What Do You Expect From Defensive Scheme?

[PatsFan2]

By the numbers last year, the Patriots 3rd & 5+ pass rush was actually good & one of the more underrated units in the league. The problem is that the run defense barely got them on the field against the Jaguars nor Eagles.

Add in Clayborn & Rivers allowing Flowers to rush inside more similar to 2016 & I think our pass rush DL could surprise people:

Clayborn - Flowers - Butler - Rivers/Wise

A lot of the potential improvement on the defensive side of the ball will depend on Shelton/Bentley as improvements over Branch/Roberts. Get the pass rush DL on the field more & less 3rd and short situations.

Yikes I totally forgot Clayborn.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

I expect the same defensive scheme. Bend but don’t break baby!!! What else is new.

I am expecting the run defense to be better. Last year it was ranked 20th and 4.7 per carry. That’s not good.

 

[RobertWeathers]

They gave up 20 points to Blake Bortles and allowed the Jaguars to have 35 minutes of possession. He super bowl wasn’t just an outlier of the defense.

The counterargument is JAX averaged 26 ppg during the regular season which was 5th in the NFL and the 2nd rushing offense. Pats focused on stopping the run and took their chances with Bortles. Didn't work the first 3 quarters, did in the 4th.

 

[Ring 6]

Just look at the QBs NE faced after the Carolina game and tell me with a straight face that that had nothing to do with the defensive improvement. Heck, they gave up 20 points to Blake Bortles.

Jacksonville averaged 26 ppg abd was 5th in scoring offense. Holding the to 20 and just 2 FGs in the second half including a 4th quarter of 4 drives, 2 3 and outs, and 1 first down on the other 2 was a good job by the defense that put is in the SB.
You somehow find that bad I guess.

 

[Ring 6]

And I’m not talking wins and losses. I am specifically talking about the defense because that is the topic on this thread. Of course the defense in the Houston was bad but there are people here who don’t seem to care since it was a W.

As far as the super bowl, the defense in the AFCCG wasn’t stellar either. They gave up 20 points to Blake Bortles and allowed the Jaguars to have 35 minutes of possession. The super bowl wasn’t just an outlier of the defense.

We won 24-2o against a team that averaged over 26 points per game and just hung 45 on the Steelers.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

The counterargument is JAX averaged 26 ppg during the regular season which was 5th in the NFL and the 2nd rushing offense. Pats focused on stopping the run and took their chances with Bortles. Didn't work the first 3 quarters, did in the 4th.

Jax beat some really good teams last year. But at the end of the day it’s still Blake Bortles, who didn’t have a whole lot of playoff experience. They were 6 for 15 (40 %) on 3rd down that day.

I’m not saying the defense didn’t improve over the course of the season, but overall the needle didn’t move much for me.

 

[Nunchucks]

By that logic the Philly and Vikings defense must really suck given how they collapsed against us and the Eagles respectively.

Those teams had good defenses that had bad games. The Patriots defense was never a good defense and looked like they had looked for stretches during the season.

 

[Nunchucks]

Not really.

The bend but don't break is built upon making the opposing team string together the maxmium amount of positive plays to score instead of going full aggressive and risk allowing big plays. The more chances you give the other team to shoot themselves into the foot the higher the probability that they eventually will. And the closer to the redzone they get and the tighter the spaces become the more risk you can take. It is more or less math.

Foles played the game of his life in the SB maneuvering the pocket well, hitting multiple tight windows & deep throws and made no mistake at all. If your opponent plays an almost perfect game sometimes you lose.

This is exactly what I said with less words.

 

[Bruins29]

Those teams had good defenses that had bad games. The Patriots defense was never a good defense and looked like they had looked for stretches during the season.

The D that gave up the 5th least points per game avg last year wasn't a good defense?

 

[Ring 6]

I expect the same defensive scheme. Bend but don’t break baby!!! What else is new.

I am expecting the run defense to be better. Last year it was ranked 20th and 4.7 per carry. That’s not good.

