Q. I don't know what Bill Belichick has done to the secondary over the past few games, but he needs to keep it up. Steve Gregory is proving to be a better safety than what New England had in all of 2011. We've been critical of Kyle Arrington this season, but he's still an excellent run defender. The issue may have been covering on the outside receivers as opposed to slot receivers where he's best suited. He kept Davone Bess in check on Sunday. Devin McCourty has improved at cornerback from 2011, but at the moment he should stay at safety. The long plays have been kept at a minimum since the transition. The tandem of Aqib Talib and Alfonzo Dennard allows Belichick to play more physical on outside receivers. Granted everyone stays healthy, this could be a sign of the secondary turning the corner at the right time. At the moment, could you see a better combination in the secondary? Is it likely that this group is capable to allow the Patriots to be more aggressive in the defensive play calling? -- Alvin (Amherst, Mass.)
A. Alvin, the statistics support the thought that with more stability in the secondary, it has allowed the coaching staff to be more aggressive. Before the Patriots acquired Talib on Nov. 1 from the Buccaneers, they rushed five or more defenders a league-low 15 percent of the time, according to ESPN Stats & Information tracking. With Talib, the number of rushes with five or more defenders has spiked to 28.3 percent. They've been better, although there are still some issues to address (e.g. play-action pass from Ryan Tannehill to Brian Hartline that should have been a TD after Steve Gregory appeared to bite on play-action). Specific to Arrington, I think it's an interesting topic because it appears to be a "less is more" type situation. Given the opportunity to focus solely on slot duties, he's playing the best he has all season.
Q. Mike, the returns on Talib appear to be mixed for the most part, but I'd argue that his arrival DID actually mean a whole lot to this defense -- primarily because it allowed McCourty to stabilize the safety position. Maybe it isn't "Talib Island" at the CB position, but him and Dennard have held their own, allowing McCourty to play a position he appears to be better suited for. Mix in a healthy Gregory and this pass defense is starting took look halfway decent. Do you agree? -- Zack (Boston)
A. Yes, Zack, I do agree. We've seen some spotty cornerback play over the years from the Patriots (Duane Starks comes to mind) and Talib is closer to the good side of the ledger than most. Not in Ty Law territory, but better than what they've had in recent years. I think the point of how his presence has had a positive trickle-down effect on others (e.g. McCourty to safety, Kyle Arrington to slot) is a good one.
Q. Mike, not to kick Patrick Chung while he's down, but if he's not a starting safety should he be on the field at all? Coverage is his weakness and it doesn't seem to make sense to have him on the field in obvious passing situations. Do you think he will be phased out as the season progresses? -- Dean (Taunton, Mass.)
A. Dean, I was surprised watching the way Sunday's game unfolded to see that Chung wasn't part of the base, nickel or dime defenses. Even rookie Tavon Wilson was ahead of him on the initial depth chart, coming on in the dime. When I saw that, it really made me question Chung's present and future with the team. But the main reason I wouldn't write him off is what happened in the third quarter. When Dolphins fullback Charles Clay caught a 20-yard pass on third-and-8, with Tavon Wilson closest in coverage, the coaching staff made an in-game personnel switch with Chung replacing Wilson. So I think that reflects that he still has some value to the team, even though it's been a hard fall for him from 2009 second-round pick/starter to trying to carve out a role in his fourth season while battling injuries once again. Also, as Tedy Bruschi opined in his Monday chat, if Steve Gregory has another breakdown in "taking the cheese" on play action like he did against the Dolphins, it could accelerate Chung's return to the field.
