Dilfer: Patriots' offense 'exposed' last year

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Don't worry, what Dilfer says really isn't all that negative, but believes the spread doesn't work in the NFL.

Dilfer also goes out on a limb and says Hernandez is his

"favorite player in the whole draft" because he can threaten the deep middle of the field.

Dilfer: Patriots' offense 'exposed' last year - AFC East Blog - ESPN

 

[JSn]

Re: Diler: Patriots' offense 'exposed' last year

Just hit edit and then look for another edit button. That will let you fix it.

Belichick has been saying the same thing about the spread, I think. Saying he thinks that's petering out.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Re: Diler: Patriots' offense 'exposed' last year

Just hit edit and then look for another edit button. That will let you fix it.

Belichick has been saying the same thing about the spread, I think. Saying he thinks that's petering out.

Thanks for the tip! Fixed it.

 

[Rexorcism]

Dont worry Pat's fans I heard Dilfer's 3rd cousisn by marriage worked as a beer vendor during Jets games so we know he is just making this up to screw over the Pats.





On a serious note if the Pats remember to use TEs this year it could be dangerous.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

I think he's vocalizing what a lot of us were seeing last year. I know I'm not alone out here when I got to the point of screaming at the TV watching Brady set up in the Shotgun 3 plays in a row and watching defenses pin their ears back on him.

 

[Nathan]

I agree with Dilfer. The spread is also next to useless in the red zone when there's no field to spread.

 

[Boston Boxer]

Dont worry Pat's fans I heard Dilfer's 3rd cousisn by marriage worked as a beer vendor during Jets games so we know he is just making this up to screw over the Pats.





On a serious note if the Pats remember to use TEs this year it could be dangerous.

if the TEs can catch the ball, they will be used.

 

[cstjohn17]

Don't worry, what Dilfer says really isn't all that negative, but believes the spread doesn't work in the NFL.

Dilfer also goes out on a limb and says Hernandez is his

Dilfer: Patriots' offense 'exposed' last year - AFC East Blog - ESPN

Dilfer is a very good analyst, based on his analysis we can expect more of a running attack as well. I wonder if any of the iron men the Pats have at RB can last a full season.

 

[Kontradiction]

Dont worry Pat's fans I heard Dilfer's 3rd cousisn by marriage worked as a beer vendor during Jets games so we know he is just making this up to screw over the Pats.





On a serious note if the Pats remember to use TEs this year it could be dangerous.

First off, well played on your first sentence. On your second sentence, it's pretty well known that Bill O'Brien (our acting OC) has made it clear that he wants to use the TE's in our offense in more of a pass catching capacity. That's why you've seen the moves we've made at the position. We got Crumpler for his blocking capacity, Gronk can block and catch the ball well, and Hernandez is a pure receiving threat. Hernandez isn't just a TE though. He'll line up in the slot as well.

 

[captain stone]

I think he's vocalizing what a lot of us were seeing last year. I know I'm not alone out here when I got to the point of screaming at the TV watching Brady set up in the Shotgun 3 plays in a row and watching defenses pin their ears back on him.

You're right - you're not alone. I esp. get mega-pissed whenever I see the empty-backfield shotgun spread w/ minimum protection used in short-yardage situations. Abso-effin-lutely ******ed.

 

[the wrothbroughterer]

I was banging the "too predictable" drum to my friends all season long and that seems related to what Dilfer was arguing. I think the spread works, and will continue to work, but running 4 or 5 WRs inside the 10 is guaranteed to end poorly when its your only weapon. They didn't have the personnel to run anything that wasn't a heavy formation. With some bigger receivers in the mix now things should be very different.

 

[DarrylS]

Have not understood for a while why our TE's have not been as involved in our Offense.... would like to think that this years additions have changed all of this.

 

[JoeShmoe]

This is why a lot of people got frustrated last year because running the spread out of the gun 60-70% of the time, teams could double Moss, have the saftety spy/cover welker and know full well the rest of what we had was garbage (aiken, stanback, watson etc)

Which is why I never understood why we didnt more creative and use the RB's more in the passing game, or throw to Watson more than we did (he was never THAT bad). Go back and look at the post game threads last year and we were all screaming for variety

Hopefully now with at least 3 guys vying for a shot at being a decent 3rd and 4th WR, and with the 3 new TE's O'Brien and Brady can get creative. We can still use the gun (esp if Tate/Price come good) but lets make it part of a balanced offense

 

[WelshPat]

Top 5 offenses in terms of yards per game: Texans, Colts, Saints, Patriots, Chargers.

They were all shotgun based teams.

Green Bay at 7, mostly spread. Arizona at 12. Denver at 13, same offense as ours, pretty much.

Not doing bad for something that doesn't work, hey guys?

 

[WelshPat]

You're right - you're not alone. I esp. get mega-pissed whenever I see the empty-backfield shotgun spread w/ minimum protection used in short-yardage situations. Abso-effin-lutely ******ed.

I don't remember a lot of empty backfield last year. I don't think we've been empty much since 06

 

[lillestroom]

if the TEs can catch the ball, they will be used.

So what the f*** was David Thomas if not a ball catching TE???

 

[RodThePat]

So what the f*** was David Thomas if not a ball catching TE???

Always injured. Hard to catch a pass when you can't get on the field.

 

[Bostonian1962]

I was banging the "too predictable" drum to my friends all season long and that seems related to what Dilfer was arguing. I think the spread works, and will continue to work, but running 4 or 5 WRs inside the 10 is guaranteed to end poorly when its your only weapon. They didn't have the personnel to run anything that wasn't a heavy formation. With some bigger receivers in the mix now things should be very different.

You bring up the best point of all, that being the "too predictable" angle. I can't tell you how many times last year, I'd say to a buddy before a play, "the Patriots are going to run such and such", and they did exactly that. It was easy.

Moreover, you hear Ray Lewis saying he knew every Patriot play before they ran it, and there is a big problem there. Will they change things up? It's hard to be successful, when the teams know what you're doing before the play.

I hear people talk about how Brady knows the offense inside and out because he's been running it for close to a decade, but there is an obvious downside to that. Nuff said.

 

[stcjones]

Don't worry, what Dilfer says really isn't all that negative, but believes the spread doesn't work in the NFL.

Dilfer also goes out on a limb and says Hernandez is his

Dilfer: Patriots' offense 'exposed' last year - AFC East Blog - ESPN

I think he is pretty much dead on in his analysis here...one of the biggest weaknesses if the pats offense the past few years has been the inability to make ADJUSTMENTS appropriately when things are not working (ie the Kevin faulk draw up the middle that everyone saw coming)....and he is right also about the disappearance of the tight ends in the pats offense. I still contend that if we had utilized our TE's to help hold off the gints pass rush and bail out our weak OL....We might have a fourth SB ring...we need to use our TE's more effectively.....and get creative....and here's what solder neglected to say....a lot of things could be remedied if we had a seasoned vet OC........instead of another intern.....

 

[upstater1]

I was not a fan of the spread last year, but I acknowledge the personnel wasn't right either.

That being said, if they stop using it 70% of the time, it might be more effective.

Expect more balance.

I will say also that the Patriots, especially Kevin Faulk, ripped off some nice running yards out of the spread.

Someone should check to see how much ground yardage was gained running out of the spread instead of run formations.