Interesting video analysis of NE v Pitts

[raduray]

From Doug Kyed at NESN

http://nesn.com/2015/09/patriots-steelers-film-review-new-england-uninterested-in-run-defense/

 

[patriot lifer]

This is a great breakdown. It's digestible too.

 

[RayClay]

Nice work by Kyed

Pitt defenders listening to the radio instead of covering Gronk? WTF?

 

[Oswlek]

Bump. This kind of stuff needs more comments.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Wasn't that the defense Belichick devised in the Giants-Buffalo Super Bowl?? Let them run and if Thurman Thomas gets 100 yds, Giants will win..which they did (Thanks Norwood)..
Same concept of preventing the big play pass...

 

[Sicilian]

I think it's a decent strategy for certain matchups (this one included), but it's probably a little tougher with a young team that hasn't played much together yet. The idea isn't to intentionally give up huge yardage on the ground, but to make sure you're covered via the pass, almost goad them into running, and still hold up. I think that's something that veteran players can do, but young players don't quite have the savvy to pull off.

It's similar to what happened at the end of the game. Good, veteran defenses can play a "prevent" style defense to help milk the clock but still come up with stops to prevent more points. Young defenses struggle with that, hence why we saw a garbage time TD. It's something I'll be interested to watch going forward. As the young players grow and the defense gels, do we start seeing gameplans like this one start to look tighter.

 

[PatsBoy12]

Thanks for posting this.

 

[VrabelJr]

Wasn't that the defense Belichick devised in the Giants-Buffalo Super Bowl?? Let them run and if Thurman Thomas gets 100 yds, Giants will win..which they did (Thanks Norwood)..
Same concept of preventing the big play pass...

I pointed this out earlier in the week. We did this against Peyton Manning two years ago also. Manning fell for the bait and handed the ball off 40+ times because he's "too smart to not take the obvious advantage." Kudos to the Pitt OC for being smarter but still falling short.

 

[VrabelJr]

I think it's a decent strategy for certain matchups (this one included), but it's probably a little tougher with a young team that hasn't played much together yet. The idea isn't to intentionally give up huge yardage on the ground, but to make sure you're covered via the pass, almost goad them into running, and still hold up. I think that's something that veteran players can do, but young players don't quite have the savvy to pull off.

It's similar to what happened at the end of the game. Good, veteran defenses can play a "prevent" style defense to help milk the clock but still come up with stops to prevent more points. Young defenses struggle with that, hence why we saw a garbage time TD. It's something I'll be interested to watch going forward. As the young players grow and the defense gels, do we start seeing gameplans like this one start to look tighter.

Sloppy tackling (expected in week 1) and the Steelers RT getting away with grabbing Ninkovich all game were big factors in that.

 

[DSting]

Aaron Schatz: OK, here's the problem with some of the old Boston media.

Ron Borges tweets after the really well-run Will Allen safety blitz sack: "Marcus Cannon is already on top of his game, which is why Will Allen was on top of Brady." Except, Marcus Cannon blocked the guy he was supposed to block there. Will Allencame in untouched. It was a great play design. Either Brady hits the hot read, or he goes down. Cannon did nothing wrong.

I don't know why Cannon was in the game for Solder -- as bad as Solder was playing, he's the better player, you want your better player in there, right? -- but he was not responsible for that sack.

Apparently, my Twitter followers have pointed out the Pats have been rotating their linemen around all game. Not sure the strategy behind that, but that's what's up. They had Cannon in for Sebastian Vollmer on an earlier drive.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/audibles/2015/audibles-opening-night-special-2015

Football Outsiders rips Borges for being a moron. I love it when Borges gets ripped.

 

[Oswlek]

Apparently, my Twitter followers have pointed out the Pats have been rotating their linemen around all game. Not sure the strategy behind that, but that's what's up. They had Cannon in for Sebastian Vollmer on an earlier drive.

I have to admit to being disappointed that Aaron didn't realize that. NE has rotated OL in the first game every year since at least 2011. A guy who runs a football site that is a Patriots fan should know this.