The Defense Is Fine

[Love The Drake]

I don't know why we didn't blitz Cutler into making quicker decisions as Gruden pointed out he had all day to survey the field.
Now as far as a pass rush Rivers and Hightower coming back next season is a huge step.
Now since we can't trust either to be healthy we should see if DeMarcus Lawrence wants more than Gilmore money.
Next season I draft defense early and often I don't sniff a rookie receiver til the 6th round if the next Jimmy G is there we draft him in the middle rounds.
I build the offensive line up Center and Guard could use more competition and power on run plays.
I draft a tight end because we got fleeced on the Dwayne Allen trade and there is no guarantee Bennett is coming back I'd actually expect him to retire.
This draft is about building the lines.
I think we our good at defensive back and it's time to Let Butler walk for anymore than 6 million a season.

 

[Kontradiction]

I don't know why we didn't blitz Cutler into making quicker decisions as Gruden pointed out he had all day to survey the field.
Now as far as a pass rush Rivers and Hightower coming back next season is a huge step.
Now since we can't trust either to be healthy we should see if DeMarcus Lawrence wants more than Gilmore money.
Next season I draft defense early and often I don't sniff a rookie receiver til the 6th round if the next Jimmy G is there we draft him in the middle rounds.
I build the offensive line up Center and Guard could use more competition and power on run plays.
I draft a tight end because we got fleeced on the Dwayne Allen trade and there is no guarantee Bennett is coming back I'd actually expect him to retire.
This draft is about building the lines.
I think we our good at defensive back and it's time to Let Butler walk for anymore than 6 million a season.

Lawrence is going to want elite DE money and the Patriots aren't going to be the team to give it to him.

 

[Mack Herron]

 

[Love The Drake]

Lawrence is going to want elite DE money and the Patriots aren't going to be the team to give it to him.

Insert Gilmores contract

 

[Love The Drake]

Makes sense

 

[maineman209]

Insert Gilmores contract

The Pats won't have anywhere near as much cap space in spring 2018 as they did in spring 2017.

 

[maineman209]

Makes sense

May be an indication that they're fairly certain of Van Noy's and/or Trey Flowers' availability for Sunday.

 

[ashley]

I think our defensive front 7 could use an upgrade. A stud pass rusher would be nice, a linebacker with some speed(not Roberts, Harris or Freeny) and we need to get Richards off the field. Lee had two good games but was non existent against the Dolphins and I'm not sure how much you can count on him in the future.
If we have to go out there in the playoffs with players such as Richards, Freeny, Lee, Roberts, Flowers, Reilly we're in serious trouble.

In the end, I think it all comes down to our offense. If we perform the way we are capable of, we'll be ok...if we rely on the defense to win games for us, we're in trouble.

 

[JMC00]

No, the defense was a big part of the problem too. This was a total failure on both sides of the ball.

I disagree with the notion that the defense was a big part of it. They could have played better sure but if the offense was just merely average in the game I think it helps the defense and miami doesn't score more than 17.

miami's best starting positions came from the 2 turnovers by the offense Brady's first INT set them up at their 40 and Brady's 2nd INT set them up at the NE 45.

Putting those aside this was the defense drives

13 plays- 69 yards- FG (Needed to convert a 4th down or it would have been 9 plays 44 yards. Not unusual for a team to move the ball on the opening drive against the Pats as Belichick usually adjusts based off the 1st drive.)

5 plays- 23 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 29)

7 plays- 80 yards- TD (Started at MIA 20 (Drive that Drake had 45 yard reception and Richards had Cutler sacked on 3rd down but couldn't finish)

8 plays- 82 yards- TD (Started at MIA 18) (Drive that on a 3rd and 1 stop, J. Jones got called for a ticky-tacky PI that Howard was getting away with all night on Cooks)


Then there was the 5 straight drives in the last 25 minutes of the game where they clamped down and kept giving the offense a chance when they could have easily packed it in down 27-10.

4 plays- 5 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 15)
3 plays- 4 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 18)
5 plays- 17 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 28)
3 plays- 2 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 35)
5 plays- 16 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 29)


Should they have played better? Yes, you can easily pick out that Roberts on Drake 45 yard gain is a play that shouldn't happen or say there is no reason why Richards shouldn't bring Cutler down to hold them to a FG but they weren't helped by the offense coughing the ball up twice to setup Miami with their best field position nor did they ever get a sustained rest, longest Patriots offense drives were 3:42 and 3:32 the rest of them were all under 3 minutes...

 

[Kontradiction]

I disagree with the notion that the defense was a big part of it. They could have played better sure but if the offense was just merely average in the game I think it helps the defense and miami doesn't score more than 17.

The bolded concedes that the defense was a big part of the problem. They allowed the worst offense in the NFL 120 rushing yards and one of the worst, most turnover-prone quarterbacks in the NFL to complete 25 out of 38 passes for 3 TDs with no turnovers. They also conceded 27 points to the same team. In speaking about his speech on the sidelines to the defense, Harmon essentially admitted that their poor level of play was a reason for the loss...

Duron Harmon On Sideline Speech During Patriots-Dolphins: 'We Needed To Play Harder'

“We always thought that we could fight our way back into it,” said Harmon. “We were just saying, ‘We’ve got to make a play.’ Not really make a play, we just got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. Giving up big plays, missing tackles. Just felt like a lot of the wounds today were self-inflicted. We’ve just got to go back, watch the film, and get better.”

How you think this is good defense is beyond me. You've watched good defense from Week 4 all the way on up to Monday night. Monday night was not good defense.

 

[maineman209]

Now that Freeny's been waived, we could just blame it all on him.

Yeah! That's it! The defense was doing great until Freeny came back and messed everything up!

 

[mgteich]

Now that Freeny's been waived, we could just blame it all on him.

Yeah! That's it! The defense was doing great until Freeny came back and messed everything up!

Why did you let the captain post under your name?

 

[maineman209]

Why did you let the captain post under your name?

(sshhh! I do some occasional "ghost-posting" work on the side.)

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I disagree with the notion that the defense was a big part of it. They could have played better sure but if the offense was just merely average in the game I think it helps the defense and miami doesn't score more than 17.

miami's best starting positions came from the 2 turnovers by the offense Brady's first INT set them up at their 40 and Brady's 2nd INT set them up at the NE 45.

Putting those aside this was the defense drives

13 plays- 69 yards- FG (Needed to convert a 4th down or it would have been 9 plays 44 yards. Not unusual for a team to move the ball on the opening drive against the Pats as Belichick usually adjusts based off the 1st drive.)

5 plays- 23 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 29)

7 plays- 80 yards- TD (Started at MIA 20 (Drive that Drake had 45 yard reception and Richards had Cutler sacked on 3rd down but couldn't finish)

8 plays- 82 yards- TD (Started at MIA 18) (Drive that on a 3rd and 1 stop, J. Jones got called for a ticky-tacky PI that Howard was getting away with all night on Cooks)


Then there was the 5 straight drives in the last 25 minutes of the game where they clamped down and kept giving the offense a chance when they could have easily packed it in down 27-10.

4 plays- 5 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 15)
3 plays- 4 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 18)
5 plays- 17 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 28)
3 plays- 2 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 35)
5 plays- 16 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 29)


Should they have played better? Yes, you can easily pick out that Roberts on Drake 45 yard gain is a play that shouldn't happen or say there is no reason why Richards shouldn't bring Cutler down to hold them to a FG but they weren't helped by the offense coughing the ball up twice to setup Miami with their best field position nor did they ever get a sustained rest, longest Patriots offense drives were 3:42 and 3:32 the rest of them were all under 3 minutes...

The D had its issues though you provide a good stat to show the D wasn't awful for a fair part of the game.
KVN is missed. Imagine thinking that before game 1? However, KVN is clearly and by far the the best all around LB out there. We can't have Roberts as the best LB on the field and expect to be a stingy D. So I'll give the D some latitude that KVN probably eliminates one of those scoring drives (which would have been critical).

