Tag Archives: #Brady

Patriots Film Study: Pats Pound Dolphins in Miami

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It’s amazing to me how negative the media can be after a tough loss. As media journalists and analysts, everyone should have known right away that the Patriots were going to bounce back against a divisional opponent and a crucial game to the playoff positioning of the team. Sure, they’re 2-2 now, but the Pats started 2-2 last season, as well. That didn’t stop them last year, did it? Thank God for a 38-7 win over the Miami Dolphins to silence the critics for a little while.

The Patriots are still the best team in the AFC. Nobody has the caliber and number of weapons that Bill Belichick has in New England, nor the ability to find weapons like Belichick. Before we start diving into the film from this week, let’s look at the players who scored touchdowns this week:

Do any of these players look like dangerous threats if they are playing for other football teams? Probably not.

Bill Belichick uses his players to their absolute strengths. It’s one of the many things that makes ‘ole Bill special. Because of that trait, it makes absolutely zero sense why the media should go after this team over a 2-2 start.

Oh yeah, and Julian Edelman returns this week.

Let’s dive into this film.

Play One: 2nd Quarter, 12:11

Patriots ball. 3rd and 6 from the New England 45. Patriots lead 3-0.

The Patriots always do their homework. Bill Belichick hires young wanna be scouts and coaches to watch tape forty hours a week, a strategy that is very well documented by the media. He knows that if he stretches the Dolphins and forces them into a nickel or dime package, he is going to have mismatches. In this case, it’s the left side of the formation (bottom of the screen).

Tom Brady knows that he has the Dolphins in man coverage. On the bottom of the screen, James White lines up wide with Cordarrelle Patterson in the slot. The rookie safety from Alabama, Minkah Fitzpatrick, is on James White while Patterson is covered by Xavien Howard.

Fitzpatrick plays free safety normally. In this case, he’s being used as the nickelback. TJ McDonald is the only safety back, as they are paying cover one to drape over the man coverage below. What the play is designed to do is set a pick at the bottom of the screen. The wide receiver slants inside and sits as a dump off option. The slot guy runs a fade pattern outside, and the unwitting man coverage will most likely let him slip by unnoticed.

What happened?

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Fitzpatrick did exactly what the Patriots hoped. He played White down low instead of switching to Patterson. Because the Patriots had another deep route attacking the middle of the field, McDonald over the top didn’t notice Patterson leak out. The end result? A wide open Cordarrelle Patterson with one man to beat in a thirty yard footrace.

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This is the type of work that Belichick does so well. He finds his mismatches in the film room, finds ways to bring them onto the field, and then has a quarterback in Tom Brady who is so smart that he can make the decisions on the field.

Minkah Fitzpatrick has been a vital player on the Dolphin defense all season, and has looked very solid on the field, but Belichick knows he’s a rookie and is liable to make mistakes. Brady cashed in on that one too.

Play Two: 3rd Quarter, 6:55

Patriots ball. 3rd and 4 from the Miami 14. Patriots lead 24-0.

The Patriots really like this five wide look on third down. Now, they’re going to send a receiver to every level of the field. The Dolphins are playing a zone coverage with four deep players, and three underneath. That means that they are trying to protect against a touchdown. The Patriots know they have zone, even though it’s disguised and it looks like cover two, and the play call works perfectly into that.

There are a few certain routes that are known as “Zone Busters” that receivers run to be more effective against zone. The post and slant are both zone busting routes as they generally slip between multiple zones. An in route would be a good zone buster, too. This play is designed to penetrate through zone coverage.

What happened?

When a defense is playing zone coverage, zone integrity is everything. What does that mean? Easy – Stay in your zone and read the quarterback. The double post route from the left side (bottom screen) made things very confusing for the defense. Then, they had another deep post route coming from the right (top of the screen) and that made everything worse.

Safety Maurice Smith, a second year player out of Georgia, was suppose to play the left corner of the end zone. Instead, he drifted right with the double post. James White leaked out of the backfield and was wide open, and Smith knew exactly what he had done. It was too late.

