After Sunday night’s game, Indianapolis defenders said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s decision to go for it on 4th-and-2 was disrespectful.
If they felt that strongly about the alleged disrespect, imagine how the Patriots defense felt. Belichick’s decision was like a no-confidence vote against the defense.
If the defense had its feelings hurt, they are not saying. But if the players are taking the slight to heart, they should show Belichick how pissed off they are against the Jets.
Often we see coaches use the bench as a way to put a burr under the saddle of a player. That maybe was the case when LB Adalius Thomas was deactivated against Tennessee. And Miami head coach Tony Sporano used it on OLB Joey Porter.
What the coach wants to see is how the player responds to being benched. For Porter, he came out in the next game and registered two sacks.
Whether getting under the skin of his defense is Belichick’s master plan we will never know. But if the defense responds like Porter did, Bill would be very happy with the result.
So if the gauntlet has been thrown, the defense must step up. The New York Jets have the league’s best rushing offense. Can they shut it down? QB Mark Sanchez is reeling after a great start. Will his problems persist or will he have a bounce back game? And after getting toasted by Colts receiver Reggie Wayne, can CB Jonathan Wilhite and the rest of the secondary handle Braylon Edwards and the Jets receiving corps?
The offense has a few things to answer to as well. They left red zone points on the field. RB Laurence Maroney fumbled near the goal line. And there’s that whole Randy Moss-Darrelle Revis tiff you might have heard about.
If the team doesn’t feel like they have something to prove after last week, they can always look at the loss to the Jets in week two for a reason to have a chip on their shoulder. If the Pats want Belichick’s respect, they have to earn it.
A few things I’m looking for:
The Talk Stops Here: It was either one-on-one (Revis) or safety help (Moss). We’ll see who gets the better of the match-up.
A Nose for the Ball: NT Vince Wilfork must lead the effort to stop N.Y.’s ground game. On the flip side, NT Kris Jenkins is done for the year. The offense should be able to effectively pound the rock.
Shonne Green: I wanted the Patriots to draft him. We’ll get a good look at him to see if he really has pro potential.
QB Tom Brady is a very different player from week two. So is Sanchez, but in a bad way. It will be a little closer than expected, but the Patriots win comfortably.
Questions? Comments? Send to talktome@randolphc.com.
