Is Steve Belichick part of the problem on defense?

[MrTibbs]

Is Steve Belichick a competent play caller/schemer as the defensive coordinator? Often we're seeing players not sure who to cover and my goodness they can not defend 3rd and longs to save their lives. They just CAN NOT make a play when the game is on the line...that 3rd and 25 in the 4th quarter was inexcusable. Those zero blitzes haven't hit home at all. It just seems his play calling leaves a lot to be desired....please chime in.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

The 3rd and 25, playing 25 yards off the line and conceding 24 yards (for a make-able 49 yard field goal), is almost in the territory of Rob Gronkowski playing safety in Miami.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Steve is a promising DC in my opinion.
Problem is Mills was TORCHED all game and I hate that Mills plays 10 yards off the line. Mills, Bentley, Godchaux are weak links on defense.

 

[MrTibbs]

Hightower has looked terrible as well. I'm still trying to understand how the Cowboys only had to punt ONCE in five quarters of football vs. the Pats......FOUR QUARTERS AND O.T.! ONE PUNT!!

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Hard to tell if it's Steve's fault with all the aging players like Hightower, McCourty, Van Noy, Collins, etc. out there. This team really needs an infusion of youth and talent.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Our inside LBs are the real problem. They are so weak in several areas, the secondary is missing one or two impact players, the DL is ok.
Just to many issues with this team. We got it wrong, got to retool next season.

 

[sean10mm]

It feels like Bill has checked out mentally and is just delegating everything to a weak staff, the Tampa loss was the only game where it felt like he brought his A gane to be honest, even though I didn't like 56y attempt at the end the rest of it at least felt something like a "real" Pats game.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Steve has got to go. He needs to come up the ranks and make a name for himself like others with other teams - not Daddy’s. Once he’s given the title of DC by his Dad, good luck on him getting demoted if the D is not getting it done.

 

[Pats1971]

Why is it, when the pats played great on D, Bill gets the glory, and when they dont, people go after a coordinator?

 

[borg]

Could have used a #1 CB (or two)
Could have considered covering RBs who release out of back field
Maybe not leave an acre in the middle of the field uncovered

 

[festy1986]

The 3rd and 25, playing 25 yards off the line and conceding 24 yards (for a make-able 49 yard field goal), is almost in the territory of Rob Gronkowski playing safety in Miami.

Just saving 5 more yards and the fg in question misses to the right.

But hey, we competed!!!

 

[Twentytothree]

Hightower has looked terrible as well. I'm still trying to understand how the Cowboys only had to punt ONCE in five quarters of football vs. the Pats......FOUR QUARTERS AND O.T.! ONE PUNT!!

Maybe the stops on 4th down and the forced fumble had something to do with that? Just throwing that out there, who knows...

 

[slash83]

His stupid facial expressions annoys the crap out of me.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Our inside LBs are the real problem. They are so weak in several areas, the secondary is missing one or two impact players, the DL is ok.
Just to many issues with this team. We got it wrong, got to retool next season.

That's right. Bentley is trash, he gets huge inflated tackle numbers because he sucks at covering anybody and tackles them after giving up a catch, or tackles a RB after a bad angle on the ball. Bentley, Mills, Godchaux are weak links on the defense.

.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

maybe it’s Fat Matt that’s the problem…

Curran: Patricia common denominator between 2017 and 2021 Patriots

NBC Sports Boston New England Patriots insider Tom E. Curran sees a common denominator between the underachieving defense of the present and the 2017 team which got exposed in the Super Bowl.

www.nbcsports.com

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

They misspelled douche.

 

[upstater1]

This picture speaks a thousand words. I totally agree he should cut his teeth elsewhere. You know the Krafts are talking about this.

 

[Betterthanmost]

maybe it’s Fat Matt that’s the problem…

Curran: Patricia common denominator between 2017 and 2021 Patriots

NBC Sports Boston New England Patriots insider Tom E. Curran sees a common denominator between the underachieving defense of the present and the 2017 team which got exposed in the Super Bowl.

www.nbcsports.com

Good point, I forgot about him. Whatever we are doing on defense seems to be working if you look at the scores, but we can't stop anybody when it really counts without penalties.

 

[BelizePats]

Bentley should be a serviceable backup, playing 4-8 snaps a game. Why would Dallas even bother to run the ball on first and second down when Bentley was coverning Zeke or Pollard?