Belichick: I Really Like Him
December 13th, 2012
Joe was just fine with then-suspended Aqib Talib getting shipped to the Patriots at the trading deadline — even if Shaun King says that meant the Bucs quit on the 2012 season.
But given how desperate the Bucs are at cornerback, and how much crappy cornerback play has kept the Bucs from a winning record, and how tight Greg Schiano and Bill Belichick are, it’s interesting to note Talib’s impact since arriving in New England.
Boston Herald Pats beat writer Jeff Howe dove into the Talib effect in a feature yesterday that focused on Bill Belichick ditching his normal philosophy in order to have Talib shadow Texans receiver Andre Johnson on Monday night.
“The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Johnson still caught four passes for 58 yards while the 6-1, 205-pound Talib was in the game, so it wasn’t close to perfect. But it was about the Patriots’ attitude and aggressiveness, pitting a veteran on a veteran and protecting a 5-10, 200-pound rookie from a difficult matchup. …
“I thought Aqib did a good job,” Belichick said. “I think he’s done a good job for us. He works hard. I really like him. I like the way he prepares. I like the way he competes.
“As far as the (one-on-one) matchups go, we’ve done that from time to time. It depends on what the matchups are, what the game plan is. We can do it or we cannot do it. I don’t think it’s that big of a thing.”
Again, Joe was on board with the Talib trade. It was a sound move. Talib absolutely could not be counted on. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not stomach-churning painful to wonder what Sunday’s outcome against the Eagles would have been if Talib was wearing red.
December 13th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
PFF has Talib with allowing two receptions to Johnson for 17 yards total on three targets. The third target being a PD.
Not bad at all. However, Talib was only on the field for 35 of the 69 defensive snaps.
December 13th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
It would not have mattered if Talib was still a Buc. When all you have to do is prevent a TD and Sheridan calls for double safety blitzes/Cover 0, the TD is eventually going to come.
December 13th, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Can we not visit the Talib topic on this site anymore. He is no longer a part of our team. We used him, as well as others, to send a clear message to the people who will be in our organization in the future. That is all we need to know. Move on!
December 13th, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Give it time. He’ll remind us why we traded him in the near future.
December 13th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Like Talib or not, the fact is we would be a playoff team if he was still on the roster. Simple as that
December 13th, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Bellichick had kind words to say about fat Albert too.
This just in, coaches don’t give honest assessments of their current players.
I’m not sure we truly know Schiano’s opinion on josh.
December 13th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Pretty sure we were still at the bottom of the league in pass defense with both Talib and Wright active, no?
December 13th, 2012 at 2:49 pm
Belichick will change his tune quick when Talib is getting pummeled by Hakeem Nicks again if they have to face the Giants in the Super Bowl. Talib WAS a good talented corner. I don’t know what happened, but the past 2 years he has been horrible. It will only be a matter of time when he will mess up again. Either on the field or off it. Although I think the cabbies in Boston may fight back.
December 13th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
@Legarrette Blount
We would be a playoff team with talib? Really? The same talib that was on the field when we gave up 500 yards to Eli? The same talib that took part last year in the worst pass defense in history? Talib would be an upgrade right now over the corners we have sure. But it would of been an a minimal impact at best. And we by no means would be a playoff team… thats just an absurb comment. Absolutely insane.
December 13th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Absurd*
December 13th, 2012 at 4:35 pm
Lol I said we’d miss him dearly and that he would take off with the patsies.
December 13th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Talib had many a game where he shut down elite receivers. He had a rough couple games this season here. Put any CB on an island every play and it’s bound to happen.
December 13th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
“The same talib that took part last year in the worst pass defense in history”
The Bucs were not any where near the worst pass defense in history last season. They weren’t even the worst in the league that year!
Silence, you used to be one of my favorite posters on here. You were consistent and always had stats to back up your thoughts. I dug it. Lately, you have been losing it. What is going on with you?
December 13th, 2012 at 5:52 pm
Legarrettes Blunt Says:
“Like Talib or not, the fact is we would be a playoff team if he was still on the roster. Simple as that.”
Ouch! The truth hurts my ears!
December 13th, 2012 at 6:29 pm
@Have
I’m not sure if you are just trying to joke around or if you are just trying to get under my skin but statistically maybe they were not the worst but my point was they were absolutely awful, even more so than this year. We were down by 30 points almost every game just 10 minutes into the game. Talib was apart of that. He was also apart of this years garbage pass defense. Are you trying to tell me we were much better with him on the field? If you are then I absolutely disagree… and I strongly disagree that we would be a playoff team with him. Only thing he was good for was a pick every now and then.
December 13th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
Silence, if you honestly believe we weren’t better with Talib here, I honestly don’t know what to say to convince you otherwise.
“Only thing he was good for was a pick every now and then.”
And matching up against teams deadliest receivers.
December 13th, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Does anyone read posts? I said Talib would be an upgrade over what we have now. But its a minimal upgrade.. would he put us in the playoffs? Hell no. He had good games sure. But for every pick he had 2 or 3 times as many plays that he got torched.
