"When you get off to a bad start as a quarterback in the National Football League, there's two things, of course, you can do: You can get really conservative and worry about making a mistake, or you go out there and you toughen up and be aggressive and tell your guys, 'I might throw six today. Just be ready.'"
-- Phil Simms, CBS
Analysts predictably were all over Randy Moss after the Patriots' season-ending loss to the Ravens on Sunday, a game in which one of the best big-play wide receivers in the NFL did next to nothing in an offense that already was missing its most prolific wide receiver.
Some of the blame, though, has to fall on the quarterback throwing him the ball. If the Patriots are to remain an elite team going forward, Tom Brady simply has to find a way to get the ball to Moss even if opposing teams are scheming to stop him.
Moss can't just be a decoy receiver. Moss caught more passes for 40 yards or more than any receivers in the NFL other than DeSean Jackson, Andre Johnson and Miles Austin, but he only seemed to be able to go deep against teams without elite safeties.
If Brady isn't going to throw to Moss down the field, he isn't going to throw to anyone down the field -- and he certainly didn't on Sunday.
After a slow start to the season in which he averaged fewer than 10 yards per completion in each of his first two games, Brady averaged 10 or more yards per completion in each of the Patriots' final 14 games, including a loss at Miami in which Brady hit Moss deep downfield in the first quarter and averaged 18.5 yards per completion.
On Sunday against Ed Reed the Ravens, Brady averaged 6.7 yards per completion -- by far his lowest number of the season.
It wasn't a matter of not throwing the ball. It was a matter of not throwing the ball anywhere near Reed -- and that's where his connection with Moss starts to get more than a little scrutiny.
Brady threw the ball in the area of Reed three times in the first quarter, the third being the pass for Sam Aiken that Dominique Foxworth broke up and Reed plucked out of the air, the second of the three interceptions Brady threw on Sunday.
From that point on, he just did not throw at Reed.
Only once the rest of the way -- a total of 39 pass attempts if you include plays nullified in some way by penalty -- did Brady throw the ball even close to the Ravens' ball-hawking safety. Moss caught just five passes in the game, but the only one that could be considered a deep ball came in the final two minutes when Reed was content to sit back in a prevent defense and allow Moss to operate underneath him.
Other than that? Here's what the Brady-to-Moss connection produced:
* In the second quarter, Moss had breathing room in the back of the end zone with Reed four or five yards away from him, but Brady threw the ball away rather than take the chance;
* In the third quarter, Moss curled back toward the sidelines, well in front of Reed, and caught a pass at the first-down marker for 14 yards;
* Later in the third quarter, Moss caught short, quick passes for six yards, five yards and four yards, respectively.
That's it. Statisticians said Brady threw the ball in the direction of Moss seven times on Sunday, but two of those attempts were throw-aways either at Moss' feet or well over his head. In terms of passes with actual intention, Sam Aiken and Sammy Morris were targeted just as much as Moss was.
Even on Reed's interception, Brady was throwing the ball to Aiken. Moss just happened to be on the same side of field as Aiken, giving Reed an opportunity to get over quickly and snatch the deflected pass out of the air.
(Just to be clear: Aiken had never had more than 11 receptions in an entire season before injuries and ineffectiveness forced him into an expanded role with the Patriots this year. Only once before this season had Aiken ever caught more than two passes in an NFL game.)
This isn't a "Good pitching always beats good hitting" situation. Hall of Fame-caliber wide receivers ought to be able to compete with Hall of Fame-caliber safeties. San Diego's Vincent Jackson certainly found his share of seams against Reed when the Chargers met the Ravens in Week 2.
That means Moss has to find ways to get open against safeties like Reed -- but that also means Brady has to trust Moss to come away with the ball even when he's going up against Reed.
Showing posts with label moss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moss. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Halftime analysis: Ravens 24, Patriots 7
Halftime observations from a game that could be far more out of hand than it is:
* Ray Rice doesn't waste any time. Center Matt Birk and right guard Marshal Yanda together shoved Vince Wilfork out of the way, and right tackle Michael Oher sealed off Ty Warren to create a seam for Ray Rice on the first snap of the game. Rice waited for a moment for the hole to develop and then cut to his right, back through the line. Left guard Ben Grubbs brushed against Wilfork and then got in the way of linebacker Jerod Mayo.
Only safety Brandon Meriweather was left -- that's Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather, to be specific -- and Rice torched Meriweather as easily as if Meriweather was standing still.
The result was a stadium-deflating 83-yard touchdown run -- and only a sign of what was to come.
* Ed Reed is everywhere. When a fluky turnover on a punt gave the Patriots the ball deep in Baltimore territory, Brady had a chance to throw a dart to Randy Moss in the back of the end zone. Ravens safety Ed Reed was eight or 10 feet from the Patriots' best wide receiver, probably not close enough to make up the distance if Brady really zipped it in there.
Brady instead threw the ball out the back of the end zone -- a sign of just how terrified he is to throw anywhere close to where Reed is.
Reed was in position on Moss when Terrell Suggs turnstiled Matt Light off the edge on the Patriots' first drive of the game, forcing the quarterback to hesitate long enough for Suggs to get there and knock the ball loose. Later in the first quarter, after Brady already had thrown an interception to Chris Carr, Reed pounced on a pass deflected by wide receiver Sam Aiken and intercepted it.
When you consider that the Patriots haven't really thrown a pass in the direction of Moss, presumably the primary assignment given to Reed, it's amazing he's made the number of plays as he has.
(In a related story, Brady looks awful: His first interception was even worse than his first, a short pass thrown right at the hands of Carr. The three-time Super Bowl winner has 38 passing yards so far.)
* Ray Lewis is everywhere, too. The Patriots have had no answer for the linebacker who made a compelling case this week that he has plenty of football left in him. He's making a compelling case today, too.
Lewis dodged Laurence Maroney and drilled Brady for a seven-yard loss on the first snap of the Patriots' second series. He then got back in Brady's face to force an incomplete pass on first-and-10 on the next series. Late in the second quarter, Lewis tore through a gap and dropped Kevin Faulk for no gain on a second-and-8 draw.
Lewis finished the first half with eight tackles, including four solo tackles.
* Julian Edelman is doing everything anyone could expect. The rookie wide receiver -- he was just learning how to play the position a year ago, don't forget -- caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter and broke three different tackles on a nifty 28-yard punt return just a few minutes later.
Injured wide receiver Wes Welker hobbled out for the opening coin flip on crutches and watched the rest of the game from Robert Kraft's box. Edelman, obstensibly his replacement as the Patriots' slot receiver, was dropped for a loss on his first reception but looked in the second quarter like he was starting to find some gaps in the defense.
* Kevin Faulk came to play. Not that this should be a surprise to anyone, but the versatile running back has been the Patriots' most dependable player on the field. Faulk has 36 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards, including an 18-yard catch-and-run to dig the Patriots out of their own end late in the first quarter.
Of the Patriots' 61 yards from scrimmage in the first half, Faulk has 61.
(Brady has lost 16 yards to sacks, and the entire rest of the roster has combined for 16 yards.)
* Ray Rice doesn't waste any time. Center Matt Birk and right guard Marshal Yanda together shoved Vince Wilfork out of the way, and right tackle Michael Oher sealed off Ty Warren to create a seam for Ray Rice on the first snap of the game. Rice waited for a moment for the hole to develop and then cut to his right, back through the line. Left guard Ben Grubbs brushed against Wilfork and then got in the way of linebacker Jerod Mayo.
