Josh “tore up the game plan”

[n6249c]

Found this in Peter King’s Football Morning in America story on the game. Sorry if this is a repost, but I’ve not seen it and thought it was worth discussing. There was a big deal about the Patriots putting in new plays the morning before the AFCCG but this is even better: putting in new formations during the game.

On the New England sideline, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had seen enough. He gathered his offensive players around him and explained that, in crunch time in the NFL championship game, he was ripping up the game plan.

Patriots tight end Dwayne Allen told me the story at 2 this morning, at the Patriots’ team party in the Atlanta Hyatt Regency, ....

“.... Josh told us on the sideline, ‘We did not practice this at all coming into this game, and I realize that, but this is going off in my head, and it’s something I think we need to do.’ “

Change was to go jumbo, using 22 personnel, to change the matchups. Funny thing is, I remember noticing #83 on a play during the TD drive and wondering why Allen was in there then, on passing plays, but didn’t notice Develin was too, so didn’t pick up on the personnel package change. Nice adjustment.

FMIA: Ego-less Patriots Figure It Out In Time Vs. Rams in ‘throwback’ Super Bowl

 

[IllegalContact]

I’ve mentioned the 5-wide out of the 22 personnel ..... the personnel changes the rams were required to counter with was a liability in coverage

 

[RayRay]

I remember Belichick mentioning it too.
This in game adjustment is basically what won us the game.
Oh....and having the GOAT qb to do what he was born to do in the 4th quarter helped as well.

 

[TB_Helmet]

Yup, Reiss mentioned it too. Got the Rams in their base defense and we had a huge matchup advantage. Pats ran the same play three times in a row culminating in the pass to Gronk that was the offensive play of the game IMO.

Maybe this McDaniels guy isn’t so bad after all.

 

[ahmed]

I guess he figured since he only had 2 receivers who could catch, Edelman & Gronk, may as well replace the others with useful bodies...I.e. block.

 

[supafly]

I’ve mentioned the 5-wide out of the 22 personnel .....

Could you elaborate on this idea? There must be something that I’m missing.

 

[supafly]

I guess he figured since he only had 2 receivers who could catch, Edelman & Gronk, may as well replace the others with useful bodies...I.e. block.

Just wait until they address the weakness at WR and Sony Michel becomes more of a weapon in the passing game.

Then you’re going to be able to have options all across the board in whatever personnel grouping you can imagine.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Could you elaborate on this idea? There must be something that I’m missing.

22 personnel draws the base D personnel on the field, else risk getting run over. By then going 5-wide, coverage mismatches can be created against the LBs rather than the nickel and dime DBs. The passes to Edelman and Gronk were against LBs.

I rewatched the game and the Pats had just one completion from 5-wide against the nickel/dime packages. Brilliant how 5-wide with the 22 package worked better.

Regards,
Chris

 

[TB_Helmet]

Could you elaborate on this idea? There must be something that I’m missing.

So 22 a run-heavy personnel package of two RBs and two TEs, and 1 WR. When you're trying to convert fourth and 1 that might be something you put in, teams will call a run with it almost every time. Pats put in Gronk and Allen as TE as expected, and Develin as one of the RBs (since he's the fullback, even more likely to run). Burkhead was the other RB which was a slight indication something was up (since he can catch passes better than Sony).

That led the Rams to counter with their base D, 3-4 I think, instead of what they had been putting out previously in the game which was 5+ defensive backs. Their personnel was set up as if they were expecting a run.

But then the Pats went empty backfield, so every skill player was lined up in a spread formation on the line of scrimmage, which means 99% chance of a pass play. Running a spread out of a 22 package is unusual and led to some confusion in coverage and mismatches, linebackers on Edelman, etc.. Pats ran a few plays this way and kept the Rams guessing, and that was the drive they had the most success on. I think they actually ran very similar plays each time on the drive until that beautiful pass to Gronk to get down to the 2.

It was a creative decision by McDaniels at the biggest moment of the season. When we are hating on his boring play calling next year in week 6 against the Redskins or whatever, we should keep this in mind.

 

[pheenix11]

I love this, absolutely brilliant.

