The Defense: Why I'm Relatively Optimistic

[SHOWTIME15]

My guess is scheme. Last year the Patriots faced very few mobile quarterbacks. Tyrod Taylor and Russell Wilson were about it. And, hey, guess who the only two QBs to beat the 2016 Patriots were?

In the seattle game, despite having a gimpy leg, the pats refused to rush russell wilson. I was furious at Patricia. BB seems to have a complex with running QBs, not sure why.

 

[AvocadoIceCream]

BB is not a defensive mastermind

Can we all agree on that?

Also, can he agree he’s a borderline bad GM?

 

[primetime]

BB is not a defensive mastermind

Can we all agree on that?

Also, can he agree he’s a borderline bad GM?

He's the greatest coach in the history of professional sports.

He's also a human being.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

He's the greatest coach in the history of professional sports.

He's also a human being.

Agreed. I do think he's a lot better coach than a GM. His coaching ability has covered up a lot of gm mistakes

 

[Oswlek]

Perhaps you forget that last year's D was helped by a much softer schedule?

Nope.

The absence of three decent players is not enough of a talent drain to explain what is going on. Nor is it a sufficient explanation when you add in the difference in schedule (which isn't much, given how much Car and Hou were struggling heading into their respective match ups).

There simply must be something else going on. Which, I suppose, is good news. That "something" might be fixable in ways that a pure talent deficiency isn't.

 

[Oswlek]

Also, can he agree he’s a borderline bad GM?

If by "borderline bad GM" you mean "indesputably one of the best GMs of his time" then yes, we can agree.

 

[Oswlek]

Agreed. I do think he's a lot better coach than a GM. His coaching ability has covered up a lot of gm mistakes

Well, he's arguably the best coach of all time, so of course his GM skills will pale in comparison. The fact remains that Bill is one of the best pesonnel guys in the game and has been for 17 years running.

 

[RobertWeathers]

God sakes this thread is going to the dogs.

As a coach you can't compile a career W-L of 239-117 with a 26-10 playoff record and 7 Super Bowl appearances without having a GM to select incredible talent.

BB should be considered one of the greatest front-office execs in NFL history as well as the GoAT HC.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Agreed. I do think he's a lot better coach than a GM. His coaching ability has covered up a lot of gm mistakes

 

[Ring 6]

In the seattle game, despite having a gimpy leg, the pats refused to rush russell wilson. I was furious at Patricia. BB seems to have a complex with running QBs, not sure why.

Because BB is at heart a conservative coach. He stresses team defense. Allow QBs to run all over the field and you are asking your defense to do things they don't normally do.
His track record with that philosophy is that he beats mobile QBs a lot.
A defense struggling for a few weeks isn't a reason to change the philosophy of the greatest defensive mind of our era.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

If you disagree explain why

I never called him a bad gm


Just that his track record of being a gm is nowhere near as successful as his coaching resume

 

[NG Pats Fan]

God sakes this thread is going to the dogs.

As a coach you can't compile a career W-L of 239-117 with a 26-10 playoff record and 7 Super Bowl appearances without having a GM to select incredible talent.

BB should be considered one of the greatest front-office execs in NFL history as well as the GoAT HC.

Outline some of the greatest talent BB has drafted besides Brady and Gronk?

 

[Ring 6]

Nope.

The absence of three decent players is not enough of a talent drain to explain what is going on. Nor is it a sufficient explanation when you add in the difference in schedule (which isn't much, given how much Car and Hou were struggling heading into their respective match ups).

There simply must be something else going on. Which, I suppose, is good news. That "something" might be fixable in ways that a pure talent deficiency isn't.

People need to realize that a season is 16 different games.
Other than w or l what happens in one game does not carry forward.
So far the defense has been awful in the second half/4th quarter of the KC game, consistently mediocre (and a mediocre defense that makes 4-5 key plays in a game is a very good one) vs Houston and awful yesterday.
That equals zero points for any future opponent.

If we are talking about feelings and comfort levels and predictions those Hingis may matter but we are talking about football games and the patriots will dissect the issues, the technique problems, the misuse of players in roles, the game plan and play calls, the assessment of the players and what they can do and come back and approach the futures games differently based upon that self scouting.
That is that happens and that is why teams that look good or bad in October don't necessarily look good or bad in December.
Just like halftime adjustments can make a game change 180 degrees a season is a 17 week long series of adjustments
We make them better than any other.

We recently had a large thread on this board saying the patriots would have been better if they lost games in 2007 and now we have this hysteria because they lost games.
Frankly every team every season in every unit has areas of suck that can be exposed. I find it comforting that ours were exposed so early so that they can be addressed over the next 4 months.

 

[mosi]

What I don't get is how they shut down NO but can't handle Cam Newton? The world has gone crazy.

Honestly, what it tells me is that the Pats O needs to start off fast (like in NO) to put the D in the best situation.

 

[RobertWeathers]

If you disagree explain why

I never called him a bad gm


Just that his track record of being a gm is nowhere near as successful as his coaching resume

What are you calling BB the GM then?

 

[Ring 6]

Outline some of the greatest talent BB has drafted besides Brady and Gronk?

Ok
Seymour warren wilfork flowers jones Hightower Collins butler (udfa same thing) McCourty, Samuel, Harmon, Chung, Edelman, Gronk, Watson, graham, light, mankins,mason, volmer, thuney, koppen, white, Hernandez, Vereen. Some say garapollo.
I'm sure I missed some just ripping off names as they came to me.
Do we list the free agents next?

 

[RobertWeathers]

Outline some of the greatest talent BB has drafted besides Brady and Gronk?

Is that the only thing you base being a great GM on?

What about finding the right players for the system? What about UFAs? What about cap management? Trades?

Before throwing darts at BBs draft record, I suggest you look up the draft records of Jim Finks, Ron Wolff, Tex Schramm and Bill Polian and apply your standard the same way.

 

[Ring 6]

What I don't get is how they shut down NO but can't handle Cam Newton? The world has gone crazy.

Honestly, what it tells me is that the Pats O needs to start off fast (like in NO) to put the D in the best situation.

I'm not sure where this idea that newton sucks comes from. He had shoulder surgery and is obviously just getting into sync. He was the MVP of the NFL 2 years ago and has more weapons now than ever.

 

[Ring 6]

Is that the only thing you base being a great GM on?

What about finding the right players for the system? What about UFAs? What about cap management? Trades?

The only thing is winning.
The loser mentality is show me the flashy names he drafted.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

What I don't get is how they shut down NO but can't handle Cam Newton? The world has gone crazy.

Honestly, what it tells me is that the Pats O needs to start off fast (like in NO) to put the D in the best situation.

The pats employed a different game plan with New Orleans given that Brees is not a running QB. If you stay back without sending extra rushers at the QB, and if you have a weak secondary it will get exposed.