A handful of halftime observations from Gillette Stadium:
* The hats and T-shirts can come out early. Not only are the Patriots crushing the Jaguars, but the Texans are cruising against the Dolphins. Barring an epic turn of events both here and in Miami, the Patriots have won the AFC East and are bound for the playoffs.
That's great news not just for the banged-up Tom Brady, but also for Vince Wilfork (out), Ty Warren and Stephen Neal (still not playing every snap). All four can either leave the game early next week or sit out entirely.
* Maroney coughs it up. For someone who fumbled so rarely early in his career, Laurence Maroney appears to have caught fumblitis lately. The running back let the ball slip away at the goal line -- sound familiar? -- to end what to that point had been as impressive of a drive as the Patriots have put together all year. An 18-yard run by a slaloming Kevin Faulk and a 14-yard pass to Ben Watson in the red zone set up the play that should have ended in a touchdown -- but instead ended in a turnover.
Maroney did not return to the game for the rest of the half. Faulk and Sammy Morris handled the duties in the backfield from that point on, rushing for 36and 83 first-half yards, respectively.
* Patriots' offensive line dominates. For the first time all season, the Patriots debuted their best offensive line all at once: Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Neal and Sebastian Vollmer. Not coincidentally, the Patriots marched right down the field -- Light, Mankins and Koppen opened some huge holes on the left side of the line -- on their first drive.
Dan Connolly replaced Neal on the first play of the second quarter, the touchdown pass from Brady to Chris Baker. It seems as though the Patriots decided to be careful with Neal, who sat out for two drives before returning.
That didn't mean Connolly was done, though: The veteran lined up as a fullback and threw a huge lead block to spring Morris on a 55-yard run through the right side. Connolly then led Morris through the left side for a one-yard touchdown run that pushed the Patriots' lead to 21-0 in the second quarter.
* Patriots rotate along defensive line. Likewise, the Patriots have been careful with the snaps played by defensive end Ty Warren. Mike Wright started the game at defensive end with Ron Brace at nose tackle -- but when Brace appeared to get pushed off the line on the Jaguars' first couple of runs, Wright moved to nose tackle with Warren in at defensive end.
That drive ended with safeties Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders coming up from the secondary on back-to-back plays and making huge stops on short-yardage runs.
On the Jaguars' next two drives, Warren went back to the bench and Myron Pryor played nose tackle between Green and Wright.
* Banta-Cain is able. A week after tallying three sacks in Buffalo, outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain kept building his case for a bid to the Pro Bowl. Banta-Cain, one of the few constants as the Patriots shuffled between their base defense and the mill-around defense they debuted against the Bills, has been the best defensive player on the field.
On back-to-back plays early in the second quarter, Banta-Cain sacked David Garrard and forced a fumble that the Jaguars managed to recover. On the very next play, Maurice Jones-Drew tried to run against that mill-around defense with no down linemen -- and Banta-Cain drilled him after a gain of just two yards. On the first play of the Jaguars' next possession, Banta-Cain and Wright combined to drop Jones-Drew for a one-yard loss.
* Oh, yeah: Moss and Welker. It's not fair to characterize it as Welker doing the dirty work and Moss getting the glory. On the biggest play of the Patriots' fourth scoring drive, Moss cleared out the defensive backs with a deep route down the right sideline, and Welker ran into the vacated team to catch a lob for a 29-yard gain.
(No one gets to gripe about Moss not trying this week.)
Welker has eight catches -- breaking his own single-season record in the process -- for 93 yards, and Moss has caught two passes, both for touchdowns.
Showing posts with label morris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label morris. Show all posts
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Patriots down to three healthy RBs
Don't expect Kevin Faulk to shy away from contact this week.
"It's a physical game," Faulk said. "It's a brutal sport. You're going to get hit regardless. Sometimes we get hit when we don't even have the ball."
But staying healthy will become more and more important this week as the Patriots' depth chart at running back absorbs more and more casualties. Fred Taylor underwent ankle surgery two weeks ago and appears to be out indefinitely, and Sammy Morris left Sunday's game with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. (Neither player was present at practice on Wednesday.)
"We'll go with what we've got," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "The guys that are healthy, they'll play. The guys that aren't, we know will be back as soon as they can. I know they're working hard. We'll just take those guys day-to-day. When they're ready, we'll plug them back in there. In the meantime, there'll be more opportunities for the guys that are active."
Those opportunities presumably will go to Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and Laurence Maroney, the only three healthy running backs on the roster this week. All three saw significant time against the Titans last Sunday:
* Faulk had one carry and had three receptions, including a screen pass he took 38 yards for a touchdown;
* Green-Ellis rushed seven times for 67 yards in his first appearance of the regular season;
* Maroney quieted some of the critics that had been all over him in the early going, rushing for 123 yards on 16 carries, including a 45-yard touchdown rush behind a key block from Sebastian Vollmer.
