USA Today: "The Patriots don't have a 'system' and NFL teams can't defend it"

[ctpatsfan77]

The Patriots don't have a 'system' and NFL teams can't defend it

Let’s look at last night’s game against the Dolphins. The game began with the Patriots establishing an identity they’ve used before (notably last year twice against the Colts) of the power running team. The team’s tight ends tucked in as extra lineman, and Tom Brady handed the ball off to LeGarrette Blount to pound the ball up the field, four and five yards at a time.

They did that until the defense started to creep up, then the Patriots released Gronkowski off the line on a play-action pass, and boom, the Patriots were up 7-0.

 

[Fencer]

In theory, a defense should be able to defend against all styles of play. Indeed, over the course of a season they might have to defend against all styles of play. So impressive as the Patriots' series-to-series versatility is, I'm not sure that it's that big a deal ... except that it does mean that there's no such thing as a defense that's a game-long hard counter to the Patriots' overall offense.

Versatility within any single personnel grouping is IMO a bigger deal, because it means that there's no such thing as a single-play hard counter to the Patriots either. Whoever is on the field, the Patriots' offense has a good chance of being successful.

 

[rookBoston]

Nice to get some national media attention and understanding. This type of stuff can help diffuse the cheating tagline, if people start to understand why the Pats win so convincingly without sabotaging headsets and stealing playsheets.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Versatility within any single personnel grouping is IMO a bigger deal, because it means that there's no such thing as a single-play hard counter to the Patriots either. Whoever is on the field, the Patriots' offense has a good chance of being successful.

That's what makes GRONK so important: even when he lines up in the traditional TE spot, he can block, catch, or even do both on any given play.

 

[Fencer]

That's what makes GRONK so important: even when he lines up in the traditional TE spot, he can block, catch, or even do both on any given play.

Similarly, it's why it's important that RBs be useful in passing plays, whether to receive, pass block, or preferably to be good at either.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

Great article....thanks for sharing!

 

[ViperGTS]

The other thing I noted tonight was Rodgers talking about the Super Bowl. I don't remember hearing TB or any Pats talking that way. Or Harris talking about it. They are all looking ahead to February. That has to do something to you. Has to.

 

[BradyTheGOAT]

Be like water, formless. The style of no style.

Bruce Belichick?

 

[NormZauchin]

In theory, a defense should be able to defend against all styles of play. Indeed, over the course of a season they might have to defend against all styles of play. So impressive as the Patriots' series-to-series versatility is, I'm not sure that it's that big a deal ... except that it does mean that there's no such thing as a defense that's a game-long hard counter to the Patriots' overall offense.

Versatility within any single personnel grouping is IMO a bigger deal, because it means that there's no such thing as a single-play hard counter to the Patriots either. Whoever is on the field, the Patriots' offense has a good chance of being successful.

Whether you are playing an individual sport or a team sport, there is a natural tendency to anticipate the third or fourth or fifth event to be the same as the preceding events if they are part of a ongoing sequence. Smart players and teams take advantage of this. That is how a good pitcher sets up a batter - curve to the outside corner, curve to the outside corner, slider to the outside corner and then, bang, a high hard one inside. That is how Josh and Brady work the opposition defense.

 

[Joker]

Be like water, formless. The style of no style.

Bruce Belichick?

 

[SVN]

I dont know much about play calling and designs but I think lot of coaches in the league especially some of the older ones and coordinators too..are married to their offensive systems which they stick by. They may add /remove plays but their core playcalling remains the same for e.g the complex wording of the west coast offense etc etc. Pats meanwhile have evolved a lot over the years to simplify how playcalls are named to using option routes and not specific designed plays for 1 or 2 players all the time. Lot of credit goes to BB for not being stuck in his own ways of doing things on offense and defense like the tampa 2 coaches or even romeo in houston etc.
That being said , every offense is defensible including the pats, you need the players and coaches to do it and unfortunately defense is not a strong suit of the NFL.

 

[Fencer]

Whether you are playing an individual sport or a team sport, there is a natural tendency to anticipate the third or fourth or fifth event to be the same as the preceding events if they are part of a ongoing sequence. Smart players and teams take advantage of this. That is how a good pitcher sets up a batter - curve to the outside corner, curve to the outside corner, slider to the outside corner and then, bang, a high hard one inside. That is how Josh and Brady work the opposition defense.

I don't think that's the main point here.

Rather, it's that the Patriots can line up in a very different formation and still execute well.

 

[patfanken]

In theory, a defense should be able to defend against all styles of play. Indeed, over the course of a season they might have to defend against all styles of play. So impressive as the Patriots' series-to-series versatility is, I'm not sure that it's that big a deal ... except that it does mean that there's no such thing as a defense that's a game-long hard counter to the Patriots' overall offense.

T his was what I was talking about in my thread. It's taken a long time to build the structure that allows the Pats to be able to do that. It is such an incredible advantage, it is hard to believe why everyone doesn't do it. The reason they don't is that it is VERY hard to accomplish, and few teams have had the continuity that the Pats have enjoyed to develop it. But they have it now, and its one of the major reasons for our success.

