Indianapolis Breakdown (AFC Championship)

[pats1]

Don't ask how I conjured up the strength to do this.

...


Defensive Series #12 Touchdown

Contributor: Pats1
Time: 2:17 remaining in the fourth quarter
Statistics: 7 plays (3 run, 4 pass), 80 yards (11 run, 57 pass, 12 penalty), time of possession was 1:17
Breakdown: 1 green play (0 run, 1 pass) for 0 yds., 1 black play (1 run, 0 pass) for 3 yds., 5 red plays (2 run, 3 pass) for 65 yds. (8 run, 57 pass), 12 penalty yards lost for the Patriots.

1st and 10 Ind 20

Result: Pass, Wayne, 10 yard out, 11 yds.
Analysis: Shotgun 3 WR, Clark right slot, TE left, RB right vs. 3-4 with CBs well off. Banta-Cain and Vrabel both blitz off the edges, but are picked up by the OTs and RB. Seymour and Wright are also stopped cold by the LG and C. The only pressure came from Warren, who beat the RG inside and nailed Peyton after the lobbed throw. Bruschi shadows the RB chipping Vrabel and coming out. The Colts ran three levels of out/crossing patterns here. Clark came across short, covered by Scott. About 8 yards out, Fletcher was covered by Alexander on an out route. Wayne did a 10-yard out, but with Hobbs playing so far off, was open to make the quick catch and step out of bounds.

1st and 10 Ind 31

Result: Pass, Fletcher, Incomplete.
Analysis: No huddle, shotgun same formation and personnel vs. 3-4 with RCB press and SILB about 7 yards off the TE. Same pass rush, but this time it was Banta-Cain who broke free but hit Manning just a second too late. Same crossing routes by the Colts, with this time Manning opting for Fletcher at about 8 yards, as Hobbs played Wayne up tight. Alexander was playing behind Fletcher and got a hand in there to knock it free.

2nd and 10 Ind 31

Result: Pass, Fletcher, 20 yard flag, 32 yds.
Analysis: No huddle, shotgun same formation and personnel vs. 3-4, SILB 7 yards off TE and RCB backed off again. Bruschi blitzed this time, but was picked up by the RB. The other 4 rushers couldn’t get to Manning, but Warren stunted around Banta-Cain but could only fall at the feet of Manning, pressured but relatively unaffected. The C picked up a Seymour stunt, handing Wright off to the LT, who gained more ground on Wright than vise versa. Vrabel was checked off by the RT and dropped into coverage. The Pats were in man free (cover -1), so the deep FS was playing the entire deep zone, and had to stay between Fletcher and Harrison deep. Sanders came up to pick up Clark, and Hobbs stuck with Wayne on a short crossing pattern. This left Alexander chasing Fletcher deep downfield. Bryan Fletcher ran a 4.82 40. Alexander ran a 4.59 40. Still, Fletcher wins. The problem here is that the Pats essentially rushed 6. If you’re going to do that, it is imperative that you get serious pressure on the QB. That didn’t happen here. If Bruschi and Vrabel didn’t blitz, for example, they’d be available short to at least take up space underneath. Instead, Hobbs and Sanders are required underneath, leaving these undesirable matchups deep. I’m also wondering why Alexander was on the field in favor of a Scott or Mickens or Baker, considering the Colts lining up 3 wide.

1st and 10 NE 37

Result: Pass, Wayne, 5 yard square-in, 14 yds.
PENALTY on NE-T.Banta-Cain, Roughing the Passer, 12 yards, enforced at NE 23.
Analysis: No huddle, shotgun same formation and personnel vs. 3-4 with RCB press. 6 blitz again, but Bruschi’s hopping and skipping gets him caught in no-mans land with the RB tripping over Vrabel too. Wright and Seymour got nothing on the LT and LG; Warren stunted outside and was picked up by the RT. Vrabel fell into the RG. Banta-Cain beat the LG around the corner, but again Peyton stared down the pressure and hit Wayne in-stride across the middle. Hobbs was playing in “press,” but didn’t bother to hit Wayne. He set up behind the route, and was burned across the field, missing a tackle in the process. Sanders was also too aggressive, and was left in the dust as well. This left Scott to make the play, who, with the help of Bruschi coming from behind, knocked the ball out of Wayne’s hands and into mid air. With that suspension that probably felt like an eternity for all of those involved, Baker came out of nowhere, but Bruschi got in his way. Therefore, Baker could only use one hand to go for the ball, an attempt that was bested by Wayne’s two-handed effort on the ball. Adding insult to injury was a ticky-tack roughing the passer penalty on Banta-Cain, whose right hand grazed Peyton’s helmet as it came down on his shoulder pad. Without the penalty and the horrible tackling, this should have been a quick 5-7 yard gain.

