What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

The 2011 New England Patriots

Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

Rover said:
Losing to the Steelers in Pittsburgh isn't that bad in of itself. They're a good team with extra motivation to finally beat the Pats. The problem is this team has several fatal flaws that will stop any playoff run dead in its tracks. These are:

1) Any good defense knows how to slow down the Pats O. With no deep threat, you put your best corner on Welker, best safety on Gronkowski and then clog the zone between the line of scrimage and 20 yards downfield. There's no place for the WR's or TE's to operate and eventually Brady have to get rid of the ball. The teams who have the ability to do this are the Jets, Ravens, and Steelers....the very teams that will be there in the post season. Pats may still score 20-24 points against these teams, which might be good enough, except...

2) DB's are the worst in the league. Yes the team needs a pass rush, but I can't count how many times the corners were playing 18 yards off a receiver on 3rd and long. Any, and I mean any, decent QB-WR combo is going to run 15 yards downfield, turn on a dime and have a 1st down completion waiting for them. The team's DB's have no confidence that they can make a play one on one, and therefore are giving up way too much space. This will not get better as the season goes on.

The blame for all this is squarely on Belichick. He needs to bring in a top player, not a guy off the scrap heap, for both pass rushing and a corner position. Really, the only guy on that D any team needs to pay attention to is Wilfork. Maybe Andre Carter once in awhile on a rush. Everybody else, even some guys I had big expectations for, are useless. Haynesworth, Ellis, McCourty, Nikovich, Spikes, Guyton, Mayo. You name it, these players are doing nothing.

As far as the O goes, get rid of Ochocinco who's officially useless too. They might as well take a chance with Moss, if for no other reason than to draw coverage deep and free up the short to intermediate pass. Forget about this Price kid. If he was any good, they would have used him by now. I don't know of any other legitimate deep ball threats that are there for the taking at this point in the season, but the only way this team can win is to score 40 points a game. That's not going to happen vs good defenses if they can't stretch the field.
Click to expand...

How can you call out BB on this? He's not in charge of bringing people in, he simply coaches with what he has. I do agree with you on how useless #85 is. As far as the DB's go..I think Rothlisberger just hit Heath Miller over the middle again..disgusting
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

Gusforhobey said:
How can you call out BB on this? He's not in charge of bringing people in, he simply coaches with what he has. I do agree with you on how useless #85 is. As far as the DB's go..I think Rothlisberger just hit Heath Miller over the middle again..disgusting
Click to expand...

Disagreed 100%. Part of the Pats philosophy is that BB is the defacto GM. He is HUGELY involved in drafts and Free Agent signings and the like. Probably moreso than any other coach. I put the poor defense squarely on him. He has done nothing since his inherited players from the Jets/Parcells era left. The track record on the draft, both at DB and WR has been awful. The trade down philosophy is a joke. After 4 years of terrible defense, you'd think they would have gotten better...
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

Gusforhobey said:
How can you call out BB on this? He's not in charge of bringing people in, he simply coaches with what he has. I do agree with you on how useless #85 is. As far as the DB's go..I think Rothlisberger just hit Heath Miller over the middle again..disgusting
Click to expand...

Because I don't believe any transaction is made without Belichick's approval. The one exception I think would be when a troubled player is brought in and I'm sure Kraft needs to be convinced about that. Otherwise, the team seems to have learned their lesson from the Parcells-Grier debacle, where it was in fact the legendary coach who knew good players far, far better than the no name GM who has yet to obtain a similar position over a decade later.

So, my only speculation as to why he continues to short change the D is because he thinks he can scheme around it. In reality he's one of the best at that, but it can't replace talented players. He needs a solid corner and a pass rusher. As they've ditched millions in contracts this season with cuts (Sanders, Bodden, etc) I don't see why they can't bring in either.

@ walrus - I think the problem with Haynesworth is the team is think at DL and there's probably not a better replacement out there. There IS a better replacement for Ochocinco - a guy about the same age who's dying to play for the team and has been a far better receiver than Ochostinko over their entire careers. The Pats O will be severely restricted if they do not obtain a deep threat. Again, at this point I'm not sure why you don't make that move. This team as presently constituted will struggle mightily in the playoffs.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

Not good.
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is due in Boston Municipal Court today where he will be arraigned on charges of indecent assault and battery on a woman, according to Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office.

Boston police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said officers were called to the Storyville nightclub on Exeter Street in the Back Bay around 1:30 a.m. today to investigate reports of an assault.

After speaking with the female victim, Edelman was arrested on a single count of indecent assault and battery, Driscoll said. Edelman was taken into custody but later posted bail and was released by police.

Driscoll said out of respect for the confidentiality of the information the victim supplied to police, she would not provide specific details of the allegation against Edelman.

Edelman, 25, is a reserve wide receiver and a kick returner. He has been with the Patriots for three seasons.
Click to expand...
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

Rover, I saw this today and remembered that I wanted to quibble with you a bit on Taylor Price. For some reason I like what I've seen from him -- the problem is that I haven't seen much at all. Last year he fell way behind because, IIRC, Ohio U. is on the quarter system and he couldn't practice until the official last day of classes (or something like that). This year he looked good in the first PS game and then got hurt. Sounds like I'm making excuses for him, but the only time I recall seeing him Sunday he was running free from a Pittsburgh DB for a huge gain, and Brady underthrew him by five yards. So I have hope for him.

