Usually a football player will get better if he stays in the same system. I think alot of the difficulties that we are seeing in all of the defensive players might have more to do with a change in defensive philosophy, than anything else. If you KNOW the system, then you are comfrotable in it. lets face it, an abbreviated off-season, and then a switch to the 4-3. Players being moved in and out of the line-up, it has been diffucult.
The Pats need some stability on defense. They need to a) get healthy, and b) field the same defense a few games in a row. Lets face it the defense on the field yesterday, had four or five new starters than the defense from last week.
McCourtey-in, Adams-out
Slater-in, Endelman-out
Kokofococopuffs in, White/Guyton-out
Is this the week the Flectcher, Chung, and Spikes come back? then Spikes goes to the middle, Mayo goes to the outside.
At this point, with all the injuries and bad draft choices/signings/cuts, best you can hope for is this:
Carter, Vince, Love, Anderson/Deaderick
Mayo, Spikes, Ninkovich/Fletcher
McCourtey, Arrington
Chung, Ihedigbo
Look the defense is not going to be a cohesive unit until they at the very least play a few consecutive games as one unit. With all the roster changes and shuffling, who knows who is playing and in a team defensive scheme like the Pats, you have to do your job, BUT if the guy next to you was signed yesterday or a WR, you are going to naturally be worried about him and your play is going to suffer.
I thought that Vince had a great game yesterday. Everybody else, meh....