Bill Belichick Has Only Himself To Blame For This Mess On Defense

[robbomango]

A few things:

1.) I don't get the new obsession with Carlos Dunlap. He is playing in a simple system where players notoriously are flashes in the pan within the system. Yes, Dunlap had 9 1/2 sacks last year, but he is on pace this year to get as many sacks as Jermaine Cunningham (the player the Pats chose over) which is 0 at this point. The writer blasts McCourty a couple of times in the article for his sophomore slump, but makes excuses for Dunlap's sophomore slump
2.) Blasting the Pats for not trading up one spot to get Ryan Kerrigan is stupid. Did the Pats know that the Redskins were going to trade with the Jags to jump up there and draft him? Unless the Pats knew the Redskins were trading to 16 and that they were going to take Kerrigan, blasting them for not trading up is stupid since they might have thought he would be available.
3.) Who is Justin Babin? If you are going to blast the Pats for not signing the guy, shouldn't you get his name right.
4.) I love how he makes definitive conclusions about individual players after three games.

There are no doubt that the Pats' defense has major issues and Belichick has made some mistake and some big ones, but this is a typical "I know better than Belichick because I have the power of 20/20 hindsight" type of article.

Receivers have admitted it's much easier going up against McCourty this year having tape on him that wasn't available last year and finding weaknesses. .Is this what generally causes a sophomore slump and should we see McCourty making adjustments to to get back to form this season?
(I've read the short training camp didn't help either.)

 

[Rob0729]

ROBO they clearly did want Kerrigan enough to go get him. Jermaine Cunningham stinks, he's not what they thought they were getting. But you are missing the point. Its not about Dunlap, its everything. If you are telling me they are better off with Cunningham and Ninkovich over almost anyone, then you're lying through your teeth. And again with the "System" well somehow in the Cinci system they get SACKS, what's wrong with Sacks, when did teams sacking the QB become a problem. This team used to sack the QB go check out the playoff years. So stop please, please, please with the system. The Bengals, the Bungles, have a better defense than the Patriots right now. That is embarrassing.

It is too early to give up on Cunningham. His biggest problem has been injuries. He still deserves time to prove himself.

Cincincatti gets sacks?!? You do realize the Pats got more sacks last year than the Bengals did (36 for the Pats vs. 27 for the Bengals)? So you want the Bengals' defense?

As for the Bengals' defense this year, they have faced Colt McCoy (22nd in passing yards), Alex Smith (28th in passing yards) , and Kyle Orton (23rd in passing yards) thus far. I'm sure the Pats defense would be worlds better if they faced those three scrubs rather than Rivers (who is MVP caliber), Fitzpatrick (who is turning into a very good QB), and Henne (who is the only scrub, but got most of his yards and TDs in garbage time).

 

[Rob0729]

Receivers have admitted it's much easier going up against McCourty this year having tape on him that wasn't available last year and finding weaknesses. .Is this what generally causes a sophomore slump and should we see McCourty making adjustments to to get back to form this season?
(I've read the short training camp didn't help either.)

McCourty is playing a lot more man coverage this year which he has never played. Plus they are playing him off the line a lot this year where he played a lot of press coverage this year. He needs to learn to adjust.

 

[BSR]

ROBO they clearly did want Kerrigan enough to go get him. Jermaine Cunningham stinks, he's not what they thought they were getting. But you are missing the point. Its not about Dunlap, its everything. If you are telling me they are better off with Cunningham and Ninkovich over almost anyone, then you're lying through your teeth. And again with the "System" well somehow in the Cinci system they get SACKS, what's wrong with Sacks, when did teams sacking the QB become a problem. This team used to sack the QB go check out the playoff years. So stop please, please, please with the system. The Bengals, the Bungles, have a better defense than the Patriots right now. That is embarrassing.

Patriots had more sacks than the Bengals last year.

 

[Darolyn72]

Henne lit them up all game, not just garbage time. That game was two stupid play calls on the goal line from being a nail-biter. Robo you seem like someone who has such loyalty you can't be objective. Injuries are a part the package. If I guy can't stay healthy it contributes to them being a bust.

The Pats face Campbell, Sanchez, Romo in the coming weeks if these guys light them up I'll be right and you'll be wrong. You won't admit it, but you still will be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. But I am going off what I am seeing. Not what I am not seeing.

 

[JackBauer]

Well, to be fair, they'd be more likely to get elite talent replaced if the guy doing the drafting wasn't trading down his high picks.

Of course that's fair. But even then, if it were so easy to restock Super Bowl winning teams, you'd wonder why more teams aren't successful doing it.

 

[JackBauer]

But I am going off what I am seeing. Not what I am not seeing.

You don't say.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Receivers have admitted it's much easier going up against McCourty this year having tape on him that wasn't available last year and finding weaknesses. .Is this what generally causes a sophomore slump and should we see McCourty making adjustments to to get back to form this season?
(I've read the short training camp didn't help either.)

McCourty played mostly zone last year, hes not as good in man to man, hopefully they find a solution to this problem one way or another.

 

[BSR]

The Pats face Campbell, Sanchez, Romo in the coming weeks if these guys light them up I'll be right and you'll be wrong. You won't admit it, but you still will be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. But I am going off what I am seeing. Not what I am not seeing.

Then how can you say that Cunningham stinks when you haven't seen him hardly play this year?

 

[Jack Handy]

What years did we lose Romeo, Mangini. Has the D been good since they left? Both failed as HCs and people but the D was better

 

[Snake Eyes]

'It's impossible to play defense in this league'

Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler releasing ball faster due to fear of sacks - ESPN Chicago

This article about how Jay Cutler is changing what he's doing because of the D-line pressure MUST be a complete fabrication because defense CANNOT exist in this league. That being the case I want all of you to stop blaming BB for ANYTHING.

