Can the Patriots stop the run?

[FredFromDartmouth]

The Patriots defense is shaping up into a formidable challenge for opposing offenses. The one weakness I see is stopping the run, especially runs up the middle. The Patriots do not have that one big galoot such as Ted Washington or Vince Wilfork in the middle to clog everything up. The current DL is geared toward the pass rush and I saw them being overpowered in the pre-season. This does not bode well unless they can fix it. The Patriots are well aware of this problem, thus their courting of Marquand McCall.

Teams are probably going to try to loosen up the Patriots' (potentially) potent pass rush by daring them to stop the run first.

 

[Wozzy]

Patriot's NFL defensive rankings last season:

6th in Fewest Rushing yards Allowed
4th in Fewest Rushing Yards Per Attempt
1st in Fewest Rushing TD's Allowed

They added Keion White, Marte Mapu and got Christian Barmore back healthy.

Who did they lose?

 

[Sicilian]

Too much is being made of how they looked in the Green Bay game. 4.1 yards per attempt allowed (which would be the 4th lowest average last year), and 4.4 allowed to the top two backs, Jones/Dillon (which would have been around 16th). Tons of room for improvement, but hardly a reason to worry about it.

Probably won't look awesome in week 1 against Philly for several reasons: Philly has a real good OL, they've got a mobile QB, and I'm guessing Patriots will be in a light look to defense against Brown/Smith. I won't really start worrying about the run D as a whole unless they look shaky against Miami in week 2.

 

[Sciz]

Not every move needs to mean something. The Patriots had a roster spot due to Nixon’s injury, McCall was on waivers, and it was worth a quick trial run to see if they could convince him to stay in town on the practice squad or maybe earn one of the last spots on the roster. The few hours of the McCall era included some of the most ridiculous posts of the offseason. He was cut from a 90-man roster and passed by the other 12 teams with waiver priority over the Patriots, and yet there was talk of cutting Godchaux in order to make him the starter. Most people didn’t go off that far off the deep end, but there were still lots of other expectations that were way too high.

 

[TheRainMaker]

They will be okay against the run.

However, they are still weak against mobile QB's and the jury is out on whether Gonzalez can take away the outside.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

However, they are still weak against mobile QB's

Mapu, Dugger and our other other hybrid LBs/Safeties. Can't imagine other teams have better than those guys to counter mobile QBs.
Mapu in college was like a guided missile against QBs escaping the pocket.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Mapu, Dugger and our other other hybrid LBs/Safeties. Can't imagine other teams have better than those guys to counter mobile QBs.
Mapu in college was like a guided missile against QBs escaping the pocket.

Dugger and the other safties didn't cut it against the mobile QB's the last few seasons.

Mapu hasn't played a down in the NFL. Until then, they are still weak against mobile QB's.

 

[n6249c]

They will be okay against the run.

However, they are still weak against mobile QB's and the jury is out on whether Gonzalez can take away the outside.

Season hasn’t started. So the jury is still out on everybody.

 

[Zuma]

Carl Davis is 31, Guy is 33. We need a younger fatty. All he needs to do is clog the middle…stats not required.

 

[mgteich]

Carl Davis is 31, Guy is 33. We need a younger fatty. All he needs to do is clog the middle…stats not required.

all that matters is age?

But, yes, we should always be looking for younger upgrades.

For now, I'm fine with Guy, and with Davis on the Practice Squad.

 

[Pape]

Can they? sure... the question is, do they want to?

 

[Zuma]

all that matters is age?

But, yes, we should always be looking for younger upgrades.

For now, I'm fine with Guy, and with Davis on the Practice Squad.

Hell yeah age is important.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

Can they? sure... the question is, do they want to?

They better want to, they can't win a game when they give up 24 or more points.

This isn't the Brady days anymore you can't afford to just "let them run on you".

 

[Pape]

They better want to, they can't win a game when they give up 24 or more points.

This isn't the Brady days anymore you can't afford to just "let them run on you".

