Defensive - Reps and Depth

[mgteich]

SOME THOUGHTS

1) We were in nickel all day (62 of 64 plays). 8 players played all those reps.

2) The only starters to get any relief were Hightower, Wilfork and Kelly. Spikes (16), Vellano (29) and Buchanan (11) were the subs.

3) Buchanan came in when the 3 DE package was required, with Jones moving inside.

4) MIA were Ryan (2), Wilson (1), Collins (2), Bequette (0), Ebner (inactive) and Harmon (inactive). Also, the Sters got no defensive reps (Fletcher, Cole, Beauharnais and White). That's a lot of players not contributing on defense. Not only were the rookies absent, but also last year's non-performers Bequette and Wilson.


Game One Defensive Reps - Per Reiss
=======================
CB Kyle Arrington – 64-of-64
S Steve Gregory – 64-of-64
DE Chandler Jones – 64-of-64
LB Jerod Mayo – 64-of-64
S Devin McCourty – 64-of-64
DE Rob Ninkovich – 64-of-64
CB Aqib Talib – 64-of-64
CB Alfonzo Dennard – 62-of-62
DT Vince Wilfork – 52-of-64
LB Dont’a Hightower – 46-of-64
DT Tommy Kelly – 35-of-64
DT Joe Vellano – 29-of-64
LB Brandon Spikes – 16-of-64
DE Michael Buchanan – 11-of-64
LB Jamie Collins – 2-of-64
CB Logan Ryan – 2-of-64
S Tavon Wilson – 1-of-64

 

[Ivan]

Overall a good defensive performance, and when they needed to get them the ball back with a shot at winning the game they did so. for the first time in many years the Patriots are going to have to turn to their defense to really help them win games this season. For at least the next month they are going to have to rely on them heavily, and most likely that will be the case for the entire season. they are going to have to turn into a top 5 defense to have a shot at the Super bowl this season, if they are playing like one come January they wll have a shot, if not.....................

 

[hwc]

Thanks. Interesting stats.

Nickle on 62 of 64 snaps makes the job they did bottling up CJ Spiller even more impressive. It also highlights how much the NFL ame has changed.

 

[mgteich]

The issue is health and depth. We count on 14 players (starters, nickel, #3 DE, #DT). All were healthy and contributing. There is nothing behind them. None of the others got more than 2 reps yesterday.

Overall a good defensive performance, and when they needed to get them the ball back with a shot at winning the game they did so. for the first time in many years the Patriots are going to have to turn to their defense to really help them win games this season. For at least the next month they are going to have to rely on them heavily, and most likely that will be the case for the entire season. they are going to have to turn into a top 5 defense to have a shot at the Super bowl this season, if they are playing like one come January they wll have a shot, if not.....................

 

[condon84]

Vellano played well yesterday considering it was his first NFL game. Good find.

 

[VrabelJr]

Vellano played well yesterday considering it was his first NFL game. Good find.

Agreed. He did have a couple of "Welcome to the NFL" moments on those longer Fred Jackson runs up the middle but all in all not a bad first day for Vellano.

 

[mgteich]

Buffalo was in the 3 wide for these 62 plays. This shows how restricted an offense is when they don't have two contributing TE's.

Thanks. Interesting stats.

Nickle on 62 of 64 snaps makes the job they did bottling up CJ Spiller even more impressive. It also highlights how much the NFL ame has changed.

 

[patsfaninpa]

The issue is health and depth. We count on 14 players (starters, nickel, #3 DE, #DT). All were healthy and contributing. There is nothing behind them. None of the others got more than 2 reps yesterday.

I said that before the game in the MMQB prediction thread and was ridiculed for being too negative. When Vellano and Buchanan are the only backup DL getting snaps. That's a problem. The DL will not might wear down as the season progresses.

I was pleased with the secondary. A couple of more pop-up quizzes before the big test at Atlanta. Hope Dennard isn't suspended the next 4 weeks.

 

[VrabelJr]

Buffalo was in the 3 wide for these 62 plays. This shows how restricted an offense is when they don't have two contributing TE's.

3 WR sets is the norm for most teams in the NFL. I wouldn't call it restricted, it's just a different offensive philosophy. Against a team with two TE sets we would still be in the nickel albeit maybe a larger nickel player such as an athletic LB or a Safety instead of the 3rd CB.

 

[mgteich]

DL
Actually, I am fine with only six DL's getting reps. That is quite normal to me. The issue what happens if any of the 6 are injured.

CB
Yet, you're pleased with the secondary. Sure the ironman 5 did fine. The backups got a total of 3 reps. I would have expected a lot more from defensive backups. We completely gave on the idea of using a 3rd safety. Again, the question is what happens if any of the 5 are injured.

LB
At LB, the situation was truly strange. One of "starters" (Splkes) go only 16 reps. So, uyou would expect lots of reps from the backups. Collins has 2 reps. I understand that we were in the nickel all day; still these numbers are small. Again, the question is what happens if any of the 3 are injured.

BOTTOM LINE
We are playing with 14 defensive players. We have no known depth.

