The team needs to change the offensive game plan this time

[PATRIOT64]

If I am not mistaken the last 2 times we played the Colts we got manhandled especially due to the part of not running the ball enough and Brady trying to go at it like Peyton with throwing the ball too much and trying too hard to light up the scoreboard and as we got away from smash mouth football and so did both games get away from us as well - We need a perfect mix of pass and run - If Brady has to throw for 51 times in this game - We will lose - Plain and simple.

I don't think the Colts will totally stop our run and see no reason to abandon it even if it is not going so good in the first quarter,The team needs patience and an excellent blocking scheme by the O-Line who I thought played superb against the Chargers.

If we can put 150 yards on the ground I see no way we won't win this game,Maroney and Dillon are the biggest factors to determine the outcome of this game.

Unless the Pats are down by 14 or more they should continue pounding the rock and making this game the fastest game in NFL history,If the score is kept under 24 for each team I see us winning,We can't get involved in a shootout or we will be in trouble,Of course all this requires that our O-Line dominates their front 4 which by the way have been very good in the last 2 games

 

[bobgeorge]

The only problem with this is how to deal with Bob Sanders. He singlehandedly shut down our run attack in the meeting earlier this year, the only game he played during a stretch where he was out with injuries. I believe BB will gameplan for Sanders, but he does pose a huge problem if we try and establish the run.

Bob G

 

[SoonerPatriot]

If we can control Juice, Phillips and the rest of those beasts on the SD defense Bob Sanders can be controlled. Indy's defense is no where near as dangerous as San Diego's.

 

[BelichickFan]

The only problem with this is how to deal with Bob Sanders. He singlehandedly shut down our run attack in the meeting earlier this year,

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/gamecenter/live/NFL_20061105_IND@NE

Maroney : 13-63
Dillon : 13-48

They combined for 26-111, a 4.27 average. Sanders helps their run defense but they hardly shut us down. Keep in mind this was with Graham and Neal out too.

 

[rainmaker]

We need to physically beat them. Knock their WRs silly and make Manning "rub some dirt" on the bruises we hand him.

 

[hwc]

The only problem with this is how to deal with Bob Sanders. He singlehandedly shut down our run attack in the meeting earlier this year, the only game he played during a stretch where he was out with injuries. I believe BB will gameplan for Sanders, but he does pose a huge problem if we try and establish the run.

Belichick today said that it wasn't Sanders. It was the fact that the Colts are committing more guys to stopping the run than there are blockers to handle them. So, it's a choice. Block Freeney and Sanders is free to shoot the gap. Put a blocker on Sanders and Freeney is untouched.

The obvious solution to this is spreading the field and passing the ball. The problem for the Pats the first time around is that the receivers were too inexperienced in our system to effectively exploit the zone coverages.

 

[RayClay]

Our passing game is much better than last time. If we have good balance, sanders can't play run all the time.

Play action anyone?

 

[shirtsleeve]

Our passing game is much better than last time. If we have good balance, sanders can't play run all the time.

Play action anyone?

For once, I agree. Play action to freeze Sanders in the box then exploit the hole he creates. Get him to back out of the box, then run the rock.

 

[JGaffney]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/gamecenter/live/NFL_20061105_IND@NE

Maroney : 13-63
Dillon : 13-48

They combined for 26-111, a 4.27 average. Sanders helps their run defense but they hardly shut us down. Keep in mind this was with Graham and Neal out too.

Here's the stats from Reiss on the offensive participation in Sunday's game:

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2007/01/index.html#Participation

WR Reche Caldwell -- 71 of 74 snaps (95.9 percent)
WR Jabar Gaffney -- 70 of 74 (94.5 percent)
TE Daniel Graham -- 58 of 74 (78.3 percent)
RB Kevin Faulk -- 47 of 74 (63.5 percent)
WR Troy Brown -- 46 of 74 (62.1 percent)
TE Benjamin Watson -- 43 of 74 (58.1 percent)
RB Corey Dillon -- 14 of 74 (18.9 percent)
RB Laurence Maroney -- 13 of 74 (17.5 percent)
TE David Thomas -- 5 of 74 (6.7 percent)
FB Heath Evans -- 3 of 74 (4.0 percent)
WR Chad Jackson -- 0 of 74 (0 percent)
WR Kelvin Kight -- 0 of 74 (0 percent)

(click the link for some good analysis)

I'll call out three bits from this - the low participation of Corey and Koolaid (18 and 17 percent), the high participation of Faulk (63%), Gaffney (94%!), and Reche (95%!), and the ZERO participation of CJ and KK.

Given BB's history with WRs, this means that either CJ and KK aren't ready for prime time, or just weren't good matchups against the Chargers. Or, for the conspiracy theorists, he had em working on Colts video all last week and made sure there was no recent tape of them for Dungy. :cool3: However, Gaffney and Reche were successful - which means that BB never even went to plan B.

The CD/LM numbers vs. Faulk means, in all likelihood, that Faulk had more success than CD/LM - and BB ran with that. The same theorists above will suspect that CD/LM were rested against a strong Chargers run defense and will be used against a weak Colts defense.

So I'd be very surprised if next week's game plan doesn't see a number of things thrown at the Colts early, and what they can't handle, they'll get more of as the game goes on...and almost certainly a spread package will be a lot of that early plan to build space for the run and dink n' dunk.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

We need to physically beat them. Knock their WRs silly and make Manning "rub some dirt" on the bruises we hand him.

You got it. We will beat the Colts by being more physical.... or lose (unless Indy is kind enough to give us some turnovers).