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.