Bedard on the 2-gap 4-3

[patchick]

An impressively clear breakdown of d-line play against the Titans:
Line leads way for Patriots - Patriots - Boston.com

Props to Bedard for a nice piece on, you know, football. (And to the oft-maligned Globe for splashing an analysis of gap discipline across the top of the sports section. When have you seen that in ANY paper?)

 

[Big-T]

The defensive line stuff is good but then he goes on to say Brady should have made a better throw for the Lloyd drop when it still looks quite clear that it was on Lloyd for slowing down and turning round.

 

[patchick]

The defensive line stuff is good but then he goes on to say Brady should have made a better throw for the Lloyd drop when it still looks quite clear that it was on Lloyd for slowing down and turning round.

I'm not sure how we can know, really. Lloyd clearly turn around too early for the throw that was made, but for all we know that's how the route was supposed to go. :confused2:

 

[BSR]

I'm not sure how we can know, really. Lloyd clearly turn around too early for the throw that was made, but for all we know that's how the route was supposed to go. :confused2:

But he was criticizing Brady for not leading Lloyd more, which is odd. Otherwise, I thought it was a good article and very informative.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

I'm not sure how we can know, really. Lloyd clearly turn around too early for the throw that was made, but for all we know that's how the route was supposed to go. :confused2:

Are we to assume Brady is as accurate or more accurate than a cruise missile and can pick any spot on the field and throw within a 2.5 foot radius of that spot?

Maybe the ball drifted more than Lloyd thought, but how often do receivers turn to the ball when there's still plenty of time to move with the ball and catch in stride. I think Lloyd was trying to play it safe, make the catch and then worry about scoring the touchdown.

Still, as Brady said, I doubt that will happen again this year and it's time to move on.

 

[patsfan13]

But he was criticizing Brady for not leading Lloyd more, which is odd. Otherwise, I thought it was a good article and very informative.

Since Lloyd was so far behind the coverage he should have led him more to the inside so he could run under the ball rather than throw it directly over his head/slightly to the back shoulder. ''

 

[Kontradiction]

A perfect example came with 59 seconds left in the third quarter. The Titans spread the field with four receivers, and Johnson next to Locker in the shotgun. The play, an inside zone run behind a pulling guard, should have hit big against a defense with five defensive backs and just two linebackers.

But instead of flowing with the run blockers, the entire line — from right end Chandler Jones, tackles Love and Wilfork, and left end Jermaine Cunningham — stayed perfectly in their gaps.

Johnson found no room to run as Love and Wilfork closed off the middle, Cunningham correctly forced Johnson more to the outside, and cornerback Devin McCourty finished off the play for no gain.

Not to pat myself on the back too much, but I said that this would happen and it would be key for the CB's to wrap up when the D-Line practiced good gap integrity and forced Johnson outside earlier last week. This paragraph sounds like excellent gap integrity to me. In two more weeks, hopefully, we'll see it again.

 

[Gronkandez]

What I saw was Lloyd angling toward the middle of the field and the throw was behind him, or to the left of his target. IMO That's why he turned around or kind of straightened out. My eyes told me the pass was either off target or it was a miscommunication as to where he should be running. But I though his reaction to catch the ball was the right one.

just my 2 cents.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

But he was criticizing Brady for not leading Lloyd more, which is odd. Otherwise, I thought it was a good article and very informative.

Even if the throw was off, Lloyd would have been better served following the pop up concept of getting to the spot and adjusting vs timing where the ball would land.

It's also interesting Wes misplayed a throw two plays later.

Perhaps that side had some tracking problems early.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Not to pat myself on the back too much, but I said that this would happen and it would be key for the CB's to wrap up when the D-Line practiced good gap integrity and forced Johnson outside earlier last week. This paragraph sounds like excellent gap integrity to me. In two more weeks, hopefully, we'll see it again.

It's safe to say the Bengals provided an excellent example of what not to do.

