Houston Breakdown
 

I'm starting with the second half so I can get a better look at the reserves who came in and got some reps.

Third Quarter, 15:00, NE 27 Hou 0

Kickoff: Goskowski kicking into the wind to the Hou 16; 14 yd return.

1st and 10: Dayne right side for 13 yds. Analysis: Warren and Wright were both double-teamed, Colvin got blocked by the TE and screened behind the double-team on Warren. Bruschi was taken out by the FB, Vrabel got screened behind the double-team on Wright. Seymour was blocked by the LT, Banta-Cain hustled coming through the backfield then getting around the Wright double-team pile-up to slow Dayne a little as he burst through the clutter into the secondary, this helped Sanders with his tackle.

1st and 10: Carr to Dayne screen left for 7 yds. Analysis: Good screen, Banta-Cain took out two blockers and slowed Dayne a little with a hand on his ankle. Wright hustled out and made the tackle from behind. Banta-Cain ran with the FB on his pass route to the flat, doing a nice job in pass coverage too.

2nd and 3: Carr to Johnson for 9 yds. Analysis: Carr took a 5 step drop and got the ball out on 3 mississippi to Johnson on a comeback route. Banta-Cain had coverage on the slot WR who ran a square-out to clear the throwing lane underneath. Chad Scott gave a six yd cushion on the snap, it looked like a zone with Hawkins coming down on underneath coverage and Scott having over the top responsibilities - Hawkins made the stop for no YAC. Pats rushed four with Vrabel coming up the middle, Warren was doubled as was Seymour.

1st and 10: Dayne left side for 4 yds. Analysis: Wright was double-teamed by the C/RG, Bruschi side slipped the LG to fill the intended hole, Seymour stood up the LT, but couldn’t get off the block. Those three forced Dayne outside to the ‘c’ gap where Banta-Cain turned him inside working against the TE on the edge, then slipped the block to wrap up Dayne’s legs, Bruschi hit him high for a piece of the tackle.

2nd and 6: Carr to Moulds for 8 yds. Analysis: Carr took a 5 step drop and released on 3 mississippi, barely in time as the pocket was collapsing up the middle despite the double-team on Wright. Samuel was in press, but Moulds just ran a nice buttonhook route, Samuel made the tackle for no YAC. Vrabel came on the rush inside and Colvin was cleared out underneath by the TE running a square-out.

1st and 10: Dayne left side for 3 yds. Analysis: The C went playside on Wright trying to allow the RG to rotate around before he released to clear out Vrabel. Seymour was double-teamed by the LG/LT. Bruschi fired in and absorbed the FB, creating a pile-up in Dayne’s path. Wright fought through the RG’s block to get a piece of Dayne, who also tripped over the FB as Sanders fired in and took out his legs.

2nd and 7: Carr to Moulds for 12 yds. Analysis: Designed rollout, Colvin was reading the FB and was dropping into the flat before he saw Carr had rolled his way. Warren slipped the RT to pursue. Samuel gave a Moulds a 5 yd cushion on the snap, but it was a pretty sideline comeback route.

1st and 10: Dayne left side for 10 yds. Analysis: Wright was doubled by the C/RG and knocked down. Seymour was stood-up by the LT and chipped by the LG before he went out to clear out Bruschi. Vrabel was cleared out by the FB. Seymour never got off his block and Wright was on the ground under the RG and C, leaving Hawkins who slowed Dayne a little coming from outside Bruschi to try and grab him from behind, Sanders made the tackle after Hawkins slipped off.

1st and goal at the 4: Dayne up the middle for 3 yds. Analysis: The play started right behind double-teams on Warren and Wright which combined with Colvin’s edge against the TE to close down the right side. Seymour overran the play in the backfield. Dayne used his cutback lane and was tripped up by Bruschi and fallen on by Chad Scott.

2nd and goal: Dayne up the middle for a TD. Analysis: The C was able to submarine the taller Wright. Bruschi met the FB and was turned inside. Dayne just submarined over the FB’s back and under Seymour’s grab to break the plane.

Extra Point good.

NE 27 Hou 7

Assessment: The offense ran at Seymour, who was pretty much neutralized by the LT. They ran comeback timing routes off 5 step drops for quick passes. Wright played well, lacking 30-50 pounds of Wilfork’s bulk, drawing double-teams consistently and plugging things up inside. Banta-Cain continues to look good on the edge and in coverage. Sanders continues to look good at SS. A well executed and designed drive by Houston, showing a lot of respect for Warren, Wright, and Bruschi based on blocker allocation.

Grades

DL B Seymour wasn’t getting off the blocks to help his line mates much.
OLB A
ILB B Vrabel and Bruschi got screened out at least once, and had mixed results getting off blocks or using them to plug holes.
CB B+ Comeback routes are very hard to defend, no YAC was allowed.
S A No YAC allowed and good run support.
DC B The defense did okay, but never got far in pressuring Carr.
KO unit B+ Short kick into the wind, but only a 14 yd return.

Re: Houston Breakdown
 

Re: Houston Breakdown
 

i think its because its 2nd half and hes taking it easy. 2nd half we didnt really play well against run @ all

Re: Houston Breakdown
 

Sticky please.


Part of that was the reserves, I'm pretty sure the front 3 was Hill, Smith, and Green sometime in the third quarter. I saw a remark saying Mays took ILB snaps and I know Reiss reported Woods and Izzo also got in for some reps. Which goes back to why I wanted to start in the second half and assess the reserve's play.