Only safety Brandon Meriweather was left -- that's Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather, to be specific -- and Rice torched Meriweather as easily as if Meriweather was standing still.
The result was a stadium-deflating 83-yard touchdown run -- and only a sign of what was to come.
* Ed Reed is everywhere. When a fluky turnover on a punt gave the Patriots the ball deep in Baltimore territory, Brady had a chance to throw a dart to Randy Moss in the back of the end zone. Ravens safety Ed Reed was eight or 10 feet from the Patriots' best wide receiver, probably not close enough to make up the distance if Brady really zipped it in there.
Brady instead threw the ball out the back of the end zone -- a sign of just how terrified he is to throw anywhere close to where Reed is.
Reed was in position on Moss when Terrell Suggs turnstiled Matt Light off the edge on the Patriots' first drive of the game, forcing the quarterback to hesitate long enough for Suggs to get there and knock the ball loose. Later in the first quarter, after Brady already had thrown an interception to Chris Carr, Reed pounced on a pass deflected by wide receiver Sam Aiken and intercepted it.
When you consider that the Patriots haven't really thrown a pass in the direction of Moss, presumably the primary assignment given to Reed, it's amazing he's made the number of plays as he has.
(In a related story, Brady looks awful: His first interception was even worse than his first, a short pass thrown right at the hands of Carr. The three-time Super Bowl winner has 38 passing yards so far.)
* Ray Lewis is everywhere, too. The Patriots have had no answer for the linebacker who made a compelling case this week that he has plenty of football left in him. He's making a compelling case today, too.
Lewis dodged Laurence Maroney and drilled Brady for a seven-yard loss on the first snap of the Patriots' second series. He then got back in Brady's face to force an incomplete pass on first-and-10 on the next series. Late in the second quarter, Lewis tore through a gap and dropped Kevin Faulk for no gain on a second-and-8 draw.
Lewis finished the first half with eight tackles, including four solo tackles.
* Julian Edelman is doing everything anyone could expect. The rookie wide receiver -- he was just learning how to play the position a year ago, don't forget -- caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter and broke three different tackles on a nifty 28-yard punt return just a few minutes later.
Injured wide receiver Wes Welker hobbled out for the opening coin flip on crutches and watched the rest of the game from Robert Kraft's box. Edelman, obstensibly his replacement as the Patriots' slot receiver, was dropped for a loss on his first reception but looked in the second quarter like he was starting to find some gaps in the defense.
* Kevin Faulk came to play. Not that this should be a surprise to anyone, but the versatile running back has been the Patriots' most dependable player on the field. Faulk has 36 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards, including an 18-yard catch-and-run to dig the Patriots out of their own end late in the first quarter.
Of the Patriots' 61 yards from scrimmage in the first half, Faulk has 61.
(Brady has lost 16 yards to sacks, and the entire rest of the roster has combined for 16 yards.)
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Halftime: Patriots 28, Jaguars 0
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.
* 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.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Halftime report: Panthers 7, Patriots 7
A handful of observations from a lackluster first half:
* Boos rain down. It's hard to believe this is virtually the same offense that broke record after record just two seasons ago. Tom Brady and his cohorts were booed after a third-and-12 pass went for just two yards, and they were booed even louder when a third-and-4 pass behind Sammy Morris slightly was dropped.
A couple of ticky-tack penalty calls saved the Patriots from more boos on their next drive. Ben Watson drew a questionable pass-interference call down the right sideline, and third wide receiver Isaiah Stanback drew a defensive holding call in the end zone after Brady had missed on a pass toward Randy Moss. Kevin Faulk ran through a big hole in the middle of the line for a touchdown -- the Patriots' first in almost four full quarters of action.
* Ugly day for Moss. A summary of the first half for the Patriots' big-play wide receiver:
-- Lets a pass slip through his hands deep over the middle;
-- Sees Chris Gamble intercept a pass -- albeit an off-target pass -- thrown in his direction;
-- Catches a pass down the middle of the field only to allow linebacker Dan Connor to punch it free.
First-half numbers: One catch for 16 yards and a fumble.
The ineffectiveness of Brady -- 8-for-15 for 59 yards and an interception -- isn't helping. Moss had no shot at the pass that Brady air-mailed through the back of the end zone.
But the Patriots' most dangerous weapon, once again, hasn't been all that dangerous.
* Rotation at offensive line. With Sebastian Vollmer returning to action, the Patriots have gone with a straight rotation at offensive tackle. Nick Kaczur and Matt Light started the game, but Vollmer substituted first for Light and second for Kaczur, moving from left to right tackle and back again. Kaczur has had all kinds of trouble with Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers, and it'll be interesting to see if the Patriots stick with the rotation or go exclusively with Light at left tackle and Vollmer at right tackle.
* Tight end blocking. Tight end Chris Baker has only had one pass thrown in his direction, and it bounced off his helmet. But catching passes isn't all Baker does. The tight end was the lead blocker on a pair of 17-yard runs in the first quarter, escorting Laurence Maroney around the left side and then pulling through the middle of the line in front of Sammy Morris.
Patriots running backs have 86 rushing yards on 16 carries thus far, an average of 5.4 yards per carry.
* Boos rain down. It's hard to believe this is virtually the same offense that broke record after record just two seasons ago. Tom Brady and his cohorts were booed after a third-and-12 pass went for just two yards, and they were booed even louder when a third-and-4 pass behind Sammy Morris slightly was dropped.
A couple of ticky-tack penalty calls saved the Patriots from more boos on their next drive. Ben Watson drew a questionable pass-interference call down the right sideline, and third wide receiver Isaiah Stanback drew a defensive holding call in the end zone after Brady had missed on a pass toward Randy Moss. Kevin Faulk ran through a big hole in the middle of the line for a touchdown -- the Patriots' first in almost four full quarters of action.
* Ugly day for Moss. A summary of the first half for the Patriots' big-play wide receiver:
-- Lets a pass slip through his hands deep over the middle;
-- Sees Chris Gamble intercept a pass -- albeit an off-target pass -- thrown in his direction;
-- Catches a pass down the middle of the field only to allow linebacker Dan Connor to punch it free.
First-half numbers: One catch for 16 yards and a fumble.
The ineffectiveness of Brady -- 8-for-15 for 59 yards and an interception -- isn't helping. Moss had no shot at the pass that Brady air-mailed through the back of the end zone.
But the Patriots' most dangerous weapon, once again, hasn't been all that dangerous.
* Rotation at offensive line. With Sebastian Vollmer returning to action, the Patriots have gone with a straight rotation at offensive tackle. Nick Kaczur and Matt Light started the game, but Vollmer substituted first for Light and second for Kaczur, moving from left to right tackle and back again. Kaczur has had all kinds of trouble with Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers, and it'll be interesting to see if the Patriots stick with the rotation or go exclusively with Light at left tackle and Vollmer at right tackle.
* Tight end blocking. Tight end Chris Baker has only had one pass thrown in his direction, and it bounced off his helmet. But catching passes isn't all Baker does. The tight end was the lead blocker on a pair of 17-yard runs in the first quarter, escorting Laurence Maroney around the left side and then pulling through the middle of the line in front of Sammy Morris.
