Tag Archives: secondary

Stephon Gilmore named First Team All Pro

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The Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore was named First Team All Pro by the AP today. The shutdown corner has been worth every penny since arriving in New England last year. Gilmore has proven to be one of the elite cornerbacks in the NFL, and is arguably the Patriots MVP this season.

Stephon Gilmore By The Numbers

Gilmore only allowed a 71.8 passer rating, while braking up 20 passes, finishing second in that category. The two interceptions Gilmore had shows that quarterbacks were throwing away from him. Pro Football Focus already ranked Gilmore as the top rated player at his position. The First Team All Pro honor is no surprise, as Tom Brady also had plenty of praise for his teammate on Wednesday. Brady compared Gilmore to some of the greats, saying he is right up there with them. Players like Law, Talib and Revis, two of which are future HOF CB’s.

Gilmore is a shutdown Cornerback


The Price was Right

This is Stephon Gilmore’s second Pro Bowl selection, but his first All Pro honor. Gilmore showed his value all year vs top notch opponents. The wide receivers Gilmore shadowed this year include DeAndre Hopkins, Antonio Brown, Stephon Diggs and Devante Adams, just to name a few. Gilmore raised the level of play from New England’s secondary as well. Jason McCourty and JC Jackson both have stepped up big time, and this secondary looks strong. The Patriots secondary has had some extremely impressive games in 2018 with Gilmore leading the way. The Vikings and Steelers dynamic WRs were no match for Gilmore and company.

Gilmore with the defensive play of the 2017 season

Stephon Gilmore started his Patriots tenure off slow, along with the rest of the defense last year. But as the season went on he improved each week, and made the play of the year breaking up a Blake Bortles pass attempt to finish the Jaguars off. Since that incredible play he continued to emerge as a top tier CB, and now is honored as the Top rated player at his position. The Patriots and fans hope that Gilmore won’t have anything to do with the Pro Bowl this year, as they’re all in for a Super Bowl run.

Matchups To Watch For In Patriots Versus Texans

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Alas, Patriots Nation rejoice! Football returns tomorrow as the great Tom Brady and the New England Patriots take on the up-and-coming Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans who they beat last year in a close game. Here are several matchups to keep an eye out for as the game progresses.

DeAndre Hopkins versus Stephon Gilmore

This is essentially the matchup of the game. DeAndre Hopkins is easily one of the league’s best receivers with the athletic ability to make any throw catchable. He still had a 1300+ receiving season with the likes of Tom Savage and T.J. Yates at quarterback for most of the year.

Deshaun Watson was having a field day with the Patriots’ secondary last year. The key to stopping Watson is to shut down his most reliable target and make him force it to others. Think of it this way: whenever Hopkins is the primary read in a play (which is a lot) and he’s covered, it will take longer for the pass to occur and thus giving more time for pressure to come in or players to reposition themselves.

Enter Stephon Gilmore, who is easily the best cornerback on the roster. He needs to play very physical and aggressive to contain Nuk as he describes in the interview below. This is a very important test for Gilmore and the New England secondary down below. Do they have what it takes?

 

J.J. Watt versus Marcus Cannon

J.J. Watt is an elite player when healthy. Marcus Cannon is an elite player when healthy.  Both are coming off injuries. This will be exciting to see if Watt can power and finesse his way to sack Brady or can the developed Cannon hold his ground.

The rehiring of Dante Scarnecchia, the Patriots’ legendary offensive line coach, had done wonders with Cannon. In 2015, Cannon was beaten time and time again by Von Miller in the AFC Championship. When Scarnecchia returned, his coaching skills elevated Cannon’s game (along with the rest of the line). In 2016, he had only allowed 27 pressures and played in 99.3 percent of the snaps. Cannon looks to return to this form in 2018 but has a tough challenge in the former DPOY.

Rob Gronkowski versus Tyrann Mathieu/Aaron Colvin

The task of stopping Gronk plagues the minds of every team New England faces. Houston will most likely use the free agent signings of Mathieu and Colvin to cover him along with most likely a linebacker. Whatever linebacker who covers Gronk isn’t the concern at all.  Gronk can beat out most linebackers just with his route-running skills and athleticism.

Houston, if they want to slow down the New England offense, must try to do what the Chiefs did with Eric Berry last year. Only when Gronk lines up in the slot is when Colvin will cover him (as Evan Lazar had pointed out earlier yesterday).

This matchup with New England as a whole will be hard on the Texans secondary as a whole. Brady always finds a way to work with what he has, and that will always be dangerous.

 

A Big Impact

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Which trade has made a bigger impact to the New England Patriots this season? The blockbuster trade that sent the scrappy, young Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a speedster in Phillip Dorsett? Or giving the Detroit Lions a 2019 sixth round pick for special teamer and secondary depth player Johnson Bademosi? Midseason returns would indicate that the home run of those trades is for Bademosi. Injuries to Gilmore and Rowe were decimating the Patriots secondary and Bademosi stepped in admirably. He has defended against quarterbacks Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers and Josh McCown. Bademosi has solidified himself as a valued member of the rotation and a core special teams player. Poised to make a big impact for the rest of this season and beyond. But who is the man that now wears the silver helmet?

Is He the 1st Generation Son of Nigerian Immigrants?

His parents, Henry and Margaret have worked hard since coming to this country to provide the best possible opportunity for their children. A standout at the Gonzaga High School in Washington D.C., Bademosi continued his journey by becoming a rugby, track and field, and a football athlete for the private school. He made a impact on the field as well as off, becoming the recipient of the Maurice “Maus” Collins Award. This award is given for displaying excellence and leadership away from the playing field. Other people noticed his unique blend of hard work and dedication. Jim Harbaugh once made a call to offer the young star a scholarship at Stanford University. Bademosi cut the conversation short, saying that he had practice to attend.

Was He an Excellent College Cornerback, That Did Not Receive an Invite to the Combine and Went Undrafted?

It’s hard to understand the math that allows a first round pick to barely skate by, only to bounce out of the league within a couple of years. And a guy waiting seven rounds to hear his name called and goes on to carve out a role for himself on a team with a chance at Super Bowl glory. Harbaugh’s excellent Cardinal teams have prepared the DB and special teams player for the NFL but when the draft clock was counting the Bademosi name went unsaid.

Did he feel sorry for himself and wonder why he didn’t get picked? No. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Browns and led the team in special teams tackles for four years straight. Patriot friend, Bob Quinn, signed him as a free agent for Lions but found himself with a logjam at cornerback. When Belichick called looking for special team depth striking a deal was essential to starting the year off right. One could say that the Patriots again won the trade game.

Is He a Man That Is Active with Various Causes Within His Community?

Yes he is. From attending the Million Woman March with DeAndre Levy, to speaking out against immigration bans and police brutality, to providing opportunities for low income children to expand their world. His quiet and impactful measures have touched numerous lives.

I hope he can continue to provide impactful play on the field and off for the New England Patriots for many years to come.