Is it me or does Pees look like a stand-in for Belichick? There are no wrinkles from week to week (I’m sorry but a four man front line is not a wrinkle), no mid-game or halftime adjustments, no friggin’ ballhawking. The players are no longer adaptable; no longer multi-purpose. They play their role and that’s it.

At some point, the inlfux of new blood needs to take place; even at the expense of their record. Especially when you consider that Brady will only be behind center for not much longer than 5 years.

In 2008, Samuel is gone and Vrabel’s name has hardly been called at all in the first five games (is he hurt, or has he pulled a “Jim Rice, 1987″, career-falls-off-the-cliff maneuver in just 8 months since the Super Bowl?)

The defensive lineman are still effective against the run, but really, other than Seymour in his absolute prime, how many of the three starters ever generated much pressure on the QB in their careers? It’s not their job to do that–Jarvis Green was actually their best pass rusher on the line during the glory years, not any of the three starters.

It’s the job of the LBs to get pressure on the QB, and they’re simply not doing it.

I don’t know why Adalius Thomas hasn’t been very productive with the Pats. Maybe the fact that they signed him as he was turning 30 (that’s old for a football player, even in today’s game) has something to do with it.

The fact that BB and Pioli completely ignored the Front 7 in three consecutive drafts after lucking into Wilfork at #21 in 2004 has more to do with this decline than anything else. I still don’t know what they were thinking when they went whole-hog after offensive players in the 2006 draft, including TWO tight ends(!), when they clearly had issues in the secondary and at linebacker.

I believe Scott nailed it: the problem is that the defensive philosophy that won them championships in the earlier part of this decade is either no longer working because other teams have gameplanned for it, or they simply need to inject younger talent into the key positions that are still being clogged up by the old warhorses like Bruschi, Vrabel and Harrison.

I also think that Pees could be part of the problem. Since he took over the D in 2006, upon Mangini’s departure, there have been more receivers running free through the middle of the Pats’ defense than I can ever remember, even in the bad old days of Rod Rust. They also haven’t tackled very well in the last few years–that’s coaching. That requires the defensive coordinator to put the fear of God into any defender who whiffs on a big tackle during the game. Romeo Crennel would do that; I’m not sure that Pees has it in him.

But all of that said, I still have confidence that they can turn this thing around quickly in 2009. Losing 7 or more games this season will lead to higher draft picks next April, and they’ll also probably be given an extra 3rd rounder as compensation for losing Samuel–so the tools will be there to reload right away. If they go into free agency again, I’d like to see them stay away from the 30-somethings and actually sign somebody young enough to be as productive as Thomas was BEFORE he came to New England and instantly got old.

I’d suggest you’re not seeing them for what they are as players in the here and now. No comparison between them and the Colts in terms of talent? You’d be right if this was 2004. In 2008, I’d say that’s actually a good comparison.

The names Bruschi and Vrabel and Harrison still carry a lot of weight in our hearts and minds for what they did five years ago. They don’t carry a whole lot of weight on the field today, though. That couldn’t be any more obvious. Watch Vrabel try to come off the edge on a passing down now, and tell me if his problem is motivation, or of he’s 60% of the player he was when they were winning championships.