Explains why White wasn’t on the field as much as well. While I’m a huge White fan, I’m sure he won’t care as he’s admiring his newest ring. Brilliant and unselfish football. As always they use who they need to win at that moment.

 

[Hyped]

I love this, absolutely brilliant.

Explains why White wasn’t on the field as much as well. While I’m a huge White fan, I’m sure he won’t care as he’s admiring his newest ring. Brilliant and unselfish football. As always they use who they need to win at that moment.

White was the only Patriot other than Jules and Gronk to catch a pass. He caught one.

Credit to the Rams' DE/OLB's who were all over our screen passes and the outside run game.

 

[Deus Irae]

White was the only Patriot other than Jules and Gronk to catch a pass. He caught one.

Credit to the Rams' DE/OLB's who were all over our screen passes and the outside run game.

Burkhead and Patterson each had a pair of catches.

 

[Uptown]

 

[nabwong]

So 22 a run-heavy personnel package of two RBs and two TEs, and 1 WR. When you're trying to convert fourth and 1 that might be something you put in, teams will call a run with it almost every time. Pats put in Gronk and Allen as TE as expected, and Develin as one of the RBs (since he's the fullback, even more likely to run). Burkhead was the other RB which was a slight indication something was up (since he can catch passes better than Sony).

That led the Rams to counter with their base D, 3-4 I think, instead of what they had been putting out previously in the game which was 5+ defensive backs. Their personnel was set up as if they were expecting a run.

But then the Pats went empty backfield, so every skill player was lined up in a spread formation on the line of scrimmage, which means 99% chance of a pass play. Running a spread out of a 22 package is unusual and led to some confusion in coverage and mismatches, linebackers on Edelman, etc.. Pats ran a few plays this way and kept the Rams guessing, and that was the drive they had the most success on. I think they actually ran very similar plays each time on the drive until that beautiful pass to Gronk to get down to the 2.

It was a creative decision by McDaniels at the biggest moment of the season. When we are hating on his boring play calling next year in week 6 against the Redskins or whatever, we should keep this in mind.

They ran the same play 3 times in a row throwing to 3 different receivers. The brilliance here is that they put Burkhead AND Develin outside which compelled CBs to be on them and that left Gronk and Edelman against LBs. The rams didn’t know what hit them.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Josh sucks. He might as well work at Jiffy Lube

 

[DarrylS]

Just wait until they address the weakness at WR and Sony Michel becomes more of a weapon in the passing game.

Then you’re going to be able to have options all across the board in whatever personnel grouping you can imagine.

It appears that they tried to do this with Michel, but with very mixed results.. in the future he will be a very good three down back.

 

[everlong]

I question why this wasn't part of the game plan from the start. I thought going in we would see heavy formations they would run and pass out of frequently. Then move the heavies out when personnel dictated it. I thought we would also see a lot more of Gronk and Allen giving wham blocks to physically wear down Donald and Suh. Not that they didn't do this part of it. Just that they didn't do it as much as I would have liked.

They didn't do a lot of the opposite either. 4 wide (counting Gronk where you split him out) with a single back. You get the smaller lineup and hopefully take advantage of the Rams aggressiveness on the pass rush to open gaps. I get why this wasn't the plan because you need Devlin and the TEs to cleanup the quick penetration issues the Rams cause but they could have sprinkled it in more.

 

[luuked]

I question why this wasn't part of the game plan from the start. I thought going in we would see heavy formations they would run and pass out of frequently.

Personally I think because they waited until the Rams defense showed signed of exhaustion and a slightly slowed down pass rush. Which many expected for the final quarter. Spreading out in base also means that there are fewer bodies in the immediate vicinity to block for Brady against Donald, Suh, Brockers and Fowler.

I also don't think the gameplan was "torn up" as much as they went to the more risky stuff with the game on the line.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Brilliant series, 4 straight completions to get to the 2 and then the Sony run....

 

[IllegalContact]

Could you elaborate on this idea? There must be something that I’m missing.

22 is 2 TE's and 2 RB's......they were going 5 wide with gronk,allen,develin,burkhead, and edelman