Surprised, concerned or reassured?

[QB12]

The talk early this week was that we were going to have to pick up a cornerback, given Talib's and Arrington's health. Sterling Moore, Namdi A were a couple of the names bandied about.

Looks like we're staying in house, possibly calling up a corner (J. Green) or safety (K. Davis) from the practice squad.

Does that leave you surprised, concerned, or reassured?

 

[Rob0729]

At this point, there seems to be a chance that Dennard plays. He has been practicing all week and by all accounts people say he is now moving around well during the warm up portion of the workout.

Even so, I think this game will actually be won in the trenches. Teams that have best slowed down Manning and the Broncos offense have had a lot of success pressuring Manning. I think it is going to come down to the Jones boys, Nink, and Vellano.

 

[FourierSeries]

I doubt Dennard plays, unfortunately.

Any word on Gregory?

 

[Sicilian]

Reassured is probably the closest, but I think optimistic is a better word for it. All it really shows me for certain is that BB likely prefers a banged up or raw player who knows the system to a healthy player who doesn't, at least against someone like Manning.

 

[Rob0729]

I doubt Dennard plays, unfortunately.

Any word on Gregory?

Gregory is likely to play. He spoke to the press this week. Word is he is clear to play and it all comes down to whether he feels comfortable playing in a cast. I can't really see him not playing.

I wouldn't give up on Dennard playing although he seems more like a long shot.

 

[PATRlOT]

It leaves me concerned that we haven't signed one yet!!!

 

[Ian]

Speed + Youth > slower veteran retread

 

[dales804]

I'm mostly surprised Dennard was practicing this week after media reports from early in the week regarding his surgery. But then again, maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

 

[BradyFTW!]

At this point, there seems to be a chance that Dennard plays. He has been practicing all week and by all accounts people say he is now moving around well during the warm up portion of the workout.

Even so, I think this game will actually be won in the trenches. Teams that have best slowed down Manning and the Broncos offense have had a lot of success pressuring Manning. I think it is going to come down to the Jones boys, Nink, and Vellano.

My take on it is that there's virtually no way that Dennard plays, but that Talib and Gregory probably will.

 

[hwc]

Resigned would be the way I would put it.

After seeing our torn and tattered defense carved up by the Carolina offense, there is no way that the Pats can be competitive against the Broncos offense. It is what it is.

Frustrating, because this year's defense really had the makings of a good unit, for the first time in several years. But, injuries have decimated it and no amount of wishful thinking will change that reality.

 

[virginiapatriot]

Calling up a practice squad guy is not reassuring if there is a chance he may have to cover an NFL receiver. But I do not know if signing a veteran DB off the street would be any better. Veteran smarts is an underrated virtue for CBs and DBs, but how quickly could a guy pick up our system?

 

[supafly]

Speed + Youth > slower veteran retread

I'd also add "knowledge of the system too."

That is extremely important when attempting to prepare, especially on a shortened week. I wonder how possible it actually was to have brought an outsider in? Personally, I tend to doubt it myself, although there are likely a couple of limited options like S.Moore etc who have played here before.

 

[supafly]

Resigned would be the way I would put it.

After seeing our torn and tattered defense carved up by the Carolina offense, there is no way that the Pats can be competitive against the Broncos offense. It is what it is.

Frustrating, because this year's defense really had the makings of a good unit, for the first time in several years. But, injuries have decimated it and no amount of wishful thinking will change that reality.

Although I tend to feel that you very well may be correct, our current defense/secondary is probably on the same level as the past few years have been--even with all of our injuries this season.

In other words, we somehow made it to the AFCCG game the past 2 seasons with some limited talent, so I wouldn't exactly give up just yet either; especially if we're still in the hunt for the #2 seed in a month from now.

 

[Fencer]

BB, as he likes to remind us, is not a medical genius. Still, the implied optimism is somewhat reassuring.

For the Denver game I'm concerned that these guys will be gimped. I'm actually happier about Gregory, whose legs should be in fine shape, than the hobbled CBs.

I still suspect that Edelman is getting some defensive coaching. On the other hand, I'd guess he played Welker on scout team, since Amendola was limited in practice, and also took Amendola's reps in offensive practice.

I admire Edelman, even though I think he's no better than mediocre at anything except PR.

 

[supafly]

I admire Edelman, even though I think he's no better than mediocre at anything except PR.

It will be interesting to see how much progress Belichick feels that he's made at the actual position of wide receiver this year.

He was always talented and had sheer athletic potential, but his WR skills were rather limited (to put it mildly).