Green-Ellis in particular is likely to see an expanded role this week against Tampa Bay. Maroney almost certainly will start the game, and Faulk will play the same multifaceted role he's played throughout his career. Green-Ellis, though, likely will see some third-down carries as well as some first- and second-down carries on drives during which Maroney is taking a breather.
"Law Firm" spent the entire preseason on the bubble, the fifth-best running back on a team that wasn't necessarily going to keep five running backs on its roster. His play in exactly this type of situation a year ago, though, gave him new life -- and every injury means he takes another step up the ladder.
"BenJarvus did a good job for us in the preseason, but he did a good job for us last year, too," Belichick said. "That carried a lot of weight, his performance in the '08 season when he was called on at different points in time. ... He has a lot of versatility. I really think he can play on all three downs -- on all four downs, to be honest with you. He's not limited in any situation where he's just a first-down back or just a third-down back or just a returner or anything like that. He really can operate in all of those situations pretty effectively. He's smart, and he knows what to do in all those things, too."
What makes the Patriots' situation even trickier is the fact that they like to use their running backs in their passing game. They don't just catch the ball out of the backfield, either; most of the Patriots' four- or five-receiver sets this season have featured at least one running back split out wide.
"You've seen all our backs line up pretty much everywhere," Belichick said. "The problem for a defense when a back splits out is, how do you want to match up with it? Probably your best matchup is to put a linebacker -- not that the other guys can't cover him, but you waste a corner or a safety on a running back. Generally speaking, those guys aren't as good of receivers as your receivers, and you end up with a linebacker covering a receiver or a linebacker covering a tight end."
With fewer backs available, the Patriots' options seem to become limited in that regard -- especially if they want to have any of their backs alongside or behind Brady in pass protection.
Then again, the Patriots also are down to three healthy wide receivers, too, barring a last-minute activation of Terrence Nunn or Brandon Tate. If they want to run any four- or five-receiver sets, they're going to have to get their running backs involved.
"It's on everybody," Faulk said. "Those guys are gone, but it is on everyone to step it up. You never know who's going to be in that position, who's going to be in that spot, to be in that role."
"It's a physical game," Faulk said. "It's a brutal sport. You're going to get hit regardless. Sometimes we get hit when we don't even have the ball."
But staying healthy will become more and more important this week as the Patriots' depth chart at running back absorbs more and more casualties. Fred Taylor underwent ankle surgery two weeks ago and appears to be out indefinitely, and Sammy Morris left Sunday's game with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. (Neither player was present at practice on Wednesday.)
"We'll go with what we've got," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "The guys that are healthy, they'll play. The guys that aren't, we know will be back as soon as they can. I know they're working hard. We'll just take those guys day-to-day. When they're ready, we'll plug them back in there. In the meantime, there'll be more opportunities for the guys that are active."
Those opportunities presumably will go to Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and Laurence Maroney, the only three healthy running backs on the roster this week. All three saw significant time against the Titans last Sunday:
* Faulk had one carry and had three receptions, including a screen pass he took 38 yards for a touchdown;
* Green-Ellis rushed seven times for 67 yards in his first appearance of the regular season;
* Maroney quieted some of the critics that had been all over him in the early going, rushing for 123 yards on 16 carries, including a 45-yard touchdown rush behind a key block from Sebastian Vollmer.
Green-Ellis in particular is likely to see an expanded role this week against Tampa Bay. Maroney almost certainly will start the game, and Faulk will play the same multifaceted role he's played throughout his career. Green-Ellis, though, likely will see some third-down carries as well as some first- and second-down carries on drives during which Maroney is taking a breather.
"Law Firm" spent the entire preseason on the bubble, the fifth-best running back on a team that wasn't necessarily going to keep five running backs on its roster. His play in exactly this type of situation a year ago, though, gave him new life -- and every injury means he takes another step up the ladder.
"BenJarvus did a good job for us in the preseason, but he did a good job for us last year, too," Belichick said. "That carried a lot of weight, his performance in the '08 season when he was called on at different points in time. ... He has a lot of versatility. I really think he can play on all three downs -- on all four downs, to be honest with you. He's not limited in any situation where he's just a first-down back or just a third-down back or just a returner or anything like that. He really can operate in all of those situations pretty effectively. He's smart, and he knows what to do in all those things, too."
What makes the Patriots' situation even trickier is the fact that they like to use their running backs in their passing game. They don't just catch the ball out of the backfield, either; most of the Patriots' four- or five-receiver sets this season have featured at least one running back split out wide.
"You've seen all our backs line up pretty much everywhere," Belichick said. "The problem for a defense when a back splits out is, how do you want to match up with it? Probably your best matchup is to put a linebacker -- not that the other guys can't cover him, but you waste a corner or a safety on a running back. Generally speaking, those guys aren't as good of receivers as your receivers, and you end up with a linebacker covering a receiver or a linebacker covering a tight end."
With fewer backs available, the Patriots' options seem to become limited in that regard -- especially if they want to have any of their backs alongside or behind Brady in pass protection.
