This is the 2011 defense all over again

[Banjo]

It's really sad because I've seen how this story ends a half dozen times. Tom Brady plays like the GOAT and the defense can't get a stop if their life depended on it. This is a crippling weakness and I don't know how they're going to overcome it.

 

[libra957]

It was a closed game, with Jones and Collins maybe the Seahawks only put 24 on the board. I hate that kind of thought! A testament on how much this defense regressed.

 

[Gronkowski123]

Thry never helped in the past, so what makes you think they would now.

right because chris long is tearing it up!! oh and elandon, got burned by a back just like collins.

the defense stinks

 

[Bombdog]

So then Seattle's defense was awful? Because they were worse on 3rd down

No they stepped up and made the plays when they had too. Not being bale to get off the field and allowing long drives has been a ongoing concern for the Pats and could be a killer this year as far as any SB dreams are concerned. Plus the longer the other teams offense stays on the field the less time TFB has to be out there.

 

[PatsFan92]

Not much left to talk about. He's played awful. But it's 100% unfair to pin that **** show on 1 player. I'd attribute 25% of blame to Ryan, 65% to play calling and whatever's left to the rest of the D. Just sloppy.

 

[AvocadoIceCream]

No they stepped up and made the plays when they had too. Not being bale to get off the field and allowing long drives has been a ongoing concern for the Pats and could be a killer this year as far as any SB dreams are concerned. Plus the longer the other teams offense stays on the field the less time TFB has to be out there.

Yup. I think we could love w the "bend but don't break defense" if they didn't break, lol

Yeah seattles D Gave some up to Buffalo and then last night to us, BUT they made the plays in both those games

That's the problem with the Pats. No, they'll never dominant like Denvers D, but why can't they ever make a big play? Not only are they mediocre, they have no play makers. It's almost a given that they'll give it up in the end. Seattles D makes the play even after giving up 300 To Tyrod Taylor

 

[PatriotsPimp136]

Bend but don't break baby!!! The fact that we almost tied this game show's you why TB's the goat. Unfortunately the offense has to be perfect. Can't wait for that ravens game and the donkeys. I think the jests game won't be a cakewalk either. Heck even keenum might look foward to facing our defense.

 

[PatsFan92]

Bend but don't break baby!!! The fact that we almost tied this game show's you why TB's the goat. Unfortunately the offense has to be perfect. Can't wait for that ravens game and the donkeys. I think the jests game won't be a cakewalk either. Heck even keenum might look foward to facing our defense.

I agree, I think overlooking the Ravens would be a huge mistake because they will no doubt play us tough.

 

[AvocadoIceCream]

I don't think Brady looked all that good last night, and the O line was really really good. That INT was absolutely awful and unfortunately he has those blunders in almost every big game he plays. It's so weird.

 

[mcmurtry86]

The 2011 team had a good front 7 and an awful secondary

2016, the secondary is solid if not good but the front 7 is very disappointing

People are complaining about Chandler Jones not being here but to my eye, it's the awful DT play which is the issue. Branch and Brown offer very little in the pass game and as a result the DE get doubled and chipped. Furthermore, Brown and Branch have been getting worked by pretty mediocre to outright bad OL, even in the run game

The only way the Pats can get pressure is to blitz Hightower, which in turn leaves them vulnerable to screens and short passes over the middle.

Trading Jones isn't the issue here. Whiffing badly on Easley and having Brown be just mediocre at best (with the occasional flash of good play) has done more to cripple the defense than anything.

They hitched their wagon to those guys in March and as a result, Hicks left for better opportunity in Chicago. Turning around and cutting Easley a month later and not having a decent replacement option other than a washed up Knighton was a mistake. Counting on Brown to progress is understandable but clearly hasn't panned out.

I do think it's time to give Hamilton and Valentine more snaps and get Shea McClellin off the field. This D will struggle as long as that front 7 is giving QB's all day to throw.

Lastly, Ninkovich, despite the sack yesterday, has been pretty bad this year.

Chandler Jones isn't the issue. The lack of talent at DT and the decline in production from Sheard/Ninkovich seem much more problematic.

 

[PatriotsPimp136]

The 2011 team had a good front 7 and an awful secondary

2016, the secondary is solid if not good but the front 7 is very disappointing

People are complaining about Chandler Jones not being here but to my eye, it's the awful DT play which is the issue. Branch and Brown offer very little in the pass game and as a result the DE get doubled and chipped. Furthermore, Brown and Branch have been getting worked by pretty mediocre to outright bad OL, even in the run game

The only way the Pats can get pressure is to blitz Hightower, which in turn leaves them vulnerable to screens and short passes over the middle.

