New England Patriots vs. New York Giants: 10 Observations of Pats Defense
The New England Patriots final preseason game ended in a 20-17 loss to the New York Giants at Meadowlands Stadium. With a pair of key injuries to Ty Warren and Leigh Bodden, one of the biggest concerns about this team has been the defense and the ability of young guys and back-ups to step into starting roles and seamlessly fill the gaps.
Unfortunately, there were a good amount of gaps left wide open for the Giants to explode on the Patriots with big plays to wide open receivers or on running plays right up the middle of the defensive front.
Before I start sounding like Chicken Little ("The sky is falling!") lets' take a look at some of the defensive observations from last night's game.
No Major Injuries
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This has to be a huge sigh of relief for the Patriots and their fans, who have been hit with one big injury after another this preseason. They limp into the season opener, and have the tall task of staying healthy throughout the regular season. That's not likely to happen, though, so some of the depth players will need to get themselves ready for starting time if their number gets called.
Defensive Line Blown Open Against the Run
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As a team, the Patriots gave up 160 yards on 32 rushing plays, allowing five yards per carry to the Giants.
The first two offensive plays run by the Giants were both run plays, one off right guard Chris Snee for 11 yards and the next off left guard Guy Whimper for 7. With that, both Mike Wright and Gerard Warren were exposed against the Giants. They have to be more disciplined in gap control to make sure that the running back doesn't make it through that front line for a big gain.
Devin McCourty and Darius Butler Step Up
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The injury to New England Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden has been regarded by some as the straw that broke the camel's back. As such, it became increasingly important to watch for the play of the two young cornerbacks who would be asked to step up in his place.
The first five plays of the game were made by defensive backs, including some nice coverage by Devin McCourty on Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks, whom many think has breakout potential in 2010. He broke up one pass, and on the next play made a nice tackle two yards after Nicks caught the ball on a screen play.
He and Darius Butler played solid coverage for their two series' of work. The two form the youngest starting duo of cornerbacks in the league, so there's a lot of pressure on them to get their feet under them quickly.
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Brandon Spikes Is the Starter at Inside Linebacker
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The Patriots have several talented candidates to start next to Jerod Mayo at inside linebacker, and the position battle at that spot looked to be one of the most stiff headed into training camp. After Gary Guyton went down with injury early on, Brandon Spikes put a stranglehold on the spot and has refused to let go, even after Guyton's return.
Tyrone McKenzie Makes the Most of His Garbage Time
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Racking up stats in garbage time may not be the most glamorous thing one can do with their football career, but if it lands them a spot on the roster, I'm sure anyone would take it. For the past three games, McKenzie has been very quiet, playing forgettable minutes in which he was invisible against the opponent's back-ups.
Brandon Meriweather and Pat Chung Are Up to the Task
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Perhaps understated in the midst of all the defensive losses over the past few weeks has been the importance of Brandon Meriweather and Patrick Chung stepping up to help this defense as the anchors of the backfield. The safeties played well in last night's game
No Variety in Defensive Looks
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Bill Belichick has become famous for mixing up coverages and looks in the front seven to confuse opposing quarterbacks. He put that notoriety on the shelf for Thursday night's game, and the commentators Dan Cricqui and Randy Cross were pointing out all night about how the Patriots were a stale flavor of vanilla on defense, coming out in the base 3-4 alignment even in a goal line situation.
First-Team Defense Failed To Impress
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It was any football fan's worst nightmare, as New England watched one completion after another to tight ends and slot receivers running right up the seam. Kevin Boss caught an early throw that went for 22 yards, and that set the tone for the game. The Patriots were trying to bring blitzers, but Manning was beating the blitz and making completions down the middle all night.
The middle of the defense, which was thought to be one of New England's strengths headed into the season, was exposed against the Giants. Brandon Spikes, Jerod Mayo, and the safeties have work to do, and have to get on the same page in a hurry to make sure those coverages aren't blown in the regular season, when it really matters.
Pressure Simply Not Fast Enough
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Time and time again, Eli Manning beat the Patriots blitz with solid passes down the middle to wide open slot receivers and tight ends. There were consistent gaps in front of the safeties and behind the linebackers that made it relatively easy for completions in that area to go for big gains. Blitzing often may seem necessary, but if the blitz isn't getting there in time, it leaves the defense exposed to those kind of plays.
Big Plays Are Back to Haunt New England
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An interesting and scary stat that I found on NFL.com says that the Patriots gave up five plays of 11 or more yards on the opening drive against the Giants, as the G-men rolled 86 yards in 4:23 for the touchdown. This is a problem the Patriots faced last year, that looked under control in the first two preseason games against the Saints and Falcons.
I don't know who was supposed to be covering Kevin Boss on the 13-yard touchdown pass, partly because there wasn't a New England defender within seven yards of him when he caught the ball. It looked straight out of practice, almost as if the Patriots were afraid to tackle Boss.
The Patriots just looked outmatched at times against the Giants offense, which doesn't bode well for when New England faces much tougher competition, i.e. the Bengals with Carson Palmer, T.O. and Chad Ochocinco.
Your Thoughts?
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Bill Belichick said after the game that the Patriots are "ready to go" for the season opener against the Bengals at home. But would you really expect him to say they weren't?
As if there weren't enough questions facing the team when training camp opened, the injuries have opened up even more questions than before.
What are your thoughts and opinions on the defense at this stage?
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