Gameplanning and the short week.

[D-Money]

Detroit plays well at home.This game could be another trap game looking ahead to the jets.The lions play hard and they have some good players.This game worries me alot.

 

[JSn]

On thing about the travel, too: It's a long distance, but not a time-zone change. That's a bit of an upside, imo.

 

[patchick]

There is no excuse for them not to, it would set up the perfect rematch against the only AFC contender we have not defeated.

Just thought it was funny how THEY need to improve, but WE have beaten all the contenders.

 

[Patspsycho]

Yep. Today is Thursday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

In looking over Detroit's schedule, nobody has really pushed them around. Their biggest loss was 16 points yesterday, and they had led for much of the game.


2-2 at home, with the losses being by 3 to the Eagles and by 3 to the Jets in OT. Road losses to winning teams by 5, by 2, by 8 and then to Buffalo by 2 again. These guys do not get far behind and do not roll over.

Detroit Lions 2010 Schedule - Lions Home and Away - ESPN

 

[Dutchmaster617]

Just thought it was funny how THEY need to improve, but WE have beaten all the contenders.

I think by them I mean mostly the young guys (there is a lot of them too). Brady and Bill will be on a mission as always I expect.

 

[lostjumper]

Detroit always plays well on thanksgiving. Its their game, and the one they get up for. It will be very tough for that pats. Also, Suh will demand a double team every single play as koppen will get destroyed by him. They will probably need to keep a TE in for much of the game.

On the flip side, then lions are terrible at rushing the ball, and at stopping the rush. They average 80 yards a game rushing, and give up 130 a game. Their best player on offense by far is Johnson. The good news for us is that Shaun Hill isn't a very good QB, and will have trouble getting him the ball.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

I expect the Pats to go no-huddle (like how they started the 2nd half vs. San Diego) to try and get that Detroit defense gassed on short rest. I think it would work, eliminating the pass rush and letting Brady pick them apart.

On D, I suspect the Pats will play their soft zone as a) it's what they tend to do and b) it isn't as strenuous as playing man on short rest. I would love to see the Pats tee off on Hill while double-covering Megatron, daring Hill to beat them throwing to other guys while under pressure. I don't think they'll do that so I'll be pleasantly surprised if they do.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Ron Sellers]

It Is What It Is | Bill Belichick on the Big Show: The challenges of a short week

“One of the things we try to do is in the offseason, when we know we have a short week, we really try to make sure that we put a little bit of extra time into those teams in the offseason,” said Belichick. “We start the process with the team, that we can have everything that we can get already from last year in the offseason, thoughts in talking to other coaches and so forth that you can get done ahead of time as much as you can. You know you are crammed for time on a short week. Next week in Detroit will be a real good example of that.

“When you look at your schedule at the beginning of the season, you have as much information as you can and you have three of four of those [short weeks]. And you try to make sure to do that work, so that when you get to those games you have as much information as you can. You still have a lot to do.”

Bill Belichick Postgame Press Conference - 11/21/2010

Q: How do you manage the short week now since you play Detroit on Thursday?

BB: Yeah, it's tough. We've got to go quick. Tomorrow is going to be a scouting report and get going on Detroit day. And Tuesday it will be a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday combined, and Wednesday we're travelling, so we're going to have to cram a lot in here and do a good job on preparing for the Lions. They've got a lot of stuff to get ready for. [They're] a real explosive team offensively, so we've got our work cut out for us on the preparation for that. That's the way it is. With every long week comes a short week; with every short week comes a long week, so it all balances out in the end. But that will be a big challenge, preparation challenge for us this week.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Thanks Ron for those BB quotes. Who says that Bill never says anything? When you ask him something non-stupid that requires more than a yes-or-no answer, you get a lot.

So Brady says it's now Thursday, my calandar says Monday, Bill says it's Tuesday and that tomorrow is Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday all together.... I need to have A LOT of Turkey and dressing this week to be sure.

 

[brown sand turf]

I wonder what edge the Lions have with having to go through these short week fire drills every year? It's probably less of a big deal now that Thursday night football is a regular event. Anyone have any thought on this?

 

[IcyPatriot]

Well if we get a decent lead maybe Hoyer gets rewarded ... I wouldn't mind seeing him play a quarter for some reps ... never know if we'll need him for a series or two.

 

[BradyManny]

On thing about the travel, too: It's a long distance, but not a time-zone change. That's a bit of an upside, imo.

True. A Noon start time with a time change would be even weirder for an East Coast team that is used to playing at no earlier than 1pm.

And if people think those things are understated - just look how the Celts have played in the 1pm Sunday games the last couple of years. Routine matters for even pro athletes.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I imagine this is a lot like the college basketball teams who have a one day turnaround in some of the games in the NCAA tournament. What do you do to prepare when you played the day before and you will play again the day after, so there is no time for even one normal practice?

Well, a coach or coaching crew will have scouted the opponent in advance. Then you take that knowledge at the earliest opportunity and you will focus on film, mental preparation, and the basics- what are the skills of the opponent, what are their weaknesses, what have you done in the past to combat those skills and exploit those weaknesses vs. similar players. You will focus on what you do best. You will generally not be making a major lineup adjustment, a change in resposibilities, or employ new schemes or new plays, etc. You don't rely on Taylor Price. You probably don't rely on Fred Taylor, unless as a backup. You do what you have been doing well.

 

[jmt57]

I wonder what edge the Lions have with having to go through these short week fire drills every year? It's probably less of a big deal now that Thursday night football is a regular event. Anyone have any thought on this?

I think it is a huge concern. There's less than 100 hours from the last kneel down of yesterday's game to kickoff against the Lions. Playing on the road after an extra short week is going to be tough. As noted elsewhere the Pats already put together their scouting and much of their game plan previously, but it has to be tough to rebound physically this quickly. And after back-to-back games against the Steelers and Colts, it will be difficult to get mentally and emotionally ready as well - despite what happened at Cleveland.

If you look at the Thanksgiving games over the last several years and throw out the Lions games (Detroit has been bad enough in the past they couldn't win despite the home/short week advantage), the home team has been winning an overwhelming majority of those games.

This game is not going to be a gimme despite Detroit's record, and the Lions being without their starting quarterback.