Trading Jones isn't the issue here. Whiffing badly on Easley and having Brown be just mediocre at best (with the occasional flash of good play) has done more to cripple the defense than anything.

They hitched their wagon to those guys in March and as a result, Hicks left for better opportunity in Chicago. Turning around and cutting Easley a month later and not having a decent replacement option other than a washed up Knighton was a mistake. Counting on Brown to progress is understandable but clearly hasn't panned out.

I do think it's time to give Hamilton and Valentine more snaps and get Shea McClellin off the field. This D will struggle as long as that front 7 is giving QB's all day to throw.

Lastly, Ninkovich, despite the sack yesterday, has been pretty bad this year.

Chandler Jones isn't the issue. The lack of talent at DT and the decline in production from Sheard/Ninkovich seem much more problematic.

Brown has been very dissapointing. Malcom brown. I don't understand why it seem's like players seemed to struggle in their second year here.

 

[Kontradiction]

right because chris long is tearing it up!! oh and elandon, got burned by a back just like collins.

the defense stinks

Roberts had no business covering Prosise on that conversion. That should have been a DB. That's on the coaching. Prosise was a WR converted to a RB in his last season at Notre Dame. He's a hard cover for any LB.

 

[luuked]

Roberts had no business covering Prosise on that conversion. That should have been a DB. That's on the coaching. Prosise was a WR converted to a RB in his last season at Notre Dame. He's a hard cover for any LB.

While I agree lets not forget that creating similar mismatches by devising ways to isolate flexbacks on LBs is also the bread and butter of the McD offense. Point being that some of this is also just good play design by the opponent.

They saw something on their surfaces and knew that this matchup would be there in a specific formation and used it in a key point of time. That's just good playcalling..

 

[Kontradiction]

While I agree lets not forget that creating similar mismatches by devising ways to isolate flexbacks on LBs is also the bread and butter of the McD offense. Point being that some of this is also just good play design by the opponent.

They saw something on their surfaces and knew that this matchup would be there in a specific formation and used it in a key point of time. That's just good playcalling..

Of course. That's because it wasn't the first time Roberts covered Prosise. The Pats could have negated this by consistently dropping Chung into the box and going man to man. This was a badly coached game by a man who is usually the GOAT of making adjustments.

 

[luuked]

Of course. That's because it wasn't the first time Roberts covered Prosise. The Pats could have negated this by consistently dropping Chung into the box and going man to man. This was a badly coached game by a man who is usually the GOAT of making adjustments.

I think I gotta watch the game again at some point. I was under the impression that they only really exploited that specific mismatch once for a big gain and it also required a pretty flawless pass from Wilson.

Quite honestly I am not sure you can avoid those matchups without burning TOs when you actually can see it happening right in front of you. Again, I am not sure what the previous plays were or if some no-huddle was involved but once a team is caught in a "bad formation" it's difficult to get out of it.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

While I agree lets not forget that creating similar mismatches by devising ways to isolate flexbacks on LBs is also the bread and butter of the McD offense. Point being that some of this is also just good play design by the opponent.

They saw something on their surfaces and knew that this matchup would be there in a specific formation and used it in a key point of time. That's just good playcalling..

That's why it's important to play press and bump the back to throw off his timing at the line of scrimmage. We just don't play physical enough. Once you throw off his timing, it allows the D line that split second of extra time to pressure the QB and blow up the play.

 

[luuked]

That's why it's important to play press and bump the back to throw off his timing at the line of scrimmage. We just don't play physical enough. Once you throw off his timing, it allows the D line that split second of extra time to pressure the QB and blow up the play.

I have rewatched the scene again and again and while I think Hightower could have potentially chipped Prosise at the LOS, I am not sure what the ramification would have been in terms of contain of Wilson if HT would do that.

The reason DMac was late on that play (as criticized by some poor souls in another thread) is because Seattle had stacked 3 receivers on the other side of the field to move DMac over to open up exactly this play for Wilson and Prosise. It was pretty well designed and reminded me of some of the plays we had against the Browns where we isolated White in almost exactly the same way.

 

[Gronkowski123]

Thry never helped in the past, so what makes you think they would now.

take off the pink hat.

 

[borg]

2) what do they even want to be?

Low cost

 

[rads2005]

I don't think Brady looked all that good last night, and the O line was really really good. That INT was absolutely awful and unfortunately he has those blunders in almost every big game he plays. It's so weird.

What? Did you say Brady "blunders" in "almost every big game" he plays? Maybe he's not perfect in ANY game, but who is?? Brady's one of the best big game QBs ever!