Sorry man, was watching Seinfeld earlier... Post was inspired by George costanza

Yes they will be able to stop the run... We've only seen limited reps by the fully formed dline...

 

[SONS_OF_BELICHICK]

I am sure the Pats will be scouring the waver wire for some young fatties...and hopefully ..the BB coolaid can elevate his game. One guys trash is another guys treasure ....

 

[Real fan 02]

The Patriots defense is shaping up into a formidable challenge for opposing offenses. The one weakness I see is stopping the run, especially runs up the middle. The Patriots do not have that one big galoot such as Ted Washington or Vince Wilfork in the middle to clog everything up. The current DL is geared toward the pass rush and I saw them being overpowered in the pre-season. This does not bode well unless they can fix it. The Patriots are well aware of this problem, thus their courting of Marquand McCall.

Teams are probably going to try to loosen up the Patriots' (potentially) potent pass rush by daring them to stop the run first.

You make a good point. I'll say this. We were pretty stout against the run last season. We have depth on the D line, a good run stuffing team... the defensive line is where it all starts. We have enough guys up front to be able to move the LOS. That in turn frees up our backers to set the edge. I'm more interested in if we can corral running QBs. It's been a kryptonite for us past few seasons. We have the depth we have the athletes. It's a killer to a defensive to play sound on 1st and 2nd down and then have Allen, or Tua break the pocket for 20 yards on 3rd and 7.

To me this is the area that is also part of the running game we must contain. We have all these safeties, hybrid players like Marpu I'd like to see them punish running QBs this season. The first test is coming up!

 

[Real fan 02]

Sorry man, was watching Seinfeld earlier... Post was inspired by George costanza

Yes they will be able to stop the run... We've only seen limited reps by the fully formed dline...

Barmore, Godcheaux, Guy, Davis, Wise, White. That's more than enough to be able to contain the run. The whole idea to stopping the run is making teams 1 dimensional, making OCs alter thier game plan. I'm more interested in stopping Mobile QBs. No excuses this season at some point going to have to stop the bully from taking your lunch money. Allen has killed us on 3rd down and many other mobile QBs. Cincinnati to me showed the formula to containing him. Lock his WRs up, punish him any time he gets out the pocket.

 

[ralmat55]

The challenge for the Patriots adequately playing the run is it must be done playing personnel and scheme that can also adequately play the pass and minimize explosive pass plays that result in easy points for the opposition.

It’s a trade-off especially for a gap control defense that asks a lot from its DLinemen and LBs when it comes to playing run. You have to Linemen who can hold their position and also come off it to rush the passer. You have to have LBs who can fight off OGs to make tackles and still be able to cover a TE running a seam route or a RB running a wheel route.

That’s why, I believe, the Pats D have become primarily a zone team on early downs over the last couple of seasons. It allows them to have a big Edge like Wise out there and bigger LBs like Bentley and Tavai out there on run downs to stop the run without being gashed by big pass plays.

Barring an epidemic of injuries, I have real high hopes for this Patriots’ defense. The problem with playing zone is good offenses with good QBs will beat it without a strong, relentless pass rush consistently in their face. Keion White is going to be, at least, a really stout run defender, but I also see him being a pass rusher who can get to the QB. I, eventually, see Mapu as a guy who can take snaps from Bentley and Tavai, be adequate against the run, and also be able to man cover TEs and RBs. My hope for Gonzalez is he becomes good enough to cover #1s without a safety over the top.

All these things I think will make the Pats more effective against good offenses and the best QBs.

 

[borisman]

Bentley is good run stuffer. He didn't play in Green Bay. He could have made a difference against those big backs.
Although the DL got "turned" on some good runs in that game I believe they can hold up better than they showed. They have to or it will be a lot of 3rd and short to go.
Signing McCall may have been a way to fix this if indeed Belichick thinks it is a problem. Now we scour the waiver wire or a trade for someone similar to McCall.

 

[javajunky]

I have a feeling Roberts may have just taken Guy's spot. Add these rookies, I see a lot more tackles for a loss. If only we had one good dominant nose tackle.