PatsPropaganda

I know Patriots nation is somewhat divided on Spikes return but personally I never wanted him to leave in the first place. I get that he was a bit of a meatball off the field in his first stint, and the “four years a slave” tweet certainly didn’t endear him to anyone but I look at it like this:

Spikes might be better against the run than any other Patriots defender is at any one thing. He also brings a presence to the heart of the defense that few other players do.

I know his limitations and in an ideal world he’s not playing in sub packages, but he just so good on early downs I believe he’s worth a roster spot. Belichick has never shied away from specialization and despite not being the best in coverage, I don’t think he’s ever been a total liability. Let’s remember he had a big interception in the 2011 AFCCG vs. the Ravens (that Brady blew with an ill-advised deep pass interception).

Simply put, he’s a great tool for the toolbox and brings not only experience in the system but a meanness that ever defense craves. I’m excited to see how he fits into things now and it’s certainly beneficial to have him out there now with Mayo/Hightower not out there.

Mason is 6′1″, 300 pounds for those who didn’t know, but Belichick still called him the best run blocker in this draft class. It will certainly be a challenge for him as usually 6′2″ is about as small as interior OL go.

But the advantage that Belichick touched on was that Mason knew how to use leverage and height doesn’t have much to do with anything when you’re on the move and trying to get in front of someone.

It was mentioned that Mason was seen working as part of the wedge on kickoff returns and that’s a spot where he could really be deadly. He certainly seems to have the kind of playing temperament they look for, but whether or not he can hold up in pass protection against guys who are five-plus inches taller than him will be something to monitor.

I am not expecting that he comes in and plays on offense as a rookie.

You can only run on hate for so long, right? Various members of the ‘07 team admitted they were just out of gas at the end, having a horrible week of practice in Arizona leading up to SB42.

But specific to that game, it just came down to their defensive line beating our offensive line for just about the entire game. No matter how good you are, if you’re giving up consistent pressure early and often, it’s almost impossible to get your offense into gear. 

Of course on the final Pats drive we saw them click in and go right down the field. It was the same thing against the Colts in the game I posted earlier today. The ‘07 team had that ability to suddenly just go into unstoppable mode. It was just too little too late in 2007.

But as I always say, despite their flat game it still took a miracle to beat the 2007 Patriots and while they’re a footnote now, they’re still one of the greatest teams in NFL history. That’s why I really don’t mind the 16-0 banner because it’s still never been done before or again.