Then again, the Patriots also are down to three healthy wide receivers, too, barring a last-minute activation of Terrence Nunn or Brandon Tate. If they want to run any four- or five-receiver sets, they're going to have to get their running backs involved.
"It's on everybody," Faulk said. "Those guys are gone, but it is on everyone to step it up. You never know who's going to be in that position, who's going to be in that spot, to be in that role."
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Patriots still looking for big plays
(This story appeared only in the print edition of the Union Leader.)
Bill Belichick hasn’t missed a chance this week to tweak his quarterback – and to drive home a point: The Patriots haven’t opened up the field the way they once did.
Two years ago at this time, the explosive Patriots offense already had three completions of 40 or more yards. One year ago at this time, even with Matt Cassel under center, the Patriots had two completions of 40 or more yards.
So far this season? Zero.
Brady’s 36-yard completion to Randy Moss against Denver last Sunday – the only reception Moss had all afternoon – was the longest pass the quarterback has completed this season. Wes Welker, a slot receiver who has more than 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons, hasn’t yet caught a pass for a gain of more than 20 yards – let alone 40.
“There’s only one way to do it, and that’s to go out there and work on it,” Brady said. “You’ve got to hit them. That’s why you play quarterback. You’ve got to go out and the complete the balls that are there when we have opportunities down the field. You don’t get them often, and when you get them, you have to really take advantage of them.”
The most egregious miss came on a third-and-12 in Sunday’s first quarter, a deep pass on which Moss was all alone in the back of the end zone. Brady overthrew him. It wasn’t all that close, either.
Those are the types of plays that have some wondering if doctors removed Brady’s ability to throw the deep ball while they were operating on his knee.
“We hit them in practice,” the quarterback said. “In practice, everyone looks pretty good all the time. … It’s really a matter of how it comes down on game day and the level of execution. I’ve got to do a better job of hitting those deep ones.”
But it’s not just about Brady.
“It’s all of us,” said Sam Aiken, pressed into duty as the third wide receiver early this season. “It’s all 11 that’s on the field. It’s not just one person. It’s all of us.”
WHEN THE TITANS RUN: Don’t question Chris Johnson on his speed. The former first-round pick out of East Carolina ran a 4.24-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Draft combine 18 months ago, the fastest time at that workout and more than 0.05 seconds faster than any player ran at last April’s workout.
“I guess I’m the fastest guy in the NFL right now,” Johnson said.
It’s not as if other players are challenging him to footraces, either.
“They do, but they be playing around,” Johnson said. “They’re really not serious about the situation. I don’t think anybody is serious or ever really put anything up that they could beat me or anything like that.”
Johnson rushed for more than 1,200 yards a year ago, and he had the full attention of opposing defenses even before his 197-yard outburst against the Houston Texans in Week 2.
“Even going into that game, defenses concentrate on me by putting eight or nine men in the box, hoping we don’t pass, double teaming me and all that,” he said. “A lot of guys are focused and keying in on me right now, but I can’t use that as an excuse. I just have to still make plays I can make.”
WHEN THE TITANS PASS: The Patriots always prepare for every player on a team’s active roster so as not to be unprepared should that player be put in a key position in a game.
“There’s always the possibility that a practice-squad player could come up as well,” said Belichick, ever the worrier.
This week, though, there’ll be special focus on Tennessee backup quarterback Vince Young. Titans coach Jeff Fisher announced after last Sunday’s game that veteran Kerry Collins would be his starting quarterback again this week, and “I’ve not wavered off that,” Fisher said in a conference call with reporters this week.
But with a team as desperate as the winless Titans, the Patriots will have to prepare for all possibilities. The added challenge? Collins is a traditional drop-back quarterback while Young is a college-style scrambler built more like a fullback than a quarterback, and he’s not easy to bring down once he gets going in the open field.
“It’s two different people when you talk about Collins and Young,” Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. “When he’s in the game, of course, it’s a different approach. But our plays don’t change. It’s just a different mindset from a defensive standpoint.”
WHEN THE PATRIOTS RUN: As Patriots running backs have fallen by the wayside – Fred Taylor remains out with an ankle injury and Laurence Maroney remains plagued by ineffectiveness – more and more has fallen on the shoulders of Sammy Morris.
The veteran was used exclusively as a fullback in the season opener and had just two carries in the Patriots’ Week 2 loss to the New York Jets. Against the Broncos last Sunday, though, Morris had 17 carries for 68 yards. He also had as a pair of receptions – including one for 35 yards.
It was a year ago just at this time, in fact, that Morris had his most productive game of the season: He carried the ball 16 times for 138 yards, including a four-yard touchdown run, in a romp over the Broncos in mid-October of last year.
WHEN THE PATRIOTS PASS: After left tackle Matt Light left last Sunday’s game with a knee injury, Belichick opted to insert rookie Sebastian Vollmer into that spot – and his offense proceeded to run the ball on six straight snaps. The sequence seemed to be designed to give Vollmer a chance to get his feet under him, a chance to get up to speed in his first significant action in an NFL game.
