Pass Rush?

[ropese]

As the roster is presently constructed, I don't see where a consistent pass rush will come from. Even if Hightower rushes more. There are some FAs available and it is very possible BB is waiting until this Week 1 game to possible make any more significant changes.

 

[Tony2046]

As the roster is presently constructed, I don't see where a consistent pass rush will come from. Even if Hightower rushes more. There are some FAs available and it is very possible BB is waiting until this Week 1 game to possible make any more significant changes.

If you have a chance you should listen to Matt Chatham's podcast I posted. He discusses that issue. Basically a 5 man front, 3 DLs and 2 OLBs.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

As the roster is presently constructed, I don't see where a consistent pass rush will come from. Even if Hightower rushes more. There are some FAs available and it is very possible BB is waiting until this Week 1 game to possible make any more significant changes.

 

[ropese]

If you have a chance you should listen to Matt Chatham's podcast I posted. He discusses that issue. Basically a 5 man front, 3 DLs and 2 OLBs.

We have the bodies to play any front. The lack of players with the specific skill set as a strength is my concern.

 

[ropese]

I like Hightower and Marsh as the 2 OLBs in a 5 man front though. Then if Butler can carry his play from the PS into the regular season.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

See the description of Houston's 5-man "diamond" front here for a hint of what Belichick might try to imitate:

How Do You Beat the Patriots? The Texans Know How

 

[Tony2046]

We have the bodies to play any front. The lack of players with the specific skill set as a strength is my concern.

I think we'll know more come monday but I think the Pats 5 man front will create pressure up the middle (Branch, Flowers, Brown etc..) and containment on the edges. Don't forget that the secondary should help create some coverage sacks/pressures as well. We'll see how it goes but as of right now I think we're talking about a top 5 or so scoring defense.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I like Hightower and Marsh as the 2 OLBs in a 5 man front though. Then if Butler can carry his play from the PS into the regular season.

Keep an eye on Marsh this year.

I think hes gonna do real well in this system.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

Keep an eye on Marsh this year.

I think hes gonna do real well in this system.

He's not a pass rusher. High motor player, good special teams guy, but he has zero bullrush and is not good at setting the edge. He will do his job no doubt, but don't expect sacks

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

If you have a chance you should listen to Matt Chatham's podcast I posted. He discusses that issue. Basically a 5 man front, 3 DLs and 2 OLBs.

I think we will see a 3-3-5 more with someone like Richards supporting the run defense and covering the RB. Van Noy, Hightower, Marsh, Langi, McClellan all have trouble covering the RB.

 

[unoriginal]

See the description of Houston's 5-man "diamond" front here for a hint of what Belichick might try to imitate:

How Do You Beat the Patriots? The Texans Know How

So where did the diamond come from? “Buddy [Ryan] really popularized the five-down look in the early-, mid-’80s,” says seven-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick, as good a source as you’ll find on just about any defensive subject. “He played it a lot in his base defense. His thing was really to get Dan Hampton [with the Bears], and then Reggie White [with the Eagles] on the nose. So part of it was the [structure of having] five-down, but part of it was to take the best player he had and put him on the center.”

This would seemingly suggest Hightower will be moving inside on third downs at least, not edge rushing, as the modern example given in the article is Houston's Whitney Mercilus.

Otherwise who would the Pats be looking to use here? Flowers? That leaves them light at the 3-techs.

 

[Gumby]

See the description of Houston's 5-man "diamond" front here for a hint of what Belichick might try to imitate:

How Do You Beat the Patriots? The Texans Know How

Imitate???

Romeo learned the diamond from BB! LOL

 

[ivanvamp]

Here's where the Pats have ranked in all their 7 SB seasons (5 wins, 2 losses) in terms of overall scoring defense and where they ranked in terms of sacks.

2001: #6 scoring, #t13 sacks, Won SB
2003: #1 scoring, #6 sacks, Won SB
2004: #2 scoring, #5 sacks, Won SB
2007: #4 scoring, #2 sacks, Lost SB
2011: #15 scoring, #14 sacks, Lost SB
2014: #8 scoring, #t13 sacks, Won SB
2016: #1 scoring, #16 sacks, Won SB

So in years they won the Super Bowl, they were ranked 13th, 6th, 5th, 13th, and 16th in sacks. In the years they lost the Super Bowl, they were 2nd and 14th in sacks.

I know pass rush is not just sacks. But over the course of a season, over that larger sample size, a good pass rush will eventually lead to sacks. They've never, in the BB era, really been worse than at least average at rushing the passer, and often they've been really good. But three of the years they've won the SB they've been basically average at, at least, generating sacks.

In other words.... I'm not worried.

 

[Dagg]

The pas rush will come from coverage sacks....

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I think we will see a 3-3-5 more with someone like Richards supporting the run defense and covering the RB. Van Noy, Hightower, Marsh, Langi, McClellan all have trouble covering the RB.

I had assumed it would be Chung, with Harmon and McCourty playing further back. And Richards only subbing in if Chung gets injured, and therefore hopefully never ever seeing the field at this point......

 

[PatriotReign]

It's not just about sacks though. Being able to pressure the quarterback and get him off his spot is critical.

 

[Tony2046]

I think we will see a 3-3-5 more with someone like Richards supporting the run defense and covering the RB. Van Noy, Hightower, Marsh, Langi, McClellan all have trouble covering the RB.

They ran a lot of 5 man fronts in the SB. Chung had some success covering the RB's out of the backfield. But I do agree that we'll see all types of fronts throughout the season. I'm basically saying I'm not concerned about a lack of pass rush.

 

[Huckleberry1]

See the description of Houston's 5-man "diamond" front here for a hint of what Belichick might try to imitate:

How Do You Beat the Patriots? The Texans Know How

Great headline, no one owns the Patriots like Houston does.

 

[FCB02062]

This year's front 7 is starting to have a monty Beisel, Chad brown, Shaun Ellis, adalius Thomas feel to it....

 

[maineman209]

We have the bodies to play any front. The lack of players with the specific skill set as a strength is my concern.

If you're talking about elite edge-rushing skill set, I don't see that being as valuable as it once was. Being able to get pressure and deform the pocket from DL interior, leaving the QB with no safe place to step up and into the throw, is as important - if not more important - than having sackmeisters on the edges. BB appears to have figured that out quite awhile ago.