Looking at NE depth chart....

[finfan54]

I have noticed some things here:

1. Mike Wright will be getting major PT at RDE for Jarvis Green who is out for the season. The thing here is that Wright is listed as a NT behind Wilfork.

2. No one is listed behind Warren at his DE spot and Ron Brace is another NT listed. You start to see a picture here of not alot of DE depth at all with Green out. We all kind of knew this but the toughest part of NE schedule has arrived.

3. Warren is a little banged up. I am sure he will still be ready to go but if the Dolphins are successful running the ball early, it could be a long day for that defense.

4. DB's have alot of depth. Problem is, tackling Ronnie and Ricky at the second level is not very much fun.

5. If one of the DL goes down with injury, then guys like Brace will be forced to play out of position on a consistant basis. You would basically have a bunch of NT types playing the entire DL.

I say run right at these guys hard the enire ball game. NE will look to score early and often but I think we have a gameplan for this one defensively. We drafted the way we did in order to knock the NE patsies off their high horse.

I know we have gameplanned for this one. You know there will be wrinkles. I think we will pass on first down alot and run run run.

 

[RustyGator]

The Pats seem to always somehow make up for their shortcomings. They know their depth issues as well as anyone else. They'll scheme around it somehow I'm sure.

 

[finfan54]

The Pats seem to always somehow make up for their shortcomings. They know their depth issues as well as anyone else. They'll scheme around it somehow I'm sure.

really?

Then why did they not make the playoffs last year?

Not saying your wrong, but perception is not reality in the grand picture of things.

NE has a tough 5 games coming. We will see how much their shortcomings are overcome.

 

[Pat-London]

Interesting info.. however if its all NT types.. id run to the outside... 3 x NT should be stout in the inside... however they wont have the speed a DE would have so working to the outside could be highly successful

 

[Mumbly_Joe]

With Mayo back I expect us to run more 3-4, I think that would alleviate some of the depth issues at DE

 

[BigJP]

really?

Then why did they not make the playoffs last year?

Not saying your wrong, but perception is not reality in the grand picture of things.

NE has a tough 5 games coming. We will see how much their shortcomings are overcome.

I don't care how much depth you have you cant replace TB, with him last year they do make the playoffs. They do seem to be able to fill their holes rather well.

 

[Longshot]

They went 11-5 with a backup QB that hadn't played serious ball in years. I'm not a Patriots fan, but credit where credit is due. That same dude Cassel on another team is down 70yds/gm, 9% accuracy and 16pts in passer rating.

We were singing this song last week with DT Jenkins out for the Jets and our running game got owned.

The Patriots are going to play us tough, it's going to be on us to be efficient on offense and not give up the big play on defense.

 

[TB12]

really?

Then why did they not make the playoffs last year?

Not saying your wrong, but perception is not reality in the grand picture of things.

NE has a tough 5 games coming. We will see how much their shortcomings are overcome.

I hate to make excuses but its waranted with last season.

League MVP was out as well as about 8 other starters who were on IR. And we still won 11 games. Filling holes after injuries has never been a major problem because we have guys ready to step in.

 

[finfan54]

well, I just watched the Jets/NE game on the DVR.

I noticed a few things here as well:

I noticed alot of 4 down linemen. That to me explains the depth chart. With or without Meyo I do not see that changing.

I am not so sure that Meyo is all that much better than Guyton. I think Meyo is a bit overrated cus he plays on the Pats. Not that he is not a good player, but that he is PB type player. So I see that as a wash.

I also see the strong possibility of being very successful in the Wildcat here. If our Oline comes to play like they did vs. the Jets, I see a much more powerful 2 TE set that wears down this bunch.

Without Jarvis Green, I also see a weakness. Green made alot of plays in that Jets game. Not so sure that Wright or Brace or anyone else can bring a pass rush like Green does either.

They also ran alot of 5 and 6 line fronts with the LB at LOS with the 4 DL. I just dont see these Cb's coming up and making plays like NO and Jets did. They are a different kind of skill set IMO.

Defense vs. Pats the Jets ran alot of 3 down linemen and alot of 2 down linemen with LB's and Cb's blitzing making Brady hurry his throws in 2 seconds almost every time. Moss was held in check because Revis played him tight the whole game. When he did get the ball, he was held to shorter gains.

of course, everyone and anyone on the Pats side would say Welker is back and that is why the O has been on fire. That may be so but Edelman is just as much a loss because he knows this offense and runs in it alot better than Galloway could and he was useless which is why he is gone.

