What should the Pats' Offensive Gameplan be at Denver?

[hwc]

On the other hand the Pats do have a decent pass rush and 4 guys who can cover and 5 if you count DMC so they can send 4 or 5 and man/zone the rest in 5, 10 and 15 yard increments.

On defense, I expect the Pats to play five DBs the entire game, as they did the first time around. Six in the box. Five DBs to make it hard on Manning. Let them run if they want to take the game out of Manning's hands.

 

[RobertWeathers]

On defense, I expect the Pats to play five DBs the entire game, as they did the first time around. Six in the box. Five DBs to make it hard on Manning. Let them run if they want to take the game out of Manning's hands.

Yep I'm even more pleased with that strategy now.

Moreno doesn't scare anyone. In the games vs KC before and after the Pats he ran it 42 times for a whopping 97 yards. Hes solid but hes not a game breaker. Hes much more of a plodder IMO.

Pats run D is average and better than it was vs DEN when Vellano and Sopoaga were getting blown off the ball every time.. Sealver has done a nice job of stabilizing the middle of the line and allowing the other players to flow to the ball.

 

[Ring 6]

On defense, I expect the Pats to play five DBs the entire game, as they did the first time around. Six in the box. Five DBs to make it hard on Manning. Let them run if they want to take the game out of Manning's hands.

Personally, I think that if we dare Manning to run the ball, he won't.
I really think 'legacy' is in his head, and has been for years, which is why he comes up short so often.
Remember his cold weather comments? That is a bad case of istening to the criticism and having it affect you.
I was watching the Week 12 game today on NFL Replay. Collingsworth said something to the effect of "Peyton wont admit it but if you want to make him bristle mention 3 SBs to 1, or his head to head record vs Brady".

When athletes are concerned about what people will think, they lose a lot of effectiveness.
To this day I believe that the Colts pulled Addai and gave the ball to Rhodes in the second half solely because if addai got those carries he would have been MVP instead of Manning.

 

[Ring 6]

That is the blueprint no question and that is why DEN needs to gamble and blitz because they don't have an abundance cover guys or besides Phillips have guys that can pressure the QB consistently. If Fox wants to send four then TB will run-draw or hit Vereen/Develin in the flat. Its a big-time gamble no question. They'll mix it up certainly but they will blitz more frequently for the reasons I've outlined.

On the other hand the Pats do have a decent pass rush and 4 guys who can cover and 5 if you count DMC so they can send 4 or 5 and man/zone the rest in 5, 10 and 15 yard increments.

If they blitz Brady relentlessly we will score 40

 

[VrabelJr]

I think the game plan we see is balance. It's hard to win games like this going hard towards run or pass. I imagine in the first half our runs won't be that great but as we wear their DL down I expect big things in the second half. We're finally looking like a second half team again on both offense and defense and I love that.

 

[Ring 6]

I don't think they have four or five wide. Just barely if you count Dobson or Thompkins. I don't think they can build a game plan around the assumption that either of them will be healthy or effective. Lack of depth at receiver/tight end is the Pats overwhelming weakness on offense. I don't know why they would game plan to highlight their biggest weakness.

5 wide can include

Amendola, Edelman, Dobson, Collie, Thompkins, Vereen, Hooman

5 wide has never been 5 WRs. We always use RBs and TEs in that, for the simple reason that offensive personell dictates defensive personell so you get to spread the defensive personel that cant handle it.

Why wouldn't you try to feature the most productive offensive player in the AFC over the past few weeks?

Its a different opponent. Blount did great the last few games but it was against awful run Ds.
More head-scrathing why wouldn't you want to feature the GOAT QB?

 

[RobertWeathers]

If they blitz Brady relentlessly we will score 40

I think they'll score 35-38 points tomorrow.

 

[Ring 6]

I think the game plan we see is balance. It's hard to win games like this going hard towards run or pass. I imagine in the first half our runs won't be that great but as we wear their DL down I expect big things in the second half. We're finally looking like a second half team again on both offense and defense and I love that.

I think every game is its own game.
Whatever is there we take. If they try to take away the run and cant cover with their porous secondary, throwing it 60 times will be great.
If they play 6 in the box, run it down their throat.
The only reason for balance is to be able to take what they give.
If you get a balanced defensive approach against you, then you need balance. If the defense is overly weak in one area and doesn't overcompensate, balance is unnecessary and maybe bad, but that is a hypothetical that never happens because every defense overcompensates to cover the mismatch or weakness.

 

[Patjew]

5 wide can include

Amendola, Edelman, Dobson, Collie, Thompkins, Vereen, Hooman

5 wide has never been 5 WRs. We always use RBs and TEs in that, for the simple reason that offensive personell dictates defensive personell so you get to spread the defensive personel that cant handle it.



Its a different opponent. Blount did great the last few games but it was against awful run Ds.
More head-scrathing why wouldn't you want to feature the GOAT QB?

Right. Thanks for answering.

 

[ausbacker]

The more I look at the match ups between the Broncos and Patriots the more I'm convinced the Patriots will go as far as the Patriots OL lets them. If they dominate tomorrow, the Patriots win. It's a matter of execution.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

if den was smart they would stack the line and make brady throw to WRs who are coming back from injury .

