Steelers Game Plan on D

[SHOWTIME15]

Apparently, it looks as if the steelers think they have the Pats O figured out. Their defensive players are expecting a lot of dinks and dunks of the 5-8 yard variety after attempting to run the ball (and failing). Scroll down to the middle of the article.

Patriots' Brady dominates Steelers

IN all honesty it doesn't take a genius to figure out that we don't have any creativity on offense. i hope there is some way to mix things up tomorrow and catch them napping.

 

[Ring 6]

Apparently, it looks as if the steelers think they have the Pats O figured out. Their defensive players are expecting a lot of dinks and dunks of the 5-8 yard variety after attempting to run the ball (and failing). Scroll down to the middle of the article.

Patriots' Brady dominates Steelers

IN all honesty it doesn't take a genius to figure out that we don't have any creativity on offense. i hope there is some way to mix things up tomorrow and catch them napping.

I dont know how you get that from that article.

I also dont know what you want for creativity. Trick plays arent going to trick anyone if you use them all the time.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I dont know how you get that from that article.

I also dont know what you want for creativity. Trick plays arent going to trick anyone if you use them all the time.

From the article:

"I think they have a different philosophy now; they have that little Wes Welker thing now going on, where if they can't run the football, they throw little dumps to Wes Welker, little dinks and dunks. When we played up there a couple years ago, they went to a spread offense with one back and kept dumping the ball to Welker; it was a run option.

"I think that's kind of their blueprint. If they can't run the ball against us, they say we'll just spread you out and throw little 5 yards and see if Welker can break it out for 6, 7, 8 yards."

Brady no longer has the deep threat he had with Randy Moss. Welker, who leads the Patriots with 44 receptions, averages only 8.1 yards a catch, which is a good day for a running back.

Because no one has been able to run on the Steelers and their pass defense cannot say as much, the Patriots can be expected to do their thing, which is throw the dinks and the dunks. The Steelers' pass defense has been content to let offenses do that while preventing the deep pass."

I definitely read that article differently than you. and by creativity i don't mean trick plays necessarily - maybe try stretching the field with them with Tate on a few plays. just show them stuff that they've never seen before.

 

[RyanP421]

I dont know how you get that from that article.

I also dont know what you want for creativity. Trick plays arent going to trick anyone if you use them all the time.

Creative doesnt equal "trick"...

Creative means designing plays that confuse the opponent and allow players to get open. Not running a vanilla predictive offense where players run the same routes over and over again.

They weren't creative at ALL this year or even last year for getting the ball into Moss' hands while he was here. McDaniels was very creative IMO while he was here.

So yeah, having a creative offensive game plan doesn't just mean "trick" plays.

 

[Mack Herron]

I dont know how you get that from that article.

I also dont know what you want for creativity. Trick plays arent going to trick anyone if you use them all the time.

We use trick plays none of the time. But it isn't even trick plays (like the one the Browns used for a TD Sun). The offense is plain vanilla. When Weiss was here it was much more creative. I think the coaches simply expect the players to win one on one and we lack the talent to do that. They do not seem to help the players enough with schemes. If they try to go toe to toe with the Steelers defense, it will be two losses in a row.

 

[BradyMossWelker]

I dont know how you get that from that article.

I also dont know what you want for creativity. Trick plays arent going to trick anyone if you use them all the time.

1st down: Run, sometimes short pass
2nd down: Run
3rd down: Short pass
4th down: Punt

That's what we do all the time.
Bill O'Brien really is creative...

 

[patsfan-1982]

the colts don't have alot of creativity and they are the #3 offense in the NFL the pats just need to keep brady on hes feet and the blitz out of hes face and they will put up points

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

Pats offense and creative = oxymoron

 

[fgssand]

Pats offense and creative = oxymoron

It is less about creativity and different looks that it is about execution.

Catch the damn ball.

Deliver the damn ball on target.

Run the right route.

Brady & receivers make the right reads.

O line makes the right adjustments and blitz pick ups.

If we do these things most of the time, the offense will be plenty creative and quite effective, I promise you.

