Biggest concerns about this team in the playoffs

[BobDigital]

Besides injuries here are the specific things I look at our team and think may be able to be exploited.

#1 LB - Hightower of course is fine but they don't have a good running mate. The more i think about it the more i think they will target one one in the draft as they could use a good solif 3rd down player next to him. Van Noy has been hit or miss and at times lost in coverage. McCellin has done okay and made the plays that have been there to make (he was heads up running that fumble caused by McCourty back so far) but he can't do much in coverage. Roberts can tackle and go down hill as a run stuffer but is streaky. I worry about teams being able to attack this spot.

#2 The 2nd/3rd CB could be an issue. Butler is great but Ryan/Rowe can have lapses. I have said before recently and the more i think about it the more true I think it is. If a team has 3 good true WR (not big bodied TEs or RBs) They can finds way to exploit match ups in our 2nd and 3rd CB. Seattle did at times with Baldwin/Locket/Graham who is a TE in name only he is actually a WR and Landry/Parker/Stills did. These are the teams I remember us the most dropping 8 and rushing 3. Luckily it is rare for teams these days to have 3 legit WR threats. GB and maybe Dallas are the only teams that have it that are legit threats. The Pats IMO do better scheming against 1-2 WRs and a TE/RB. Something to keep in mind.

#3 The pass rush at times has lacked. Flowers aka Technique has really come on to make it more respectable but besides him we don't have anyone else who can win a 1 on 1 consistently. We sometimes have long periods of time when no one gets to a QB. The Pats will try to scheme it I am sure but it is a concern.

#4 Red zone offense is a bit of a concern. Not that big as they are still one of the best teams here but they are not automatic like they were in 2014. They are great at running it in from short yardage but they have had issues passing it in. Some of play calling i think. Gronk is missed at this spot and i would like them to use the size they have more. Again is is not bad but something I noticed.

So I would say those are things i will think about going into these games.

 

[Fixit]

Your comment about red zone offense made me curious, and here's what I found: red zone TD percentage doesn't mean much.

NE is #8, and six of the seven teams in front of them missed the playoffs.

 

[GoBlue]

I'm a Lions fan too and you have concerns about the Patriots chances in the playoffs???

 

[The Brandon Five]

Only concern is injuries. If they stay healthy I don't see anyone beating them in Foxboro or Houston.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

My concern? Bill might have to go to the expense of renaming his boat! Should we set up a go fund me for him?

 

[The Brandon Five]

My concern? Bill might have to go to the expense of renaming his boat! Should we set up a go fund me for him?

And what will he do with the shirts?

 

[PatriotsPimp136]

Rowe has to play better. The pass rush's what it is. It was never great to begin with. We gotta hope that the coverage will be good.

 

[VrabelJr]

The pass rush has been pretty damn awesome the last 4 weeks. Hence the turnovers. But hey what do I know?

 

[oldrover]

Biggest concerns about this team in the playoffs

An off-game. Otherwise...




...confidence is high.

 

[bormio]

I worry about red zone offense too. A game where you have to settle for 3 FGs could be lethal. Bennett has been a go to guy, Floyd and Hogan need to be big targets. The 2 point play to JE was a new wrinkle. You have to be creative and not just look for Gronk. But we won 3 SB without the big guy - so it can be done.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

And what will he do with the shirts?

Charity auction and I'm sure they would go very high!!!!!

 

[brdmaverick]

I actually don't think there is anything wrong with our redzone offense except perhaps our own expectations. Even though we have the utmost confidence in Brady the reality is that we shouldn't truly expect them to score a TD on every redzone possession.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Mine are all defensive coverage-based.

Van Noy, High, Nink and Shea isolated in 1:1 coverage.

Chung in past 15 yards

Rowe and Ryan won't hold up on a big play WR2

 

[The Brandon Five]

Rowe has to play better. The pass rush's what it is. It was never great to begin with. We gotta hope that the coverage will be good.

I think the lack of an aggressive pass rush is partly by design, hence the top run defense.

 

[The Brandon Five]

Mine are all defensive coverage-based.

Van Noy, High, Nink and Shea isolated in 1:1 coverage.

Chung in past 15 yards

Rowe and Ryan won't hold up on a big play WR2

I haven't tracked it this year, but don't they like to put the #1 corner on the WR2 one-one-one and then put the #2 corner on the WR1 with safety help? I remember Bill talking about it earlier this year ("why put your best guy on that receiver if he is getting help anyway"?)

