SB Nation - Pierre Woods

New York Jets Run Offense vs. New England Patriots Run Defense

John B — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:23:54 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

The Pats give up 110 yards per game on the ground, which is in the middle of the pack. Two excellent run defenders on the line, Jarvis Green and Ty Warren are nursing injuries and are not certain to play. Don't be fooled, though. This is going to be a tough matchup. The Jets have to figure out how to handle Vince Wilfork. Wilfork has been almost impossible to block this year. Almost every week in this space, you see me talk about how important it will be for Nick Mangold to handle the other team's nose tackle. This week it's more pronounced than usual. Wilfork isn't a great pass rusher, but he can blow up opposing run games.

The Jets also need to focus their blocking schemes on Jerrod Mayo, the second year linebacker with 39 tackles in 6 games. He missed the first contest. New England has other quality run defenders at the linebacker position. Pierre Woods, a rotational player who had a big game in last year's visit to Foxborough, is one of them. So is Adalius Thomas. Woods could see a lot of time depending on Tully Banta-Cain's injury status. Inside linebackers Gary Guyton and Eric Alexander are both nursing injuries that could hamper their effectiveness and leave a lot on veteran Junior Seau. This might be something the Jets can exploit if Mangold can hold Wilfork in check.

New England's secondary is very good in run support. Shawn Springs' coverage skills are in decline, but he's been effective against the run. So has Leigh Bodden, New England's other corner and safeties Brandon Merriweather and Brandon McGowan. This is a game where Leon Washington's ability to make people miss may be missed.

We'll see eight men in the box a lot with the rookie quarterback as we do every week. If that doesn't work, we may see nine to try and force Mark Sanchez to win the game like we did in Week 2. The offensive line has a tough task winning these matchups.

New York Jets Run Offense vs. New England Patriots Run Defense

John B — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:00:31 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

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It would be nice if the Jets could establish the run early and take a lot of pressure off their rookie quarterback. I think Bill Belichick will do whatever it takes to prevent that from taking place. The Pats will probably stick eight or even nine in the box to force the Jets to throw the ball. Mark Sanchez made the Texans pay and eventually forced them to respect his arm, which opened things late for Thomas Jones.

This is not a vintage Pats front seven, especially with Jerod Mayo sitting this one out. Mayo is vying with David Harris for the title of top young inside linebacker in the division. Mayo had 20 tackles on Thursday night in Foxborough back in 2008. That will leave Eric Alexander and Gary Guyton to man the inside. This leaves a pair of matchups as key. Nick Mangold against Vince Wilfork is always an elite battle. So will be Ty Warren against Brandon Moore and Damien Woody.

Jarvis Green is a quality starter, replacing the departed Richard Seymour at defensive end. The Bills broke some runs going after him. I wouldn't expect the Jets to test him much. Gang Green loves to run right to Warren's side, away from the left, where D'Brickashaw Ferguson's limitations in the run game are a factor. The Jets are going to challenge Wilfork and Warren, sending Tony Richardson and pulling Alan Faneca to the side often. If they can control the pair up front and hit the second level, there will be favorable matchups and opportunities for Thomas Jones to break big gains. This will force safeties Brandon Merriweather and James Sanders to call the box home. Merriweather and Sanders are going to spend time in the box, but if the Jets run effectively, Bill Belichick will have to play there more than they want. It will open up a lot for Mark Sanchez, and the rookie looks like he can exploit it. Of the outside linebackers, Adalius Thomas is very good against the run, but Tully Banta-Cain and Derrick Burgess are strongest against the run. Pierre Woods did have a big game against the Jets last season.

I expect Brian Schottenheimer to have a few tricks up his sleeve. Plenty of gimmick looks out of the Seminole formation and perhaps some run-pass options for Brad Smith to try and catch the Pats off guard. The Jets had some success out of an option look with Smith two years ago.

I'm thinking this game comes down to Mark Sanchez. I see the Pats doing everything they can to stop the run. If New York establishes the ground game early, it could be a really really fun day for the New Yorkers.

Post Game Analysis: New England Patriots defeat Buffalo Bills, 25-24

MaPatsFan — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:37:31 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

This picture just about sums up the joy Ben Watson had at that very moment. Thanks Ben, thanks. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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Friggin' WOW!! That's all I have to say. I'm STILL wrapped up in this emotionally. That was both exhausting and exciting to watch. From my experience at Gillette Stadium (which I'll write about later) to the crowd around me, it was just incredible. You've all written some excellent FanPosts, so I won't repeat much of what you said, but simply add a few thoughts of my own from my perch in Section 332, Row 6, Seat 12.

