Commit to running the ball

[Chevy]

Rham looks slow and indecisive he's playing like an old RB with a lot of miles on their tires. Maybe they should bench him to light a fire under him. I don't think it's the OL I think it's the play designs and play calls not innovative at all.

He's showing his youth. Zeke looks better due to experience. Rham has had several very good runs, but only when those initial blocks are there. When he's in that "wing it" mode is where that inexperience shows - like Kathy Bates hot tub level of a show. Even if he just defaulted to drop the shoulders and be the big guy he would be ok.

 

[State]

The team lacks a proper full back not named Pharaoh. The team’s typical 12 personnel TEs couldn’t block a female Supreme Court justice. The RT can’t pass block well. The RG is still probably still getting into game shape.

Things will get better. Especially goring against weaker defenses.

 

[borg]

Am I reading the room correctly?
Troy Brown and Adrian Klemm are sacred cows and critiquing their body of work as NFL coaches is a road we do not travel

But BOB is...........

 

[RIpats88]

They are averaging 2.7 ypc.

That means we could run 3 times in a row and never get a 1st down...

 

[UGAPatsfan]

Someone needs to get Scar off the golf course.

 

[Real fan 02]

At this point in time I would rather see them run 3 times and punt on 4th down than put the ball in Corky's hands on 3rd down.

But for the love of Ganja could we have just a Little more imagination with our running packages pleeeeeese?

Cap'n.. you heard it here. Ty Montgomery would be the answer to at least provide something different on 3rd down.. I'd like to think he can at least get a 3rd down conversion on 3rd and inches. Why he isn't at least featured on 3rd downs is beyond me..

 

[RodThePat]

It's hard enough to run the ball with a bad run blocking OL and zero good run blocking TEs (Brown is only made to look reasonable as a blocker in contrast to the absolute zeros that are Henry and Gesicki in this regard), but when you add to the equation just how much teams are comfortable playing Cover 1 and just loading the box with zero fear of the passing game, it's pretty much impossible. Teams can just run Cover 1 Man and erase the Patriots running AND passing game, it's kind of insane.

The only solution would be to just go under center more often, run more play action and see if that scares linebackers from crashing down instantly as you drop to hand the ball off. Right now they just don't throw when under center. My feeling is they'll be under center more often if the game is low scoring and they aren't trailing from the jump, which could help the running game, but even then my defensive approach wouldn't change. I don't think this team is capable of generating big plays even in traditional play action (outside of some very specific trickery like the Pharaoh Brown TD).

 

[Hyped]

We aren't getting our money's worth with Adrian Klemm.....I don't care how injured our OL is and how much we have shuffled guys in and out...

We need basic competence....just enough to allow Mac to plant his front foot for chrissakes!

 

[State]

If Klemm doesn’t get the unit performing, there’s a familiar name to bring back: Cole Popovich.

 

[captain stone]

Cap'n.. you heard it here. Ty Montgomery would be the answer to at least provide something different on 3rd down.. I'd like to think he can at least get a 3rd down conversion on 3rd and inches. Why he isn't at least featured on 3rd downs is beyond me..

Because he sucks maybe...?

 

[PatsFan2]

It's hard enough to run the ball with a bad run blocking OL and zero good run blocking TEs (Brown is only made to look reasonable as a blocker in contrast to the absolute zeros that are Henry and Gesicki in this regard), but when you add to the equation just how much teams are comfortable playing Cover 1 and just loading the box with zero fear of the passing game, it's pretty much impossible. Teams can just run Cover 1 Man and erase the Patriots running AND passing game, it's kind of insane.

The only solution would be to just go under center more often, run more play action and see if that scares linebackers from crashing down instantly as you drop to hand the ball off. Right now they just don't throw when under center. My feeling is they'll be under center more often if the game is low scoring and they aren't trailing from the jump, which could help the running game, but even then my defensive approach wouldn't change. I don't think this team is capable of generating big plays even in traditional play action (outside of some very specific trickery like the Pharaoh Brown TD).

