What needs to change?

[Off The Grid]

Win or not, there are serious problems. 2-2 with TB, Atl, Oak in the next few weeks. First off, losing to KC and Car at home? Unacceptable. No excuses. You gotta beat those teams. Now TB, Oak, Atl in next few weeks? There are serious concerns. What does BB do?

OT, but the offense took way too much time to score that TD. I was screaming at my tv for them to hurry up.

Unacceptable!!

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

He's better at man coverage, but there's obviously something that made BB feel comfy enough to call Gilmore's agent the morning of the first day of free agency and offer a deal that was easily negotiated and that Gilmore couldn't refuse.

Hopefully, it was more than just trying to stick it to Butler's camp (kidding).

There was also something he saw in adalius Thomas to win a bidding war for his services. Didn’t work out at all for us.

 

[Off The Grid]

Why because things should be all rosey, and full of lolipops?

What's wrong with lollipops??

 

[supafly]

I will feel better about those games if our defense starts to show improvement. Big improvements. I don't think pittsburgh's all that great. Just look at who they have played.

The problem isn't with the Steelers. It's with finishing a stretch of 5/6 road games that includes coming off of a MNF game that week @MIA.

Foxborough to Miami to Foxborough to Pittsburgh, all within six days, and that's wrapping up a road trip that the NFL rarely schedules. It so happens to include stops at Mile High and "Mile and a half high" (Mexico City) along the way.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

The problem isn't with the Steelers. It's with finishing a stretch of 5/6 road games that includes coming off of a MNF game that week @MIA.

Foxborough to Miami to Foxborough to Pittsburgh, all within six days, and that's wrapping up a road trip that the NFL rarely schedules. It so happens to include stops at Mile High and "Mile and a half high" (Mexico City) along the way.

Grueling road trip. It's gonna test this team mightily. Could get ugly but we will see.

 

[supafly]

There was also something he saw in adalius Thomas to win a bidding war for his services. Didn’t work out at all for us.

It did until Adailus broke his arm halfway through '08 when he had a great '07 and was on pace for one of his best seasons ever in '08, halfway through.

When he returned in '09 he was used in a different role lining up primarily on the strong side in run support. He became disgruntled and was released after that season.

Some are hits and some are not. I think some of us were a bit more hesitant than others as it pertained to lining up for the Gilmore koolaid parties. He's got talent, but the whole thing still seemed a bit odd to me. We'll see how it shakes out.

 

[Jadex9]

Can you stop posting ? That would be a nice change..

Yeah, telling one of the people on here who actually knows WTF theyre talking about to stop posting is the best response to this topic... With all due respect, youre infatuation with Stephon Gilmore is not OPS problem, no need to be such a rude dbag.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

It did until Adailus broke his arm halfway through '08 when he had a great '07 and was on pace for one of his best seasons ever in '08, halfway through.

When he returned in '09 he was used in a different role lining up primarily on the strong side in run support. He became disgruntled and was released after that season.

Some are hits and some are not. I think some of us were a bit more hesitant than others as it pertained to lining up for the Gilmore koolaid parties. He's got talent, but the whole thing still seemed a bit odd to me. We'll see how it shakes out.

5 yr 65 mil..you would think we’d be paying for an elite cb the likes of Sherman, norman, Peterson, talib, Chris Harris, Xavier rhodes. We payed Stephon Gilmore. Let that sink in as to how asinine an offseason move that was. Guess bill wasn’t kidding when he said it was a huge disadvantage to offseason planning by going deep into the playoffs (basically putting you weeks behind). This signing, trading for Dwayne Allen, failure to address speed issues at lb to name a few.

 

[supafly]

5 yr 65 mil..you would think we’d be paying for an elite cb the likes of Sherman, norman, Peterson, talib, Chris Harris, Xavier rhodes. We payed Stephon Gilmore. Let that sink in as to how asinine an offseason move that was. Guess bill wasn’t kidding when he said it was a huge disadvantage to offseason planning by going deep into the playoffs (basically putting you weeks behind). This signing, trading for Dwayne Allen, failure to address speed issues at lb to name a few.

I agree that the specific choice in CBs seemed a bit strange, but this was the year that Belichick had cap money to spend and the pickings were slim at the position.

He probably could've had some of the names on your list had he wanted to part with a draft pick.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

I agree that the specific choice in CBs seemed a bit strange, but this was the year that Belichick had cap money to spend and the pickings were slim at the position.