Patriots running backs have 86 rushing yards on 16 carries thus far, an average of 5.4 yards per carry.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Saints beat Patriots on line of scrimmage
The theory here is that the respective secondaries of the Patriots and Saints actually had very little to do with the outcome of Monday's game. The theory here is that the game came down to two factors:
* The Saints' ability to get pressure on Tom Brady with just three rushers, freeing up others to double-team Randy Moss and Wes Welker;
* The Patriots' inability to get pressure on Drew Brees even with five rushers, leaving the secondary shorthanded while still allowing Brees to step confidently into every throw.
Let's compare a pretty similar play-action pass play run by both the Saints and the Patriots in the first half -- and their dissimilar results:
The first-and-10 call was a play-action pass out of the I-formation with two receivers running down the middle of the field. Tight end Jeremy Shockey (88) ran the shallow route, and wide receiver Robert Meachem (17) ran the deep route.
The Patriots read run all the way -- safety Brandon Meriweather (31) crept toward the line of scrimmage even before the ball was snapped -- but that wasn't the only issue. Linebackers Rob Ninkovich (50) and Adalius Thomas (96) both blitzed from the outside and were picked up by the left and right tackles, respectively, with help from the Saints' two backs. Each of the Patriots' three defensive linemen were handled one-on-one by the New Orleans guards and center -- as detailed here, the strongest part of the Saints' offensive line -- and got nowhere near Brees.
With Shockey and Meachem converging in the same neighborhood, safety Brandon McGowan (30) couldn't just read the eyes of Brees to figure out where the pass would go. McGowan guessed Shockey -- and that left Jonathan Wilhite (24) in one-on-one coverage with Meachem. Wilhite never had a chance.
Had the Patriots gotten some pressure on Brees with their five pass-rushers, though, things might have turned out very differently. The coverage of Wilhite actually was pretty good, and a little pressure on Brees might have meant a pass that wasn't quite so precise.
The Patriots ran a similar play in the first half, a play-action pass with two targets down the field, but didn't get even close to the same results. Here's the diagram:
The Patriots lined up with Laurence Maroney and ran a play-action fake on second-and-8, a similar fake to the one Brees ran with his running back. Like the Saints, the Patriots sent just two receivers out wide -- Welker (83) and Moss (81) -- and kept two other skill-position players in the backfield to block.
The Saints, however, sent only four pass-rushers at Brady and dropped their other seven defenders into coverage. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is known as a blitz-happy coach, but he there actually were plenty of snaps on Monday that Williams sent only three pass-rushers at Brady and dropped eight into coverage.
Welker, the wide receiver who torched the Jets a week ago, lined up against Baltimore castoff Chris McAlister (29) -- but while McAlister ran with him underneath, safety Roman Harper (41) jumped into the play to cut off any pass underneath. Double coverage.
On the other side of the field, the recently signed Mike McKenzie (34) lined up deep against Randy Moss and stayed deep. Middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) dropped back to cover the underneath route to Moss, and free safety Darren Sharper (42) stayed deep in case Moss suddenly took off for the end zone. Triple coverage.
Given time, Brady almost certainly would have found one of his two receivers -- or one of his tight ends (in blue on the line of scrimmage) eventually would have drifted into the flat to catch a dump-off pass. That's why so many teams blitz Brady: Given time, as talented as his receivers are, someone always is going to get open for him.
But Brady didn't have time.
Tight end Chris Baker (86) actually went in motion before the snap, moving from the right shoulder of Nick Kaczur (77) to the left shoulder of Ben Watson (84). Immediately after the ball was snapped, center Dan Koppen pulled to get to the same place, the outside shoulder of Watson, and was in position for a blitz that never came. Outside linebacker Scott Fujita (55) showed blitz, but he hung back to guard against the dump-off pass Brady loves so much.
Because Baker motioned, though, he left Kaczur one-on-one against Bobby McCray -- and McCray steamrolled him. (The Saints attacked the edges of the Patriots' line, often ignoring guards Logan Mankins and Stephen Neal -- a perfect example of exploiting a weakness.) At the same time, while Mankins (70) handled defensive tackle Remi Ayodele (92), Watson couldn't quite handle defensive end Will Smith (91). Neither Baker nor Koppen was in a position to help because they were at the end of the line waiting for a blitz that never came.
The end result: The Saints sent four pass-rushers against seven blockers -- and two of those four pass-rushers still got free. Smith busted through the hole between Watson and Mankins, and McCray ran around Kaczur like he was a slalom pole. Brady never had time to look for either Welker or for Moss -- let alone for Maroney (39), who was leaking out of the backfield to be a last-ditch outlet.
The Patriots ran almost the same play the Saints had run when they scored their third touchdown. Because the Saints won the battle at the line of scrimmage, though, they turned a potential touchdown into a sack for a loss of four yards -- and the Patriots eventually would have to settle for a field goal.
* The Saints' ability to get pressure on Tom Brady with just three rushers, freeing up others to double-team Randy Moss and Wes Welker;
* The Patriots' inability to get pressure on Drew Brees even with five rushers, leaving the secondary shorthanded while still allowing Brees to step confidently into every throw.
Let's compare a pretty similar play-action pass play run by both the Saints and the Patriots in the first half -- and their dissimilar results:
The first-and-10 call was a play-action pass out of the I-formation with two receivers running down the middle of the field. Tight end Jeremy Shockey (88) ran the shallow route, and wide receiver Robert Meachem (17) ran the deep route.
The Patriots read run all the way -- safety Brandon Meriweather (31) crept toward the line of scrimmage even before the ball was snapped -- but that wasn't the only issue. Linebackers Rob Ninkovich (50) and Adalius Thomas (96) both blitzed from the outside and were picked up by the left and right tackles, respectively, with help from the Saints' two backs. Each of the Patriots' three defensive linemen were handled one-on-one by the New Orleans guards and center -- as detailed here, the strongest part of the Saints' offensive line -- and got nowhere near Brees.
With Shockey and Meachem converging in the same neighborhood, safety Brandon McGowan (30) couldn't just read the eyes of Brees to figure out where the pass would go. McGowan guessed Shockey -- and that left Jonathan Wilhite (24) in one-on-one coverage with Meachem. Wilhite never had a chance.
Had the Patriots gotten some pressure on Brees with their five pass-rushers, though, things might have turned out very differently. The coverage of Wilhite actually was pretty good, and a little pressure on Brees might have meant a pass that wasn't quite so precise.
The Patriots ran a similar play in the first half, a play-action pass with two targets down the field, but didn't get even close to the same results. Here's the diagram:
The Patriots lined up with Laurence Maroney and ran a play-action fake on second-and-8, a similar fake to the one Brees ran with his running back. Like the Saints, the Patriots sent just two receivers out wide -- Welker (83) and Moss (81) -- and kept two other skill-position players in the backfield to block.
The Saints, however, sent only four pass-rushers at Brady and dropped their other seven defenders into coverage. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is known as a blitz-happy coach, but he there actually were plenty of snaps on Monday that Williams sent only three pass-rushers at Brady and dropped eight into coverage.
Welker, the wide receiver who torched the Jets a week ago, lined up against Baltimore castoff Chris McAlister (29) -- but while McAlister ran with him underneath, safety Roman Harper (41) jumped into the play to cut off any pass underneath. Double coverage.
