The New official Patriots vs Steelers Post game thread.

[TriplecHamp]

another thing I noticed was the defense reacting to Pittsburgh and not forcing anything. That happens when you're playing with a deficit but at the same time seeing a wr make a catch and having the defender five yards away literally waiting for the ball carier to make a move is damn frustrating, especially when the guy picks up a first down because of it.

 

[BlueThunder]

Fact: Your alleged "fact" is just raw data that does not take into account any of the factors that are needed to be known, at all.

Fact: Your alleged "fact" is, therefore, absolutely useless as a fact.

HUH???

Just the facts ma'm .............

 

[patsfan-1982]

Rob Ninkovich will never be as good as clay matthews but that has notting to do with the reason the pats lost today they lost because players like Antwaun Molden James Ihedigbo Sergio Brown Josh Barrett and Phillip Adams guys who should not be on a NFL roster are playing a major roll for the pats at DB

 

[Sciz]

Fact: Your alleged "fact" is just raw data that does not take into account any of the factors that are needed to be known, at all.

Fact: Your alleged "fact" is, therefore, absolutely useless as a "fact".

Feel free to argue about the relevance, but efficiency is what it is and what I said it is, regardless of other factors.

 

[DaBruinz]

I am looking forward to the day when all the bandwagon fans and whiners leave to root for another team because they are so frickin spoiled. Then people on here can actually enjoy the team without having to listen to all the uneducated b!tching, moaning and whining that goes on week in and week out..

 

[ATippett56]

Belichick values players who are solid in all aspects over players who are very good in certain aspects (rushing the passer, dropping into coverage) but lacking in others (run defense). About 90% of the players that posters on here would rather have starting than Ninkovich would just create another problem for all of you to complain about.

Ninkovich is not an elite pass rusher nor an elite coverage linebacker whatsover. Ninkovich is part of the problem not part of the solution.

The New England Patriots have failed to adequately replace McGinest and Vrabel at the 3-4 outside linebacker posistion since the 2003-2004 Super Bowl era, hence the move to 4-3 defensive alignment this season.

Jermaine Cunningham has not adequately developed this season as an outside linebacker and Tully Banta-Cain was a one trick pony the two prior seasons.

The talent drain at the safety position has been inexplicable with Patrick Chung the only present and future starter. James Sanders is a better safety than the rest of the clowns (Sergio Brown, James Ihedigbo) on the New England Patriots roster.

Even more remarkable has been the talent drain at the cornerback position with only two legitimate starters on the roster, Arrington and McCourty (who this season has morphed into Darius Butler).

The New England Patriots defense has become progressively worse since the 2009 NFL Season and a major influx of collegiate talent is warranted in 2012.

 

[DaBruinz]

Rob Ninkovich will never be as good as clay matthews but that has notting to do with the reason the pats lost today they lost because players like Antwaun Molden James Ihedigbo Sergio Brown Josh Barrett and Phillip Adams guys who should not be on a NFL roster are playing a major roll for the pats at DB

Philip Adams played pretty well from what I saw.. I agree about Molden, Ihedigbo, Barrett (who was out) and Brown.

 

[Deus Irae]

HUH???

Just the facts ma'm .............

Tallying up sacks/hits/pressures/etc... of pass rushers gives the raw numbers, but it doesn't tell the story. Jared Allen faces defenses that scheme to stop him, as does a guy like Matthews. Nobody really gives a rat's ass about Ninkovich as a pass rushing threat.

It makes some sense to compare a Jared Allen to a Clay Matthews or a Tamba Hali, but that's because they are players who are known in advance. It doesn't make sense to compare Ninkovich to any of those players. That's not as bad as claiming something like "That CB who blitzed 3 times and got a sack and a pressure was more efficient than Tamba Hali", but it's in the same vein.

 

[Patriot Missile]

The New England Patriots defense has become progressively worse since the 2009 NFL Season and a major influx of collegiate talent is warranted in 2012.

We'll draft a TE and a fullback in the first round just for you.

 

[Deus Irae]

Feel free to argue about the relevance, but efficiency is what it is and what I said it is, regardless of other factors.

But efficiency is NOT what it is, and that's the point. You obsess about things that are misleading, rather than grasping the underlying reality.

It's how you came up with the genius notion of moving Welker.

 

[Sciz]

Ninkovich is not an elite pass rusher nor an elite coverage linebacker whatsover. Ninkovich is part of the problem not part of the solution.

Of course he's not. He's also not a liability in any one facet of the game. Name any LB who is an elite pass rusher, elite in coverage, or an elite run-stopper. You just either named a Pro Bowler who is getting paid 5 times what Ninkovich is and would cost a first round pick to trade for, or created a liability in another facet of the game that Ninkovich doesn't have.

 

[DaBruinz]

Ninkovich is not an elite pass rusher nor an elite coverage linebacker whatsover. Ninkovich is part of the problem not part of the solution.

No, he's only. Only the uneducated claim that teams don't need players like Ninkovich..

The New England Patriots have failed to adequately replace McGinest and Vrabel at the 3-4 outside linebacker posistion since the 2003-2004 Super Bowl era, hence the move to 4-3 defensive alignment this season.

It's extremely hard to replace a Willie McGinest when he's top of round 1 talent and you are perpetually drafting in the lower 3rd of the draft.

Jermaine Cunningham has not adequately developed this season as an outside linebacker and Tully Banta-Cain was a one trick pony the two prior seasons.