Versatility within any single personnel grouping is IMO a bigger deal, because it means that there's no such thing as a single-play hard counter to the Patriots either. Whoever is on the field, the Patriots' offense has a good chance of being successful.

Good point, Versatility within each personnel grouping allows you to be multiple without having to constantly bring in new people when you change schemes. One of the easiest ways for the offense to identify what D you are using, is watching changes in personnel In an age where disguising what you are doing might be a defenses best weapon, "versatility within any single personnel grouping can make all the difference in the world in disguising what you are doing.

BB seems to working hard at this. Almost every player he's drafted high recently has the ability to play more than one position. This goes even more so for both the OL and DL. Most of the receivers can be moved all up and down the LOS. TE's routinely play on the line, in the slot and wide.

 

[patchick]

Looking past the headline, what the article actually emphasizes is that the league can't prepare for the Patriots offense. It's a great point.

If you were BB & Patricia on defense, preparing to take on the Patriots offense, what would your game plan be? What 1 or 2 keys would you focus on taking away?

 

[tasmlab]

Looking past the headline, what the article actually emphasizes is that the league can't prepare for the Patriots offense. It's a great point.

If you were BB & Patricia on defense, preparing to take on the Patriots offense, what would your game plan be? What 1 or 2 keys would you focus on taking away?

This puzzle (scheming and practicing Pats defense vs. Pats offense, Pats offense vs. Pats defense) has to make both units better as they prepare, both in terms of planning and execution. IMO.

 

[borg]

Similarly, it's why it's important that RBs be useful in passing plays, whether to receive, pass block, or preferably to be good at either.

Officially inside my mind, I believe Lewis' is worth an extra TD of value to NE's offense when he is healthy and a featured weapon.......He is gravy on top of the mash potatoes.......makes the meal a feast.

 

[The Brandon Five]

I dont know much about play calling and designs but I think lot of coaches in the league especially some of the older ones and coordinators too..are married to their offensive systems which they stick by. They may add /remove plays but their core playcalling remains the same for e.g the complex wording of the west coast offense etc etc. Pats meanwhile have evolved a lot over the years to simplify how playcalls are named to using option routes and not specific designed plays for 1 or 2 players all the time. Lot of credit goes to BB for not being stuck in his own ways of doing things on offense and defense like the tampa 2 coaches or even romeo in houston etc.
That being said , every offense is defensible including the pats, you need the players and coaches to do it and unfortunately defense is not a strong suit of the NFL.

Watching the Broncos stifle the Packers last night, I couldn't help but think that GB was failing to adjust to what Denver was doing. Sometimes it seemed like there were 7-8 guys attacking the line of scrimmage on every down...and no one was ever open? Does GB's OL just suck?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

GB's D sucks. Denvah ran through them and ran around the edge. Over hyped Clay Matthews & Co failed to stop the run and enabled Manning to pass. I thought Peyton looked good even under pressure.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Looking past the headline, what the article actually emphasizes is that the league can't prepare for the Patriots offense. It's a great point.

If you were BB & Patricia on defense, preparing to take on the Patriots offense, what would your game plan be? What 1 or 2 keys would you focus on taking away?

I actually think that Belichick has been revolutionizing the way rosters are constructed and the game is played and people are only now starting to understand what he has been doing. They are no longer a base team on either side of the ball, rather they are a completely situational team that adapts and adjusts to their opponents on every level from their gameplan to specific situations within games. They aren't a 3-4 base on defense they are able to go 3-4, 4-3, 4-2-5, 3-3-5 etc etc fronting upon the situation and their decisions on what to give and what to take away. The same goes for their offense where they can go big and play a power run game, go small and use their quickness with Lewis, Edelman, and Amendola, go big in the passing game with their TEs and LaFell, and go to a full out passing game and just throw all day. Belichick has built the most versatile team this league has ever seen both mentally and physically and it is allowing to adjust to every opponent on both sides of the ball and leaves them guessing on how to gameplay for a team that can counter any approach they take.

 

[slam]

I've been rereading parts of Collision Low Crossers recently, and here's an example of the pressure that the Pats' flexibility gives. The author characterizes the Pats offense as doing a few things to perfection but dressing it up differently every week. It's not a derogatory statement. It's also how he characterizes the Jets defense.

The author is embedded with the team all season as they prepare for each game, and you get a great sense of how much work goes into each game. A lot of learning, study, and preparation.

During the first Pats game, a pivotal play has Gronkowski lined up wide as are now familiar with. The Jets coaches recognize the formation, and are anticipating a certain route to Gronk. However, the safety covering him does not recognize it. He is familiar with Gronkowski's route tree as a TE. He is not as familiar with, say, Deion Branch's route tree since his assignment all week was to be ready for Gronkowski and does not expect him to run a route that (to this point) only Wide Receivers have run. The play goes to Gronk for a key gain and the Pats go on to win.

There's only so much you can prepare for, and the Pats ability to completely remake itself each game makes the usual preparation much more perilous than usual. You could show up to a game and after one series realize that all of your preparation has been useless.