So, how DO we become one of the elite?

[Doomsdayblitz]

Here are just a few changes and/or additions we should make:

• Allow Holdzell Adams to get the he** out of Dodge & put Doug Free in his place. I have never seen an OL have such a detrimental effect on an offense as this guy. Right when it looks like we're driving for a go ahead or winning drive, and we just gained 20 yds. on a great run or pass----"Holding, number 76, ten yard penalty, first down"......or "Illegal motion, #76, five yard penalty, ***** down". Free is just as talented, but much smarter. How do I know? Who isn't smarter?
• Draft a big, fast DB, such as Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio St., 6-1, 210, 4.3 speed. By far the best cover corner in college football....& you know those OSU corners can play in the NFL.
• Draft or sign in FA a SS. What?????? I know I'll hear it from all of the Roy man-lovers, but I don't care. Whatever one thing he brings to the game, he brings two detriments. That new horse collar thing he's doing is plain wrong. He wouldn't have to use it if he weren't getting beaten all the time, and has to be in the chase position. Notice too, that the Cowboys are blitzing Nate Jones far more now than Williams. Jones can flat out get to the QB faster & better than Williams.
• I don't know who in the **** is calling the secondary plays, but I am so sick of them looking like the freaking Keystone Kops! Get it together, guys....it's not that hard.

Remember when our defense seemed to be in the right place all the time? When we totally dominated the LOS? That is where you win or lose the game. Therefore, in order to have any chance of improving THIS year enough to compete in the SB:

• Use Hatcher more & either Spears or Canty less. Hatcher just makes more plays than the other two. He will learn to stop the run better, but he will be in there when the opposition passes on first down. With Spears & Canty in there on first down, passing on first down seems to be a no brainer. They are good run stoppers, but get little push on the rush. Hatcher is really coming on in the rush & needs to be in there more often.
• Blitz, blitz, blitz! Since we gave up 48 pts. to the only quality team we've played, it seems obvious that in order to have any chance at all this year, we need to put constant pressure on the QB. The standard rush just 'aint gettin' it, so we need to start using a lot more blitzing, stunting, etc.
• For God's sake, NEVER EVER have Greg Ellis cover anyone, any time!! The guy can't cover when he's healthy, so why would you think he can do it less than 100%? Put him in on 3rd & long to rush the passer--that's it! In fact, apply this principle to Spencer & Ware we well. Our pass rush is bad enough without having your best out there trying to cover little guys that YOUR little guys can't even cover.

 

[Crown Royal]

Time and Luck. New England is far better than they have ever been right now, and it took them time and luck. Their compiling of players is ludicrously good.

 

[Zman5]

Start video taping other teams and teach our players to play dirty.
Paying off the refs and the commish are other options.

 

[TonyS]

Good comments. We're not far from the elite if we can do the following next year.

1) Draft a solid young CB

2) Draft a solid WR to take Glenn's place. Crayton is a good #3

3) Draft/Sign a speedy back with moves to compliment Barber

This year you have to hope that Tank Johnson can collapse the middle of the line when he gets here and hope that Glenn and Henry come back after the bye.

I'd love to see this team at full strength for a couple games.

 

[thekavorka]

don't give up such a high 3rd down success rate

 

[utrunner07]

Here are just a few changes and/or additions we should make:

• Allow Holdzell Adams to get the he** out of Dodge & put Doug Free in his place. I have never seen an OL have such a detrimental effect on an offense as this guy. Right when it looks like we're driving for a go ahead or winning drive, and we just gained 20 yds. on a great run or pass----"Holding, number 76, ten yard penalty, first down"......or "Illegal motion, #76, five yard penalty, ***** down". Free is just as talented, but much smarter. How do I know? Who isn't smarter?

:bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2:

stopped reading here. Completely clueless. You don't even know how ridiculous this is...I would explain it but seeing as how you did not put much thought into this I won't put much effort into correcting you but you are WRONG in a big way.

 

[Eddie]

CB and WR are definitely need positions. But NE was able to get three top WR's via FA (and giving up a 4th for Moss).

We should be able to reload on WR without using a draft pick. Any ideas who the top FA WR's are going to be this year?

CB's are premium positions. We're going to have to draft a good one. No one gives them up.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

For God's sake, NEVER EVER have Greg Ellis cover anyone, any time!! The guy can't cover when he's healthy, so why would you think he can do it less than 100%? Put him in on 3rd & long to rush the passer--that's it! In fact, apply this principle to Spencer & Ware we well. Our pass rush is bad enough without having your best out there trying to cover little guys that YOUR little guys can't even cover.

Amen brother....amen

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

I still think that the best of the "D" is yet to come. The starting Corners have yet to see the field together. After the Bi-Week, the Defense will have a different look with Roy spending much more time near the line of scrimmage. Having Newman in the slot would have negated a ton of those plays when Nate Jones simply could not compete.

PS, I don't think Roy was the reason for this whippin. That one pass completed on him was simply unreal. Brady was lights out yesterday.

 

[zrinkill]

So, how DO we become one of the elite?