Note: 2 minute warning.

1st and 10 NE 11

Result: Run, Addai, right tackle, 5 yds.
Analysis: Shotgun reversed formation and personnel with slot motion to LT vs. 3-4 blitz look. Backside, Seymour was sealed by the LT, Banta-Cain ole’d Clark, and Alexander was driven well off by the LG. Wilfork came back in but was sealed by the C, just as Bruschi came down but was turned in by the RG. Warren came out and Wright shifted over to LDE, where he shed the RT to make the play. Vrabel also shed the TE to help out, but Addai carried both of them for an extra yard or two.

2nd and 5 NE 6

Result: Run, Addai, up the middle, 3 yds.
Analysis: No huddle, same formation, personnel, and motion vs. 3-4 blitz look and FS in box. On the right, Wright and Vrabel held their ground to force Addai to cut inside. Bruschi was driven back at first by the RG but broke free to help on the stop. Wilfork and Alexander filled nicely on the C and LG, but they both read the run right and got caught outside. Seymour fell on the cut-blocking LT, also obstructing Banta-Cain, and Clark took out Scott on a quick slash block. Seymour got back up to take down Addai backside.

3rd and 2 NE 3

Result: Timeout, New England – 2 remaining in the second half.

3rd and 2 NE 3

Result: Run, Addai, up the middle, 2 yds., TOUCHDOWN.
Analysis: 2 WR, 2 TE split vs. 3-4 blitz look with FS in box and CBs press. Scott came in on a blitz, but was driven back by the LTE Clark. Seymour and Banta-Cain were kept outside by the LT. Alexander was sealed by the LG. Wilfork was pancaked right by the C. Bruschi met the RG and fell down. Warren took the RT, and Vrabel took the RTE. Addai walked into the endzone.

Extra Point

Result: Converted.

Score: New England 34 – Indianapolis 38

Assessment

Not a tremendous amount to say about this one. Rashad Baker and Chad Scott both saw time at FS, with Hawkins hurt. Alexander was in there. Wright came in for a cramping Wilfork and Warren for a play. The Pats’ strategy was to attack Peyton on the blitz, but it quite frankly failed. Vrabel, for someone who was moved back outside at the expense (until Colvin’s injury) of Banta-Cain, didn’t make the impact as a pass rusher he has in years past. Bruschi was knocked all around. There was little to no pressure from the DL. When you have this many rushers, you’re leaving man-to-man coverage against a battered and tired secondary. Credit should be given to Samuel for shutting down Harrison all drive, but Hobbs had problems with Wayne whether he was in the press or not. The Pats knew the Colts would be coming out passing here – why not bring in the nickel and dime? Were they running that low on DBs? The Pats have historically taken away the deep ball for Peyton in these situations. By bringing extra rushers, they made a gamble with the man free coverage on the KILLER Fletcher catch and lost. Once the Colts got close, they didn’t completely manhandle the Pats’ front seven on their 3 rushes, but certainly got enough push to give Addai room to work. Him walking into the endzone with Wilfork on his ass was unacceptable.

Drive Grades

DL ‘D’ - No pass rush, troubles against the run
OLBs ‘B’ - Good against run, OK against pass
ILBs ‘D’ - Burned in coverage, knocked around on runs
CBs ‘C’ - OK coverage, poor tackling
Ss ‘C’ - Stretched thin, poor tackling
DC ‘F’ - Bad time to gamble

 

[pats1]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/

January 22, 2007
Offensive participation

A snapshot look at offensive participation from the Patriots' 38-34 loss to the Colts in the AFC Championship game:

TE Benjamin Watson -- 50 of 58 snaps (86 percent)
WR Reche Caldwell -- 48 of 58 (82 percent)
WR Jabar Gaffney -- 47 of 58 (81 percent)
TE Daniel Graham -- 34 of 58 (58 percent)
WR Troy Brown -- 31 of 58 (53 percent)
FB Heath Evans -- 30 of 58 (51.7 percent)
RB Laurence Maroney -- 17 of 58 (29.3 percent)
RB Corey Dillon -- 14 of 58 (24.1 percent)
RB Kevin Faulk -- 10 of 58 (17.2 percent)
TE David Thomas -- 7 of 58 (12 percent)
WR Chad Jackson -- 2 of 58 (3.4 percent)