On the other side of the field, the recently signed Mike McKenzie (34) lined up deep against Randy Moss and stayed deep. Middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) dropped back to cover the underneath route to Moss, and free safety Darren Sharper (42) stayed deep in case Moss suddenly took off for the end zone. Triple coverage.
Given time, Brady almost certainly would have found one of his two receivers -- or one of his tight ends (in blue on the line of scrimmage) eventually would have drifted into the flat to catch a dump-off pass. That's why so many teams blitz Brady: Given time, as talented as his receivers are, someone always is going to get open for him.
But Brady didn't have time.
Tight end Chris Baker (86) actually went in motion before the snap, moving from the right shoulder of Nick Kaczur (77) to the left shoulder of Ben Watson (84). Immediately after the ball was snapped, center Dan Koppen pulled to get to the same place, the outside shoulder of Watson, and was in position for a blitz that never came. Outside linebacker Scott Fujita (55) showed blitz, but he hung back to guard against the dump-off pass Brady loves so much.
Because Baker motioned, though, he left Kaczur one-on-one against Bobby McCray -- and McCray steamrolled him. (The Saints attacked the edges of the Patriots' line, often ignoring guards Logan Mankins and Stephen Neal -- a perfect example of exploiting a weakness.) At the same time, while Mankins (70) handled defensive tackle Remi Ayodele (92), Watson couldn't quite handle defensive end Will Smith (91). Neither Baker nor Koppen was in a position to help because they were at the end of the line waiting for a blitz that never came.
The end result: The Saints sent four pass-rushers against seven blockers -- and two of those four pass-rushers still got free. Smith busted through the hole between Watson and Mankins, and McCray ran around Kaczur like he was a slalom pole. Brady never had time to look for either Welker or for Moss -- let alone for Maroney (39), who was leaking out of the backfield to be a last-ditch outlet.
The Patriots ran almost the same play the Saints had run when they scored their third touchdown. Because the Saints won the battle at the line of scrimmage, though, they turned a potential touchdown into a sack for a loss of four yards -- and the Patriots eventually would have to settle for a field goal.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Halftime analysis: Patriots 24, Jets 6
Leigh Bodden's two first-half interceptions -- he has as many catches as the Jets do -- are the big story early, but that's not it:
* Many prognosticators suggested that while New York cornerback Darrelle Revis could handle Randy Moss, the Jets had no one to deal with Wes Welker. They were right.
Welker has eight catches for 139 yards -- in the first half -- and has left cornerback Drew Coleman in his dust on more than a couple of occasions.
Early in the second quarter, Welker lined upon the right side of the Patriots' line next to Moss. When Moss came to a halt in his hitch route, Welker kept going -- and Coleman, Revis and Kerry Rhodes all converged on Moss. Welker waved frantically as he cruised into a wide-open seam, and Tom Brady hit him for a 43-yard gain. Laurence Maroney scored two plays later to give the Patriots a 21-0 lead.
* NFL Network's Rich Eisen tweeted midway through the second quarter, "Revis having brutal game for NYJ. In fact, the Jets may lead the league in talk not backed up."
At best, it's harsh. At worst, it's wrong. Revis actually is doing exactly what he needs to do -- and is a big part of the reason Welker has so many catches. The third-year cornerback broke up two of the first three passes thrown in the direction of Moss.
The first pass Moss caught, a four-yard touchdown pass from Brady, came on an almost instantaneous snap-and-throw that never gave Revis a chance to react. The longest pass Moss caught in the first half went for six yards.
Revis is doing his job on Moss.
* The Patriots suddenly look awfully thin on the offensive line. Second-string left tackle Sebastian Vollmer went to the sidelines with a head injury in the second quarter, and right tackle Nick Kaczur had to gut out the final play from scrimmage after Brady's helmet hit him in the knee. Rich Ohrnberger is the only reserve offensive lineman left, and one would presume Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins would move to tackle if Kaczur is unable to go in the second half.
On the bright side, third-string left tackle Mark LeVoir promptly decimated Jets cornerback Donald Strickland on a wide-receiver screen. On the dark side -- that is the opposite of bright side, right? -- linebacker Bart Scott cruised past LeVoir to hit Brady late in the second quarter, the hit that ended up injuring Kaczur.
* Linebacker Adalius Thomas had been all but forgotten by Patriots fans. Several talk-radio hosts have insisted that Thomas is a lock to be released after the season given how disappointed Patriots coaches seem to be with his play.
Today, though, might be Thomas' best game of the season.
The linebacker started the game in place of Tully Banta-Cain, who the Patriots seemed to be easing back into things after he missed most of the Indianapolis game as well as two of the taem's three practices this week. When Banta-Cain came back into the game, it was Pierre Woods who sat down and Thomas who stayed on the field.
He dropped Shonn Green for a gain of just a yard on the Jets' first play of the second quarter, and he followed that up by drilling Mark Sanchez just as he was throwing on the very next play.
On the Jets' next series, Thomas got into the backfield to force Thomas Jones back inside and into the waiting arms of Vince Wilfork. And when the Jets gave the Wildcat a try, inserting Brad Smith at quarterback to pitch to Green, Thomas combined with Wilfork for a four-yard loss.
* Many prognosticators suggested that while New York cornerback Darrelle Revis could handle Randy Moss, the Jets had no one to deal with Wes Welker. They were right.
Welker has eight catches for 139 yards -- in the first half -- and has left cornerback Drew Coleman in his dust on more than a couple of occasions.
Early in the second quarter, Welker lined upon the right side of the Patriots' line next to Moss. When Moss came to a halt in his hitch route, Welker kept going -- and Coleman, Revis and Kerry Rhodes all converged on Moss. Welker waved frantically as he cruised into a wide-open seam, and Tom Brady hit him for a 43-yard gain. Laurence Maroney scored two plays later to give the Patriots a 21-0 lead.
* NFL Network's Rich Eisen tweeted midway through the second quarter, "Revis having brutal game for NYJ. In fact, the Jets may lead the league in talk not backed up."
At best, it's harsh. At worst, it's wrong. Revis actually is doing exactly what he needs to do -- and is a big part of the reason Welker has so many catches. The third-year cornerback broke up two of the first three passes thrown in the direction of Moss.
The first pass Moss caught, a four-yard touchdown pass from Brady, came on an almost instantaneous snap-and-throw that never gave Revis a chance to react. The longest pass Moss caught in the first half went for six yards.
Revis is doing his job on Moss.
* The Patriots suddenly look awfully thin on the offensive line. Second-string left tackle Sebastian Vollmer went to the sidelines with a head injury in the second quarter, and right tackle Nick Kaczur had to gut out the final play from scrimmage after Brady's helmet hit him in the knee. Rich Ohrnberger is the only reserve offensive lineman left, and one would presume Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins would move to tackle if Kaczur is unable to go in the second half.
On the bright side, third-string left tackle Mark LeVoir promptly decimated Jets cornerback Donald Strickland on a wide-receiver screen. On the dark side -- that is the opposite of bright side, right? -- linebacker Bart Scott cruised past LeVoir to hit Brady late in the second quarter, the hit that ended up injuring Kaczur.
