Pass coverage a strength: Anderson matched up against tight ends, receivers and running backs and mostly held his own. The first defensive play of the season seemed to reflect his solid feel for the passing game, as he aligned on the weak side of the formation, stayed home as there was play-action to the opposite side, and then was in position to quickly bring down tight end
Tyler Eifert who had come in motion to his side to catch a short pass while headed toward the sideline. We saw Anderson later break up a pass to receiver
Mohamed Sanu on third-and-5, and also drop out of an A-gap blitz look into a short zone and almost intercept a pass intended for receiver
Marvin Jones on a slant.
He consistently showed an ability to open his hips and carry a tight end down the field as he still runs well. In the season finale, Anderson's ability to drop deep in middle coverage made a potential touchdown pass from
Aaron Rodgers to
Jordy Nelson a tougher throw than it would have been otherwise (it was thrown too high and was incomplete).
Overall, Anderson seemed more effective playing backwards than towards the line of scrimmage, with a little bit of a knack for dropping out of a blitz look and making a play as a pass defender. The biggest knock on Anderson in the passing game was a mental error we saw in the season finale as he failed to scoop up a loose football on what initially appeared to be an incomplete pass (the ball slipping out of Rodgers' hand) but was actually a fumble that the Packers advanced for a touchdown.
Projecting Anderson's role with Patriots: Unlike the Bears, who struggled on defense in 2013, the Patriots almost certainly won't be calling on Anderson for full-time duties should he make the roster. So he adds depth and
his coverage skills could be tapped in a variety of ways based on each week's defensive game-plan, most likely in sub packages (which the Patriots were in 67 percent of the time last year). In that sense, Anderson's signing reminds me a little bit of the Patriots and another former Chicago Bear -- defensive end Mark Anderson (2011). The Patriots used Mark Anderson solely as a nickel rusher and got the best out of him with that less-is-more approach. The same could hold true with James Anderson, who could be a solid addition as a fourth or fifth linebacker.