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What a throw by Brady to hit White in stride with a defensive player about to blow him up. That 41-year-old man keeps making the same throws we’ve seen for years!

Let’s look into the very near future

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This week, the Patriots get back Julian Edelman. This offense is about to be borderline unstoppable. The addition of Josh Gordon from the Cleveland Browns is going to be explosive. He played his first game in a Patriots uniform on Sunday, and looked good in his couple of catches. Sony Michel just ran for over 100 yards. James White had over 100 yards from scrimmage. Rob Gronkowski will have Gordon as a downfield threat and Edelman as a valuable threat out of the slot.

Anyone still diving off of this bandwagon?

Dolphins Were a No Show and the Patriots Took Advantage

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The Patriots Took Care of Business

Via New England PatriotsThe Patriots destroyed the formerly undefeated Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins didn’t really show up at all. Between the missed snaps and the penalties that gave the Patriots chances to score, Miami’s ambition just wasn’t there. As for the Patriots, the defense was a lot better and had more life today than in the last two weeks. The third down defense was much better too. On the offensive side, Brady had a shaky start because of his receivers, but Dorsett and Patterson adjusted would both score touchdowns. Also, Sony Michel had a much better game.

Josh Gordon Made His Debut

Today was also the debut for Josh Gordon, who looked good. He said after the game, “It’s a real home environment. I feel as comfortable as ever.”

Gordon had two receptions for 32 yards. With Edelman due back this week it’ll be exciting to see him and Gordon work together.

There was no way the Patriots were going to lose their third straight game, especially at home. The Patriots scored first, which is what they needed to do set the tone early on both sides of the ball. James White also had himself a game and Michel is getting there. There was an improvement from the last two weeks.

Danny Amendola didn’t have the game he wanted to in his return to Foxborough. His old teammates greeted him before the game, though, and probably wishes he was back with the Patriots.

The Patriots will have a quick turn around before they play on Thursday night against the Indianapolis Colts. They haven’t played the Colts in a few years, so it should be a good game. By Friday they’ll be 3-2 and have ten days off before a huge game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Brady-Belichick drama sounds like a broken record

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Brady and Belichick don’t play golf together, but they share the same goals about winning

Cue the ‘fake news’ from people after they read reports of Brady wanting to leave the Patriots in March. It’s all based on a new book about “Belichick: The Making of The Greatest Football Coach of All Time.” This was written by Ian O’Connor after the 2017 season. All the drama surrounding these two is really old news at this point. Also, Brady said he wants to play until 45; however, he never said he’d finish his career in New England. If it was up to owner Robert Kraft, Brady would retire as a Patriot. I still believe Belichick walks at the end of the season, and Josh McDaniels will take over. If that happens, Brady will be a Patriots until the age of 45.

Belichick will probably retire at the end of the season

As for this new book on Belichick, a few quotes really stuck out from people with knowledge of the Brady and Belichick relationship. They told Ian  O’Connor that Brady would divorce Belichick. “If you’re married 18 years to a grouchy person who gets under your skin and never compliments you, after a while, you want to divorce him. Tom knows Bill is the best coach in the league, but he’s had enough of him. If Tom could, I think he would divorce him.” Belichick himself did not do an interview for the book.

Brady was uncertain if he wanted to be a Patriot as of late March. However, he couldn’t ask for a trade because the fans of New England would be irate and also Kraft. They just had traded Jimmy Garoppolo and if Brady then asked to be traded, he would never live it down. All the talk about Brady and Belichick is really starting to sound like a broken record. By now we get it, they hate each other but share the same goals. Now Belichick stripped the receiving core this year to make it harder for Brady. Now the Patriots got Josh Gordon, who is a headache off the field, but hopefully, he’s productive on the field.

