- Joined
- May 28, 2005
- Messages
- 13,274
- Reaction score
- 0
Also check out other analysis at Patriots Planet
...
Defensive Series #1 Punt
Contributor: Pats1
Time: 15:00 remaining in the first quarter
Statistics: 3 plays (1 run, 2 pass), 4 yards (7 run, -3 pass), time of possession was 1:22
Breakdown: 2 green plays (0 run, 2 pass) for -3 yds., 1 red play (1 run, 0 pass) for 7 yds.
1st and 10 Ten 21
Result: Pass, Scaife, Incomplete, wheel right, pass underthrown.
Analysis: 2 WR split, TE left, FB motion strong to weak vs. 3-4, CBs press. Vrabel came outside to jam the TE/FB who came in motion, but then released him to the flat uncovered. Gay jammed the RWR on an inside crossing route before splitting off and circling around back towards the right flat. This gave Young a good few seconds to nail Scaife uncovered, but instead his pass one-hopped the target. It didn’t appear to be an issue of a throwing lane or pressure in his face – L.K. Smith at LE was tripled, and neither Wilfork nor Green got any penetration. Bruschi and Thomas sat in underneath zones while Colvin peeked before doubling with Hobbs. If Young’s pass was on-target, Scaife would have probably scampered for a first down. If Gay was in a zone, his was simply flooded, but the way he split off the RWR and took a 270-degree turn to the receiver was awfully strange. Vrabel must have had the assignment for the RB, who released into the left flat, so Vrabel was left in no-man’s land. LBs: Colvin, Thomas, Bruschi, Vrabel. DBs: Hobbs, Wilson, Harrison, Gay.
2nd and 10 Ten 21
Result: Run, Henry, up the middle, 7 yds.
Analysis: 2 WR split, TE right, TE motion right to left vs. 3-4 CBs press. The first glaring thing you notice is how much space opens up right up the gut. This is due to Thomas waiting to meet the RG, not attacking and meeting him at the LOS. The LT and LG both take bucket steps to their left on this play, which is indicative of zone blocking, just as Henry’s backside slash-cut was. The LG goes straight for Bruschi but is ole’d; if Thomas had gone up to plug the ‘b’ gap, Henry wouldn’t have had a cut-back route and would had gone straight into Bruschi’s arms. But instead Henry is able to weave his way through 4 1v1 blocks on the right side: Vrabel/TE, Smith/RT, Thomas/RG, and Gay/RWR. Only Smith is able to shed his, and only manages a tug on Henry’s jersey before Harrison finally comes down and takes out Henry’s ankles. LBs: Colvin, Thomas, Bruschi, Vrabel. DBs: Hobbs, Wilson, Harrison, Gay.
3rd and 3 Ten 28
Result: Sack, Young by Wilfork, -3 yds.
Analysis: 3 WR, 2 left, TE right, vs. 3-3 nickel, RCB and NB press, LCB off, SS showing blitz. Vrabel blitzes, and is actually released by the TE, and with the RB also releasing, would have creamed Young is he hadn’t slipped on his dropback, although the RT made an effort late. Young got right up, tried to get a dumpoff to his RB in the flat, but made the right decision as Wilfork and Green dragged him down from behind. Thomas and Bruschi both dropped back considerably deep in their zones for a 3rd and 3, meaning that if Young had been able to get a pass off to his underneath options, the TE and RB, it would have gone for a first down. LBs: Bruschi, Thomas, Vrabel. DBs: Hobbs, Meriweather, Wilson, Harrison, Gay.
Note: For the first time in awhile, the camera man “gets it” and leaves very little empty space behind the QB, instead focusing on the DL and LBs.
4th and 6 Ten 25
Result: Punt, Hentrich, to the NE 23, Welker loses all his blocks and runs backwards for a few yards before being swallowed up, 52 yd. punt, -4 yd. return.
Score: New England 0 – Tennessee 0
Assessment
Despite its label as a “3 and out,” this series was not a bright spot for the Patriots’ defense. They certainly got lucky twice on this drive, with Young making a horrible pass to a wide-open receiver on the first play and slipping on his dropback on the third play. In-between was a run by a rookie RB who was able to run a textbook inside zone play and would have gone for many more yards without a saving tackle by Harrison. There appeared to be a good amount of zone coverage going on here. The third play looked to feature a cover-3 sky, and the first could have been cover-2. But both coverages seemed intent on taking away the deep pass, and giving the Titans anything they wanted underneath.
Drive Grades
Smith: ‘C’ - No penetration on first play, shed too late on second.
Wilfork: ‘B-’ - No penetration until Young’s slip
Green: ‘C+’
Colvin: ‘incomplete’
Bruschi: ‘A-’
Thomas: ‘B’ - Poor run support
Vrabel: ‘B+’
Hobbs and Wilson: ‘incomplete’
Harrison: ‘A’
Gay: ‘B’
...
