The collapse of the pass defense

[jah]

It's a combination of what everyone else has already said in here. Terrible front 7 and an insistence on playing JMac and Brooks ahead of better/higher upside players. Dugger also confirmed my fears about him yesterday that I had articulated recently--only an asset in run defense in his current form.

 

[Nunchucks]

It's a combination of what everyone else has already said in here. Terrible front 7 and an insistence on playing JMac and Brooks ahead of better/higher upside players. Dugger also confirmed my fears about him yesterday that I had articulated recently--only an asset in run defense in his current form.

Duggar is a rookie, he is up and down in coverage, as any rookie safety would be. He is learning. He has coverage skills.

 

[VrabelJr]

I think it’s fairly obvious why. Tougher schedule, worse offense, and front 7 has taken a step back.

 

[Sciz]

Carl Davis played 20 snaps, 33%, and none of them were called running plays. That's basic stuff that we've seen out of the Patriots' offense forever, going no-huddle to keep the run-stuffing defensive personnel on the field and then just passing it over and over.

(He was actually really productive as a pass rusher. Howe credited him with 2 hurries, and PFF had him at 4. He was obviously held on Watson's TD scramble.)

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

A lot of people want to play the rookies and not reddshirt them. Voila. The front 7 is a lot worse. Next year it will be much better. Have to be patient with all of the turnover.

 

[Kdo5]

Secondary has been ****. Dont want to make excuses but a non existent pass rush certainly doesn’t help them.

 

[woolster22]

Can anyone explain how letting a mobile, "complete qb" (in BB's own words) sit back, make a sammich AND take a bite before he throws downfield is a recipe for success? I'm not expecting 100% blitzes, but christ almighty, at least keep him guessing! "We're scared of his legs and he has a great arm, so we're just going to drop back in soft zone and rush four so our safeties and cb's can face the mobile qb who has no need to scramble." Wtf.

 

[jmt57]

Apologies for beating a dead horse, but the defense taking a step backward should not have been unexpected. While there is some turnover on a roster every year, the amount on the Patriot defense from 2019 to 2020 was much larger than normal. The change was almost all in one direction too - departures, not additions due to the Pats cap position at the beginning of the 2020 league year.

I feel as though it went under the radar due to so much attention being paid to the quarterback position, the lack of media coverage for much of the offseason (no OTAs, limited training camp, no preseason games), plus the opt outs.

2019 D Snaps -- % -- Rank -- Player
833 --- 81% --- #3 --- Jamie Collins
832 --- 81% --- #4 --- Kyle Van Noy
736 --- 71% --- #5 --- Dont'a Hightower
669 --- 65% --- #7 --- Duron Harmon
653 --- 63% --- #8 --- Patrick Chung
508 --- 49% --- #11 -- Danny Shelton
272 --- 26% --- #18 -- Shilique Calhoun
210 --- 20% --- #20 -- Elandon Roberts

In virtually every case the 2020 defensive position/player(s) is a downgrade from the 2019 equivalent.

• - Both McCourtys are 33, being forced to play more than is reasonable for their level of play. Jason ranks 6th for 2020 defensive snaps; in 2019 he ranked 13th. Devin has been on the field for 100% of the defensive snaps.
• - Patrick Chung > Adrian Phillips at safety.
• - Duron Harmon > Kyle Dugger at safety.
• - Van Noy, Hightower, Collins > Bentley, Calhoun, Jennings, Hall, etc. at linebacker.
• - Guy, Shelton, Butler > Guy, Cowart, Butler, Mack at defensive tackle.

The situation at DT is a good example of the negative ripple effect of what happens when inevitable injuries occur, but acceptable depth at the position is poor.

.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Our best championship-defense, 2014-2019 and 2001-2004 was press man coverage, with 1-man safety in the back. This only works if you can apply pressure to the QB and make sure they don't have all day to throw. So agree that we can't play elite man press coverage if the Front 7 isn't getting some good pressure within 2.5 seconds consistently. Our defense when we revert to zone coverage and corners 10 yards off the line, becomes very mediocre (see the Dean Pees era).

.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Apologies for beating a dead horse, but the defense taking a step backward should not have been unexpected. While there is some turnover on a roster every year, the amount on the Patriot defense from 2019 to 2020 was much larger than normal. The change was almost all in one direction too - departures, not additions due to the Pats cap position at the beginning of the 2020 league year.

I feel as though it went under the radar due to so much attention being paid to the quarterback position, the lack of media coverage for much of the offseason (no OTAs, limited training camp, no preseason games), plus the opt outs.

