Jerod Mayo

MrNathanDrake · Dec 13, 2012

supafly said:
Timmons--while a great young LB, is the best of this group IMO.

Mayo >>> Timmons

Timmons is IMO one of the most overrated LB's in the entire league.

mayoclinic · Dec 13, 2012

manxman2601 said:
If they could one or both of two things, then I think they could really contend for best:

1. A legit pass rusher from the OLB spot (ie Von Miller). Doesn't have to be quite that good, but ten sacks a season good would be nice. Is this Hightower?

2. That elusive pass defending LB.

Not sure they could add both because, at best, we really only could get away with adding one LB.

Dion Jordan, Alec Ogletree and especially Anthony Barr would give them both elements in one player.

jsull87 · Dec 13, 2012

mayoclinic said:
San Francisco, obviously. But some of your other suggestions are a little dubious:

- Baltimore, with an aging and injured Ray Lewis; McClain is nothing special; Kruger has emerged as a good player, but not all world, and Upshaw is emerging, but I'll take Hightower. I'll take the Patriots' group any day.

- Dallas: Ware is all world. Lee is great, but he's on IR so it's not much of a comparison. Carter's never shown any consistency, and Spencer has been hot and cold. +/-

- Miami: Really? Wake sure, though he's a bit one-dimensional for my taste. Dansby is solid, but not better than Spikes or Mayo. Misi and Burnett are nothing special.

Even for the Steelers, Harrison is getting well past his prime and Foote is definitely at the end of his career.

I wouldn't anoint this group "best" yet, but they're certainly on their way to being one of the top groups in the NFL. A little depth would help, though if Dane Fletcher hadn't gotten hurt we might be better still.

Usually i agree with you on most things but in this case i personally think there may be a bit of home fan bias here.

I am not saying we are bad but i do believe the LB corps i listed if you asked most NFL people are a better bunch as of today than ours. The Steelers and Ravens LB's may be past their peak but they are still the strength of that D and i personally believe only one maybe 2 of our LB's would start on those teams. Same goes with KC and to a lesser extent Miami but i really only threw them in as an example of another solid line backing corps with a different strength to ours but one who non the less has been performing really well all year.

PatsFan2 · Dec 13, 2012

I always thought he had Elite Speed from the ILB position it puzzled me why we wern't using him like we are now.

If it is because of the play of Talib an Dennard our Defense is going to be a force to rekon with. Imagine we can now actually stop people...reminds of the Days of Seymour - McGinest and Vrabel.

mayoclinic · Dec 13, 2012

jsull87 said:
Usually i agree with you on most things but in this case i personally think there may be a bit of home fan bias here.

I am not saying we are bad but i do believe the LB corps i listed if you asked most NFL people are a better bunch as of today than ours. The Steelers and Ravens LB's may be past their peak but they are still the strength of that D and i personally believe only one maybe 2 of our LB's would start on those teams. Same goes with KC and to a lesser extent Miami but i really only threw them in as an example of another solid line backing corps with a different strength to ours but one who non the less has been performing really well all year.

I didn't mention KC - I think they're a very talented group, though not more Han we are.

I think Pittsburgh and Baltimore are aging and living off their reputations. It's a tough comparison given 3-4 vs. 4-3, different approaches, injuries, age and trajectories, etc. But I think you're over-estimating some of those groups. JMHO.

everlong · Dec 13, 2012

mayoclinic said:
Wake sure, though he's a bit one-dimensional for my taste.

This is the only item where I part ways with you on this topic. Wake has improved as a run defender a lot. I'm not saying he's as good as say Woodley who plays in a similar scheme and is a great run defender but he's not a selfish player who gives up all his run responsibilities to get to the passer either. I'd say he's better than average and given his pass rushing skills I'd take him in a heartbeat.

nabwong · Dec 13, 2012

How can you not love Mayo? He bought a house across the street from Gillette.

DarrylS · Dec 14, 2012

With a "better, more quality" defense Mayo and Wilfork can play more aggressively than in the past, thus more "playmaking" ability...

In the past these guys had to be conservative as there were so many gaps in our defense..

hambone1818 · Dec 14, 2012

I just love seeing his aggressiveness this season. I've often felt he was almost reserved, very disciplined and a great inside presence who could be relied upon to stop the run in the second tier and wasn't terrible dropping into coverage. But it always felt like he was a product of a terrible secondary and porous run defense--the guy who racked up a ton of tackles after 5+ yards.

This season you're seeing the 'playmaker' in Mayo, the aggressiveness. He's an incredible athlete, I just think he was often told to hang back to make up for weaknesses in the rest of the defense. Now that the secondary has taken shape his 'unleashing' has been a beautiful thing to watch...hopefully we see even more aggressiveness going forward because it can only mean good things are happening with the secondary.

Reckedtrek · Dec 14, 2012

I think Mayo's great, but I attribute his improved play this season to seeing better than 20/20 thanks to Dr. Melki.

Tell 'em Jerod sent you.