ANALYSIS: When it comes to how the Patriots used their personnel, the first thing that stands out is that Kevin Faulk wasn't on the field for the team's final 24 snaps. One week after playing the most snaps of all the running backs in San Diego (47), Faulk played in just 10, apparently because of a health-related issue. In his absence, Heath Evans played when the Patriots went to their three-wide set. Faulk's last snap was the third offensive play of the third quarter. At tight end, Benjamin Watson took a lead role, playing in the team's two-TE package and was also the primary tight end in the team's three-wide set. At receiver, Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney were 1-2 in the two-wide set, with Troy Brown coming on the field as a target in the slot.

MONDAY UPDATE: There is no media access at Gillette Stadium today. We'll plan on passing along our next update later tonight.

Posted By: mreiss | Time: 10:25:57 AM

 

[pats1]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2007/01/positional_grou_5.html

January 22, 2007
Positional groupings

Closing the book on the Patriots' 38-34 loss to the Colts in the AFC Championship game by looking at the positional groupings used by the team:

3 WR/1 TE/1 RB -- 26 of 58 snaps
2 WR/2 TE/1 RB -- 19 of 58
3 TE/1 FB/1 RB -- 6 of 58
2 WR/1 TE/1 FB/1 RB -- 3 of 58
1 WR/2 TE/1 FB/1 RB -- 3 of 58
3 WR/1 FB/1 RB -- 1 of 58

TUESDAY LOOK-AHEAD: There is no scheduled media access at Gillette Stadium. We'll plan on passing along a team-based update at some point during the day.

Posted By: mreiss | Time: 08:49:36 PM

 

[pats1]

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/patriots/?p=941

January 23rd, 2007
Tale of the Tape
Posted by Albert Breer at 7:26 pm

Last week, in this space, we opined that the Patriots had no business beating the Chargers. The Point After sticks by that. The Colts game was different. One thing that showed up on tape was a remarkably even matchup with an interesting chess match emerging, which was a little surprising considering that Indy’s one of those “do what we do'’ teams. Another thing that stuck out was the game seemed to be very, very clean, and that added to the even level the two teams played at. There were penalties and no-calls, yes, but for the most part, both teams played to the whistle and relatively mistake-free. Here’s more from the final game of the 2006 Patriots season:

– Don’t think, for even a second, that Peyton Manning’s injury to a thumb that was discolored didn’t have an impact. You started to see it on the Colts’ second-to-last drive of the game. The Patriots, who’d rushed four for most of the game, turned things up there. On three straight plays, there were six, six and five rushers coming. On first down, under duress, Manning couldn’t step into his throw and it came in low to Dallas Clark. On second down, with the rushing bearing down, Manning was short and outside to Aaron Morehead. On third down, he couldn’t get enough zip on the ball to get it over the middle to Morehead before Ray Mickens got in to break it up. So when the Colts’ got the ball again with 2:17 left, the Pats kept it coming and Manning showed tremendous guts. With five coming on the drive’s first play, Manning took a blow from Ty Warren and got the ball to Reggie Wayne on the right sideline for 11 yards. Two plays later, with six rushing, Warren got low on Manning, who made just an unreal throw to Brian Fletcher on a corner route for 32 yards. On the next play, five came and Manning simply dumped it off to Reggie Wayne, running a drag, for 14 yards. Simply, the Patriots gambled that Manning wouldn’t be able to make the throws under pressure with that discolored thumb. And that’s just what Manning did.

– A big, big factor in the Colts comeback was the offensive line effectively identifying where the Patriots’ rush was coming from. Perhaps worried about compromising coverage, New England consistently brought six men to the line before the snap, to disguise the four that were actually coming out of a lot of 3-3 nickel looks. This worked against the Patriots. The trouble with it was that the players coming to the line and then dropping were put in a bad spot to cover, having to double back quickly. If the rush gets there, then the problem is mitigated. But with the Indy line correctly manning up on the rushers, the Colts were able to exploit players in catch-up situations. One good example came just before the Colts tied the game at 28. On a first-and-10, the Patriots played six up and rushed three. Tully Banta-Cain came up into a rush position, then dropped. And as a result, he was running behind Dallas Clark on the tight end’s 23-yard catch on corner route. This, in addition to the safeties playing back cleared out the intermediate middle of the field, which Manning used effectively throughout the second half. With the Colts speed, and the Patriots lack thereof at linebacker, this was a huge problem.

