the hole he planned to use. Dillon as he is is just like Bettis and good for another couple of years when used correctly.

BTW... LM needs a lead fullback too; he dances when the hole is closed and doesn't get anywhere.

 

[Rob0729]

I don't know if it is brave to post a rant of things that are really not correct. I also think it is unfair to bash the "Kool-Aide drinkers" and call the original poster brave for acting like this team is a total wreck when they are at 10-4.

First, why should the Pats scrap the 3-4? We are second in the league in points allowed. Let me say that again. We are second in the league in points allowed. Why in the world would we scrap a defense that has given up less points so far this year than 30 of the 31 other defenses? Why not cut Brady while we are at it? And don't say it has gotten worse since Seau went down because he went down a month ago already and we are still second.

Second, why would we want to abandon the two-gap? We are eighth in the league in sacks and only three sacks behind the fourth team in the sack category. If we aren't doing a good job getting pressure on the QB than virtually no team in the NFL is getting pressure on the QB and there should be about 24 other teams that should scrap their defense.

Third, the Pats have used the screen pass in virtually every game this season with varying results. Contrary to many people's opinion, the screen pass does not work all the time vs. every defense. Maybe there are times where we might have been suited to use it more, but overall we do make an effort to use it.

Fourth, Brady will do whatever is neccessary to win. He does at times try to carry the team on his shoulders, but he isn't afraid to throw high percentage but not big gain type of plays like he did against the Texans.

Fifth, I feel the Pats did misjudge the market because of the new cap, but I doubt this will be an ongoing thing.

Sixth, I don't know how you can criticize TBC's moves after have a great game this weekend. I haven't watched him specifically on a lot of plays, but he did get two sacks this weekend.

I don't think everything is well with the Pats. I just don't think it is as dismal as some people like to make it. We are still a good team. Some people feel that if we aren't the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl every year that we are some kind of 6-10 team. We just can't win the Super Bowl every year.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

if the Pats don't have Vince sunday and they stay in the 3-4 they are going to get shredded for rushing yardage.

 

[Deus Irae]

if the Pats don't have Vince sunday and they stay in the 3-4 they are going to get shredded for rushing yardage.

Fred Taylor pulled up lame with a bad hamstring this past week, and Jones-Drew tweaked his knee. Taylor is questionable, and Jones-Drew is probable, according to Jacksonville.

 

[shirtsleeve]

wait a minute....flying elvis on the buttcoks.....kinda rings a bell....OH WAIT! You that Bills chick who lost the bet to PatsNUTme last year???? You still haven't showed us the goods, baby!

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

wait a minute....flying elvis on the buttcoks.....kinda rings a bell....OH WAIT! You that Bills chick who lost the bet to PatsNUTme last year???? You still haven't showed us the goods, baby!

Careful, you'll get T-shirt Dynasty out of hibernation!

 

[unoriginal]

Careful, you'll get T-shirt Dynasty out of hibernation!

Not for another two months, and then only if he doesn't see his shadow.

 

[captain stone]

Dear Bill Belichek

I am writing to you as a concerned Patriots fan. I have a few issues with the path we have taken this year and i would like to discuss them with you.

1 The 3-4 system is best when the bulk of your talent in your front seven is at linebacker. THIS IS NOT THE CASE ANYMORE WITH THE PATRIOTS.
Willie Mac =gone
Ted J=gone
Tedy B= starting to look old ( i still love him but facts are facts)
Junior Say Ow =gone

The talent in our front seven is in the Defensive line. You have won 3 Rings by being adaptable. I know you love the 3-4 but we dont have the personel to run it very well. Please consider swiching to a 4-3. You have a great football mind, you can find ways to disguise coverage in a 4-3 scheme. I think Seymour Wilfork Warren and Green on the field at the same time would be a nightmare for opposing offenses. Plus 3-4 personel are hard to find in the college ranks and more teams in the NFL who will be drafting before us run this same system.

>> Agreed, but we don't have a true 4-3 MLB on the roster. Maybe next year.

2 The two gap system is great at stopping the run (if the players are disciplined) however it makes it very difficult to rush the passer. The league has recently evolved to a pass crazy legue with the no contact (patriots rule) . You might want to rethink that 2 gap philosophy and allow defenders to attack a single gap instead of having to overpower the opposing offensive linemen to get any pressure. We need more pass rush badly. This would help Asante and Ellis more than anything else.

>> The defense probably runs some one-gap assignments, but the pass rush needs to come from the LBs, too.

3 You won 3 rings while having the best coaching staff in the legue. we essentially had 3 head coaches. I dont think either of your current coordinators will get any consideration for head coaching jobs this year. This should tell you something about them.
Were they the best guys available this year.?

>> Pees is ok; Skippy, OTOH, is completely unqualified. The coaching staff, as a whole, is undermanned. Coaches don't count against the cap - spend the $$, BK and BB, and hire more people. Who knows, maybe someone else will have some good ideas.

4 Have you and Scott Pioli taken into account that the salary cap has risen significantly. Therefore the value of a any given player must also rise since you are slicing up a bigger pie 53 ways. I keep waiting for other teams to have to let go key players but we seem to be only team that faces this. There will not be any good FA this year. Any player that is any good will get PAID so dont think you willl be able to pick up scraps from someone elses table. Those day are done for a while. You should work really hard to keep your own FA because i dont think you will be getting anybody from other teams.

>> Let's hope that the FO has learned its lesson, before it's too late.

