I'm assuming you go with a slot the majority of the time.
The Pats run just about everything from empty backfield five WR (basically the run 'n shoot) to 3 WR to a power formation with two TEs (if they have two healthy). They run and pass out of all formations. Basically, they are like the Colts...they take what the defense is giving them. If you take away something, the Pats will beat you with something else.
As such, do most teams play nickel against you?
Do they blitz or play primarily back, hoping to contain the big play?
Early in the season, a couple of defenses tried blitzing a lot and playing man coverage. Brady just ripped them to shreds picking up the blitz and hitting Moss downfield, including some TDs from max protect with Moss as the only receiver beating triple coverage.
In recent weeks, we've seen teams play mostly nickle and dime packages and/or Tampa 2 trying to contain the deep ball to Moss and Stallworth. The Redskins were quite successful in taking Moss out of the game with a steady diet of Tampa 2, basically doubling the outside receivers. The Pats scored 52 points with dink n' dunk stuff to Welker and the running backs.
Have you played any cover-2 defenses this season?
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Yes. Among others, the Redskins last week played almost exclusively Tampa 2, two-deep zone, rolling the safeties over to double the WRs.
Defensively, do you still lineup up 6-7 at the line, many standing up and rush from different positions?
In general, yes. I mean, that's what a 3-4 defense is. However, because of the lopsided scores, the Pats have played a lot of nickle and dime prevent defenses in the second half of games.
Primarily, do you try and take what the D give you, or do you try to run your plays regardless of what the D is doing.
It's like Manning. If defenses play deep zone or nickle coverage, the Pats run the ball and throw dink n' dunk screen passes. After they've scored a few times with that, the defense usually brings an eighth man up in the box to stop the short stuff and the Pats run play action and hit Moss 60 yards downfield. Defenses can't stop the Pats or the Colts offenses -- they can only pick their poison.
Are most of your passing yards going deep, or getting YAC.
Both. When I checked last week, Brady was leading the NFL is both completion percentage
and yards per reception. That's a pretty lethal combo.
If defenses play deep, they throw underneath to Welker and Stallworth and the backs, who have all been racking up YAC. If the defense moves up, the Pats throw over the top to Moss...who is a complete freak.
I really don't know how the Pats will gameplan against the Colts. It's a chess match between two teams that know each other so well they have to change things up.
I expect Dungy to play Tampa 2, leave Sanders back in coverage, and try to stop Moss. It's really suicide to not do that. At least you force the Pats to make long drives. The problem is they have scored a TD on 78% of the drives starting back behind their own 20 -- 80 yards or more.
Defensively, I expect some new stuff from the Pats. My sense is that they've been intentionally playing "vanilla" so far this year. Specifically, I have a strong sense they have been hiding some things they can do with Adalius Thomas. It's kind of hard to draw a lot of conclusions because they've been playing all season with 20 to 30 point leads.