* Linebacker Adalius Thomas had been all but forgotten by Patriots fans. Several talk-radio hosts have insisted that Thomas is a lock to be released after the season given how disappointed Patriots coaches seem to be with his play.
Today, though, might be Thomas' best game of the season.
The linebacker started the game in place of Tully Banta-Cain, who the Patriots seemed to be easing back into things after he missed most of the Indianapolis game as well as two of the taem's three practices this week. When Banta-Cain came back into the game, it was Pierre Woods who sat down and Thomas who stayed on the field.
He dropped Shonn Green for a gain of just a yard on the Jets' first play of the second quarter, and he followed that up by drilling Mark Sanchez just as he was throwing on the very next play.
On the Jets' next series, Thomas got into the backfield to force Thomas Jones back inside and into the waiting arms of Vince Wilfork. And when the Jets gave the Wildcat a try, inserting Brad Smith at quarterback to pitch to Green, Thomas combined with Wilfork for a four-yard loss.
Revis-Moss a key matchup today
Whether he had help from his safeties in Week 2 or not – something that became a point of contention in a conference call with reporters this week – it’s clear that New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis has no doubt he can cover Randy Moss one-on-one.
Both Moss and Patriots coach Bill Belichick have suggested that Revis limited the Patriots’ best vertical receiver to four catches for a season-low 24 yards mostly because he had help in the secondary. Revis, though, has the skills to shut down Moss one-on-one – and his ability to do so today might be the difference in the game.
“They know how we’re going to line him up,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “They know how we’re going to play him. Darrelle Revis gives us an opportunity on defense to do what other defenses can’t do and that’s to really get after it. He’s a special player. He doesn’t back down from any challenge, and obviously Randy Moss is a huge challenge.”
It’s almost impossible for opponents to double-team both Moss and Wes Welker, receivers with vastly different styles, without leaving virtually all the Patriots’ other weapons unguarded. If Revis can defend Moss by himself, though, he frees up a safety to double-team Welker or a linebacker to go after Tom Brady.
Most cornerbacks can’t handle Moss one-on-one.
Revis, however, is not most cornerbacks.
“Randy Moss is the best vertical receiver in football,” Ryan said. “We have the best corner in football.”
According to the film analysts at ProFootballFocus.com, only New Orleans’ Jabari Greer has had the ball thrown in his direction as often as Revis while allowing a smaller percentage of completions. Quarterbacks throwing the ball in his direction have a rating of 47.5 – which is less than the rating Oakland’s JaMarcus Russell had before he was benched this week.
The 63-yard touchdown pass Moss caught from Brady against Indianapolis was just another example of what it takes to defend Moss one-on-one.
Revis, though, is unique in his ability to do just that – no matter what Moss or Belichick might say.
“Everyone saw the game,” Revis said. “Everybody knows I was in man coverage. That was the case. (Moss) is supposed to say that because (that day) wasn’t his day. He got shut out and was frustrated about it, which is cool. I don’t have anything against him. I still think he’s one of the best receivers in the league. When we go up against each other, it’s great competition.”
Both Moss and Patriots coach Bill Belichick have suggested that Revis limited the Patriots’ best vertical receiver to four catches for a season-low 24 yards mostly because he had help in the secondary. Revis, though, has the skills to shut down Moss one-on-one – and his ability to do so today might be the difference in the game.
“They know how we’re going to line him up,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “They know how we’re going to play him. Darrelle Revis gives us an opportunity on defense to do what other defenses can’t do and that’s to really get after it. He’s a special player. He doesn’t back down from any challenge, and obviously Randy Moss is a huge challenge.”
It’s almost impossible for opponents to double-team both Moss and Wes Welker, receivers with vastly different styles, without leaving virtually all the Patriots’ other weapons unguarded. If Revis can defend Moss by himself, though, he frees up a safety to double-team Welker or a linebacker to go after Tom Brady.
Most cornerbacks can’t handle Moss one-on-one.
Revis, however, is not most cornerbacks.
“Randy Moss is the best vertical receiver in football,” Ryan said. “We have the best corner in football.”
According to the film analysts at ProFootballFocus.com, only New Orleans’ Jabari Greer has had the ball thrown in his direction as often as Revis while allowing a smaller percentage of completions. Quarterbacks throwing the ball in his direction have a rating of 47.5 – which is less than the rating Oakland’s JaMarcus Russell had before he was benched this week.
The 63-yard touchdown pass Moss caught from Brady against Indianapolis was just another example of what it takes to defend Moss one-on-one.
Revis, though, is unique in his ability to do just that – no matter what Moss or Belichick might say.
“Everyone saw the game,” Revis said. “Everybody knows I was in man coverage. That was the case. (Moss) is supposed to say that because (that day) wasn’t his day. He got shut out and was frustrated about it, which is cool. I don’t have anything against him. I still think he’s one of the best receivers in the league. When we go up against each other, it’s great competition.”
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Patriots-Titans halftime: It got ugly fast
Much like the last time the Patriots played at Gillette Stadium in the snow, this one got out of hand early. The key difference: The Arizona Cardinals had wrapped up a playoff berth and were playing out the string, but the Tennessee Titans came into this game 0-5 and had to be playing with a sense of desperation.
(Every loss by the Titans, by the way, benefits the Patriots, who own the Titans' second-round pick. At the rate they're going, the Titans are going to be handing the Patriots the No. 33 overall pick in next year's draft in exchange for the third-rounder they received last April.)
It's 45-0 at the half and getting more absurd by the minute.
Assorted halftime notes:
* The Patriots didn't have a play of 40 yards or longer entering today's game. They had three in the first half: Laurence Maroney rushed for a 45-yard touchdown, a huge play in the immediate aftermath of a knee injury suffered by Sammy Morris, and Tom Brady hit Wes Welker for a 48-pass down the left side to set up a field goal. Brady then hit Randy Moss on a playground-style flea flicker for a 40-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter.
Brady finished the first half with what has to be the best first-half statistics of his career: 24 completions on 28 attempts for 345 yards and five touchdowns. Brady had six touchdown passes all season coming into today's game -- and he threw for five touchdowns in the second quarter alone. Of his first 20 pass attempts, his only incomplete pass was a deep ball for Moss that seemed to get knocked down by the wind.
It wouldn't be surprising to see Brian Hoyer take all of the second-half snaps. No sense playing Brady in consitions like this with the score looking like it does.
* Morris, by the way, needed quite a bit of help to get to the locker room in the first quarter and has not returned to the game. The injury was to his left knee.
* Rookie Sebastian Vollmer started in place of the injured Matt Light and didn't look much like he was making his first career start. It was Vollmer, in fact, who keyed Maroney's touchdown run in the first quarter, pulling from the left side into a gap on the right side and leading Maroney right through the first and second levels of the Titans' defense.
The Patriots have done their part to make life easier for Vollmer, though, frequently lining tight end Chris Baker up alongside Vollmer to help take care of Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch. When Brady hit Welker for that 48-yard pass, it was Baker who had primary duty on Vanden Bosch and Vollmer who chipped away at him.
But on a sideline pass to Sam Aiken late in the second quarter, Vollmer deftly shed Vanden Bosch to fend off blitzing cornerback Ryan Mouton and give Brady a chance to get rid of the ball. And on the next play, the screen pass that Kevin Faulk took 38 yards for a touchdown, Vollmer was matched up one-on-one with Vanden Bosch and held the defensive end off long enough for the screen to take shape.