Defensive Series #1 Punt
Contributor: Pats1
Time: 15:00 remaining in the first quarter
Statistics: 3 plays (1 run, 2 pass), 4 yards (7 run, -3 pass), time of possession was 1:22
Breakdown: 2 green plays (0 run, 2 pass) for -3 yds., 1 red play (1 run, 0 pass) for 7 yds.
1st and 10 Ten 21
Result: Pass, Scaife, Incomplete, wheel right, pass underthrown.
Analysis: 2 WR split, TE left, FB motion strong to weak vs. 3-4, CBs press. Vrabel came outside to jam the TE/FB who came in motion, but then released him to the flat uncovered. Gay jammed the RWR on an inside crossing route before splitting off and circling around back towards the right flat. This gave Young a good few seconds to nail Scaife uncovered, but instead his pass one-hopped the target. It didn’t appear to be an issue of a throwing lane or pressure in his face – L.K. Smith at LE was tripled, and neither Wilfork nor Green got any penetration. Bruschi and Thomas sat in underneath zones while Colvin peeked before doubling with Hobbs. If Young’s pass was on-target, Scaife would have probably scampered for a first down. If Gay was in a zone, his was simply flooded, but the way he split off the RWR and took a 270-degree turn to the receiver was awfully strange. Vrabel must have had the assignment for the RB, who released into the left flat, so Vrabel was left in no-man’s land. LBs: Colvin, Thomas, Bruschi, Vrabel. DBs: Hobbs, Wilson, Harrison, Gay.
2nd and 10 Ten 21
Result: Run, Henry, up the middle, 7 yds.
Analysis: 2 WR split, TE right, TE motion right to left vs. 3-4 CBs press. The first glaring thing you notice is how much space opens up right up the gut. This is due to Thomas waiting to meet the RG, not attacking and meeting him at the LOS. The LT and LG both take bucket steps to their left on this play, which is indicative of zone blocking, just as Henry’s backside slash-cut was. The LG goes straight for Bruschi but is ole’d; if Thomas had gone up to plug the ‘b’ gap, Henry wouldn’t have had a cut-back route and would had gone straight into Bruschi’s arms. But instead Henry is able to weave his way through 4 1v1 blocks on the right side: Vrabel/TE, Smith/RT, Thomas/RG, and Gay/RWR. Only Smith is able to shed his, and only manages a tug on Henry’s jersey before Harrison finally comes down and takes out Henry’s ankles. LBs: Colvin, Thomas, Bruschi, Vrabel. DBs: Hobbs, Wilson, Harrison, Gay.
3rd and 3 Ten 28
Result: Sack, Young by Wilfork, -3 yds.
Analysis: 3 WR, 2 left, TE right, vs. 3-3 nickel, RCB and NB press, LCB off, SS showing blitz. Vrabel blitzes, and is actually released by the TE, and with the RB also releasing, would have creamed Young is he hadn’t slipped on his dropback, although the RT made an effort late. Young got right up, tried to get a dumpoff to his RB in the flat, but made the right decision as Wilfork and Green dragged him down from behind. Thomas and Bruschi both dropped back considerably deep in their zones for a 3rd and 3, meaning that if Young had been able to get a pass off to his underneath options, the TE and RB, it would have gone for a first down. LBs: Bruschi, Thomas, Vrabel. DBs: Hobbs, Meriweather, Wilson, Harrison, Gay.
Note: For the first time in awhile, the camera man “gets it” and leaves very little empty space behind the QB, instead focusing on the DL and LBs.
4th and 6 Ten 25
Result: Punt, Hentrich, to the NE 23, Welker loses all his blocks and runs backwards for a few yards before being swallowed up, 52 yd. punt, -4 yd. return.
Score: New England 0 – Tennessee 0
Assessment
Despite its label as a “3 and out,” this series was not a bright spot for the Patriots’ defense. They certainly got lucky twice on this drive, with Young making a horrible pass to a wide-open receiver on the first play and slipping on his dropback on the third play. In-between was a run by a rookie RB who was able to run a textbook inside zone play and would have gone for many more yards without a saving tackle by Harrison. There appeared to be a good amount of zone coverage going on here. The third play looked to feature a cover-3 sky, and the first could have been cover-2. But both coverages seemed intent on taking away the deep pass, and giving the Titans anything they wanted underneath.
Drive Grades
Smith: ‘C’ - No penetration on first play, shed too late on second.
Wilfork: ‘B-’ - No penetration until Young’s slip
Green: ‘C+’
Colvin: ‘incomplete’
Bruschi: ‘A-’
Thomas: ‘B’ - Poor run support
Vrabel: ‘B+’
Hobbs and Wilson: ‘incomplete’
Harrison: ‘A’
Gay: ‘B’