I'd be shocked to see 85 contribute at all, though. Haynesworth's contributions are Pro Bowl-caliber compared with Ochocinco's. What a mess that trade has been.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

UNH GH said:
Disagreed 100%. Part of the Pats philosophy is that BB is the defacto GM. He is HUGELY involved in drafts and Free Agent signings and the like. Probably moreso than any other coach. I put the poor defense squarely on him. He has done nothing since his inherited players from the Jets/Parcells era left. The track record on the draft, both at DB and WR has been awful. The trade down philosophy is a joke. After 4 years of terrible defense, you'd think they would have gotten better...
Click to expand...

All the talk about Brady and Super Bowl rings, should be squashed and all the talk should be about Rodney, Ashante, Tedi, Richard etc etc. The last few seasons prove that without a doubt to me. Brady can score 50 but the current D will let a good team score 60.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

Jason A said:
Rover, I saw this today and remembered that I wanted to quibble with you a bit on Taylor Price. For some reason I like what I've seen from him -- the problem is that I haven't seen much at all. Last year he fell way behind because, IIRC, Ohio U. is on the quarter system and he couldn't practice until the official last day of classes (or something like that). This year he looked good in the first PS game and then got hurt. Sounds like I'm making excuses for him, but the only time I recall seeing him Sunday he was running free from a Pittsburgh DB for a huge gain, and Brady underthrew him by five yards. So I have hope for him.

I'd be shocked to see 85 contribute at all, though. Haynesworth's contributions are Pro Bowl-caliber compared with Ochocinco's. What a mess that trade has been.
Click to expand...

I take a more pessimistic view. If these players were going to show something, they would have done so by now. Its like waiting for Bethel Johnson or Julian Edelman to emerge (hold the jokes on the later). I could accept injuries as an excuse in the first couple of weeks but we're now half way through the season. Welker didn't have these issues when he missed time, nor did Faulk last week. So for Haynesworth, Spikes, Ocho, etc etc I'm done with excuses. I'll cut Mayo some slack because he just got back, and a lot quicker than expected, but that's it. This team is ripe for a 3rd option at WR to emerge since they pass so much. They don't have the luxury of waiting a year for Price to figure it out. Play well or get lost. We've gone from a team where it would have been amusing to have Moss back to one that's desperately going to need him soon enough. With him back there the Revis' and Taylors of the world are 30 yards downfield, giving Welker and the TE's room to work against a good D.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

UNH GH said:
Disagreed 100%. Part of the Pats philosophy is that BB is the defacto GM. He is HUGELY involved in drafts and Free Agent signings and the like. Probably moreso than any other coach. I put the poor defense squarely on him. He has done nothing since his inherited players from the Jets/Parcells era left. The track record on the draft, both at DB and WR has been awful. The trade down philosophy is a joke. After 4 years of terrible defense, you'd think they would have gotten better...
Click to expand...

OK, the Pats get the ball back with the score 10-3 Giants. Nope, Edelman fumbles return. Are his days numbered now? Patriots are self destructing now. Giants threatening to go up by 2 TD's.

I agree on the draft, trading down has not worked, as it gives me the impression that they don't want to pay the players who are worth anything worth their salt.

Pats get a break, they pick the ball in the endzone.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

Brady does not look good at all right now. Ochocinco is a bust for the kind of money they signed him for. OK Welker makes a big completion in NY territory. 3rd quarter coming to an end with NE having the ball. Welker with another big gain catch deep in NY territory.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

Pats threatening to score with 1st and goal. Let's see if they can punch it in to tie it.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

Game is now tied after big turnaround by Giants with their turnover in the endzone. Kickoff coming up. Ball around 20 after return by Giants.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

Chad Johnson should be cut when Taylor Price gets healthy. He can't buy a catch with the Pats. Pats up by 3 with FG. About 7:00 left in game.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

A late TD pass to put the Giants up 4 points late in the 4th quarter....this seems familiar somehow...

Memo to Manningham: Don't wear sweatpants (or carry a gun)
 
Last edited:
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

Giants threatening to take lead on pass interference play on Pats. Giants on the 1, with 19 seconds. Manning has TD pass. NY leads game and Pats defense couldn't hold. 24-20 Giants. Only 15 seconds left.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

And the defense can't hold on yet again. Not surprising. This team just can't win if Brady isn't near perfect.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

UNH GH said:
And the defense can't hold on yet again. Not surprising. This team just can't win if Brady isn't near perfect.
Click to expand...

This is what happens when you cut half your defense for practice squad players. Stop giving the team a free pass on losses. This is not the same Pats team as years past.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

That pass interference gave NY the game basically. BB and Pats leadership in the draft show how bad the drafting has been on defense. The worst secondary in the league and basically no pass rush for the most part. Well, they're 5-3 and still a lot of games to go.
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

2 huge Pass Interference calls and its a gift for the Giants. Eli looks alot like Peyton. Eli is a stud
 
Re: The 2011 New England Patriots

i'm betting it is three straight losses come sunday night. trick will be if they can beat kc in two.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top