Then again, on the touchdown pass to Welker that closed out the half, Baker took on Vanden Bosch by himself and left Vollmer to block no one at all.
* The absence of Adalius Thomas didn't prevent the Patriots from going back to their traditional 3-4 defense. Jarvis Green, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork started along the defensive line, and Derrick Burgess took the spot at outside linebacker that one would have expected Thomas to fill. The alignment left out Mike Wright, but when the versatile defensive lineman rotated into the game to give Wilfork a blow, he recovered a Kerry Collins fumble to set up the Patriots' third touchdown.
Tully Banta-Cain, Rob Ninkovich and Pierre Woods all have seen time at outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense.
(Every loss by the Titans, by the way, benefits the Patriots, who own the Titans' second-round pick. At the rate they're going, the Titans are going to be handing the Patriots the No. 33 overall pick in next year's draft in exchange for the third-rounder they received last April.)
It's 45-0 at the half and getting more absurd by the minute.
Assorted halftime notes:
* The Patriots didn't have a play of 40 yards or longer entering today's game. They had three in the first half: Laurence Maroney rushed for a 45-yard touchdown, a huge play in the immediate aftermath of a knee injury suffered by Sammy Morris, and Tom Brady hit Wes Welker for a 48-pass down the left side to set up a field goal. Brady then hit Randy Moss on a playground-style flea flicker for a 40-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter.
Brady finished the first half with what has to be the best first-half statistics of his career: 24 completions on 28 attempts for 345 yards and five touchdowns. Brady had six touchdown passes all season coming into today's game -- and he threw for five touchdowns in the second quarter alone. Of his first 20 pass attempts, his only incomplete pass was a deep ball for Moss that seemed to get knocked down by the wind.
It wouldn't be surprising to see Brian Hoyer take all of the second-half snaps. No sense playing Brady in consitions like this with the score looking like it does.
* Morris, by the way, needed quite a bit of help to get to the locker room in the first quarter and has not returned to the game. The injury was to his left knee.
* Rookie Sebastian Vollmer started in place of the injured Matt Light and didn't look much like he was making his first career start. It was Vollmer, in fact, who keyed Maroney's touchdown run in the first quarter, pulling from the left side into a gap on the right side and leading Maroney right through the first and second levels of the Titans' defense.
The Patriots have done their part to make life easier for Vollmer, though, frequently lining tight end Chris Baker up alongside Vollmer to help take care of Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch. When Brady hit Welker for that 48-yard pass, it was Baker who had primary duty on Vanden Bosch and Vollmer who chipped away at him.
But on a sideline pass to Sam Aiken late in the second quarter, Vollmer deftly shed Vanden Bosch to fend off blitzing cornerback Ryan Mouton and give Brady a chance to get rid of the ball. And on the next play, the screen pass that Kevin Faulk took 38 yards for a touchdown, Vollmer was matched up one-on-one with Vanden Bosch and held the defensive end off long enough for the screen to take shape.
Then again, on the touchdown pass to Welker that closed out the half, Baker took on Vanden Bosch by himself and left Vollmer to block no one at all.
* The absence of Adalius Thomas didn't prevent the Patriots from going back to their traditional 3-4 defense. Jarvis Green, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork started along the defensive line, and Derrick Burgess took the spot at outside linebacker that one would have expected Thomas to fill. The alignment left out Mike Wright, but when the versatile defensive lineman rotated into the game to give Wilfork a blow, he recovered a Kerry Collins fumble to set up the Patriots' third touchdown.
Tully Banta-Cain, Rob Ninkovich and Pierre Woods all have seen time at outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Myths abound about Patriots offense
Fans and analysts alike are all over Tom Brady and the Patriots this week for their ineffectiveness against the Broncos' defense. Brady's lost it, they're saying. He's still rusty, they're saying. This isn't 2007 anymore, they're saying. The Patriots need to run the ball more, they're saying. It's all Gisele's fault, they're saying.
(They don't always make sense.)
In a nip-and-tuck game against the Broncos a week ago, Brady finished with 19 completions on 33 attempts for 215 yards and two touchdowns. His Patriots lost on a field goal in overtime, their second loss of the season. With as well as the Patriots' defense has played, though, much of the blame for the defeat has fallen upon a quarterback that set an NFL record for passing touchdowns the last time he played a full season.
Brady, though, is far from a shell of his former self. If he'd hit Wes Welker on a third-and-4 slant in the fourth quarter -- Brady thought Welker was going to stop and sit in the seam, but Welker saw daylight and kept going -- he'd have been the hero. If he'd hit Randy Moss on a third-and-4 out-route in the opening drive of the third quarter, even, he'd have moved the chains and at least had a chance to pin the Broncos deep in their own territory to start the second half. Instead, though, he air-mailed Moss and hit Welker in the ankle and got nothing out of either of those two plays.
It's not about the run game or the shotgun or anything like that. It's about simple execution. Let's take this chance to debunk a few myths about the Patriots' offense:
* The emphasis on the shotgun is the issue.
Some first-half stats for Brady from Sunday's loss to Denver:
* Under center: 3 for 6 for 54 yards
* Shotgun: 11 for 13 for 98 yards and two touchdowns
If you can go an entire half against a quality defense and complete 11 out of 13 passes and score two touchdowns, you're doing just fine. The beauty of the West Coast offense, Bill Walsh's short passing offense based on high-percentage passes, is that it's difficult to defend even if opponents don't have to defend against the run. With the variety of options available -- short passes, long passes, screens, etc. -- it can be unpredictable all by itself.
And on the Patriots' first drive of the second half, Brady missed equally badly on a throw to Welker from under center and a throw to Moss from out of the shotgun. It's not the formation. It's the execution.
* It's Gisele's fault.
"I got married a few years ago, too, but nobody talked about that," running back Kevin Faulk said memorably during training camp.
You said it, Kevin.
People get married. Brady got married. Big deal.
* The Patriots need to run the ball more.
Sure, the Patriots need to run the ball to keep opposing defenses honest. But while there's something to be said for the rhythm of a running back, there's also no guarantee that running the ball more often means a team will run the ball more effectively.
The Patriots ran the ball 27 times for 96 yards against the Broncos, an average of 3.6 yards per play. The Patriots tried to throw the ball 33 times, including incompletions, and gained 215 yards through the air -- an average of 6.5 yards per play.
Neither number is particularly outstanding. The Patriots rank 25th in the NFL in rushing average and 22nd in the NFL in passing average. But when you have as big a disparity as the Patriots have -- and only a handful of teams do -- doesn't it make sense to do most what you do the best?
* The lack of a third receiver is the issue.
It's not that opposing defense are ignoring Sam Aiken in favor of Moss and Welker. Aiken is drawing coverage. On the third-and-4 pass Brady sailed high over Moss in the third quarter, star corner Champ Bailey was lined up across from Aiken and was completely taken out of the play. Moss was open. Brady missed him.
That was the case throughout the game. Moss and Welker were open. Brady just hasn't been making the throws.
Most NFL teams don't have three Pro Bowl-quality wide receivers. The Patriots don't need three Pro Bowl-quality wide receivers. The Patriots need their quarterback to connect with the wide receivers he has.
(They don't always make sense.)
