The Official Patriots/Bills Postgame Thread

[captain stone]

1) We arguably have the worst defense in the NFL.

5) The pass rush and secondary is progressively getting worse each year---there were 20 yd cushions on receivers, the pass rush was pathetic as well. I dont think Leigh Bodden would have helped matters much either. The culture needs to change with thie defense. Dean Pees is gone, but it still seems like he hasn't left. I'm just wondering if the defense is just going through the motions and thinking the offense is a security blanket who will come through all the time.

No argument here.

This "defense"(snicker) is in a very, very bad place right now.

As in historically bad.

As in worse than 2005 or 2002 bad.

At least those units still had a D-Line of $eymour & Jarvis Green, Bobby Hamilton & Anthony Pleasant (2002), and Wilfork & Warren (2005); LBs like Bruschi, Vrabel & Willie Mac, TJ & Phifer (2002), and TBC & Rosie (2005); and a D-Backfield of Law, O-t-i-s, Buckley, Milloy & Tebucky Jones (2002), and A$ante, Gay, Hobbs, Geno Wilson, Hank the Man Poteat & Artrell Hawkins (2005).

This unit has none of those players, exc. for Wilfork & a benched TBC. Nor does it have - aside from Wilfork - any players with some of the aforementioned's combination of experience, talent, toughness & savvy. What it has instead is a toxic combination of the following:
- Wilfork, an island of quality unto himself;
(But a DL of Wilfork, Brace & GWarren is the slowest, most unathletic DL - even for a 34 - in football.)
- Undertalented, try-hard JAGs (Wright, TBC, Ninko, Guyton, Sanders, Arrington) who should never, ever be starters on even a PO-quality defense, never mind a SB-quality defense;
- Youth with promise but without any experience (McCourty, Cunningham, Spikes), or with very little experience (Chung), or with no promise at all (Wilhite);
- Recent high draft picks but also completely unknown quantities (Wheatley, Crable);
- And perhaps worst of all, recent high draft picks (Meriweather, Mayo, Butler) who are allegedly the core of the defense going forward, but are instead the ones who consistently display the worst fundamentals, lack of production, and zero of the leadership qualities needed to be the long-term answers at their respective positions.

If Bill really wanted to make a statement to his D, he would've benched his defensive captain Mayo in addition to Stomper, Butler & TBC.

In conclusion, this is the worst combination of lack of talent, lack of experience, lack of leadership, and lack of tackling technique that I've seen from this team since the Bad Old Days of 1990-92. I do believe that the franchise record for points allowed in one 16-game season (446, almost 28 ppg) is about to be seriously threatened.

 

[SuperPatsFan]

These kids need to learn that while football is a game and it's fine to have fun playing it, playing at this level as pros isn't a game... Get off twitter and facebook, put the Madden games away, tell your pals you'll see them after the season and get in your playbook and watch film until your eyes cross and listen to your coaches, they know more than you've already forgotten.

Are you implying....
...most of the young players on this team don't have any pride?

Are you implying....
...most of the young players on this team are complacent now that they've made it to the NFL?

Are you implying....
...most of the young players on this team just don't want it bad enough?

 

[sbpatfan]

Are you implying....
...most of the young players on this team don't have any pride?

Are you implying....
...most of the young players on this team are complacent now that they've made it to the NFL?

Are you implying....
...most of the young players on this team just don't want it bad enough?

Actually, I think he saying our defense sucks because of twitter and facebook.

 

[TheComeback]

The problems that the secondary is having is being created by the inability to apply pressure on the quarterback, whether by the fact that it is a weak line and lb's or by weak defense strategy and schemes. Probably a little of both, but for whatever reason, and I am far from being an expert, the defensive signals being sent in are far too soft....

That's why we create star quarterbacks on opposing teams

Fitzpatrick had to move around the pocket all day long. Our pressure is getting better, but the coverage has gotten worse without Bodden. It's also Chung's first year as a starter and Meriweather looks like he's regressed.