Bend but don’t break is a stupid and inaccurate term.
Every defense on every play has to choose what they want to take away and what they will leave open. You cannot take away everything.
The patriots philosophy is heavily grounded in taking away the big play.
For example corners will typically play outside leverage. That helps them take away the big play up the sideline and puts the weakness in their scheme in a place they have help. Running slants against outside leverage is easier. That doeant mean the corner isn’t supposed to stop a slant, but it means aversion to the risk of the big play means it’s a little tougher for him to defend the slant.
Another example: against a mobile QB we will prioritize pass rushing by staying in lanes and keeping contain.
If the QBs breaks contain DBs will have to cover so long that you risk big plays.
Rushing with lanes responsibility and contain responsibility is harder than just choosing a rush tactic to beat your man.
That doesn’t mean the pass rusher is expected to get to the QB, but the aversion to risk means it’s harder for him to.
In other words we play defense in a way that we try very hard to dictate that the offense will try to make the plays that we feel hurt us the least instead of gambling, and allowing them to make the plays that will hurt us the most.
We aren’t saying, as some people suggest, we will let you walk down the field until you get to the red zone then we will try.

 

[luuked]

Those teams had good defenses that had bad games. The Patriots defense was never a good defense and looked like they had looked for stretches during the season.

How convenient.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Those teams had good defenses that had bad games. The Patriots defense was never a good defense and looked like they had looked for stretches during the season.

Exactly. The super bowl defense was pretty much the same defense vs KC.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

We won 24-2o against a team that averaged over 26 points per game and just hung 45 on the Steelers.

35 minutes TOP for the opponent and 6 for 15 on 3rd down. Not exactly stellar. Sometimes it’s more than just the points.

 

[Nunchucks]

The D that gave up the 5th least points per game avg last year wasn't a good defense?

All season long, they never passed the eye test with me. They played well against crappy QBs and sometimes they didn't play well against crappy QBs.

They definitely looked liked they improved over the course of the season, then the Superbowl happened and all the flaws we saw over stretches of games were exposed.

 

[Ring 6]

35 minutes TOP for the opponent and 6 for 15 on 3rd down.

We won.
Time of possession is 50/50 on offense and defense.
6/15 3rd downs is far from bad.

 

[luuked]

I’m not saying the defense didn’t improve over the course of the season, but overall the needle didn’t move much for me.

The defense is the main reason we even made it past the Jaguars. So really I am not sure how any of this game helps your argument that the defense only improved marginally.

 

[Nunchucks]

We won.
Time of possession is 50/50 on offense and defense.
6/15 3rd downs is far from bad.

I wonder what would have happened if the Jaguars decided to throw more.

 

[mcmurtry86]

Do you really see that trend continuing? Why?

Why not? Since the league rules changed to favor offense and since the Pats front 7 talent went from
elite to mediocre, it's been the same story every year.

Hard to argue the results when you're getting at least to the AFCCG every year and ending up top 10 or better in points allowed. But it's been consistent in the approach for years

Unlees the Pats get back to having an elite front 7, I don't see the results or strategy changing much. They just don't have the talent up front

 

[JackBauer]

Because they lack athletic passrushers and the secondary lacks playmakers.

Huh? Gotta disagree with you there. This is the most athletic and potentially lethal group of pass rushers that they've had in years (in my opinion, of course).

 

[Bruins29]

All season long, they never passed the eye test with me.

Ahhh the "eye test" thing. I was wondering when that would be trotted out. The D had some issues, particularly in the beginning of the season, but like a W-
L you are who are and they were the 5th best D in the NFL last year, despite what a bunch of armchair experts want to pontificate from their sofas.

The D obviously sucked in the Superbowl.

It is like stating the the 2007 and 20011 Patriots offenses were not good because they only scored 14 and 17 points in the superbowls. Sometimes when the pressure is high, units dont perform up to potential.

It was a good D it just chose to play poorly when it mattered most unfortunately.