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What's happening with Kyle Dugger and Jon Jones and what it means...

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upstater1

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Two of our most dependable players are playing worse than they ever have.

In the last two weeks, the Patriots gave up 6 straight touchdowns with members of the defensive backfield completely out of position. We saw 2 guys defending trips right last week, we saw Jones isolated and burned for a TD when Dugger had to break down and cover two open WRs in the flat, we saw Dugger on the line with no deep safety. This week Jones took over free safety and he seemed hesitant and unsure of what he was supposed to be doing. Dugger made a bad read and missed the RB out of the backfield. It's been a mess.

What can you say when formerly dependable players are doing this?

Two years ago Kyle should have been in the Pro Bowl after making multiple pick 6s, causing fumbles for TDs, making so many hard hits behind the line and just wrecking teams.

Now he's playing worse than he did when he as a rookie.

The lazy take is to blame the players and say he was a bad signing (as if that matters when we're 50m under the cap).

During the game thread I heard about the lack of talent on defense. Whether or not that's true is irrelevant and besides the point. The bigger problem is that these same players, without Gonzalez out there, have played so much better in the recent past. That should be the focus. Not the talent level.

I was blaming Wolf for the poor signing of Jaylinn Hawkins who has been making bad reads constantly at Free Safety. Now I'm second guessing what I said after seeing Jon Jones back there. Now I'm thinking Hawkins might actually be a fine player but he's lost in all of this.

I'll entertain any theories except for talent level. If you want to say Brian Belichick is purposefully sabotaging the defensive backfield, then make a case. I'll listen to that before I listen to any arguments about talent.
 
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Dugger has checked out and is just collecting a check. he got his contract this year so he isn't worried. He could have easily had a pick 6 yesterday on that pass in the end zone but I guess he didn't feel like running a 100 yards.
 
I think how Dugger is being used has a lot to do with his regression. Big hitter but he’s a liability in coverage and always was. BB knew this so I’m not sure why these coaches have him out there in man.

Could be better suited to LB instead of S but I don’t know if he has the size.
 
half the team has checked out.

Mayo is more interested in "connecting" with the younger players on an emotional level instead of reaming their asses out when its needed... Being a hardass who wants accountability is passe these days... he's more lost at sea than the guys on the whaling ship essex

I ****ing hate "player coaches".
 
I think how Dugger is being used has a lot to do with his regression.
Accurate
Big hitter but he’s a liability in coverage and always was.
Not accurate and it depends on the matchup. Hes been average in this area and should continue to improve.
BB knew this so I’m not sure why these coaches have him out there in man.

Could be better suited to LB instead of S but I don’t know if he has the size.
Scheme and how he is being used has been very vanilla.
 
I am willing to guess that Covington doesn’t know what he’s doing and isn’t really giving them a true play call in enough time, so they are having to come up with a plan with half the answers in a very brief period and it causes uncertainty/hesitancy. We see a lot of guys out there scrambling around and looking confused even though supposedly it’s the same scheme they’ve been in before. This is just a guess though.
 
I think how Dugger is being used has a lot to do with his regression. Big hitter but he’s a liability in coverage and always was. BB knew this so I’m not sure why these coaches have him out there in man.

Could be better suited to LB instead of S but I don’t know if he has the size.
The absence of peppers has really allowed the weak areas in his game to be exposed.. he's a type of safety that is best suited to creep around the LOS to make plays. He also has a lingerie ankle issue that could also be a problem. Jon Jones father time has caught up with him.
 
half the team has checked out.

Mayo is more interested in "connecting" with the younger players on an emotional level instead of reaming their asses out when its needed... Being a hardass who wants accountability is passe these days... he's more lost at sea than the guys on the whaling ship essex

I ****ing hate "player coaches".
I've never seen a collection of Patriots players smiling, laughing after loss after loss.. tells me they are content with losing. Losing breeds habits. Each week we see those same bad habits show. I'm already over this ****ty season..
 
Two of our most dependable players are playing worse than they ever have.

In the last two weeks, the Patriots gave up 6 straight touchdowns with members of the defensive backfield completely out of position. We saw 2 guys defending trips right last week, we saw Jones isolated and burned for a TD when Dugger had to break down and cover two open WRs in the flat, we saw Dugger on the line with no deep safety. This week Jones took over free safety and he seemed hesitant and unsure of what he was supposed to be doing. Dugger made a bad read and missed the RB out of the backfield. It's been a mess.

What can you say when formerly dependable players are doing this?

Two years ago Kyle should have been in the Pro Bowl after making multiple pick 6s, causing fumbles for TDs, making so many hard hits behind the line and just wrecking teams.

Now he's playing worse than he did when he as a rookie.

The lazy take is to blame the players and say he was a bad signing (as if that matters when we're 50m under the cap).

During the game thread I heard about the lack of talent on defense. Whether or not that's true is irrelevant and besides the point. The bigger problem is that these same players, without Gonzalez out there, have played so much better in the recent past. That should be the focus. Not the talent level.

I was blaming Wolf for the poor signing of Jaylinn Hawkins who has been making bad reads constantly at Free Safety. Now I'm second guessing what I said after seeing Jon Jones back there. Now I'm thinking Hawkins might actually be a fine player but he's lost in all of this.

I'll entertain any theories except for talent level. If you want to say Brian Belichick is purposefully sabotaging the defensive backfield, then make a case. I'll listen to that before I listen to any arguments about talent.
I blame Wolf.
 
I'm being facetious. Wolf is the new Mac. Everything from the team sucking to the wind blowing over people's trashcans yesterday was his fault.
I blame Mayo way more right now than Wolf. Basically everyone is playing worse for Mayo than they did previously in their career not sure how you can skip the coach and blame the GM. If he Traded for Hannah, Mayo would find a way to make him worse.
 
I blame Mayo way more right now than Wolf. Basically everyone is playing worse for Mayo than they did previously in their career not sure how you can skip the coach and blame the GM. If he Traded for Hannah Mayo would find a way to make him worse.
A total breakdown of football fundamentals combined with Mayo saying "there's only so much he can do" sounds like a good reason to show him the door right now if there ever was one...
 
A total breakdown of football fundamentals combined with Mayo saying "there's only so much he can do" sounds like a good reason to show him the door right now if there ever was one...
He's got 5 more games show me something, anything, I'm a softy give me any reason not to want to move on.
 
It's as clear as the day is long.
We all know enough football to see what is obvious - and there's no other way of hiding the clear lack of discipline and confusion on Defense - compared to the same roster last year - than to blame the coaching.
And that lands on Mayo and DC.
Of course the players say how much they love those guys, because its fun when you're not grilled & tortured at practice. But, it's a complete embarrassment to watch the chaos that breeds on game day.
And, it's clearly the coaching from the top - because it has crossed over onto the horrendous level of discipline on Offense too.
 
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