Selling High on the New England Defense (4 Viewers)

[fightingillini]

The reason why the NE defense is so good is that they can get it done in many different ways. Most defenses need to score to achieve a big total   Last week against the Jets, NE D scored 29 in my league WITHOUT a defensive TD and with ONLY 1 sack. 

They can sack the QB, create turnovers, block kicks, get points for low PA and low yardage allowed, as well as TDs.  In my league where I own them, they have scored 4-10 bonus points for points allowed IN EVERY WEEK.  That's a nice floor to start.

In this league, NE D has scored 11, 42, 19, 27, 15, 27, 29, and 20 points.  Absolutely insane.

 

[Anarchy99]

I don't know if the Patriots defense will be considered one for the ages. Let's see how they do the second half of the season and whether they win the SB. There have been people saying that they aren't close to the Ravens defense from 2000 because the Patriots have only faced powder puff quarterbacks. To which I ask, who do you think the Ravens played that season? Here's the answer . . .

Kent Graham
Marc Brunell
Jay Fiedler
Scott Mitchell
Tim Couch
Jamie Martin
Brad Johnson
Steve McNair
Kordell Stewart
Akili Smith
Troy Aikman (in his final season)
Doug Pederson
Ryan Leaf
Jake Plummer
Vinny Testaverde (who threw for 481 yards in that game)
Gus Frerotte
Rich Gannon
Bobby Hoying
Kerry Collins

That's far from a murderer's row of elite QB's . . . and 9 of their regular season games were against bottom feeder opponents.

 

[Anarchy99]

Similarly, the 1985 Bears didn't exactly face sterling QB's in the regular season either. They beat Joe Montana and suffered their only loss to Dan Marino, but the rest of their slate featured . . .

Steve DeBerg
Tony Eason
Tommy Kramer (who threw for 434 yards)
Joe Theismann
Randy Wright
Jim Zorn
Eric Hipple
Gary Hogeboom
David Archer
Mike Pagel
Ken O'Brien

Come playoff time, they beat up Phil Simms, Joe Montana, and Tony Eason again and looked incredible doing it. But they still had weeks where they gave up 38 to MIA, 28 to 2-win TB team, and 24 to a sub-.500 Minnesota squad. CHI did face multiple playoff teams in the regular season but they still had 9 games against weak opponents.

 

[BradtheAg]

Has anyone tried selling this week?  Trying to upgrade TE with no luck at all.

 

[Don Hutson]

Has anyone tried selling this week?  Trying to upgrade TE with no luck at all.

Are you targeting fantasy owners with 2 quality tight ends?  There are probably only 1 or 2 owners in your league that have 2 good ones.  No one is going to trade their only quality tight end for a defense.  And you don't need to try to trade for the lesser of their 2 tight ends.  They might trade you their better tight end if they have two quality ones.

 

[Shrugs]

I was not going to start the Bills over NE again after it didn’t exactly work out when the Bills faced Mia, but now against a guy making his first NFL start I’m thinking I might have to make the mistake of benching NE again.

 

[rockaction]

I was not going to start the Bills over NE again after it didn’t exactly work out when the Bills faced Mia, but now against a guy making his first NFL start I’m thinking I might have to make the mistake of benching NE again.

Haskins looked so bad last week, I can't...I'm just not sure what advice to give other than Haskins looked atrocious. 

 

[BradtheAg]

Are you targeting fantasy owners with 2 quality tight ends?  There are probably only 1 or 2 owners in your league that have 2 good ones.  No one is going to trade their only quality tight end for a defense.  And you don't need to try to trade for the lesser of their 2 tight ends.  They might trade you their better tight end if they have two quality ones.

I was working with a guy who has Waller/Ertz but he eventually remembered that NE D/ST is a defense and lost interest.

