Secondary Thoughts...

[patriot1136]

So what do you guys think of Melvin? Has he shown anything?

 

[jah]

So what do you guys think of Melvin? Has he shown anything?

Incomplete grade at this point. Can't possibly judge off what he's done here.

 

[mgteich]

2015 New England Patriots Midseason Review: Nickel is the New Normal Defensive Package

1) We were in the nickel more than base last year.

2) This is normal in a passing league, especially by an 8-0 team that is usually ahead in the score.

 

[Fencer]

If McCourty and Harmon are stars, and Chung is an excellent player, and Collins and Hightower are elite LBs, and Jones is leading the league in sacks, and the rest of the DL is deep and talented -- why aren't the defensive results even better than they are?

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

1) We were in the nickel more than base last year.

2) This is normal in a passing league, especially by an 8-0 team that is usually ahead in the score.

Agree with you on the second point....as far as the first point goes, our cornerback situation in 2014 helped to solidify our secondary ....this season a greater emphasis is being placed on the safeties in pass defense

 

[aluminum seats]

If McCourty and Harmon are stars, and Chung is an excellent player, and Collins and Hightower are elite LBs, and Jones is leading the league in sacks, and the rest of the DL is deep and talented -- why aren't the defensive results even better than they are?

If you took away garbage time points, the Pats would be leading the league in points allowed by a country mile.

 

[50-yard-line]

I think people need to stop looking at the secondary players as corners and safeties and start looking at them all as defensive backs. Devin McCourty is a modern day Ronnie Lott in terms of versatility, Lott spent the first 3-4 years of his career at LCB, moved to FS but still lined up at CB many times. McCourty does that, Chung is a hybrid coverage LB, Harmon would be starting on just about any other team besides us or Seattle. Richards is another player who can play different spots.

The top 6 players are:

- McCourty
- Butler
- Chung
- Ryan
- Harmon
- Coleman/Richards

That mix is made up with 1 first rounder, 2 second rounder’s, 2 third rounder’s, and 2 UDFA. This belief that we have limited talent back there is just untrue, we have high draft picks and 2 very talented UDFAs who slid through the cracks. For what it is worth, Seattle’s secondary is made up of 1 first round pick, 1 fifth round pick, 1 sixth round pick, 1 seventh round pick, and 2 UDFAs.

Our secondary will be in really good shape come playoff time, aside from McCourty and Chung every player we have has not even scratched the surface of what they can be.

>>> Let me just stop any foolish Lott vs. McCourty debates before they even start by saying, the comparison was only in regards to versatility between corner and safety, it was not a suggestion that McCourty is as good as Lott was. For what it is worth, I was entering middle school when Lott retired.

First off, I don't see how anyone can reasonably disagree with this assessment. There's no hyperbole here, no over-the-top homerism...just logic and observation.

Remember when the Patriots drafted Harmon and everyone went, "Who?"
Remember when the Patriots drafted Richards and everyone went, "Really?"

The only thing this defense lacks right now is experience...although even the second-year guys on the Pats have lots of big game experience! Seriously, though, when you look at the guys they've brought in via draft and acquisition, it's hard not to shake your head and just admire the result.

As to the point of "yeah, but the playoffs..." Look around the league. The biggest mismatches against the Pats secondary are the Jets (Marshall and Decker), the Colts, and probably the Bengals. The Donkeys have great receivers, but I'm not sold on that team at all. Temperament, Manning's arm, and OL all are very suspect. I think they lose at least 2 more games, not counting our game, and so they'd have to come here to play the Pats in January if they get that far.

Cincinnati is a different story - really solid and deep team, like the Pats, but I don't think they're quite there yet.