 

[jmt57]

Jeff Howe of NESN had what I thought was the best preview and analysis of this game that I have seen:

Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers Ground Attack Will Cause Trouble For Patriots Defense - Scouting Report - NESN.com

Here are portions of that article:

The Steelers' defense is ruthless, and they simply won't let anyone run on them. Therefore, the Patriots might be smart to dig out the playbook they used on the run-stingy Vikings in 2006, when Tom Brady threw 43 passes and the Pats only rushed it 15 times in a 31-7 victory. Minnesota's defensive coordinator that day? Current Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

Yet, the Steelers, who have generated 24 sacks this season, are 24th in pass defense. They played a Cover-2 scheme that leaves a lot of space in the middle of the field. So, any Patriots who are able to get off the line and behind the inside linebackers will have opportunities to catch passes and do some work. This could yield a productive game for wide receiver Wes Welker and tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Granted, Polamalu and safety Ryan Clark may try to decapitate any receiver who crosses the middle, but the yardage will be there nonetheless.

Teams that beat the Steelers have to be willing to play physical with them, and the Patriots should test the coverage skills of Farrior and Timmons, along with cornerbacks Bryant McFadden, Ike Taylor and William Gay. However, any success the Patriots have in that regard must start with the offensive line and the blocking skills of Gronkowski and tight end Alge Crumpler, who must collectively keep the pass rushers at bay.

Also, think back to the Ravens game. The Pats started out with an end around and some quick passes to the sideline at the line of scrimmage. What that seemed to do was slow down the Ravens defense a bit, keeping them from going 100% north-south by stringing them out laterally. Perhaps it would be a good idea to do something similar early against Pittsburgh.

 

[sbpatfan]

We need someone named Tate or Edelman to have a breakout game.

 

[TheComeback]

Come out like we're going to spread the ball on the first play, shotgun, one back and four receivers. Motion the back (a blocking back like Morris) out to one side and throw a screen to Hernandez or Tate on the first play, something they may not be ready for. I mean a real screen, with linemen pulling out to make some blocks. People think these are finesse plays, but I'll bet the guy who gets blown up by Neal or Vollmer would strongly disagree.

Tate's shown some nasty YAC skills this season, so let's take advantage of them. If he can't run routes, then get him the ball with screens, end-arounds, or swing passes.

Make these linebackers chase our receivers from sideline to sideline, because they will come out thinking they can stay in their base defense and just hit our receivers at the line and scare them. So, make them pay for their ****iness.

If this works, they'll start bringing in the nickel packages. Then we really spread it out with Tate, Branch, Welker, Edelman, and one of Hernandez or Gronkowski. Take shots down the middle of the field at the TE when they think we're going sideways. Then go sideways on the next play anyway. I'm not scared of their secondary, except for Troy, so have Wes and Edelman run the dumpoff routes in case of a blitz.

Thrown in a few runs with Woodhead to keep them honest, preferably out of the shotgun, and every now and then call a play action with Woody in there and go deep to Hernandez, Tate, or Branch. Even if it doesn't work (I think it could, the Steelers actually suck against PA), it will keep them honest.

We can win, we just have to outsmart them this time. We aren't going to physically dominate them without Moss, but we have enough talent to keep them on their heels if we're smart about it.

Of course, none of this will work if the line can't protect Brady.

 

[stcjones]

Apparently, it looks as if the steelers think they have the Pats O figured out. Their defensive players are expecting a lot of dinks and dunks of the 5-8 yard variety after attempting to run the ball (and failing). Scroll down to the middle of the article.

Patriots' Brady dominates Steelers

IN all honesty it doesn't take a genius to figure out that we don't have any creativity on offense. i hope there is some way to mix things up tomorrow and catch them napping.

My Gawd....it's as if they can see right into the mind of "Coach" Obrien!!!!!!........

