Can We Succeed Without Quality Corners

[mgteich]

This is a pass-happy league. We may be able to cover some weakness at safety, especially when Chung is back.

Covering up weakness at the corner position is much more difficult.

McCourty (injured)
Arrington
Adams
Molden
Edelman

The best way to succeed with this group is to play poor teams and poor quarterbacks. Thankfully, that will be the case for the rest of the season.

There is no help from the safety position or from the inside backers. This group needs to include our corners, our nickel and our dime back.

I have been very positive about our front seven and even optimistic about the adequacy of our safeties.

HOWEVER, it is difficult to imagine this group beating three playoff quarterbacks, without getting destroyed at least once.

The good news is that there are several weeks in which to improve.

 

[JackBauer]

I don't think that's a terrible crew*, although the depth isn't ideal at this point.

*assuming McCourty is healthy and playing somewhere in the general vicinity of his potential

 

[mgteich]

Our nickel back may be the worst in the playoffs (or certainly close).

I don't think that's a terrible crew*, although the depth isn't ideal at this point.

*assuming McCourty is healthy and playing somewhere in the general vicinity of his potential

 

[Boston Boxer]

I think the pass rush will help with covering the passing game.

 

[JackBauer]

Our nickel back may be the worst in the playoffs (or certainly close).

No worse than what we've thrown out there in the past.

 

[mgteich]

In the past we had better starting corners and safeties. Even last year, we had Sanders available to be our nickel or dime back as needed. In many years, we played the big nickel (3 safeties) when we had only two top corners. In some years, we could depend on our our linebackers to pick up some of the coverage responsibilities.

No worse than what we've thrown out there in the past.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I thought Arrington has been developing into a solid number 2 CB in a pass happy league protected by every measure known to refs. I see him as quality and thought McCourty was getting his mojo back after they started playing more zone the last few weeks.

It has been the other positions that have been killing us in the secondary. Especially,nickel/slot cb. LB Guyton in coverage as well as not having a pass rush.

 

[TheSolderKing]

i'd LOVE it if Edelman steps right in and can play DB fqairly well!!!


I loved the hit he put on "Ludian Tomilson" <--[Fitzy]

 

[mgteich]

You have identified the hole, and it is a big one for an adequate quarterback top exploit.

OK, so we have OK starters in McCourty and Arrington. With our safeties, they may be OK in preventing too many successful long passes.

We have no adequate nickel back or dime back. We have no linebackers who are solid in coverage. There is a hole in the middle of the defense.

I thought Arrington has been developing into a solid number 2 CB in a pass happy league protected by every measure known to refs. I see him as quality and thought McCourty was getting his mojo back after they started playing more zone the last few weeks.

It has been the other positions that have been killing us in the secondary. Especially,nickel/slot cb. LB Guyton in coverage as well as not having a pass rush.

 

[patsfan-1982]

if the pass rush is good yes

 

[ATippett56]

This is a pass-happy league. We may be able to cover some weakness at safety, especially when Chung is back.

Covering up weakness at the corner position is much more difficult.

McCourty (injured)
Arrington
Adams
Molden
Edelman

The best way to succeed with this group is to play poor teams and poor quarterbacks. Thankfully, that will be the case for the rest of the season.

There is no help from the safety position or from the inside backers. This group needs to include our corners, our nickel and our dime back.

I have been very positive about our front seven and even optimistic about the adequacy of our safeties.

HOWEVER, it is difficult to imagine this group beating three playoff quarterbacks, without getting destroyed at least once.

The good news is that there are several weeks in which to improve.

The New England Patriots defense has seven weeks to improve upon so there is hope. With regard to the personnel, it is what it is.

Aside from Roethlisberger, does any other AFC quarterback scare you this wild and wacky NFL season?

 

[mgteich]

I would be concerned about Roethlisberger, Flacco, Schaub and Rivers.

The New England Patriots defense has seven weeks to improve upon so there is hope. With regard to the personnel, it is what it is.

Aside from Roethlisberger, does any other AFC quarterback scare you this wild and wacky NFL season?

 

[Ring 6]

Our nickel back may be the worst in the playoffs (or certainly close).

Have you looked at everyone elses nickle back?

 

[Ring 6]

I would be concerned about Roethlisberger, Flacco, Schaub and Rivers.

Flacco????

 

[Patriot Missile]

You have identified the hole, and it is a big one for an adequate quarterback top exploit.

OK, so we have OK starters in McCourty and Arrington. With our safeties, they may be OK in preventing too many successful long passes.

We have no adequate nickel back or dime back. We have no linebackers who are solid in coverage. There is a hole in the middle of the defense.

That hole your seeing is a combination of a lot of things. Lack of quality/depth, slot/nickel/dime, lack of coverage LB's and poor safety recognition/execution.
Miniscule pass rush and poor scheme. All correctable with good practice and study
if BB can make the adjustments inseason.

Hopefully the pass rush isn't something that was conjured out of thin air last night and disappeared never to be seen again this season.

 

[Ring 6]

In the past we had better starting corners and safeties. Even last year, we had Sanders available to be our nickel or dime back as needed.

Everyone we put in the secondary in nickel and dime cover better than Sanders.

In many years, we played the big nickel (3 safeties) when we had only two top corners.

That was really more of an experiment that resurfaced from time to time.

In some years, we could depend on our our linebackers to pick up some of the coverage responsibilities.

What years? Our LBs have never been known for coverage.
What LB group was siginificantly better than what we have now, and when were they compensating for DBs?

 

[Patriot Missile]

Have you looked at everyone elses nickle back?

Very true on that. There aren't but a few teams that have really good ones. If I was a kid playing D1 college football trying to find a niche somewhere on a team, I would do my best to excel at this position. I have a feeling CB's are going to be drafted like crazy with all these rules changes and opposing teams taking advantage of them.

 

[mgteich]

I understand that andy's Rule #67 is that the patriots have no weaknesses.

I have started several threads today discussing various aspects of our defense. My conclusion is that we have a decent defense that is improving, especially with the return of Chung, Fletcher, Spikes and McCourty (although of course there will be other injuries by playoff time).

My conclusion has been that this defense is much better than most posters think, and is improving.

HOWEVER, after discussing all the parts, I do indeed believe that we have one very exploitable weakness. As another poster indicated, this hole at nickel could be made up or by linebackers or safeties. We have no help available at those position for this issue.

What we are left with is to hope for health, and to hope that our street UDFA's will improve as the year continues.

Have you looked at everyone elses nickle back?

 

[ausbacker]

My contention is I hope the remaining schedule and likelihood of going somewhere between 7-0 to 5-2 doesn't lull the Patriots into a false sense of security come playoffs. We've seen it time and time again that playoff caliber teams exploit weaknesses.

I'm writing off everything until I see how the defense plays the next few games.

 

[mgteich]

In general, I agree with your analysis.

I think that the pass rush will continue to be there. And yes, practice can improve the like of Molden and Adams. However, the coverage abilities of the linebackers are very limited, and expected help over the middle by our safeties seems far-fetched.

It seems at least as likely that at least one team (through practice and study) will figure out how to expose us over the middle.

That hole your seeing is a combination of a lot of things. Lack of quality/depth, slot/nickel/dime, lack of coverage LB's and poor safety recognition/execution.
Miniscule pass rush and poor scheme. All correctable with good practice and study
if BB can make the adjustments inseason.

Hopefully the pass rush isn't something that was conjured out of thin air last night and disappeared never to be seen again this season.