– There’s been a lot of the “Laurence Maroney dances too much'’ talk in the aftermath of the game. The truth? His struggles were exactly all his fault. All but one of his losses came on inside-zone or counter plays, which take a while to develop. In the past, you could get the Colts in overpursuit on these. But the Colts’ defensive line played exemplary gap discipline in getting upfield here. Basically, you had one man to a gap on each of these plays and those guys were able to slip by the offensive lineman, who were working to set up the plays, and into the backfield to get Maroney. And you can bet the Colts front saw these coming, because it’s Maroney who’s in on the lion’s share of these plays. The Patriots, it seemed, all season have been going more and more to zone looks and, as such, still need some work in blocking them. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if the addition of these things are a product of Bill Belichick’s offseason meetings with Florida coach Urban Meyer, whose system is built on zone blocking.

– Another one of Maroney’s losses came on a draw, a run of negative-2 yards in the fourth quarter. And here’s where the Patriots missed Kevin Faulk quite a bit. The Patriots effectively threw draws at the Colts early, in an effort to get the Colts to back off on going upfield, and a big reason they were successful is because of Faulk. What these plays often ask a back to do is dodge a defender as soon as he gets the ball, with open field often waiting if he can make his man miss. Few are as good at this as Faulk, and the Patriots struggled on these plays after he went down.

– A big part of the Colts’ comeback seemed to be the 6:47 they ran off the clock on their first drive, added to the 2:59 that came off on a 15-play, half-ending march. By the time the Patriots got the ball for the first time in the second half, they hadn’t had it for well over an hour, and looked out of sync when they finally took it. On the first play, there was a disconnect between Tom Brady and Reche Caldwell. On the second play, Faulk needed to put a great move on Dwight Freeney to rip off 8 yards on a draw. The third and final play developed slowly and Freeney got pressure on Brady, which forced a low throw to Heath Evans, who was immediately driven back. This cost the Patriots big-time, giving the Colts the ball back with a chance to tie the game, which they did.

– One way the Colts offense got the Patriots consistently was by throwing on early downs, and it’s hard to understand why more teams didn’t do this. Two big chain-moving plays on Indy’s first drive of the second half proved this. Both were on second-and-8, with the Patriots’ still in their base 3-4. With the front playing close to the line, the corners were backed off, and Manning went with quick hits to Marvin Harrison for 7 and 13 yards respectively. Another thing the Colts did, with the corners playing as well as they were, was move Reggie Wayne into the slot. This allowed the Colts to exploit a soft middle of the field — the linebackers were in the aforementioned catch-up mode — with one of their best playmakers.

– The Colts defense deserves a lot of credit. Yeah, the Patriots scored 34 points. But look at how the points were scored. Seven came on Asante Samuel’s interception — where he simply played the ball more aggressively, when Harrison didn’t come back at it as hard as he should have and Manning made a bad decision. Seven were scored with Ellis Hobbs running a kick back 80 yards and leaving just 20 for the offense to traverse. Two other touchdowns came after fourth-down conversions, one of which was a fourth-and-6. And the two field goals took drives of just 33 and 29 yards to set up. The Colts’ staff did an excellent job of mixing coverages and rush packages, and the result at the end was the game-winning interception and another close miss on one late. Those — the pick by Marlin Jackson and the near-miss by Bob Sanders — came in zone looks after the Colts had thrown a heavy dose of man with a safety in the box at New England.

– That was a tough spot to put Eric Alexander in. The reason, clearly, he was there was for coverage. And he did a decent job on Clark early. He stuck right with him and took him down quickly, but couldn’t prevent the catches from happening, which it would be hard to expect a guy starting his first game to do. Plus, Clark’s biggest plays weren’t Alexander’s fault. There was the 25-yarder detailed above. Then, there was the 52-yarder, which had nothing to do with him. On that play, Tedy Bruschi bit hard on play-action, leaving Clark free up the seam. Then, Artrell Hawkins tried to reroute him at about 15 yards and Clark blew right by the safety and open into the deep part of the field. But both inside linebackers, it must be said, struggled mightily against the run.

– For all the hoopla over Samuel, and he played an outstanding game on Harrison (though he did misjudge what could’ve been a big deep ball in the second quarter), Hobbs was his equal on the other side. He consistently stuck with Wayne and made two plays that stand up as among the best the Patriots have had in the secondary all year long. There was a play over the middle in the third quarter, where Wayne shot across the middle, Hobbs stuck with him and reached around the receiver to bat the ball down. And the real big one came to prevent a touchdown — Wayne ran a post and Hobbs kept with him, then made an impossible play on the ball, leaping around Wayne to knock the ball away. It’s worth noting that Wayne made most of his plays out of the slot, away from Hobbs. And it’s worth emphasizing that if Samuel is gone, Hobbs is more than capable of becoming the team’s top corner.

