Hightower: Flores’ defense, simpler, faster & more aggressive

[captain stone]

...The Ravens game I discussed on another thread and agree the Pats were moving it with ease but then their drives just suddenly stalled. Brady also may have left 4 more points on the board had he not run around the field before the half and let time almost run out. The Ravens had to deal with the same wind so it's ridiculous to blame the wind on their loss. The Ravens D was nothing special and the Pats had the players to outscore them but couldn't.

Don't forget that the Late Prisoner, in his final game ever, failed to step out of bounds during the long completion just before that ill-fated series before the end of the 1st half. Lots of time wasted there in addition to Brady's punk-ass ***** slide.

 

[captain stone]

Haven't we heard the "more aggressive" thing before? End of the day, I expect the Pats D to look like its usual self scheme wise and in terms of overall strategy

As long as the GOAT is playing like the GOAT.

What does one have to do with the other?

 

[Ring 6]

What does one have to do with the other?

What you have on the offensive side of the ball is a major factor in what defensive style you play.

 

[jimnance]

What you have on the offensive side of the ball is a major factor in what defensive style you play.

Wow. For someone who is consistently as hypercritical as The Captain, you'd think he'd be a lot more knowledgeable about the game. I mean, Andy, what you posted above is low-level Basic Football 101, yet The Cap is clueless.
I got no problem with and even welcome criticism of the Pats if it's knowledgeable criticism.
But Stone reminds me of a monkey in a cage, blindly flinging feces around.

 

[captain stone]

What you have on the offensive side of the ball is a major factor in what defensive style you play.

One would think then that a defense would be More aggressive in order to give its GOAT QB the ball as quickly as possible.

 

[ralmat55]

This has been an interesting discussion aside from the tiresome debate about PPG or YPG being the truest defensive barometer.

Because football is a team game, a defensive should also be measured by how it compliments its offensive. Just like an offense needs to compliment its defense. How good is it at getting possession back and not losing field position should also be considered.

 

[jimnance]

One would think then that a defense would be More aggressive in order to give its GOAT QB the ball as quickly as possible.

More aggressive defenses generally give up more big plays. It's high risk defense.
Giving up big plays is one of the surest ways to lose.
The Pats' D for most of BB's tenure has been about primarily stopping big plays.
Make an offense sustain long drives over and over again. Lot of teams will self-destruct.Then have great red zone defense. The offense now has a short field so speed is neutralized. Much harder to score. So you give up fgs instead of tds. Pats D IS aggressive once the opponent nears the red zone.
Doesn't always work- but you can't argue with the overall results from the last 18 years.

 

[ralmat55]

You can give up big plays being aggressive or passive. Discipline and the talent of your secondary personnel especially your safeties is what limits big plays.

Over the last 17 seasons, the Patriots have been to 8 SBs and won 5. Pretty darn impressive. But, it also means 26 other teams reached the SB and 12 other teams won it using a different defensive scheme.

Very few teams over this Patriot era have adopted their gap control defensive scheme. Some have tried but switched back to gap penetration defense. Before coach cultists descend, saying other teams just can’t coach it. We should conversely look to see how teams have adopted the spread passing offense the Patriots re-introduced to the league back in 2007. Pretty much every team has adopted it since to one degree or another.

The rest of the NFL has rejected the Pats defensive scheme while whole-heartingly have copied the Patriots offensive scheme over the last 10 seasons. That must tell you something.

What it tells me that the Patriots over the last 10 seasons have won in spite of their defense rather than because of it.

 

[ralmat55]

We got through 6 pages without anyone pointing out the most astonishing thing about Hightower’s comments- that he said them on the record in the first place

What’s going on down there? One of your defensive leaders is not only talking about a change in defense philosophy but inferring the change is a good thing which can be taken as a slap at the outgoing DC and Belichick himself. Geez, maybe Belichick was trying to trade Hightower on Friday.

Is Bill Belichick still in charge of this team? I just find it very interesting that a player on the Patriots would feel free to make such comments openly in the press.

 

[Betterthanmost]

We got through 6 pages without anyone pointing out the most astonishing thing about Hightower’s comments- that he said them on the record in the first place

What’s going on down there? One of your defensive leaders is not only talking about a change in defense philosophy but inferring the change is a good thing which can be taken as a slap at the outgoing DC and Belichick himself. Geez, maybe Belichick was trying to trade Hightower on Friday.

