Despite the Pats being able to change up their offensive attack week to week, I think the plan to stop them is pretty simple, at least over the past few seasons.
- Get pressure on Brady, preferably up the middle and with only four guys. Easier said than done, that’s why you’ll see a lot of defenders walking around the line of scrimmage to muddy Brady’s reads and the OLs protection. As Mangini once said, if Brady knows what defense you’re in and where the pressure is coming, he’ll torch it. “If he knows, it goes”.
- Take away the short passes with a lot of press man coverage. Physicality with their smaller receivers is key. Disrupt the timing, especially on the quick hitters that the Pats live by.
- Clog the middle of the field, by dropping defensive linemen if necessary.
- Don’t be afraid to play a single safety high. Force Brady to take shots downfield. The Pats won’t win the game doing that.
- Play 60 minutes. The game is never won until the clock reads 0:00. The second you relax on Brady he’ll score a bunch in a hurry.