2017 Patriots Defense

[Ale Xander]

What I take away from that game plan, execution and outcome is that the Giants got it right and probably would have lost if they’d tried to go toe to toe with Bills, who were thought to be the superior team. So, limiting the Bills TOP was the way for the Giants to win. Poor Scott Norwood.

Giants had LT, Banks, Pepper, and Deossie start at LB. Pats had Elandon Roberts, a 39 yo recently retired player who had approximately 40 snaps on the year, and KVN start at LB.

Actually, that was for regular season. v. Bills, they were in a dime. 2-3-6, with DeOssie off.

 

[dcmissle]

Ultimately - while they played possibly worse than weeks 1-4, and one of the worst games of the last 17 years - it was a very different kind of bad from weeks 1-4. Weeks 1-4 were marked by guys running free and untouched for huge gains. Last night they put Philly in 3rd and 4th down nearly all game... and just couldn't get off the field.

I find that worse. There can be no bigger indictment of personnel and scheme, at least against this sort of offense in a copycat league.

 

[tims4wins]

I find that worse. There can be no bigger indictment of personnel and scheme, at least against this sort of offense in a copycat league.

Yeah I didn't say it was better. Just different. It seemed they were a hair away from stopping a lot of these... but they didn't.

 

[Captaincoop]

I want to blame Patricia and Bill for what looks in hindsight like a subpar gameplan. But really, I am looking back at this season in amazement that they went 13-3 and got to the Super Bowl with the guys they had at DL and LB.

The Pats have a lot of work to do to put a good defense on the field next year. They need to revamp the entire LB unit, they have to replace Butler in the secondary, and they have to find at least another useful DE and DT. Oh, and the safeties will be another year older...

 

[PaulinMyrBch]

My worry is we got gashed by the same type of offenses this year. Heavy on college RPO concepts, read options, play action, mobile QB's, etc. (Alex Smith, Cam Newton, Deshaun Watson, Bortles, Foles). The defense was fine against QB's who stay in the pocket. But the NFL QB's seem to be changing, so we have to solve that concept as well as add the personnel to be competitive. BB is normally ahead of the league when it comes to identifying and adapting to a changing NFL, but we seem to be behind on this one. Next years defensive personnel is going to be interesting.

 

[DJnVa]

Oh, I agree. I thought the game was generally well officiated and I appreciate the fact that the refs did not insert themselves into the game (there were like 9 PIs on the last hail mary). If it was truly that close...1 yard v. 2 yards, then sure...it seemed more than that, but I could definitely be wrong.

Long story short...Eagles earned this victory in the face of an epic performance by TB12.

There's a pic floating around in a thread...it was really close and I can see not making that call.

 

[Hoodie Sleeves]

My worry is we got gashed by the same type of offenses this year. Heavy on college RPO concepts, read options, play action, mobile QB's, etc. (Alex Smith, Cam Newton, Deshaun Watson, Bortles, Foles). The defense was fine against QB's who stay in the pocket. But the NFL QB's seem to be changing, so we have to solve that concept as well as add the personnel to be competitive. BB is normally ahead of the league when it comes to identifying and adapting to a changing NFL, but we seem to be behind on this one. Next years defensive personnel is going to be interesting.

I think that might be a good thing - you have a clear thing you need to fix. Much easier to resolve than "We just suck".


To my untrained eye, they have big issues with maintaining contain on mobile QBs. Mobile guys get outside, and then the shallow defender on that side has to make a decision between letting the QB just run for the first down, or leaving his guy.


That jibes with all the issues with the linebacking corps, and the lack of talent on the defensive line.

 

[BigSoxFan]

I think that might be a good thing - you have a clear thing you need to fix. Much easier to resolve than "We just suck".


To my untrained eye, they have big issues with maintaining contain on mobile QBs. Mobile guys get outside, and then the shallow defender on that side has to make a decision between letting the QB just run for the first down, or leaving his guy.


That jibes with all the issues with the linebacking corps, and the lack of talent on the defensive line.

This team needs a guy like 2012-2013 Jamie Collins. Team speed is just so poor and the good teams will exploit it.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

Derek Rivers, we turn our bleary eyes on thee.

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

Langi is a nice depth piece to have back too

 

[Super Nomario]

Langi is a nice depth piece to have back too

Are we talking about the same Langi who went undrafted, has one career tackle, and turns 26 shortly after the season starts?

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

Are we talking about the same Langi who went undrafted, has one career tackle, and turns 26 shortly after the season starts?

His two year mission makes him older but he was given one of the largest guaranteed contracts for an undrafted player. I assume the Pats view him as someone in there long term plans.

http://www.espn.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4802948/pats-guarantee-undrafted-harvey-langi-115k-better-than-late-round-picks

 

[AB in DC]

By the way, remember how the terrible Pats defense was actually pretty good in the red zone? I didn't realize it yesterday, but actually the red zone D was pretty good. The first three trips into the red zone:

Q1 (first drive):Forced a FG
Q2: Eagles needed a trick play on 4th down to score a TD -- in any other situation that's going to be a FG attempt
Q3/Q4: Huge eight-yard loss on third-and-three, forced a FG

Only the very last TD catch was a red zone failure.

 

[Super Nomario]

By the way, remember how the terrible Pats defense was actually pretty good in the red zone? I didn't realize it yesterday, but actually the red zone D was pretty good. The first three trips into the red zone:

Q1 (first drive):Forced a FG
Q2: Eagles needed a trick play on 4th down to score a TD -- in any other situation that's going to be a FG attempt
Q3/Q4: Huge eight-yard loss on third-and-three, forced a FG

Only the very last TD catch was a red zone failure.

Oh only the game-losing play?

Jesus some people have low standards. 2 TD in 4 trips vs an Eagles season average of 55%. And they allowed touchdowns of 21 and 22 yards, so we are on the slimmest of technicalities here.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I must say, I was really wrong about Gilmore after the first four games of the season. Whatever the issues they had in getting him put into a space where he could played effectively, they worked, because over the course of the remainder of the year he certainly showed why they thought so highly of him to give him that contract.

 

[AB in DC]

Oh only the game-losing play?

Jesus some people have low standards. 2 TD in 4 trips vs an Eagles season average of 55%. And they allowed touchdowns of 21 and 22 yards, so we are on the slimmest of technicalities here.

Well you can also add 3-for-3 2-for-2 in stopping Philly's two-point conversations. Which is extra impressive considering how bad the Pats were everywhere else on the field.

 

[AB in DC]

Patriots D against top offenses this year:


Gave up 42 points to the Chiefs
Gave up 20 points to the Saints (before the Saints knew what they had in Kamara, who had only one carry)
Gave up 33 points to the (Watson-led) Texans
Gave up what should have been 31 points to the Antonio-less Steelers (if Jesse James hadn't bobbled the catch)
Gave up 38 points to the Eagles (excluding the late FG after the turnover)

I really have to wonder how much of the supposed post-September improvement was really due to playing no top-tier offenses, besides Pittsburgh, during a fourteen-game stretch. (Atlanta and SD ended up being top-ten offenses, but they weren't playing that way when they faced the Pats)