Merrill Hoge's observations

[SVN]

http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football/ffl/story?page=hogeweek14

The Patriots started in a 4-3 defense Monday night. Why is that such a big deal? Because they have played a 3-4 most of the year. They have jumped back and forth before, but it has been awhile since they started in a 4-3. Well, it might be awhile again. It took one quarter of the Ravens jamming the ball down their throat to get them to go back to their 3-4 defense, which they stayed in the rest of the game. The Ravens still ran the ball well when the Pats went back to the 3-4, and, interestingly enough, they went right at linebacker Adalius Thomas, who did not handle it very well. It's almost as if the Ravens knew his weakness. One thing about game film is that next week's opponent, the Steelers, will see that and go right at him.

• The goal of each NFL defense is to make opposing offenses one-dimensional; if teams can do that, their odds of winning are drastically higher. Well, the Patriots are helping defenses by making themselves one-dimensional. As I study what the Eagles and Ravens did to them, it becomes increasingly clear that the Patriots have so much confidence in their passing game that they feel they don't need to run the ball. Granted, that passing game might be the best in the NFL, but this philosophy still could lead to problems. Philly took Randy Moss out of the game, and the Ravens took away both Moss and Wes Welker. And the Steelers are better than both of those teams. If the Patriots were to run the ball more and create more balance, their passing game would be even better. Oh, and fantasy owners would also be happier.

 

[cstjohn17]

I didn't read the whole piece but everything in the quotes above are valid.
1) The Ravens did go right after Thomas.
2) The Patriots are a pass first team and if a game is close I think they prefer that the ball is in the hands of the leagues best player (Brady). Re-watching the game against the Ravens they did a nice job of balancing run versus pass in the second half, all they need is the illusion of a running game, they don't require 150+ yards on the ground to win.

I was fully expecting to hear how the Patriots have no chance and the Steelers are the best team ever, etc.

 

[TIMEsteelersfan]

I didn't read the whole piece but everything in the quotes above are valid.
1) The Ravens did go right after Thomas.
2) The Patriots are a pass first team and if a game is close I think they prefer that the ball is in the hands of the leagues best player (Brady). Re-watching the game against the Ravens they did a nice job of balancing run versus pass in the second half, all they need is the illusion of a running game, they don't require 150+ yards on the ground to win.

I was fully expecting to hear how the Patriots have no chance and the Steelers are the best team ever, etc.

Hoge is a notorious homer, I'll give you that. He does make some good points in the original post.

 

[JoePats]

Moss wouldn't have been taken out of the game so well if he caught that TD that hit both hands.

 

[MossFan4Life]

Moss just caught 1 td and set up another with a pi in the end zone with extremely windy conditions despite the coverage focused on him. I guess that was his off-game. Hoge said one time that Moss was never a winner and will never be one. He was wrong on both accounts, but now it's even more obvious with what the Patriots are doing this year.

 

[Satchboogie3]

Hoge will be right for another 2 1/2 months... Until Moss gets ring #1 in February. And I say ring #1 because there are plenty more to come...

 

[MossFan4Life]

Moss has won HS State Championships, College Football National and Conference Championships, taken an 8-8 team to 15-1, and now he's going to win the Super Bowl (hopefully many of them).

 

[BoltsFan]

I didn't read the whole piece but everything in the quotes above are valid.
1) The Ravens did go right after Thomas.
2) The Patriots are a pass first team and if a game is close I think they prefer that the ball is in the hands of the leagues best player (Brady). Re-watching the game against the Ravens they did a nice job of balancing run versus pass in the second half, all they need is the illusion of a running game, they don't require 150+ yards on the ground to win.

I was fully expecting to hear how the Patriots have no chance and the Steelers are the best team ever, etc.

Yea, the pats are playing well because TB is playing well. It's clear he's got a firm grip on the playbook and unless the team NE is playing is there to play the NE O can and will run roughshod on any opponent. Pfft, there are games this year NE could have won without ever running the ball at all.

It appears the road to the SB runs through NE this year and it will be interesting to see where the weather is at and who NE plays their 1st playoff game.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football/ffl/story?page=hogeweek14

If having the 8th best running game in the league, based on total yardage, makes you one dimensional, I'm all for it. I'm sure there are plenty of teams that would take the Pats ypg (121) gladly....
Sounds like mr. Hoge needed something to write about. If the Pats did start running more, they would complain that Brady has all these weapons and they aren't being used. There's no pleasing some members of the media.......

 

[Oswlek]

NE came out in a 4-3 against Buffalo. I'm pretty sure that they did it another couple times this year, but I can't quite remember the teams. I'm not so sure about the significance of that observation.

NE does run the ball. Only against Philly was it outrageously slanted towards the pass. Earlier this year I did some research comparing NE and Indy's first half PBP breakdown. The result? NE actually ran more than Indy on a play % basis in the first half. Most teams pass more than they run in the first half. What gives people the misguided impression that they don't run is that there are a handful of legitimate games where they didn't and the fact that NE gets their "balance" in chunks. They will have a drive that is 9-1 pass/run and another that is 12-0 pass/run and another that is 4-6.

NE runs enough that teams feel the need to run blitz Maroney and they bite hard on playaction as well.

 

[VJCPatriot]

If having the 8th best running game in the league, based on total yardage, makes you one dimensional, I'm all for it. I'm sure there are plenty of teams that would take the Pats ypg (121) gladly....
Sounds like mr. Hoge needed something to write about. If the Pats did start running more, they would complain that Brady has all these weapons and they aren't being used. There's no pleasing some members of the media.......

8th running game WITH Sammy Morris.
The Pats running attack has been far less productive without him over the past several weeks.