Should Light be unable to go again on Sunday – he was listed as doubtful on Friday’s injury report – the Patriots will have to decide whether to play it safe again with their rookie left tackle. For Brady to connect on his deep passes, he’ll need a little extra time in the pocket, and he doesn’t yet have the comfort level with Vollmer he has with Light.
Then again, right tackle Nick Kaczur could move across the line and give Vollmer a chance to ease into the starting lineup at left tackle – as much as going up against Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch qualifies as easing in.
Bill Belichick hasn’t missed a chance this week to tweak his quarterback – and to drive home a point: The Patriots haven’t opened up the field the way they once did.
Two years ago at this time, the explosive Patriots offense already had three completions of 40 or more yards. One year ago at this time, even with Matt Cassel under center, the Patriots had two completions of 40 or more yards.
So far this season? Zero.
Brady’s 36-yard completion to Randy Moss against Denver last Sunday – the only reception Moss had all afternoon – was the longest pass the quarterback has completed this season. Wes Welker, a slot receiver who has more than 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons, hasn’t yet caught a pass for a gain of more than 20 yards – let alone 40.
“There’s only one way to do it, and that’s to go out there and work on it,” Brady said. “You’ve got to hit them. That’s why you play quarterback. You’ve got to go out and the complete the balls that are there when we have opportunities down the field. You don’t get them often, and when you get them, you have to really take advantage of them.”
The most egregious miss came on a third-and-12 in Sunday’s first quarter, a deep pass on which Moss was all alone in the back of the end zone. Brady overthrew him. It wasn’t all that close, either.
Those are the types of plays that have some wondering if doctors removed Brady’s ability to throw the deep ball while they were operating on his knee.
“We hit them in practice,” the quarterback said. “In practice, everyone looks pretty good all the time. … It’s really a matter of how it comes down on game day and the level of execution. I’ve got to do a better job of hitting those deep ones.”
But it’s not just about Brady.
“It’s all of us,” said Sam Aiken, pressed into duty as the third wide receiver early this season. “It’s all 11 that’s on the field. It’s not just one person. It’s all of us.”
WHEN THE TITANS RUN: Don’t question Chris Johnson on his speed. The former first-round pick out of East Carolina ran a 4.24-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Draft combine 18 months ago, the fastest time at that workout and more than 0.05 seconds faster than any player ran at last April’s workout.
“I guess I’m the fastest guy in the NFL right now,” Johnson said.
It’s not as if other players are challenging him to footraces, either.
“They do, but they be playing around,” Johnson said. “They’re really not serious about the situation. I don’t think anybody is serious or ever really put anything up that they could beat me or anything like that.”
Johnson rushed for more than 1,200 yards a year ago, and he had the full attention of opposing defenses even before his 197-yard outburst against the Houston Texans in Week 2.
“Even going into that game, defenses concentrate on me by putting eight or nine men in the box, hoping we don’t pass, double teaming me and all that,” he said. “A lot of guys are focused and keying in on me right now, but I can’t use that as an excuse. I just have to still make plays I can make.”
WHEN THE TITANS PASS: The Patriots always prepare for every player on a team’s active roster so as not to be unprepared should that player be put in a key position in a game.
“There’s always the possibility that a practice-squad player could come up as well,” said Belichick, ever the worrier.
This week, though, there’ll be special focus on Tennessee backup quarterback Vince Young. Titans coach Jeff Fisher announced after last Sunday’s game that veteran Kerry Collins would be his starting quarterback again this week, and “I’ve not wavered off that,” Fisher said in a conference call with reporters this week.
But with a team as desperate as the winless Titans, the Patriots will have to prepare for all possibilities. The added challenge? Collins is a traditional drop-back quarterback while Young is a college-style scrambler built more like a fullback than a quarterback, and he’s not easy to bring down once he gets going in the open field.
“It’s two different people when you talk about Collins and Young,” Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. “When he’s in the game, of course, it’s a different approach. But our plays don’t change. It’s just a different mindset from a defensive standpoint.”
WHEN THE PATRIOTS RUN: As Patriots running backs have fallen by the wayside – Fred Taylor remains out with an ankle injury and Laurence Maroney remains plagued by ineffectiveness – more and more has fallen on the shoulders of Sammy Morris.
The veteran was used exclusively as a fullback in the season opener and had just two carries in the Patriots’ Week 2 loss to the New York Jets. Against the Broncos last Sunday, though, Morris had 17 carries for 68 yards. He also had as a pair of receptions – including one for 35 yards.
It was a year ago just at this time, in fact, that Morris had his most productive game of the season: He carried the ball 16 times for 138 yards, including a four-yard touchdown run, in a romp over the Broncos in mid-October of last year.
