How Can the Pats Stop the Ravens?

[dannydyn]

Crazy that most of the country will have to go to a sports bar to watch the most compelling game of the year, SF vs Balt, at 1 pm.

Sitting in close confines near Eagle, Giant, JEST, Pitt, GB, Fish fans at my Local Buffalo Wild Wings.... who knows what kind of rash and illness I will be subjected to.

I’m gonna douse myself in Purell and stand near an open window.

Reddit stream it at home

 

[patfanken]

Ravens are killing odd fronts too easy rn. Not saying it can't work but rn the Ravens are exposing the gaps/space no matter the 34 look.

Duo, power/iso/lead if you're aligned in 3T.

Sweep/Toss, OZ/Split zone if you're in 4/5T.

I was thinking back to the SB & even before that, regarding the 6/5 X 1. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see that again.
Just like against LAR make it 1 on 1 up front. Control your gaps, be aggressive & mix it up on passing.
Key is & again I mentioned this in the ravens rewatch. Getting down early was a killer against them. Will be for everyone. That played a huge role in the way the rest of the game shaped up & played out.

Back to the 6/5 X 1. We had a LB in the middle against LAR. Can't remember JJ in there but I'm curious if Bill would ever go that way at times for LJ? Clearly favoring speed > power, its a risk but you'd have one of the fastest guys on the field east/west to take away the sidelines. Regardless we have enough Lbs to make it work but fun idea.

Hhmm at times we'll use a "tracker" during a blitz, tracker will blitz after a delay and we purposely flushed LJ out a few times last game.

I'm curious if we try to flush him more using those tactics or a combined effort of sorts w a guy like JJ chasing him down.

That might be a way to make LJ take some hits? You're forcing him to scramble, abandon the ball, obviously hold the ball & possible take some heat.

Thank goodness for our secondary. It really allows us to be flexible. Amazing how deep we are there.

Earlier, I was thinking about something that resembled the old wide tackle 6 which is essentially a 6-2 when the Ravens are in tight formations.

This would need 4 DLmen, with Hightower and KVN on the outside to make up the 6. Then you have either 2 ILB's or an ILB and SS as the 2 guys, with 3 DB's playing man or a rotation zone. Also I wouldn't always play stationary man on man football with my front six. I'd slant them to strong formation keys, OR gap them on occasion to create confusion and/or hesitation in the blocking schemes. I think it is important to not always be playing one on one football with these guys. That is playing right into their wheelhouse.

 

[wizwor]

Home game with equal prep time ought to do it.

 

[jimnance]

Everyone knows it will be Pat's vs Ravens in January, and our super bowl berth depends on beating them....

Ok, Nostradamus, I'm sure you've already bet your life savings on this as the afcc matchup.
Both teams have several tough games left.
Baltimore could be taken out in the divisional round.
Injuries could derail both teams.
I take em one game at a time.
See, the Texans game means something to me.
I'm also not worried about the Ravens in a playoff game. As long as Patriots are healthy, I'm confident they will prevail.
The defense is the best and most adaptable in the NFL. Will be a completely different game.

 

[Ring 6]

This is sarcasm ... right?

No it’s sound defensive scheme.

edit: let me expand on this.

I am talking about defending option runs vs the ravens.
They run option by leaving an unblocked player who must declare keeper or handoff/pitch. The qb reads that player and acts accordingly.

I am saying vs this team the correct way to defend it is to have that player, 100% of the time, declare for the keeper.
This eliminates the keeper because your key is telling you get rid of the ball.
This strategy also has the other defenders committed to the handoff/pitch because your scheme has eliminated the keeper. Sure it’s possible that Jackson will blow the read and keep any way but you have an unblocked defender crashing on him.
Additionally as a tried and true facet of defending the option I am telling that defender to tackle the QB regardless of whether he had a it off or pulls it back, but obviously not make a late hit.
That is how I would defend it, and that is a sound strategy obviously not sarcasm.
If you would like to actually discuss football and how to defend the option we can have that discussion but if you just want to snark, that’s on you.

 

[Ring 6]

would leave us extremely vulnerable against misdirection

Why would you think that?

 

[fightingirish595]

Why would you think that?

because the edge setter is out of the play/crashing

 

[fightingirish595]

The ravens are the only team that utilizes 3 tight ends. A lot of lamars throws are straight line throws

 

[Ring 6]

because the edge setter is out of the play/crashing

He’s not out of the play he is taking the keeper. What type of option play would involve misdirection to take advantage of the unblocked declaring for the qb keep?

 

[venecol]

Notice how even the experts consider the Ravens evil.


Best Ways To Deal With Ravens | Bird Repellent

 

[fightingirish595]

He’s not out of the play he is taking the keeper. What type of option play would involve misdirection to take advantage of the unblocked declaring for the qb keep?

he’s out of the play if the QB hands it off. If the end is just crashing down Lamar jackson everytime it doesn’t really negate the advantage they have now.

Also it doesn’t have to be an option play necessarily to leave a guy unblocked. Teams leave guys unblocked all the time by design, for a reason. They could line up in an option type look and leave somebody unblocked (if they know the end will crash on Lamar everytime) and easy run a misdirection play to that side.

also you’re assuming hitting him will be easy

 

[Ring 6]

he’s out of the play if the QB hands it off. If the end is just crashing down Lamar jackson everytime it doesn’t really negate the advantage they have now.