Overall, I thought the Patriots came out rusty, particularly Tom Brady. He rocketed more than a few passes too far ahead of some guys and to far behind others. When he got his rhythm about the third quarter, things settled in and the game was less frenetic for NE. Buffalo worked hard to pressure Brady (the Giants' blueprint), but he was only sacked once for 10 yards while Edwards was brought down four times - twice by Tully Banta-Cain and once each by Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess. Who says we can't bring the pressure? In the end, it was big plays, patience, and fundamentals that won this game.

Buffalo would take the lead early and continue to press the Patriots until the last two minutes of the game. Terrell Owens was essentially blanketed by coverage and rendered ineffective, coming up with two receptions for 46 yards and no TD's. However, Bills' QB Trent Edwards made good use of RB Fred Jackson who went 5 for 83 and one TD. Rookie Bills' TE Shawn Nelson accounted for a TD as well. Oh, let's not forget DE Aaron Schobel's Tom Brady interception and 26 yard run for a pick six. Schobel has freakishly long arms that look like they came out of nowhere to pull down Brady's pass. He was within a few yards of Tom, so to pick a ball out of the air like that is quite a feat.

Early on, the Patriots stumbled defensively and had a tough time of it. I had a feeling they wouldn't use a 4-3 alignment that much because the Bills use the same defensive scheme, so Edwards would be familiar with it. The Bills were 1-6 last year against 3-4 teams, so there's your reason. I did, however, see a lot of loading the box which seemed to neutralize Buffalo's rushing attack - 90 yards total. However, it did leave NE vulnerable in the backfield. Where Edwards went 15/25, 212 yards, and two touchdowns. Ya gotta pick your battles.

I mentioned fundamentals early in this post. This game was a shining example of that, ESPECIALLY the forced fumble on Leodis McElvin's kick return. Hindsight is 20/20 and Leodis should've kneed the ball in the endzone for a touchback and a guaranteed 20, but he didn't and a Pierre Woods fumble was recovered by Stephen Gostkowski. Yes, you read that right - G Man was in the mix.

Denver fan Kfustud, in a most excellent FanPost talked about how these things aren't lucky:

McDaniels, while being interviewed about all our team's new fumble drills, said that 40%, or so, of fumbles were caused by the other team going after it. In Denver last year you couldn't buy a turnover and there was a reason. We didn't work at it. On the final kickoff of the game you could see that those Patriots were coached at it. They went out and made a fumble. No luck there.

I believe this team has a lot to work on, but there is significant potential. A few random thoughts:

Brandon Meriweather - If this game is any indication, the torch has been passed. He was a beast on the field, prowling, recognizing offensive looks, and making head's up plays. Welcome Rodney Jr.
Offensive Line - Aaron Schobel was toying with the OL all night. We need to find a way to neutralize defensive ends. Luckily, Brady only went down once.
Cornerbacks - Jonathan Wilhite did a nice job when called on. Leigh Bodden seemed to be in the mix as well as Shawn Springs. I don't think we have any shutdown guys, but this group will only get better. It's a significant upgrade over last year, IMO.
Running Backs - We struggled to pick up yardage, but the Bills were doing a good job of clogging up the gaps. This was not on Laurence Maroney or Fred Taylor.
Receiving Game - Brady was 39/53, 378 yards, and two touchdowns. Wes Welker quietly collected 12 for 93 and Randy Moss went 12 for 141. Kevin Faulk was 6 for 51.
Benjamin Watson - The absolute STAR of this game. I had written in the past few days that I was curious to see if the Patriots would use their newly acquired tight ends for more receiving duties. I figured Chris Baker would be one of Brady's early looks, but I was half right - almost cut Ben Watson became the go to guy. He came up strong when he needed to. Congratulations Ben.

New England Patriots Links 9/15/09 - Brady Leads Thrilling Comeback Over Bills

Marima — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:38:47 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

S Brandon Meriweather (31) strips the ball from Bills CB Leodis McKelvin for a fumble as LB Pierre Woods (58) helps with the tackle in the fourth quarter. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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Erik Scalavino describes the Play of the Game that put the ball back in Brady's hands, that led us to victory.