Try to run and see how it goes

 

[Double TE]

Interesting dilemma. Do you stack the line and allow a great QB to see one on one coverage and toast you with the short/medium passing game. Keep in mind the pass rush is not as strong w/o Miller. Also if you stack the line and Blount breaks through the secondary is toast. Still I think Denver will do just that.

 

[VrabelJr]

The more I look at the match ups between the Broncos and Patriots the more I'm convinced the Patriots will go as far as the Patriots OL lets them. If they dominate tomorrow, the Patriots win. It's a matter of execution.

I think both of our lines are going to get the upper hand tomorrow. The only Broncos DL I'm afraid of is Sylvester Williams. He seems to be on the similar trajectory that Jamie Collins is at the moment.

 

[Mack Herron]

I think we have to run to win, but it is not just on the OL. Our recent success has coincided with emergence of Develin, Hooman and Mulligan who essentially make 8 on the OL and present mismatches for most LBs and DBs even with 8 in the box.

 

[hwc]

5 wide can include

Amendola, Edelman, Dobson, Collie, Thompkins, Vereen, Hooman

More head-scrathing why wouldn't you want to feature the GOAT QB?

Ok. I agree with Amendola and Edelman. That's two. Vereen has shown up occasionally in the passing game. Let's call it three. Thompkins and Dobson are both injured and haven't done bupkis in a month or more. Collie was signed off the street and probably knows some of the playbook. Hooman is not a receiving threat. I don't see that as a powerhouse 5 wide package.

I do want to feature Brady. On maybe 20 to 24 throws, mostly play action, with a few screens sprinkled in.

If we have to go all-pass all-the-time trailing in the 4th, then so be it. I'd rather feature Brady tacking a knee after pounding it down their throats with the running game all afternoon....

 

[Ring 6]

Ok. I agree with Amendola and Edelman. That's two. Vereen has shown up occasionally in the passing game. Let's call it three. Thompkins and Dobson are both injured and haven't done bupkis in a month or more. Collie was signed off the street and probably knows some of the playbook. Hooman is not a receiving threat. I don't see that as a powerhouse 5 wide package.

Vereen caught 47 passes in 8 games and is an absolute mismatch for any LB.
Collie, Dobson and Thompkins are NFL WRs, and would be more effective in a 5 wide than anything else.

I do want to feature Brady. On maybe 20 to 24 throws, mostly play action, with a few screens sprinkled in.

Yeah, we will never agree if you think the best thing is to turn Tom Brady into Mark Sanchez or Tim Tebow.

If we have to go all-pass all-the-time trailing in the 4th, then so be it. I'd rather feature Brady tacking a knee after pounding it down their throats with the running game all afternoon....

You are more likely to see Brady taking a knee if you put the game in his hands than in LaGarette Blounts.

 

[hwc]

We must have been watching different teams this year. The Pats passing game, without Gronk, has been pretty consistently unproductive in the first half of games. I don't think it's a great idea to score sparingly in the first half and let Manning get out to a lead.

I don't believe that the running success has been by accident. I think Bill Belichick made a conscious decision when Gronk went down to emphasize the power running game. I don't think he'll go away from that strategy until somebody stops it. The running back position is the best quality depth on the Pats squad right now.

I don't want to turn Brady into Mark Sanchez, but I would like to turn him into the Tom Brady that led the Corey Dillion 2004 Pats to a SuperBowl win.

 

[Whitt25]

Ok. I agree with Amendola and Edelman. That's two. Vereen has shown up occasionally in the passing game. Let's call it three. Thompkins and Dobson are both injured and haven't done bupkis in a month or more. Collie was signed off the street and probably knows some of the playbook. Hooman is not a receiving threat. I don't see that as a powerhouse 5 wide package.

Collie has stayed late several times after practice just to learn the playbook, and he, so far, seems to make plays when we really need them. Hooman can step up when he needs to. Go watch that one-handed touchdown catch in the Dolphins game again. And though they -- Thompkins and Dobson -- may not be 100%, I believe they can make a difference.

What I really miss from this team is the no-huddle.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Interesting dilemma. Do you stack the line and allow a great QB to see one on one coverage and toast you with the short/medium passing game. Keep in mind the pass rush is not as strong w/o Miller. Also if you stack the line and Blount breaks through the secondary is toast. Still I think Denver will do just that.

As others have posted, that is the strategy to beat the Patriots. Rush 3 or 4 and bracket everything over the middle between the numbers (see NYJ 2010 Divisional). That worked without the threat of anything on the outside or a running game to lean on.

The running game is there but the threats on the outside are at best, questionable.

 

[Mack Herron]

As someone once said, Brady cannot throw it and catch it. The passing game has been good but it has faded due to attrition. Amendola, Thompkins and Dobson were all limited in each practice this week and Vereen is also injured, leaving Edelman and Collie as the only apparently healthy receivers. If all these guys are as injured as it appears, I think Brady can find about 200 yards in the passing game but little more. Meanwhile LeGarrette Blount has turned into the primary offensive weapon, with Ridley also running well behind strong run blocking. I see the running game as the strength now. I would also mention that running the ball does not remove Brady from the equation as he still spots and exploits the soft spots in the defense.