He probably could've had some of the names on your list had he wanted to part with a draft pick.

Do you think he would bench Gilmore if he keeps playing like this? Is Rowe even healthy right now?

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

I agree that the specific choice in CBs seemed a bit strange, but this was the year that Belichick had cap money to spend and the pickings were slim at the position.

He probably could've had some of the names on your list had he wanted to part with a draft pick.

We parted with draft picks for Allen and cooks. Sherman could’ve been had for picks and would’ve completely changed one side of the field. Granted he’s a loudmouth but no denying he can play some cover corner.

 

[supafly]

We parted with draft picks for Allen and cooks. Sherman could’ve been had for picks and would’ve completely changed one side of the field. Granted he’s a loudmouth but no denying he can play some cover corner.

I would have preferred Sherman, too.

However, the greatest coach in NFL history apparently disagrees with us, so that's all that matters. In the meantime, Gilmore is here for at least the next two years, so we'll have to hope that the communication problems are fixed and that he lives up to his potential.

 

[supafly]

We parted with draft picks for Allen and cooks.

And Kony Ealy. Eric Rowe will also cost a 3rd or 4th rounder, too.

 

[supafly]

Do you think he would bench Gilmore if he keeps playing like this? Is Rowe even healthy right now?

Not sure about Rowe's health, but it's hard to imagine any scenario where our biggest offseason free agent signing is benched.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

I would have preferred Sherman, too.

However, the greatest coach in NFL history apparently disagrees with us, so that's all that matters. In the meantime, Gilmore is here for at least the next two years, so we'll have to hope that the communication problems are fixed and that he lives up to his potential.

It’s ok to question bill the GM. Tavon Wilson, Jordan Richards, Cyrus Jones, Wheatley? Trading for chad johnson, Haynesworth. He’s an all time great HC and it absolutely helps he’s had the GOAT at qb. (Do we win any super bowls with a BB/Bledsoe combo? Possibly but no way do we have 5. Bill the GM has made some great moves but also some ones that make you shake your head like the ones mentioned above

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Not sure about Rowe's health, but it's hard to imagine any scenario where our biggest offseason free agent signing is benched.

We can’t bench him due to lack of healthy corners

 

[luuked]

Yeah, telling one of the people on here who actually knows WTF theyre talking about to stop posting is the best response to this topic... With all due respect, youre infatuation with Stephon Gilmore is not OPS problem, no need to be such a rude dbag.

ahahhahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[Username]

McCourty needs to up his game, he's been way off the pace.

The stupid fouls need to stop

Our LB's need to actually do something. Right now they're getting run over and are a non factor against the pass.

Tackle properly, I've never seen as many broken and missed tackles.

Right now we're the worst D in the league and it's not even close.

 

[maineman209]

What are your thoughts on how our d line has played thus far? Spefically our tackles.

It seems to me that the DL has done fairly well the last three games, especially considering that nearly all of the snaps have gone to ...
... Trey Flowers
... Malcom Brown
... Lawrence Guy (1st year with the team)
... Wise (rookie)
... Adam Butler (rookie UDFA)
... Cassius Marsh (1st year with the team, and no camp)

Brown and Guy, the tackles, at least nominally, appear to have been very active and pretty good, for the most part.

No Valentine, Nink, Sheard, Long and very little Branch since the KC game. They've had their lapses, but no where near to the degree that the secondary has. They haven't generated much pressure, except against NOL, but then they've primarily played contain against Watson and Newton.

The LB corps so far has consisted of Van Noy, nearly by himself (100% of the defensive snaps), aside from whatever Chung may have contributed lining up as an LB.

Roberts has pitched in on about 50% of the snaps, and HT around 20%. No other LB has been on for more than 5% of the snaps, so far.

 

[maineman209]

McCourty needs to up his game, he's been way off the pace.

The stupid fouls need to stop

Our LB's need to actually do something. Right now they're getting run over and are a non factor against the pass.

Tackle properly, I've never seen as many broken and missed tackles.

Right now we're the worst D in the league and it's not even close.

"LBs" - plural - is almost incorrect. It's often been the Van Noy one-man show out there. He's played 100% of the snaps, Roberts about 50%, HT about 20%, and not other LB above 5%. Significant change from 2016, so far.

With HT having been out, and with Branch playing barely at all since week-1, the entire front seven has been rebuilt, essentially. And yet , as a group, they're still performing better than the secondary - where there's been just the ONE significant personnel change: Ryan out, Gilmore in.