Why does this matter?

Because if you dont give Moss anything deep, and you shut down that bubble screen **** to welker and just rush 3 down line and throw some occasional blitzes at Brady from outside with say Wilson, then we can get Brady out of his comfort zone.

They run almost exclusively out of the shotgun and run the ball from here too. With Fred Taylor out, that leaves Maroney and Benjarvis Green who I think they will throw in there as the guy who surprised us like they did with Heath Evans a couple years ago. Not afraid of their run game and they lost some key guys here. I'm sorry, Maroney just does not scare me. The only real threat here is Moss and Welker with the TE's. If you see 84 connecting over the middle, then we may have problems, but I am sorry, we know this team well and we have beaten these guys more consistantly than anyone else over the Brady regime.

I think we can control the ball against these guys cus I dont think they have the complete personnell to stop the Wildcat for an entire game and would wear down quickly if we are successful. I also see Henne landing some nice throws over the middle vs. this defense. They leave wide open spaces alot for the sake of pressure.

If we are leading going into the 4th quarter and WC is successful, Brady will have been sitting on the sideline for too long and he gets worried and pissed off. This is when he gets flustered and screws up.

I say dont blitz often and if you do, only rush 4 or 5 guys but have alot of DB's in the game. The Jets played them very well and I think we can too.

 

[TB12]

well, I just watched the Jets/NE game on the DVR.

I noticed a few things here as well:

I noticed alot of 4 down linemen. That to me explains the depth chart. With or without Meyo I do not see that changing.

I am not so sure that Meyo is all that much better than Guyton. I think Meyo is a bit overrated cus he plays on the Pats. Not that he is not a good player, but that he is PB type player. So I see that as a wash.

I also see the strong possibility of being very successful in the Wildcat here. If our Oline comes to play like they did vs. the Jets, I see a much more powerful 2 TE set that wears down this bunch.

Without Jarvis Green, I also see a weakness. Green made alot of plays in that Jets game. Not so sure that Wright or Brace or anyone else can bring a pass rush like Green does either.

They also ran alot of 5 and 6 line fronts with the LB at LOS with the 4 DL. I just dont see these Cb's coming up and making plays like NO and Jets did. They are a different kind of skill set IMO.

Defense vs. Pats the Jets ran alot of 3 down linemen and alot of 2 down linemen with LB's and Cb's blitzing making Brady hurry his throws in 2 seconds almost every time. Moss was held in check because Revis played him tight the whole game. When he did get the ball, he was held to shorter gains.

of course, everyone and anyone on the Pats side would say Welker is back and that is why the O has been on fire. That may be so but Edelman is just as much a loss because he knows this offense and runs in it alot better than Galloway could and he was useless which is why he is gone.

Why does this matter?

Because if you dont give Moss anything deep, and you shut down that bubble screen **** to welker and just rush 3 down line and throw some occasional blitzes at Brady from outside with say Wilson, then we can get Brady out of his comfort zone.

They run almost exclusively out of the shotgun and run the ball from here too. With Fred Taylor out, that leaves Maroney and Benjarvis Green who I think they will throw in there as the guy who surprised us like they did with Heath Evans a couple years ago. Not afraid of their run game and they lost some key guys here. I'm sorry, Maroney just does not scare me. The only real threat here is Moss and Welker with the TE's. If you see 84 connecting over the middle, then we may have problems, but I am sorry, we know this team well and we have beaten these guys more consistantly than anyone else over the Brady regime.

I think we can control the ball against these guys cus I dont think they have the complete personnell to stop the Wildcat for an entire game and would wear down quickly if we are successful. I also see Henne landing some nice throws over the middle vs. this defense. They leave wide open spaces alot for the sake of pressure.

If we are leading going into the 4th quarter and WC is successful, Brady will have been sitting on the sideline for too long and he gets worried and pissed off. This is when he gets flustered and screws up.

I say dont blitz often and if you do, only rush 4 or 5 guys but have alot of DB's in the game. The Jets played them very well and I think we can too.

Mayo not Meyo won defensive ROY. He is not overrated in the least bit

 

[foley11]

If we are leading going into the 4th quarter and WC is successful, Brady will have been sitting on the sideline for too long and he gets worried and pissed off. This is when he gets flustered and screws up.

According to this article on Yahoo/nfl your statement is incorrect. IN fact they rate brady as the top clutch QB in the last 30 years for executing come from behind wins. Saying making Brady play from behind gets him flustered is pretty off base.

