http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2lqlALiPXw
Patriots – Lions Highlights.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
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Notes on Taking Care of Business: Patriots Knock Off Lions
One thing you can say about the 2010 Patriots is that they are consistent. Consistently hard to stop on offense, and consistently easy to pass on on offense.
It wasn’t surprising that Detroit jumped out to a 14-3 lead. Nor was it surprising that the Pats came back. It’s becoming pretty apparent that if the Patriots are going to make a Super Bowl run this year the defense must continue to get turnovers. Those are hard to depend on, especially in January.
The offense should be able to put up significant points against anyone. This is not the 2007 offense that depends on the spread aerial assault more than anything. This is an offense that can play any kind of game and play it well. It’s amazing what having three diverse tight ends can do for a team. If Tom Brady continues to play at a high level they will be hard to stop.
The scary thing will be if the offense goes cold one game and needs to depend on the defense to hold the opponent. That’s when it will get interesting. But for now the defense is getting interceptions, the offense is moving the ball well and all is right in Patriots Nation.
Some Notes from the game…
Benjarvus Green-Ellis has elevated his game to a place I never thought he could. He’s always run hard but he’s running fools over now.
An early key to the Jets game will be getting Jonathan Wilhite back and allowing Patrick Chung to play more in-the-box safety. Chung’s been stuck at nickel corner the last two games and that’s not his greatest strength.
Devin McCourty for DROY? If he loses it will only be because the Pats defense is it’s weak link.
Kyle Love is really coming on strong and even got some love from Mike Mayock on Playbook last week. The Pats were able to shut down the run with just him and Wilfork on the inside of the line.
Did Jermaine Cunningham see a reduction in playing time yesterday? Didn’t see him much in the 4th quarter but I did see Pierre Woods out there.
Dane Fletcher got some solid time yesterday playing in his dime package. It looks like they’re expanding his role a bit, used him to pass rush, covering the running back and also spying the quarterback a bit.
The Lions and Suh and Megatron, Oh My!
In the brief few days since the Patriots held on to beat the Colts you probably haven’t heard much about the Detroit Lions. If you’re a regular reader here you definitely haven’t. In fact there’s probably only one thing you heard if anything at all:
Before we get to the Lions let’s talk a little bit about “Trap” games. I guess the definition of a trap game is when a good team is on a roll and/or has a big game coming up but first must play a team that, on paper, looks like shit.
Sometimes it could be boiled down to simply any time a good team plays a shitty team. But with a huge matchup on the Pats’ horizon with the Jets on MNF this Lions game fits the classic ‘trap’ game definition.
Calling it a trap game implies that the better team will overlook the inferior-on-paper team and thus be half-assed in their preparations.
Football Outsiders’ Aaron Schatz and Bill Simmons debated if trap games are a reality on Simmons’ podcast this week. Schatz said they don’t exist, that in the modern NFL any team can beat any team. Records don’t matter. On any given week a team that has looked horrible can put it together and play well. Just like on any given week a team that has looked great can look like crap.
The players understand this and never overlook a game.
Simmons of course disagreed and thought that this was human nature to overlook a challenge you think you’re superior to. It’s also hard to get those competitive juices flowing when you don’t have any kind of a rivalry with a team.
Personally I side with Schatz, especially because we’re talking about the Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. This team has been in close, hard fought games with teams of every kind of record or reputation. Stats are for losers, and that includes the stat of a team’s overall record. Belichick will absolutely make sure his team knows it’s in for a dogfight.
Tom Brady was already looking at the Lions on Sunday night after beating the Colts just hours earlier. I am not worried that the Patriots will overlook the Lions. Nor do I believe that any single player on the Patriots believes they will just show up, blow Detroit out, and be home in time for turkey.
Because the reality is that the Lions are not the bumbling, stumbling Lions of old. This is a team that competes hard on every snap. They are still rough around the edges and have their weaknesses, but they will not be walked over, especially at home.
Let’s not forget that the Patriots have yet to hold a passer under 300 yards. Granted they’ve faced some very good offenses, but they have not proven they can shut down anyone’s passing attack. And guess what, the Lions are 6th in the NFL in passing yards.
So yes the Lions are 2-8 and have a reputation for being one of the worst teams in the NFL over the past decade but that record and rep are deceiving.
The Lions are 2-2 at home this year and their two losses were by just 3 points each. And anyone who saw the Jets game knows the Lions should’ve won that.
The other loss? Oh just a close 35-32 shootout loss to the mighty Philadelphia Eagles.
The Patriots coaches and players are well aware of all these stats and many, many more. This is not a trap game. This will be a sizable challenge game.
The Lions have a revamped defensive line led by Ndamukong Sug and Kyle Vanden Bosche. The Patriots offensive line better be ready for them, because they will be coming hard and fast, just like the rest of the Lions team.
The Patriots will also have their hands full with Calvin Johnson, aka Megatron, who in the words of BB is “never covered”.
If the Patriots win this game most will write it off as just “taking care of business” but the reality is that the Lions are the type of offense that this young defense badly needs a good performance against.
If the Lions have seen what the rest of us have seen (and I’m pretty sure they have) they will attack the Patriots through the air early and often. Detroit’s stellar rookie running back Jahvid Best has been battling a foot injury and the Patriots defense has been excellent the last two weeks against the run. So I don’t expect them to try to move the ball on the ground much.
If the Patriots are to make a run in January their pass defense must improve or else they’ll be forced to rely on take aways to stay in games. That’s not something you want.