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Jeremy Hill tears ACL, out for Season

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Jeremy Hill was going to tackle Tyrann Mathieu after he recovered a fumble from Rob Gronkowski when James Develin accidentally fell on his leg. He did not return the rest of the game. Yesterday, it was reported that he tore his ACL and is out for the season.

 

Jeremy Hill was signed over this summer and had beaten out Mike Gillislee for a roster spot. He looked to be the premier power back and the go-to-guy on offense in short-yardage situations.

What Now?

Most likely what will happen is that Ralph Webb will get promoted for extra depth. The Patriots could use Develin in short-yardage situations if it’s really necessary. Be on the lookout for any trades or free agent signings for some bigger backs as well.

 

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Matchups To Watch For In Patriots Versus Texans

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Alas, Patriots Nation rejoice! Football returns tomorrow as the great Tom Brady and the New England Patriots take on the up-and-coming Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans who they beat last year in a close game. Here are several matchups to keep an eye out for as the game progresses.

DeAndre Hopkins versus Stephon Gilmore

This is essentially the matchup of the game. DeAndre Hopkins is easily one of the league’s best receivers with the athletic ability to make any throw catchable. He still had a 1300+ receiving season with the likes of Tom Savage and T.J. Yates at quarterback for most of the year.

Deshaun Watson was having a field day with the Patriots’ secondary last year. The key to stopping Watson is to shut down his most reliable target and make him force it to others. Think of it this way: whenever Hopkins is the primary read in a play (which is a lot) and he’s covered, it will take longer for the pass to occur and thus giving more time for pressure to come in or players to reposition themselves.

Enter Stephon Gilmore, who is easily the best cornerback on the roster. He needs to play very physical and aggressive to contain Nuk as he describes in the interview below. This is a very important test for Gilmore and the New England secondary down below. Do they have what it takes?

 

J.J. Watt versus Marcus Cannon

J.J. Watt is an elite player when healthy. Marcus Cannon is an elite player when healthy.  Both are coming off injuries. This will be exciting to see if Watt can power and finesse his way to sack Brady or can the developed Cannon hold his ground.

The rehiring of Dante Scarnecchia, the Patriots’ legendary offensive line coach, had done wonders with Cannon. In 2015, Cannon was beaten time and time again by Von Miller in the AFC Championship. When Scarnecchia returned, his coaching skills elevated Cannon’s game (along with the rest of the line). In 2016, he had only allowed 27 pressures and played in 99.3 percent of the snaps. Cannon looks to return to this form in 2018 but has a tough challenge in the former DPOY.

Rob Gronkowski versus Tyrann Mathieu/Aaron Colvin

The task of stopping Gronk plagues the minds of every team New England faces. Houston will most likely use the free agent signings of Mathieu and Colvin to cover him along with most likely a linebacker. Whatever linebacker who covers Gronk isn’t the concern at all.  Gronk can beat out most linebackers just with his route-running skills and athleticism.

Houston, if they want to slow down the New England offense, must try to do what the Chiefs did with Eric Berry last year. Only when Gronk lines up in the slot is when Colvin will cover him (as Evan Lazar had pointed out earlier yesterday).

This matchup with New England as a whole will be hard on the Texans secondary as a whole. Brady always finds a way to work with what he has, and that will always be dangerous.

 

Tom Brady Opens up About His Future in the NFL in Exclusive Interview

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Tom Brady has accomplished more in his career than any NFL player could even dream of. The MVP still wants to keep going strong.

Going into this season he and the Patriots have 8 Super Bowl appearances, 5 wins, and have been to 7 straight AFC Championship games.

BRADY STILL HUNGRY FOR MORE

Brady’s striving for more

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Brady is 41 years old, the reigning MVP of the league, but believes he has more to accomplish. Tom sat down for an exclusive interview with TB12’s Sports Therapy Center. Key takeaway-he doesn’t sound like he’s satisfied.

”I still feel like I have a lot to play for, a lot left to do in my career, and a lot left in the tank.”

