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kyle van noy

Film Review: Patriots D Gives Tom Brady a Chance

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Yes, if there’s one thing people are worried about with the Patriots it’s the defense because you know, after three games and like 150 snaps, they’re last in a lot of stat rankings. But this ignores the fact that without two bend-don’t-break drives in the fourth quarter from the defense that held the Texans to six points instead of 14, Tom Brady never would’ve had a chance for his heroics.

You could also throw the final game-sealing interception in there as a key play from the defense that helped with the win, but you get the point. There is plenty for the defense to get better at, none more important than stopping the big plays, but in this win over the Texans the defense wasn’t just saved by Tom Brady, they made plays when the game was on the line and deserve credit for that.

Here are two plays on the final Texans scoring drive, where they kicked a field goal to go up 33-28.

via NFLGameRewind

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Patriots Pregame Meal

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I don’t know about you guys but this morning felt like the real start of the NFL season for me. The Thursday night opener came upon us so quickly it never really felt like the real football had started. But now, on a foggy September morning it those old football feels are finally back, as is the nervousness for this big game. Here are some pregame reflections before the carnage unfolds this afternoon.

If you’re looking for an easy and entertaining way to kill a half hour of pregame this morning check out my latest venture with Nick Stevens and the awesome folks at MediaBoss, Patshow. We’re having a ton of fun hopefully bringing to the fans the kind of entertainment they’re missing with the Patriots. A show that embraces the fun of being a fan but also talks about the team in a reasonable and football-savvy way. Please help us spread the word about Patshow, as go live every Tuesday morning at www.facebook.com/patshow6. Please like and share as we try to grow the show each week!

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Potential Defensive Adjustments vs. Saints

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I try not to look at any kind of stats until Week 4. It’s just too small a sample size and too easy to overreact, and that’s certainly the case this morning as I took a peak at my stats site of choice FootballOutsiders.com.

The Patriots defense? Ranked 32nd in overall defense, 30th against the pass and 32nd against the run. Nowhere to go but up, right!? I like Football Outsiders because it’s not based on one random analysts grades but by efficiency in the context of the situation. It gives us a good sense of how the team executed. And clearly the Patriots didn’t execute well at all.

By historical comparison, and again, this is just for shits and giggles at this point, here’s how those numbers stack up.

Of course things will get better, but it won’t exactly be handed to the Patriots, especially with a tough matchup against a great quarterback at his homefield this weekend. Here’s a few thoughts on some personnel switches that might help improve things and be better suited to handling Drew Brees and the Saints diverse attack.

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Patriots Positional Preview: Linebackers

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Today we’re breaking down one of the most interesting positional groups on the roster this year, the linebackers.

After Jamie Collins‘ shocking trade last season, the Pats had to manage with in-season acquisition Kyle Van Noy, run stopping rookie Elandon Roberts and free agent acquisition Shea McClellin. After Dont’a Hightower, there just wasn’t a three-down linebacker on the roster.

So Van Noy slipped into a passing down role, where he would cover and occasionally rush the quarterback, while Roberts caught attention for his heavy downhill hits in an early down role. It wasn’t as ideal as the Hightower-Collins duo seemed to be, since they never had to leave the field (at least that’s what we thought in 2014 and 2015), but they got the job done.

While heavy reinforcements didn’t arrive this offseason, the addition of David Harris should take enough pressure off of Hightower to help keep him fresh or keep the boat afloat should the captain miss any time. How the rest of the group plays out will be fascinating to watch in camp.

How much of a second-year jump does Roberts make? Will Belichick-favorite Jonathan Freeny step back into a defensive role despite Roberts’ emergence? Can coveted rookie Harvey Langi show enough versatility to carve out a rookie role? Is McClellin on the bubble?

It’s important to note how fluid the edge and linebacker positions have become. Technically Hightower, Ninkovich and McClellan shift between those roles based on the situation, but for the preview purposes we’ll keep them separated. Just know that nothing is set in stone and the ability to move players all over the formation is what makes the Patriots’ defensive front so potent. Just try not to get caught up in the minutiae of positional labels at this point.

Let’s take a closer look at each linebacker.

 

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Kyle Van Noy is another Protypical Patriot

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New Linebacker Kyle Van Noy will be part of the triumvirate effort in replacing Jamie Collins role in the Patriots defense. While Elandon Roberts and Barkevious Mingo have both played for the Patriots, barring an inactive designation, tonight will mark Van Noy’s first time on the field in New England.

It is unclear how the Patriots will choose to use Van Noy, who after being acquired via trade state he was, “happy to be wanted” in New England, and that the his former team, “didn’t know where to put [him].” Could this be another classic Belichick steal? Honestly, he might be.

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5 Patriots Defensive Fixes for the Bye Week

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The bye week is a time to take a step back and reflect on what the team needs to do better moving forward into the second half of the season. Never has that been more true than with the Patriots defense, now that they’ve traded away one of their key contributors. There are holes to fill and improvements to be made.

Aside from replacing Jamie Collins from a personnel perspective, it’s also worth taking a look at the scheme and what things haven’t quite been working out the way the Patriots coaching staff might’ve envisioned them.

Here are five moves for the Patriots defense that should help them moving into the winter months.

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