Personally, I'm hoping that we're able to reach a reasonable deal with him for the next couple of years, to retain his PR skills while continuing to use him as a WR3-4 and try to help continue his development at the position.

 

[hwc]

In other words, we somehow made it to the AFCCG game the past 2 seasons with some limited talent, so I wouldn't exactly give up just yet either; especially if we're still in the hunt for the #2 seed in a month from now.

It's not like I'm writing off the season. I think the Pats will make the playoffs and, at that point, anything can happen.

But this week? Against the Broncos offense? Missing both DTs and their MLB? With the entire secondary on the injury report? And, an offense that isn't good enough to put any pressure on Manning?

I'm just being realistic. 7-4 isn't a bad record, with what the Pats have had to deal with this year.

 

[supafly]

It's not like I'm writing off the season. I think the Pats will make the playoffs and, at that point, anything can happen.

But this week? Against the Broncos offense? Missing both DTs and their MLB? With the entire secondary on the injury report? And, an offense that isn't good enough to put any pressure on Manning?

I'm just being realistic. 7-4 isn't a bad record, with what the Pats have had to deal with this year.

I respect your pessimism or even possible realism, at least when it comes to this particular game.

That said, I disagree that our offense isn't "good enough to put any pressure on Manning." I believe that we can score a lot of points too. The concern of course is on the defensive side of the ball, as you say.

If they do fall to 7-4, they'll have to win at least 4/5 or possibly even all 5/5 to close out the season in order to secure that #2 seed. 11-5 may do it, but 12-4 almost definitely would.

Had the scheduling not come out like it did, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but the potential of losing 2 in a row is what makes everyone nuts.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

The talk early this week was that we were going to have to pick up a cornerback, given Talib's and Arrington's health. Sterling Moore, Namdi A were a couple of the names bandied about.

Looks like we're staying in house, possibly calling up a corner (J. Green) or safety (K. Davis) from the practice squad.

Does that leave you surprised, concerned, or reassured?

The question you're asking is akin to asking if we should be less concerned with being thrown off a 1000 foot high cliff instead of being drowned in a lake. "Reassured" has no applicability in a discussion about our currently available/healthy secondary (whether in house or street FA additions) facing this very potent Broncos passing offense. To drive that point home, imagine this week the league gives the Patriots a one time exemption allowing them to have 50 players active on game day, but the extra 4 roster spots must be filled with the 4 best street free agent DBs available. Would having 4 extra street FA DBs make you feel tangibly more secure about Sunday night's game? The answer is pretty much no. No matter how you slice it anything less than having a relatively healthy Talib, Dennard, McCourty, Gregory and Arrington as the 5th DB to face this very potent Bronco passing offense is unwaveringly worrisome.

The Patriot's secondary was a relative strength of the team. They were playing, prior to the injury issues, better than an average NFL secondary. And with improving health this unit should return to being better than average (hopefully it returns starting this Sunday night). So unless it is a numbers game where there simply is an insufficient number of healthy bodies, I want the Patriots to stay in house, use the practice squad if needed, and let's see if one of them can rise to the occasion to begin proving they have quantifiable value in the longer term (versus their current value which is mostly a complete unknown).

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Although I tend to feel that you very well may be correct, our current defense/secondary is probably on the same level as the past few years have been--even with all of our injuries this season.

In other words, we somehow made it to the AFCCG game the past 2 seasons with some limited talent, so I wouldn't exactly give up just yet either; especially if we're still in the hunt for the #2 seed in a month from now.

I largely agree with you about our secondary's level of play as being close to equivalent to the past couple of years (when factoring in this year's injuries). Yet given there is no reported reason at this point to believe the secondary won't regain its health before the end of the season, "giving up" is at minimum very premature, at most is a lot of hot air .

With that said, the 2011 and 2012 secondary level of play will not cut it this year (based on the metrics so far). In the previous 2 years the team's blueprint for victory allowed for a weaker secondary due it being more than offset by the high potency of the offense. This year, obviously, the offense has been lesser which means there is a near absolute requirement for better comparative secondary play.
The good news is not only the previously mentioned lack of reason for pessimism on health, but also that this year's offensive potency is not necessarily defined by its earlier weakness. I strongly suspect the offense's level of play recently shown (against Pitt and the second half of the Panther game) is not only what its potency level actually is but that it will get a bit better. I tell you what, if they put up 30 or more on the Broncos (not cheap garbage time type points), my feeling about the offense will take one big step towards being considered real versus simple optimism.

 

[Fencer]

The question you're asking is akin to asking if we should be less concerned with being thrown off a 1000 foot high cliff instead of being drowned in a lake.

There's only one possible response to that analogy:

Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid - YouTube