On the ensuing kickoff [following Ben Watson's TD with 2 min. left], Buffalo trotted out their hands team, anticipating an on-side or squib kick from the Pats. Instead, kicker Stephen Gostkowski drilled one into the Bills end zone. Buffalo’s Leodis McKelvin decided to take it out. Bad decision. He was drilled by Brandon Meriweather, who jarred the ball a bit, followed by Pierre Woods, whose extra effort knocked the ball from McKelvin’s grasp. A pileup formed, but Gostkowski, at the back of it, wound up with the football.

"Stephen Gostkowski … what more can you say about that guy, man?" Woods mused later. "He came down there, he was all bent up, like a pretzel, had the ball, wouldn’t let the guy from Buffalo get it. I tried to pull that [Bills] guy off of him. It was chaos, man."

Randy Moss talks about how cool under pressure Tom Brady was the last five minutes of the game.

I remember…I think it was 5:32 left in the game and you see Tom coming off the sideline and he comes in the huddle talking about ‘we're gonna win this game.' And when you have a guy like that saying positive things and then going out there to make it happen, you have to have your hopes high and really think positive. From 5:32 on, everything was positive and I was really into the game. Definitely, at that time, just for the fact that…I think we were down 11 with 5:32 or something like that. So, I know it was a little late in the game for us to start playing.

When he comes in that huddle, everybody is looking up to him and want him to lead us down the field. And when you have a guy like that leading you down the field, I mean, you can't do nothing but try to run through a brick wall for him. So, I'm happy with what we accomplished tonight, but like I said, we've got to get back to work on Wednesday. And there's no telling what kind of lashing we're gonna get, but we can take this victory and hang it up.

TEAM TALK

Game Notes: Patriots vs. Bills. Check out the notes from the game, milestones reached and more.
Patriots Post-game quotes.
Post-Game Pressers: Bill Belichick (4.34 min. video), Tom Brady (5 min. video), Randy Moss (8.17 min video). Plus Transcripts.
Cheers to 50 Great Seasons (1.04 min. video)
Game Highlights: Patriots vs. Bills (5.07 min. video)
Andy Hart says missing Mayo is a scary thought and hopefully we won't be without him for long.
Paul Perillo offers his thoughts on the rest of the week 1 games around the league.

LOCAL LINKS

Ian Rapoport talks about the thrilling comeback in last night's stunner.
Shalise Manza Young recaps the game and notes Brady's two late TDs lifted the team to victory.
Jim Donaldson tells us to forget the first 56 minutes, it was pure Brady in the final 4.
Ron Borges writes the Patriots found a way to wring a victory out of Buffalo’s grasping, fumbling hands, and explains why they are the Patriots and the Bills are not.
Karen Guregian notes it wasn't pretty, but the Patriots Defense got the job done.
Christopher Price offers his ten things we learned last night.
Kirk Minihan notes there are still plenty of questions for Pats (including whether Brady is faster than Suzy Kolber.)
Chris Gasper presents last night's Ups and Downs, other than Brady and Moss who both had big nights.
Bob Ryan writes that what we had just seen was a dramatic way to inaugurate the second half-century of Boston/New England Patriots football.
Dan Shaughnessy says last night Brady played the best comeback concert since Elvis played the International in Vegas in 1969.
Mark Farinella analyzes the Patriots amazing comeback.
Steve Buckley focuses on Ben Watson's contributions to the game.
Monique Walker reports with two crucial touchdowns, Ben Watson showed the doubters why he was still wearing a Patriots jersey last night.
Chris Forsberg notes Randy Moss tied a career-high by hauling in 12 catches for a game-high 141 yards, unusually all in the short passing game.
Julian Benbow notes how emotional Bills Safety Donte Whitner summed up the game, "We did exactly what we expected to do in the first 3 1/2 quarters. And we didn’t do what we expected to do in the fourth quarter. We wanted a win, we needed a win, we had a win, and we let it go.’’
Chris Forsberg breaks down the key play of the game and offers quotes from the participants - Meriweather, Woods, Bills coach Dick Jauron and Bills CB Leodis McKelvin.
Chris Gasper Patriots Notebook: Mayo injures knee - status unknown; the running-back-by-committee approach was in effect last night; Kraft says he'll always consider Seymour a Patriot and more.
Chris Gasper and Tony Massarotti offer their video reactions following the victory.
Chris Forsberg posts the Postgame chatter with quick links to each player and their comments following the game.
Monique Walker catches up with recent retirees Troy Brown, Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi, all on hand last night at Gillette Stadium.