In a nip-and-tuck game against the Broncos a week ago, Brady finished with 19 completions on 33 attempts for 215 yards and two touchdowns. His Patriots lost on a field goal in overtime, their second loss of the season. With as well as the Patriots' defense has played, though, much of the blame for the defeat has fallen upon a quarterback that set an NFL record for passing touchdowns the last time he played a full season.
Brady, though, is far from a shell of his former self. If he'd hit Wes Welker on a third-and-4 slant in the fourth quarter -- Brady thought Welker was going to stop and sit in the seam, but Welker saw daylight and kept going -- he'd have been the hero. If he'd hit Randy Moss on a third-and-4 out-route in the opening drive of the third quarter, even, he'd have moved the chains and at least had a chance to pin the Broncos deep in their own territory to start the second half. Instead, though, he air-mailed Moss and hit Welker in the ankle and got nothing out of either of those two plays.
It's not about the run game or the shotgun or anything like that. It's about simple execution. Let's take this chance to debunk a few myths about the Patriots' offense:
* The emphasis on the shotgun is the issue.
Some first-half stats for Brady from Sunday's loss to Denver:
* Under center: 3 for 6 for 54 yards
* Shotgun: 11 for 13 for 98 yards and two touchdowns
If you can go an entire half against a quality defense and complete 11 out of 13 passes and score two touchdowns, you're doing just fine. The beauty of the West Coast offense, Bill Walsh's short passing offense based on high-percentage passes, is that it's difficult to defend even if opponents don't have to defend against the run. With the variety of options available -- short passes, long passes, screens, etc. -- it can be unpredictable all by itself.
And on the Patriots' first drive of the second half, Brady missed equally badly on a throw to Welker from under center and a throw to Moss from out of the shotgun. It's not the formation. It's the execution.
* It's Gisele's fault.
"I got married a few years ago, too, but nobody talked about that," running back Kevin Faulk said memorably during training camp.
You said it, Kevin.
People get married. Brady got married. Big deal.
* The Patriots need to run the ball more.
Sure, the Patriots need to run the ball to keep opposing defenses honest. But while there's something to be said for the rhythm of a running back, there's also no guarantee that running the ball more often means a team will run the ball more effectively.
The Patriots ran the ball 27 times for 96 yards against the Broncos, an average of 3.6 yards per play. The Patriots tried to throw the ball 33 times, including incompletions, and gained 215 yards through the air -- an average of 6.5 yards per play.
Neither number is particularly outstanding. The Patriots rank 25th in the NFL in rushing average and 22nd in the NFL in passing average. But when you have as big a disparity as the Patriots have -- and only a handful of teams do -- doesn't it make sense to do most what you do the best?
* The lack of a third receiver is the issue.
It's not that opposing defense are ignoring Sam Aiken in favor of Moss and Welker. Aiken is drawing coverage. On the third-and-4 pass Brady sailed high over Moss in the third quarter, star corner Champ Bailey was lined up across from Aiken and was completely taken out of the play. Moss was open. Brady missed him.
That was the case throughout the game. Moss and Welker were open. Brady just hasn't been making the throws.
Most NFL teams don't have three Pro Bowl-quality wide receivers. The Patriots don't need three Pro Bowl-quality wide receivers. The Patriots need their quarterback to connect with the wide receivers he has.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Safety help on wide receivers
Derrick Mason had six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown on the Ravens' first drive against the Patriots on Sunday. He had one catch for 11 yards after that.
Adjustment, much?
"We played more split-safety coverage after the first drive," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said during a press conference on Monday. "I don't think that was all of it, but I think that might have had something to do with it."
For the layman, here's how Belichick described split-safety coverage: "Where there’s a safety over the top of the receivers, which gives the corners an opportunity to play down on them a little bit tighter because they are backed up -- as opposed to having a middle of the field safety on the outside perimeter routes, there isn’t anybody behind him."
Along those same lines, Belichick was asked immediately after the game on Sunday why the Patriots spread the ball out so much and used their running backs so much in the passing game.
"Well, they played a lot of coverage over Randy (Moss), like we expected, with (Ed) Reed over the top, and so they took a lot of those plays away," he said.
Let's go to the chalkboard to figure out a little bit about how the Patriots and Ravens utilized their safeties to take away their opponents' best wide receiver -- and how that played to the Patriots' advantage. (Mason and the Patriots' safeties will be highlighted in yellow.)
First quarter
Baltimore's first drive
First-and-10, 33-yard line going in
Mason already had three catches to this point in the game, including a catch for 17 yards to kick-start the drive deep in Patriots' territory. The Patriots lined up in a basic 3-4 defense with two cornerbacks and two safeties. Some specifics:
* The Ravens split two wide receivers out to the left, and safety Brandon McGowan and cornerback Leigh Bodden lined up across from them. Bodden lined up across from Mason.
* Jonathan Wilhite, the other corner, lined up opposite tight end Todd Heap on the opposite side.
* Brandon Meriweather lined up as the deep safety.
Mason and Mark Clayton, the other wide receiver, both ran relatively short routes, and with Meriweather still playing center field, Bodden had to give Clayton more than enough cushion to make a catch for 12 yards and a first down:
The result: An easy first down.
Contrast that to the way the Ravens defended the Patriots on a play on which Tom Brady was forced to throw a dump-off pass to Laurence Maroney. This time, Moss and the Ravens' safeties are highlighted in yellow.
First quarter
New England's second drive
First-and-10, 45-yard line going out
Some highlights:
* The Patriots lined up two wide receivers to the right of the formation -- Moss and Wes Welker -- and two tight ends to the left.
* The Ravens lined up in a nickel defensive package with three defensive linemen and three linebackers with three cornerbacks and two safeties available in coverage.
* When Welker went in motion at the snap, it looked like this:
Correctly anticipating a pass, the Ravens dropped into coverage -- and by splitting their safeties, Reed was able to focus mostly on Moss going deep while Dawan Landry, the other safety, mostly played center field on the other side.
Brady, despite all the time in the world given to him by a lackluster pass rush, could find no one open downfield and instead threw a dump pass to Laurence Maroney:
Let's skip ahead to the Ravens' next drive and the adjustment the Patriots made on Derrick Mason.
Second quarter
Baltimore's second drive
Third-and-10, 38-yard line going in
In a fairly obvious passing situation, the Patriots went to the dime formation they used frequently the rest of the way, employing three defensive linemen, two linebackers and six defensive backs. Make sure to note:
* Meriweather, McGowan and James Sanders, all safeties, all were on the field at the same time. Both Meriweather and Sanders played so deep they were actually out of the picture on the CBS broadcast.
* Mason lined up by himself on the left side of the formation.
* Bodden, rather than giving Mason a wide cushion, crept up to the line of scrimmage at the snap to give Mason a bump before he could get into his route.
Adjustment, much?
"We played more split-safety coverage after the first drive," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said during a press conference on Monday. "I don't think that was all of it, but I think that might have had something to do with it."
For the layman, here's how Belichick described split-safety coverage: "Where there’s a safety over the top of the receivers, which gives the corners an opportunity to play down on them a little bit tighter because they are backed up -- as opposed to having a middle of the field safety on the outside perimeter routes, there isn’t anybody behind him."
Along those same lines, Belichick was asked immediately after the game on Sunday why the Patriots spread the ball out so much and used their running backs so much in the passing game.
