PatriotSeven

Really nice article with some pictures and breakdowns of our various offensive schemes.

supafly

Nice article with some good breakdowns.

Thanks for posting this.

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mayoclinic

I mentioned this article in another thread. The breakdowns are very nice, and there's some good stuff. But basically, as far as I can tell, Brooks' argument is that the Pats now have a running game, since the other things that he mention (Brady at the top of his game + controlling the middle of the field with Welker and the TEs) were there in 2010 amd 2011.

There's no doiubt that having a running game will help a lot. But there are some other things that I'd like to see for the Pats to make a deep run:

- The OL get healthy
- More use of the RBs in the passing game, with Woodhead and Vereen more involved in screens, being split out wide, etc.
- A more effective outside passing game involving Lloyd and Stallworth so that defenses can't crowd the middle of the field

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

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MoLewisrocks

In 2010 the TE's were rookies and a work in progress. In 2011 one of them was ineffective due to injury when the last game rolled around. In both seasons the defense was a crap shoot. Improving it and developing the running game are huge factors in how deep they can go this time. Health is always a variable, and OL has bitten us in the ass more than once. While it remains a work in progress, this one seems deeper and is gaining more experience that may mark another turning point. Waters might have put them over the top. You have to walk before you run and in the case of the backs I think you will begin to see more involvement of necessity now due to injury and their budding performance. As to the perimeter, until or unless they can establish that someone can perform there at an acceptable level (worthwhile %) that remains to be seen, but they can win without it. For all the angst over improving on it from without and within, and building redundancy at TE, the improved running game, the health of both starting TE's, the health and/or depth of the OL and improvements in the defense across the board are what will likely tell the tale of the tape.

ALP

that is either the FIRST, or one of very few articles I have ever seen on NFL.com that actually describe strategy and plays in depth, instead of storylines

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KontradictioN

The O-Line getting healthy is absolutely paramount. Personally, I'm not a big believer in the "Dante will coach 'em up" school of thought. Scar is an excellent O-Line coach, so don't get me wrong there, but the starting O-Line is also one of the best in all of the league. They also have solid depth at most positions. But three out of five starters are either injured (Mankins, Connolly) or recovering from injury (Mankins). We saw against the Dolphins what a good defensive philosophy and approach (not only in disguising the pass rush, but also with good coverage on the outside) could do to effect the offense. Brady was sacked four times and hit a few times more. Get the starters healthy for the stretch run. Because, while the offense is built for postseason success, it's not going to make much of a difference if #12 is constantly peeling himself up off the turf.

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CREDIT - Sicilian

PATSYLICIOUS

This offense is more dynamic than any other we've had IMO, though I'd like to see Lloyd more of a factor on the outside. Hopefully we utilize all these tools come playoff time.

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BradyManny

I was thinking the same thing. The RBs need to become more involved. When you think about our 5 most dangerous skill position players on offense - at this time where we are without Gronk, Branch & Edelman, aren't Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley both in our top 5 skill group? Is it too late in the year to install some more plays out of their 2RB set?

Vereen has proven to be a good receiver out of the backfield in his time. I would think a 2RB set with him and Ridley could pose some serious issues for opposing teams.

Just something to think about.

Either way - I also believe that a key factor in us winning a title will be Brandon Lloyd doing more on the outside, and Brady improving his rapport with him. It takes a while for Brady to trust a player enough to throw to them when they are covered - especially when he has so many go-to options on the team already. We see with Gronk or Wes he knows exactly when and where to throw it to them even if someone is draped on them. Great coverage means nothing to Brady when it pertains to those guys. Hernandez, too. He might need to gain that trust with Lloyd if we want to make a SB run.

And the last thing that needs to happen is that Brady has to absolutely bring his A game each week from here on out. He was playing MVP caliber ball all year until the last two weeks, when his ridiculously pinpoint accuracy thus far has lessened. I hope it just has to do with missing Gronk and a resulting indecisiveness that leads to inaccuracy. I would fear that he's dealing with the tendinitis or some other injury that resulted in a similar brief flirtation with inaccuracy last season, amidst another otherwise absurdly accurate season.

If those three things happen (RB involvement in passing game; Lloyd-Brady chemistry improves; Brady keeps up MVP form), then I will feel better about our chances at winning the Super Bowl this season than at any point in the last two. I think our defense is approaching being ready to be good enough to support a SB run with this offense.

mayoclinic

Reiss posted some numbers regarding use of the shotgun in different games this season:

Brady & the shotgun tracker - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

The Pats went back to a fair amount of shotgun against the Dolphins (35/79) after using it relatively sparingly in the 2 weeks before. The weeks that they've used it the most heavily are also the weeks in which the offense has generally been least productive: 60/87 against Seattle (23 points), 47/82 against Arizona (18 points), 42/80 against the Jets in the first game (29 points in OT). The other 2 games in which they used it a lot they scored 31 and 30 points (45/94 against Denver, 41/82 against Baltimore).

In general, I'd like to see more run-pass balance and play-action and not as much spread. It has a role, and an important one, but when the team gets too spread out they get too predictable.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

BradyManny

Especially when they are undermanned. With Gronk out, the spread is a lot easier to defend.