Patriots
The New England Patriots play their first pre-season game tonight - and it's on TV. I've not yet made the NFL Sunday Ticket plunge, so I'm closely monitoring the team's appearances on a national stage.
One of the big stories in this camp is the supposed lack of depth at LB, especially with the pre-season ending injury to Tedy Bruschi. People are concerned, as they have a right to be. But I don't think it's going to be a problem.
Last year, with Bruschi out with a bruised brain and Ted Johnson deciding that his body was sufficiently mashed and twisted for a lifetime, they started the season with Monty Beisel and Chad Brown at ILB. And it was a disaster.
Brown was a career OLB who had started out in the 3-4 at Pittsburgh but had spent the past few years playing the 4-3 in Seattle. Beisel was a 4-3 MLB with Kansas City - not a defense renown for its ability to stop anything at any time. Plus, 4-3 MLB's are smaller, quicker guys who are protected by two big DT's. They are expected to run and cover.
3-4 ILB's stand behind one NT. They are expected to be able to take on OG's head-up and be physical all over the field. Beisel came in about 15 lighter than most ILB's. Neither player knew the system. And the NT in front of them, Vince Wilfork, had what he admitted to be a slow start to the year.
The defense righted itself mid-year, as Wilfork played better and Bruschi returned and was joined by Mike Vrable (who normally played OLB).
Now we're back to Beisel and some other guy in the middle.
Remember, though, that Beisel has a year in the system now, and was tabbed by Belichick to be a starter along with Bruschi. I think he'll hold up, especially if Wilfork can play well from the get-go.
Eight-year guy Barry Gardner will start next to him. Gardner has had a good camp, and is looking to expand on his special-teams duties. They've also got Corey Mays and Freddie Roach (can you picture Roach playing alongside Bruschi? Party!).
Okay, none of these guys (or the returning Chad Brown) is Dick Butkus. Or Ray Lewis. Or even Steve Nelson. But nobody was doing cartwheels when we signed Mike Vrable a few years ago, either. Vrable was considered a try-hard journeyman who the Steelers didn't want to pay.
And Bruschi wasn't a prospect for the Pro Bowl until Belichick got a hold of him in 2001. Bill's not the kind of coach to make the same mistake twice. I'm sure he learned his lesson last year, and has the guys to run his defense.
None of the roster LB's are under 240 lbs (except Don Davis who also plays safety). Nobody is walking out of camp. They will be physical and they won't get run over.
And for the speculation that they might switch to the 4-3 to take advantage of their wealth of talent at DL, don't bet on it. The 3-4 is hard to learn, and mixing in 4-3 plays will be particularly confusing the LB's, who have to play 180-degrees differently in each scheme.
As for tonight, be sure to watch the start of the game. Tom Brady and Mike Vick will play one series, if that. Most of the starters will run out on the field and run right off. The first preseason game is for the kids. It's the coaches' best evaluating tool for the first round of cuts. It's the game for the marginal guys to show something (which they usually do not).
So sit back with a cool one and enjoy. The only thing to really root for is that there are no injuries.
One of the big stories in this camp is the supposed lack of depth at LB, especially with the pre-season ending injury to Tedy Bruschi. People are concerned, as they have a right to be. But I don't think it's going to be a problem.
Last year, with Bruschi out with a bruised brain and Ted Johnson deciding that his body was sufficiently mashed and twisted for a lifetime, they started the season with Monty Beisel and Chad Brown at ILB. And it was a disaster.
Brown was a career OLB who had started out in the 3-4 at Pittsburgh but had spent the past few years playing the 4-3 in Seattle. Beisel was a 4-3 MLB with Kansas City - not a defense renown for its ability to stop anything at any time. Plus, 4-3 MLB's are smaller, quicker guys who are protected by two big DT's. They are expected to run and cover.
3-4 ILB's stand behind one NT. They are expected to be able to take on OG's head-up and be physical all over the field. Beisel came in about 15 lighter than most ILB's. Neither player knew the system. And the NT in front of them, Vince Wilfork, had what he admitted to be a slow start to the year.
The defense righted itself mid-year, as Wilfork played better and Bruschi returned and was joined by Mike Vrable (who normally played OLB).
Now we're back to Beisel and some other guy in the middle.
Remember, though, that Beisel has a year in the system now, and was tabbed by Belichick to be a starter along with Bruschi. I think he'll hold up, especially if Wilfork can play well from the get-go.
Eight-year guy Barry Gardner will start next to him. Gardner has had a good camp, and is looking to expand on his special-teams duties. They've also got Corey Mays and Freddie Roach (can you picture Roach playing alongside Bruschi? Party!).
Okay, none of these guys (or the returning Chad Brown) is Dick Butkus. Or Ray Lewis. Or even Steve Nelson. But nobody was doing cartwheels when we signed Mike Vrable a few years ago, either. Vrable was considered a try-hard journeyman who the Steelers didn't want to pay.
And Bruschi wasn't a prospect for the Pro Bowl until Belichick got a hold of him in 2001. Bill's not the kind of coach to make the same mistake twice. I'm sure he learned his lesson last year, and has the guys to run his defense.
None of the roster LB's are under 240 lbs (except Don Davis who also plays safety). Nobody is walking out of camp. They will be physical and they won't get run over.
And for the speculation that they might switch to the 4-3 to take advantage of their wealth of talent at DL, don't bet on it. The 3-4 is hard to learn, and mixing in 4-3 plays will be particularly confusing the LB's, who have to play 180-degrees differently in each scheme.
As for tonight, be sure to watch the start of the game. Tom Brady and Mike Vick will play one series, if that. Most of the starters will run out on the field and run right off. The first preseason game is for the kids. It's the coaches' best evaluating tool for the first round of cuts. It's the game for the marginal guys to show something (which they usually do not).
So sit back with a cool one and enjoy. The only thing to really root for is that there are no injuries.
posted by fiduciary at 8:58 AM
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