Mike Dussault

Patriots Gameplan: Week 3 vs. Houston Texans

September 22, 2017 by Mike Dussault

Here come the Texans and all their former Patriots once again! Including the preseason this will be the third time in a year the two teams have met, so yeah this feels like a game in the division against a familiar foe.

Somehow the Texans are always rolling out a different quarterback surrounded by the same excellent pieces at wideout and on defense. And usually that’s the difference between these two teams. No matchup more clearly illustrates how hard it is to win in this league without a good player at the most important position.

Still, there’s always some trepidation when you’re going against a talented front like the Texans’, led by JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. If those guys play out of their mind and rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson plays a clean game, who knows, maybe the Texans can pull off the upset. But the Patriots are near-unbeatable at home and have already had a wake-up call stinker in their home opener. I expect the Pats to turn in one bad game in September, usually on the road. Two would be a big problem, especially if both of them were to come at home.

Here’s the gameplan for what the Pats have to do to get by some old friends once again and move above .500 for the first time this season ;)…

Film Review: Patriots vs. Saints Offense Edition

September 21, 2017 by Mike Dussault

Finishing off the film reviews of the Saints game with this quick-hit look at the offense. This looked like the Patriots offense we’re used to. Keep the chains moving, sprinkle in some trickeration and big plays, and win the short yardage situations with their power back. Despite the absences of Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, the Patriots offense looked pretty much like we’ve come to expect.

As always, watching the All-22 really gives you a better sense of how teams defended the Patriots, but also allows you to take a closer look at things that were missed on initial glance. One big thing that stuck out to me is that I don’t think Tom Brady, Brandin Cooks and Josh McDaniels are quite on the same page yet. And I also think that Nate Solder isn’t quite playing the best football of his career.

More on those and everything else in the quick-hit Film Review…

Scouting Report: Texans

September 20, 2017 by Mike Dussault

We’re slightly turning the page to the Texans today, though I’ll still dive into some offensive film study from the Saints game tomorrow. The Texans are 1-1, coming off an extended break after beating the Bengals in the first Thursday Night game of the regular season (aside from the season kickoff where the Pats got blown out of course, but who needs to remember that game?).

The two teams have met six times in the last five seasons, including twice in the playoffs and really, none of them have been all that close except for 2013’s 34-31 surprising nail biter in Houston. Many of the other games were far more hyped and far less close. Last season the Pats outscored the Texans 61-16 in two meetings.

Now, with a set of preseason practices and a game together, the already-familiar teams have gotten to know each other even better. Yes, there are plenty of connections between the two franchises but on Sunday all that will once again be out the window.

Let’s take a quick look at the Texans and how they match up this time around.

Film Review: Patriots vs. Saints Defense Edition

September 20, 2017 by Mike Dussault

This morning I took a look at the overall defensive performance via the coaches film for the Patriots defense vs. the Saints after yesterday breaking down two specific plays that really allowed the offense to pull away at the end of the first half.

Overall I think this was a vastly improved performance by the Patriots defense. They mixed and matched coverages as well how many rushers they sent after the quarterback and the gameplan was pretty effective. If you can hold Drew Brees to 13 points through three quarters, you’re doing something right.

There were a few big plays again, but as I said in the gameplan, this isn’t the week to panic about those. Yes, the opener against the Chiefs was bad, but big plays via Drew Brees is something you just kind of have to live with. The biggest difference? Not giving up long scores. The big plays hurt, but they weren’t fatal. That’s the bend don’t break.

Here’s a bunch of rapid fire thoughts on the film review…

(photo via NFL Gamepass)

Two Key Plays: Patriots Defense at the end of the first half

September 19, 2017 by Mike Dussault

The Patriots’ third down defense is off to a strong start in 2017. After losing three key pass rushers this last offseason, the youngsters consisting of Trey Flowers, Adam Butler, Dietrich Wise and Cassius Marsh have shown consistent disruption getting after the quarterback early on.

After two games, the Patriots defense is tied for 10th on third down at a rate of 34.8 percent. Historically this is even better than the 2015 (37.3, ) and 2016 (36.9), defenses that finished ranked 10th and 7th respectively. Yes, it’s just two games, but it’s a good start and nice to see an injection of youth and promise at a critical area. One of need especially this year.

Let’s take a look at a two-down sequence to see how the third, and fourth-down defense allowed the Patriots to pull away toward victory.

As you can see below, the situation is that it’s the end of the first half and the Saints are just outside the redzone, down by two scores. Whether or not the game stays close depends on the Saints getting points here before getting the ball to start the second half. It’s a third and three, favorable distance for an offense, who can run or pass.

The Patriots appear to be in man defense, and with Elandon Roberts still in the game, they still have a pretty good run-defending linebacker behind a light front. Still, they’re clearing expecting pass.

Patshow #106: Saints Review

September 19, 2017 by Mike Dussault

Here’s the latest episode of Patshow, featuring a live call in from the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe, the best social media from the Saints win, an Electro Breakdown Zone segment on Rex Burkhead’s touchdown and why no one should worry about Gronk. It’s all here and more!

Notes on the Patriots-Saints Re-Watch

September 18, 2017 by Mike Dussault

At second glance, this game wasn’t as close as it seemed to be live. Remove the tension of a “Brees carving our defense in a comeback win” and it was a pretty methodical strangulation by the Patriots. While I’ll await the Coaches tape before doing any real X-and-O deep dives, there was still plenty to digest here.

Here’s something that stuck out to me.

— If ever there was a picture to sum up how calm, cool and collected Brady was in the pocket check out the shot below. Brady completes this pass to James White (circled). Completely unfazed by Cameron Jordan literally right in his face. It was that kind of night for Brady.