Originally Posted by
rsnnh12
This should be entertaining.
Mayo is not the best coverage LB, Gary Guyton (his replacement) is. He and Pat Chung shared coverage against Antonio Gates earlier this year... want to know Gates stat line? 1 target, 0 catches. That 1 target? Intercepted by the Pats. And don't bother with saying he was injured, because he didn't aggravate his injury until the 4th quarter.
Now, I don't know about you, but I would say Gates is a hell of a lot better as a receiver than Witten. Witten is more well-rounded, but Gates is far superior downfield.
You mention that Ware can line up anywhere. Of course he can. He'll have to get by Matt Light, Nate Solder/Sebastian Vollmer (should he be healthy enough to go) and a little guy by the name of Rob Gronkowski. Guess what neutralizes Ware moving around pre-snap? Having one of the best blocking TEs in the game motion over to his side to help give him a big hit before going out for a pass. With Hernandez back, the Pats might keep Gronkowski in for more blocking anyway. Do you really think Ware will be able to outsmart Brady pre-snap? Good luck with that.
Like I said, the role players will need to step up. Not saying they can't, but it wont be as easy as you suggest. Pats D isn't as bad as most people think (though they aren't great)