NATIONAL NEWS

NFL Game Center: Recap, Analysis, Stats and that nifty highlight reel.
Peter King (SI) The Pats aren't perfect, but they're contenders again with Brady back.
Steve Wyche (NFL.com) Pats' rally over Bills proves quality teams rise to occasion under pressure.
Jeff Goodman (Fox Sports) With help from Bills, Brady leads comeback win.
Howard Bryant (ESPN) Brady, Pats squeak by Bills.
Mike Reiss (ESPN) Breaking down the key play of the game; status of Mayo's knee still unknown.
Mike Reiss (ESPN) Two-minute offense keys comeback.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Brady calm and deadly in comeback game.
Andrew Perloff (SI) Terrell Owens makes no waves after tepid Bills debut.
Tim Graham (ESPN) T.O. muted on, off field.
Alan Pergament (Buffalo News) MNF crew shines bright in thriller.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Fans need to settle down after Monday night.
Mike Reiss (ESPN) Moss looks ahead to the Jets, breaks two-month media silence.
Mike Reiss (ESPN) Catching up with Troy Brown, talking about old Foxboro Stadium.

VIEW FROM BUFFALO

Mark Gaughan (Buffalo News) Bills lose heartbreaker to Pats.
Jerry Sullivan (Buffalo News) This finishing kick hits Bills in the gut.
Mike Zeisberger (Toronto Sun) Brady clutch when it counted.
Mike Zeisberger (Toronto Sun) Same old sorry Bills.
Buffalo News Bills-Patriots report card.
Niagara Gazette TOPS reports T.O. cereal sales hits 33,000 boxes.

New England Patriots 53 man roster - some thoughts

MaPatsFan — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:04:36 -0000

by Stephan Savoia - AP

7 months ago: New England Patriots head football coach Bill Belichick looks over his rookies during football minicamp at the team's practice facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday morning, May 1, 2009 (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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We stay with 2 QB's, LB is a bit weak, TE will be a position to watch, OL is stacked on the interior...let's break it down position by position (props to NESilver for his comment in this thread)

Offense: 25

QB: Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer (2) - Odd we keep only 2, but that could change when the season starts.
RB: Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis (5) - Solid group.
WR: Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Joey Galloway, Greg Lewis, Saim Aiken, Julian Edelman (6) - Break out the air raid sirens. Edelman looked like "Little Welker".
TE: Benjamin Watson, Chris Baker, Michael Matthews (3) - Like this group, Matthews is a big man which must mean "blocking TE". Baker has good hands which we haven't seen in NE TE's for a long time.
OL: Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal, Nick Kaczur, Sebastian Vollmer, Rich Ohrnberger, Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell (9) - Deep on the interior, Vollmer is the next stud.

Defense: 25

DL: Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren, Jarvis Green, Ron Brace, Mike Wright, Myron Pryor (7) - Liking the depth, glad to see Pryor make the roster
DE/OLB: Derrick Burgess, Tully Banta-Cain (2) - Can you say, "4-3?" I knew you could. Here comes the pass rush.
LB: Adalius Thomas, Jerod Mayo, Gary Guyton, Pierre Woods, Eric Alexander, Rob Ninkovich (6) - Might be considered a little thin, possibly why NE is experimenting with a 4-3.
CB: Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, Jonathan Wilhite, Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley (5) - Wheatley barely hung on to his spot. I hope a "shutdown corner" emerges.
S: Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders, Patrick Chung, Brandon McGowan, Matthew Slater (5) - Good group, although Slater will, most likely, be IR'd.

Specialists: 3

K: Stephen Gostkowski - What can I say? One of the best kickers in the league. A machine through the uprights and consistently boots kickoffs into the endzone.
P: Chris Hanson - Game changer. Massive hangtime and very good accuracy.
LS: Jake Ingram - Many laughed when Hoodie drafted Ingram. The rookie wins the long snapper battle.

Injured Reserve

OLB: Shawn Crable - Depressing. The dude can't catch a break.
RB: Chris Taylor
OL: George Bussey - Adds depth for next year.
LB: Tyrone McKenzie - Looking forward to seeing him inside for 2010.

