Curran:Banishing Collins was a drastic move for not so drastic times

[SVN]

Curran: Banishing Collins was a drastic move for a not-so-drastic time

 

[Wrath Mania]

As usual Curran with a very level-headed take. You can be puzzled by the move without going on the BB-spite path. You can see the Patriots' concern over Collins without suddenly pretending Collins was never any good. You can also have nuance without trying to have a double-sided, cover-your-ass hot take, ala Bedard.

Most importantly I am glad Curran points out the signals BB might be sending to Patricia and co., and how this should be a sign to all the Rich Hills and Kyeds of the world that there's no way BB does this move if he's actually satisfied with the current defense. Moreover, whether or not players consigned to Patricia's vanilla scheme will get frustrated. All fair questions.

 

[aluminum seats]

Yeah, good take. For whatever the reasons were to make the move, I wish those reasons hadn't existed.

 

[IllegalContact]

someone like collins........if he's not doing his job, and the perception is he is going to get a big contract, you can't just bench him....especially if he's already checked out.....he will rot things from the inside

if he doesn't have the thought process to even understand that its his contract year and the approach he should be taking in light of that, then there's nothing you can do for the guy except get him out of the way

 

[RayClay]

As usual Curran with a very level-headed take. You can be puzzled by the move without going on the BB-spite path. You can see the Patriots' concern over Collins without suddenly pretending Collins was never any good. You can also have nuance without trying to have a double-sided, cover-your-ass hot take, ala Bedard.

Most importantly I am glad Curran points out the signals BB might be sending to Patricia and co., and how this should be a sign to all the Rich Hills and Kyeds of the world that there's no way BB does this move if he's actually satisfied with the current defense. Moreover, whether or not players consigned to Patricia's vanilla scheme will get frustrated. All fair questions.

How can you run complex schemes when a starter can't even execute th basics?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Interesting piece from Curran. And some things that make you wonder "Hmm. What is he hearing from players off the record?"

Anyhow, a couple of bits that caught my eye in particular...

Just as important, what message is it sending to the defensive coaching staff, and coordinator Matt Patricia in particular, when Belichick feels that -- to get better play -- a rare talent has to be excised because Patricia couldn’t get Collins to play the way Belichick wanted him to?

and also

There’s a coach-player dynamic to watch, as well.

You have a defense that’s absolutely littered with first- and second-round picks that, game after game, sits back in coverage at the behest of the defensive game plan. They’re chained to the porch and then -- when the game ends -- they’re the ones who get hammered for making Landry Jones, Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Tannehill look like Hall of Famers when maybe it’s the passive scheme that’s as much to blame for players underachieving.

There’s a lot of “You don’t know what you don’t know . . . ” clucking from players and coaches when it comes to discussing schemes and performance. But it’s also as complicated as you want to make it.

 

[IllegalContact]

Just as important, what message is it sending to the defensive coaching staff, and coordinator Matt Patricia in particular, when Belichick feels that -- to get better play -- a rare talent has to be excised because Patricia couldn’t get Collins to play the way Belichick wanted him to?

that's assuming Patricia wasn't the one who said to BB 'I can't use this guy'

BB does all the talking, but it doesn't mean he doesn't listen to his coordinators

 

[NG Pats Fan]

As usual Curran with a very level-headed take. You can be puzzled by the move without going on the BB-spite path. You can see the Patriots' concern over Collins without suddenly pretending Collins was never any good. You can also have nuance without trying to have a double-sided, cover-your-ass hot take, ala Bedard.

Most importantly I am glad Curran points out the signals BB might be sending to Patricia and co., and how this should be a sign to all the Rich Hills and Kyeds of the world that there's no way BB does this move if he's actually satisfied with the current defense. Moreover, whether or not players consigned to Patricia's vanilla scheme will get frustrated. All fair questions.

It doesn't make sense to me that a guy as smart as Patricia uses such a vanilla boring conservative scheme on defense. BB coached some of the most aggressive defenses in NFL history, why does he now employ this scheme?

 

[NG Pats Fan]

Interesting piece from Curran. And some things that make you wonder "Hmm. What is he hearing from players off the record?"

Anyhow, a couple of bits that caught my eye in particular...



and also

If this is true, Patricia has to be put under scrutiny

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

It doesn't make sense to me that a guy as smart as Patricia uses such a vanilla boring conservative scheme on defense. BB coached some of the most aggressive defenses in NFL history, why does he now employ this scheme?

Only reasonable response would be that BB gets paid for each post in game day threads that wonder what the defense is doing.

