DaedalusX

I think that more than a few of us agree that offensive and defensive play-calling has been sorely underwhelming, predictable and entirely containable. Now, on to solutions.

Defense:

I want to start here because I feel it's the most obvious fix: play way more aggressive. The league has changed too much and offenses across the league are too explosive to just play prevent defense anymore. Bend but don't break no longer applies to dealing with the offenses of today. The defense needs to be way more aggressive, force plays, be free to take risks to get the big play.

The problem defensive coordinators have with being aggressive is that it exponentially increases the downside of giving up the play. But when executed well, the result is consistent, dominating and discouraging for offenses. The best defenses in the league all employ far more exotic packages, far more aggressive postures, accepting far higher risk. And are more often successful at shutting down even the most explosive offenses.

In addition, we need to start thinking of the defense as a possible scoring unit. If your defense never returns a pick 6 and is middle of the pack for yards and points allowed, you're not doing enough. It's not enough to stop the other offense - you must punish them.

We finally have the personnel to make this happen. We need to pull the trigger and get nasty.

Offense:

Pure smash-mouth football relies on personnel that most modern offenses don't have. Certain teams can pull it off, but most teams don't have Adrian Peterson on payroll. You need to build the offense around that philosophy to make it work against the defenses of today. We need to stop thinking a stable of star running backs is the final answer. It's part of the answer, but not the answer. Maroney is not the problem - he just needs to be used more effectively (I'll get to this in a minute).

Further, west coast, spread offense and pure pocket passing are no longer new, unseen and intimidating. Defenses know how to stop it, or at least disrupt it enough to severely deflate its effectiveness. In many cases, that's more than enough. And even if that weren't true, we can't count on always have Wes Welker and two running backs healthy in order for this offense to function.

Finally, we need to be unpredictable on offense. And I don't mean balancing running and passing with one or two flea flickers thrown in every other game. What am I getting at?

Miami. I'm thinking about what Miami has been doing. And anyone who watched the game last night should be thinking the same thing.

I used to loathe the wild cat. I felt it was the last resort of a team with no quarterback. I was wrong. The wild cat won the game for Miami against a very, very good defense. It is the future. Not the entire future, but part of it.

Now, before people have a conniption, I'm not suggesting Brady go out there and start blocking for Maroney. What I AM suggesting is, stop thinking of Brady as the linchpin of this offense and start mixing wild cat formations - using Hoyer, Endelman, Maroney and another RB, TE or large receiver (Galloway, want to earn your keep?) - with a strong smash-mouth game AND the spread offense with Brady at the helm. Give them absolutely NO @#%&ing clue what you're about to do. Sub packages constantly. Run the 2 minute drill with a spread offense, next possession run the wild cat, next switch between screens, the wild cat and one bomb to Moss.

I think Maroney would be awesome in the wild cat, with Hoyer or Endelman as the QB.

Anyway, I'm sure people are going to think I'm nuts or a retard, but I think this would give us an unprecedented, perhaps temporarily unstoppable (this season), edge.

Thoughts?

crypto

That would be a massive mid-season change, and I don't think our personnel are built for it. I think some creativity and a lot of pressure counts on defense, but on offense—stick to the formula.

EDIT: It would be awesome, though.

ALP

i agee....

we have the ability to completely made defenses be VERY timid...all we need to do is throw different things at them

we SHOULD emply the wildcat....its just one more thing for the defense to stop and look for.....

We SHOULD play I formation,

we SHOULD spread the field

we SHOULD go 3TE set and TRHOW IT

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Last time I lived in New England the Pats became a Dynasty

Then I moved away and they haven't won since

...now I'm moving back, and a Lombardi I predict

CampPen33

You are right, you are nuts! SO nuts you make some sense. The defense part anyway. AGGRESSIVE is the key there. I don't get sick over the offense. I get sick watching the defense recent bend, then BREAK defense, even though it is much better than last years. McGowan made some great breakups on Sunday but then got flagged, and just as were talking about being happy about the swagger, that gets us a BS taunting call.

The offense is just a clicking Brady away from being more than enough.

I am intrigued by the different possibilities on offense, but I just don't think that they will want to take Brady off the field, especially when he needs the reps to get better. Plus, when he is on that will be their best option. They just need to adjust to the defenses half time adjustments and put some points up in the second half.

maverick4

Excellent post. Welcome to the forum.

Raymond

Yeah, on offense, simply making the throws and catching the balls will go a long way to producing wins.

I agree with some more agressiveness on D.

Terry Glenn is a cowgirl

It can't be any worse than what we already seen so far... I would welcome it.

swheeler23

If this way game 8 or 9 and Brady is still looking average than I say do it. I would wait thou. Doing it now would be telling Brady and the rest of the team they have no confidence in him.Belichick and Kraft have already said they do not want to take the ball out of Bradys hands. I think Brady should get a few more games.

Terry Glenn is a cowgirl

Edelman might be pretty good for this type of situation...

Satchboogie3

This isn't about taking the ball out of Brady's hands, it's about making the offense more creative, complex, and give the defense a lot more looks. Just using a couple wildcat or other creative plays each game might open up the offense. I think we are all just a little bit sick of the "formula". Everyone knows what our offense will do, it's time to put the trickery/doubt back into it.

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This is the year. We put our failures in the past, it's a new year, a new defense. It's time to prove to the league that the Patriots are back and aren't going anywhere and they will be the last ones standing in Feb.
Update: Well that didn't work out as I had planned. Next year baby, next year 19-0 we go. Next year.