 

[BradyManny]

But he was criticizing Brady for not leading Lloyd more, which is odd. Otherwise, I thought it was a good article and very informative.

I like Bedard a lot, but he gets a Felger-esque "pants tent" by being the "wet blanket of reason." He reaches to justify his value sometimes by seeming more informed than us fanboys, and the easiest way to do that is to call out #12 when others are afraid to. It was a lazy route by Lloyd, he was running at 50% speed. The ball was in the air long enough to adjust. That's all.

The rest of the article is great, though.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I've noticed that emerging tendancy too. Drifting from wet blanket voice of reason towards know it all air of superiority. He's becoming wedded to some pre conceived notions. About Brady. About the OL (which even he said he was not panicing over because he was sooooooo sure Waters was returning). Suddenly he's playing the talk down to the fanboys card about how he was never in doubt and we're all just silly gooses. The Brady thing dates back to his Welker rant where he nearly lost his mind for some reason. Of course he's starting to pick up more radio gigs. I'm concerned.

 

[patfanken]

What Bedard provides is a great service to all serious fans. We should be more tolerant with some of his interpretations of what he sees. Its just his opinion and he doesn't pretend that it isn't. We could all look at the same tape and come out with different opinions on why something happens on a given play.

Give him credit. He obviously puts in the time to break the game down and offer us some insights. How many here knew the Pats were still playing 2 gap while in the 3-4. Wanna bet we are the only team in the league that does the 3-4 that way. That's a great piece of info for us. Some other great stuff was like letting us know that Logan Mankins is not all the way back and confirming my opinion that Gregory took a bad angle on the Titan TD.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

I think both Brady and Lloyd are to blame. Brady could have thrown it better and Lloyd made it much more difficult than it needed to be. Generally though, the better receivers in this game make this play more often than not so I would say Lloyd should accept more of the blame.

 

[Kontradiction]

I think both Brady and Lloyd are to blame. Brady could have thrown it better and Lloyd made it much more difficult than it needed to be. Generally though, the better receivers in this game make this play more often than not so I would say Lloyd should accept more of the blame.

Lloyd was WIDE open. Brady should have put that ball right in his hands.

 

[Frezo]

It was so close.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

What Bedard provides is a great service to all serious fans. We should be more tolerant with some of his interpretations of what he sees. Its just his opinion and he doesn't pretend that it isn't. We could all look at the same tape and come out with different opinions on why something happens on a given play.

Give him credit. He obviously puts in the time to break the game down and offer us some insights. How many here knew the Pats were still playing 2 gap while in the 3-4. Wanna bet we are the only team in the league that does the 3-4 that way. That's a great piece of info for us. Some other great stuff was like letting us know that Logan Mankins is not all the way back and confirming my opinion that Gregory took a bad angle on the Titan TD.

Actually, increasingly he does. It's 4-3 2 gap now. It was always 3-4 two gap in the past. I never presumed Mankins would be all the way back. His puking in the huddle kind of confirmed that for me without Greg pointing it out.

 

[Section103]

It was so close.

That's not an old pic of Ochocinco is it?

I prefer to think of Brandon Lloyd like this...

http://prod.images.patriots.clubs.n...l_mezz_1280_1024.jpg.jpg?width=960&height=720

 

[Big-T]

Is there a video of his catch that got reviewed anywhere? Need to show it to someone because so far I haven't been able to describe it well enough to do it justice!

 

[BradyManny]

Suddenly he's playing the talk down to the fanboys card about how he was never in doubt and we're all just silly gooses. The Brady thing dates back to his Welker rant where he nearly lost his mind for some reason. Of course he's starting to pick up more radio gigs. I'm concerned.

Agreed, but I am less concerned as long as he keeps up his overall level of work, which I think he has. I can handle a few ego-induced tangents if he's going to keep working hard and putting out good articles. I blame the Twitter influence...there is too much fan-to-reporter interaction now. In some sense, it's only natural that the reporter is going to start to want to separate himself from the fanbase.