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE MOTIVATING HIM TO WANT MORE?

Tom Brady has always used motivation to keep himself going through the years. Being picked 199th in the draft has been a key driving force that has fueled his success. Now being 41 he has a new motivation to add to his legacy.

”It’s motivating me to finish the right way, by being healthy and playing at a championship level.” Brady goes on to say, “we’ve (the Patriots) have come a long way to get to this point, and doing everything I can to keep that going and continuing to forge into uncharted territory for as long as we can is a big motivator for me.”

Tom Brady HAS VERY HIGH STANDARDS

Courtesy of Nancy Lane

(Staff Photo by Nancy Lane)

Every NFL team has different expectations and standards. All teams want to win the Super Bowl, of course. Most teams are looking to win their division. New England is the same way, the only difference is that they have higher standards.

New England and Tom Brady have been historically great in this incredible run, and Brady wants to keep the standards they have set over the years going.

Brady adds more in his sit down with TB12s Sports Therapy Center, saying “I want to help our team build on the standards we have set over many years”.

The MVP and his team have set the bar other teams are striving for. Brady wants to separate himself and his team even further from the pack. He also wants to set a new standard for future athletes. He’s showing people that anyone can play longer than previously thought.

Despite the speculation of retirement, Tom Brady is talking like he’s looking for another ring, if not more before he hangs it up. If I were a betting man I would gamble on Tom Brady playing until he’s 45. He will only continue to prove people wrong and set new standards, like he has since he came into the NFL. He will go out the same way.

 

 

 

 

The 2018 NFL Season is a week away

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Patriots Season Begins A Week From Today

Here we go it officially is one week until the start of the 2018 NFL season. The weather will start to get cooler and the smell of football will be in the air. The Patriots and the rest of the NFL cut their roster to 53 yesterday. The Patriots open the season against the Houston Texans next Sunday. The most notable cuts made on Saturday was RB Mike Gillislee, QB Danny Etling, Cyrus Jones, LB Marquis Flowers, RB Brandon Bolden, and WR Riley McCarron. All the drama in the offseason has been pushed aside after Brady and Gronkowski have restructured their contracts. Now it’s all about the actual game itself finally.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today

We’ll see the offense run without Edelman for September

As we look into the regular season we start with this month as Edelman will be out the first four games. Talks of getting a receiver are pretty quiet around New England about adding one. But knowing Belichick you never know what he has up his sleeve. Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarrelle Patterson will have to step it up. Tight end Rob Gronkowski wants to play as much as possible to reach those incentives so he can make his money. Except James White to lead the running back position, along with Rex Burkhead, and rookie Sony Michel when healthy.

Patriots Initial Roster Includes Just 52 Players, Three Full-Time Receivers

Photo Courtesy of NESN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the defensive side, Jason McCourty seems to have made the team. There was speculation whether or not he would because he played Thursday night in the last preseason game against the Giants. Stephon Gilmore will be the cornerback who had a great training camp this year. Jordan Richards finally is off this team and was traded Friday to the Atlanta Falcons. All of the bad defenders from the Super Bowl are off the team to begin the 2018 season. From Richards who again is on the Falcons to Johnson Bademosi who’s now playing for the Texans.

The Patriots as long as they still have Brady they’ll be good. We’ve been saying that for along time now. Edelman will come back in October ready to go and be a contributor to the offense. I expect Sony Michel when he is healthy to be a full force in the running game. Coming out of college he was being compared to Dion Lewis I’d like to see him be explosive out of the gate for the Patriots. Overall it should be a fun exciting year and another division win. A first-round bye and a chance at another Super Bowl.

 

Did Etling do Enough to Surpass Hoyer?

