Mike Dussault

As an X’s-and-O’s junkie, the best part of Part 1 was watching Belichick and Brady talk about the upcoming game with the Baltimore Ravens in Belichick’s office. They go over the full offensive game plan and then drill down to one of the main issues faced by any team opposing the Ravens — how to deal with Ed Reed. “I think we know about Ed,” Belichick says. “Ed Reed is Ed Reed,” Brady responds. “He covers up a lot of stuff.” Belichick concurs. “Everything he does, he does at an exceptional level. He looks like he’s guessing more than he ever has. But boy, does he have a burst — he’s crouching down low back there, and playing really low. But he changes it up — you can’t …I mean, it’s just so obvious when he’s reading the quarterback. Those receivers will run right past him, and he never flinches. He doesn’t even acknowledge them. He’s just reading the quarterback.” “He’s always moving,” Brady responds. “Playing against Ed, you’re always so aware of where he is. It’s not like he sneaks up on you — We played him in the rain here five years ago, and every time they break the huddle, he’s what you’re looking at. You’re not saying, ‘OK, let’s just snap the ball and go,’ it’s more like, ‘Where’s he at?’” Brady and Belichick then watch an All-22 cut of San Diego Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson running right by Reed, and Reed refusing to be fooled.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/as-an-xs-and-os-junkie-the-best-part-of-part-1/

Getting a feel for the Ravens defense. This is a unit that finished the regular season ranked second in the NFL against the rush, fourth against the pass, and third in points allowed. They were the league’s second-ranked defense on third down. Against the Texans, though, the unit didn’t apply consistent pressure, and that will be trouble for them if they play the same way against the Patriots. You can get away with that against a rookie quarterback like Yates, but Brady usually will make such an opponent pay. In terms of the strengths of both teams, this sets up a matchup of iron on iron – the Ravens D against the explosive Patriots O.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/getting-a-feel-for-the-ravens-defense-this-is-a/

New England primarily used three down lineman – Kyle Love started at the nose with Vince Wilfork and Brandon Deaderick at either side – while Mark Anderson played to the outside as a rush linebacker, and linebacker Rob Ninkovich had a combination of assignments on the other side.
This was the same personnel package the Patriots used in the second half in Week 15, though the spacing was slightly different, as Love stayed on the nose rather than a little more to the outside. And the Patriots attacked, and attacked and attacked much more than they did in the first half in their initial meeting.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/new-england-primarily-used-three-down-lineman/