Team Needs: CB, DE, WR. Their Super Bowl run proved once again that the Patriots are superbly coached by Bill Belichick and have a great QB in Tom Brady, which allowed them to overcome some personnel deficiencies. The team’s biggest problem area is the secondary, where the Patriots had to use wide receiver Julian Edelman late in the season. Their No. 31-ranked pass defense is somewhat misleading, as teams had to throw on the Pats once they fell behind. But the Patriots could not match up for 60 minutes with Eli Manning and his trio of wide receivers, so look for them to draft – or sign in free agency –corners and another pass rusher. The Pats need to re-sign or, more likely will franchise, free-agent-to-be WR Wes Welker and then add another impact wide receiver or two, while bidding farewell to Chad Ochocinco and perhaps Deion Branch. And the rich get richer – the Patriots have two first-round picks (No. 27, which they acquired from the Saints last year, and No. 31) with which to add talent.
The Patriots’ third straight loss to the Giants was simple to analyze: the Giants are better than the Patriots. Not by a lot and not if the two of them are playing a lot of other NFL teams, but in a facemask-to-facemask confrontation, what the Giants do best dovetails badly with what the Patriots do worst. The Giants beat them in the Super Bowl four years ago the same way they beat them last Sunday — and they beat them Sunday in much the same way they beat them in November: They beat them on the line of scrimmage and they beat them with their passing game.
Sour aftertaste to feast – BostonHerald.com
Hard to argue with what Borges lays out here, but let’s remember the system and the resources to keep that system working are all in place.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/the-patriots-third-straight-loss-to-the-giants/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In0rnkYNp2o
Rob Gronkowski: Career Highlights HD (2011-2012) (by ComplicatedVideosTV)
A little Gronk Highlight film to help get us through this first Sunday of the off-season.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
Patriots in good shape with draft preparation – The Boston Globe
Patriots in good shape with draft preparation – The Boston Globe
Some great nuggets from Bedard this morning…
The way Patriots defensive backs coach Josh Boyer was talking at the Super Bowl, it sure sounded as though Devin McCourty will go back to cornerback full-time once offseason practices start.
Boyer said McCourty was switched to part-time safety because of issues other than his struggles at cornerback.
“I think the reason we put him at safety is we felt that’s what would be what’s best for our group and with what we were doing schematically,’’ Boyer said.
“Devin’s still out there as a corner. We can play him as a corner or a safety. We asked him to play man coverage, we asked him to play zone coverage, and it’s like anything else – there’s been some good and there’s been some bad.
“There were some plays that he didn’t make for us, and there were some plays that he did make.
“I would think if you look at the guys that made plays on the ball in man coverage, Devin’s probably made more plays than anybody we’ve had.
“Now, he’s had more balls thrown at him than some of the others, and the times that he hasn’t made plays, he’s probably been pretty close. Maybe it’s just a technique thing or finish thing here on the ball, or maybe it’s a better press or jam at the line of scrimmage. Little things which he’s working hard to improve on, he really is.
“I would say if anything, it’s been a plus for us this season to see that he has position flexibility, that he can play safety or a corner for us.’’
Look for the Patriots to work hard on those minor technique issues, which were a problem throughout the season.
Receivers coach Chad O’Shea related some of the complexities with the offense that can make things difficult for a new receiver. “At times, there are four decisions that a receiver needs to make after the snap the way our offense is,’’ O’Shea said. “That’s one of the advantages of our offense, that we give players a lot of flexibility within the system to take what the defense gives us. And that’s definitely something that’s unique about our offense.’’ Recognizing blitzes is something receivers have to do as well. They often have to break off their route if a defense sends extra players. “It’s on everybody,’’ O’Shea said. “We always say we need to see everything through the same set of eyes. So receivers have responsibilities in blitz, we have responsibilities in our route conversions, and the most important thing is the quarterback and receiver have to be on the same page. That’s why it takes time.’’
https://www.patspropaganda.com/receivers-coach-chad-oshea-related-some-of-the/