 

[51Hits]

The OLB is murdering this team. No, TBC is not a good starter and this is what happens when you have a backup as your best olb. TBC goes too invisible to even be called a "reall good player". He does not constantly rush the passer or set the edge. Nikovich, this guy is terrible. He's our Monty Biesel at OLB. Slow, soft, garbage. This defense cannot take a step forward with this piece killing us the way it has. TBC needs to be replaced too but the problem is unless we find a miracle in Crable, we're not going to be able to upgrade over TBC until next season I pray Cunningham replaces Nikovich, hell even next week. I don't care how wet behind the ears Cunningham is, at least we're seeing he can set the edge. That's one thing of many things Nikovich can't do.

I hope maybe we can move Mankins for a guy to help us now, because this offense has too much potential to be wasted. As for the corners giving up so many yards...I think that's a combination of the scheme and guys not knowing exactly what theyre doing. Those guys were TOO off. Than that play where Merriweather took a horrible pursuit angle and gave up an additional 20 yards or so after the catch. That was a painful play by one of our vets, we can't have that **** when we have so many young guys all over the field.

The young guys need to grow indeed. Problem is, the young guys who needed to grow before...Where are they? Butler sucks this year, Wheatley's a walking hospital visit, Wilhite sucks. LB? Crable we were just happy to see get on the field, Mayo is still not making plays (wow, 1 sack. the dude is a ghost out there) TBC is showing why he shouldn't start, and the safety play is worse than its ever been.

WTF happened to Merriweather? He's not starting, and he's pretty ineffective when he's in there. An INT doesn't make up for that kind of game yesterday. Chung looks like a tank in coverage, and not in a good way. He stops the run, but he gets burnt all day or he's out of place. The defense is playing bad on every level now, and it's hard to say or even see how good the rooks will get when the young guys before then still aren't making plays.

We're talking 3 and 4 year players. Some of our defense "elders" need to step up and stop being doormats on the field.

 

[Deus Irae]

The OLB is murdering this team....

There are a whole lot of things that are "murdering" this team.

 

[captain stone]

Are you implying....
...most of the young players on this team don't have any pride?

Are you implying....
...most of the young players on this team are complacent now that they've made it to the NFL?

Are you implying....
...most of the young players on this team just don't want it bad enough?

If Mo's not, then I will.

 

[captain stone]

The OLB is murdering this team. No, TBC is not a good starter and this is what happens when you have a backup as your best olb. TBC goes too invisible to even be called a "reall good player". He does not constantly rush the passer or set the edge. Nikovich, this guy is terrible. He's our Monty Biesel at OLB. Slow, soft, garbage. This defense cannot take a step forward with this piece killing us the way it has. TBC needs to be replaced too but the problem is unless we find a miracle in Crable, we're not going to be able to upgrade over TBC until next season I pray Cunningham replaces Nikovich, hell even next week. I don't care how wet behind the ears Cunningham is, at least we're seeing he can set the edge. That's one thing of many things Nikovich can't do.

I hope maybe we can move Mankins for a guy to help us now, because this offense has too much potential to be wasted. As for the corners giving up so many yards...I think that's a combination of the scheme and guys not knowing exactly what theyre doing. Those guys were TOO off. Than that play where Merriweather took a horrible pursuit angle and gave up an additional 20 yards or so after the catch. That was a painful play by one of our vets, we can't have that **** when we have so many young guys all over the field.

The young guys need to grow indeed. Problem is, the young guys who needed to grow before...Where are they? Butler sucks this year, Wheatley's a walking hospital visit, Wilhite sucks. LB? Crable we were just happy to see get on the field, Mayo is still not making plays (wow, 1 sack. the dude is a ghost out there) TBC is showing why he shouldn't start, and the safety play is worse than its ever been.

WTF happened to Merriweather? He's not starting, and he's pretty ineffective when he's in there. An INT doesn't make up for that kind of game yesterday. Chung looks like a tank in coverage, and not in a good way. He stops the run, but he gets burnt all day or he's out of place. The defense is playing bad on every level now, and it's hard to say or even see how good the rooks will get when the young guys before then still aren't making plays.

We're talking 3 and 4 year players. Some of our defense "elders" need to step up and stop being doormats on the field.

Can't say I disagree with anything here.

And to think that our DL, absent Ty Warren, is the "strength" of the defense.