Your Average JoeWhat's Wrong With These New England Patriots? Here's Three Things
December 7th 2009 16:35
Well, they’re 7-5 now…Pretty average record for a team that has been among the elite in the NFL over the past 10 years huh? What seems to be the problem? Lets take a look…
#1) Tom Brady---It bothers me to have to write that man’s name as the number one problem right now, but it’s true. His inconsistency in connecting on the deep ball and propensity to throw HUGE interceptions at the wrong time in these football games has killed this team. Huge pick in the end zone again yesterday (although Moss dogged it once again and didn’t give it his all by either knocking the ball down or just tackling the DB). Huge pick in the end zone against the Colts as well. Part of it I’m sure has to do with missing a full year of football and to be honest, I’m not all that concerned about Brady. The fact of the matter is this though, this team needs Brady performing at his usual Hall of Fame level of play to be able to contend. We all knew what we were going to get when it came to the defense this year. Big time veterans were lost and New England was relying on young, unproven kids on defense to take some large steps forward in 2009. Too much expected too soon? Probably, however when you have all the significant parts back from a record setting offense in 2007, there was no denying which side of the bread this team buttered its toast on, and right now that is some shitty tasting toast. As Coach Dennis Green once said “THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE”. Sorry coach, I stole your line, but that is an accurate assessment of this Patriots defense and what was expected.
#2) Pass rush---I just finished saying that the Patriots defense is what we thought they were going to be, but this is the one area where I feel has been worse than we thought. Lack of a consistent pass rush is KILLING this team on defense. It is making the defensive backs look worse than they actually are because quarterbacks have all day to throw on this team. One hand feeds the other on defense in football and right now this pass rush is pathetic. Adalius Thomas has been a bust since being acquired from Baltimore and we all now see why Jarvis Green thrived as a backup. Because that’s what he is… a backup. Losing Richard Seymour of course hurts when talking about the pass rush of this team. I still stand by Coach Belichick on that one though. He went and got a number one pick from the Raiders for this guy, knowing that he could only re-sign either Seymour or Vince Wilfork after this season. He made the right choice in my opinion. In the short term though, it has hurt the defense.
#3)Propensity to ‘go for it’ on 4th Down---Belichick has always done this people. The only reason you are noticing it more now is because his offense isn’t converting for him when he does in fact go for it on 4th down. Now, at the same time, I know that this offense was a world beater back in ’07 when Brady was on top of his game and this offensive line was better than it is now. That being said, it isn’t the same anymore coach. Make the adjustment on your end and punt the football more until they earn the trust back, and when they’re in FG range, just kick the goddamn FG and settle for 3 points. It’s ok.
Chuck
~TCFB~
| 60 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by CMG
Comment by 5280
I watched most of the game and kept thinking the same things. The big question in my head was, "It has all the same offensive pieces as the last team to go to the SuperBowl. Why isn't it working the same way?"
Number one was Brady not being impeccably un-pick-able per his norm but something else came to mind. What is missing? What is different?
I think you know what I am thinking here. Now I don't know how much difference a coordinator makes. I think everyone out here assumes that Bill is making all the offensive calls. The organization is as tight lipped as a Trappist monk so we have no clue as to the gears and wheels, cogs and levers inside the Patriots' coaching mechanism.
It might be way oversimplified to think it is just one piece as opposed to an amalgamation of defense, special teams, etc.
BUT From a purely offensive inventory Josh is the one piece I don't see on the Patriot's sideline. I would be interested in how important you think an offensive coordinator is.
Peace Out
Comment by Chuck H
TCFB
Comment by Chuck H
TCFB
oh and while I'm at it, Randy Moss is a HUGE dog just like I've always thought, when things don't go his way. Doesn't fight through double coverage if he just can't flat 'outrun' it and is selfish. I'm not one of those, 'oh, he wears Patriots colors now so he's a saint' type of guys. DOG. Great talent and obvious Hall of Famer but DOG.
Comment by Matty Ice
-your valued subscriber
Matty Ice
...ooo and this kid is an engineer on tuesday brotha, they hand those degrees out now-a-days i guess haha
happy holidays
Comment by 5280
At the end of the game if you caught the face of Welker on the sidline, it looked like he was ready to chew a hole through somebody.
Moss was yucking it up with some other Pats player. I didn't catch who the other one was.
If I am a coach, I would prefer the former attitude to the latter.
But that's just me.
Welcome to tier two. The view from here isn't quite so rosy but if you lean out the window and look between the buildings, you can still see the sunrise over the ocean (or sunset over the mountains depending on your perspective. LOL)
Comment by Chuck H
TCFB