WHEN THE PATRIOTS PASS: After left tackle Matt Light left last Sunday’s game with a knee injury, Belichick opted to insert rookie Sebastian Vollmer into that spot – and his offense proceeded to run the ball on six straight snaps. The sequence seemed to be designed to give Vollmer a chance to get his feet under him, a chance to get up to speed in his first significant action in an NFL game.
Should Light be unable to go again on Sunday – he was listed as doubtful on Friday’s injury report – the Patriots will have to decide whether to play it safe again with their rookie left tackle. For Brady to connect on his deep passes, he’ll need a little extra time in the pocket, and he doesn’t yet have the comfort level with Vollmer he has with Light.
Then again, right tackle Nick Kaczur could move across the line and give Vollmer a chance to ease into the starting lineup at left tackle – as much as going up against Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch qualifies as easing in.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Morris a key outlet for Brady
Neither Randy Moss nor Ed Reed had much to do with the outcome of Sunday's 27-21 win for the Patriots, a key victory given that both teams could be jockeying for rungs in the playoff ladder a couple of months from now.
Moss caught a third-quarter touchdown pass but otherwise was a nonfactor, his three catches representing a season low. Reed had five tackles but recorded no interceptions or pass break-ups.
The two effectively neutralized each other. Reed covered Moss, and the Patriots didn't throw the ball in that direction.
"They played a lot of coverage over Randy, like we expected, with Reed over the top," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "They took a lot of those plays away. We had to go to other options -- and we got good production from our backs, our tight ends and some of the other receivers."
One of the primary options was Sammy Morris.
Morris a year ago led the Patriots in carries by a wide margin -- he had almost as many carries as Kevin Faulk and Lamont Jordan put together -- but he went into Sunday's game with only two more rushes this season than quarterback Tom Brady:
1. Fred Taylor, 38 carries for 176 yards
2. Laurence Maroney, 20 carries for 72 yards
3. Kevin Faulk, 11 carries for 40 yards
4. Morris, 7 carries for 20 yards
What Morris has done, though, is play fullback in the 'I'-formation in front of the Patriots' other tailbacks, his 220-pound frame more than enough to lay a hit on a linebacker coming up to fill a gap.
And on Sunday, he did just about everything.
Morris still played some fullback in the 'I'-formation, blocking in front of Maroney on the Patriots' second play of the game. But he did just about everything else, too -- from carrying the ball to splitting out wide and catching passes.
He had a key fourth-and-2 run at the end of the first quarter, taking a handoff as a fullback blasting through a gap and knocking Ray Lewis backwards for two yards. (Brady ran the ball into the end zone two plays later.) Morris then ran a draw play as the tailback in the shotgun, taking a handoff from Brady and dodging safety Dawan Landry en route to a 12-yard touchdown run.
But his most impressive play of the afternoon might have come on an otherwise routine second-and-11 snap early in the fourth quarter. Morris split way wide as the fifth receiver in a five-receiver set, and Brady threw one of the Patriots' signature bubble screens his way. Not only did Morris catch the pass, but he dragged nose tackle Brandon McKinney and linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo down the field for a 14-yard again.
Morris finished the day with 56 total yards -- 21 on the ground and 35 through the air -- on top of his regular blocking duties as a fullback. No Patriots player -- not even Moss, not even Maroney, not even Taylor and not even Wes Welker -- finished with more yards from scrimmage than Morris.
"We definitely want to get back to using a lot of personnel groups, spreading the ball, getting a lot of people involved," tight end Ben Watson said. "That's sometimes when we're at our best -- when there's a lot of people involved in the game plan."
Moss caught a third-quarter touchdown pass but otherwise was a nonfactor, his three catches representing a season low. Reed had five tackles but recorded no interceptions or pass break-ups.
The two effectively neutralized each other. Reed covered Moss, and the Patriots didn't throw the ball in that direction.
"They played a lot of coverage over Randy, like we expected, with Reed over the top," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "They took a lot of those plays away. We had to go to other options -- and we got good production from our backs, our tight ends and some of the other receivers."
One of the primary options was Sammy Morris.
Morris a year ago led the Patriots in carries by a wide margin -- he had almost as many carries as Kevin Faulk and Lamont Jordan put together -- but he went into Sunday's game with only two more rushes this season than quarterback Tom Brady:
1. Fred Taylor, 38 carries for 176 yards
2. Laurence Maroney, 20 carries for 72 yards
3. Kevin Faulk, 11 carries for 40 yards
4. Morris, 7 carries for 20 yards
What Morris has done, though, is play fullback in the 'I'-formation in front of the Patriots' other tailbacks, his 220-pound frame more than enough to lay a hit on a linebacker coming up to fill a gap.
And on Sunday, he did just about everything.
Morris still played some fullback in the 'I'-formation, blocking in front of Maroney on the Patriots' second play of the game. But he did just about everything else, too -- from carrying the ball to splitting out wide and catching passes.
