What is it about Brady.,..

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

I agree with some of this, but I think that the bolded part is largely off base. I thought that NE went away from the run too quickly in the Indy game watching it, but when I went back and looked at the numbers, Indy actually had done a decent job in the second half. Their moving of Sanders into the box in the second half precipitated the pass heavy set, partially because Indy's improvement, but mostly because NE got what they wanted. Indy countered to stop the run and NE countered right back. The problem is that the WRs were terrible in that game.

In the Jet game something similar happened, but I do think that the entire NE team was taken behind the woodshed in that game, coaches included.

In the SD game, BB himself discussed how nothing NE did made SD get out of their base set. Against that type of D, the best way to attack it is to spread the field and take advantage of coverage mismatches. The problem in that game was that SD's secondary played one of their best games of the year. Brady did miss a few passes, so he deserves some of the blame as well.

That is how NE works, run what the D is not designed to stop. Hopefully you aren't hoping for NE to come out pounding the ball, because if Indy continues with the same D that they have played in the POs, NE is going to run the spread until Indy adjusts, even if it is not immediately successful.

The Colts stop the run up the middle, like they did with Maroney on a couple plays, after which the ball wasn't run much at all. Sanders met Maroney in the hole.

The Colts don't do so well on outside runs. The Ravens and KC were content to run the same plays over and over that didn't work. Pounding the ball is part of a balanced attack, not the only element. Our running game has been a shadow of what it should be lately, and meanwhile Brady has gotten inconsistent protection all year. We are the first team to ever win a playoff game with more than 50 passes, and I don't want us to push our luck.

Our running game has not lived up to it's potential for a lot of reasons, and predictable play formations is one reason. Unimaginative blocking schemes is another. Overrated linemen is another.

I don't need 5 yards a carry, just a running game that we can use in adverse situations. Like when Brady was hearing footsteps in his head last weekend.