Shutting down Shaun Hill and a formidable receiving corps featuring Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew, and Nate Burleson would send a message to those who pay attention and give confidence to the young Pats defense.
Beating this Lions team in their house will not be an easy task. This is their Super Bowl and the short week for prep levels the playing field somewhat. If you still think this is a trap game you’re in for a nerve wracking start to your Thanksgiving day. It will be close. The Lions will move the ball. But if the Patriots stick to what has gotten them to 8-2, playing mistake-free football, executing on offense and bending but not breaking on defense they should be able to pull it out.
And if the defense can hold Hill under 300 yards it would be a big step in the right direction.
Do Not Underestimate This Decepticon
Patriots Confused the Receivers and the Quarterback
One of the elements that made the Patriots successful in intercepting Peyton Manning three times was a good job disguising their coverages. You can see Brian “Baldy” Baldinger break it down here. Try not to get distracted by Badly’s loose pinky that just sort of flops around while he’s making his points.
While we often hear about confusing a quarterback with disguised coverages you don’t hear much about confusing the receivers. In today’s NFL, and especially with a team like the Patriots, the receivers have to make pre-snap reads and adjust their routes accordingly.
On two of the three interceptions Manning threw, he saw one thing and his receiver saw another. This shows that you don’t necessarily need to fool Manning. He has young and fairly inexperienced receivers, except for Reggie Wayne. Confusing them and forcing them to make the wrong sight adjustment is probably a little easier than trying to do it to Peyton.
Seems like the Patriots knew that and exploited it. Those three interceptions ended up being the difference in the game.
Fooled You, Peyton!!
Mike D note: consider this my last post about the Colts game. I’ve tried to turn the page like the players and coaches have had to do but there’s just been so much interesting stuff to break down over the last three days. As an uber fan blogger I can afford that luxury. So that’s it. On to the Lions…
Updated snap percentage graphs broken down by defensive lineman, linebackers, and defensive backs.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/updated-snap-percentage-graphs-broken-down-by/
ProFootballFocus.com: Patriots – Colts ReFocused
Here are some stats from the ProFootballFocus guys…
In stark contrast to the Colts, Brady didn’t have an O-lineman avoid a positive grade, with Dan Koppen (+3.9)having the strongest day, comfortably handling the Colts’ defensive tackles all day long.
Jermaine Cunningham (+3.0)had a fine game, with positive scores in both the run game and rushing the passer. Cunningham was able to generate three pressures on Manning over the course of the game, including the key pressure on his final throw that forced the interception.
Danny Woodhead ( +3.2 )is fast becoming a major weapon for the Patriots, a true Wes Welker in the backfield. With his experience as a slot receiver, Woodhead can be motioned out into the slot where he becomes a matchup problem, or keep him in the backfield where he is a dangerous runner behind a powerful O-line. His 36-yard touchdown run was a thing of beauty, and then Woodhead was the player flying downfield to make the tackle on the ensuing kickoff.
For the Patriots, Devin McCourty (+0.8)is clearly the best corner they have at the moment, and he made some plays in this game, even if he did allow five of nine passes into his coverage to be complete. … Rob Gronkowski ( +2.2) had a fine game, mostly as a run-blocker, while Aaron Hernandez (+0.3)was largely anonymous. … Brandon Spikes (+0.8) saw only eight snaps against a pass-heavy Colts team, and did his damage as a run stopper. … Punter Zoltan Mesko (+0.0)averaged 44 yards a punt, and had a 4.7 second hang-time high.
New York Jets’ Wayne Hunter: Best Backup in NFL or Scrub?
I’ve said many times I enjoy having Rex Ryan coach the Jets. He brings far more to a rivalry than say, Chan Gailey does. But as we start to catch on more and more to Rexy’s act it’s starting to smell more and more “snacky”.
Take for example the conflicting reports below.
First Rex’s response when asked if he’s concerned if Damien Woody won’t be able to play on Thursday:
If he’s ready to go, he’ll be in there. If not, we feel good about Wayne Hunter. We left Wayne isolated a lot of times on that (Mario) Williams guy. There’s a reason that (Williams) was the first pick in the draft. He’s pretty good. We have a lot of confidence in Wayne Hunter. We’re fortunate. We feel like we have the best backup tackle in football in Wayne Hunter. If Wayne has to play, we know he’ll do a great job (and give) a good account of himself.
Okay, then we have this report from ProFootballFocus.com:
Although the Jets won, the performance of Wayne Hunter (-7.0) is a major cause for concern. After a first-quarter knee injury to Damien Woody, Hunter filled in at right tackle and gave up a sack, a hit and eight pressures, as Mark Sanchez had to constantly escape the rush in the second half. If Woody is unable to go on Thursday night, the Jets might like to consider leaving more extra blockers in to help Hunter out, because that much pressure is a recipe for disaster.
Look I understand what Ryan’s doing, he’s trying to build the confidence of a young player. To let him know his coach believes in him. But doesn’t this act start to ring hollow at some point? Wouldn’t it just be better to say nothing at all?
Regardless of how accurate ProFootballFocus’ metrics are or are not, it’s safe to say Wayne had a marginal-at-best game. And Rexy might to save Woody and make sure he’s 100% for the Patriots game. That would give him over two weeks to get completely healthy.
But if Wayne Hunter plays against the Bengals, he could get Mark Sanchez de-Sanchized.
Wayne Doesn’t Know If He’s The Best Or He Sucks