December 13th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
When talib set his sites on opposing receivers we were more dangerous.
December 13th, 2012 at 7:08 pm
@Eric
Im not disputing that at all. But my point is, like Freeman, he had ups and downs that were frustrating to watch. He’s not a shut down corner and will never be one. He is good when he is focused but that is few and far between. He’s not good enough that he would of put us in the playoffs this year. Schiano traded him away for several reasons one of which was he knew exactly what he had in Talib which was a sometimes very good corner but most of the time average at best corner who gave up way to many big plays. I would of made the trade to.
December 13th, 2012 at 7:13 pm
Let us wait…and see how much they offer him ,if they do, in his contract next year. Of course we’ll never know the “contract VOID” clauses……of course we will….
December 13th, 2012 at 7:20 pm
2010 defensive back of the year, he would have had an even more monstrous season had he not got hurt week 13. Last year was a woeful one for the entire team. This year we have a defensive coordinator that out our CBs on island every down setting any CB up for failure. He has the skillset to be elite. End of story. He has plenty of gametape against elite wr’s to prove it, that cannot be disproven.
December 13th, 2012 at 7:23 pm
He also has plenty of game type to show that he gives up big plays way to often. That cant be disproven either. Again im not saying he’s not a good corner. But a sometimes good corner isnt going to help this team very much.
December 13th, 2012 at 7:40 pm
I’m just saying its better to have a CB on the roster that “can” cover elite receivers than to have CB’s that just physically can’t. Never was Aquibs problem because he didn’t have the ability to. His problem when he got beat was in the style of play he has, which can be coached. You cannot coach ability. These CB’s don’t have that. To say we aren’t better when we have better on the field just doesn’t make sense. I’m usually always on the same page with ya. Just not here broski
December 13th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Actually the set his sites thing was supposed to be a humorous play on words…….
I think Talib had worn out his welcome, and I was one of the ones defending him to the bitter end.
That’s not to say he is incapable of helping the pats. Obviously Bellichick and schiano are in different positions. One in firm control, the other working on it – ergo the departed K-2 and Talib and others.
December 13th, 2012 at 8:52 pm
Joe, Im glad you have been listening….I’m a make ya famous!
December 13th, 2012 at 10:48 pm
Those who say we are a better team without Talib than with him just plain don’t know anything about football. Ask Roddy White, Steve Smith, Marques Colston if they will miss Talib. He routinely shut down opponents receivers. The fact is when you have Bill Sheridan leaving him one on one with Hakeem Nicks with absolutely no pressure on Eli, your bound to get torched. Any corner back in the game would.
December 13th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
If Talib pressed Maclin on the line of scrimmage we would have won that Eagles game. If we had him on Julio we would have beat the Falcons. He could have sure helped against Denver too. I don’t know how you go from Pro Bowl caliber corner to horrible? It has more to do with the Bucs lack of pass rush, the two go hand in hand don’t they? I really hope we address the corner position aggressively, in both free agency and the draft. We need someone who knows how to play, right now, and someone to develop with good upside. What we put on the field right now is a joke, even Nick Foles knows it.
December 13th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
@Silence – Never meant to get under your skin.
As I posted, I normally enjoy your posts, but to say last years pass defense was worse than this year’s is ridiculous. There is no way you can say that with a straight and honest face.
My comment was in reference to the teams pass defense, not Talib. You wrote that they were the worst in history, yet history will show that this Bucs defense is in fact one of the worst all time. Present shows the same.
Last year’s pass defense was way better than the debacle the Bucs have now. Be it scheme or talent, this pass defense is terrible and on record one of the worst pass defenses of all time. Certainly one of the worst in Buccaneer history.
December 13th, 2012 at 10:55 pm
How do Bucs fans not gun for Biggers head like me? Do we watch the same games? I see #31 running at least 4 yards behind his man every play. The guy plain cannot tackle but the Bucs fan like him, why? I really don’t know. I am embarrassed for him sometimes watching him try to cover receivers. Its like a back up Junior Varsity corner trying to cover the best Varsity receiver on the team. Its like taking candy from a baby.
December 13th, 2012 at 11:17 pm
I don’t know any fans that like him, but I certainly don’t see him “at least 4 reply yards behind his man every play”.
I find entire your post an exaggeration and hard to take serious.
December 14th, 2012 at 12:15 am
I agree Legarrettes I call biggers “burnt toast”. Finally someone who see’s the game like me. Yesssss! All OC’s & QB’s know who to attack. #31 Biggers! If he get his dam head around he can make a play..He to weak to press & he is 4yds behind wrs…pathetic! Who starts a 7th rounder for years in this league that doesn’t produce or progress..The Bucs!
Why do we pay unproductive players?
Ala… Mo Stovall
December 14th, 2012 at 4:22 am
And SacBucs strikes again without rhyme or reason.
December 14th, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Really?
Cause I thought he was responding to LB’s post….
Lol 😉 just messin’