What do you guys think about the Patriots defense now?

[chasa]

i think people are starting to gel after all the losses, and new faces learning the system.

 

[kennyb]

I'm glad i was wrong about gilmore. Still a little too passive but much improved.

 

[Ring 6]

I'm glad i was wrong about gilmore. Still a little too passive but much improved.

Passive? Gilmore? Stephon?corner? Patriots?27 years old? #24?
Are you sure you are on the right forum?

 

[jah]

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Trey Flowers is hurt. Who will start at Defensive End this week?

 

[maineman209]

Trey Flowers is hurt. Who will start at Defensive End this week?

Bolden! (obviously)

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Gilmore - Butler - Rowe - Jones - Harmon - McCourty - Chung

That is an amazingly deep secondary of good to great players. I'm glad they've fixed a lot of terrible communication issues because their talent back there is remarkable.

The front 7 (or front 6 is more accurate) is interesting to me. I've noted that Belichick will not shell out money for edge players anymore, maybe seeing them as overvalued on the market (sounds like no serious attempt to even extend Chandler Jones, who may be a top-5 edge rusher) and seeing a lot of capable older players who can play well in rotation (thinking of guys like Chris Long, Andre Carter, Rob Ninkovich) who are bargains. It seems he can find guys who can play decently for a few years and is content to move on after rookie deals are up.

He appears to value players who can anchor the middle of the field with an emphasis on stopping the run, as the last three big contracts up front have been Jerod Mayo, Dont'a Hightower, and Vince Wilfork. It may be that switching to a four man rush (as opposed to a 3-4 earlier in his career) allows you to get away with more mediocrity from some players and still be effective due to the scheme.

 

[supafly]

Bolden! (obviously)

I was going to go with Chung, myself.

 

[doesntmatter1]

Im enjoying this musical chair thing we have on defense at the moment. I still don't know how or where Trevor Reilly emerged from. Also, does Rowe have a role in the future? Does Rowe play st?

 

[supafly]

Im enjoying this musical chair thing we have on defense at the moment. I still don't know how or where Trevor Reilly emerged from. Also, does Rowe have a role in the future? Does Rowe play st?

I’ve been one of the few who has been much more reserved about Eric Rowe than most. I still don’t know what to think of him.

 

[maineman209]

I was going to go with Chung, myself.

Good call. If Arrington was still playing ...

 

[maineman209]

Im enjoying this musical chair thing we have on defense at the moment. I still don't know how or where Trevor Reilly emerged from. Also, does Rowe have a role in the future? Does Rowe play st?

Good questions.

Reilly was on the Pats PS for a couple months last season from late October until the Fins poached him in late December. So, there was a lot of familiarity there.

Rowe looked pretty decent last season swapping RCB and slot roles back and forth with Logan Ryan, but he also missed a few games with ankle and hamstring issues. He's already missed 8 games this season with his groin issue.

He's played a grand total of 20 ST snaps since he joined the Pats in 2016.

 

[maineman209]

I’ve been one of the few who has been much more reserved about Eric Rowe than most. I still don’t know what to think of him.

He's tall and athletic (Byron Jones/Obi Melifonwu level according to 3Sigma). He seemed adequate enough last season at RCB to allow Logan Ryan to displace Coleman in the slot.

He's missed so much time with ankle, hamstring and (now) groin issues that it's really difficult to gauge his ceiling. We may have already seen it, though.

 

[TommyD4207]

Trey Flowers is hurt. Who will start at Defensive End this week?

Kyle Arrington's still alive, right? Didn't he play some DE for the Patriots?

 

[maineman209]

 

[mgteich]

I’ve been one of the few who has been much more reserved about Eric Rowe than most. I still don’t know what to think of him.

He'll be here next year, even if he were inactive most of the time. He will be getting about $700K for 2018. He is good insurance.

Of course, we do have an issue with regard to who will be the top 3 corners in 2018.

 

[BobDigital]

This is 2 games in a row i thought the team had a good, complete, defensive effort. The pass rush wasn't there but the plan was not to get a bunch of defensive linemen in the backfield against a running QB either. I liked the play of the D at all 3 levels.

 

[archstanton543]

Again, the Pats played better offenses in the first half of the season. In the second half, not so much. I get that you have to play the teams on your schedule but let's not get crazy. They beat Tie-rod for 3 quarters and a rookie 5th rounder for 1.

 

[Mack Herron]

I’ve been one of the few who has been much more reserved about Eric Rowe than most. I still don’t know what to think of him.

I think Rowe had been underrated here. Good size, speed and competitiveness. One reason Jones' SB highlight is memorable is because Rowe's coverage was outstanding. And that play was not an aberration. I see him as a starting CB and he is insurance/leverage in dealing with Butler.

 

[jah]

How do the linebacker experts here grade the defensive play of M. Flowers and Reilly?