'Aging' Linebackers a Liability?
Seau, Bruschi, Vrabel Define 2007 Patriots
What idiot(s) said the Patriots defense would suffer because of their "aging linebackers"? The Patriots are among the league's top five defense in total yards, passing yards and points allowed. And that's with Rosevelt Colvin (not one of the aging LBs) lost to injured reserve with a quarter of the season to go.
The top four tacklers on the team are Tedy Bruschi, Junior Seau, Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel -- the three "aging" linebackers!
Bruschi, age 34½, finishes the regular season with a team-leading 92 tackles, a team-leading 64 solo tackles, and 2 sacks.
Seau, age 39 in 3 weeks, finished with 74 tackles (4th on team), 58 solo (2nd), 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions (2nd), 4 passes defended.
Vrabel, age 32, finished with 77 tackles (3rd), 55 solo (4th), 11.5 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles. Vrabel is going to the Pro Bowl and should be considered for defensive player of the year.
(Thomas, a young'un at age 30, had 78 tackles, 57 solo.)
Don't forget Rodney Harrison, who is not a linebacker but who just turned 34 two weeks ago, who finished with 68 tackles (6th, James Sanders was 5th with 71), 54 solo (5th), 7 passes defended, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles and two sacks. And that's with missing the first four games of the season due to his own stupidity.
I think I figured it out. While I've been touting the Patriots defense all year, they have gone all but ignored by the mainstream and the haters. Of course, if the mainstream and haters were to acknowledge how good this defense really is, they'd have to talk about these guys that they vehemently alleged were "washed up" and were "New England's Achilles' heels" and all that other garbage. And they can't have that, can they?
Oh, how little some people know about football. Or anything.
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Fine Wine -- Some players "age"; some "get old." Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and Junior Seau just seem to improve. Photos courtesy: boston.com, SI.com |