5 Please forward this to Tom Brady : dink and dunk , remember that, you seem to be believing the hype that you are the 'golden armed boy'. You are starting to look like Drew Bledsoe sitting in the pocket waiting for a reciever to come open way down the field and taking sacks. Get rid of the ball quickly and accurately and hope for some RAC. Please adjust that post route where you send Ben Watson down the middle and there are two safeties waiting to crack his spine. You are going to get the guy killed. Have him sit down int the void between the LBs and the safeties. I have seen it several times this year with bad results, ball tipped in the air or dropped, fumbles and most recently injury.

>> Amen, brothers and sisters. TB eyeballs Bumblin' Bennie way too often. Case in point: first drive vs. Chicago. Watson was the least open receiver at the time. Faulk was wide open in the left flat, 3 yards from a 1st down, 7 yards from a DB.

6 Three words screen screen screen. we seem to have only recently remembered this play.

>> We'll see it again; don't worry.

7. This seems like the third of fourth year we have half the team is out due to injury. I have to believe that this cant be just bad luck. We are doing something different than other teams in the NFL. Maybe Strength and conditioning? too much? too little? Look into this.

>> I seem to recall that BB fired a very good S & C coach after the 2000 or '01 seasons. The injuries have piled up ever since.

8 Tell Tully that the spin move is not working. Tell Tedy B that his attempts to flip over blocking RBs when he is blitzing is counter productive. One day he is going to connect with the opposing QB in the knees and get a huge penalty. Tell Ellis to shut up/just play and turn around and look for the ball when the reciever does.

>> Yes, yes and yes.

9 Does Marquise Hill have naked pics of you or something? I cant see why this guy continues to take up a roster spot. Has he ever stepped on the field.

>> Bad draft pick then, bad player now. Hill would be BB's highest-drafted guy released, but it's past time. Admit your mistake, coach, and bring in someone who wants to play. What kind of example are you setting?

10 Take all the plays with Corey Dillion running to the outside and throw them away. Corey is not going to outrun anybody to the outside. Corey you have 3 options. A:find hole inside B:make a hole inside or Cush a pile.

>> Agreed, but Dillon needs to run outside once in a while, to keep the defense honest.

11.Finally , next years draft. L I N E B A C K E R
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more junkyard dogs

>> Abso-effin-lutely. At least one on the 1st day, and at least 2, both ILB and OLB, overall.

Welcome to the board, Elvis. Great minds must think alike. And don't follow the lemmings.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

One big thing with the injuries is that, on the Patriots, if you don't hit hard, you're not likely to get a spot on the first team. The injury problem has primarily been one of defensive people getting beat up, in particular the smaller secondary guys who mix it up with the running back and lead blockers in run support. Add to that, the Pats cornerback stable aren't the biggest guys around, so they take a beating and eventually end up going down. Even wide receivers take more of a beating on the Pats, often being called upon to block down on outside LBs and DEs. There are teams that are easier to play for. Of course, they're gonna be on vacation in a week and a half.

 

[spacecrime]

Dear FlyingElvisButtocks:

Thank you for your advice. Throughout my Patriots head coaching career, no one has understood what I was doing while I was doing it. From blasting me for taking Seymour instead of Terrell, to not playing Terry Glenn, letting players like Milloy and Washington go, not buying hype, not paying for a name, letting players go a year too early (as opposed to a year too late) etc etc, you folks have had your criticism. My methods have kept us competitive for five years, and still dimwads keep telling me I should change.

Fortunately, I do not give a rat's patootie what you or anyone thinks. Had I listened to guys like you five years ago, there would be no superbowl championships in New England.

I study film every day, analyze plays and players with a staff of more than 30 football professionals whose full time job it is to get me the best information, and find players whose abilities and talents will mesh into a team. Not a collection of talented players, but a TEAM. I'd explain the difference but I'd just be wasting my time and yours. When donkeys like you watch ESPN and Fox Sports and then think you know better than I, well, let's just say you sound like morons.

Have a nice day,
BB
(I used initials because you who think you know so much cannot even spell the name of the Patriots head coach.)

 

[RayClay]

Dear FlyingElvisButtocks:

Thank you for your advice. Throughout my Patriots head coaching career, no one has understood what I was doing while I was doing it. From blasting me for taking Seymour instead of Terrell, to not playing Terry Glenn, letting players like Milloy and Washington go, not buying hype, not paying for a name, letting players go a year too early (as opposed to a year too late) etc etc, you folks have had your criticism. My methods have kept us competitive for five years, and still dimwads keep telling me I should change.

Fortunately, I do not give a rat's patootie what you or anyone thinks. Had I listened to guys like you five years ago, there would be no superbowl championships in New England.

I study film every day, analyze plays and players with a staff of more than 30 football professionals whose full time job it is to get me the best information, and find players whose abilities and talents will mesh into a team. Not a collection of talented players, but a TEAM. I'd explain the difference but I'd just be wasting my time and yours. When donkeys like you watch ESPN and Fox Sports and then think you know better than I, well, let's just say you sound like morons.

Have a nice day,
BB
(I used initials because you who think you know so much cannot even spell the name of the Patriots head coach.)

Thank You coach. As busy as you are, you read that whole long winded post.

That's more than I did.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Dear Bill Belichek

I am writing to you as a concerned Patriots fan. I have a few issues with the path we have taken this year and i would like to discuss them with you.

Threads like these are always good for a laugh. Discussing amongst ourselves what Belichick should or should not do is one thing...and can be fun. But thinking Belichcik is clueless on some issues and needs help .... OMG ... side-splitting humor for sure ... Peter Pan lives on.