Rams D poses tough challenge for Pats O
While no one but Rams fans were looking, they massively improved the talent on their defense. This off-season, they added Cortland Finnegan and drafted Janoris Jenkins, Michael Brockers, and Trumaine Johnson. Add them to Robert Quinn, Chris Long, James Laurinaitis, Quentin Mikell, and Rocky McIntosh and you've got an excellent balance of youth and veterans.
The Pats O-line has been inconsistent this season. Both in the personnel on the field and it's blocking for both the pass and run. Logan Mankins and Dan Connolly have missed significant time and Brian Waters pulling his disappearing act prior to the start of the season turned a strength into a weakness. They will have to control St. Louis front 4 of Long, Quinn, journeyman Kendall Langford and rookie Brockers to keep Brady upright against one of the best teams at getting pressure on the QB.
With Hernandez and Bolden ruled out, that puts more pressure on Fells, Vereen, Lloyd and Edelman to step up their game to help this offense move. We know that Welker, Woodhead, and Ridley will give the Pats numerous positive plays, but this is the game where the rest of the cast needs to finally step up.
Hopefully, the offensive scheme is what was successful back in 2003 and 2004. Find the open man. Brady can do that. That is what made him so successful. Call the different plays, but without any single receiver the focus. THAT is how to make this offense successful.
Also, the Pats are really going to have to use the run game here and use it to set up the play-action. The Pats NEED the Play-action to help develop the deeper plays including things such as the flea-flicker they've tried.
Finally, only use the screen play if St. Louis is insisting on blitzing. Otherwise, it's unlikely to work.
