PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Archives for October 19, 2011

The future of Andre Carter and the Patriots

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Andre Carter has been arguably the Patriots best player on defense over the course of the first six games of the season but his arrival in New England was somewhat of a perfect storm.

Bill Belichick decided during the off-season that it would be easier to install their four man nickel front as the base defense instead of the complicated three man front due to the lockout-shortened prep time. Belichick had always been a fan of Carter’s but did not see a fit for him the 3-4 defense, so when they made the move to a four man front it opened the door for Carter to come to the Patriots.

Carter has been the proverbial straw stirring the drink for the Patriots revamped 2011 defense. His ability to play both the run and get a pass rush has enabled the Patriots to become far less specialized. Instead of whole sale substitutions between run and pass defense the Patriots can now leave most of their personnel in place regardless of down and distance.

Carter’s stat line (via Pro Football Focus) has been impressive: 3 sacks, 5 QB Hits, and 9 QB pressures tell the story of his pass rush and 15 stops show what he’s done on run defense.

But with Carter only on a one year deal, and a full off-season in 2012 awaiting with the chance to return to Belichick’s favored 3-4 defense just what is the future of Andre Carter in New England?

If he truly doesn’t fit as a outside linebacker in the 3-4 would the Pats consider remaining in a four man front in 2012 based on the production they’re getting from him?

From my perspective the answer is clear. Carter has brought everything that this defense has missed over the past few seasons, and the results, especially in the last two games have been evident. The return to the 3-4 defense would not only put Carter’s future with the Pats in question but also Albert Haynesworth’s, and those are two impact players the Patriots should value.

While the switch to the 4-3 might have been based on lack of preparation time, it has also been an effective way to get pressure when offenses throw on early downs. The Patriots no longer have any 3-4 outside linebackers that can attack the edge like Carter can.

From both a schematic and personnel standpoint it seems like a no brainer to re-sign Carter to an extension and continue to roll with the 4-3. Of course what seem like no-brainer’s to us the fans are far from as cut and dry for Bill Belichick. But clearly, whatever move the Pats make with Carter will be a signal where the Pats defense is headed schematically in 2012.

Belichick on post-game handshakes

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Belichick on post-game handshakes

allnfl:

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked about the post-game handshake during his weekly appearance on sports radio WEEI’s “Big Show” with Glenn Ordway and Michael Holley.

Ordway started by asking Belichick if the handshake can be difficult because emotions must be held back.

“There are a lot of different things going through your mind at the end of the game. That’s one of them,” Belichick responded.

Belichick was then asked if he felt it was an uncomfortable situation that coaches are placed, especially with all the people running on to the field to capture the moment.

“I don’t think so. You always want to go out there as the winning coach, that’s for sure,” Belichick said, before sharpening his knife a bit on the media’s attention of the handshake.

“But I think probably, like a lot of things in football, it’s become something a lot different than what it was really intended to be or what it really is. I think there was a time when you could go out there and actually exchange some words with your competitor after the game, like a lot of other players do. You have a relationship with a guy, or whatever, and after the game you go up and say something to him and talk for a couple seconds, then go into your locker room and that’s it. As a coach, you could easily go up and say something to the coach about the game. If you lost, you could congratulate him. Or if you won, to maybe talk about the way his team played, or whatever.

“Of course now, it’s so heavily scrutinized by the media that it’s an event bigger than the game itself, which is so absurd. Like a lot of things, it takes any personalization out of the game and makes it a public topic of discussion. I think it’s pretty ridiculous that the media focuses on it the way it does.

“I’d like to think that the reason that the people are there is to see the game and to see the competition. But they seem to want to talk about everything but the game. That’s not uncommon. That’s the media’s job, so that’s what they do. It certainly takes away from, as a coach, the things that you would say, so you find other times to do it outside of that. Maybe before the game, or a phone call to the coach after the game, that kind of thing.”

For the record all I want to talk about is the game.

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Slowly starting to turn our focus to the Steelers. I’m sure last year’s beatdown is still clearly in their mind. I can’t quite explain it but Tom Brady has shredded their defense like it never gets shredded the last two times he’s faced them (2007 & 2010). We’ll just leave off the Matt Cassel-led disaster of 2008.

I expect the Steelers to be fired up and ready to make a statement this time around. Because if you get stomped three times in a row on your homefield it equals domination. If it doesn’t already.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/slowly-starting-to-turn-our-focus-to-the-steelers/