Devin Mccourty

[JackBauer]

How many on defense are performing at or above expectation?
How many on defense are performing at or below expectation?

I think the problem is much bigger than any individual player.

 

[Triumph]

Mcourty will never be confused with Rodney Harrison thats for sure.

 

[ashley]

McCourty is not Cam or Earl Thomas but I think he is far from our biggest problem on defense. He's not a ball hawk or a game changer but I think he's a good solid player.

Pass rush, corner back and the ability to cover the running back and stop the run are all bigger issues at this point. Of course being able to get off the field on third down would help too.

 

[The_Riddler]

McCourty is clearly overpaid. I said it the day the contract was offered. When you are paid that kind of money, you are expected to make plays, noticeable plays. We don't see that with Devin. We simply see a safety that sits way back in coverage and tries not to let anything behind him. We need more than that, especially with his Money intake. DMac, prove me wrong, get some picks, give me some hits that jar a ball loose, something, anything, because I haven't seen it.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

If we didn't have Dmac...it would be worse...way worse

 

[deroc5050]

McCourty is not Cam or Earl Thomas but I think he is far from our biggest problem on defense. He's not a ball hawk or a game changer but I think he's a good solid player.

Pass rush, corner back and the ability to cover the running back and stop the run are all bigger issues at this point. Of course being able to get off the field on third down would help too.

Stopping the run? I think the Pats have done a decent job over the course of the season at stopping the run... they can't cover down field. I would rather see a third and 2, than a third and 8.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I love how the tune has changed....Pats lose and D looks suspect and most of the blame seems to be on mccourty..when we signed him..the same people were praising the decision. Funny how that works.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Mcourty will never be confused with Rodney Harrison thats for sure.

True, but that isn't what they're asking him to be

 

[Triumph]

True, but that isn't what they're asking him to be

You always knew when guys like Ed Reed and Harrison were on the field.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

You always knew when guys like Ed Reed and Harrison were on the field.

Yea Harrison played strong safety tho and had an old school personality with the reputation for pummeling guys, he was rarely asked to play as a free safety and cover half the field

Ed Reed might arguably be the greatest free safety to ever play the game, so that's a tough comparison

 

[Triumph]

Yea Harrison played strong safety tho and had an old school personality with the reputation for pummeling guys, he was rarely asked to play as a free safety and cover half the field

Ed Reed might arguably be the greatest free safety to ever play the game, so that's a tough comparison

Mcourty cannot do what Harrison accomplished.

Harrison should have MVP of SB39. He always came up huge in the post season time after time. His 2005 injury changed the way he was used because he likely lost some speed.

Mcourty is more like Tbucky than Harrison.

 

[HawaiianPatsfan]

Must've missed several of our players leaving the game and not return against the Seahawks...

Look, the point is not comparing them to the LOB, there is a reason they are called LOB. The Seahawks are special, it's not like every safety out there is hitting like they do. Chancellor is big and strong and Thomas has great instincts that enables him to really pick up speed when delivering a hit. But the point that McCourty never delivers hits is plain wrong.

And to add another point, McCourty has one of the best tackle rates for a safety in the NFL the last few years. He practically never misses any tackles. Yeah, Thomas and Chancellor hit harder on a way more frequent basis. But they also miss more tackles than McCourty. I guess though some here would prefer McCourty to miss tackles in order to blow people up...

Big hits have effects on the game that don't show up on stats. This past game for example. After Gronk took that hit, he dropped two passes up the middle that he almost certainly will catch 95% of the rest of the time. (and they were just drops, not because he was hurt) For a team that like's to attack the seams the the patriots, Defenses like the Seahawks put footsteps in players heads, and it changes the overall game.

 

[PF_SU]

After Gronk took that hit, he dropped two passes up the middle that he almost certainly will catch 95% of the rest of the time. (and they were just drops, not because he was hurt)

Sorry, that's garbage. The ball was tipped at the LOS. It was wobbling around while ending up way behind Gronk who had to reach back against the direction he was running to trying to catch a wobbly ball. He doesn't catch that 95% of the time. I mean, try that yourself, how it feel reaching back over your shoulder and now imagine you are running fullspeed to the opposite direction while the ball is wobbling around. And that tipped ball was the only supposedly catchable ball Gronk did not catch.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

It would be great if some of the Safety depth would step up a bit and challenge for a starting job. Jordan Richards, Nate Ebner, and Duron Harmon aren't even close to pushing the starters.

 

[supafly]

It would be great if some of the Safety depth would step up a bit and challenge for a starting job. Jordan Richards, Nate Ebner, and Duron Harmon aren't even close to pushing the starters.

I'm not sure that Harmon belongs in this category, does he?

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

I'm not sure that Harmon belongs in this category, does he?

He gets the most playing time of that group and he's a dependable reserve who probably might be able to be a starter. I put him in there because he hasn't unseated Chung/McCourty, not saying he plays safety at the same level of Richards/Ebner.

 

[aluminum seats]

How many on defense are performing at or above expectation?
How many on defense are performing at or below expectation?

I think the problem is much bigger than any individual player.

Posted this in another thread but makes the same point...

Fans usually enter a season all thinking the same thing—everybody will play at a minimum as well as last year, or better. And for young guys, the assumption is better. With the exception of a few allowances for vets getting long in the tooth, fans always envision an upwards trajectory.

Which is of course nonsense, and one of the reasons that Belichick’s “shocking” moves aren’t really shocking at all most of the time (let’s not think about Collins just now.)

I think arguably McCourty has played to his previous level, but I don’t feel strongly about that. Who’s stepped up? Sheard, major disappointment. Ditto long. I fully expected Brown to take that big Year 2 step up...nope.

Not too late for a lot of this to change—sports are rarely a smooth trajectory, and if you’re going to struggle, do it midseason. Belichick and Patricia are pretty good. With health, this team is still going to the Super Bowl. But for now, not a lot of guys stepping up.

 

[borg]

Sobering stats regarding McCourty

In 2016:

0........# of INTs
3..........# of passes defended
39th......rank among safeties in # of passes defended
158th......rank among all NFL defenders in # of passes defended
0...........# of forced fumbles
47........# of tackles which is well above his career average over 16 games

39.1........# of pass attempts/ game vs. NE defense.....4th highest
Top 5.......compensation compared to all NFL safeties

Conclusion: Lots of opportunities, little consequence. McCourty's impact occurs only after the completion

Note....significant declining year over year production in INTs and Passes Defended

Devin McCourty | Player Charts, Stats and Analysis - SportingCharts.com

 

[jimnance]

Mcourty will never be confused with Rodney Harrison thats for sure.

Different positions

 

[NG Pats Fan]

Sobering stats regarding McCourty

In 2016:

0........# of INTs
3..........# of passes defended
39th......rank among safeties in # of passes defended
158th......rank among all NFL defenders in # of passes defended
0...........# of forced fumbles
47........# of tackles which is well above his career average over 16 games

39.1........# of pass attempts/ game vs. NE defense.....4th highest
Top 5.......compensation compared to all NFL safeties

Conclusion: Lots of opportunities, little consequence. McCourty's impact occurs only after the completion

Devin McCourty | Player Charts, Stats and Analysis - SportingCharts.com

Yep he is not doing enough for his salary.