 

[Ring 6]

Besides injuries here are the specific things I look at our team and think may be able to be exploited.

#1 LB - Hightower of course is fine but they don't have a good running mate. The more i think about it the more i think they will target one one in the draft as they could use a good solif 3rd down player next to him. Van Noy has been hit or miss and at times lost in coverage. McCellin has done okay and made the plays that have been there to make (he was heads up running that fumble caused by McCourty back so far) but he can't do much in coverage. Roberts can tackle and go down hill as a run stuffer but is streaky. I worry about teams being able to attack this spot.

#2 The 2nd/3rd CB could be an issue. Butler is great but Ryan/Rowe can have lapses. I have said before recently and the more i think about it the more true I think it is. If a team has 3 good true WR (not big bodied TEs or RBs) They can finds way to exploit match ups in our 2nd and 3rd CB. Seattle did at times with Baldwin/Locket/Graham who is a TE in name only he is actually a WR and Landry/Parker/Stills did. These are the teams I remember us the most dropping 8 and rushing 3. Luckily it is rare for teams these days to have 3 legit WR threats. GB and maybe Dallas are the only teams that have it that are legit threats. The Pats IMO do better scheming against 1-2 WRs and a TE/RB. Something to keep in mind.

#3 The pass rush at times has lacked. Flowers aka Technique has really come on to make it more respectable but besides him we don't have anyone else who can win a 1 on 1 consistently. We sometimes have long periods of time when no one gets to a QB. The Pats will try to scheme it I am sure but it is a concern.

#4 Red zone offense is a bit of a concern. Not that big as they are still one of the best teams here but they are not automatic like they were in 2014. They are great at running it in from short yardage but they have had issues passing it in. Some of play calling i think. Gronk is missed at this spot and i would like them to use the size they have more. Again is is not bad but something I noticed.

So I would say those are things i will think about going into these games.

1 LB play has been better since Collins was traded. It's a group effort. You can't blame van noy for the td yesterday because he was the guy in the short zone in front of the deep zone no one covered.

2. I don't get this. They threw for a pedestrian 200 yards and got 1 or 0 first downs on 7 of 10 drives. I hope we cover that well against everyone.
The 2 and 3 wr had 14 targets 9 catches 86 yards on a day they were trailing all game and had to throw a lot. The 3rd WR was basically the TE spot so those numbers are mediocre. No issue there.

3 pass rush is above average. We have blitzed effectively when we need to.

4. We are the second best red zone offense in the playoffs.

It seems like these concerns are genetic more than things that are a greater concern for the patriots than every other team.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I haven't tracked it this year, but don't they like to put the #1 corner on the WR2 one-one-one and then put the #2 corner on the WR1 with safety help? I remember Bill talking about it earlier this year ("why put your best guy on that receiver if he is getting help anyway"?)

You are 100% correct. Most of the time.

Pitt Brown and HOU Hopkins are notable exceptions. They get Malcolm

 

[BobDigital]

1 LB play has been better since Collins was traded. It's a group effort. You can't blame van noy for the td yesterday because he was the guy in the short zone in front of the deep zone no one covered.

2. I don't get this. They threw for a pedestrian 200 yards and got 1 or 0 first downs on 7 of 10 drives. I hope we cover that well against everyone.
The 2 and 3 wr had 14 targets 9 catches 86 yards on a day they were trailing all game and had to throw a lot. The 3rd WR was basically the TE spot so those numbers are mediocre. No issue there.

3 pass rush is above average. We have blitzed effectively when we need to.

4. We are the second best red zone offense in the playoffs.

It seems like these concerns are genetic more than things that are a greater concern for the patriots than every other team.

Well it could be argued every other playoff team has more concerns. I think we are the favorite to win it all and some of these concerns aren't too bad really.

 

[PatriotsReign]

Concerns are the last thing to consider heading into the tournament in my opinion.

This is one of the best teams we've had in the Brady-Belichick era. We're better this year than we were in 2007 and 2011. And that's a good thing since we lost both of those years

But as time goes by and our Pats enter the playoffs for the zillienth time, the only thing I feel and think is excitement and anticipation

Since I'm just a fan, I don't have to prepare myself in any way for the playoffs. Fans don't need to be mentally or emotionally prepared for this fun stuff

I don't see a need to look at any negative factors.

Go Pats!!!

 

[Observer]

My only concern is losing