kkpat
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2005
- Messages
- 969
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Bruschi's Breakdown -- New England Patriots-Houston Texans on "Monday Night Football" is worthy of all the hype - ESPN Boston
Mike: Since 2002, the Patriots are 71-14 at Gillette Stadium in the regular season, which is the best record in the NFL. This year, the Texans are 6-0 on the road, the only team in the league with a perfect record away from home. Something has to give. Let's get into the breakdown by delving into the Texans' offense.
Tedy: When you're looking at their system -- one read, one cut, get downhill with the zone blocking up front -- you go back to the Denver days when Mike Shanahan was there. Of course, Texans coach Gary Kubiak was once an assistant under Shanahan in Denver, so that explains the connection. Their offensive line moves in unison, it's almost like synchronized swimming, and they block an area -- if you come into that area, that's the player you have to contend with. One thing that can be challenging for a defensive player is some of the tactics they use on the back side of that zone running game; they want to chop you down and they don't care how they do it. I've seen ankle biting, I've seen barrel rolls on film, and there have been times when players are engaged and another offensive lineman comes in and chops them down -- which inside the tackle box is legal. You can talk about the unwritten code in the NFL, about not chopping a guy down when he's not looking, or preserving the health of your fellow NFL member; it doesn't come into account with the Texans. I wouldn't call them dirty, but it's just the way they get the job done. It's tough to watch as a defensive player, always frustrating to go against -- you're going to have to play the cut block and these guys are going to be on the ground.
It's a savvy offensive line that works well within the system -- a little undersized, but they're athletic, and they know how to get on your legs and that makes it tough in the running game.