PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Gary Guyton

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Same goes for Guyton, whom the Patriots made no effort to re-sign. After being a vital role player and spot starter his previous three seasons, the 2008 undrafted free agent disappeared in 2011. Guyton barely saw the field outside of injury/backup situations. Why? After the lockout, Guyton appeared to report in subpar shape. The quickness and athletic ability that made him the team’s best cover linebacker was gone. That was confirmed when the Dolphins signed him to a minimum one-year deal. They are in the process of getting Guyton’s conditioning and body composition back to previous levels. “The ability he showed on film in 2011 was not what it was prior, in ’09 and ’10,’’ the source said. “He’s aware of that.’’

NFL painted itself into box with bounties – Sports – The Boston Globe

And here I thought double gizzle just stunk every year…

https://www.patspropaganda.com/same-goes-for-guyton-whom-the-patriots-made-no/

PFF/Palazzolo: Re-Focused Patriots @ Steelers

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PFF/Palazzolo: Re-Focused Patriots @ Steelers

Good stuff as always from Palazzolo and here’s your Gary Guyton nugget…

LB Gary Guyton (-3.1 Pass Cov) saw 32 plays in coverage, and managed to give up first downs on all four completed passes in his area. He even benefitted from two Pittsburgh dropped passes. Many will point to his interception as a sign of good pass coverage, but it was a small sample as he showed up negative on 10 of 12 graded plays on the day.

Football Diner: Gary Guyton Interview

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Football Diner: Gary Guyton Interview

Good stuff with Gary. When used correctly (as a sub package, coverage/blitzing linebacker) he makes plays, but he just doesn’t have the downhill physical inside presence that Brandon Spikes has to stop the run.

Sometimes I feel like Guyton is the antithesis to the days of the “old and slow” Patriots defense. I wonder in 2011 if Dane Fletcher could push him for this role, but either way these are two undrafted guys who look like they will develop into solid players.

Do the Patriots have a championship defense?

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Tonight as I listened to Bob Neumeir suggest that the Patriots and their fans felt “blase” with this impressive run the team has put together, I realized that it wasn’t too long ago we had the worst pass defense in the NFL. At least according to the “pundits”.

So now, as the media anoints the Pats as the favorites to be playing in Dallas, we have to honestly ask ourselves if this defensive group has what it takes to win the big one.

If they continue to force turnovers like they have been them the answer is a resounding yes. But the fact is Shaun Hill, Mark Sanchez and Jay Cutler aren’t really elite NFL quarterbacks despite what you might’ve heard.

Peyton Manning is elite, and he came within a bad throw of putting just as many points on us as we put on them. Philip Rivers is elite, and he came within a missed Field Goal of taking the Pats to overtime.

I have no doubt that the Patriots run defense is up to the challenge of winning a Super Bowl. I’ve seen them shut down Adrian Peterson, and a number of strong running teams like the Ravens and the Steelers. 

But the teams that have effective passing attacks will give the Pats a run for their money. And with Aaron Rodgers likely out this weekend the Patriots will not face an elite passing attack until the playoffs.

In that case the Pats best chance for the Super Bowl will be to avoid Rivers and Manning at all costs. Luckily they’ll most likely have the home crowd and conditions on their side if facing either of them, but even then it’s probably going to be interesting.

That doesn’t even touch on the teams in the NFC the Pats could face. They could be even more scary, with Matt Ryan, Drew Brees and Michael Vick all possible opponents.

The legacy of this young defense will be written based not on how they beat the Bears on December 11th but how they perform when it’s do or die. To shut down an elite quarterback they will need to play on a level we still have yet to see.

Will they get there? They have three more games to work on it, and a prayer that Devin McCourty’s ribs are just bruised.

ProFootballFocus.com: Patriots ReFocused

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ProFootballFocus.com: Patriots ReFocused

Here are the stats from ProFootballFocus.com’s refocused segment this week. I used to love this site when it was free, now they just throw you these little bones. I like it, but not ‘willing to pay $60’ like it.

Check out Guyton’s coverage numbers. Evidence is building, could Dane Fletcher cut into Guyton’s playing time even more this week?

Patriots: Three performances of note

The Patriots were blessed by great pass protection from Sebastian Vollmer at left tackle last season and with Vollmer finding his feet at right tackle after the bye week (two pressures yielded in two games), the pressure will surely fall on Matt Light (-2.5) to improve after this performance. Light was terrorized by Antwan Barnes, playing in only his second game for the Chargers. Barnes was only in for 11 pass rushes but on those plays he was responsible for the sack and three pressures that Light surrendered. Light was left chasing Barnes on most of those plays, seemingly lacking the ability to contact Barnes early to neutralize the former Ravens and Eagles player.

Jerod Mayo has put a slow start in run defense to rest with three straight good games (+4.4 in run defense in that time frame) as he finally shows an ability and an intent to come downhill and take the game to the opposing run game. Mayo has registered 26 stops this season, one of the best numbers among LBs. Rookie Brandon Spikes brought this downhill physicality to the inside of the Patriots’ linebacker corps first, but Mayo now seems to be responding in kind.

For a nickel linebacker Gary Guyton (-4.4) was little short of atrocious in coverage in this game, found wanting both physically and in terms of awareness to cover the Chargers’ receiving threats between the numbers. Guyton allowed nine catches on the 11 passes into his coverage, yielding 97 yards and a touchdown on a tough day covering a multitude of receivers.

Rookie report

Aaron Hernandez (-1.7) was a contributor in the passing game again for New England (eight targets, five catches, 54 yards) but struggled as a run-blocker (-1.2). … Rob Gronkowski (-0.3) played 30 snaps to Hernandez’s 50 and struggled similarly in the run game (-1.2). … Brandon Deaderick (+0.1) made his second straight start and was much improved in his run defense this week (+0.5in comparison to -2.2 against Baltimore). … Jermaine Cunningham (+1.5) isn’t setting the world alight as a pass-rusher, but his consistency in run defense is refreshing (graded +0.4 or above in run D in every start). … Dane Fletcher (+0.1) saw more snaps than in his prior two games combined and impressed in coverage, snagging Darren Sproles for gains of only 5 and 2 yards on two receptions into his coverage. … Spikes (+0.4) had a quiet game in run defense after his outstanding display last week against Baltimore: only 22 snaps and a solitary tackle as the Chargers were passing most of the games. … Safety Sergio Brown (+2.0) saw his first defensive snaps of the season and impressed in coverage. He allowed catches on all four of his targets but allowed a long of 8 yards and a total of 16 yards. … Devin McCourty (+0.8) recorded his first career interception covering Patrick Crayton on a deep route and allowed only one catch on six targets. … Zoltan Mesko (-0.7) saw only one of his four punts returned.

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UP

Dane Fletcher – On his first play, the rookie inside linebacker forces a fumble that is recovered by the Patriots. He also catches a squib kick in the first quarter and was more effective than Gary Guyton in squaring up Darren Sproles.

Mike Reiss echoing my comments yesterday about Fletcher vs. Guyton.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/up-dane-fletcher-on-his-first-play-the-rookie/