New England Patriots
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NFL Team Column |
Will Miss You Teddy
This week included a departure of two great Teddy’s whose lengthy New England tenures were quite influential. And while the passing of Kennedy is far more tragic and momentous on a world stage, the retirement of Bruschi is notably consequential as well. While the Patriots dynasty has always been built around “the scheme” and not the player, Teddy Bruschi’s retirement poses a significant threat to this philosophy.
Like most New Englanders, I was touched by Bill Belichick’s heart-felt description of Teddy Bruschi as “The perfect player.” Bruschi was a class act all the way and it showed in his press conference. The highlights from his heyday were action packed with Teddy flying horizontally across the field to break up passes. The clips were not only impressive, but they were also somewhat shocking. Having closely watched Bruschi over the years, his performance changed gradually, but the clips were a staggering comparison between then and now. The highlights showed a completely different player, a playmaker and a difference maker, something that has been sorely missed on defense these last few years.
With the Teddy moving on to greener pastures, it seems that the Belichick era with the Patriots is at a crossroads. The old guard, defensively minded, is gone. No longer are our defenses patrolled by the likes of Ty Law, Rodney Harrison, Ted Washington, Roman Phifer, and Willie McGinest. Now, our team is clearly an offensive juggernaut, which is by no means a knock on the 2009 Pats. But the difference between the Patriots dynasty and all the others is that it is supposedly built around the Belichick system (A NY Times article worth reading) –smart players, flexible system, and a new game plan every week.
So with most of the original players gone, this year and the next will be crucial to test the “In Bill we trust” attitude. The offensive line was exposed during the Super Bowl against the Giants. As a result, it wasn’t surprising to see all those O-line draft picks this past June. It seems that Sebastian Vollmer is working out well. The D-line has also been replenished through the draft as Myron Pryor and Ron Brace are welcome additions to the already vaunted line of Seymour, Wilfork, Green, and Warren. However, the much maligned secondary has rightfully been under the scrutiny of the fans and media establishments. And it seems that the hopefulness that came out of training camp has yet to come to fruition, though the young batch of corners can still turn it around in the regular season.
Finally, the Belichick scheme rests squarely on the shoulders of competent and versatile linebackers. With Vrabel, McGinest, Ted Johnson, and now Bruschi gone, the team is in desperate need to find the identity of its core defensive unit. Will Jerod Mayo and Gary Guyton become a fearsome 1-2 punch? Who will step up and fill the leadership void that Vrabel and Bruschi’s departure created?
Bruschi’s retirement doesn’t only end a storybook career; it also poses a great challenge to the Patriots dynasty. Will they be able to recreate the magic? Will they find the right personnel to fit that sorely sought after Belichick system? We will have to wait and see.
2009-10 Patriots Season Preview:
a New Chapter in an Ever-deepening Tale
Recently, Patriots fan’s tumultuous relationship with their team has seen many twists and turns. The 2001 storybook season and the 16-0 regular season run were a fan’s fantasy, but then there were the gut shots of SpyGate, the unmentionable loss to the Giants, and AFC Title game defeat at the hands of Peyton Manning’s Colts. It was the same last season after Brady went down. And so, with a heavy heart, the fans took a few weeks to gather themselves for a new chapter in an increasingly deepening relationship. The Cassel season was wonderful while it lasted, but going down in history as the only 11-win team to not make the playoffs was tough one to swallow.
Now with training camp right around the corner, it’s hard to believe that the 2009-2010 season is approaching. The fan atmosphere surrounding the Pats has been difficult to gauge. There is definitely a lot of optimistic anxiety about Tom Brady’s much awaited return. Will he be the same? Will he maintain his Dan Marino-like pocket maneuverability? Will he flinch under the pass-rush pressure as he is flooded with those horrific images of that fateful moment? How long will the grace period last for the Patriots’ Golden Boy?
This trepid, cautious optimism pervades all aspects of this upcoming season. Will the revamped secondary wipe clean our memories of the Deltha O’Neil experiment? Who will replace Mike Vrabel’s leadership and playmaking ability that made Belichick’s 3-4 scheme so successful over the years? Will Fred Taylor be as great for the Patriots as he was for the Jags, or is he all washed up? Can Maroney finally have a healthy season, or is he a total dud? Will Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis make a positive contribution to our offense this year as the third receiver? Will Shawn Crable make the ballyhooed year-two jump at outside linebacker and make us forget about our aging core? With Jarvis Green and Ty Warren healthy again will the D-line return to its vaunted status? How will Josh McDaniels’ departure affect the play calling? Who is this Ted Baker guy and will he solidify our Tight End position? Is Jerod Mayo the next Ray Lewis? Will the ’07 O-line show up, or will it be the maligned ’08 one? Will anyone emerge from this years’ Rookie Class?
As is plainly seen there is an overabundance of questions for this upcoming season. In looking over these questions it seems that if the Patriots can affirmatively answer at least some of them then fans are in for an exciting fall. So why isn’t there more hootin’ an hollerin’?
