pats1

With all the offensive talk going on right now, I thought I'd take a look back at the 2003 Patriots, specifically their performance in the AFC Championship against the Colts, to see what their balanced, controlled, and varied offensive attack looked like then. I charted out the game Reiss-style, and added some notes on creative/well-designed/executed plays, as well as poorly executed plays that could have made the game a lot less close than it actually was (the Pats won 24-14, scoring only one touchdown - the rest were field goals and a safety).

Gamebook

Note: When I tallied up my snaps, I ended up with only 65, not counting two QB sneaks. In reality, the Pats ran 69 plays, including those two sneaks, so somewhere I missed two plays.

Tom Brady – 65 / 65 = 100%
David Givens – 63 / 65 = 97%
Christian Fauria – 58 / 65 = 89%
Deion Branch – 49 / 65 = 75%
Antowain Smith – 37 / 65 = 57%
Daniel Graham – 29 / 65 = 45%
Troy Brown – 27 /65 = 42%
Larry Centers – 22 / 65 = 34%
Kevin Faulk – 21 / 65 = 33%
Bethel Johnson – 8 / 65 = 12%
Dedric Ward – 8 /65 = 12%
Richard Seymour – 2 / 65 = 3%
Mike Vrabel – 2 / 65 = 3%

Passes: 37, Runs: 32
--69 total plays

2 WR / 2 TE / 0 FB / 1 RB - 18 / 65 = 28%
3 WR / 1 TE / 0 FB / 1 RB - 16 / 65 = 25%
2 WR / 1 TE / 1 FB / 1 RB - 14 / 65 = 22%
1 WR / 2 TE / 1 FB / 1 RB - 8 / 65 = 13%
5 WR / 0 TE / 0 FB / 0 RB - 7 / 65 = 11%
0 WR / 3 TE / 1 FB / 1 RB - 2 / 65 = 3%

Shotgun # - 11 / 65 = 17%
Play Action # - 11 / 37 = 30%
Draws # - 6 / 30 = 20%
Screens # - none

1st drive: 3rd and 1, Fauria RTE, Smith/Centers split backfield, Graham LTE, Givens three-point left wing – Centers no first down, Pats keep same personnel for 4th and 1; initially line up with Givens split wide left, Graham RTE, Fauria right wing, Centers right wing, Smith single back, then shift to shotgun 5 WR, then Brady comes up to Koppen, quick snaps it and sneaks for first down….later, Brady fake screen to Givens, draws CB, then hits open Givens in end zone

2nd drive: 3rd and 5, Faulk lone back offset left, Fauria RTE, Colts show blitz left; Troy motions left slot to right, SLB takes Fauria, LCB takes Givens – zone blitz, Freeney takes Troy, no match, first down

3rd drive: 1st and 10, Faulk lone back, 3 WR; Colts blitz left, Pats play action left, rollout right – blitz comes left, Faulk can’t pick up, but Brady rolls away, hits Givens on sideline comeback for first down…same idea tried a few plays later, except with Smith and WR strength to rollout side – CB Walt Harris made a great play to break up a TD to Givens in the end zone….later, 4th and 8 from the IND 29: Brady hits Troy – nothing fancy, just clutch

6th drive: 1st and 10, I-form, play action, FB Centers clears out right and goes for 28 yards

7th drive: 1st and 10, Fauria LTE, Graham left wing, Graham trap block vs. 8 in box – 4 LBs/S split, Antowain goes right up the middle for 35 yards…Next play, SAME play – 14 yards!...same play again, no gain – probably would have set something up if next play wasn’t a defensive offsides

8th drive: 2nd and 3 from IND 3, 2 TE right, play action left, rollout right, Fauria drops TD – next play INT

9th drive: 2nd and 4, I-form, 2 WR left, TE right, play action left, Bethel end around – 3 yard gain

10th drive: 3rd and 10, 5 WR shotgun, Troy drops pass that would have sealed win

maverick4

Great thread.