2019 D Snaps -- % -- Rank -- Player
833 --- 81% --- #3 --- Jamie Collins
832 --- 81% --- #4 --- Kyle Van Noy
736 --- 71% --- #5 --- Dont'a Hightower
669 --- 65% --- #7 --- Duron Harmon
653 --- 63% --- #8 --- Patrick Chung
508 --- 49% --- #11 -- Danny Shelton
272 --- 26% --- #18 -- Shilique Calhoun
210 --- 20% --- #20 -- Elandon Roberts

In virtually every case the 2020 defensive position/player(s) is a downgrade from the 2019 equivalent.

• - Both McCourtys are 33, being forced to play more than is reasonable for their level of play. Jason ranks 6th for 2020 defensive snaps; in 2019 he ranked 13th. Devin has been on the field for 100% of the defensive snaps.
• - Patrick Chung > Adrian Phillips at safety.
• - Duron Harmon > Kyle Dugger at safety.
• - Van Noy, Hightower, Collins > Bentley, Calhoun, Jennings, Hall, etc. at linebacker.
• - Guy, Shelton, Butler > Guy, Cowart, Butler, Mack at defensive tackle.

The situation at DT is a good example of the negative ripple effect of what happens when inevitable injuries occur, but acceptable depth at the position is poor.

.

Excellent summary. The covid opt-outs and FA departures decimated this defense. It's almost a totally different group.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

No defensive ends that can pass rush.

no defensive tackles that can penetrate.

no linebackers that can blitz.

our front seven is being rebuilt and until we get nfl quality players there, we are not going to be a good defense.

 

[FCB02062]

Did people think the defense would be good w Bill The Coaches kids coaching linebackers and safeties? Really? The defense blows, and its not getting better any time soon w bill the GM's horrific drafting..ZERO impact players drafted on defense since Chandler Jones/Hightower

 

[captain stone]

The lack of anything even remotely resembling a league-minimum-standard-quality front 6/7 still does not excuse the many cases of atrocious, bordering-on-gutless tackling "attempts" back there...Too many in our secondary are making bid-ness decisions now...

 

[holyredeemer]

You lost Chung, HT, Van Noy, Collins. Every single one of those guys contributed to the Pass D. May have not been perfect but you replaced them with Hall, Bentley, Dugger, and Phillips. Aside from Phillips, there’s a lot of youth there needing to gain exp. That affects everyone on the back end. Big time. Add in the fact that J-Mac seems to have regressed a bit, and there ya go.

*Id also like to throw out that we have S.B. (reportedly) calling the shots for the 1st year as well.

 

[Thelonious]

Bill's kids can't coach. Not now, maybe not ever. This a real test of the "whatever's best for the team" ethos. This is a "performance based" work environment, we often hear. If so, the right move is obvious. Give the kids a stipend. Let them take up ballroom dancing or something.

 

[Doctor DDS]

Bill's kids can't coach. Not now, maybe not ever. This a real test of the "whatever's best for the team" ethos. This is a "performance based" work environment, we often hear. If so, the right move is obvious. Give the kids a stipend. Let them take up ballroom dancing or something.

2019 defense was one of their best in the entire in BB era and were coached by "Bill's kids" along with Mayo. They then lose half of their defensive starters and your take is that they never could coach and should be let go. Logically I assume you want Mayo jettisoned as well since he is part of same unit.

 

[captain stone]

2019 defense was one of their best in the entire in BB era during the first half of the season vs one of the easiest first-half schedules in league history and were coached by "Bill's kids" along with Mayo. They then lose half of their defensive starters and your take is that they never could coach and should be let go. Logically I assume you want Mayo jettisoned as well since he is part of same unit.

Fixed it.

 

[Doctor DDS]

Fixed it.

The first half schedule was extremely easy and no doubt led to some inflated numbers initially but when the entire season was over they had given up the least amount of points of any team in the BB era. They played 8 games against teams that finished below .500 and 8 against teams at .500 or better. Come playoff time the defense gave up only 14 points against the Titans. Would love to have that defense this year.

 

[Guts]

Our front 7 is perhaps a bottom 5 unit in football. Secondary cannot cover forever

 

[n6249c]

Did people think the defense would be good w Bill The Coaches kids coaching linebackers and safeties? Really? The defense blows, and its not getting better any time soon w bill the GM's horrific drafting..ZERO impact players drafted on defense since Chandler Jones/Hightower

Bill's kids can't coach. Not now, maybe not ever. This a real test of the "whatever's best for the team" ethos. This is a "performance based" work environment, we often hear. If so, the right move is obvious. Give the kids a stipend. Let them take up ballroom dancing or something.

I really misjudged you guys. I’m very disappointed in you.

I figured you’d be all over the Bill’s kids angle at least a full page earlier.

what’s the matter with you? GDT not keeping your skills sharp?