 

[kyoun1e]

Are you targeting fantasy owners with 2 quality tight ends?  There are probably only 1 or 2 owners in your league that have 2 good ones.  No one is going to trade their only quality tight end for a defense.  And you don't need to try to trade for the lesser of their 2 tight ends.  They might trade you their better tight end if they have two quality ones.

Exactly what I did. Sold NE D and change for Z. Ertz (who I hope I bought low on).

Have BUF D against Haskins and picked up the BALT D @Cinci with a rookie QB next week.

The sell high window is closing with a bye next week followed by @PHI, DAL, @HOU, KC.

I'm sure NE D will be good, but there not going to be ridiculous off the charts good during that stretch. There are plenty of replacement options if you're looking ahead constantly.

 

[rockaction]

interesting tidbit, from Rotoworld sourcing the Boston Herald:

Steve Belichick C, New England Patriots

The Boston Herald reports secondary coach Steve Belichick has been serving as the Patriots’ defensive play caller.

The Patriots don't have a defensive coordinator, but multiple players confirmed Belichick has been calling plays. It's a huge career step for Belichick, who has been with the Patriots since 2012. New England has the top ranked defense under Belichick's playcalling and are allowing fewer than eight points per game. Belichick looks likely to parlay his success into a full-time coordinator role this offseason.

 

[Don Hutson]

interesting tidbit, from Rotoworld sourcing the Boston Herald:

Steve Belichick C, New England Patriots

The Boston Herald reports secondary coach Steve Belichick has been serving as the Patriots’ defensive play caller.

The Patriots don't have a defensive coordinator, but multiple players confirmed Belichick has been calling plays. It's a huge career step for Belichick, who has been with the Patriots since 2012. New England has the top ranked defense under Belichick's playcalling and are allowing fewer than eight points per game. Belichick looks likely to parlay his success into a full-time coordinator role this offseason.

I am doubtful that Steve Belichick is important to their the success of the NE defense.  There was talk awhile ago that Belichick only agreed to keep coaching on the condition that his kids would take over when he finished.  People are saying that the success of the defense is because Bill has been has been dealing with the defense directly since his assistants left.

 

[rockaction]

I am doubtful that Steve Belichick is important to their the success of the NE defense.  There was talk awhile ago that Belichick only agreed to keep coaching on the condition that his kids would take over when he finished.  People are saying that the success of the defense is because Bill has been has been dealing with the defense directly since his assistants left.

That's fine to have an opinion, and one that seems to satisfy Occam's razor also; I'm just posting what is being reported and apparently confirmed by the players. 

 

[kyoun1e]

The sell window is now closed.

 

[Don Hutson]

I'm going to try to buy low.  I still believe.

 

[Mario Wario]

The sell window is now closed.

Fine by me.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Well thats what happens when you play a cupcake schedule for the first 8 weeks and then finally face a decent team.

 

[Tanner9919]

but, bbut, bbbbbut I thought they were the greatest defense ever! better than the 2000 Ravens, 86 Giants, 85 Bears,  Legion of Boom, etc! what happened?!?!

the blueprint of sorts had been made by the Browns - yeah they lost, but what Chubb did is kind of what Ingram did, is kind of what Sanders and Jordan Howard and the Eagles are going to do, and so on. NE can't stop the run. you can go right up the gut on them and smash them to bits. they've been exposed by this creampuff schedule."oh but look at the numbers, the turnovers, the sacks" people would say. yeah, let's look at the turnovers - against some of the NFLs worst-ever teams. let's look at the sacks - sacks against some of the worst o-lines in the game.let's look at the INTs - INT's against some of the worst QBs we've ever seen.is Darnold the guy? probably not. Keenum/Haskins? nope. Fitzmagic/Rosen? nope. Josh Allen?! lol don't make me laugh. Daniel Jones in ,what, his 2nd or 3rd NFL start?! Baker Mayfield?!  , stop it,  you're killing me. aside from DJ, not one single QB they've faced will be in the league in 2 years.including Big Ben.they all suck.they'll all be in the new XFL soon enough.