He had a key fourth-and-2 run at the end of the first quarter, taking a handoff as a fullback blasting through a gap and knocking Ray Lewis backwards for two yards. (Brady ran the ball into the end zone two plays later.) Morris then ran a draw play as the tailback in the shotgun, taking a handoff from Brady and dodging safety Dawan Landry en route to a 12-yard touchdown run.
But his most impressive play of the afternoon might have come on an otherwise routine second-and-11 snap early in the fourth quarter. Morris split way wide as the fifth receiver in a five-receiver set, and Brady threw one of the Patriots' signature bubble screens his way. Not only did Morris catch the pass, but he dragged nose tackle Brandon McKinney and linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo down the field for a 14-yard again.
Morris finished the day with 56 total yards -- 21 on the ground and 35 through the air -- on top of his regular blocking duties as a fullback. No Patriots player -- not even Moss, not even Maroney, not even Taylor and not even Wes Welker -- finished with more yards from scrimmage than Morris.
"We definitely want to get back to using a lot of personnel groups, spreading the ball, getting a lot of people involved," tight end Ben Watson said. "That's sometimes when we're at our best -- when there's a lot of people involved in the game plan."
Patriots lead Ravens at half
A handful of observations from the Patriots-Ravens first half:
* The Patriots haven't sat back against Flacco the way they did against Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez two weeks ago. Pressure got to quarterback Joe Flacco on back-to-back drop-backs early in the second quarter, including a hit from Mike Wright on a deep ball to Derrick Mason on first down.
Taking a snap out of the shotgun on the ensuing third down, Flacco underthrew a wide-open Mason off his back foot even though no one really was near him, and Brandon Meriweather caught up in time to swat the pass away. That's what pressure can do to a quarterback.
Then again, Derrick Burgess hit Flacco on the touchdown pass he threw to Mason in the first quarterk. But the amount of pressure the Patriots have put on Flacco is a good sign.
* The Patriots mostly have played in a 4-3 aligment in the first half, though they did seem to switch to a 3-4 set late in the second quarter. Along those same lines, Bill Belichick has rotated almost all of his available defensive personnel: New acquisition Terdell Sands even made his first appearance on the Ravens' third possession.
Sands doesn't totally have the hang of things yet, though. On one second-quarter play, Adalius Thomas grabbed him around the waist and shoved him to his left to make sure he was in the right gap.
* Wes Welker, playing in his first game since the season opener, has a team-best three catches for 29 yards and has shown off his signature elusiveness after the catch.
* Sammy Morris, relegated mostly to fullback duty in a backfield that includes Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney and Fred Taylor, has a key fourth-and-2 pickup and a 12-yard touchdown run to his credit.
* Roughing the passer penalties are the order of the day. The Ravens have been flagged for two -- a hit to the helmet and a hit to the knees -- and Wright was flagged for a blow to the helmet when he sacked Flacco in the second quarter.
* Leigh Bodden's toe-tapping interception along the sideline was the Patriots' first of the season. Bodden jumped a Mark Clayton route -- Flacco either underthrew the ball or Clayton ran the wrong route -- and picked it off, dragging both toes before falling out of bounds.
* Ray Lewis already has nine tackles. Ed Reed, so far, has mostly been a non-factor.
* Ravens tackle Jared Gaither was taken to Mass General for further tests on his neck and shoulder after a scary collision with Flacco. He did, however, have moment in all extremities.
* The Patriots haven't sat back against Flacco the way they did against Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez two weeks ago. Pressure got to quarterback Joe Flacco on back-to-back drop-backs early in the second quarter, including a hit from Mike Wright on a deep ball to Derrick Mason on first down.
Taking a snap out of the shotgun on the ensuing third down, Flacco underthrew a wide-open Mason off his back foot even though no one really was near him, and Brandon Meriweather caught up in time to swat the pass away. That's what pressure can do to a quarterback.
Then again, Derrick Burgess hit Flacco on the touchdown pass he threw to Mason in the first quarterk. But the amount of pressure the Patriots have put on Flacco is a good sign.
* The Patriots mostly have played in a 4-3 aligment in the first half, though they did seem to switch to a 3-4 set late in the second quarter. Along those same lines, Bill Belichick has rotated almost all of his available defensive personnel: New acquisition Terdell Sands even made his first appearance on the Ravens' third possession.
Sands doesn't totally have the hang of things yet, though. On one second-quarter play, Adalius Thomas grabbed him around the waist and shoved him to his left to make sure he was in the right gap.
* Wes Welker, playing in his first game since the season opener, has a team-best three catches for 29 yards and has shown off his signature elusiveness after the catch.
* Sammy Morris, relegated mostly to fullback duty in a backfield that includes Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney and Fred Taylor, has a key fourth-and-2 pickup and a 12-yard touchdown run to his credit.
* Roughing the passer penalties are the order of the day. The Ravens have been flagged for two -- a hit to the helmet and a hit to the knees -- and Wright was flagged for a blow to the helmet when he sacked Flacco in the second quarter.
