Bill Belichick Has Only Himself To Blame For This Mess On Defense

[oldskool138]

Newsflash: Belichick didn't forget what makes a good NFL defense. Whatever issues we have are clearly personnel-related.

I think he did. They need players on it. How many sacks, hurries and QB hits are Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley and Nate Solder going to have this year? Ras-I may...may...get one if the run a corner blitz.

 

[Metaphors]

Finally some are seeing the light and are taking off their glasses!!

If they take off their glasses, how can they see anything?

If you are talking about sunglasses, looking directly into the light can hurt your corneas.

Particularly dangerous during an eclipse, which is a giant, dense obstruction trying to block out any illumination.

So please everyone. Be and be safe.

 

[sevengables_2207]

I blame Polian, Holmgren, Fisher, and Goodell for the collapse of this defense.

They used their influence in the competition committee to turn the NFL we all grew up with into some sort of hybrid fantasy-flag-football points explosion extravaganza.

 

[BSR]

I like threads like this, because they do a great job of containing a lot of the insanity that's posted here into a single, easy-to-ignore place

Newsflash: Belichick didn't forget what makes a good NFL defense. Whatever issues we have are clearly personnel-related.

Here is the Patriots rank in defensive passer rating since BB has been here:

2000-22nd
2001-3rd
2002-15th
2003-1st
2004-7th
2005-27th
2006-2nd
2007-11th
2008-23rd
2009-13th
2010-13th
2011-32nd

While in the past we had a bad season of pass defense it was typically quickly corrected. That hasn't been the case the past four years. BB may not have forgotten how to coach defense but there is something definitely wrong in translating that knowledge onto the field. I'll let the sane decide why that is.

 

[BSR]

I blame Polian, Holmgren, Fisher, and Goodell for the collapse of this defense.

They used their influence in the competition committee to turn the NFL we all grew up with into some sort of hybrid fantasy-flag-football points explosion extravaganza.

If you haven't noticed lately, press coverage is back. In fact, I think it is this type of coverage that has lead to our problems in the playoffs lately.

 

[Tunescribe]

Sorry but that’s a weak argument: ‘he doesn’t know what he’s talking about evidenced by the fact that the Patriots didn’t hire him, and they didn’t hire him because he doesn’t know what he’s talking about’, that’s called circular reasoning.

If you think you can actually refute his points go ahead.

Nonsense. ANYONE can conjecture their way through an argument that seems completely plausible to those of us (i.e., everyone) armed with the sparse info available publicly. My money's on the folks who've been paid millions to win 16 of the Pats' last 20 games.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Nonsense. ANYONE can conjecture their way through an argument that seems completely plausible to those of us (i.e., everyone) armed with the sparse info available publicly. My money's on the folks who've been paid millions to win 16 of the Pats' last 20 games.

Ok, let me translate: 'we don't have 100% of the information so we cannot make a good judgment, the proof that we cannot make a good judgment is that we don't have 100% of the information".

Wow, you're in love with circular reasoning more than Rex Ryan loves cake.

The proof is in the pudding, we haven't been able to stop the teams we needed to when we needed to in some time. It's on BB.

 

[mb6592]

One of the most truthful articles I have read in a while. This guy makes plenty of valid points.

So did Mein Kampf.

PatJew doesn’t like this

 

[Pujo]

PatJew doesn’t like this

I'll bet Patjew has heard of Godwin's law.

 

[mb6592]

What is a championship defense? It is a defense that belongs to a team that wins the championship. Everything else is just conversation.

While there is no doubt BB has not fielded a dominant defense in several years (and the blame is his - not a DC), ultimately, is the team vying for a championship? We could be Baltimore with its dominant defense and lack of O. The Patriots are in the mix with a small handful of teams seemingly every year. I'd like the D to be better but BB is consistently fielding a highly competitive team that is easy to root for. Let's not lose sight of that......

championship? Who's talking championship? Most would settle for average trending toward good. It's what we have been waiting for while acknowledging aging warriors, new personnel, accepting draft picks that flamed out, dealing w/ growing pains, and now waiting for a new scheme to take hold.

 

[Christopher Patriot]

Blaming Belichick is ridiculous, say it with me this is a NEW defense, these guys aren't familiar with each other and their tendencies.
We have a few playmakers in the making, Chung,, Mayo, Wilfork, Dowling, Mccourty? I think he'll come around soon.
What free agent was on the market that would of greatly improved us?
Hows Babins eagles?
Nmandi's eagles?
Atlanta for all the talk of their pass rush has been anemic,
Only defenses I've been impressed with week in week out is San Fran, Dallas,
Detroit, Baltimore, Houston, Theres not alot of Wares or Super Marios running around.
This defense is solid I was impressed how they generated turnovers and stopped a stellar offense at times, We kept turning it over where any offense will eventually break open with those turnovers,
We are one or two elite players away from a elite defense,
I think next year between the draft and free agency we will have a defense that we can be proud of.
But seeing the ridiculous penalties and the softness of the game only thing I agree we need to do is run run the ball let's see Ridley and Vereen let's keep the pressure off 12.


In BB I trust you should too!

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

championship? Who's talking championship? Most would settle for average trending toward good. It's what we have been waiting for while acknowledging aging warriors, new personnel, accepting draft picks that flamed out, dealing w/ growing pains, and now waiting for a new scheme to take hold.

I'm talking championship. That is the measurement of success for any team. Whether we are or are not a championship contending team is yet to be determined (and it is determined for no team as of week 3). A team can, and has, win a championship with an average defense, superior offense and timely play (and vice versa). While I agree their defense is below average currently, I disagree that 'currently - as of week 3' means anything. And the Patriots have consistently contended for the championship under BB even with his defense shortcomings.

