PFF/Palazzolo: McCourty’s Sophomore Slump

Here’s an excellent article from Steve Palazzolo at Pro Football Focus breaking down Devin McCourty’s sophomore slump.  It’s an in-depth look at what McCourty did well last year and what he hasn’t done well this year.

The most interesting part is that after being asked to play more press coverage early in 2011 the Patriots tried to return to the coverages McCourty excelled at in 2010, yet his struggles continued. His problems with tackling, likely related somewhat to the lack of padded practices, have only compounded his problems.

McCourty has been universally praised by the media for being upfront and willing to talk throughout his tough start to his 2011 season. With his work ethic we expect him to return to form at some point, we just hope it’s this season. Mike Wallace should provide an excellent challenge for him this weekend.

After McCourty showed himself to be one of the bright young CBs in the league last season, he has clearly taken a step back. At first it seemed the change in scheme was to blame, but his tackling struggles are also alarming. Belichick is always re-shaping his defensive scheme and if he once again calls for press coverage, McCourty must show he is able to play physically and win the battle at the line. If the game plan calls for more conservative coverage, McCourty must get back to his 2010 form with sure tackling, while also taking away deep plays as he’s shown he can. With 10 games remaining, McCourty needs to show improvement quickly or the “sophomore slump” theory will turn to questions of which season actually showed us the real Devin McCourty.