********

Mayo's a beast! :rocker:

Ivan · Dec 14, 2012

jmt57 said:
I get the feeling that the Patriot coaching staff now has more trust in those around him, and are therefore allowing him to do more (e.g., blitz), which allows him to now be more of a 'playmaker'.

This exactly how i see it. Mayo had to make sure everything held together and played conservatively to do so, now that they have the ILB spots secure they can move him around and blitz him much more and the results are obvious. Great player and he just keeps getting better as those around him improve. This front 7 is in the best shape it has been since the 2003-2004 seasons.

satz · Dec 14, 2012

He is the fastest LB we have , we runs neck to neck with TE. he just does not turn in coverage.

some patrick willis does , i hope he develops this. I see it often when the ball goes by him and he does not react. the worst was in the last Sb in the endzone. the ball was inches from him and he did not react.

We miss fletcher as he another coverage guy ,even though he played DL in colleage.
i was suprised they did not bring back guyton to put him in coverage a few times as the 3rd or 4th guy.

BradyFTW! · Dec 14, 2012

jsull87 said:
Very good? yes. Best? a bit too far with LB corps in the NFL such as

SF: Smith, Bowman, Willis, Brooks
Steelers: Woodley, Harrison, Timmons, Foote
Miami: Wake, Misi, Dansby, Burnett
Dalas: Ware, Spencer, Carter, Sean Lee
KC: Houston, Hali, Johnson
Balt: Lewis, Mclain, Suggs, Kruger/Upshaw

I'd take the Pats' starting linebackers over each of those groups except SF and maybe KC. Pats' starting linebackers are better then Pittsburgh's, Miami's, Dallas', and Baltimore's, though.

jsull87 · Dec 14, 2012

mayoclinic said:
I didn't mention KC - I think they're a very talented group, though not more Han we are.

I think Pittsburgh and Baltimore are aging and living off their reputations. It's a tough comparison given 3-4 vs. 4-3, different approaches, injuries, age and trajectories, etc. But I think you're over-estimating some of those groups. JMHO.

Yeah i think honestly that is fair enough. Just wanted to point out some of the other good LB groups out there before crowning ourselves best/top5.

I think we have that capability but aren't quite there yet

mayoclinic · Dec 15, 2012

VW thinks that Mayo is evolving into an almost Brady-like presence as the QB of the defense:

Jerod Mayo spicing up Patriots' D - ESPN

jmt57 · Dec 15, 2012

Bill Belichick responds to a media question about Jerod Mayo at a presser leading up to the game against the 49ers:

Bill Belichick Press Conference Transcript

Yeah, I think a lot of times rookies come in and they’re talented, they’re big, they’re fast, they can run and chase the ball, but a lot of times I would say they’re just kind of running around out there. As they gain more experience and more understanding of the total defense and where their teammates are and how things fit on different runs, they usually play with a little more patience, maybe a little more recognition in terms of play-action passes and misdirection plays like that.

Although, Jerod is very good and has been very good at those, but I think certainly you get better at them through time and understanding the different matchups: which guys really try to knock you off the ball, which guys really try to come and fit up with you and use their athleticism to mirror you, which guys are holders, which guys are cut blockers in addition to the actual ‘Xs’ and ‘Os’ of the scheme, but how the individual guys play. Same thing with tackling backs. We see a lot of different types of backs: which guys you can really load up on, which guys have a lot of wiggle, which guys are faster than you, not faster than you.

So, I think all those things play into it. It’s kind of a like a quarterback; the linebacker has to make multiple, multiple decisions on every play. Not only what his assignment is and what the play is, but all the way along the line, different angles, how to take on blocks, how to tackle, the leverage to play with, the angle to run to and so forth, the technique. So many different things happen in a split second during the course of the play, just like it is for a quarterback. The more of those things that you can do right, slow down, get the most important things, not get distracted by all the stuff that’s happening, but just really zero in on a target.

I think a good quarterback or a good linebacker, a good safety, even though you have a lot of bodies moving out there, it slows down for them and they can really see it. Then there are other guys that it’s a lot of guys moving and they don’t see anything. It’s like being at a busy intersection, just cars going everywhere. The guys that can really sort it out, they see the game at a slower pace and can really sort out and decipher all that movement, which is hard. But experience certainly helps that, yes.

Rob0729 · Dec 15, 2012

I think Belichick is finally able to use Mayo as he really wanted to use him. I think up until now, he had to make up for deficiencies in other areas and Belichick wasn't able to make him a playmaker. Now that the front seven may be in its best shape since 2004 and the secondary is stabilized, he can allow Mayo to rush the passer and make plays.

PATRIOTSFANINPA · Dec 15, 2012

supafly said:
Sure, because he has allowed much better play from Arrington in the slot now too, along with McCourty being able to continue at FS.

It's all worked as one big machine, like it should..and like it used to!

Imagine if Mayo was next to Bruschi in the early glory days when Rodney and Ty Law were in the secondary,Mayo might have been that much more.

Jerod Mayo

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