I'm marveling at the ability of this team to game plan completely differently every week

[mayoclinic]

See thread: Robert Kraft told Jonas Gray he was going to have a big game

I wonder if Robert Kraft told Jonas Gray he was going to sit on the bench yesterday.

 

[Rob0729]

Weis didn't have a GRONK.

In fairness to McDaniels, he was doing this before Gronk. And although Gronk is a huge part of this offense and is a dominant force, he isn't the reason why the Pats change their offense week after week.

 

[The Brandon Five]

But then, I am playing checkers. We are all are playing checkers. Most of the NFL coaches are also playing checkers.

But our head coach, coaching staff, and players are playing chess.

Belichick is actually playing 3D Vulcan Chess.

 

[The Brandon Five]

Now they face a very tough front 7 in Detroit. They're the most stingy run defense in the league. I could see the Patriots consistently using 5 wide outs, going no huddle, with empty backfields, and slinging the ball 50 times. Couldn't you? But who knows...

Apparently the answer was to beat them up. This Pats team is violent.

 

[mayoclinic]

Apparently the answer was to beat them up. This Pats team is violent.

I think that's a very important point. The Pats have beaten 3 good teams in the past 3 weeks in part by beating them up, in very different ways:

- They beat the Denver WRs black and blue, and made them think every time they went for the ball.
- The shoved the ball down Indy's throat.
- They matched up with Detroit's very physical line, and beat up their WRs.

This is not a finesse team. This is a bunch of badasses.

 

[runandgun]

As a Bronco fan, completely disappointed in our coaching staff, the mad scientist Belichick is in a class of his own. One of the most impressive things I've seen him do is completely ignore the offense sometimes when the defense is struggling, knowing Brady can handle his own. He turns his back to the game, huddles up the D Line and LBs and changes the gameplan/ coaches up the D.

Heath Evans once told about how the Pats ran the ball to perfection one week and then Belichick came to Heath and said take it easy this week, we aren't running it much. We're playing the Vikings who's struggling in the secondary so we're going to sling the ball all game. That's grade A coaching in my book.

 

[mayoclinic]

As a Bronco fan, completely disappointed in our coaching staff, the mad scientist Belichick is in a class of his own. One of the most impressive things I've seen him do is completely ignore the offense sometimes when the defense is struggling, knowing Brady can handle his own. He turns his back to the game, huddles up the D Line and LBs and changes the gameplan/ coaches up the D.

Heath Evans once told about how the Pats ran the ball to perfection one week and then Belichick came to Heath and said take it easy this week, we aren't running it much. We're playing the Vikings who's struggling in the secondary so we're going to sling the ball all game. That's grade A coaching in my book.

Nice to have you on the board. And thanks for beating Miami for us.

 

[jmt57]

Even Ron Borges is marveling at the Patriots ability to effectively adapt on a weekly basis against good teams.

Patriots offense finds way to beat quality teams

A week ago, the Patriots offense trampled Indianapolis’ undersized defensive front, rushing for 246 yards and making an unknown former practice squad player named Jonas Gray a Sports Illustrated cover boy as he plowed forward through holes the size of the Grand Canyon for 201 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Fast-forward seven days and Gray is in the doghouse, that running game is in mothballs most of the afternoon and yet Detroit is no better off than the Colts.

Where the Colts were stomped upon, the Lions were thrown over, jackknifing Detroit not with power runs but with a short-to-intermediate passing game that was as accurate as an MRI and just as revealing of Detroit’s flaws. The ability to perform two such opposite acts in a span of seven days speaks not only to one’s offensive versatility but also to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ willingness to avoid stubbornly insisting his offense is this or that. Instead he looks at the opponent and attacks where it is most vulnerable while refusing to beat his head against its strengths in Mike Martz-like fashion.

Tom Brady passed for 349 yards yesterday, spread out evenly between five receivers, and he did it the hard way, which is to say by completing nothing longer than 24 yards but 38 throws of varying lesser distances that flew consistently beyond the scope of Detroit’s pudding-like zone coverage. With less than eight minutes to play, the Patriots had rushed for only 38 yards but nevertheless led 27-9 in a game they ultimately won, 34-9. Thus in back-to-back games the Pats had not only defeated but dismantled both the league’s No. 1 offense (Indianapolis) and No. 1 defense (Detroit) and did it using two completely different forms of attack.​

 

[Oswlek]

I think that's a very important point. The Pats have beaten 3 good teams in the past 3 weeks in part by beating them up, in very different ways:

- They beat the Denver WRs black and blue, and made them think every time they went for the ball.
- The shoved the ball down Indy's throat.
- They matched up with Detroit's very physical line, and beat up their WRs.

This is not a finesse team. This is a bunch of badasses.

That was one of my favorite parts of the 2003 and 2004 teams. They just loved the grind. Glad to see it finally coming back.

 

[goheels22002]

In fairness to McDaniels, he was doing this before Gronk. And although Gronk is a huge part of this offense and is a dominant force, he isn't the reason why the Pats change their offense week after week.

Agreed. Belichick was developing opponent-specific game plans aimed at taking away what the oppositin does best as DC of NY Giants.

BTW, you have a cold hard lock on the Predict the Score contest after the Lions game. Good work.

 

[Rob0729]

Agreed. Belichick was developing opponent-specific game plans aimed at taking away what the oppositin does best as DC of NY Giants.

BTW, you have a cold hard lock on the Predict the Score contest after the Lions game. Good work.

The funny thing is I am going to win the Predict the Score contest two weeks in a row and I think I am the only one to win it multiple times and I don't think I am going to crack the top 25 for the season. That is how bad my picks have been prior to the last two weeks.

 

[Ring 6]

Nice to have you on the board. And thanks for beating Miami for us.

I was hoping Miami would win that game.

 

[Ring 6]

That was one of my favorite parts of the 2003 and 2004 teams. They just loved the grind. Glad to see it finally coming back.

Remember how the veteran teams used to say they couldn't wait until Wednesday when the game plan was installed? They would all be anxious to see what this weeks creativity would be.

 

[Brady6]

The thing is, they are doing it on both sides of the ball. Alternating personnel and scheme. They have such versatility and so many chess pieces. I think this is the closest BB has ever been to having the kind of personnel and roster that he dreams of.

I think missing Mayo due to injury is the only thing that dampened the dream but overall I agree. I think if we win the SB this year we will have a legit shot at back to back because the 2015 defense could be even better.

 

[Brady6]

That was one of my favorite parts of the 2003 and 2004 teams. They just loved the grind. Glad to see it finally coming back.

I love seeing the organized chaos on 3rd downs defensively that is reminiscent of the early 2000s.

 

[n6249c]

Even Ron Borges is marveling at the Patriots ability to effectively adapt on a weekly basis against good teams

Been seeing a lot of the talking heads enjoying the heck out of analyzing the Patriots these weeks. Warren Sapp was giving hem a lot of love tonight, but I'm not sure if he's more impressed with the versatility or their mean streak. A lot of discussions are repeating the same line: maybe the best team in the NFL, certainly best in the AFC.