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The Mystique of the Backup

The allure of the backup quarterback is one of the most unusual phenomenon in all of professional sports. If the team used a premium draft pick, they expect the kid to grab the job right away. When your team signs a free agent, you hope he can provide depth and competition for a poor starter. In the most optimistic light you look for the positives of the late-round flyer to make the team and grow into a viable option for the next Kurt Warner or Tom Brady. The New England Patriots drafted Danny Etling with the first pick of the seventh round out of LSU. He had all the usual buzzwords of the project quarterback. Big arm, garbage pocket presence, inconsistent mechanics, high upside and development prospect were the most common.

Yet, the New England faithful grasped those brittle straws with a desperation that bordered on mania. The fans of the Patriots had received a 1-2 combo gut punch of former qb news. A swap of Jacoby Brissett for near bust wideout in Phillip Dorsett was not well-received, especially after Brissett went on to perform admirably for a flawed Colts team.

Just when the people resigned themselves to a quarterback controversy in the upcoming offseason New England did the unthinkable. Shipping uber-dreamy backup Jimmy G to the west coast for a perceived discount struck fans the wrong way. The jolt he provided the 49ers gave them the energy to run off a 5 game win streak to close out the season. Could Danny Etling be that guy to make us forget all our woes? He must be; why else would Bill Belichick make those moves and take those risks at the game’s most important position?

 

The Patriots Plan

I get it. Brian Hoyer is not the sexiest option for fans to think about as a backup to Tom Brady. For every positive that you can point out in his career you can point out an equally devastating negative. Still, he is one of the better candidates for helping the Patriots maintain their AFC East domination in the event of the unthinkable. He posted a 61.3 completion percentage with 288 yards in a preseason that started very poorly for him. High throws, lack of rhythm, and uneven chemistry with the offensive personnel. Hoyer saw most of his action against starters and backups that will comprise NFL rosters when the season starts.

Did Etling show enough promise that the Patriots brass might forgo that security of the knowable for the risk of mystique?

The Positives

“Ran his way into the practice squad of my heart!”

-Mark Schofield gushing over Danny Etling’s 86 yard TD run on the Locked on Patriots podcast.

 

Then came the week 4 preseason game. After an uneven performance in the first half. Danny Etling was seeing his most extensive action of the preseason. On a zone read play that fooled the entire, and I mean, ENTIRE NY Giants defense, Etling kept the ball and ran. He streaked, fully clothed, down the sidelines for a touchdown to secure the lead and the game. This encapsulated a good/bad performance from the young kid trying to scratch out the beginnings of a career in the NFL.

The Negatives

“Seven guys just got cut on that one play!”

-Broadcast announcer during the game.

 

As feel good and uplifting as that play was, it was mostly the result of some very poor defense. The play came against young players facing long odds for a roster spot. The final stat line by Etling’s preseason shows the guy that most people scouted prior to the draft. On 36 attempts he connected for 19 passes and 175 yards through the air. His accuracy on short passes was particularly alarming. His running ability did provide a nice contrast to the normally elephantine pace of the New England Patriots quarterbacks. I mean, fleet-footed, gazelle-like speed. He rushed for 4 first downs throughout the preseason. Could that be enough for him to possibly find himself on the roster?

The 2018 Outcome

Unfortunately, no. In the harsh economics of the NFL he simply didn’t show enough this preseason to warrant one of the coveted 53 man roster spot. Every spot is valuable and reserving a single spot for a developmental quarterback that will not be active on game day is a very high cost. Several factors could work in his favor if they were present. If Hoyer had a disastrous preseason. Or if his production did not warrant his cost.

If the Patriots had invested a higher round pick in Etling it would have made them more inclined to keep him. I would like him to be able to grab a practice squad spot. His experience in the system is enough to be an asset for practice and an emergency option. The rest of the NFL will get an option to grab him first for their team if the Patriots go this route. 

The NFL is a tough place filled with fleeting success and long memories. Bill Belichick has mastered the more obscure paths of team management, so I’ll refer any questions to him and I’m absolutely sure he will respond to your inquiry with the respect and depth that he is known for.

 

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

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Top 5 Tuesday: Predictions for 2018 Season

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Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday after our more-than-brief hiatus. This week, we will make 5 bold predictions for the New England Patriots’ 2018 season.