Poll

What do you think of the roster?

Lovin' it!

524 votes

Too early to tell.

722 votes

Hate it.

66 votes

1312 votes | Poll has closed

Analysis: New England Patriots defeat Eagles, 27-25

MaPatsFan — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:15:47 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

4 months ago: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady throws in the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

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It was many things, but it was the return of Tom Brady to a live game situation. And he performed like Tom Brady should. Sure, there was a little rust. An underthrown ball to Moss, a rocket to Joey Galloway's knees. But it was good to see Brady back on the field. Throwing 10 for 15, 100 yards, and two touchdowns, Brady was productive for the time he was under center. But it's not all about Brady.

On offense, two were standouts: Chris Baker and Julian Edelman. Baker may herald the return of a smashmouth offense, one in which big men catch the ball and stampede over tiny little defensive backs. I like it. I always have. With two touchdowns, Baker proved he's a valuable addition to the offense. Big tight ends can handle those close quarter fights and Chris is no exception. And Edelman? What can you say but...ON...FREAKIN'...FIRE!! It was hard to miss that 75 yard punt return in the second quarter; very...Welker-like. It was clear why Wes on the sidelines - Belichick wanted to see what Julian Edelman could do. Good call.

Defense was ok overall, holding Philly to three field goals mid third quarter. It appeared there was a switch for many positions as things went to hell in a hand basket shortly thereafter. There were good plays all around, but nothing really stood out. It was cool to see Darius Butler make some plays and Patrick Chung seemed to be in the mix. FA acquisition Derrick Burgess made an impact after barely a week in training camp. I want to see more of him in the backfield. Pierre Woods seemed lost on a few plays as did Adalius Thomas.

The key to the Patriots win? Dominating the red zone. While the defense may not have looked that hot, they were able to keep Philly to 2/5 in the red zone. It doesn't matter that they smoked us in just about every yardage category available. The Eagles simply couldn't capitalize on their yardage.

Belichick will have a few words for the defense. Practice this week and weekend will be about the soft middle and about not getting into the backfield. Generate pressure and you force the QB to make bad decisions. That's what pass rushers are for. It will be interesting to see Burgess's progression through the pre season. It's all about the pass rush for me.

Poll

Were you happy with the Patriots performance?

Freakin' unbelieveable!!

83 votes

I was happy, but lots to work on.

512 votes

Neutral - wait and see.

57 votes

We're screwed!!

23 votes

675 votes | Poll has closed

Philadelphia Eagles 2009 Opponents’ Preview- New England Patriots

JasonB — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:12:44 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

4 months ago: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) stands on the field during their NFL training camp session at the team's football facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday morning, July 31, 2009. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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This is the next part in our series of previews of the Eagles 2009 opponents. Joining us for this feature is Dave Schwab, who writes about the Eagles at his site Eagles Lincs.

Previously Dave has looked at games later this season, but now it starts for real. Well, not for real... Preseason.

Today Dave previews the Eagles preseason opener against the New England Patriots.

The long wait is finally over as the Eagles’ 2009 pre- season gets underway this Thursday, August 13th when the New England Patriots come to town for a 7:30 P.M. start at Lincoln Financial Stadium. This is the first of four pre-season contests before it all starts for real on Sunday, September 13^th against the Carolina Panthers in the regular season opener.

The biggest story for New England is the return of quarterback Tom Brady. Brady went down in the first game of last season with a torn ACL in his left knee. Back to almost 100%, Brady expects to see action in this game. If so I would think he may run one or two series with the first team and then call it a night. While he is still wearing a protective brace as a precaution, it will be interesting to see what kind of mobility he currently has. The Patriots do not want to take any chances with Brady against and unpredictable Eagles’ defense, so I expect them to keep things very plain and simple in his limited time in this game.

If you are going to have to play the Patriot’s this season, this is probably the best game to do it, unless you plan on meeting again in the Super Bowl. Without Brady last season, a relatively unknown QB Matt Cassell stepped in and led this team to an 11-5 record just barely missing the playoffs. They still have a tremendous amount of talent on offense. Along with Randy Moss and Wes Welker, they added veteran WR’s Joey Galloway and former Eagles, Greg Lewis to the receiving corps. To shore up their running game the added veteran RB Fred Taylor. In case Brady’s knee isn’t quite ready, they recently added back up QB Andrew Walter who was previously with the Raiders to battle it out with Kevin O’Connell for the #2 spot. All in all this adds up to a very powerful offensive unit that will be that much better with Brady back at the helm.