By not overreacting and completely changing a very good team over one game.

Grow up people.

 

[Bull Frog]

Don't jump offsides on 3 and under 5 twice. Don't hold on fourth and short. Run the ball more consistently. Don't offer Brady a pillow, cold drink and gently place him on the ground when we have the opportunity to blind side him.

 

[TVMan]

Follow the offensive model the Patriots have shown.

Good Young QB about to be great..check
A complete stable of RBs..almost check. Add Turner as a FA.
Two TEs..One Great..One OK.. check
WRs...can't even draw the box for the check to go in.
Oline...almost check

------
Add speed and play makers to the WR core and we might just have something.

 

[dbair1967]

:bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2::bang2:

stopped reading here. Completely clueless. You don't even know how ridiculous this is...I would explain it but seeing as how you did not put much thought into this I won't put much effort into correcting you but you are WRONG in a big way.

I did the same thing...

David

 

[dbair1967]

A complete stable of RBs..almost check. Add Turner as a FA.
.

sorry, but there is no way in hell I'd be happy about paying a boatload of money for a garbage time backup when the guys we have here currently are just as good, and in MBIII's case, far better

I can see them letting Jones walk away if he gets a good offer somewhere else, but they wont replace him with a f/a...

David

 

[theogt]

Flo will most likely be here next year.

The biggest problems are obviously cornerback and wide receiver. Not have a legitimate 3rd option at WR (Sam Hurd sucks) and not having competent depth at CB (Nate Jones sucks) is going to kill us against better teams.

 

[dbair1967]

Flo will most likely be here next year.

The biggest problems are obviously cornerback and wide receiver. Not have a legitimate 3rd option at WR (Sam Hurd sucks) and not having competent depth at CB (Nate Jones sucks) is going to kill us against better teams.

could possibly be our 1a and 1b draft picks next yr

I think TO will be back unless something bad happens, I think they'll try to keep Crayton, who is really a better #3 than a #2...and Reeves is really a #4 CB IMO

David

 

[TVMan]

sorry, but there is no way in hell I'd be happy about paying a boatload of money for a garbage time backup when the guys we have here currently are just as good, and in MBIII's case, far better

I can see them letting Jones walk away if he gets a good offer somewhere else, but they wont replace him with a f/a...

David

I'm all for Barber being the guy. If we continue the two back approach, then Turner is an option.

I'd rather draft one.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Time and Luck. New England is far better than they have ever been right now, and it took them time and luck. Their compiling of players is ludicrously good.

Exactly. I don't think benching Roy and Flo are going to make us better. What we have to do is continue to add talented players, like always. The good news is that we're pretty darn close. If Romo is for real, we'll be very close. IMO what we need to legitimately challenge a team like the Pats is:

1. A better RB. We need a real threat there, a guy who can make things happen on his own. A guy you can depend on for most of the game to carry the load. A guy who is, quite simply, better than the guys trying to tackle him. The ideal for me would be a Larry Johnson type.

2. More speed and quickness on offense. This is where maybe Stanback can help next year, but that might be too much of a longshot. We can see what a quick guy like Welker can do. We can't stretch defenses at all right now, and that hurts.

3. I'd like more athleticism at corner, but I'm not sure who you bench if you get that. We'd have been a lot better with Newman in the slot on Welker. But if you're going to pressure, you have to have really good man-to-man players at DB.

4. This is huge IMO -- we need a better passrusher. It can even be an undersized specialty player that you take in the third round or so... Maybe one of those guys like a Dumervil-type who is very productive but too small to start. We need that for nickel situations. We have to do this and it should be realistic.

5. I really wish we could get a beast of an interior player. Love Ratliff and his motor, but a real disruptive force inside would free up everyone else. Of course, these guys are super hard to find.

6. Maybe better ILBs. A guy like Ayodele is perfectly fine, but we might need someone more athletic.

I've always thought we were a year away. We have a totally new defensive scheme, and it's crazy to think that those parts would fit perfectly right away. This D is about speed and upfield pressure, a totally different focus from what Parcells had. We just need to draft well, and be smart in free agency, as always.

 

[Danny White]

The two teams that are better than us right now are the Colts and the Patriots. What is their key? They've kept their core and their philosophy intact for several seasons.

They know what they're doing without having to think about it. And when a challenge presents itself, they know how to react because they've seen it all before and have been through it and trust each other.

Our team is still so young in comparison. They need to make it through some battles together and then that aspect of the game will start coming together as well.

 

[theogt]

The two teams that are better than us right now are the Colts and the Patriots. What is their key? They've kept their core and their philosophy intact for several seasons.

They know what they're doing without having to think about it. And when a challenge presents itself, they know how to react because they've seen it all before and have been through it and trust each other.

Our team is still so young in comparison. They need to make it through some battles together and then that aspect of the game will start coming together as well.

Our team is very young. Our defensive starters average about 3 years of experience. This is a new scheme on offense and defense. Our QB is in his first full year starting. Our 2nd and 3rd receivers are newbies to each respective position.

Yet we're 5-1 and the clear cut best in the NFC. Not bad.