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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.He got burn't on the one touchdown/interference, but does anyone have another incident for this game? Was he covering Thomas all game. One of Manning's sacks was a cover sack. How many points did he give up against Manning?
I'll try and watch the replay and look for it but he got burned more than once by not turning around. It's frustrating because he absolutely has the physical talent to be in position for the most part but he just doesn't want to look for the ball for some reason.
Q: On the pass interference calls when it doesn’t look like McCourty is turning his head back to look at the ball, do you believe that’s why the officials are throwing those flags?
A: What the rule is, is that if you’re looking at the ball and there is contact, it’s not a foul, unless you’re grabbing the guy or obviously flagrantly doing something. If you’re not looking at the ball, and there is contact, then it is a foul. The rule is pretty cut and dried.
Q: It seems to have happened a few times with McCourty. Is that something? It seems like he’s stride for stride with his guy, hip to hip, and then he just doesn’t turn on it. There have been some negative plays. Is that something he has to do right now – turn on that ball?
A: Well, you have to be careful. It’s fine if the ball is in the air and you turn. That’s great. But if the ball is not in the air, and you turn, and then the receiver sees you turn and goes in the other direction and uncovers, then you don’t have the guy covered. It’s a technique thing. There are different situations that the right thing to do sometimes is to look for the ball and sometimes it isn’t to look for the ball.
Q: How do you guys teach it?
A: There’s a lot of different situations. We talk about those. It isn’t about looking or not looking for the ball. If you don’t look at the ball, then you have to play the receiver’s hands and knock the ball out when the receiver tries to catch it. If you’re looking at the ball, then you play the ball -- and hopefully the ball is in the air when you look at it. Because if you’re looking at it and the ball isn’t in the air, a good receiver will just uncover. As soon as you turn your back on him, he just goes in the other direction.
Belichick was specifically asked about corners turning around to play the ball on WEEI yesterday. His response seems to validate what AWTE posted about the trail techniques they are taught and coached to play to here. Of course corners have been trying to tell their critics here that since EHIII. No one listens. If Bill had a problem with the way these guys play he'd bench them. And forget about allowing them to be named captains. EHIII was a starting corner until traded, and that was due mostly to durability concerns vs. impending contract demands. Ellis was a playmaker (we've yet to replace) on ST and in the secondary, but he was also the victim of zebra bias as they often made phantom contact calls on him because in the process of breaking up passes he didn't often get his head around. But the rule doesn't state you have to absent contact.
I think I understand why this technique is stressed. However it does seem as if OC's do as well and are taking their shots rather than the alternative coverage sack or throwaway based on the liklihood they will get the call. So some slight adaptation might be in order as a result of self scouting. But again, that's up to Bill. The fastest way for the player to get benched here is to not play to his technique and while getting burnt in the process of blowing coverage. One of the worst defeats this team ever suffered was in large part the result of Asante Samuel looking for the ball and allowing a receiver who was shortly for the street to uncover and drift into the middle of the field where a scrambling QB was able to find him for a once in a career helmet catch.
Defensive backs & turning for ball - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston
Yeah, I never get the whole killing the CBs for not turning around thing. Sometimes you play the ball and others you play the receiver. Whether McCourty or any other CB should have been playing the ball vs. the receiver is open to interpretation, but it is clear that he shouldn't be turning for the ball on every play.
The next three games are against three pathetic passing offenses
Seattle 32nd 163 YPG
Jets 28th 210 YPG
St Louis 29th 204 YPG
I hope\expect the passing numbers to improve during this three game stretch but really they need to be able to shut this level of competition down while still being able to stop the run.
If you're one of these teams I would chuck it deep off of play action early and often.
Belichick was specifically asked about corners turning around to play the ball on WEEI yesterday. .......
Defensive backs & turning for ball - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston
This BB Q&A should be stickyed for future reference. Most of us have no experience related to defending NFL receivers. This Q&A gives a great insight to the issues involved.Q: On the pass interference calls when it doesn’t look like McCourty is turning his head back to look at the ball, do you believe that’s why the officials are throwing those flags?
A: What the rule is, is that if you’re looking at the ball and there is contact, it’s not a foul, unless you’re grabbing the guy or obviously flagrantly doing something. If you’re not looking at the ball, and there is contact, then it is a foul. The rule is pretty cut and dried.
