- Joined
- Sep 11, 2007
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First, the entire Mankins situation has run it's course in my mind. Kick Cannon inside, find a combination of Stork and Connelly that works and things should be fine. Really all there is to say there provided that Wendell stays off the field. Are they thin on o-line? Absolutely, but it won't be a fatal flaw. That flaw has existed elsewhere in this offense for five years and this past offseason was a clear indication of an attempt to solve it. The acquisition of Wright solidified my theory that it was a major point of emphasis with the offense going into the season this year.
They've always been good in the slot, good in the seam more recently, and at times serviceable on the outside. The issue that has ultimately lead to the dismantling of the offense in the post season (ignoring injuries) is the fact that some teams are able to easily matchup because of NE's limited personnel. They have always and will continue to move the ball well between the twenties. They have always had good, agile players at the skill positions and have been able to scheme up separation provided they consistently win on 1st down. Without Gronk, they never really have had the ability to win with body positioning which is particularly important on 3rd down and, the big one, red zone. Obviously Gronk is a world beater when on the field, but hinging an entire offense around a player susceptible to injury is asking for problems. It was on full display this past year where without Gronk the team was glaring ineffective in the red area. So how does one address that?
First, get a player who can line up in the slot and win with body positioning. It opens things up when you run your bunch sets and stack Amendola and Edelman behind the larger player. That opening can be especially compounded when you have a 6'7 world beater on the other side to account for and creates a true pick your poison situation for defenses. It forces early coverage declaration from the safeties and opens up the myriad of checks teams with 37 year old Hall of Fame QB's have at their disposal. So they added LaFell who fits this role beautifully. While the "get bigger" emphasis is applicable here, the acquisition of LaFell wasn't that in a vacuum. He's a weapon in 3rd down and red zone which was the team's greatest weakness this past year.
Consider for a moment what defines a "championship offense". Are they usually the league leaders in points and yardage? Occasionally. Do they move the ball with blistering speed down the field? Sometimes. Are they easily matched up against if you have the right personnel? Never. So where are they exceptional? Clutch areas. 3rd down and red zone. You win in those two areas with two things; 1)
versatility and 2) redundancy. If the defense has larger defensive backs and choses to play tight, you have Gronk, Thompkins, Wright, Lafell, and Dobson all fully capable of lining up and winning off of physicality and body positioning. That's five good players capable of winning in this manner. When was the last time they have had this? Never. Do we want to be agile and execute a surgical, diagramed offense to carve up their underbelly? You've got Edelman, Amendola, and Vereen all there to do so. Put them on the field in a mix of skill sets? That, my friends is what we refer to as diversified lethality. Further, consider redundancy as it relates to injury. Disregarding Gronk, as there is no substitute for Gronk on the planet, every single skill position player on this roster has another one capable of handling some of the same duties as the other. Thompkins and Dobson, LaFell and Wright, Edelman and Amendola, Vereen and White. Interchangeable pieces on the chess board designed to not only confuse defenses and hide intentions but to give some immunity to the attrition that is sure to happen.
What was the great hallmark of the championship defenses? They were amorphous entities designed to implement opponent specific gameplans and execute them at the highest level. That requires
versatility and redundancy. The offense has yet to have this and it's why that while they were statistically impressive they often found themselves falling short in the post season. They have it this season. I know everyone is excited about the defense this year, but pay special attention to how this offenses morphs week to week. It will be up there in the fantasy stats, but it should be dominant in the football ones.
They've always been good in the slot, good in the seam more recently, and at times serviceable on the outside. The issue that has ultimately lead to the dismantling of the offense in the post season (ignoring injuries) is the fact that some teams are able to easily matchup because of NE's limited personnel. They have always and will continue to move the ball well between the twenties. They have always had good, agile players at the skill positions and have been able to scheme up separation provided they consistently win on 1st down. Without Gronk, they never really have had the ability to win with body positioning which is particularly important on 3rd down and, the big one, red zone. Obviously Gronk is a world beater when on the field, but hinging an entire offense around a player susceptible to injury is asking for problems. It was on full display this past year where without Gronk the team was glaring ineffective in the red area. So how does one address that?
First, get a player who can line up in the slot and win with body positioning. It opens things up when you run your bunch sets and stack Amendola and Edelman behind the larger player. That opening can be especially compounded when you have a 6'7 world beater on the other side to account for and creates a true pick your poison situation for defenses. It forces early coverage declaration from the safeties and opens up the myriad of checks teams with 37 year old Hall of Fame QB's have at their disposal. So they added LaFell who fits this role beautifully. While the "get bigger" emphasis is applicable here, the acquisition of LaFell wasn't that in a vacuum. He's a weapon in 3rd down and red zone which was the team's greatest weakness this past year.
Consider for a moment what defines a "championship offense". Are they usually the league leaders in points and yardage? Occasionally. Do they move the ball with blistering speed down the field? Sometimes. Are they easily matched up against if you have the right personnel? Never. So where are they exceptional? Clutch areas. 3rd down and red zone. You win in those two areas with two things; 1)
versatility and 2) redundancy. If the defense has larger defensive backs and choses to play tight, you have Gronk, Thompkins, Wright, Lafell, and Dobson all fully capable of lining up and winning off of physicality and body positioning. That's five good players capable of winning in this manner. When was the last time they have had this? Never. Do we want to be agile and execute a surgical, diagramed offense to carve up their underbelly? You've got Edelman, Amendola, and Vereen all there to do so. Put them on the field in a mix of skill sets? That, my friends is what we refer to as diversified lethality. Further, consider redundancy as it relates to injury. Disregarding Gronk, as there is no substitute for Gronk on the planet, every single skill position player on this roster has another one capable of handling some of the same duties as the other. Thompkins and Dobson, LaFell and Wright, Edelman and Amendola, Vereen and White. Interchangeable pieces on the chess board designed to not only confuse defenses and hide intentions but to give some immunity to the attrition that is sure to happen.
What was the great hallmark of the championship defenses? They were amorphous entities designed to implement opponent specific gameplans and execute them at the highest level. That requires
versatility and redundancy. The offense has yet to have this and it's why that while they were statistically impressive they often found themselves falling short in the post season. They have it this season. I know everyone is excited about the defense this year, but pay special attention to how this offenses morphs week to week. It will be up there in the fantasy stats, but it should be dominant in the football ones.