The 03 Pats used multiple formations and looks on offense, not having an obvious tendency to give the defense. They also spread the ball around, nobody knew who the star on offense would be.

3 different formations of over 20% chance called, in contrast to the past 4 years of 50%+ shot gun.
As much play action was called as total shot gun formations called in that game.


Contrast that with the Colts...what were Manning's stats that game?

I remember when we used to analyze why the 03-04 Colts always lost to the Pats. Now we have become those Colts.

pats1

Yes, I heard him today. I said the same thing the day before:

I miss Ellis Hobbs

miDeuce

That offense scored one touchdown in the game. I understand the value of a balanced attack, multiple looks/threats, but an offense's job is to score points. Say what you will about the Pats current tendencies but over the past two seasons they have scored a ton of points (last two weeks not included), and came within a half of a probable fourth Super Bowl and 2 minutes of a fifth. Those were lost because of defense.

I'd like to see a Reiss-ian breakdown of the defense in this 03 AFCCG... and compare that to the last couple years. I think that would be far more telling of what the Pats have been missing in recent years that they had in the Super Bowl winning years.

maverick4

Interesting you diminish the Pats 03 offense. The Jets only had 1 TD, yet they beat the vaunted Patriots last week. There are always excuses to go around.

Would you rather have a physical talented D and a wily offense, or an explosive offense and serviceable D?

Oswlek

And despite having Dillon and facing Indy's terrible run defense in bad weather in the 2004 Div game, NE passed 19 times in the first half to only 10 runs.

You read that right. The game so many point to as NE displaying their dominance running, they actually passed at a 2:1 ratio in the first half. And one of those runs was a give up draw on 3rd and 20, otherwise it likely would have been 20-9.

And NE is famous for going pass heavy to counter Pitt's blitzing scheme.

Why are people acting like going pass heavy is a new thing for this team. Even the superbowl winners did it if they felt it gave them the best chance.

__________________
"They have one objective," said Washington cornerback Shawn Springs. "They whoop people's [backsides]. If you understand that, it answers all your questions. They might not lose [this year]."

Patjew

I remember that game well. It felt like and should have been a blow out, but it wasn't because the team repeatedly couldn't get in the end zone and settled for FGs. Sounds familiar.

__________________
Drink like a beast.


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

pats1

I can do that; do you want personnel, formations, blitzes, or coverages? Or all of it?

pats1

The difference is they could actually run the ball when they wanted to. This team can't. Those teams could run the ball effectively and open up the pass; these teams just pass because they have trouble running outside of the draw and try to win that way. It worked very well early in 2007, but outside of that, not so much, 2005 to 2009. If you take a detailed look of those 10 first half runs: Dillon 3, Dillon 2, Dillon -2, Dillon 5, Dillon 8, Dillon 7, Faulk 13, Faulk 6, Dillon 4, Dillon 2, Dillon 42, Faulk 11. None of those were out of the shotgun. And even when the Colts knew they were going to run (the second half), here are the results: Dillon 0, Dillon -1, Dillon 4, Dillon 9, Faulk 9, Dillon 4, Dillon 5, Faulk 2, Dillon 5, Faulk 9, Faulk 4, Faulk 1, Dillon 0, Dillon 2, (Branch 4), Dillon 6, Faulk 2, Faulk 0, Dillon 27, Dillon 4, Dillon 3, Dillon 4, Dillon 4, Faulk -1.

Do you really think Taylor/Maroney/Morris/Faulk could post those numbers out of this offense?

I don't think anyone is saying go run heavy, but I think people are looking for both a general improvement and the running game and more balance; those seem to go together. Which brings me back to my previous point: the Pats don't have a reliable back like they had with Smith or Dillon. Which brings me back to my point before that, which is the Pats haven't drafted up to a championship level.

Oswlek

Didn't they run well last year?

By season's end this will prove to be a complete offense. The RBs are fine.

__________________
"They have one objective," said Washington cornerback Shawn Springs. "They whoop people's [backsides]. If you understand that, it answers all your questions. They might not lose [this year]."