Is Bill Belichick still in charge of this team? I just find it very interesting that a player on the Patriots would feel free to make such comments openly in the press.

I think you reading too much into what Hightower said, it was refreshing to hear him say that for a change. There is nothing injurious about what he said and if BB has an issue with it then he has bigger problems on his hands.

 

[Ring 6]

One would think then that a defense would be More aggressive in order to give its GOAT QB the ball as quickly as possible.

Seriously?
You really think that?
You honestly believe that the right thing to do with the GOAT at qb is to play high risk gambling defense?

 

[Ring 6]

We got through 6 pages without anyone pointing out the most astonishing thing about Hightower’s comments- that he said them on the record in the first place

What’s going on down there? One of your defensive leaders is not only talking about a change in defense philosophy but inferring the change is a good thing which can be taken as a slap at the outgoing DC and Belichick himself. Geez, maybe Belichick was trying to trade Hightower on Friday.

Is Bill Belichick still in charge of this team? I just find it very interesting that a player on the Patriots would feel free to make such comments openly in the press.

Only that’s not at all what he said.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Don't forget that the Late Prisoner, in his final game ever, failed to step out of bounds during the long completion just before that ill-fated series before the end of the 1st half. Lots of time wasted there in addition to Brady's punk-ass ***** slide.

I'll have to watch for that again. There was only a few teams that made Brady do uncharacteristically weird things such as 2005 Broncos, 2007 & 2011 Giants, 2009 & 2010 Jets, & the Ravens.

We got through 6 pages without anyone pointing out the most astonishing thing about Hightower’s comments- that he said them on the record in the first place

What’s going on down there? One of your defensive leaders is not only talking about a change in defense philosophy but inferring the change is a good thing which can be taken as a slap at the outgoing DC and Belichick himself. Geez, maybe Belichick was trying to trade Hightower on Friday.

Is Bill Belichick still in charge of this team? I just find it very interesting that a player on the Patriots would feel free to make such comments openly in the press.

Maybe the change in philosophy is BB's idea. I'll believe when I see it as I think it's just lip service.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Seriously?
You really think that?
You honestly believe that the right thing to do with the GOAT at qb is to play high risk gambling defense?

I don't think he's saying blitz every down, but I think there's a time and place to play aggressive and then take your foot off the pedal. Always playing with your foot off the pedal is not something you should do when you have an offense that can score points like the Pats. Why give the other team time to do what they want on offense while taken time off the clock? Giving teams long drives also can get the offense out of rhythm. You always know the defense is on the field for too long when you see Brady get up and start throwing the ball.

It would be nice to see the Pats blitz on a 3rd and long every once in a while to make the QB actually have to think and get rid of the ball instead of thinking about what's he going to do after the game and then throw it to the open guy. And this is not just the Pats, most NFL teams play defenses this way which is bizarre given how many mediocre QB's there are.

 

[Ring 6]

I don't think he's saying blitz every down, but I think there's a time and place to play aggressive and then take your foot off the pedal. Always playing with your foot off the pedal is not something you should do when you have an offense that can score points like the Pats. Why give the other team time to do what they want on offense while taken time off the clock? Giving teams long drives also can get the offense out of rhythm. You always know the defense is on the field for too long when you see Brady get up and start throwing the ball.

It would be nice to see the Pats blitz on a 3rd and long every once in a while to make the QB actually have to think and get rid of the ball instead of thinking about what's he going to do after the game and then throw it to the open guy. And this is not just the Pats, most NFL teams play defenses this way which is bizarre given how many mediocre QB's there are.

This makes no sense. You are acting like the patriots never blitz, or that i am suggesting they shouldn’t.
I am saying th patriots have a generally conservative defensive philiosophy and that is exactly what they should given who they have at QB.

 

[captain stone]

You honestly believe that the right thing to do with the GOAT at qb is to play high risk gambling defense?

I neither said "high risk" nor "gambling" defense. I said a More Aggressive defense, especially when more aggression is warranted.

 

[Ring 6]

I neither said "high risk" nor "gambling" defense. I said a More Aggressive defense, especially when more aggression is warranted.

Aggressive defense is high risk and gambling. That’s the point.