 

[The_Dragon]

Hobbs seems to be a hard worker and has improved the whole time he has been with the Pats. I would not be totally comfortable with the idea of him being the teams number one corner next year however. I think he still has a way to go yet.

 

[psychoPat]

Don't ask how I conjured up the strength to do this.

But somehow you did.

A very informative ... instructive ... and helpful service, Pats1,
that you and your accomplice, Box,
furnished all season long.

Extensively quoting the ordained reporter who does something similar sometimes, Breer,
offers helpful parallax.

Please accept my appreciation!

 

[tedy hagler]

Nice work. To me, seeing the Colts center bend Wilfork over like an overcooked lasagna noodle said it all: when you play big dudes too long, they often wear out.

Don't ask how I conjured up the strength to do this.

...
Fletcher catch and lost. Once the Colts got close, they didn’t completely manhandle the Pats’ front seven on their 3 rushes, but certainly got enough push to give Addai room to work. Him walking into the endzone with Wilfork on his ass was unacceptable.

Drive Grades

DL ‘D’ - No pass rush, troubles against the run
OLBs ‘B’ - Good against run, OK against pass
ILBs ‘D’ - Burned in coverage, knocked around on runs
CBs ‘C’ - OK coverage, poor tackling
Ss ‘C’ - Stretched thin, poor tackling
DC ‘F’ - Bad time to gamble

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Hobbs seems to be a hard worker and has improved the whole time he has been with the Pats. I would not be totally comfortable with the idea of him being the teams number one corner next year however. I think he still has a way to go yet.

Hobbs started the season as the #1 CB before getting injured. When you watched tape you could see teams going away from him at the end of last season. I've asked Riess is he can get any of the coaches' stats on the number of passes attempted for each CB, just to see if my impressions of teams picking on Samuel have any validity. Only San Diego seemed to challenge Hobbs the most - poor Rivers, I shouldn't feel glee over his post game screeching.

 

[The_Dragon]

Hobbs started the season as the #1 CB before getting injured. When you watched tape you could see teams going away from him at the end of last season. I've asked Riess is he can get any of the coaches' stats on the number of passes attempted for each CB, just to see if my impressions of teams picking on Samuel have any validity. Only San Diego seemed to challenge Hobbs the most - poor Rivers, I shouldn't feel glee over his post game screeching.

I wasn't aware of Hobbs starting as the number 1 corner, that's interesting. I like Hobbs, his athleticism and his attitude and I think he will continue to get better.

I have a concern on him though especially in his tendancy to miss on the tackle when he has given up a catch underneath. To me personally he still gives up too many big plays. I would say, however, that he was excellent for long periods throughout the playoffs outside of one or two missed tackles.

Funnily enough I would probably have been saying a lot of the same things about Samuel last year - they even seem to have suffered the same problems on pass interference calls - Samuel last year(Denver playoff game), Hobbs this year(Chicago game, Indy playoff game).

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I wasn't aware of Hobbs starting as the number 1 corner, that's interesting. I like Hobbs, his athleticism and his attitude and I think he will continue to get better.

I have a concern on him though especially in his tendancy to miss on the tackle when he has given up a catch underneath. To me personally he still gives up too many big plays. I would say, however, that he was excellent for long periods throughout the playoffs outside of one or two missed tackles.

Funnily enough I would probably have been saying a lot of the same things about Samuel last year - they even seem to have suffered the same problems on pass interference calls - Samuel last year(Denver playoff game), Hobbs this year(Chicago game, Indy playoff game).

The Pats don't talk in terms of a #1 CB so most media people don't reference such things. Hobbs started at the LCB role or the QB's right side before injury moved him out and moved Samuel in - most #1 CBs play over to the side most QBs have their throwing arm (see Law, TY and Bailey, Champ).

Do you recall Lee Evans (Buffalo) being mentioned much in the first game? Hobbs shut him down. Hobbs doesn't miss anymore tackles than any other defender, and we do need to remember the other team drafted for talent and play making ability too. Samuel plays off his man and uses his burst to close and make a play, Hobbs, when healthy, plays more press coverage and plays tighter to his man, forcing the QB to look elsewhere. They are both fine CBs who the coaches have playing to their strengths and shielding their weaknesses. Please note that Hobbs was still wearing a cast in the AFCCG.

