THIS IS WHAT BELICHICK IS DOING WITH THE SECONDARY

by tstorey1 on Dec 11, 2011 11:22 PM EST

In the "believe it or not" department we have the 2011 Pats secondary. Backups, castoffs and assorted wide receivers getting torched by well...castoffs back ups and assorted QB's we really hadn't heard of til midseason. Why this madness? Why not a secondary made up of well...guys who play secondary?

Screw it...let's go with coach's plan, we use guys who used to play different positions in our secondary...Now...how come our DB's play so soft? 2001...The greatest show on turf gets the living spit kicked out of them one receiver at a time. Remember when? So so sprints off the line and scrimmage and gets creamed by...Troy Brown...? I guess we have a pattern here.

Why don't the 2011 DB's hit their guys? Why don't they play them tight? Why don't they like...interrupt the pass routes by the opposing receivers so that they don't keep giving up effing completions!? I thought that was the object...right? Smack'em around a bit...once in a while? A chuck here or there?

I have the answer...if I'm right, it will all make sense eventually.

Belichick is playing off the opposing receivers INTENTIONALLY. It's all a set up for the play offs. He is in the process of generation 16 GAMES of film playing soft zones and other girly stuff just to F with Ravens, the Steelers and the Pack. You know? Possum. He's laying back and when the AFC championship game comes along Hedibo (do I need to know how to spell his name?..He's never gonna get cut?...ever? Your'e kidding me right? They have gone through 23 defensive backs since the lockout and Ahedibo is gonna make it? Right. ) and Moore and Sterling and the former QB who holds the record for most yards at Kent State who now plays what? DB that's what! The kid from Hofstra? That A10 powerhouse? Leads the league in pix? Thank God we got Underwood defending passes..even though he's never done it before. No bad DB habits to be found with this Underwood guy.Old defensive systems ain't cloggin up his mind now are they? Clean slate. fresh as an effing daisy.

No, it's all a trick. These DB's are gonna turn into a wrecking crew in the playoffs. Curtis painter is going to be home watching the Pats play the Pack in the Super bowl and he's gonna say this.."What?! Me and that other back up/cast off/loser guy I play with burnt these suckers during the regular season...what happened? They have turned into freakin' animals! That Hegibo guy just destroyed Jennings on that crossing rout! We ate him alive! It must be Belichick playin' possum agin."

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O.O

Oh my god a floor zombie! Oh wait, thats you
- Toby Turner

by New Century Silver on Dec 11, 2011 11:53 PM EST reply actions

It seems the Pats D has finally drivin u mad

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.
Edward Abbey

by TONYBOI08 on Dec 12, 2011 1:01 AM EST via mobile reply actions

Yes.

And yes a million times.

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by Richard Hill on Dec 12, 2011 2:40 AM EST reply actions

This must be the justification

for DMC playing 10 yards off his man in the endzone. Purposely trying to give up a touchdown. I love it.

by dudebro on Dec 12, 2011 8:16 AM EST reply actions

Maybe...

OR, the defensive coaches are just not that good, the secondary is incredibly, woefully beat up and McCourty is having an awful sophomore slump. I really don’t think Belichick is putting anything out there other than what gives them the best chance to win. He doesn’t play games like that. I would love for your theory to be true, but there’s nothing to support it. Belichick puts 100% into every game. Doing what you suggest would completely fly in the face of his “one game at a time” mantra. If they’re playing 10 yards off, it’s because he (or whoever is drawing up the schemes and calling the plays) actually thinks that IS the best way to play that particular opponent. There’s no way Belichick has been intentionally calling crappy defenses ALL SEASON LONG just to keep some scheme hidden for the playoffs. This theory is too far afield for even the most optimistic fans.

by nbradley07 on Dec 12, 2011 9:30 AM EST reply actions

This thought crossed my mind several weeks ago.

The evil genious/snake in the grass BB has been scheming and making his defense look terrible so other teams will take them lightly, and then unleash the master plan come playoffs.
The main flaw in this theory is the way the patriots have lost games(except Buffalo) this year and the past years playoff losses. Opposing D’s have shut down or limited the Pats offense. The deffense to my recollection has not given up 400+yd games in the post season. The offense on the other hand has been stiffled or failed to get into any kind of rythem in post season losses. So BB shows his cards with offense and calls poor defense to lull opponents to sleep?