My biggest problem with D in general for the Miami game is the Patriot offense was crappy almost the whole game, clearly so. This was a game that needed the D to win the game/keep the score close enough to give the O that one drive shot at victory. IMHO that's what a top tier D does -- steps up extra when it's absolutely needed. Ends up they were not too far off from that (that 3rd down converted via Jones' PI could have meant the D kept the game, that critical miss on the sack was a 4 point swing too. Either keeps the game winnable with a final possession) but close equals a participation trophy. They either do or they don't.

But this is one game. People, you cannot overreact to one game. Credit Miami for playing with a white hot fire right from the snap and that the Patriots were just not prepared for Miami's fire and how well they came up with and executed the gameplan. This happens to the best of teams. Now if we see an egg laid against Pitt then the concerns amplified by Miami go from 'one game can happen' to 'red alarm'. A SB bound worthy team that lays two eggs in a row in mid December with critical playoff seed on the line? IMHO that's two things that do not coexist as one reality.

 

[supafly]

Now that Freeny's been waived, we could just blame it all on him.

Yeah! That's it! The defense was doing great until Freeny came back and messed everything up!

I assumed that it was Freeny’s fault. It’s like you climbed inside my head and read my mind.

 

[supafly]

Lee had two good games but was non existent against the Dolphins and I'm not sure how much you can count on him in the future.

As bad as Lee seemed to be on Monday, he still led the team in QB pressures with 4 and played in 100% of the snaps. That’s telling, and scary.

We need Flowers and Van Noy to return, and Roberts not to be hung out to dry in coverage against RBs, especially ones like LeVeon Bell who has always been a more physical version of a shifty dual threat scatback.

 

[Wordsmyth]

The quality of a defense has to do with how many points they give up, not what captain stoned thinks of them.

Fixed.

 

[PScottman]

Lawrence is going to want elite DE money and the Patriots aren't going to be the team to give it to him.

Beside their own home grown, have the Pats paid big money to ANY FA DE in the BB era? I don't recall any big name outside talent at that position. They've gotten along with drafted/developed in-house options or lower cost veterans at the DE position. Similar production, much more cap flexibility to be spread out among other positions. BB is the ultimate believer in ROI (high return on low investment).

 

[supafly]

Beside their own home grown, have the Pats paid big money to ANY FA DE in the BB era? I don't recall any big name outside talent at that position. They've gotten along with drafted/developed in-house options or lower cost veterans at the DE position. Similar production, much more cap flexibility to be spread out among other positions. BB is the ultimate believer in ROI (high return on low investment).

Depends on what you’d consider Adalius Thomas, but I’m guessing that he belongs in the LB category more than a DE like he was in Baltimore, although he obviously played on the edge, either way. I definitely think he was used much more as a LB here, and I think he voiced his displeasure, particularly when asked to play strong side in ‘09.

Nowadays, you’re looking at 15m a year to try and sign someone like DeMarcus Lawrence. I’m sure Belichick will take another stab or two in the draft and also sign a mid-low level vet, as well.

 

[BTTA]

Good post, JMCOO.

This seems to be a common pattern. The opponent's offense has a few early drives and scores a few points, and the Pats' D figures it out then shuts them down while the offense puts a whoopin' on 'em.

What wasn't common about this game were the interceptions and lack of offensive output. The game would have gone to script if the offense had been successful.

Miami always seems to bully the Pats in Miami, and the Pats always seemed surprised by it. I just don't get that part. The high level aggression leaves them open to things, and the Pats rarely seem ready for it in this game. Win or lose, this seems to be the pattern every year in Miami.

Note: this is based on anecdotal observations and actual research may prove me entirely wrong.

...Then there was the 5 straight drives in the last 25 minutes of the game where they clamped down and kept giving the offense a chance when they could have easily packed it in down 27-10.

4 plays- 5 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 15)
3 plays- 4 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 18)
5 plays- 17 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 28)
3 plays- 2 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 35)
5 plays- 16 yards- Punt (Started at MIA 29)