Great post but I disagree with your ending Pop Douglas when he get's more familiar with our playbook and route concepts is that guy. Douglas is the quick player we are currently lacking on our Offense. When he gets 45 snaps a game like Parker you'll see.

 

[RodThePat]

Great post but I disagree with your ending Pop Douglas when he get's more familiar with our playbook and route concepts is that guy. Douglas is the quick player we are currently lacking on our Offense. When he gets 45 snaps a game like Parker you'll see.

Sure, maybe you could give him the ball or even Thornton on some of those PA shots, I just don't think at this point Douglas is consistent enough as a route runner that I'd be comfortable penciling him in as a target on those designs. If you're running hard PA and taking a shot, there's traditionally only one or two guys at most running deep routes, and they better be where they're supposed to or you're throwing it away/getting sackd/being picked off. Maybe that could come in time, but as of now I want them to integrate Douglas more into the traditional short passing game out of the slot to get him comfortable.

 

[Real fan 02]

Because he sucks maybe...?

He isn't on the field.. I don't know if he sucks or not.. hard to tell sitting on the sideline while he's watching plays get blown up..

 

[Ring 6]

That's it. That's all we need to do. That's what we did the last time we were optimistic about this team in 2021. Running the ball effectively is the only way to magnify Mac's and our OL's strengths while limiting their liabilities.

- The OL struggles in pass protection and the best way to get better at that is to pass protect less and have the upper hand because the defense thinks a run is coming.
- We have great OL personnel for running if we aren't already 14 points behind. Sow and Mafi are big. Put one of them in at RG and move Onwenu to RT. Get our five best OL on the field.
- Mac does best with timing based throws out of the play action rather than reading the field.

It's what we did well in 2021 when everyone had a very different view of Mac and it's what we need to do now. Remember all the talk in 2021 about how BB was going to reverse NFL pass happy trends by running the ball and playing great defense? We need that back.

Committing to the run does not mean using the run to set up the pass. That’s what we’ve been trying to do.
We really need to not play to “stay on schedule” by running on first and second down trying to set up 3rd down conversions and use early downs and neutral run/pass situations to make plays down the field. We need a whole lot of 12-20 yards plays rather than playing to convert 3rd and 4 6 times on a drive.

 

[Sect140]

With teams loading up the box, what if they come out in a spread formation, empty backfield with quick passes before the pass rush gets to Mac. It doesn’t hurt to be unpredictable.

 

[p8ryts]

With teams loading up the box, what if they come out in a spread formation, empty backfield with quick passes before the pass rush gets to Mac. It doesn’t hurt to be unpredictable.

I cited that in a post the other day. Cowboys packing the los, screamed for checking to another play. Nope, ran it right into the teeth of the defense.

 

[VrabelJr]

- We have great OL personnel for running if we aren't already 14 points behind. Sow and Mafi are big. Put one of them in at RG and move Onwenu to RT. Get our five best OL on the field.

Three games late but better late than never. Dear Patriots OL staff: I accept box seats and cash as gifts.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Three games late but better late than never. Dear Patriots OL staff: I accept box seats and cash as gifts.

Buffalos run defense was 31st.... But yes if they could run consistently the offense would be different. Still need to get rid of jones

 

[JayNM]

I think Bill has tried to create a "Run-heavy" team for awhile with Mac Jones. We are seeing the results, if we don't get good pieces around, namely the OL.

In any case, even with a good OL, I'm not sure it is possible to keep up with a great NFL offense nowadays by running a lot. It's just not efficient time-wise

 

[captain stone]

Three games late but better late than never. Dear Patriots OL staff: I accept box seats and cash as gifts.

Better late than never indeed... I mean, what choice did Bill/Obie/YoAdrian really have at that point? Mister Anderson & VD Low became Unplayable there; Siddy the Sow is NOT an NFL RT either, despite the IDIOTIC decision to use him there during TC & preseason; Reilly Reiffer was so bad after only two weeks of camp that McDermott had already passed him on the depth chart; and I don't believe that Ty Wheatley Jr even exists...