Players develop at different rates. Something you seem to have a hard time with. You seem to be like many of the others who expect draft picks to be Good to ELITE right off the bat, regardless of whether or not they are learning new things.

The talent drain at the safety position has been inexplicable with Patrick Chung the only present and future starter. James Sanders is a better safety than the rest of the clowns (Sergio Brown, James Ihedigbo) on the New England Patriots roster.

I have to agree with you there.

Even more remarkable has been the talent drain at the cornerback position with only two legitimate starters on the roster, Arrington and McCourty (who this season has morphed into Darius Butler).

The New England Patriots defense has become progressively worse since the 2009 NFL Season and a major influx of collegiate talent is warranted in 2012.

This idea that the Pats have become progressively worse since 2009 after they put up a 14-2 record last year just isn't supported.

The idea that McCourty has morphed into Darius Butler is just dumb. It's called a sophmore slump. Something that happens from time to time. You'd know that if you'd watched any sort of football other than Madden..

BTW, the Pats have added a huge influx of college talent since 2009. Did you ever stop to think that is part of the problem? That they have too many youngsters on the team who are still learning the defense and such?

 

[ATippett56]

We'll draft a TE and a fullback in the first round just for you.

Turning back the clock to the 2006 NFL Draft, Lawrence Maroney and Chad Jackson coming to the aid of an aging New England Patriots defense in 2006?

 

[KoolAid]

I am still clinging to hope that this defense will gel, but I need to see something. This game did not look like a step forward, are they playing it too safe? Is it talent? scheme? Cohesion? They shouldn't look this bad and every pass looks uncontested no matter the opponent. I knew that the shift to 4-3 would have a learning curve, but damn! 2 weeks to prepare and they fell flat as a pancake. Very, very frustrating to watch, but I am not climbing on the ledge, they are 5-2 with more than half the season to go. They are going to need to out scheme and out work every team from here on out. I see a bounce going into next week after a pretty brutal beating even if the score said otherwise.

 

[Sciz]

I am still clinging to hope that this defense will gel, but I need to see something. This game did not look like a step forward, are they playing it too safe? Is it talent? scheme? Cohesion? They shouldn't look this bad and every pass looks uncontested no matter the opponent. I knew that the shift to 4-3 would have a learning curve, but damn! 2 weeks to prepare and they fell flat as a pancake. Very, very frustrating to watch, but I am not climbing on the ledge, they are 5-2 with more than half the season to go. They are going to need to out scheme and out work every team from here on out. I see a bounce going into next week after a pretty brutal beating even if the score said otherwise.

Read my post on page 2. All the preparation in the world means nothing when you're preparing for 40 yard bombs and get 10 yard slants. That's exactly what happened.

 

[ATippett56]

Of course he's not. He's also not a liability in any one facet of the game. Name any LB who is an elite pass rusher, elite in coverage, or an elite run-stopper. You just either named a Pro Bowler who is getting paid 5 times what Ninkovich is and would cost a first round pick to trade for, or created a liability in another facet of the game that Ninkovich doesn't have.

If you want to maintain the status quo, a lousy defense, keep Rob Ninkovich. I, on the other hand, want the New England Patriots defense improve since the decline from the 2009 NFL Season. Just like Gerard Warren and Sean Ellis, Rob Ninkovich is on the roster to keep the patient on life support.

 

[KoolAid]

Read my post on page 2. All the preparation in the world means nothing when you're preparing for 40 yard bombs and get 10 yard slants. That's exactly what happened.

I personally think all these sissy "no pads practice" rules are afffecting this teams fundamentals also. Way too many bad angles and missed tackles. But I agree with you on the preparation point. I would have liked to have seen more of an adjustment though, because it was clear early in the game that they were implemeting a different offensive approach in this one.

 

[thechris]

This defense needs to create more turnovers or else we'll be seeing teams dominate us week in and week out. Thankfully we have Brady and that means we have a chance to win every game.

 

[SyN65]

As much as I love Belichick I have to admit that he is the single biggest problem with this team right now. I just don't get it. His ego is out of control.

He isn't the defensive/drafting genius everyone thinks he is and hasn't been for years.

Yes we've found some guys like Hernandez/Gronk but when you look at the amount of high draft picks wasted on defensive talent it's mind boggling that BB seems to get a free pass on all of the teams problems just because he's Belichick.

I guess I just don't get it. I'm sick of the secrecy. I want BB to come out and say he ****ed up the last couple years. He's sorry for the ****ty drafts (at least defensively speaking) - to at least make an attempt to fix this team. I don't get it. This team has had no pass rush for YEARS and BB YEAR AFTER YEAR seems to ignore this OBVIOUS problem. WHY?

WHY would you cut Bodden - knowing Ras-I was going to IR - to promote a special teamer to #3 CB. THIS MAKES NO SENSE. It pretty much played out exactly like we thought it would. I want answers. WHY do we have no DC, this teams defense has been AWFUL for years and it's actually getting WORSE.

I like BB and at the end of the day I'm glad he's the coach of the Pats but he needs to step back admit he needs help.

 

[Sciz]

If you want to maintain the status quo, a lousy defense, keep Rob Ninkovich. I, on the other hand, want the New England Patriots defense improve since the decline from the 2009 NFL Season. Just like Gerard Warren and Sean Ellis, Rob Ninkovich is on the roster to keep the patient on life support.

Okay. You worry about fixing something that's no broken. I'll worry about the 6 or so positions I'm more worried about on the team (4 on defense) that I'm more worried about for next year.