Are the Patriots going “all in” acquiring Aqib Talib?
On Thursday the Patriots acquired Aqib Talib and a 2013 seventh-round pick for a 2013 fourth-round pick, in a move directly aimed at improving their single biggest trouble spot.
A fourth round pick is fairly significant compensation for a player currently serving a suspension, and with a history of meatball moves.
But at this point in Tom Brady’s career, why not?
The secondary is clearly a weakness for this team and let’s be honest, the only missing ingredient from being a real Super Bowl favorite.
Talib might work out. He might not and walk at the end of the season leaving the Pats holding on to a seventh round draft pick that they gave up a fourth for. We can worry about that in February.
But let’s imagine a world in which he does work out. Most experts seem to think he’s the best defensive back on the Patriots roster the day he walks through the door. That might be a little bold, but there’s no question Talib has talent and size.
Read More
The Best of PatsPropaganda This Week
Patriots defense can’t get off the field on third-and-long
The Patriots defense has been destroyed by analysts for the better part of three years now for a myriad of specific reasons, and lately the big problem everyone wants to talk about is the back end of the defense.
There’s no question the Pats have struggled against the deep ball, however another area that they’ve had problems in is their defense in third-and-long situations. For our purposes here we’re defining “long” as 6 or more yards.
Here’s a look at some Patriots teams in the past, and how they’ve fared on 3rd down with 6 or more yards to go. These numbers signify the percent of time the Pats defense failed and gave up a first down:
- 2001 - 30.2%
- 2003 - 29.1%
- 2004 - 28.4%
- 2007 - 24.8%
- 2008 - 35.7%
- 2009 - 28.2%
- 2010 - 34.5%
- 2011 - 30.9%
- 2012 (thru 7 games) - 41.7%
As you can see so far in 2012 getting off the field on third and long has been a problem. And even when you look at the Pats in situations where it’s 3rd-and-7-plus yards they’re still at a 41.0%.
Let’s compare to a few other teams around the NFL this year for some more context:
- Ravens - 23.6%
- Saints - 27.9% (32nd in yards/game given up)
- Bills - 32.7% (32nd in yards allowed)
- Texans - 15.4% (what a match-up vs Pats O this will be)
- Jets - 41.1% (well that makes me feel slightly better)
- Dolphins - 22.0% (what?)
Ironically the Pats have had fewer 3rd-and-longs than any of the other teams mentioned above, which is clearly indicative of how many long balls they’re giving up. But even when they do get teams in a favorable 3rd down situation, where they can force a punt and get the ball back to the offense, they’re not delivering like they have in the past.
Of course for me this comes back to getting more pass rushers on the field in these situations, however at this time the Pats just don’t have the personnel to be able to replace Vince Wilfork with a more up-the-field type.
It seems that Wilfork has been left out there for protection against the run, but it’s not the run that’s been the problem. Just once has a third-and-long been converted via run this year and that was a scramble by Jake Locker. Otherwise no team has even attempted a run when it’s less than 10-yards to go.
Perhaps Myron Pryor is the answer, but who knows if/when he’ll be back and at what capacity. This should surely be an area the Pats need to address during the bye week.
Under-reaction to the Jets gift to the Patriots
“They are who we thought they were.”
That’s what I kept thinking as I watched Sunday’s ugly win unfold before me. It was almost cruelly the exact same set up we’ve been watching for what seems like years now.
Pats up by double digits. Pats slowly wilt, only to see it stolen away at the last possible moment. Unless they get a turnover, which they did.
Offensively I am encouraged. Slightly. Their performance with the game on the line cannot be swept under the rug. But otherwise it was generally gross, with a slew of drops and an inconsistent line that was missing two starters. They got the job done, barely, with it all on the line.
So it’s a positive to build off of, however small. Let’s give Mankins next week off too and come back blazing after the bye.
Defensively they’ve still got a ways to go. Obvs. It’s so frustrating to see a weakness exploited again and again, no matter the quarterback or receiver. By this point you’d have hoped for at least a bit of improvement. But no, it’s the same old story with the 2012 Pats, adding another 6 to their average 5.5 20+ plays per game.
They show flashes at times, but it’s never sustained. Stopping the run they’re fine. But when Mark Sanchez is completing 68% of his passes you know something with the pass defense is wrong.
The only thing Pats fans can hope for is that Gregory and Chung come back soon and remain healthy and starting together the rest of the year. If we have to endure another season of hodgepodge on the back end it’s going to be a long season that isn’t going to end pretty.
I believe the offense will start to hit their stride after the bye. They’re still searching for an identity. I don’t know what to expect from the defense. You’d like to think they’ll start to catch on, but at this point it looks like a long shot.
But hey, maybe this is one of those Giants-type seasons where we finish 9-7 but get uber-hot at the right moment?
The Best of PatsPropaganda This Week
5 Keys for Patriots vs. Jets
The Patriots are coming off one their most embarrassing losses in two-plus seasons, and who better than to help them refocus their efforts than the good old Jets? A solid win over a divisional rival could be just what New England needs to get on track. And once they do get on track they’re going to reel off a lot of wins and be very tough to beat. Just the kind of game the Hoodie ordered!
Our Five Keys to taking down Rexy’s crew after the jump…
Read More
Three plays that defined Kevin Faulk’s Patriots career
When a player like Kevin Faulk retires it’s hard to go through the stats and numbers to sum up what that player meant to the franchise. You can look through Faulk’s career numbers and maybe say his best seasons were:
- 2003 - 1,351 all purpose yards
- 2008 - 1,161 all purpose yards
But there’s so much that those numbers don’t cover. Faulk was the patriarch of the swiss army knife in the Belichick Pats offense. He could run, he could catch, he could return kicks and punts, and he could even throw a bit (2-for-4, 21 yards career, including one to Tom Brady). On that side of the ball he summed up everything the Patriots ask of their players like no one else.
If you want an accurate depiction of what Faulk meant to the Patriots I think the best way to do so is to look at three specific plays that really sum it up.
Read More
The Best of PatsPropaganda This Week
