http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/17/pft-live-catching-up-with-mccourty/ ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:50:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/17/pft-live-catching-up-with-mccourty/#comment-1117776 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:30:12 +0000 http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=131257#comment-1117776 I totally agree. I was a huge relief to see the Pats ongoing search for a lock at corner find success with McCourty. Just watching him in a game you see how naturally he mirrors the WR and you see how much agility and quickness he has for his solid size. But what separated him from just another “hope” as a legit NFL playmaking corner, is seeing him close on the ball when the pass approaches the WR. He gets right up in his face, between his hands, and has the instinct to claim the ball as his.
A lot of starting corners just close to the WR, but don’t have the agility and pass catching ability to actually go for the ball. McCourty does and then some. And lastly, McCourty is a solid tackler, again, making him a playmaker and not just another soft corner in a cover two,…a defense that Belichick falls back on to a fault, praying the QB isn’t accurate or the WR doesn’t make a play, while his pressure schemes get to the QB. The old Cleveland Browns “bend but don’t break” has cost the Pats a SB win v Giants, and some recent sputtering in the playoffs as the Pats have gone young and haven’t been able to lead the team to wins like they did in their SB run. with Wilfork, Mayo and now McCourty, and throw in Chung, and the Pats D is getting close to their new generation identity.
PS BRING MOSS BACK, if nothing else, he can coach up the secondary and the WR!!!!!!!!

]]> http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/17/pft-live-catching-up-with-mccourty/#comment-1068955 Tue, 17 May 2011 21:27:53 +0000 http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=131257#comment-1068955 McCourty should’ve been Def. Rookie of the Year. When Leigh Bodden was put on I.R. in Training Camp, he was no longer a Rookie; he was a Day 1 starter in their secondary. After Wilfork and Mayo, he was their best defensive player. And he played arguably the toughest, most exposed position for a rookie to learn, in addition to covering the other teams #1 all season long.
Compare that with Suh, who got 10 sacks playing in a 4-3 front similar to his college, on a team that had just spent $30 million bringing in a real solid veteran DE (Vanden Bosch) to play along side him. They both had terrific rookie seasons and I’m not losing sleep over this one way or another but, IMO, Suh had a considerably easier, less-exposed adjustment to the league and DROY voters didn’t take that ehough into account.

]]>