* Leigh Bodden's toe-tapping interception along the sideline was the Patriots' first of the season. Bodden jumped a Mark Clayton route -- Flacco either underthrew the ball or Clayton ran the wrong route -- and picked it off, dragging both toes before falling out of bounds.
* Ray Lewis already has nine tackles. Ed Reed, so far, has mostly been a non-factor.
* Ravens tackle Jared Gaither was taken to Mass General for further tests on his neck and shoulder after a scary collision with Flacco. He did, however, have moment in all extremities.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Pats' depth at running back the difference against Bills
The injured players New England had to put on the shelf for the duration of the season, more than a dozen in all, have been greatly missed.
Two of the injured players who came back, though, were the ones who saved the Patriots’ season.
LaMont Jordan and Sammy Morris each missed time with injuries this season; Morris missed three games with a knee injury, and Jordan missed a month and a half with a calf injury. But the two rushed for a combined 214 yards in a rout of the Oakland Raiders and 166 yards in another pounding of the Arizona Cardinals last week.
That meant the Patriots had three running backs, when you throw in the ever-versatile Kevin Faulk, to pound against the Bills’ defense in a game in which neither team threw a pass into the wind in the first half.
The Bills, meanwhile, had Fred Jackson and no one else. Jackson rushed for 103 yards in the first half but almost nothing in the second half as the New England defense seized control of a game the Patriots had to win. Part of it had to do with the score. Part of it had to do with the fact that Jackson, even up against a retirement-home linebacking corps, couldn't do it all by himself.
When the Bills needed to convert on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter, it wasn’t Jackson who had the ball. Jackson was barely a decoy. Instead, Trent Edwards missed Josh Reed with a pass into the flat, and with that, the game effectively was over.
But the Patriots had Jordan (38 yards on eight first-half carries) and Morris (29 yards on 11 carries) still fresh and Faulk still available. That paid off in a big way in the second half. Morris finished with 84 rushing yards; he had 55 yards on 13 carries after halftime. Jordan finished with 64 rushing yards. Faulk caught an eight-yard pass for a first down.
The depth of the Patriots' corps of running backs decided this game. How else could Morris have been fresh enough to run straight through Bills safety Donte Whitner on the final play of the third quarter?
This wasn’t just a good season for the Patriots’ run game. This was a historic season for the Patriots’ run game. Not since 1985 had the Patriots rushed for this many yards; not since 1981 had the Patriots rushed for this many touchdowns.
When Tom Brady went down, it felt like the season was over. When Laurence Maroney went down, it felt like the Patriots would have to survive with a dominant pass game (in the hands of star receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker) and a patchwork run game.
Instead, the team won 11 games and would have earned a playoff bid if just one of any number of things had gone their way. And without Morris, Jordan, Faulk and even BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who rushed for at least 50 yards three times after Morris and Jordan went down, this team wouldn't have had anywhere close to 11 wins.
Two of the injured players who came back, though, were the ones who saved the Patriots’ season.
LaMont Jordan and Sammy Morris each missed time with injuries this season; Morris missed three games with a knee injury, and Jordan missed a month and a half with a calf injury. But the two rushed for a combined 214 yards in a rout of the Oakland Raiders and 166 yards in another pounding of the Arizona Cardinals last week.
That meant the Patriots had three running backs, when you throw in the ever-versatile Kevin Faulk, to pound against the Bills’ defense in a game in which neither team threw a pass into the wind in the first half.
The Bills, meanwhile, had Fred Jackson and no one else. Jackson rushed for 103 yards in the first half but almost nothing in the second half as the New England defense seized control of a game the Patriots had to win. Part of it had to do with the score. Part of it had to do with the fact that Jackson, even up against a retirement-home linebacking corps, couldn't do it all by himself.
When the Bills needed to convert on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter, it wasn’t Jackson who had the ball. Jackson was barely a decoy. Instead, Trent Edwards missed Josh Reed with a pass into the flat, and with that, the game effectively was over.
But the Patriots had Jordan (38 yards on eight first-half carries) and Morris (29 yards on 11 carries) still fresh and Faulk still available. That paid off in a big way in the second half. Morris finished with 84 rushing yards; he had 55 yards on 13 carries after halftime. Jordan finished with 64 rushing yards. Faulk caught an eight-yard pass for a first down.
The depth of the Patriots' corps of running backs decided this game. How else could Morris have been fresh enough to run straight through Bills safety Donte Whitner on the final play of the third quarter?
This wasn’t just a good season for the Patriots’ run game. This was a historic season for the Patriots’ run game. Not since 1985 had the Patriots rushed for this many yards; not since 1981 had the Patriots rushed for this many touchdowns.
When Tom Brady went down, it felt like the season was over. When Laurence Maroney went down, it felt like the Patriots would have to survive with a dominant pass game (in the hands of star receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker) and a patchwork run game.