Hobbs shut down Reggie Wayne for all intents and purposes. For a rare treat, Samuel did the same with Harrison (though I recall numerous stories on how Harrison disappears in the playoffs...). Do you remember that sick twirling/diving TD catch Harrison made when Indy played in Gillette this year? Afterwards Harrison spiked the ball, a rare show for him - Hobbs had been dogging his butt all game and they had a real battle going. San Diego challenged Hobbs with their big WRs and TE, and went away from Samuel until late in the game as they tried to ignite a rally. Hobbs stripped Antonio F-ing Gates on the 2 yd line in what was rightly called an incompletion after review. He stripped 6'5" Vincent Jackson to kill a drive in the 4th Qtr. Think back to the Miami away game last season, Miami went at Hobbs twice with their 6'4" big play man, throwing fades - Hobbs stripped him both times before possession could be established, preserving the win in the process. When I watch tape there is no question in my mind that Hobbs is the more physically talented CB than Samuel, and appears to be learning the position at a faster pace since he earned the starting RCB slot last season when Starks injuries finally handicapped him beyond the coaches' tolerance.

You may gather that I've had to defend Hobbs before in this forum. Most people just don't have time to watch tape, even if they recorded the game, but slow-motion viewing, and rewatching a play focusing on each individual, often paints the play in a different light. I'm sure Pats1 can tell you individuals he was cussing during a game look much better when he slows it down for analysis.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

The Pats don't talk in terms of a #1 CB so most media people don't reference such things. Hobbs started at the LCB role or the QB's right side before injury moved him out and moved Samuel in - most #1 CBs play over to the side most QBs have their throwing arm (see Law, TY and Bailey, Champ).

Do you recall Lee Evans (Buffalo) being mentioned much in the first game? Hobbs shut him down. Hobbs doesn't miss anymore tackles than any other defender, and we do need to remember the other team drafted for talent and play making ability too. Samuel plays off his man and uses his burst to close and make a play, Hobbs, when healthy, plays more press coverage and plays tighter to his man, forcing the QB to look elsewhere. They are both fine CBs who the coaches have playing to their strengths and shielding their weaknesses. Please note that Hobbs was still wearing a cast in the AFCCG.

Hobbs shut down Reggie Wayne for all intents and purposes. For a rare treat, Samuel did the same with Harrison (though I recall numerous stories on how Harrison disappears in the playoffs...). Do you remember that sick twirling/diving TD catch Harrison made when Indy played in Gillette this year? Afterwards Harrison spiked the ball, a rare show for him - Hobbs had been dogging his butt all game and they had a real battle going. San Diego challenged Hobbs with their big WRs and TE, and went away from Samuel until late in the game as they tried to ignite a rally. Hobbs stripped Antonio F-ing Gates on the 2 yd line in what was rightly called an incompletion after review. He stripped 6'5" Vincent Jackson to kill a drive in the 4th Qtr. Think back to the Miami away game last season, Miami went at Hobbs twice with their 6'4" big play man, throwing fades - Hobbs stripped him both times before possession could be established, preserving the win in the process. When I watch tape there is no question in my mind that Hobbs is the more physically talented CB than Samuel, and appears to be learning the position at a faster pace since he earned the starting RCB slot last season when Starks injuries finally handicapped him beyond the coaches' tolerance.

You may gather that I've had to defend Hobbs before in this forum. Most people just don't have time to watch tape, even if they recorded the game, but slow-motion viewing, and rewatching a play focusing on each individual, often paints the play in a different light. I'm sure Pats1 can tell you individuals he was cussing during a game look much better when he slows it down for analysis.

I agree on Hobbs. I love his spirit and it would be interesting to find out if Samuel was getting so many picks because qb's were throwing away from hobbs.

 

[unoriginal]

I agree on Hobbs. I love his spirit and it would be interesting to find out if Samuel was getting so many picks because qb's were throwing away from hobbs.

Samuel was getting his picks this year mostly because, as a 4th year veteran, he has acclimated to the game to the point where he can more appropriately pick and utilize opportunities to be aggressive in, and is no longer startled when he gets to the ball first.

Hobbs has so far demonstrated he's got the coverage skills Samuel has. In the Indianapolis game alone Hobbs successfully defended about six passes (I count the phantom "face-guarding" PI call in the endzone as a defended pass) which is twice as many as Samuel had. The difference between the two is that Samuel got his mitts on a slant and housed it, and after that really didn't see a lot of aggressive passing action coming his way.