 it's easy to stop RBs of the Jets, Dolphins, Redskins, etc. The Bills are nothing special, and they gave Ne fits. come on now how'd you guys let this 'best ever defense' talk take a hold of you? you're better than this.I just can't believe that people dismissed this schedule . that's not to say they're not a good team, they are.but the defense is vastly overrated. you've missed the time to sell high,that was 2-3 weeks ago.

the 2019 Jets, Dolphins, Redskins, Browns are some of the worst teams in the history of the NFL. ALL of them will finish as with top 6 draft picks next season, along with NYG. how does this not register with people, that NE played the easiest schedule to date, against the worst teams in the league. 

 

[wlwiles]

Are you targeting fantasy owners with 2 quality tight ends?  There are probably only 1 or 2 owners in your league that have 2 good ones.  No one is going to trade their only quality tight end for a defense.  And you don't need to try to trade for the lesser of their 2 tight ends.  They might trade you their better tight end if they have two quality ones.

I have Engram and Waller in a 14 team league and for three weeks I offered either one of them via package to the NE DST owner.  He drafted OJ Howard, stubbornly stuck with him and missed on DIssly, Fells, etc. and has been trying to stream Swaim/Burton/Doyle unsuccessfully.  Every offer got laughed at. "NE DST is the best fantasy D of all time, they're an RB1, no way I'll sell them for a TE" I was told.  

Guess who woke up to an offer of NE DST for Engram straight up this morning   

 

[ahartig]

Im holding. Week 15 and 16 matchups are too juicy

 

[Weebs210]

but, bbut, bbbbbut I thought they were the greatest defense ever! better than the 2000 Ravens, 86 Giants, 85 Bears,  Legion of Boom, etc! what happened?!?!

the blueprint of sorts had been made by the Browns - yeah they lost, but what Chubb did is kind of what Ingram did, is kind of what Sanders and Jordan Howard and the Eagles are going to do, and so on. NE can't stop the run. you can go right up the gut on them and smash them to bits. they've been exposed by this creampuff schedule."oh but look at the numbers, the turnovers, the sacks" people would say. yeah, let's look at the turnovers - against some of the NFLs worst-ever teams. let's look at the sacks - sacks against some of the worst o-lines in the game.let's look at the INTs - INT's against some of the worst QBs we've ever seen.is Darnold the guy? probably not. Keenum/Haskins? nope. Fitzmagic/Rosen? nope. Josh Allen?! lol don't make me laugh. Daniel Jones in ,what, his 2nd or 3rd NFL start?! Baker Mayfield?!  , stop it,  you're killing me. aside from DJ, not one single QB they've faced will be in the league in 2 years.including Big Ben.they all suck.they'll all be in the new XFL soon enough.

 it's easy to stop RBs of the Jets, Dolphins, Redskins, etc. The Bills are nothing special, and they gave Ne fits. come on now how'd you guys let this 'best ever defense' talk take a hold of you? you're better than this.I just can't believe that people dismissed this schedule . that's not to say they're not a good team, they are.but the defense is vastly overrated. you've missed the time to sell high,that was 2-3 weeks ago.

the 2019 Jets, Dolphins, Redskins, Browns are some of the worst teams in the history of the NFL. ALL of them will finish as with top 6 draft picks next season, along with NYG. how does this not register with people, that NE played the easiest schedule to date, against the worst teams in the league. 

This won't age well. 

 

[Gottabesweet]

I'm trying to trade for a DST in a short (4) bench league.  If not I'll probably have to drop Miles Sanders or Christian Kirk Sunday morning for whoever.

 

[jtd13]

Im holding. Week 15 and 16 matchups are too juicy

Me too. I put them on the block and made some offers before this weekend. But I'm going to have a week 14 bye in just about every league I have them, so I won't move them unless I get something as generous as Ryan Finley will be in week 15