AzPatsFan
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2004
- Messages
- 7,613
- Reaction score
- 853
Well we finally had a preseason game and the Safeties have played a game.
I have withheld commenting on the supposed terrible secondary of 2011, since I thought it was a combination of cuts and injuries, that eliminated any coherent Team Safety play for most of the last season. IMHO, lots of useless verbiage was shed on how bad the corners looked, how poor the LB was, how poor the Defense was, yadda, yadda, yadda, ad infinitum. The plain fact was that the 2011 Patriots played without even mediocre Team Safety play last year.
I don't identify Team Safety play as turning in outstanding individual plays. It merely means that you are where you belong, when you belong to be there, so you can attempt to make a play or assist someone else in doing so.
For example, I can think of numerous occasions when McCourty played "inside and behind trail technique" to perfection, only to be accused of being beaten, when a designated Safety never appeared to play "outside and ahead technique". Frequently, he had to close and make the tackle, after a completion, and the designated Safety stiil had not appeared. Fans would see only him around the WR, and blame him for being beaten.
Even so the secondary individuals, did pretty well. There I said it. The Pats pass defense has led the NFL in 2010, and then the AFC in 2011, in INT turnovers the last two years. You can't do that without talent and speed.
But I couldn't recall a single play last season, where a Safety showed up on time, or even near to on-time, to assist the CBs. The team Safety play was non-existent, even if occasionally a player, purported to be a Safety, turned in an occasional good individual play.
I felt then, and still believe if the Team Safety play merely improved to below mediocre, the overall Defensive ratings, and the secondary pass ratings in particular, would soar. In the game against the Saints, I won't assert that the Safety play was even good, (but I could do so), but it certainly improved to at least mediocre, one level higher than I needed to see.
With it, the Defensive stats will soar in 2012. Gregory and Chung can play Team Safety Defense, and actually be where they belong, when they belong there. Tavon Wilson has passed the requirement to be considered at least a valid NFL Safety participant too, as he showed he could be in the right place, at the right time too, so there is some depth appearing.
In short Bill Belichick has accomplished the primary task he set out to do. The evidence is in, BB has rebuilt the Secondary, already.
I have withheld commenting on the supposed terrible secondary of 2011, since I thought it was a combination of cuts and injuries, that eliminated any coherent Team Safety play for most of the last season. IMHO, lots of useless verbiage was shed on how bad the corners looked, how poor the LB was, how poor the Defense was, yadda, yadda, yadda, ad infinitum. The plain fact was that the 2011 Patriots played without even mediocre Team Safety play last year.
I don't identify Team Safety play as turning in outstanding individual plays. It merely means that you are where you belong, when you belong to be there, so you can attempt to make a play or assist someone else in doing so.
For example, I can think of numerous occasions when McCourty played "inside and behind trail technique" to perfection, only to be accused of being beaten, when a designated Safety never appeared to play "outside and ahead technique". Frequently, he had to close and make the tackle, after a completion, and the designated Safety stiil had not appeared. Fans would see only him around the WR, and blame him for being beaten.
Even so the secondary individuals, did pretty well. There I said it. The Pats pass defense has led the NFL in 2010, and then the AFC in 2011, in INT turnovers the last two years. You can't do that without talent and speed.
But I couldn't recall a single play last season, where a Safety showed up on time, or even near to on-time, to assist the CBs. The team Safety play was non-existent, even if occasionally a player, purported to be a Safety, turned in an occasional good individual play.
I felt then, and still believe if the Team Safety play merely improved to below mediocre, the overall Defensive ratings, and the secondary pass ratings in particular, would soar. In the game against the Saints, I won't assert that the Safety play was even good, (but I could do so), but it certainly improved to at least mediocre, one level higher than I needed to see.
With it, the Defensive stats will soar in 2012. Gregory and Chung can play Team Safety Defense, and actually be where they belong, when they belong there. Tavon Wilson has passed the requirement to be considered at least a valid NFL Safety participant too, as he showed he could be in the right place, at the right time too, so there is some depth appearing.
In short Bill Belichick has accomplished the primary task he set out to do. The evidence is in, BB has rebuilt the Secondary, already.
