fluoropolymer

Like everyone else I love this Patriots team and believe we are in for a great year. Spanking the Chargers was great. But I was not real happy to see Antonio Gates make all those catches in the second half. I know we had the game well in hand, but is this inability to shut down a really good tight end an area of concern? I cringe everytime I remember Dallas Clark's catching pass after pass in last year's AFC championship game.

I know the team has to take it game by game, but let's face it - Indy is the 800 pound gorilla we have to face down the road. For those of you out there that are far more brilliant than me, how do we take gays like Gates & Clark out of a game?

BelichickFan

I don't know, I bet Belichick is pretty happy with 7-77 from Gates.

true_patriot

All good points. But one thing to remember is that, if Indy is a 800 pound gorilla, then I will safely say that Pats are a 00 pound gorilla too. Only difference: Pats gorilla is seriously pissed and mean about someone taking away its toy.

Having said that - the way I look at it - BB will prob will assign AT to shadow Clark all the time.

PrairiePat

At least 4 of those catches were 3rd down conversions, however. I was thinking the same unhappy thoughts about the Pats' coverage of him.

I thought Rivers did a good job of hitting Gates just as he got separation from coverage (probably because he was staring him down the whole time), and I think Gates is just a freak of nature with his size, speed, and those long arms. We put DBs against him, and they were basically overmatched physically.

I'm not sure how much more you can do against someone like that. I don't think Dallas Clark poses the same kind of threat - he's mostly a speed and precision route guy.

ctpatsfan77

That, or maybe he'll get the dolphins doing an effective job covering Harrison in that creepy-@$$ Sprint commercial.

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bunzoburns

Not to sound like a homer because Gates is a great player, but we weren't exactly trying to stop him, most of his catches were in the 2nd half. The Pats were giving up the middle because they didn't want to get beat deep. That's why their first touchdown drive tool 7-8 minutes off the clock.

Patriots Nation NY

BB did talk about that yesterday on his WEEI show.. He said they needed to play him a little tighter, and that he should coached it better.

BelichickFan

This is the camp I'm in, Gates is an unusually tough guy to slow down - Clark is good but he's a JAG compared to Gates. The Chargers were 4-11 in 3rd downs, nothing stunning. And most of them were well executed plays, not wide open receivers.

mgteich

Gates is arguably the best TE in football, and a very special player. He is SD's best receiver. He was held to 77 yards. That's fine with me.

Metaphors

I like this area of discussion and have been meaning to bring it up myself. This defense over the last couple of years has been specifically built to answer the Colts style of offense. I don't think you try to take Harrison/Wayne/Clark out of the game. I think you force Manning into making mistakes.

Pressure
If Manning has all day to throw, everything else becomes moot. You have to be able to get reasonable pressure without blitzing...and when you do blitz you have got to get in Manning's face. He feels the pressure from the outside and gets rid of the ball effectively. When he gets pressure that affects his downfield vision, his form gets sloppy and his accuracy and decision making suffer.

Coverages
If Manning can read a zone or man coverage correctly, he has the advantage since almost all his throws are timing passes or checkdowns. Asante's success last year was keyed off his ability to sell man coverage when he was actually in zone (able to jump other receivers routes) or sell zone and then quickly recover to his assigned receiver (like in the AFCC game). Adalius has the same ability.

I think the key is going to be the play of the slot and deep DBs in the nickel (Gay, Wilson, Merriweather). Is it a coincidence that they are all either S with CB experience or the reverse? None of them were on the field for the AFCC game so I would expect a gameplan that utilizes their flexibility to give Manning looks he hasn't seen before.

The Stretch
The Colts run and pass effectively out of their "stretch" play. In fact, they really don't have many other formations that they run out of. You have to be able to stop the stretch run without having to "sell out" your defense to do it (and get burned by play-action). A completely healthy Seymour is key here, which is why I was actually happy to see him on the PUP list...take the time and have him fresh and dominant for the Indy game and playoffs.

Checkdowns
Manning really came into his own (and won a championship) when he learned that sometimes you just have to take what the defense gives you and move the chains. It is great to have Harrison and Wayne, but really utilizing the TEs and RBs in the passing game puts a real strain on the defense.

You can't really stop a 3 yard dumpoff to Addai, but you have to keep those from becoming 1st downs. There is a direct correlation to the number of punts/FG attempts the Colts have and the chances that you see the "Manning Face" sometime in the 2nd half.