Q: It seems to have happened a few times with McCourty. Is that something? It seems like he’s stride for stride with his guy, hip to hip, and then he just doesn’t turn on it. There have been some negative plays. Is that something he has to do right now – turn on that ball?
A: Well, you have to be careful. It’s fine if the ball is in the air and you turn. That’s great. But if the ball is not in the air, and you turn, and then the receiver sees you turn and goes in the other direction and uncovers, then you don’t have the guy covered. It’s a technique thing. There are different situations that the right thing to do sometimes is to look for the ball and sometimes it isn’t to look for the ball.
Q: How do you guys teach it?
A: There’s a lot of different situations. We talk about those. It isn’t about looking or not looking for the ball. If you don’t look at the ball, then you have to play the receiver’s hands and knock the ball out when the receiver tries to catch it. If you’re looking at the ball, then you play the ball -- and hopefully the ball is in the air when you look at it. Because if you’re looking at it and the ball isn’t in the air, a good receiver will just uncover. As soon as you turn your back on him, he just goes in the other direction.
I don't like being called a McCourty Hater, because I am not, but I do think the guy is not "all that." I don't know or care what the technique is. I can see with my own eyes that he does not get his head around to see the ball enough so that he either gets too many completions against him, or too many PI calls because at the last second he realizes that the ball is coming and he grabs or pushes his guy. Other teams see it too - they are constantly throwing on him. Why are we haters if we point out what we see on the field? He deserved whatever flags he got the other day and though I can't recall specifics, I thought he got away with one or two more. For whatever reason, he's just not that good, at least consistently. When he does get his head around he's pretty good at picking it off, but it doesn't happen often enough. If it did, other teams wouldn't throw on him so much. They'd stay away. But they don't. They're willing to risk an INT for the more likely outcome of a big completion or a PI call.
I don't like being called a McCourty Hater, because I am not, but I do think the guy is not "all that." I don't know or care what the technique is. I can see with my own eyes that he does not get his head around to see the ball enough so that he either gets too many completions against him, or too many PI calls because at the last second he realizes that the ball is coming and he grabs or pushes his guy. Other teams see it too - they are constantly throwing on him. Why are we haters if we point out what we see on the field? He deserved whatever flags he got the other day and though I can't recall specifics, I thought he got away with one or two more. For whatever reason, he's just not that good, at least consistently. When he does get his head around he's pretty good at picking it off, but it doesn't happen often enough. If it did, other teams wouldn't throw on him so much. They'd stay away. But they don't. They're willing to risk an INT for the more likely outcome of a big completion or a PI call.
I don't like being called a McCourty Hater, because I am not, but I do think the guy is not "all that." I don't know or care what the technique is. I can see with my own eyes that he does not get his head around to see the ball enough so that he either gets too many completions against him, or too many PI calls because at the last second he realizes that the ball is coming and he grabs or pushes his guy. Other teams see it too - they are constantly throwing on him. Why are we haters if we point out what we see on the field? He deserved whatever flags he got the other day and though I can't recall specifics, I thought he got away with one or two more. For whatever reason, he's just not that good, at least consistently. When he does get his head around he's pretty good at picking it off, but it doesn't happen often enough. If it did, other teams wouldn't throw on him so much. They'd stay away. But they don't. They're willing to risk an INT for the more likely outcome of a big completion or a PI call.
Asante's not here because he guessed wrong too often and it was costlier when he did that than beneficial when guessed right.
This is LOL. Asante is not here because he wanted more money than BB was willing to pay and the Eagles were.
On McCourty - I don't mind if he gets beat on a perfectly thrown ball. If a QB can throw the ball 25 or 30 yards accurately hitting the WR's hands on full stride, all you can do is tip your cap to that guy and say great play. But how often does that happen?
What's annoying is that many times QB's will underthrow a receiver (sometimes on purpose) and when DM is not looking for the ball that's when he runs into the receiver and practically tackles him. Just like what happened in the PI he got on Thomas.
Those kinds of plays can be avoided just by looking back at the ball. Perhaps this isn't just McCourty's fault. Maybe the safeties can let him know when the ball's in the air. But whatever it is, I'm sure BB is not thrilled that all these PI's are happening and he certainly isn't coaching his DB's to do that.