The only potential weak spots for the Patriots are on the defensive side of the ball. They gave up veteran linebacker, Mike Vrabel as part of the Matt Cassell trade to Kansas City but are counting on either Pierre Woods or Shawn Crable to step up and fill the void. The Patriots brought in two veteran CB‘s Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden to help in the backfield and just traded with Oakland for former Eagle DE Derrick Burgess to help their pass rush. New England will be looking for Burgess to return to his All Pro form, as the defensive line struggled last season to consistently put pressure on the quarterback.

While there is always a lot of excitement for the 1^st pre-season game, you can’t expect to take too much away from this game other than keying on some of the new faces for both teams. If either side’s first team offense looks somewhat sharp in their first one or two series, it will be an early night for most of the starters. My only hope is for someone in green to get to Brady and hit him hard, just to see how quickly he jumps back up. Only then will we all know how well his left knee has healed.

New England Patriots acquire Raiders' DE, Derrick Burgess

MaPatsFan — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:52:52 -0000

via imgs.sfgate.com

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For what seems like an eternity, I've been whining about the lack of a pass rushing outside linebacker. Now, I'm not saying projected starters Adalius Thomas and Pierre Woods can't do the job. Far from it. They're extremely good in coverage and sealing up the edges. But neither of them were "experts" at rushing the passer. Remember Mike Vrabel in 2007? He was an animal. Opposing QB's were always worried because he was in the backfield. In my mind, teams with a dedicated, single-minded pass rusher make problems for offensive coordinators. The moment you have to scheme against one guy, the pass rusher, you're in trouble. That's what good pass rushers do: they create problems for the opposition.

Enter Derrick Burgess. The idea of Burgess in Foxboro had been floated around when free agency time hit. Nothing materialized because, in my opinion, Burgess didn't have any leverage to force a trade, or maybe it just takes that long; who knows. Now that training camp is in full swing and he wasn't showing up, Raiders Head Coach, Tom Cable, decided to cut him loose. Now, I'm not a fan of players essentially violating the terms of contracts they sign simply because they're unhappy with their situation. If they're getting treated unfairly, that's one thing. But, if they simply don't like where they are or aren't getting paid what they think they're worth, too bad. However, in Burgess's case, playing for the Raiders under owner Al Davis (aka: Skeletor), I'm almost willing to give him a pass:

via sports.popcrunch.com

Al Davis is a senile, old fool and should've been run out of town a long time ago. He's ground that franchise into the dirt. At any rate, this isn't about Skeletor, this is about Burgess joining the Patriots. Granted, he was a DE on the Raiders, but at 6-2 260 lbs, he's too small to play defensive end in a 3-4 alignment. He's much better suited to OLB duties which is where he'll muster up.

You can bet he'll be working hard to make an impact. The Steelers and Patriots sit relatively equal in terms of potential AFC dominance with the Colts in second or third, depending on how you look at it. Pitt is in good defensive shape, so why not make a move for a winning organization, one that will give a player the best chances of retiring with a ring? You know that was going through Burgess's mind.

Welcome aboard, Derrick. We're glad to have you. What do you think, folks? Does he supplant either Woods or Thomas or is he brought in during obvious passing situations to rush the passer?

Props to BabeParilli for his FanPost on the subject. You called it, Babe.

Ten Patriots for 2009: No. 2, LB Adalius Thomas

NESilver — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:45:08 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

6 months ago: New England Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas (96) chats as he stretches during football practice in Foxborough, Mass., Thursday, May 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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You've probably heard it all offseason. "The Patriots need a better pass rush." There are questions as to who will be up to the task of replacing Mike Vrabel after he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs along with Matt Cassel for a second round pick. Along with our secondary, this is probably the biggest perceived weakness for our New England Patriots. They made no moves in the draft to pick up an outside linebacker, and while they pursued Jason Taylor and Derrick Burgess, we've seen no action in that regard ever since (Taylor, as we all know, chose to return to the Miami Dolphins). So who steps up to get after the quarterback?

Number 2 on our list: Adalius Thomas.

Okay, so he's not directly replacing the spot Mike Vrabel occupied this season. I know that. Vrabel's old spot will likely go to Pierre Woods or one of the other OLB candidates competing with him. However, if it's getting after the quarterback we're talking about, why is everyone ignoring Adalius Thomas?

