This has to be something to keep an eye on. Without going overboard, our defense doesnt only look horrible at times...has a bit of the chicken with their heads cut off feel. 5 games...not going crazy yet...but I want to see improvement THIS WEEK. When your building a new defense..and you are in to week 6, going against an opponent who has struggled mightly on offense, this is a week you need to look at least "good". There is too much average talent on this defense not to be playing at least...average.
I am sure there is something to this, but I think everyone expected that there would be some "age issues". I will point out that this is Boston paper and the article does some gems like this one... Last season, it was Pees who suggested veteran corner Artrell Hawkins get a look at safety, and the resulting move helped save the Pats’ season. Now Hawkins might be the second-best safety on the team.
:rofl2: You know whats amazing...I actually thought of that little bugger as I was typing my response. "Am I feeding into the lion?" Hey...the difference is that we, for the most part, call them like we see them...even if that means admitting we may have been wrong. Raj just disappears..especially after a Jet win. Like I mentioned above....Im not going down that "Mangini isnt the right guy" road..not even close. Im just interested in beginning to see some growth right about now on that side of the ball...and it should start this week. NO...not a shutout. A decent amount of 3 and outs and a turnover or two and perhaps allowing the Jets to win even if we score under 21 points. Not asking much...yet!
More then 3 and outs, here's what I'm looking for: 1 - Don't let the other team score first. To be fair some turnovers by the offense have led to the first score but they certainly haven't stepped up either. I'm sick of being down a TD plus right off the bat. 2 - Make a stop in a situation where the offense "needs" to score. With a few fluke exceptions when teams have needed to score a TD they have marched down the field against this defense. They allowed Kerry Collins to go 66 yards down to the Jets 8 in 1:21 before he started firing incompletions. They let the Pats run 8 minutes off the clock and go down to the Jets 12 before blocking a FG. Losman fired a wet ball into the ground on 4th down. And these are the highlights.
Honestly, what do you expect any of these guys on the Pats to say about their D-Coordinator? "Geez, we wish we had Eric back. Pees doesn't know what he's doing?" File this one away in the "Slow News Day" file. Is Mangini the next coming of Lombardi or Rich Kotite? Who the heck knows. It's too early.
Thats very fair...totally agree. The Dolphins offensive line is there for the taking. This would be an excellent time for the defense to get pressure and sacks (especially as you noted..key drives). If the Dolphins come out..and run the ball successfully, not only will this become a very annoying game, you can officially put this season down as dead. This is the week where the defense needs to give the offense a break...a chance to establish some sort of a running game..and not by being down 10 or 14 points in the 1st/2nd quarter.
Totally agree. It would really be encouraging to see some elevated play from our D, which has been nearly non-existent this year.
Look at this years stats: Pats are average at best. Defense. Rank # 16. Their defense against the pass is actually worse than ours. Stat wise JETS are real close to the "vaunted" Eagle blitz happy defense. Yeah Pees is a defensive genious!
It has to start happening now. Nobody is looking for this defense to become a top 5 in the NFL. What we have seen for the entire season is a defense that just can not make a critical stop..period. I just dont believe, as other posters have noted, its because of a terrible roster. The only break I give this defense is at NT...while I agree its a huge one..its not enough to allow teams to march up and down the field as if they are competing against a small college. Plenty of excuses..some very valid (Peyton Manning is the best etc) There are no....zero...excuses for this upcoming game...none. If we will ever see real improvement..it better start this week or some that are beginning to question EM will have to be listened to instead of being thrown under Herms bus. I have been as guilty as anyone in blindly defending EM/MT with roster moves and play..that have lead to a defense that in my opinion, is out of excuses starting this week.
Well lets look at the facts, after the Pats won the AFC and were heading to the Super Bowl who did rodney Harrison publicly thank when on the field mike to the entire stadium and CBS..not Romeo..not Belichick...quote " I would like to thank Jesus and my coach Eric Mangini for helping me achieve my dream of playing in a Super bowl..Who openly jumped and hugged Eric Mangini in the Jacksonville play-off game after Asante's int to seal the game.aahh Bill Belichick..who was the highest paid coordinator in the history of the Pats because they didn't want to lose him two years ago to Miami or Cleveland who both wanted him BADLY..oh Eric Mangini. one guy was quoted in the article..I'm guessing that "D" loved Mangini and thats why only one freakin guy was named tedy because no one would say anything bad about Eric M.. Those are the facts as I remember them and see them!!
Without a monster NT we will never have what it takes to make this defense works. We also Hired Kimo and he is just to old now to really be a factor....that leaves one guy on the line that can make a difference, and even he doesn't live up to his talent. Our 3 lineman are probably the worse 3 dlineman group in the league. We simply shouldn't be playing the 3-4 this year....unless we are just trying to get experience while sacrificing defensive performance.
You wouldn't expect players to say how great the last guy was, especially when he's with a division rival. They always say how they're down with the current guy. Means nothing to me.
Add to that the blind hatred BB has for the Jets, and his outrage that Mangini went to them, and I think the chances that Patriots players would say anything good about EM under any circumstances drops down to just about zero. For all I know, it could be that the new coordinator for the Pats is far better than Mangini was, but this article provides no information about it one way or the other. It is also of absolutely no importance, since Mangini isn't defensive coordinator on the Jets, he's head coach.