 

[Kid~Brady]

The article honestly gave the Pats more praise than it did to Steelers. I liked it, gives me a little more hope before the game.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

The article honestly gave the Pats more praise than it did to Steelers. I liked it, gives me a little more hope before the game.

yeah but the past is the past and the part of the article that talks about how predictable is concerns me....

with that said, maybe we should look vanilla on offense in the first half and then in the second half when they least expect it POW... pats nation takes over.

 

[Kontradiction]

I don't see any issue with that article, really. It's spot on. As for "creativity on offense", the Colts offense is about as predictable as it gets and still manages to get the job done. However, if there were a game to expect trick plays, this would be it. The Steelers are even more aggressive than the Ravens. If we execute the way we're capable of executing, then it won't bode well for the Steelers. I expect plenty of play action passing (should the blocking hold up), three step drops followed by quick passes, and screens to our WR's and Woodhead to neutralize the Steeler pass rush.

 

[Ring 6]

From the article:

"I think they have a different philosophy now; they have that little Wes Welker thing now going on, where if they can't run the football, they throw little dumps to Wes Welker, little dinks and dunks. When we played up there a couple years ago, they went to a spread offense with one back and kept dumping the ball to Welker; it was a run option.

"I think that's kind of their blueprint. If they can't run the ball against us, they say we'll just spread you out and throw little 5 yards and see if Welker can break it out for 6, 7, 8 yards."

Brady no longer has the deep threat he had with Randy Moss. Welker, who leads the Patriots with 44 receptions, averages only 8.1 yards a catch, which is a good day for a running back.

Because no one has been able to run on the Steelers and their pass defense cannot say as much, the Patriots can be expected to do their thing, which is throw the dinks and the dunks. The Steelers' pass defense has been content to let offenses do that while preventing the deep pass."

I definitely read that article differently than you. and by creativity i don't mean trick plays necessarily - maybe try stretching the field with them with Tate on a few plays. just show them stuff that they've never seen before.

Context is an important thing.
You ignored all of LeBeaus comments, and are combining quotes from the NT, without the context of him talking about compared to the one time they beat us in 2004, and the part that followed saying what he is talking about is what we did in 2007.
Then you are using the writers comments and implying that is the Steelers feelings and game plan.
To which you said 'looks like they have the Patriots figured out'
Wow, just wow.

As far as creativity, again you lost me. First you said it doesn't take a genius to see we have no creativity, then you say that means maybe use Tate to stretch the field. I don't know why you think Tate isnt running deep routes. Do you think he is running deep if we don't throw it deep to him? Do you think long incompletions stretch the field but running deep routes and throwing elsewhere dont?
Or are you just tossing in 'strectch the field' as a euphamism to allow you to criticize?

 

[Ring 6]

I guess if you want to complain, sometimes you have to make up a reson to do so.
Creative?
What offense is significantly more creative than the patriots?
Someone posted that since we run or pass on first down, run on second and pass on 3rd thats predictable. Another has decided we run the same routes all the time. Not sure where that came from.
We are throwing more the Hback/TE position than ever before. We run as many quick screens to the WR as any team in the league, We throw to the outside, to the middle of the field, outside the numbers. We cross receivers as well as any team in the league. We run numerous combnation routes, our offense is predicated by the receiver's route depending on what the defense does, but we are vanilla?
Guys, even though we have the best record in the league, there are still things to criticize that you can actually see happening out there.

 

[JSn]

I think the game-plan just became "blow up the middle of the o-line."

 

[RayClay]

I don't see any issue with that article, really. It's spot on. As for "creativity on offense", the Colts offense is about as predictable as it gets and still manages to get the job done. However, if there were a game to expect trick plays, this would be it. The Steelers are even more aggressive than the Ravens. If we execute the way we're capable of executing, then it won't bode well for the Steelers. I expect plenty of play action passing (should the blocking hold up), three step drops followed by quick passes, and screens to our WR's and Woodhead to neutralize the Steeler pass rush.

Second person to mention the Colts offense. Does anyone here think we have the Colts offense with our current group? what similarities.

What continuity with our receivers, running back and O line would make people think we are the Colts? The Colts do what they do, usually well. Comparing what we do and the personnel we have with the Colts is only saying we are both football teams.