It seems that as with any up-and-down relationship the fans are nervous to jump head first into another turbulent chapter. But that’s a good thing because it shows that the fans relationship towards the Patriots is maturing and becoming more prudent. Fans no longer take success for granted and know how precious the good times are and how quickly their team’s fortunes can change. However once the season gets underway, this trepidation will melt away as some of those above stated questions start to get answered. Fans will be as enthusiastic as ever, but as a result of previous shortfalls they will be able to stay focused on the goal which is obviously the Super Bowl. In recent years, it has been great to witness the Patriots’ fan maturation as they try to join the Packers, Eagles, and Steelers fans in the top echelon of fan-basedom. With this in mind, the 2009-10 season will surely not disappoint because regardless of what happens it will be a distinctly new chapter in an ever-deepening tale.2009 Draft: A Look to the Future
Aside from the disappointment of waiting for the 23 pick and having it traded, I am pleased with the 2009 Draft. I am glad that we addressed the pressing short term and long term needs of both our lines. The long term is simple: “When the draft began, the Patriots had 11 of their 14 offensive linemen entering the final year of their contracts, and five of their eight defensive linemen in the same category.”- Mike Reiss. If people were wondering how we were going to maintain our dominance into the next decade, this is definitely the answer. There is no way we could keep all of our current players with the salary cap the way it is. Also, as I wrote in my previous column, the offensive line is overrated and the defensive line is woefully thin.
Similarly to people who call themselves draft experts, I have few constructive things to say about this year’s draft. It seems funny how uneasy Todd McShay, Mel Kiper, and the rest of the cabal become when analyzing and grading Bill Belichick’s draft. It goes something like this:
“Well I didn’t have that person this high and I’ve got all these great people ranked ahead of him. But Coach Belichick is way smarter than I am so I’m not going to rag on this pick for fear of ridicule. Let’s go back and talk about Mark Sanchez and how much we all love everyone from USC. Back to you John Clayton.”
“Sure thing Todd. That Bill Belichick is sure one wild and crazy guy. But Mark Sanchez now that is a specimen. Lets role that weird GQ’esque photo shoot again. I think the audience really wants to see the players do their best ‘blue steel’ impression and not in-game highlights.” Good, sound, quality reporting. Insightful too.
The only thing I can add is that I think this draft can prove to be one the more successful in recent years. The big knock on Belichick’s status of draft overlord is that most people he drafts never end up contributing on the field. However, if you look at previous draft years, you’ll notice that most of the picks come in the later rounds. These people are always considered long shots on any team. This is especially true on a playoff team like the Patriots which has few roster spots available to rookies. Unlike previous drafts, this one gave the Patriots six players in first three rounds.
As a result of all of Bill’s wheeling and dealing, a huge amount of young talent has been infused into an 11-win team. The New England Patriots are now set up for immediate success as well as long term prosperity. I look forward to seeing how Tyrone McKenzie, Darius Butler, and Patrick Chung will pan out and what the Pats will do with their newly acquired two second round picks in 2010.
The Golden Age of Patriots Football
As I’m following the Patriots offseason moves, I can’t help but marvel at the golden age of Pats football. With the next season being last of the decade and subsequently Bill Belichick’s 10th year, the 00’s have brought us fans many lifelong memories: 3 Super Bowls, 6 playoff appearances, 2 heartbreaking playoff losses to the eventual champion (Giants, Colts), and a perfect regular season. During his tenure, Belichick has instituted a system that is the envy of the whole league. His philosophy balances short and long-term plans, places value on versatility and mental toughness, and always tries to maximize every dollar spent. That’s why you hear, “In Bill we trust” and while some people get annoyed at this simplistic view of Patriotsland, it’s hard to argue with success.
Hopefully this success will continue this upcoming season, and it all starts with the offseason. Currently, the biggest splash has been the trading of Cassel and Vrabel for the 34th pick. It’s hard to tell if we got bamboozled, but one thing is for sure: Belichick is a cutthroat businessman and never plays favorites. Please recall the ruthless release of Lawyer Malloy, the benching of Bledsoe, the not playing Terry Glenn, and the not overpaying for Adam Vinatieri. The list goes on and on. There is just no way that Belichick suddenly decided to help someone else out because he happened to like them. He puts the team’s interests first, second and third.
Outside the trade value issue, the consensus team need is a better defense, specifically better play out of the corner and linebacker cores. It’s hard not to agree with this assessment for anyone who spent last season holding his breath as the once vaunted Pat’s defense gave up big plays and long drives like it was going out of style.
However, I believe the biggest offseason move for the defense is getting Tom Brady back. The 2007 Brady-lead team was a high powered, well oiled scoring machine. With the addition of Fred Taylor, and barring a major onslaught of injuries there is no reason to think that the fan-dazzling drives won’t return in full force in 2009. This should have a two pronged effect on the defense. First, as a result of Tom Brady’s scoring drives the defense will be more rested. Second, with the Patriots scoring more points, it can be assumed that the other teams will be playing from behind or at least not far ahead and therefore have to limit their play selection. This makes it easier for the defense to zero in on their opponents and hopefully prevent them from scoring.
So, while corners and linebackers will probably the most addressed issue in this upcoming draft, don’t be surprised if the Patriots go elsewhere. Bill Belichick’s draft philosophy is to draft the best players available. This is why it is hard to predict who the Patriots will choose. Most experts say that it will be a linebacker in the first round, but who knows.
I, for one, believe that the offensive line is overrated. It was evident during the Super Bowl and during last year’s Pittsburgh Steelers game that our line can’t hold up against the best pass rushing teams. I vividly remember Harrison bowling over an aging Matt Light to force two Matt Cassel turnovers. Also, our defensive line is not nearly as deep as coach Belichick wants it. I don’t like Matt Wright, and while I do like what I see from Le Kevin Smith, his contribution is not going to be enough if the Patriots are trying to return to the defensive stalwart status of 5-to-7 years ago.
Whatever the Patriots decide to do, it will surely be an improvement on last year’s team. And this will surely keep the fans glued to their TV’s or monitors once the 23st pick comes around.
