Players who "know the system" - New England Patriots Forums

PaulThePat · 10-12-2010, 03:31 AM

Just reading Mike Reiss and others on the Branch trade and a common quote is that "Deion knows the system". Now, I don't claim to be an x and o's guy and I'd like someone to fill me in on what this means.

Deion has been away for five years in which time we've had Weis, McDaniels and now O'Brien as offensive play callers. We've had the 2007 season and 50 touchdown passes from Brady. Most would probably say that the Pats of the last 2 or 3 seasons have played a different style to the Pats of 2002-2005 when Branch was last here.

Therefore what part of the system will Deion know ? Are we talking terminology ? Surely we have a different playbook and like any new player he'll need to get up to speed.

PaulC.

Kulko · 10-12-2010, 03:55 AM

I think they mean he knows the NE press system, so he knows which Reporters better not to piss of. Something Randy could never get a hang on.

Apart from that, NE has always been promoting from within, which should make for a fairly evolutional change. OTOH You need to change a lot of things regularly in the NFL, because otherwise you get figured out.
Also their are a lot of organizational procedures in running any larger organisation, which should have staed mostly the same, and which Deion should be at least familar with.

Well ist always a bit better than getting somebody who has to learn everything, and he might have learned, that there are worth places to be than a maybe underppaid WR1,5 on a perennial contender.

Tyler.Durden · 10-12-2010, 04:33 AM

Also our offense is going to revert back to pre-moss stylings.

Fencer · 10-12-2010, 04:47 AM

Slow-changing parts of the system could include:

What kinds of reads drive what kinds of decisions.

When you can't run your route perfectly (e.g. due to press coverage), which trade-off you make.

Terminology.

Bostonian1962 · 10-12-2010, 05:17 AM

They are trying to say he knows the system. You know - The System. The System is something he knows, and knows well. He's familar with it, because he played in The System for years.

I hope that helps.

BlitzFritz · 10-12-2010, 05:42 AM

What's so tough to understand? BBs system - terminology, routes, hot reads, Bradys tendencies.

Patriot_in_NY · 10-12-2010, 05:45 AM

Just a general term. Things change from time to time, but terminology and the basic philosophy isn't all that dramatically different. Let's not forget, Brady and Branch had a tremendous chemestry when Brach was here, even moreso then Brady and Moss ever did.

There was some long TV special a few years ago where the two talked about Tom just giving Branch the "eyeball", and Brach knowing exactly which route the tilt of the eyebrow meant. It's take a few games to get back to that, but it's likely return quickly.

Certainly moreso then bringing in some other genreal veteral JAG receiver.

***convertedpatsfan*** · 10-12-2010, 05:52 AM

We may have shifted our offense a bit after Branch left to a more spread-based attack, but we're now going back to our roots as he returns, so philosophically it shouldn't make a difference. He also knows all the route trees and sight adjustments that need to be made pre-snap.