Also it doesn’t have to be an option play necessarily to leave a guy unblocked. Teams leave guys unblocked all the time by design, for a reason. They could line up in an option type look and leave somebody unblocked (if they know the end will crash on Lamar everytime) and easy run a misdirection play to that side.

also you’re assuming hitting him will be easy

I’m saying if they run option, running option includes an unblocked player that they option off of. My scheme gives that player the rule he has qb. Every time. This means when Jackson reads the player he is optioning off of he doesn’t keep the ball. I am virtually eliminating the option from the play because his read will always be to give it up. I don’t need 11 players dedicated to the RB.

But if you don’t like that method of defending the option what would you do?

By the way hitting him may not be easy, but it’s a bonus. If the unblocked man is adorned to find and hit the QB he is hitting him as of just after he hands off. Requiring the QB to execute an evasion of a defender while it just after handing off helps my d almost as much as hitting him often, so I’m fine if he escapes the hit of an I’m blocked defender by trying to evade him a split second after he doesn’t have the ball any more.

 

[venecol]

 

[Wax Frog]

OT - props to @Ian for making the sheepish grin the funny vote emoticon. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for sheepish grins!

 

[IcyPatriot]

OT - props to @Ian for making the sheepish grin the funny vote emoticon. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for sheepish grins!

The funny emoticon was my favorite ...
Now I am suffering withdrawal symptoms ...
Now I have Neil Sedaka playing in my head.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Ok, Nostradamus, I'm sure you've already bet your life savings on this as the afcc matchup.
Both teams have several tough games left.
Baltimore could be taken out in the divisional round.
Injuries could derail both teams.
I take em one game at a time.
See, the Texans game means something to me.
I'm also not worried about the Ravens in a playoff game. As long as Patriots are healthy, I'm confident they will prevail.
The defense is the best and most adaptable in the NFL. Will be a completely different game.

There is nothing wrong with talking about potential match ups. And I never said the Pats couldn't stop the Ravens. The fact that there are 26 pages here means people want to talk about them. You and maybe a handful of others who are too good for the thread can ignore it. Quite sick of people who complain about threads.

 

[jimnance]

There is nothing wrong with talking about potential match ups. And I never said the Pats couldn't stop the Ravens. The fact that there are 26 pages here means people want to talk about them. You and maybe a handful of others who are too good for the thread can ignore it. Quite sick of people who complain about threads.

Good point. I thought mine was as well.
Just thought thread was a little premature. Not so much that the playoffs are a long ways off, but more because there is NO ONE here that can come up with a comprehensive defense vs the Ravens w/o watching the entire all22 and doing some homework.
I've only seen the one game vs Pats on TV.
That's very limited. But what I DID see was :
1. A ton of motion
2. A lot of misdirection
3.multiple personnel groupings
4.A very fast QB who has obviously really studied his offense in addition to having great athletic ability
5. their entire offense all executing at a very high level
6.great coaching
7. The speed and precision of handoffs and fakes is unlike any I can recall seeing.
Thats a lot of film study. If I could get the all220tho, I wouldn't watch it. Maybe just snatches of it. It's just too much work. I'm not a player scout or coach and there's no way in hell I'm watching film and then trying to formulate a defense, unless I'm getting paid.
I'm just a fan. I got a job. I do appreciate the guys in the rewatch threads tho for doing what they do. That amount of video is all I'm interested in watching. I almost always learn something.
Even for those who are qualified to formulate a plausible D,and I'm not,( I could come up with a few things but not a comprehensive plan) they would have to watch and rewatch a lot of film.
That's why I'm glad we have the goat coach.

 

[fightingirish595]

I’m saying if they run option, running option includes an unblocked player that they option off of. My scheme gives that player the rule he has qb. Every time. This means when Jackson reads the player he is optioning off of he doesn’t keep the ball. I am virtually eliminating the option from the play because his read will always be to give it up. I don’t need 11 players dedicated to the RB.

But if you don’t like that method of defending the option what would you do?

By the way hitting him may not be easy, but it’s a bonus. If the unblocked man is adorned to find and hit the QB he is hitting him as of just after he hands off. Requiring the QB to execute an evasion of a defender while it just after handing off helps my d almost as much as hitting him often, so I’m fine if he escapes the hit of an I’m blocked defender by trying to evade him a split second after he doesn’t have the ball any more.

i really don’t think you understand the impact that the end either automatically taking the QB or standing Their waiting to react to what the QB does has on the play.

 

[Ring 6]

i really don’t think you understand the impact that the end either automatically taking the QB or standing Their waiting to react to what the QB does has on the play.

Of course I do.
The end (or whichever player they option) must make a decision.
He is the man they read and option off of. What he does makes the QBs decision because he is the read.
Every defense defending an option has to set those rules. He can’t just pick and choose.
What would you have him do?

 

[TheRainMaker]

They need to find a way to have Jackson make quick decisions with the read option. Need to stop the run or it becomes impossible to stop their offense on short yardage situations.