Why is the Kool-Aid always gone?

 

[BSR]

What years did we lose Romeo, Mangini. Has the D been good since they left? Both failed as HCs and people but the D was better

Romeo left after 2004 and Mangini after 2005. Yes we had good defenses after they left. Romeo would be good, but the D was awful the one year Mangini was coordinator.

 

[Jack Handy]

sorry only mangini has had the not being a **** problem

 

[JackBauer]

Re: 'It's impossible to play defense in this league'

Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler releasing ball faster due to fear of sacks - ESPN Chicago

This article about how Jay Cutler is changing what he's doing because of the D-line pressure MUST be a complete fabrication because defense CANNOT exist in this league. That being the case I want all of you to stop blaming BB for ANYTHING.

Why is the Kool-Aid always gone?

Always easier to argue against strawmen, isn't it.

As for your article, that would be more of an indictment of the Bears OL and Cutler's middling pocket presence than anything else.

 

[Deus Irae]

Of course that's fair. But even then, if it were so easy to restock Super Bowl winning teams, you'd wonder why more teams aren't successful doing it.

A team that used to draft mostly elite players in the first round has been drafting much less impressively there since 2006.

Seymour
Graham
Warren
Wilfork
Watson
Mankins

v.

Maroney
Meriweather
Mayo
McCourty
and a trade down out of the 1st round in 2009

Failure to get the same level players starts right there.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

It is too early to give up on Cunningham. His biggest problem has been injuries. He still deserves time to prove himself.

Cincincatti gets sacks?!? You do realize the Pats got more sacks last year than the Bengals did (36 for the Pats vs. 27 for the Bengals)? So you want the Bengals' defense?

As for the Bengals' defense this year, they have faced Colt McCoy (22nd in passing yards), Alex Smith (28th in passing yards) , and Kyle Orton (23rd in passing yards) thus far. I'm sure the Pats defense would be worlds better if they faced those three scrubs rather than Rivers (who is MVP caliber), Fitzpatrick (who is turning into a very good QB), and Henne (who is the only scrub, but got most of his yards and TDs in garbage time).

Really, Really, you think that the Bengals have faced scrub QBs (which may be true), the Pats have been tourched by Chad Henne, Philip Rivers (obviously not a scrub) and Ryan Fitzpatrick, cough, cough, none of them are Peyton Manning, or Aaron Rodgers, who would carve up the pats defense.

Cincy has grabbed a few guys that the Pats could have had in the draft. Michael Johnson and of course, Carlos Dunlap. Both are talented players that can get to the QB.

This article is completely right, it has been BB arrogance that has lead to the disgrace that they field on the defensive side of the ball. The Pats do not have a single pass rusher, not one, nobody that the other team goes into their meeting rooms and says, "we have to stop X from getting to our QB". SO if you don't have to account for player X, then you don't have to double team him, and you end up with the Pats rushing 4 guys, who are easily blocked by the five lineman.

The Pats have not had a pass rusher since Seymour was shipped to the Raiders. They are already doomed this year, their is literally is no hope in sight for this defense. This is a "one and done" playoff team, at best.

The Pats have had a ridiculous amount of draft picks over the last few years, and have squandered pretty much all of them.

Are we really excited to get Gerald Warren back? that's your answer?

Let's face it, the Pats secondary is terrible, the safties are an absolute joke, the rest of the league is watching the Buffalo tape right now and figuring out ways to get at Barrett. They have no pass rush, and nobody who can rush the passer on their roster.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Re: 'It's impossible to play defense in this league'

Always easier to argue against strawmen, isn't it.

As for your article, that would be more of an indictment of the Bears OL and Cutler's middling pocket presence than anything else.

Please tell me EXACTLY how I’m making a strawman argument.

What this article highlights confirms what myself and many others have said for a while: If you can get pressure on the QB you will reduce his effectiveness. It’s a pretty simple concept, too bad you don’t understand it. It’s also proof that it IS possible to play defense in today’s NFL.

 

[NHPATSFAN11]

We all have tremendous respect for BB but it's time to stop making excuses for him regarding the defense. I am so sick of hearing "system" excuses. If all our problems on defense are because of the system or finding personnel to fit the system, its time to get rid of the damn system. The "System" is NOT WORKING! The most frustrating part is, this could easily be a Super Bowl Caliber team with even a mediocre defense but not the worst defense in the NFL. How we can't manage to field even a mediocre team is beyond me. I think its time for Kraft to at least mention finding a Defensive Coordinator to BB. My biggest complaint as fan isnt so much that we arent a competitive team ( or winning super bowls) but rather the fact that it's painful to watch the Patriots Defense. Its getting to the point where I want to leave the room when theyre on D, not even entertaining anymore.

 

[JackBauer]

A team that used to draft mostly elite players in the first round has been drafting much less impressively there since 2006.

Seymour
Graham
Warren
Wilfork
Watson
Mankins

v.

Maroney
Meriweather
Mayo
McCourty
and a trade down out of the 1st round in 2009

Failure to get the same level players starts right there.

True. Having draft picks at #6 and #13 proved to be quite helpful.

 

[JackBauer]

Re: 'It's impossible to play defense in this league'

Please tell me EXACTLY how I’m making a strawman argument.

What this article highlights confirms what myself and many others have said for a while: If you can get pressure on the QB you will reduce his effectiveness. It’s a pretty simple concept, too bad you don’t understand it. It’s also proof that it IS possible to play defense in today’s NFL.

Right here:

MUST be a complete fabrication because defense CANNOT exist in this league.

And please, I understand it just fine. Maybe you should spare your condescension for those who might be impressed by it.