He was injured after nine games last year (technically ten, but his injury came in the beginning of that Buffalo game). He was one of many players to land on the Injured Reserve list, so was it any wonder that our pass rush was lacking? After playing mostly inside linebacker in 2007, he was a force to be reckoned with in "The game that shall not be mentioned" on the outside, and he had gotten five sacks last year up until he was injured. Those five sacks came in a limited rushing role because he was dropping into coverage a lot (most likely because of our secondary problems and to help Mayo/Guyton as they progressed), which leads me to my next point.

Thomas is our most versatile player on defense. He can play inside and outside linebacker. He can set the edge, rush the passer, drop into coverage, all of it. After Tom Brady, I would argue that he was the next most important player we lost to injury last year. When healthy, the guy hardly ever left the field. With Adalius Thomas back, and Mayo and Guyton hopefully much improved playing in coverage, the pass rush should see improvement. Whoever plays SOLB in place of Vrabel does not need to be a pass-rushing demon, just solid and consistent. As Bill Belichick would say, "just do your job."

And if you need a friendly reminder for what Thomas is capable of, just ask Brett Favre and Leon Washington.

via assets.nydailynews.com

Around the AFC East, Week 7: Linebacker Rankings

John B — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:00:30 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Rex and Buddy Ryan know a thing or two about linebackers.

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Around the AFC East is back for another week. This time The Phinsider, Buffalo Rumblings, Pats Pulpit, and we rank the AFC East's linebacking corps.

1. Miami Dolphins

There's no bigger game changer on defense than the ability to rush the passer. This is what gives Miami an edge over the other units. Joey Porter has been one of the game's best at getting after the quarterback for a long time. I'll still never be able to understand why the Jets didn't go after him harder in 2007. They had the cap space. Matt Roth anchors the strong side well. The Dolphins has good depth behind this pair at outside linebacker. How much does Jason Taylor have left? Who knows. He still can probably do a quality job as a situational player. Ditto Cameron Wake, the CFL's best pass rusher the past few years. Channing Crowder has done nice work inside coming off a 113 tackle season, while Akin Aylodele is adequate at worst next to him.

2. New England Patriots

I give the Pats the second slot by a hair over the Jets. This was close. A couple of factors differentiated the pair for me. The first was the versatility of Adalius Thomas. You can play him either inside or outside. Calvin Pace hasn't shown the same. I also think New England has better depth. Tully Banta-Cain was something of a free agent bust in San Francisco, but he got a contract from the 49ers because of his work with the Pats in 2006. As a situational pass rusher, he has shown more than Marques Murrell or Vernon Gholston. I'll also take the relatively unknown Pierre Woods over the known mediocrity Bryan Thomas. Aside from that, it's close. Take your pick of Jarrod Mayo or David Harris for young tackling machine at inside linebacker. Bart Scott is very effective on the inside, but how about the leadership and other intangibles Tedy Bruschi brings to the table.

3. New York Jets

I love, love, love three quarters of the starting lineup. No complaints here about Scott, Harris, and Pace. There are three problems. The Jets always have to send at least five to get heat on the quarterback. Pace is an above average pass rusher, but defenses don't have to gameplan around him. My second issue is depth. There is none. Maruqes Murrell hasn't done much outside of special teams. Vernon Gholston hasn't done anything at all. Jason Trusnik had a Hall of Fame second quarter Week 17 against the Dolphins. That's it. The third problem is Bryan Thomas. He can take on blockers and stop the run. That's not good enough for a weakside 3-4 outside backer. That's where the pass rush is supposed to come from. Aside from 2006 and September 2008, Thomas may as well have stuck his face on a milk carton.

4. Buffalo Bills

The Bills are tough to judge because they are the only team in the division with a 4-3 defense. I made this call because I'd rather start a 3-4 team with the four linebackers of any other team than a 4-3 with Buffalo's linebackers. I like Paul Posluszny, but how many middle linebackers in the division would you take him over? Maybe Aylodele. Keith Ellison and Kawika Mitchell aren't anything special.

Check out the other AFC East blogs for more discussion on the division's linebackers.

Poll

Which team has the division's best linebacker?

Jets

146 votes

Patriots

21 votes

Dolphins

98 votes

Bills

15 votes

280 votes | Poll has closed