THE PATRIOTS WILL LOSE ONLY ONE GAME

Okay, it definitely is a daring prediction; however, this team is a lot better than the team that went 13-3 last season. My biggest worries would be the Texans, Packers, Vikings, and Jaguars. Hopefully, we don’t also lose a dud game against a divisional rival.

 

THE DEFENSE WILL FINISH TOP 5 IN TOTAL SACKS

Don’t look now but New England’s front 7 just got stacked. Our newcomers include Derek Rivers, Dont’a Hightower, Danny Shelton, Adrian Clayborn, Harvey Langi, and the emerging Ja’Whaun Bentley to add to a defense that achieved 42.0 sacks last year (finished in the top half of the league).

 

PHILLIP DORSETT WILL LEAD THE TEAM IN YARDS IN THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS

With the Edelman out the first four weeks, someone is going to need to step up to be Brady’s top target outside of Gronk. While it may seem like a sure bet for Hogan who has developed a surefire chemistry with Brady in the past, Dorsett should not be forgotten. He has the quickness, hands, and ability to create separation that can propel him into Brady’s circle of trust.

EITHER JC JACKSON OR KEION CROSSEN MAKES THE ROSTER

JC Jackson is enjoying a strong offseason, impressing the coaches and earned first team-reps earlier in the summer. Keion Crossen hasn’t had as good of a summer, but certainly has the measurables and potential to get that dark horse spot. Either way, one of these rookies will make it on the roster and I believe will provide a positive impact in games.

 

JAMES WHITE WILL BE THE PATS’ LEADING RUSHER

I remember when Sweet Feet got drafted in 2014. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time. He proved me wrong, showing up time after time in the playoffs. With all the injuries and players leaving, I think White will finally get a bigger workload and lead New England in both yards and touches.

 

Who Should the Patriots Target at Wide Receiver

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Wide Receiver Options

The Patriots lost another wide receiver over the weekend. Eric Decker announced his retirement after eight seasons in the NFL. It really was no shock as Decker was probably going to be cut anyway. Decker didn’t play with Brady on Friday night against the Panthers so that was the final straw. Decker was having an issue connecting with Tom Brady all training camp. As of right now the Patriots have Edelman, Hogan, Patterson, and Dorsett as the primary receivers. With Gronkowski rounding the corps out it appears as long as Brady remains healthy they should be alright. That being said, the team could always use another solid wideout. Let’s take a look at who they could pick up.

  1. Dez Bryant: Dez Bryant is still on the market. He’s a big bodied receiver that would get open and demands the ball a lot. Bryant had 6 touchdowns last season with 838 yards. Bryant did have some issues with the Cowboys and how they were running things. Belichick doesn’t take any nonsense though so if locker room drama began expect to see Bryant out of New England in a heartbeat. If Bryant wants to be on a winning team the Patriots are the best option. If Belichick doesn’t want the drama that comes with him Belichick will look in another direction.
  2. Golden Tate: Mike Reiss makes a good point on his personal website mikereiss.net Golden Tate is entering the final year of his contract. Reiss suggested a trade package of Elandon Roberts and Malcolm Brown for Golden Tate. Does that trade make sense for the Patriots and Lions? It might for two reasons. First, Matt Patricia knows Brown and Roberts from when he was a defensive coordinator for the Patriots. Second, Tate would be great for Brady to have someone other than Hogan, Patterson, and Dorsett to throw to. Tate scored five touchdowns for 1,003 yards last season for the Lions.

They aren’t going to trade for someone in the division or even in the conference. The receiving core in the division isn’t really that good anyway. If any quarterback can make it work though it’s Brady. We have seen him time and time again do more with less talent than any other quarterback in the history of the game. I personally like the Golden Tate idea even better than Bryant. Getting Deymarius Thomas from the Broncos isn’t really a good idea since the Broncos are in the conference.