This was posted on a Patriots message board, quoting Ted Johnson:
A few notes from Ted Johnson today on Felger's show (ESPNBoston 890/1400 AM):
Said this Pats team is not as good as the 2002 team and that winning the division will be difficult with current problems on defense. Said the Patriots lockerroom is "splintered." "You’re starting to hear guys say things you never thought you’d hear them say [Starks, Poole, Beisel, etc.]. It says a lot, it's very revealing and so obviously it's just not the way things have been done here in the past … The psyche of a team is a fragile thing, it can teeter one way or the other. You have one good, solid performance on defense and you’re right back where you want to be … " Noted the losses are piling up and young players don't know how to handle it, not yet having that "Patriot mentality" ... Also there was the suggestion that Seymour is protecting himself against further injury and possibly could have returned to action before now. Some guys (Ty Warren) are getting pissed.
Noted that Cleveland under Crennel is fourth in overall defense and first in red zone defense with average personnel. "You can't underestimate seven guys [front seven] working in a synergestic effort, you can play good defense without marquee names, it’s confidence, it's emotional … "
Is the defense problem primarily coaching or primarily injuries? "All of it."
Is it possible Mangini is stretched too thin working as both coordinator and secondary coach? "The secondary is guys you need to keep reeled in. There is an attitude, an aloofness. Sometimes they're a bit lazy and rest on their laurels, their God-given talents. Like Ty Law would just go out there and ask, 'So, what are we in -- man or cover two?' He could do that and get away with it because he was so talented. The point is you need somebody to hold things together. Rodney kept Eugene and Asante focused and on target; those guys are in roles they are not accustomed to and maybe don’t want right now … And Eric can't do it all. Coaches lean on players to help units out but who do you lean on?"
On defending Miami: "I think the boys gotta be worried about how the Dolphins run the ball -- it's ball control, hammer you. And Miami is a hot humid difficult place to play … "
Noted that Miami turns the air conditioning up in the visiting lockerroom on game days. "That's OK, because we stack the snow up behind the bench against Miami when they come up here. You can't simulate what it feels like [Miami heat, by turning up temps in the practice bubble]." Also mentioned that sometimes on the road alarm clocks in hotel rooms go off at 3 a.m., 4 a.m. "That happened about a dozen times during my career."
On defense's problems with third down: "That is what Bill prides himself in …. When you've got a lot of third and twos and third and ones, it's tough. You cannot give up that kind of yardage on first down."
TJ pointed out that New England is the worst first-down defense in the league, allowing an average 6.8 yards on first downs. "It opens up the other team's playbook. It’s like, 'OK, what do you want to run now?'"
On Klecko's failed experiment at becoming a run-stopping linebacker: "It's such a hard position, inside is just a whole different world in there. What I did was unique, my skills were valued by that coach in that scheme (3-4). It's a technique and a skill I had all my life ... Colleges have lost track of teaching technique and the fundamentals of football … They don’t teach it in college anymore."
How the offense must approach Miami: "A key for the Patriots offense is do not have negative yards on first and second down. Miami is second in the league in creating negative plays."
Offense is better than in 2001 … "There is a lot of pressure on the offense, it is a very good offense – they might not have the numbers on the ground because the score dictates that … "
Injuries related to strength and conditioning coaches? "Mike Woicik is the best at what he does, he's been with teams that have won six Super Bowls. A lot of it is the onus falls on the player. I had to go get stretched, I had to go get massaged, it's all about being a pro, a lot of players underestimate how serious that can be. These are not 'training' kinds of injuries [torn ligaments, broken bones]. You can't cover everything. Something will cause you to pull a muscle you didn’t think would pull. Go watch a game at field level and hear and see the collisions. Then you'll understand [about injuries]."
Last edited by Tunescribe : 11-10-2005 at 06:33 PM.
A few notes from Ted Johnson today on Felger's show (ESPNBoston 890/1400 AM):
Said this Pats team is not as good as the 2002 team and that winning the division will be difficult with current problems on defense. Said the Patriots lockerroom is "splintered." "You’re starting to hear guys say things you never thought you’d hear them say [Starks, Poole, Beisel, etc.]. It says a lot, it's very revealing and so obviously it's just not the way things have been done here in the past … The psyche of a team is a fragile thing, it can teeter one way or the other. You have one good, solid performance on defense and you’re right back where you want to be … " Noted the losses are piling up and young players don't know how to handle it, not yet having that "Patriot mentality" ... Also there was the suggestion that Seymour is protecting himself against further injury and possibly could have returned to action before now. Some guys (Ty Warren) are getting pissed.
Noted that Cleveland under Crennel is fourth in overall defense and first in red zone defense with average personnel. "You can't underestimate seven guys [front seven] working in a synergestic effort, you can play good defense without marquee names, it’s confidence, it's emotional … "
Is the defense problem primarily coaching or primarily injuries? "All of it."
Is it possible Mangini is stretched too thin working as both coordinator and secondary coach? "The secondary is guys you need to keep reeled in. There is an attitude, an aloofness. Sometimes they're a bit lazy and rest on their laurels, their God-given talents. Like Ty Law would just go out there and ask, 'So, what are we in -- man or cover two?' He could do that and get away with it because he was so talented. The point is you need somebody to hold things together. Rodney kept Eugene and Asante focused and on target; those guys are in roles they are not accustomed to and maybe don’t want right now … And Eric can't do it all. Coaches lean on players to help units out but who do you lean on?"
On defending Miami: "I think the boys gotta be worried about how the Dolphins run the ball -- it's ball control, hammer you. And Miami is a hot humid difficult place to play … "
Noted that Miami turns the air conditioning up in the visiting lockerroom on game days. "That's OK, because we stack the snow up behind the bench against Miami when they come up here. You can't simulate what it feels like [Miami heat, by turning up temps in the practice bubble]." Also mentioned that sometimes on the road alarm clocks in hotel rooms go off at 3 a.m., 4 a.m. "That happened about a dozen times during my career."
On defense's problems with third down: "That is what Bill prides himself in …. When you've got a lot of third and twos and third and ones, it's tough. You cannot give up that kind of yardage on first down."
TJ pointed out that New England is the worst first-down defense in the league, allowing an average 6.8 yards on first downs. "It opens up the other team's playbook. It’s like, 'OK, what do you want to run now?'"
On Klecko's failed experiment at becoming a run-stopping linebacker: "It's such a hard position, inside is just a whole different world in there. What I did was unique, my skills were valued by that coach in that scheme (3-4). It's a technique and a skill I had all my life ... Colleges have lost track of teaching technique and the fundamentals of football … They don’t teach it in college anymore."
How the offense must approach Miami: "A key for the Patriots offense is do not have negative yards on first and second down. Miami is second in the league in creating negative plays."
Offense is better than in 2001 … "There is a lot of pressure on the offense, it is a very good offense – they might not have the numbers on the ground because the score dictates that … "
Injuries related to strength and conditioning coaches? "Mike Woicik is the best at what he does, he's been with teams that have won six Super Bowls. A lot of it is the onus falls on the player. I had to go get stretched, I had to go get massaged, it's all about being a pro, a lot of players underestimate how serious that can be. These are not 'training' kinds of injuries [torn ligaments, broken bones]. You can't cover everything. Something will cause you to pull a muscle you didn’t think would pull. Go watch a game at field level and hear and see the collisions. Then you'll understand [about injuries]."
Last edited by Tunescribe : 11-10-2005 at 06:33 PM.