Like Samuel, I think as his third year in the starting lineup progresses you'll see Hobbs turn into an interception machine, and consequently a shutdown corner. Once you start making the quarterback pay for picking on you, you tend to see a lot fewer plays being run at you.

If they keep Samuel after they tag him, our corners will be scary next year. 2003 scary.

 

[PatsFan37]

Box,
I haven't had the desire to revisit the last game. I'll get to it sometime after the superbowl, along with the Chargers game, which is quite a bit more uplifting. In all, six quarters of good watching, two quarters to hide my eyes.

On Hobbs, I thought (without watching replays) that he was not only talented but courageous. I remember when Samuel used to hit TE's hard and suffered a shoulder injury one season because of it. He looked, to me, like a courageous corner. Hobbs goes beyond that. Not only does he tackle and strip the big receivers and TEs, he pulls them down on top of himself at the end of a high-speed chase. He came back from a broken wrist in something like two weeks.

For all of Samuel's picks, I'd rather have Hobbs. No question he has better speed and agility, equal strength and courage and his NFL timing is improving every game.

He's smart, aggressive, knows how to play press coverage, and when his hand is healed, he'll be picking QB's like apples on a tree. I don't know what got him in trouble with BB earlier in the season, but I have to believe they love the guy.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I don't know what got him in trouble with BB earlier in the season, but I have to believe they love the guy.

I don't know that he was in trouble, that's always everybody's first thought, but other than people taking it for granted he was in trouble, I never saw any sourced reporting. I did see reports that he was struggling physically, I'd have to go back and watch for any change in his cast. That also was the Miami game if I recall, I believe Chad Scott was playing for his press coverage ability...

 

[The_Dragon]

The Pats don't talk in terms of a #1 CB so most media people don't reference such things. Hobbs started at the LCB role or the QB's right side before injury moved him out and moved Samuel in - most #1 CBs play over to the side most QBs have their throwing arm (see Law, TY and Bailey, Champ).

Do you recall Lee Evans (Buffalo) being mentioned much in the first game? Hobbs shut him down. Hobbs doesn't miss anymore tackles than any other defender, and we do need to remember the other team drafted for talent and play making ability too. Samuel plays off his man and uses his burst to close and make a play, Hobbs, when healthy, plays more press coverage and plays tighter to his man, forcing the QB to look elsewhere. They are both fine CBs who the coaches have playing to their strengths and shielding their weaknesses. Please note that Hobbs was still wearing a cast in the AFCCG.

Hobbs shut down Reggie Wayne for all intents and purposes. For a rare treat, Samuel did the same with Harrison (though I recall numerous stories on how Harrison disappears in the playoffs...). Do you remember that sick twirling/diving TD catch Harrison made when Indy played in Gillette this year? Afterwards Harrison spiked the ball, a rare show for him - Hobbs had been dogging his butt all game and they had a real battle going. San Diego challenged Hobbs with their big WRs and TE, and went away from Samuel until late in the game as they tried to ignite a rally. Hobbs stripped Antonio F-ing Gates on the 2 yd line in what was rightly called an incompletion after review. He stripped 6'5" Vincent Jackson to kill a drive in the 4th Qtr. Think back to the Miami away game last season, Miami went at Hobbs twice with their 6'4" big play man, throwing fades - Hobbs stripped him both times before possession could be established, preserving the win in the process. When I watch tape there is no question in my mind that Hobbs is the more physically talented CB than Samuel, and appears to be learning the position at a faster pace since he earned the starting RCB slot last season when Starks injuries finally handicapped him beyond the coaches' tolerance.

You may gather that I've had to defend Hobbs before in this forum. Most people just don't have time to watch tape, even if they recorded the game, but slow-motion viewing, and rewatching a play focusing on each individual, often paints the play in a different light. I'm sure Pats1 can tell you individuals he was cussing during a game look much better when he slows it down for analysis.

All fair points Box_of_Rocks and I agree that a lot of my preception on Hobbs is based on viewing the game once on TV. As you said that is not the best way to pick up on every aspect Hobbs' play and I have no doubt I've missed a lot of his positive play.

I remember the game against Buffalo where Hobbs played so well on Evans - a source of ire for Asante was it not that Hobbs got this detail? Also Peter King made a point of mentioning Hobbs' display in that game in his MMQB column - and I agree he played very well on Wayne and against the Chargers.

