Belichick juggles Patriots' injury-riddled secondary to find success
Posted: February 4, 2012 at 5:15 pm
INDIANAPOLIS — The New England Patriots' playbook should come with a label attached: Some assembly required.
"Coach (Bill) Belichick brings guys in here that really buy into what we're trying to do; guys that are going to put pride and personal statistics aside and go out and try to do what's best for the team to have success," Patriots wide receiver Matthew Slater said. "You get the right group in place and who believe in that and start to buy into it, just doing whatever it takes for the success of the team."
And in a season when the Patriots bring the first defense to a Super Bowl that surrendered at least 400 yards a game in the regular season, Belichick has done some of his best mix-and-match to get the unit through a season's worth of games.
So much so that Slater and fellow wide receiver Julian Edelman have been used as defensive backs. Cornerback Sterling Moore went from his couch after being cut by the Oakland Raiders earlier this season to the Patriots' practice squad to starting at safety for New England.
"After a game, when you feel like you've contributed to a team win, there is nothing better than that," Edelman said. "Any way that you can help the team is always awesome."
Belichick, whose roots in coaching weave back to coaching defensive backs early in his career, is considered one of the league's best talent evaluators at the position. Often, DBs he releases are quickly scooped up by other teams with the assumption that if Belichick had them on the roster, they must have something to offer.
As a result, Belichick also will take more risks at the position. He often used wide receiver Troy Brown as a defensive back during Brown's career, and Edelman and Slater are now in that role.
Because Belichick is the team's top personnel executive as well as head coach, there is nothing to prevent him from making such drastic moves quickly if he sees fit. In Edelman's case, Belichick took a former quarterback at Kent State and made him into a receiver, punt returner and kickoff returner before adding defensive back to the list in November.
Edelman took his first career snaps on defense leading up to the Patriots' Nov. 13 game against the Jets and found himself covering slot receivers just days later.
"(Edelman) is a smart, hardworking guy," Belichick said. "If you ask him to do something, he'll work really hard to get it right and try to do it. He developed a little bit as a defensive player this year."
For his part, Moore is the guy who knocked a potential game-winning touchdown out of Baltimore wide receiver Lee Evans' hands in the AFC championship game, a victory that put the Patriots in Indianapolis. Overall, it was the pile of injuries — safety Patrick Chung (foot), cornerback Devin McCourty (shoulder), cornerback Kyle Arrington (foot) — along with the release of safety James Sanders and cornerback Leigh Bodden, that forced the Patriots into cut-and-paste mode.
Belichick's defensive solution has included Broncos castoffs Nate Jones and Niko Koutivides making starts at safety and linebacker, respectively. It is something the Giants have taken note of along the way this week.
New York wide receiver Mario Manningham, asked about the prospect of facing Edelman in coverage in Sunday's title game, said:
"He plays wide receiver, he's not a real defensive back. Did he get drafted as a defensive back? We have a little bond going on knowing that we can beat somebody. We're confident. I hope he's out there."
Edelman brushed aside Manningham's statement, calling it "a bunch of noise," but the Patriots will need all of the pieces to fit together one last time this season if they are going to add another trophy to the team's case.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
Parts is parts
The New England Patriots have shuffled their secondary often this season. Here is who has started games this season:
Regular season
Player starts:*
CB Devin McCourty 13
CB Kyle Arrington 13
S James Ihedigbo 11
S Patrick Chung 7
S Josh Barrett 4
S Sergio Brown 4
S/CB Sterling Moore 3
WR/DB Matthew Slater 3
CB Ras-I Dowling 2
CB Antwaun Molden 2
CB Leigh Bodden 1
S Nate Jones 1
* Patriots opened two games with five defensive backs
Playoffs
Player starts:
CB McCourty 2
CB Arrington 2
S Chung 2
S Ihedigbo 2
Jeff Legwold, The Denver Post
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Belichick juggles Patriots' injury-riddled secondary to find success
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NMSU online programs ranked by news magazine
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To learn more about NMSU distance education, click here.
For a full list of the rankings as well as the methodology used in this first assessment, click here.
LAS CRUCES - New Mexico State University's online education programs - bachelor's programs as well as the engineering and nursing online graduate degree programs - were identified in the U.S. News & World Report first edition of Top Online Education Program rankings.
"It is gratifying for NMSU to be among the top online education programs in the nation identified by USNWR. NMSU participated in prior years when USNWR gathered information about distance education programs that was publicly shared without any ranking," said Susie Ceppi-Bussmann, director of Technology-Assisted and Off-Site Programs at NMSU. "The shift this year to ranking is a reflection of the national trend to make comparisons to support informed consumer choices."
The engineering graduate program was ranked 25th in student services and technology, which scores on number of technologies and services accessible to students, and 26th in student engagement, which scores how easy it is for students to participate in class and interact with their instructors.
The nursing graduate program was ranked 33rd in faculty
credentials and training, which scored significant faculty academic credentials and training in teaching online. The nursing program also ranked 65th in student engagement and CCNE accreditation status, as well as 74th in student services and technology.
The education program was ranked 54th in student services and technology, 63rd in faculty credentials and training and 93rd in student engagement and NCATE accreditation status.
For online bachelor's programs, NMSU ranked 61st in student services and technology and 151st in student engagement and assessment, which scored the many ways students may participate in class and have faculty who clearly and thoroughly assess students' classwork.
Gabriella D. Ferrari writes for NMSU Communications and can be reached at (575) 646-7565.
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New Gym off of Preston [Health & fitness]
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The new fitness center off of Preston Hwy is called Planet Fitness (7450 Jefferson Boulevard). It is right next to the Hobby Lobby and across from Jefferson mall. It is one of the cheapest and well kept fitness centers I have ever been in. The equipment is plentiful and the service is impeccable. I would suggest if you’re looking for a gym to try this one out.
The best thing about this gym is that there are no commitments. You pay $1 down and $10 a month, best price around town. They have elliptical, treadmill, weight stations, etc. No matter what you can find yourself something and not wait in line. I’ve heard if you go around 5 pm you won’t find an elliptical machine or treadmill available though. The reason of course is so many people get off work around this time and go straight to the gym.
But this gym is open 24/7 so if you can go before work or later in the day I would suggest this gym. It has newly opened and is said to have over 3000 members actively using the facilities. That is a big number for such a new gym, so that should say something about how good it is. There are personal trainers available as well so that you can learn to use the equipment correctly. Also, you don’t have to walk far to get to the next station. Everything is out in the open and easy accessible.
Motivation is essential in this facility. There are words plastered over the wall to keep you motivated and on track. One of the walls said “judgment free zone” another said “you belong” and finally “no critics.” This is there so as to notice how no one is focused on you but yourself, and every now and again you have to be reminded of that (I know I do).
Not only is this a motivational and well equipped gym but also one with a tanning bed. Also unlike some gyms they don’t have a movie room to work out in. This can be a positive or a negative thing, some people like the movie rooms Urban Active offers but some people get dizzy and sometimes could get hurt. There are televisions in the main room but I could not see any way to hear them, but there is music going on the entire time which you cannot avoid. The music played sounded mostly like POP music, so if you’re not a fan I’d suggest bringing your MP3 or iPod in with you.
All in all it is a great gym and a facility will also be opening in Clarksville this March. So if you are closer to Clarksville than Preston Hwy you can go to that one. Happy training and remember to eat healthy as well as exercise correctly. Without proper use of both you won’t see the results you want.
Photo by Planet Fitness
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New Gym off of Preston [Health & fitness]