Instead, the team won 11 games and would have earned a playoff bid if just one of any number of things had gone their way. And without Morris, Jordan, Faulk and even BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who rushed for at least 50 yards three times after Morris and Jordan went down, this team wouldn't have had anywhere close to 11 wins.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Rushing attack back to normal -- and beyond
Some might have raised their eyebrows at the news that BenJarvus Green-Ellis -- an undrafted free agent who did yeoman's work while Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan were injured -- was inactive today against Oakland.
As it turns out, Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels knew what they were doing.
The Patriots rushed for 277 yards in today's game, their best single-game total since 1985. Morris rushed for 117 yards on 14 carries, Jordan had 97 on 12 carries, Kevin Faulk had 45 on six carries, and Matt Cassel rushed for 18 yards on seven carries.
Some notes on the performances of each running back:
* Morris now has run for 100 yards four times in his 16 games with the Patriots; he had one 100-yard game before he came to New England.
* Morris now has scored seven rushing touchdowns, a career high; only Randy Moss (10 touchdowns) has more scores among Patriots this season.
* Jordan rushed for his highest single-game total since 2007, when he had 121 yards as a Raider. His 49-yard touchdown run was his longest since 2006, also with the Raiders, and it was the Patriots' longest rush this season.
* Faulk scored his fifth touchdown (on a seven-yard pass from Cassel); he last scored this many touchdowns was in 2002, when he had seven (including two via kickoff returns).
As it turns out, Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels knew what they were doing.
The Patriots rushed for 277 yards in today's game, their best single-game total since 1985. Morris rushed for 117 yards on 14 carries, Jordan had 97 on 12 carries, Kevin Faulk had 45 on six carries, and Matt Cassel rushed for 18 yards on seven carries.
Some notes on the performances of each running back:
* Morris now has run for 100 yards four times in his 16 games with the Patriots; he had one 100-yard game before he came to New England.
* Morris now has scored seven rushing touchdowns, a career high; only Randy Moss (10 touchdowns) has more scores among Patriots this season.
* Jordan rushed for his highest single-game total since 2007, when he had 121 yards as a Raider. His 49-yard touchdown run was his longest since 2006, also with the Raiders, and it was the Patriots' longest rush this season.
* Faulk scored his fifth touchdown (on a seven-yard pass from Cassel); he last scored this many touchdowns was in 2002, when he had seven (including two via kickoff returns).
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Jackson inactive for Rams; Morris inactive for Pats
Steven Jackson has been announced as inactive for the Rams today; Jackson suffered a quad injury in the fourth quarter last week. Antonio Pittman and Travis Minor likely will see the majority of the carries for the Rams.
Look for UNH alum Dan Kreider, by the way, blocking out of the backfield. He'll need to be on top of his game -- Pittman and Minor aren't going to squeeze through some of the holes Jackson would have squeezed through.
Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan, by the way, are inactive for the Patriots. Look for the bulk of the carries to fall to BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
Look for UNH alum Dan Kreider, by the way, blocking out of the backfield. He'll need to be on top of his game -- Pittman and Minor aren't going to squeeze through some of the holes Jackson would have squeezed through.
Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan, by the way, are inactive for the Patriots. Look for the bulk of the carries to fall to BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Scratch that
Maybe the Patriots don't need to go out and sign a free-agent running back after all.
Sammy Morris left the game at halftime with an unspecified knee injury, but before that, he rushed for 138 yards on 16 carries -- including a 34-yarder and a 29-yarder -- and a touchdown. And in the third quarter, BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed eight times for 41 yards.
(Wisecrack of the night in the press box: "I thought his name was BenTy Warren-Ellis.")
As a team, through three quarters, the Patriots had 179 rushing yards on 24 carries; an average of 7.5 yards every time they handed it off. This came from a team that had averaged 111.8 rushing yards per game through the first six weeks of the season, good for 18th in the NFL.
If Morris' injury is severe, all bets are off. (He must have suffered it at the end of the 29-yard run that set up the Patriots' second touchdown with less than a minute to go in the half.) But Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels have to be awfully pleased with what they've seen out of their running backs, tight ends and offensive line tonight.
Sammy Morris left the game at halftime with an unspecified knee injury, but before that, he rushed for 138 yards on 16 carries -- including a 34-yarder and a 29-yarder -- and a touchdown. And in the third quarter, BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed eight times for 41 yards.
(Wisecrack of the night in the press box: "I thought his name was BenTy Warren-Ellis.")
As a team, through three quarters, the Patriots had 179 rushing yards on 24 carries; an average of 7.5 yards every time they handed it off. This came from a team that had averaged 111.8 rushing yards per game through the first six weeks of the season, good for 18th in the NFL.
If Morris' injury is severe, all bets are off. (He must have suffered it at the end of the 29-yard run that set up the Patriots' second touchdown with less than a minute to go in the half.) But Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels have to be awfully pleased with what they've seen out of their running backs, tight ends and offensive line tonight.
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