I could, on the other hand, point out how he got beaten by Cotchery for the TD in the Jets game in Foxboro or how Welker got the better of him in the Miami game this year - wasn't it something like 7 catches out of the slot?

I guess the idea of Hobbs as the no 1 CB this year still makes me, personally, a little uneasy. Hopefully I'll be proved wrong. And you can retire the 'defending Hobbs argument' for good...

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

All fair points Box_of_Rocks and I agree that a lot of my preception on Hobbs is based on viewing the game once on TV. As you said that is not the best way to pick up on every aspect Hobbs' play and I have no doubt I've missed a lot of his positive play.

I remember the game against Buffalo where Hobbs played so well on Evans - a source of ire for Asante was it not that Hobbs got this detail? Also Peter King made a point of mentioning Hobbs' display in that game in his MMQB column - and I agree he played very well on Wayne and against the Chargers.

I could, on the other hand, point out how he got beaten by Cotchery for the TD in the Jets game in Foxboro or how Welker got the better of him in the Miami game this year - wasn't it something like 7 catches out of the slot?

I guess the idea of Hobbs as the no 1 CB this year still makes me, personally, a little uneasy. Hopefully I'll be proved wrong. And you can retire the 'defending Hobbs argument' for good...

I look forward to retiring the Hobbs' defense, but as long as Cardinals' fan posts his stupidity I doubt that will happen.

Name a player on defense who had a good game when the Jets came to visit in November? Welker is a pretty good WR, working out of the slot he stayed underneath the zones and was able to make plays, it's one of the hazards of the defense's bend but don't break approach. In that game, how many TDs did Welker score? How many were against Hobbs and how many against the zone?

I try to note when a player made an error when I do breakdowns, I just prefer not to second guess BB too often when it comes to assigning starting slots, I just have this feeling he may know more about the options and situation.

 

[The_Dragon]

I look forward to retiring the Hobbs' defense, but as long as Cardinals' fan posts his stupidity I doubt that will happen.

Name a player on defense who had a good game when the Jets came to visit in November? Welker is a pretty good WR, working out of the slot he stayed underneath the zones and was able to make plays, it's one of the hazards of the defense's bend but don't break approach. In that game, how many TDs did Welker score? How many were against Hobbs and how many against the zone?

I try to note when a player made an error when I do breakdowns, I just prefer not to second guess BB too often when it comes to assigning starting slots, I just have this feeling he may know more about the options and situation.

Ha, ha. Fair points. I can hardly against both you and BB can I?

I take what you're saying. It's not always as black and white as it seems.

 

[pao]

Pats1, I tip my cap to you. Incredible posts.

pao

 

[in 12 we trust]

Offensive participation
What did the Defense participation look like?







A snapshot look at offensive participation from the Patriots' 38-34 loss to the Colts in the AFC Championship game:

TE Benjamin Watson -- 50 of 58 snaps (86 percent)
WR Reche Caldwell -- 48 of 58 (82 percent)
WR Jabar Gaffney -- 47 of 58 (81 percent)
TE Daniel Graham -- 34 of 58 (58 percent)
WR Troy Brown -- 31 of 58 (53 percent)
FB Heath Evans -- 30 of 58 (51.7 percent)
RB Laurence Maroney -- 17 of 58 (29.3 percent)
RB Corey Dillon -- 14 of 58 (24.1 percent)
RB Kevin Faulk -- 10 of 58 (17.2 percent)
TE David Thomas -- 7 of 58 (12 percent)
WR Chad Jackson -- 2 of 58 (3.4 percent)

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Offensive participation
What did the Defense participation look like?







A snapshot look at offensive participation from the Patriots' 38-34 loss to the Colts in the AFC Championship game:

TE Benjamin Watson -- 50 of 58 snaps (86 percent)
WR Reche Caldwell -- 48 of 58 (82 percent)
WR Jabar Gaffney -- 47 of 58 (81 percent)
TE Daniel Graham -- 34 of 58 (58 percent)
WR Troy Brown -- 31 of 58 (53 percent)
FB Heath Evans -- 30 of 58 (51.7 percent)
RB Laurence Maroney -- 17 of 58 (29.3 percent)
RB Corey Dillon -- 14 of 58 (24.1 percent)
RB Kevin Faulk -- 10 of 58 (17.2 percent)
TE David Thomas -- 7 of 58 (12 percent)
WR Chad Jackson -- 2 of 58 (3.4 percent)

Reiss is working on how he can track those numbers and have them for us next season.