Re: Houston Breakdown
 

Third Quarter, 9:49, NE 27, Hou 7

Kickoff: Taken at the NE 7 by Hobbs and returned for a TD. Beautiful blocking by Izzo (most likely, though it may have been Woods - but since Woods was down in the first scrum of players congratulating Hobbs I think it was Larry who blasted across the field to deck that Texan), Thomas, and Mays opened the hole Andrews led Hobbs through, Andrews finished the job with his block (read Hobbs’ comments on that in Reiss’ blog), springing Hobbs for his burst past the defenders.

Pats had the bulk of the blockers set up for a return left, which is where the wedge (Banta-Cain, Wright, Hochstein) led, the blockers on that side were all mixed in with a herd of Texans. Izzo and Thomas came down and crossed the field driving the right outside lane players away from the center of the field, and Mays had a nice seal block holding the defenders on the left away from the center where the hole had been opened. Andrews was the up man and read the flow of the field perfectly leading Hobbs into the hole where two trail men and the kicker remained to navigate. The left trail man was a little obstructed by clutter and Andrews (correctly according to Hobbs account) chose to seal the right trail man outside. Hobbs kicked in high gear behind that block and blew past the left man and the kicker.

Gostkowski for the Extra Point, good.

NE 34 Hou 7

Grade - A+

Re: Houston Breakdown
 

Thanks, Box.
Missed watching most of the game, had to hear it on the radio.

edit: How many Mississippi's did Brady need this week? Hard to tell on the radio, but seemed to need too many sometimes again.

Re: Houston Breakdown
 

His one sack was a coverage sack, but Houston did send only 2 rushers on occasion and drop everybody else. I'll see if I feel frisky enough tomorrow to start my first offensive breakdown.

Re: Houston Breakdown
 

Third Quarter, 9:37, NE 34, Hou 7

Kickoff: Gostkowski with a nice directional kick to the left side, taken at the 2 yd line and returned 24 yds. Pats had a nice lane fill and the directional kicking is forcing Houston to run sideways into the middle of the field to try and find an open lane. The Scott brothers, Gus and Chad, combined on the tackle.

Note: Green in for Seymour.

1st and 10: Carr to Johnson for 6 yds. Analysis: Samuel was 9 yds off the LOS at the snap and dropping back. Carr took a one step drop to throw a quick slant to Johnson, but appeared to made a nice read on Sanders coming up fast and threw the ball behind his WR allowing him to reach back for the ball and fall down away from Sanders who would have taken his head off or picked the ball. Sanders was close to 15 yds deep before the camera slid down to center the offense (a PWP/BOR pet peeve), but must have been coming up for the slot WR as Colvin started back inside from the slot to blitz off the edge. Houston relied on a quick release to defeat Warren and Colvin getting their hands up to block the pass. The ball came out just before 2 mississippi.

2nd and 4: Dayne up the middle for 1 yd. Analysis: CBS came back late from a graphic on Lamar Hunt, may the production team find fleas in their beds. The NFL.com play-by-play credits Wright and Green for the tackle.

Note: Izzo in at SLB. Mickens in at nickelback.

3rd and 3: Carr to Moulds for 4 yds. Anaysis: The camera shot wandered all over and returned to the field of play too late again. Samuel was up in press on Moulds who ran a comeback to the sideline. Carr took a 5 step drop and threw just before 3 mississippi. Pats looked to be in a 3-3 nickel, with Warren at NTand 5 LBs, Vrabel rushed from MLB, showing blitz before the snap.

Note: Pats back to a 3-4 with Green in for Seymour.

1st and 10: Dayne left side for no gain. Analysis: CBS sucks, using a pull back shot so the line play was missed. There was a wall of Patriots led by Green and including Wight, Vrabel, and Bruschi there to shut down the left side. Bruschi and Green get the credit on the NFL.com play-by-play. Pats had some confusion on personnel shifts, Mickens just got off the field before the snap to prevent a 12 man call.

Note: Mickens in at nickelback.

2nd and 10: Carr to Moulds incomplete. Analysis: Pats in a 3-3 nickel with Warren, Green, and Banta-Cain as DL and Vrabel up inside Colvin showing blitz. Pats rushed 5. Carr took a 5 step drop and threw on 3 mississippi. Moulds ran a comeback route, but this time Samuel was playing that and came with him to get a hand on the low pass and knock it away. Samuel gave Moulds a 5 yd cushion.

3rd and 10: Carr to Johnson incomplete. Analaysis: CBS sucks again with the pull back shot. Carr took a 5 step drop and overthrew the WR on 3 mississippi. Pats in a 3-3 nickel, looked to have brought 5 rushers again. Johnson had Chad Scott beaten despite a 7 yd cushion and the S help from Hawkins had to come across the field - Carr missed his man.

4th and 10: Punt, taken at the 19 by Faulk and returned 10 yds. Guss Scott and Andrews doubled the right gunner, knocking him out of the play. The return right was on, Brown was the upman and blocked the left side gunner as he came free. Woods got a hand on a man to push him past Faulk and open up a return lane to the left side line. Izzo, Guss Scott, and Sanders can all be seen blocking inside. Kight had a nice block upfield and Thomas can be seen inside doing a good job avoiding a block in the back.

Score: NE 34 Hou 7

Assessment: The Pats have started working reserves into the game with Green and Izzo. The Pats easily handled the Houston come from behind passing attack and did well against the run.

Grades

DL B+ Little pressure on the QB, but the run stuffing went quite well.
OLB A
ILB A
CB B
S A
DC A
PR unit A

Re: Houston Breakdown
 

Good stuff as usual!

Re: Houston Breakdown
 

http://www.boston.com/sports/footbal.../reiss_pieces/