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Two very good reads today, one from Jackie McMullan, the other from Greg Bedard:
http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story...ill-belichick-new-england-patriots-old-tricks
http://mmqb.si.com/2015/01/19/nfl-afc-championship-new-england-patriots-bill-belichick-tom-brady/
Both have a common theme: how the versatility and complexity of the Pats on both sides of the ball creates tremendous challenges for opposing teams. Rob mentioned as well in his recent post-game thread:
http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...d/threads/game-thoughts.1115257/#post-4075521
And not just week to week, but within a game, too. The Pats can go from jumbo power to up tempo to unbalanced or short lines, spread it out, use play action, use multiple TE sets ... the list goes on and on. In defense they can play out of any combination of base and sub mixing 3-4, 4-3 and 5-2 hybrid fronts in base and using a dizzying array of zone blitzes, psycho and semi-amoeboid formations, complex coverage schemes, pre- and post-snap adjustments.
All this complexity and versatility comes with a price: a very steep learning curve, and the potential for major mishaps and breakdowns in communication if everyone is not one the same page. But right now it seems like the team is reaping the benefits of a full season of hard work, and everyone is doing their job at a fairly high level. The results are staggering. Yesterday's game was as complete a beat down of a quality opponent as I can remember - and while the Colts fell far short of the media's projections, they are still clearly one of the better teams in the NFL.
As Bedard notes:
Not just chess, but 3-dimensional Vulcan chess, seemingly. And by throwing so many wrinkles and twists at opposing teams, making them play off balance and out of their comfort zone. McMullan used a slightly different analogy:
The players seem well aware of how much confusion all of this versatility creates. Brandon LaFell noted:
And Brandon Browner noted a similar situation on the defensive side:
The themes are all similar: off balance, change up, left-handed, chess vs. checkers. The Pats take other teams out of their comfort zone and make them adjust. And few have the personnel or coaching to do so effectively.
A year ago, the Seahawks dominated a record-setting Broncos offense in the Super Bowl by simplifying things so that they could play faster and more aggressively.
http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/story/...ks-walloped-denver-broncos-with-simple-scheme
I'm not sure that will work against the Patriots. The Pats do a superb job of causing other teams to play off balance, and take advantage of whatever is offered. It all depends on how well they execute, but right now I certainly get the sense that they are firing on all cylinders. It's a beautiful thing to behold.
http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story...ill-belichick-new-england-patriots-old-tricks
http://mmqb.si.com/2015/01/19/nfl-afc-championship-new-england-patriots-bill-belichick-tom-brady/
Both have a common theme: how the versatility and complexity of the Pats on both sides of the ball creates tremendous challenges for opposing teams. Rob mentioned as well in his recent post-game thread:
I don't know if I have ever seen a team as versatile as this one. The coaching staff is able to morph this team on both sides of the ball to become whatever they need to be week to week. ... A majority of the teams in this league are what they are and do what they do best every week whether or not it is the best way to beat their opponent.
http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...d/threads/game-thoughts.1115257/#post-4075521
And not just week to week, but within a game, too. The Pats can go from jumbo power to up tempo to unbalanced or short lines, spread it out, use play action, use multiple TE sets ... the list goes on and on. In defense they can play out of any combination of base and sub mixing 3-4, 4-3 and 5-2 hybrid fronts in base and using a dizzying array of zone blitzes, psycho and semi-amoeboid formations, complex coverage schemes, pre- and post-snap adjustments.
All this complexity and versatility comes with a price: a very steep learning curve, and the potential for major mishaps and breakdowns in communication if everyone is not one the same page. But right now it seems like the team is reaping the benefits of a full season of hard work, and everyone is doing their job at a fairly high level. The results are staggering. Yesterday's game was as complete a beat down of a quality opponent as I can remember - and while the Colts fell far short of the media's projections, they are still clearly one of the better teams in the NFL.
As Bedard notes:
Belichick, and aide-de-camps Matt Patricia (defense) and Josh McDaniels (offense), were playing chess against the Colts’ checkers.
Not just chess, but 3-dimensional Vulcan chess, seemingly. And by throwing so many wrinkles and twists at opposing teams, making them play off balance and out of their comfort zone. McMullan used a slightly different analogy:
As Indy's veteran backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who has been around for much of the Belichick/Brady era, noted, "They make you beat them left-handed." One week New England's offense runs the ball a grand total of 13 times and Brady does not hand off the ball a single time in the second half. The next week, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, the Patriots rush for 177 yards and hand the ball to LeGarrette Blount a playoff franchise-record 30 times.
The players seem well aware of how much confusion all of this versatility creates. Brandon LaFell noted:
"When we do all that stuff, with the ineligible receivers and all this, you see a lot of pointing and fussing," LaFell explained. "We're going so fast, they get confused. But at the end of the day we still have to go out and execute the play."
And Brandon Browner noted a similar situation on the defensive side:
Every team uses different looks and packages. Nobody else throws out the minutiae that the Patriots do. On one play Luck would look out and see a secondary of Revis, Brandon Browner, Kyle Arrington, McCourty and Patrick Chung. On the next the Patriots would trot out Revis, Malcolm Butler, Arrington, McCourty and Duron Harmon. Collins would drop into the hook zone, and then on the next play be at outside linebacker rushing the passer.
Who’s the best matchup? Where’s the rush coming from? Those are the questions that were input into the Luck supercomputer, and it was bound to overload, in the form of late interceptions by Revis and Collins.
"The game plan the coaches drew up enabled us to eliminate their big-threat receiver [T.Y. Hilton]," Browner said, "and also allowed us to mix it up with [Coby] Fleener. Sometimes we used a big guy like myself on him. Then we'd turn around and throw a guy with quickness like Malcolm Butler on him. We kept them off balance a bit.
"It’s very effective,” said Browner, who came from Seattle, where coverages and personnel don’t deviate much. “That’s why the score and outcome was the way it was. It’s a change-up. He’ll see one play or two plays and then he’ll have Malcolm Butler. That posed a challenge to those guys.”
The themes are all similar: off balance, change up, left-handed, chess vs. checkers. The Pats take other teams out of their comfort zone and make them adjust. And few have the personnel or coaching to do so effectively.
A year ago, the Seahawks dominated a record-setting Broncos offense in the Super Bowl by simplifying things so that they could play faster and more aggressively.
http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/story/...ks-walloped-denver-broncos-with-simple-scheme
I'm not sure that will work against the Patriots. The Pats do a superb job of causing other teams to play off balance, and take advantage of whatever is offered. It all depends on how well they execute, but right now I certainly get the sense that they are firing on all cylinders. It's a beautiful thing to behold.
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