"Well, they played a lot of coverage over Randy (Moss), like we expected, with (Ed) Reed over the top, and so they took a lot of those plays away," he said.
Let's go to the chalkboard to figure out a little bit about how the Patriots and Ravens utilized their safeties to take away their opponents' best wide receiver -- and how that played to the Patriots' advantage. (Mason and the Patriots' safeties will be highlighted in yellow.)
First quarter
Baltimore's first drive
First-and-10, 33-yard line going in
Mason already had three catches to this point in the game, including a catch for 17 yards to kick-start the drive deep in Patriots' territory. The Patriots lined up in a basic 3-4 defense with two cornerbacks and two safeties. Some specifics:
* The Ravens split two wide receivers out to the left, and safety Brandon McGowan and cornerback Leigh Bodden lined up across from them. Bodden lined up across from Mason.
* Jonathan Wilhite, the other corner, lined up opposite tight end Todd Heap on the opposite side.
* Brandon Meriweather lined up as the deep safety.
Mason and Mark Clayton, the other wide receiver, both ran relatively short routes, and with Meriweather still playing center field, Bodden had to give Clayton more than enough cushion to make a catch for 12 yards and a first down:
The result: An easy first down.
Contrast that to the way the Ravens defended the Patriots on a play on which Tom Brady was forced to throw a dump-off pass to Laurence Maroney. This time, Moss and the Ravens' safeties are highlighted in yellow.
First quarter
New England's second drive
First-and-10, 45-yard line going out
Some highlights:
* The Patriots lined up two wide receivers to the right of the formation -- Moss and Wes Welker -- and two tight ends to the left.
* The Ravens lined up in a nickel defensive package with three defensive linemen and three linebackers with three cornerbacks and two safeties available in coverage.
* When Welker went in motion at the snap, it looked like this:
Correctly anticipating a pass, the Ravens dropped into coverage -- and by splitting their safeties, Reed was able to focus mostly on Moss going deep while Dawan Landry, the other safety, mostly played center field on the other side.
Brady, despite all the time in the world given to him by a lackluster pass rush, could find no one open downfield and instead threw a dump pass to Laurence Maroney:
Let's skip ahead to the Ravens' next drive and the adjustment the Patriots made on Derrick Mason.
Second quarter
Baltimore's second drive
Third-and-10, 38-yard line going in
In a fairly obvious passing situation, the Patriots went to the dime formation they used frequently the rest of the way, employing three defensive linemen, two linebackers and six defensive backs. Make sure to note:
* Meriweather, McGowan and James Sanders, all safeties, all were on the field at the same time. Both Meriweather and Sanders played so deep they were actually out of the picture on the CBS broadcast.
* Mason lined up by himself on the left side of the formation.
* Bodden, rather than giving Mason a wide cushion, crept up to the line of scrimmage at the snap to give Mason a bump before he could get into his route.
Mason went straight for the end zone. Bodden got a little bit of a bump on him and then passed him off, chasing a little bit but sitting back in zone coverage. McGowan, right in the middle of the formation, pursued Mark Clayton and Kelley Washington, the two receivers on the right side of the formation.
That left Meriweather and Sanders, the deep safeties, to pursue Mason. The wide receiver actually seemed to beat the coverage, but quarterback Joe Flacco threw off his back foot and gave Meriweather a chance to come all the way across the field and knock the ball away to save a touchdown:
Had the Patriots still been playing one safety deep rather than what Belichick called "split-safety" coverage, Meriweather wouldn't have been in the area to go knock down the pass: He would have been up in coverage and involved with either Clayton or Washington and nowhere near where the ball came down.
It's easy to see how playing an extra deep safety helps defend an opponents' best receiver -- but it also demonstrates how the Patriots won Sunday's game.
The split-safety coverage of the Patriots all but nullified Mason as a weapon. The coverage of Reed all but nullified Moss, too. All three times Moss caught the ball, Reed was uninvolved in the coverage. When Brady hit Moss for a touchdown, Reed was coming on a blitz from the outside -- and Brady only barely got the pass away before Reed was on him.
But the reason the Patriots won was because they had other weapons to employ. Nine different receivers caught passes for the Patriots on Sunday, including all four of the team's active running backs. One of the biggest plays of the game was a fourth-quarter pass Brady threw to running back Sammy Morris, split out wide, a pass Morris took for 14 yards that set up a field goal and pushed the Patriots' lead to six points.
(Reed, on that play, was playing in the middle of the field -- and Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins went out to block him before he could get to Morris.)
The Ravens, on the other hand, needed a big play from Clayton at the end of the game -- and Clayton let a perfect pass from Flacco hit him right in the numbers.
That was the difference.
The Denver Broncos don't have a safety like Reed, but they do have one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL in Champ Bailey. It'll be interesting to see if they do what the Ravens did or if they do what the Jets did -- isolating their top corner on Moss while using their other 10 defenders to put extra pressure on Brady.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Chargers a familiar opponent for Patriots
Patriots coach Bill Belichick compared his team's familiarity with the Chargers to its familiarity with the Colts: "It almost seems like a division game. It does. We end up playing them twice a year."
One of the big matchups of the week will be Randy Moss against San Diego's secondary -- Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie in particular. Moss caught his first deep pass Sunday from Matt Cassel since the season opener, but that only means the Chargers will be more on guard than they otherwise would have been.
Belichick, of course, wasn't about to discuss just how he planned to employ Moss (or Wes Welker or Jabar Gaffney, for that matter) this week.
"We'll try to do what we feel like is best against the way the Chargers are playing us, what those matchups are, and try to get the ball to the guys who can be productive with it," he said. "Depending on how they play us in the passing game, hopefully Matt will make his reads and make good decisions and get the ball to the open player, whether that's Randy or someone else."
He also sidestepped several questions about Tom Brady's surgery -- the quarterback underwent surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament on his left knee on Monday, the Boston Globe reported.
"His first responsibility it do do what he needs to do, and then we'll take it from there," he said.
Belichick closed by saying that the team hasn't done much other than focus on football for the last three days -- but one reporter did say a couple of players were spotted at Alcatraz on Tuesday.
"Hopefully, they were in civilian clothes," Belichick quipped.
One of the big matchups of the week will be Randy Moss against San Diego's secondary -- Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie in particular. Moss caught his first deep pass Sunday from Matt Cassel since the season opener, but that only means the Chargers will be more on guard than they otherwise would have been.
Belichick, of course, wasn't about to discuss just how he planned to employ Moss (or Wes Welker or Jabar Gaffney, for that matter) this week.
"We'll try to do what we feel like is best against the way the Chargers are playing us, what those matchups are, and try to get the ball to the guys who can be productive with it," he said. "Depending on how they play us in the passing game, hopefully Matt will make his reads and make good decisions and get the ball to the open player, whether that's Randy or someone else."
He also sidestepped several questions about Tom Brady's surgery -- the quarterback underwent surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament on his left knee on Monday, the Boston Globe reported.
"His first responsibility it do do what he needs to do, and then we'll take it from there," he said.
Belichick closed by saying that the team hasn't done much other than focus on football for the last three days -- but one reporter did say a couple of players were spotted at Alcatraz on Tuesday.
"Hopefully, they were in civilian clothes," Belichick quipped.
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