GFY

by TFBismywingman on Dec 12, 2011 11:18 AM EST reply actions

This playing possum plan

(You know what I always was confused by? How it’s spelled “opossum” when talking about the animal, but “possum” when talking about feigning death. Hmm. Funny how things work.)
is a feasible explanation. But one can’t overlook the fact that there is a serious dearth of talent in the secondary with Chung out and McCourty slumping badly. Remember when the defense kept stopping teams on 4th and goal? Or held the Cowboys to 16 points, and completely shut out the GIants for the first half? That’s the D that I envision going forward. With these group of guys healthy, that’s near the ceiling. But with Spikes still hurt and Chung still out, plus the continuing injuries to Ihedigbo, the defense has been struggling of late.
But, one can look at your theory and say it has legitimacy, because didn’t Belichick do a similar thing with the Eagles in the Super Bowl? He played a 4-3 all game with Willie McGinest as a D-end/Elephant lb so McNabb couldn’t scramble? And that was after the Eagles studied 18 games of film of a 3-4 defense. The only difference would be he would be playing soft zone all year, and go to what, press coverage in the playoffs? Well, I guess it could work, but if the D shows up and starts blanking teams in the playoffs, they deserve the Best Actor Oscar collectively, because they sure convinced everybody that they were that bad throughout the regular season.
So, I agree to some extent with you. The theory can be legitimate, but one wonders how talented these players would be to 1. switch schemes for the playoffs. One bad game and there goes a good season. and 2. play man-to-man with top notch receivers. McCourty could do it, but he would need to go back to rookie form (9 times out of 10 that’s an oxymoron.) and the safeties/linebackers would have to really step up their game.
But here’s hoping that you’re right.

It matters not how strait the gate, nor charged with punishments the scroll:
I am the Master of my fate. I am the Captain of my soul.

by BigRussNovak on Dec 12, 2011 1:30 PM EST reply actions

Agreed

Same thing with Ochocinco, he intentionally sucking until his 200 yard playoff performance.

by Crizzle12 on Dec 13, 2011 2:07 AM EST reply actions

Thought about making a first post

But thought it might be better served as a comment on an already existing post.

Have been reading Pats Pulpit for the past few years. You guys have some awesome commentators who really know their stuff. That being said, not that it should, but the general gist that permeates the air this season. When ever I hear someone talk about the Patriots, is (and I bet you people can guess) that ATROCIOUS defense. In fact, I’ve heard it is the worst in the league.

A couple of things startle me with that mantra:

a.) The Patriots have been more or less winning (FULL OF TIGER BLOOD) since 94-95 (I start to get hazy “going back that far”), and have been a annual power house with an (at least) ok chance to win the Super Bowl. In fact, they’re winning this season last time I checked. Tebus and his 12th man, the high inducing lack of oxygen, and a decent enough Broncos defense could prove me wrong this Sunday.

b.) That #1, nose bleeding, can’t stop a slug in a salt factory defense allow 21.1 points per game (which is better than the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers). They’re 13th against the run (allowing 107.3, which is right behind that same team mentioned above). They’re tied for 2nd in interceptions (with the league leader: as mentioned above (even though he’s tied)). The team sacks leave a little to be desired, but have a 10 sack and 7 sack guy. Have an outstanding backer in Mayo, and one of the (if not the) premier nose tackle/interior d-linemen in the game in Wilfork.

c.) In Bill I’m going to trust (that 4th and 2 was a bad call by the ref, not BB). I also remember a certain run to the Super Bowl that had the Patriots destroy the best Defense in the League (the Steelers) by putting up 40+ points (is that right?), and then stopping the best Offense in the League: the almighty Manning (sorry Tebus) by holding him and the Colts to 3 points.

d.) Brady, Gronk, Welker, and the guy they picked up off the street who somehow has found a way to succeed (is that Richard Hill from Pats Pulpit running Ray Lewis over?)

e.) They’re playing (as stated above) Edelman (?), Slater (), and some guy they found in the dumpster behind Wal Mart (!?! He has amazing hands and diving ability).

So, can someone please explain how they have the worst defense in the league? Sure, no name QBs and cast off backups have lit them up, but not really any better than decent enough QBs. Lastly, the Pats are 10-3, Brady, Welker, and Gronk are all having outstanding years and besides the Steelers game the Patriots could be 12-1 at this point.

P.S. Is it all “the Sky is falling!” ?? They beat the J-E-T-S TWICE TWICE TWICE!

by DeutschVergnugen on Dec 14, 2011 7:12 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Slight clarification

Part of my argument is that we’re lucky as fans (except for the Lockout), but I am honestly confused at how some of those stats are available yet the Patriots are considered worst in the league (especially consider the guy they found dumpster diving).

by DeutschVergnugen on Dec 14, 2011 7:15 PM EST up reply actions

I'd like you to continue your trend into this game and stick some DT's in the secondary

and perhaps put your secondary as Defensive Tackles.

I would be happy with that!

Q: What will happen if Tom Brady can't make the delivery of his first child with Gisele Bundchen? A: Bill Belichick will tape it!

by Broncs55 on Dec 15, 2011 1:49 PM EST reply actions

You don't even know what you are asking for....

Vince Wilfork, our nose tackle, has 2 interceptions already. His local gravity draws the ball to him. If he hit a receiver off of the line the guy would wake up in March … and wonder what his name was.

Kyle Arrington, one of out CB’s, played DE last year. He was such a pain in the neck to Peyton Manning that Manning had to have neck surgery this year. I’m sure you’ve seen how that’s going for the Colts.

For the sake of your franchise, don’t ask for that.

The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
Some people can learn from the mistakes of others, while some people need to pee on the electric fence themselves.
Belichick is looking for a new name for his boat: VI Rings sounds pretty good.

by SlotMachinePlayer on Dec 15, 2011 7:03 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs