The 4th and 1 stop

[PatriotNMP43]

First off, i am very happy for the win. Big win, no doubt.

What I can't understand is why the Patriots have gone away from the quarterback sneak this season. That was the perfect time to run a sneak with less than 12 inches for a first down. Handing the ball off 3 yards in the backfield is just dumb in that situation and we are lucky it did not cost us the game.

Last year we ran sneaks on 4th and 2's but this year I don't think there was one yet. Cassel must be capable of running under the center for 12 inches, come on McDaniels, take the training wheels off your QB.

Thoughts?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I think the biggest reason is "let's not risk Matt Cassel getting killed."

But I agree, I'd have rather seen the QB sneak, too.

 

[Keegs]

First off, i am very happy for the win. Big win, no doubt.

What I can't understand is why the Patriots have gone away from the quarterback sneak this season. That was the perfect time to run a sneak with less than 12 inches for a first down. Handing the ball off 3 yards in the backfield is just dumb in that situation and we are lucky it did not cost us the game.

Last year we ran sneaks on 4th and 2's but this year I don't think there was one yet. Cassel must be capable of running under the center for 12 inches, come on McDaniels, take the training wheels off your QB.

Thoughts?

that's actually a pretty damn good question.

Cassel is supposedly really athletic... why can't he do a QB sneak?

they run them all the time with Brady and never once with cAssel even though there's been tons of opportunities. very strange.

 

[CheerforTom]

I thought the same thing.

My first reaction is because we're weaker at quarterback they're making an effort to protect Cassel better. That doesn't really make sense though because it's not like they'd be willing to risk Brady in a similar situation. Maybe Cassel hasn't shown enough of a prowess for it?

I honestly thought G-E was going to pick it up. Maybe they did too. Unfortunately that was one of the few downs where his ability to blast through guys wasn't enough.

 

[BionicPatriot]

Good point indeed. A pro bowl center should be able to convert a single yard. You'd think with Cassel they'd use that stratagy more.

 

[Ishdul]

Sneaks are more than the centre. If Yates gets blown up than that play is probably getting stuffed as well and we certainly don't trust Yates nearly as much as we do Neal.

 

[BionicPatriot]

Sneaks are more than the centre. If Yates gets blown up than that play is probably getting stuffed as well and we certainly don't trust Yates nearly as much as we do Neal.

Good point, and I bet that's it.

 

[PatriotNMP43]

Sneaks are more than the centre. If Yates gets blown up than that play is probably getting stuffed as well and we certainly don't trust Yates nearly as much as we do Neal.

12 inches or hand off 3 yards in the backfield, i prefer physics on that one, even if it gets stuffed its the right call. You do make a good point though, why on earth is Yates in there on that big situation when you got Neal?

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

A sneak is very hard to stuff. All the QB has to do is find the slightest gap and fall through it. BJE was tripped up before he really had a chance. Bad play selection especially after they ran the same exact play on 3rd down.

 

[PATSNUTme]

This is going to shock all those "open minded and objective" poster. This homer agrees.

We should have done it on 3rd down and again on 4th, if needed. It makes no sense to me to run 2 plays in which the RB is going sideways. If not QB keepers, then a quick hand-off to the RB in a dive between the 2 or 3 holes with his shoulders square to the LOS.

 

[102 Pat]

I'd put a vote into maybe scared of getting Cassel hurt. Then again Brady has done it so many times...

 

[Zeke_Mowatt]

Let's not lose sight of the fact that it could very well have been a "Brady audible if you see XXXX" situation last year, and they don't trust Cassel reading Defenses/D-Line Packages/etc as much as Tom. Or, similarly, the Defenses aren't giving us the same looks on D, Tom saw more 3 man fronts, more pass coverages on 3rd or 4th and shorts, etc. Could be any number of specific reasons, but my instinct is that it was generally more of an 'audible if you see something read' that they don't necessarily put in Cassel's hands just yet.

 

[ALP]

did u guys not see what happened to get the play broken up?

BJ was tripped up in the backfield...b/c the defender blew yates out of the water and dove into the backfield...

if it was a sneak, and cassel went to the right, he would have been destroyed by a DT

 

[CheerforTom]

did u guys not see what happened to get the play broken up?

BJ was tripped up in the backfield...b/c the defender blew yates out of the water and dove into the backfield...

if it was a sneak, and cassel went to the right, he would have been destroyed by a DT

This is also fair... I could not believe there wasn't a flag there for offside, that guy got SUCH an amazing jump.

 

[WhiZa]

Sneaks are good for # and less than a yard. This was a yard plus.

 

[SVN]

i dont know if they have seen enough from cassel to do it especially interms of ball security.last thing they want is cassel conscious about a sneak and fumble a snap and all that crap. they probably are working on it maybe they were just not comfortable.
Althought on 3rd and 1 i think they shouldve playactioned and gone deep if they know they were going to go on 4th and 1.

 

[Joker]

Alp nailed it...Yates is below ordinary. That was just bad football. And in hindsight, I agree with SVN about 3rd down.If you are going to go both downs, then a play action and a quick hitter to Welker for a couple of yards would have made more sense.The Rams seemed to know what was coming on both those plays.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

:idontgetit: Great jumping hyperbole, do any of you guys watch the games or check the game logs?

NFL Game Center: Play-by-Play - New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers - 2008 6

2nd Quarter
New England Patriots continues ...
3-1-NE 43 (15:00) 16-M.Cassel up the middle to NE 46 for 3 yards (74-J.Cesaire, 54-S.Cooper).

This was a QB sneek that went right behind Billy Yates. Some of you may recall that San Diego features NT Jamal Williams on their DL? So much for Josh being afraid Cassel will bruise.

The play call choice against St. Louis was no different then the Sammy Morris TD run against Denver, well, somewhat different, this time it got stuffed - they pay defenders too.

 

[patchick]

:idontgetit: Great jumping hyperbole, do any of you guys watch the games or check the game logs?

NFL Game Center: Play-by-Play - New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers - 2008 6This was a QB sneek that went right behind Billy Yates. Some of you may recall that San Diego features NT Jamal Williams on their DL? So much for Josh being afraid Cassel will bruise.

The play call choice against St. Louis was no different then the Sammy Morris TD run against Denver, well, somewhat different, this time it got stuffed - they pay defenders too.

Yet I too have the strong impression that they're running the sneak much less than in previous seasons. I definitely don't buy the argument that they're more concerned about Cassel's safety than Brady's, and Box's example argues against FOY (Fear Of Yates) as the reason. Numbers, anybody? Sneak rate 2007 vs. 2008?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Yet I too have the strong impression that they're running the sneak much less than in previous seasons. I definitely don't buy the argument that they're more concerned about Cassel's safety than Brady's, and Box's example argues against FOY (Fear Of Yates) as the reason. Numbers, anybody? Sneak rate 2007 vs. 2008?

Well, there've been times when they run it seemingly almost every week, and then there've been times where it's all but disappeared from the playbook (parts of 2006, IIRC; I know I've complained about that in the past on this board).