Just having some fun at our own expense (not meant to pick on you specifically)

 

[farn]

BB's schemes were from a different time. Try pounding M Faulk in a SB in today's NFL. He could be aggressive while DC w the Giants - no cap meant keeping alltime talent, no player protection meant pounding on the field, more macho-style meant it was smash mouth rather than precision...

In today's game, BB's strategy works. Look at his record. He has how many wins since 2000 ? Rings ?

The "we should win every year" crowd - I'm convinced BB would tell you - minimize the difficulty of (1) winning year in year out (2) managing millionaires (3) controlling me first millenials (4) dealing with injuries.....

Aggressive Ds are getting torched by Brady on a weekly basis. I prefer winning. BB's master plan gives us that.

 

[Gronkowski123]

i still can't believe we traded collins..

 

[luuked]

that's assuming Patricia wasn't the one who said to BB 'I can't use this guy'

BB does all the talking, but it doesn't mean he doesn't listen to his coordinators

I read that exactly as you. It makes no sense to me that BB would send a message to his coordinators by trading away one of the players. He can just go right to them and talk directly and openly with them without all the ******** drama that often happens when someone does that with players.

There is no freaking way that BB is sitting in his office and MP is sitting in his not being in almost constant contact about what they wanna do and how to accomplish it. This is BB's defense as much as it is MPs.

If they are playing passively there is a reason for it and that would be something worth investigating given the talent on the roster.

 

[Mike the Brit]

that's assuming Patricia wasn't the one who said to BB 'I can't use this guy'

BB does all the talking, but it doesn't mean he doesn't listen to his coordinators

I can't read this any other way than as "Look, guys, I'm as bewildered as you are.":

"I think everybody understands Coach Belichick makes very difficult decisions about this football team every single day," Patricia said. "Obviously, like all of us, we care a lot about this team, we care a lot about our players. We care a lot about trying to make sure that we're always trying to do things that will help the team in any way possible.

"I don't really have a lot to say about [the trade] . . . Jamie was a great player, he was a great person, still is obviously. Close relationship with him. That's part of the reason we coach is to build those close relationships with players and help them become better players, but also better people. They obviously help us become better people.

"It changes. It's part of the league. It's part of what happens all the time. We understand that. We move on. We make sure we kind of focus on what's next. It's our next task. Look, whether it's roster moves, additions, subtractions, injuries, it's part of the game, it's part of what we expect. In general, for us, it's really about focusing on the forward part of everything.

"Obviously appreciate everything that he did while he was here. Won a championship with him. He was great in meetings, great just to be around. Just overall, everything was really good. It is what it is. We're just really focused on trying to take this week and get better. Take a look at the things we've been doing so far in the first eight weeks of the year. We got an eight game season coming up, and that's what we're focusing on."

Patricia: Collins 'a great person to be around, a great person to have in the program'​

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

THis still just sucks...

 

[Betterthanmost]

THis still just sucks...

When you here a phone ring in a booth, go to it and pick it up. You will be disconnected from the Matrix. I did it and in the real world, we still had Collins and Jones, I have return to the Matrix and can see this post of yours.

 

[StockingAnarchyNumber12]

Its obvious BB knows the defense is an issue and its even more obvious he wants to win the Super Bowl this year, like any year. We can trust BB, but we also can't deny how risky this call is. I promise you if we lose in the playoffs or SB due to our defense, BB and company won't hear the end of this and people across the Nation will say BB outsmarted himself. Its just how its going to be.

 

[Water Boy]

Sounds like its possible that the players hate their coach right now. Is it possible that this move was made during the bye week to give more time to the players and coaches to mourn their loss and get back to work? If it was a normal 1 week turn around, I would expect that there would be an emotional let down regardless of how professional this group is.

 

[mosslost]

It feels like a loss week.

 

[borg]

I read that exactly as you. It makes no sense to me that BB would send a message to his coordinators by trading away one of the players. He can just go right to them and talk directly and openly with them without all the ******** drama that often happens when someone does that with players.

Totally agree....on this particular thought, Curran's speculation is asinine.

But I can accept his notion that defensive player's are unsatisfied with a defensive scheme intent on minimizing rather than shutting down offenses. I'm unsatisfied but I've had this feeling for most of the past decade....aka...the bend and break decade. Could NE have secured more than one Lombardi under a different approach? Maybe......but.....Low scoring games twice verses the Giants suggest BB knows what he's doing defensively, especially as the playoff approaches.
Which brings us to present day.......getting this defense to perform as a unit with singular focus heading into the stretch run. Sometimes you have to shoot a hostage to get people to take you seriously.