 

[ensoul]

I don't think there is any problem in worrying about the defense after giving up nearly 1,200 yards passing in 3 games and near 90 points allowed ... That is ALOT to fix within 2 months to keep a season going smooth and longer than just early January.

No one is concerned with Brady and his 4 INTs because we know he will bounce back and improve as the season wears on...the defense is a different story.

I agree. Brady had a bad game. He is the last person I am worried about. That is why he is not getting killed on here. On the other hand where is the defensive improvement going to come from? This guys are simply getting beat down the field on every long pass. BB is gong to have to play softer and give the receivers a 10 yard cushion with his corners. That means plenty of completed passes but at least they will not get beat for 20+ yards passes all game.

 

[DaBruinz]

That’s got to be one of the stupidest posts I’ve seen in a long time. Instead of trying to REFUTE his point you just try to make a Hitler comparison, pathetic.

BB is a magnificent coach, not so great as a GM. Kraft needs to hire a GM if he wants to win again, BB doesnt seem to want to delegate which hurts us, and his personell moves leave a LOT to be desired.

Who was the GM from 2001 through 2004??

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

It's not just this defense, this year, and that's the problem. Ever since the Colts came back and beat us in '07 the Pats haven't been able to shut down any team when they had to have it done. You can, and I will, swear that it was purely Asante Samuel dropping 2 INTs in the SB that cost the Pats their fourth Lombardi. But the scarey truth is that it was Belichick who sent Hobbs out there on an island against Plax in crunch time. Where was the double? Where was the up back jamming Plax before he released? Or a safety on top?

Look, there are a number of teams who have had no more (or less) talent than the Pats the last few years but haven't been as bad on D. That may hurt to hear but it's a fact. Obviously, BB's drafts haven't helped him all that much until recently, but even good athletes look confused when they are doing what the coach says but are getting scorched in the process.

 

[bigfandan]

If that is true, why why can't he build on a supposedly "good" defense that he has at end pf season? Why does he have to turn it and revamp it completely and suffer the setbacks all over again?

BTW, his defense was not good at end of the season, look at what happened in play off losses to Baltimore and Jets. Look at Mark Sanchez's QB rating (127).

I would not wipe my butt with this article for fear that it would work its way into my bloodstream and kill my remaining brain cells.

Like someone else said, who the f is George Cain? Patriots D usually comes into form by the end of the year. There have been other years where they have started out at or near the bottom and ended up middle of the pack and better. No reason to think this year is any different, especially as they are more talented than last year's version.

 

[mb6592]

Let's look at the last 5 Super Bowl Champs and their defenses. Rex Ryan might. But, I don't give a damn about yards allowed. Especially the way the game is played now. I judge defenses on points allowed. Bonus points for forcing turnovers. But, mainly points allowed.

06 Indy - 23rd in points allowed. Jax ran for 447 yards on them in Week 13!! Yet, put it together a little. And won it all. We were 2nd.

07 NY Giants - 17th in points allowed. Too vomit inducing to discuss how their season ended. We were 4th.

08 Pittsburgh - 1st in points allowed. But, took a great pass and better catch to beat Arizona who finished 28th in points allowed.
We were 8th.

09 New Orleans - 18th in points allowed. We were 5th.

10 Green Bay - 2ND in points allowed. Pitt 1st. We finished 8th.

We've been in the ballpark in terms of having a championship defense in 3 of the last 5 years. 06, 07 and 09. Only years we didn't were 08 and last year. And, I'm sure we beat Pitt at home if played them last year. Rex has done a good job defensing us. The Jets only gave up 9 less points than us last year and we forced more turnovers.
Let's wait until after Thanksgiving. That's when the real season starts before make any hasty decisions either way.

Bottom Line:
06 - pressure via Freeney-Mathis (22 ppg season, 16 ppg playoffs)
07 - good D by season's end that brought pressure (22 ppg season, 16 ppg playoffs)
08 - #1 overall, #4 in sacks
09 - suspect D
10 - #5 overall, #4 in takeways (+10), #2 PPG, top 10 in sacks

Need pressure in playoffs. Other teams have had it, we haven't. Hell, even the Jets showed us that, when Ellis played like a man possessed & we had no like player step up on the Pats defense.

 

[Christopher Patriot]

I honestly believe it's attitude, we need some mean players Haynesworth, Spikes, seems like they have nasty streaks, Mayo, Wilfork are football players I want a guy with the nastiness to fight for every yard who hates to see a pass completed on him, or if he's blocked on his path to the way to the qb to not let it happen again.
We talk about model citizen players and smart players great.
Wheres the edge wheres the your not getting **** on our defense attitude.
I think we need a angry defensive coach like a Rob Ryan or a spagnulo if he get's fired,
Pepper may have that but Patricia looks like he's just going thru the motions from a intensity point of view once the players get mean.
The defense will improve Butler and whilhite were as soft as baby poop so were heading in the right direction.

 

[mb6592]

If they take off their glasses, how can they see anything?

If you are talking about sunglasses, looking directly into the light can hurt your corneas.

Particularly dangerous during an eclipse, which is a giant, dense obstruction trying to block out any illumination.

So please everyone. Be and be safe.

maybe you should change your name to parables? or Chance?

 

[Snake Eyes]

Who was the GM from 2001 through 2004??

1 - many of the players on the roster were from the previous administration (hey, if Obama can do that so can I)

2 - Did you notice that I used the present tense? 2004 was a long time ago, we havn't gotten it done WHEN IT COUNTED since then.