lamafist
Rotational Player and Threatening Starter's Job
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2008
- Messages
- 1,197
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I'm not sure if this has been brought up, but I think it's a mistake to take last Sunday's game against the Dolphins as an argument that the Pats should have been running more during the whole game.
Both Belichick and McDaniels said in interviews that the plan early was to use short quick passes to the outside to get the defensive line moving laterally to tire them out and keep them on their feet and ready to have to run toward the sideline.
Now, normally a team can accomplish the same goal by running to the outside, but this wasn't going to be a good option for the Pats on Sunday. Losing Gronk has a big negative effect on our strong-side running, and with Vollmer and Connoly both far from 100% going into the game, the right side of the line figured to be a problem. And it was.
McDaniels' game-plan helped take the pressure off our depleted run-blocking unit for much of the game and put them in position to succeed when the team would need it most down the stretch.
Both Belichick and McDaniels said in interviews that the plan early was to use short quick passes to the outside to get the defensive line moving laterally to tire them out and keep them on their feet and ready to have to run toward the sideline.
Now, normally a team can accomplish the same goal by running to the outside, but this wasn't going to be a good option for the Pats on Sunday. Losing Gronk has a big negative effect on our strong-side running, and with Vollmer and Connoly both far from 100% going into the game, the right side of the line figured to be a problem. And it was.
McDaniels' game-plan helped take the pressure off our depleted run-blocking unit for much of the game and put them in position to succeed when the team would need it most down the stretch.