PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

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Again, having had experience with 3-4 defense, a lot of those guys, the Willie McGinests, the Mike Vrabels, the Rosie [Roosevelt] Colvins, those guys, whether you want to call them outside linebackers, defensive ends, they essentially line up in the same spot and do a lot of the same things. There has to be like 80, 90 percent carryover between those positions. Now you have some coverage responsibilities that maybe a 3-4 linebacker has that some 4-3 ends don’t have although teams are dropping 4-3 ends off too so it kind of is the same. But I’d say more of it in 3-4 but the rest of it, playing at the end of the line, whether they’re up or down or in a 4-3 or 3-4, I think is a matter of semantics.

Bill Belichick Press Conference Transcript

https://www.patspropaganda.com/again-having-had-experience-with-3-4-defense-a/

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I think they need an enforcer at the safety position,” Harrison said on Tuesday’s edition of PFT Live. “The tight ends and wide receivers running across the middle, they’re not afraid of getting hit. They need someone like a [Bernard] Pollard to really make a statement, set the tone, and really make them fear coming across the middle. They don’t have that.

Rodney: Safety enforcer needed – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston

https://www.patspropaganda.com/i-think-they-need-an-enforcer-at-the-safety/

In their biggest game, the Patriots failed to measure up – Patriots – Boston.com

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In their biggest game, the Patriots failed to measure up – Patriots – Boston.com

This one is loaded with the unfortunate truth, too much interesting stuff to pull any nuggets but let’s just sum it up with this one:

The Patriots played their worst game of the season on offense and defense, weren’t exactly helped out by the coaches, still had multiple chances to be in the game at the end, and failed to take advantage.

Snaps: Spikes & the sub defense – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston

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Snaps: Spikes & the sub defense – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston

This is one of the most interesting things to monitor for next season. Pats were able to go lighter up front on the defensive line because of the physicality of their linebackers. Our biggest question in regards to this shift was could they still stop the run. Well, they had their best run stopping year in recent memory, but it was rather the short passes to the middle of the field that killed them.

The 4-3 base needs to be re-evaluated I think, and I’ll be doing so in my Friday B/R column.

Brandon Spikes mostly stayed on over Dont’a Hightower as the second sub linebacker alongside Jerod Mayo, and the Ravens attacked him with success with tight end Dennis Pitta. It’s one game, but this could raise questions this offseason if Spikes will continue to play in the sub going forward or if he’ll return to more of a base-defense only type of role.