I said that before the game in the MMQB prediction thread and was ridiculed for being too negative. When Vellano and Buchanan are the only backup DL getting snaps. That's a problem. The DL will not might wear down as the season progresses.

I was pleased with the secondary. A couple of more pop-up quizzes before the big test at Atlanta. Hope Dennard isn't suspended the next 4 weeks.

 

[VrabelJr]

Harmon and Ebner are injured right now. I imagine Harmon might have got some reps if he was healthy.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

The issue is health and depth. We count on 14 players (starters, nickel, #3 DE, #DT). All were healthy and contributing. There is nothing behind them. None of the others got more than 2 reps yesterday.

That's not that unusual. Aside from DT, BB doesn't rotate his defensive players much, except within the context of a different defense. We simply happened to be in nickel for 62 snaps, due to the consistency of Buffalo's approach. That's more a reflection of the Bills' lack of depth than the Pats'. If the Pat's went to the base defense more, we would have seen more of Collins (subbing for Spikes) and more of Spike in the 2nd half. If they had built up a bigger lead, we would have seen more dime, which would mean more Wilson (or Ryan) and maybe Collins and Buchanan, as well. I wouldn't read too much into it yet. Next week, we'll see more base defense, and hopefully dime, as the Pats are forced to defend a 20-point lead.

 

[patsfaninpa]

DL
Actually, I am fine with only six DL's getting reps. That is quite normal to me. The issue what happens if any of the 6 are injured.

CB
Yet, you're pleased with the secondary. Sure the ironman 5 did fine. The backups got a total of 3 reps. I would have expected a lot more from defensive backups. We completely gave on the idea of using a 3rd safety. Again, the question is what happens if any of the 5 are injured.

LB
At LB, the situation was truly strange. One of "starters" (Splkes) go only 16 reps. So, uyou would expect lots of reps from the backups. Collins has 2 reps. I understand that we were in the nickel all day; still these numbers are small. Again, the question is what happens if any of the 3 are injured.

BOTTOM LINE
We are playing with 14 defensive players. We have no known depth.

Most db's play every down if healthy. Not sure what we have. But, Cole and Ryan seem like decent 3rd corners. Agree about safety. Don't trust any of the back-ups.

Fletcher has shown enough in the past not to worry. Collins will be a work in progress.

 

[Fencer]

Defensive snaps, Game 1

Defensive snaps: DL rotation in focus - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Simply put, a LOT of guys played the whole game. However, it is possible there would have been more substitution had the Bills used both base and sub offenses.

CB Kyle Arrington – 64-of-64
S Steve Gregory – 64-of-64
DE Chandler Jones – 64-of-64
LB Jerod Mayo – 64-of-64
S Devin McCourty – 64-of-64
DE Rob Ninkovich – 64-of-64
CB Aqib Talib – 64-of-64
CB Alfonzo Dennard – 62-of-64
DT Vince Wilfork – 52-of-64
LB Dont’a Hightower – 46-of-64
DT Tommy Kelly – 35-of-64
DT Joe Vellano – 29-of-64
LB Brandon Spikes – 16-of-64
DE Michael Buchanan – 11-of-64
LB Jamie Collins – 2-of-64
CB Logan Ryan – 2-of-64
S Tavon Wilson – 1-of-64

In particular:

• There basically were 2 safeties -- McCourty & Gregory.
• There were 3 CBs who played all the way through, as the Bills stuck with 3 wide.
• Jones and Ninkovich played the whole game.
• Mayo is the only LB who played the whole game, as starter Spikes had a health issue.
• The one position with a lot of guys was DT. The 3 official DTs all got a lot of reps, and Buchanan pushed Jones inside for a number of snaps as well.

 

[ALP]

Re: Defensive snaps, Game 1

so gregory does have the job opposite devin...he looked much better yesterday than i have seen in the past or even hoped

 

[mgteich]

Re: Defensive snaps, Game 1

Bequette DNP

 

[Sciz]

Re: Defensive snaps, Game 1

That's about as cut and dry as it gets. They played two snaps in the base defense, 11 snaps with Jones at DT and Buchanan, apparently one play with Tavon, and every single other snap was nickel with two of Wilfork, Vellano, and Kelly, one of Hightower and Spikes, and the same other 8 guys every play.

 

[TyronePoole]

Re: Defensive snaps, Game 1

do we know what happened to Spikes? Diarrhea?

 

[supafly]

Re: Defensive snaps, Game 1

so gregory does have the job opposite devin...he looked much better yesterday than i have seen in the past or even hoped

Word was that he actually received more reps opposite McCourty through the summer, and would have been the starter even if A.Wilson were here. He'd definitely have been the starter against a team like BUF no matter what.

Aside from that reasoning, there really aren't any other options for anyone to take over his job even if he hadn't been receiving the majority of the reps.

A.Wilson is on IR, Harmon didn't even travel with the team, so basically that only leaves T.Wilson as any actual competition.

 

[supafly]

Re: Defensive snaps, Game 1

do we know what happened to Spikes? Diarrhea?

All we really heard was exhaustion. My guess is that they threw some IV fluids in him and that's what enabled him to return for the 2nd half.