By Monte Burke, Forbes.com


We asked Kacsmar to come up with a list of the top 10 active quarterbacks with the best comeback percentages. We narrowed the list to veteran QBs, that is, ones with at least five seasons under their belts. Some fine young quarterbacks – like the Baltimore Ravens’ Joe Flacco(notes), the Atlanta Falcons’ Matt Ryan(notes) and the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers(notes) – don’t yet have a large enough sample size to draw from.
Topping the list is the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady(notes), who has converted 21 of 33 comeback opportunities (64 percent) in his 10 years in the NFL. Brady has led three fourth-quarter come-from-behind wins on the world’s greatest stage, the Super Bowl. He did it in 2002 (against the St. Louis Rams), in 2004 (against the Carolina Panthers) and in 2005 (against the Philadelphia Eagles).
Maybe Brady learned something when he was a kid: As a young boy, he was in the stands for one of the great comebacks in NFL history: the 1982 NFC Championship game in which Joe Montana hit Dwight Clark in the end zone, in a play known simply as “the Catch,” to lift the San Francisco 49ers over the Dallas Cowboys.
No. 2 is Ben Roethlisberger(notes) of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who has had 16 comebacks in 31 opportunities (52 percent). His greatest came in last year’s Super Bowl, which culminated in a perfect touchdown pass to a tiptoeing Santonio Holmes(notes).

 

[TB12]

More Brady worship. Yadda, yadda, yadda. It doesn't matter what you did in the past when you play in the present. A new game is played tomorrow. It's time for the Dolphin sto hand the Patriots a solid defeat.

GO DOLPHINS!!!

Patriots are a better team and will win.

 

[3rdandinches]

A.Thomas has done zip, Burgess has been a waste, Brace has done little to nothing.... this defense is not scary, it's actually pretty weak and if not for good defensive schemes and an excellent offense to take the pressure off the defense because teams become one dimensional against them they'd pretty much suck.

Our offense will dictate this game, if we come out flexing our muscles and beat the rock down their throats we will win. We keep Brady to the sideline and know that Indy was a fluke and that game plan will win a tough matchup.

 

[TB12]

A.Thomas has done zip, Burgess has been a waste, Brace has done little to nothing.... this defense is not scary, it's actually pretty weak and if not for good defensive schemes and an excellent offense to take the pressure off the defense because teams become one dimensional against them they'd pretty much suck.

Our offense will dictate this game, if we come out flexing our muscles and beat the rock down their throats we will win. We keep Brady to the sideline and know that Indy was a fluke and that game plan will win a tough matchup.

Thomas we don't need, Burgess is useless who cares?, Brace isnt a starter and his behind Wilfork. Way to go!

 

[Patriots-Lifer]

I have noticed some things here:

1. Mike Wright will be getting major PT at RDE for Jarvis Green who is out for the season. The thing here is that Wright is listed as a NT behind Wilfork.

2. No one is listed behind Warren at his DE spot and Ron Brace is another NT listed. You start to see a picture here of not alot of DE depth at all with Green out. We all kind of knew this but the toughest part of NE schedule has arrived.

3. Warren is a little banged up. I am sure he will still be ready to go but if the Dolphins are successful running the ball early, it could be a long day for that defense.

4. DB's have alot of depth. Problem is, tackling Ronnie and Ricky at the second level is not very much fun.

5. If one of the DL goes down with injury, then guys like Brace will be forced to play out of position on a consistant basis. You would basically have a bunch of NT types playing the entire DL.

I say run right at these guys hard the enire ball game. NE will look to score early and often but I think we have a gameplan for this one defensively. We drafted the way we did in order to knock the NE patsies off their high horse.

I know we have gameplanned for this one. You know there will be wrinkles. I think we will pass on first down alot and run run run.

OK now, Wright, and Pryor can play DT and DE and do on a regular basis.
Brace is a pure DT.
Then There is Derrick Burgess and Adailius Thomas who can both play DE/OLB.
Banta-Cain, Ninkovich, and Woods are all also OLBs so there is no depth problem there.
Mayo, Guyton, Seau, and Alexander are at ILB.
Guyton can match speed with any RB or TE in the NFL.
The Safeties McGowan, Meriweather, and Chung have no problem hitting RBs. Warren has had two weeks to let that ankle heal, he looked solid in practice this week.
Don't think for a moment that the Patriots have not added a few new thing of their own for this game.